Starting from the pharmacy, he grew into a martial saint among men.

The next day, the Iron Fist Gang was furious and vowed to find the culprit and make him pay for the crime in blood.

The Triads readily claimed responsibility for the killings, stating that they were the ones who committed them.

As a result, the gang war immediately intensified.

Several pharmacy doctors were forcibly taken away by the Iron Fist Gang to treat the wounded.

Because Chu Jianghe was injured and unable to move easily, and because Chu Hong had already reached the Ming Jin level, the Iron Fist Gang did not dare to come knocking on their door for the time being.

They have at least temporarily extricated themselves from this quagmire.

Two days have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the middle of the trip, Chu Hong went to the blacksmith shop and spent a lot of money as hush money to have the blacksmith make some parts.

After returning to the pharmacy and assembling the product, Chu Jianghe instructed them to prepare a potent poison that would kill instantly upon contact with blood and then quench it on.

When you're out and about, you have to have a trump card up your sleeve.

And this is one of his trump cards.

On the day of departure, Chu Hong arrived at Dawei Escort Agency, ready to travel to Huang'an County with the escort team.

"Oh, Junior Brother Chu, what brings you here?"

As soon as Chu Hong arrived in front of the team that was preparing, he heard Xiao Yi's voice.

Chu Hong was also surprised.

I never expected to end up traveling with Senior Brother Xiao again.

"I need to go to Huang'an County on business. It will be safer to travel with the escort team."

Dawei Escort Agency allows passersby to team up and travel together; the more people there are, the more strength they have.

Moreover, they can charge a small fee, which is quite beneficial, so naturally they accept all comers.

Xiao Yi didn't ask any further questions, but instead enthusiastically helped Chu Hong get acquainted with the group.

The procession consisted of ten horse-drawn carriages, carrying medicinal herbs, silk, and other valuables, and they were currently loading the carriages.

The team was also very strong for this escort mission.

Although there were only about thirty people in total, the leader was a martial artist with internal strength, and there were also ten martial artists with external strength.

Although the remaining people did not knock on the gate, they were all strong and skilled fighters, and they were not to be trifled with at first glance.

Shortly after, team leader Shi Yi gathered everyone together and reiterated the rules.

It simply means that during the escort mission, one must not leave one's post without permission and must remain vigilant at all times.

In case of emergencies, you must follow the instructions of the team leader and not act on your own.

People like Chu Hong must also abide by the rules, or they will bear the consequences.

Once everyone was aware of the situation, the group officially set off.

Xiao Yi pulled Chu Hong to sit in front of the carriage: "Junior Brother Chu, come on, let's squeeze in."

"The road is dangerous, so it's better if we go together so we can look out for each other."

The wheels turned, and the vehicle slowly drove out of Yunxi County.

Along the official road outside the city, some people were harvesting crops in the fields, but judging from their gloomy faces, the harvest was probably not very good.

On the official road, passersby, intimidated by the imposing presence of the escort team, all made way to the side.

A few miles further on, as you enter the mountains and forests, the scenery changes dramatically.

Towering trees stand tall, their leaves intertwined, blocking out most of the sunlight.

Only dappled sunlight filtered through the trees.

The woods were exceptionally dark, and a gentle breeze made a whistling sound.

Xiao Yi explained, "The area outside the city is mostly old forest like this, and even experienced hunters can easily get lost in it."

"And it's not as peaceful as you see here. Bandits, wild beasts, and even monsters are hiding in the old forest."

"When we're on a delivery mission, we're there to guard against these kinds of dangers that could appear at any time."

Chu Hong nodded slightly.

The journey of hundreds of miles was indeed fraught with danger.

No wonder they need such a powerful team; ordinary people probably wouldn't dare to walk on the streets so casually.

The carriage moved along, stopping frequently, until the sun began to set in the west, at which point it finally came to a halt in front of a dilapidated temple.

Along the official road, there are many similar areas, which are places where traveling merchants rest and spend the night.

Compared to sleeping in the wilderness, having a place to shelter from the wind and rain always makes people feel more at ease.

As soon as he landed, Chu Hong found an open space and began practicing stances and boxing.

The force of the punches was devastating, and the explosions were deafening.

It instantly attracted a lot of attention.

Team leader Shi Yi frowned slightly and summoned Xiao Yi:

"Who is that person? They're so exhausted on the road; what if they encounter danger?"

Xiao Yi hurriedly explained:

"Boss, that's Chu Hong."

"Don't worry, he's just practicing martial arts a bit too hard, but he'll know when to stop and it won't be long before he stops."

