The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun.

Dongfang Bubai said, "The men you sent can't kill him now."

"it is good."

Yang Lianting nodded.

Dongfang Bubai suddenly laughed.

"Let him grow. This world is too boring. Let's see how high he can go. Maybe he will give me a surprise."

Chapter 411: The Capital

July.

A caravan of twenty or thirty people was on its way.

"Manager, we've arrived."

A member of the caravan said to a middle-aged man.

The steward nodded, then went to report to the leader of the caravan, before stopping in front of the last carriage and speaking.

"Young Master Jiang, we've arrived."

As soon as the steward finished speaking, the front curtain of the carriage was lifted from the inside, and a young man stepped out of the carriage.

"Thank you for your help along the way."

Jiang Ning smiled and thanked him.

The manager chuckled.

"Meeting is fate. Since we are all from different parts of the country and are able to gather together by chance, we should help each other as much as we can."

After saying that, the steward pointed in a direction.

“Young Master Jiang, if you go straight from here, you will soon reach the main road. If you follow the main road, it will be only a few dozen miles to the capital. We need to sell our goods in a nearby town and rest for a while, so we will not travel with you.”

Jiang Ning cupped his hands and said, "Thank you."

The steward returned the greeting with a smile and said, "See you again sometime."

After saying goodbye to the manager, Jiang Ning turned and left. He hadn't seen the leader while traveling with the caravan; it was just the manager who had dealt with him. When he left, he only needed to say goodbye to the manager.

Watching Jiang Ning's departing figure, one of the caravan members couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Look how young this guy is, daring to venture out all by himself. Isn't he afraid of running into bandits or mountain thieves?"

Another member of the caravan said, "Didn't you see the sword hanging at his waist? He's a martial arts practitioner; maybe he's highly skilled and not afraid of bandits or robbers."

The person who had spoken earlier couldn't help but curl his lip.

"Judging from his age, he's about the same age as my son. What kind of martial arts skills could he possibly have? I bet he only has a little bit of rudimentary skill. Judging from his clothes, he's not from an ordinary family. I guess he's some young master from a powerful family who's out experiencing life."

The caravan member shook his head.

The manager turned around and scolded the two men.

"What are you all talking about? Hurry up and get out of here. Sell these goods so you can collect your money and go home to your wives and kids. Isn't that more important than gossiping about others?"

"Yes Yes."

The two men quickly smiled apologetically and stopped discussing the Jiangning issue.

……

After leaving the caravan, Jiang Ning followed the direction indicated by the steward and soon arrived at the official road.

The official road was very wide, but only a few people could be seen hurrying along it.

However, these people did not walk in the middle of the official road, but rather on the edge of it.

In ancient times, official roads were not only for government officials, but also for ordinary people. However, ordinary people needed to be careful when using official roads and give way to government officials when they encountered them on their way.

If you were to encounter an urgent message traveling 800 li (approximately 400 kilometers), and were unable to avoid being hit on the road, the consequences would be as light as death; in more serious cases, you would be held responsible for delaying important matters of the court.

Jiang Ning did not walk in the middle of the official road, but instead walked along the edge of the road with these people.

The people who were on their way also noticed Jiang Ning and their eyes showed curiosity.

Judging from their appearance, Jiang Ning's clothes suggested he wasn't an ordinary person. Why was he walking like them without a mount or anything?

Despite their curiosity, they had no intention of striking up a conversation and simply walked silently along the official road.

Jiang Ning looked at the group of people and could tell from their clothes and belongings that they were all engaged in different professions.

Jiang Ning merely observed them briefly without speaking to them; they were simply fellow travelers on the same route.

They traveled several miles along the official road without incident, and encountered no bandits or other unexpected events.

Although the current imperial court has weakened to the point that it can no longer control some regions, it is still a unified dynasty, and no one would dare to rob the official road.

After walking for a while, Jiang Ning suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves behind him. The sound grew closer and closer, and Jiang Ning couldn't help but turn around to look. A man dressed as an official was riding a horse at full gallop on the official road.

"Urgent message, make way."