Shi Yi nodded slightly; such a hardworking person was indeed rare.

However, being too reckless on the escort mission is not a good thing.

He thought for a moment and then gave the order in a low voice:

"Let him conserve some energy to deal with any potential dangers."

Shi Yi shook his head and left.

If it's one of his own people who breaks the rules, he will definitely punish them severely.

However, he couldn't reprimand the other party's companions who had paid for their services.

He has done his part in providing the necessary reminders.

As for life or death, that depends on the other person's fate.

-----------------

The carriage set off again the following day.

The closer they got to Huang'an County, the more refugees they encountered along the way.

The ragged people, their faces ashen, moved listlessly along the official road in the opposite direction.

Chu Hong asked, puzzled, "Senior Brother Xiao, how could there be refugees at this time of year?"

He saw the people harvesting outside Yunxi County, so why were there groups of emaciated refugees here?

Senior Brother Xiao's expression was grave:

"For some reason, Huang'an County experienced continuous heavy rains a while ago, which destroyed fertile fields and caused houses to collapse."

"In addition, the Huang'an County government failed to provide adequate disaster relief, resulting in a large influx of displaced people who were looking for a way out everywhere."

Chu Hong sighed.

The common people are like grass.

Whenever natural disasters or man-made calamities strike, one can only drift along with the tide.

He thought for a moment, then divided the two large pancakes he had on him into several portions and gave them to the children.

When the refugees saw that someone was giving alms, they immediately gathered around.

Public sentiment was high.

Upon seeing this, Chu Hong quickly shouted to intimidate everyone.

This is how they avoided being surrounded.

After this ordeal, Chu Hong no longer dared to show kindness so readily.

The carriage was getting closer and closer to Huang'an County.

But the atmosphere within the escort team grew increasingly tense.

Shi Yi kept sending people ahead to scout the way, not daring to relax his vigilance in the slightest.

Xiao Yi reminded him:

"Ten miles ahead is the territory of Black Wind Stronghold. Those bandits are extremely ruthless; they even dare to rob caravans."

That's why the escort team dared not be careless.

While passing through a narrow valley, Chu Hong encountered the Black Wind Mountain bandits.

Shi Yi stepped forward to talk to him.

Before long, the convoy continued on its way.

However, everyone remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on the Black Wind Stronghold bandits. If they made any unusual moves, they would desperately protect the goods.

Fortunately, the bandits seemed somewhat wary and did not make a move.

After leaving the valley, everyone relaxed.

The most dangerous section of the road is finally over.

After that, everything went smoothly.

"It seems these bandits aren't as scary as I thought."

He actually wanted to take action against the bandits, but he refrained from doing so out of fear.

Xiao Yi laughed and said, "Junior Brother Chu, you are very wrong to think that way."

He pointed to a luxurious carriage that was moving in the middle.

He whispered, "There are big shots inside. If they dare to make a move..."

"Within a month, armies from all sides will come to besiege and suppress us."

Chu Hong suddenly realized.

As Chu Hong approached the city, he saw a large group of refugees gathered in an open space outside the city.

Several large pots were steaming, containing only a few grains of rice in a thin porridge.

But with the addition of some wild vegetables and herbs, it actually looks quite presentable.

However, the people distributing the porridge were not government officials, but a group of people dressed in gray robes.

Every refugee who received porridge had to kneel on the ground and loudly express their gratitude:

"Thank you, Venerable One Who Is Free from Worry!"

"Thanks to the Worry-Free Cult for their blessings!"

Chu Hong was taken aback.

There's also the Worry-Free Cult here, and they're making quite a splash.

What exactly are they going to do?

Xiao Yi sighed and said:

"Those people in gray robes are followers of the Worry-Free Cult. They love to use this method to win over the people and make money at the same time."

"Not only in Huang'an County, but even in our Yunxi County, there are traces of the Wuyou Sect."

"The more miserable the world becomes, the wider the traces of the Worry-Free Sect become."

Chu Hong said, "Don't those above know that if the Worry-Free Sect grows stronger, it will affect their rule?"

Chu Hong understood that the Worry-Free Sect was not much different from the White Lotus Sect of his previous life.

If this is not contained, it will inevitably challenge the regime in the future.

Senior Brother Xiao rolled his eyes at Chu Hong and shook his head helplessly:

"Junior Brother Chu, that's not something we should consider."

"But I've heard that the true master of the Worry-Free Sect is extremely powerful, no weaker than the experts of the sects above."

"Plus, they bloom everywhere, so getting rid of them won't be easy."

Chu Hong only looked away after the carriage entered the city.