The courier shouted as he rode at full speed.

Upon hearing this, the other people on the official road panicked and scattered, moving directly to the outside of the road. Jiang Ning, however, was not so alarmed; he walked close to the side of the road without blocking anyone's way.

call out!

The courier sped past Jiang Ning, stirring up a gust of wind that ruffled Jiang Ning's hair and robes.

Dust from the official road drifted in the air. Jiang Ning covered his nose and waved his hand, looking at the postman who had disappeared ahead, and couldn't help but think.

Urgent dispatch?

This situation usually indicates a major national event that requires urgent notification to the imperial court.

Has something big happened?

Jiang Ning thought to himself.

He was a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person who lived in the martial arts world) and not very clear about the affairs of the imperial court. He only found out what had happened when he stopped the courier who was delivering the urgent message.

However, this is no different from courting death.

There is a joke that goes like this: In ancient times, there was an orphan who became a bandit. Once, while robbing a courier on an express route, he robbed him. In the end, the court executed his entire family. Because he was an orphan, the court also found his biological parents and even the dog he had raised when he was a child, and executed their entire families as well.

This illustrates the importance of urgent dispatches.

Although Jiang Ning's martial arts skills are now high, he wouldn't be so bored as to do such a thing.

Without giving up on the urgent matter, Jiang Ning continued on his journey.

After bidding farewell to Yue Buqun in Dengfeng, he headed north to investigate the unorthodox individuals who had escaped from Mount Song that night.

Along the way, they did indeed capture quite a few evil spirits and wicked people, as well as some heinous criminals.

Jiang Ning sent all of these people to be reincarnated.

Originally, his plan for this trip was not only to hunt down those evil people, but also to eliminate Ren Yingying's vassal forces.

Many of the various factions that surrounded Mount Hua last year have escaped.

However, as Jiang Ning traveled north, he realized that he had never been to the capital. Since he had not encountered those evil people again, Jiang Ning decided to visit the capital. A few days ago, he met the caravan and hitched a ride with them.

Jiang Ning continued on his journey. It was morning when he left the caravan, and by the time he was almost in the capital, it was already afternoon.

More and more people were traveling along the official road, all heading towards the capital.

Jiang Ning and the others traveled for a while longer before finally arriving in the capital.

Magnificent.

atmosphere.

Jiang Ning was looking at the city from the outside. The towering city walls were very imposing, and the soldiers on the walls stood motionless with their weapons in hand.

After looking around, Jiang Ning prepared to enter the city.

At this time, there were rows of soldiers guarding the city gate, and people were queuing to enter and exit.

"What's your name? Where are you from? Show me your travel permit."

When they reached Jiangning, the soldiers conducting the inspection asked them questions.

The travel permit was similar to a pass, issued by the government. Ordinary people had to have a travel permit to go to other places. Without it, they would be punished for violating the laws of the Ming Dynasty. The punishment ranged from caning to exile.

"Jiangning, from Shaanxi, has no travel permit."

Jiang Ning replied.

Upon hearing this, the soldier glared, and the other soldiers were about to grab Jiang Ning, but Jiang Ning immediately handed over a plaque.

"But I have this."

The soldier took the plaque with a hesitant look. The weight of it and its gold color surprised him, and he was even more shocked when he saw the words on it.

"The Great Hero of Guanzhong?"

Chapter 412: The Nemesis of Evil Paths

The soldier paused for a moment when he saw the words "Master Guanzhong". After flipping the gold medal over, he saw the smaller characters and a seal.

"This was issued by the imperial court. With this gold token, you can go anywhere without a travel permit."

Jiangning Road.

This gold medal was given to him by Prefect Chen of Hanzhong when he was in Hanzhong. Although the gold medal was not very useful, it was just a title without any official position or salary. It was simply a recognition from the imperial court. However, it also had another function: if he went to other places, he would not need a travel permit.

The soldier examined it closely and found that the gold medal was indeed genuine; both its craftsmanship and the seal on it were something only the imperial court could produce.

"Master Jiang, I'm so sorry, so sorry."

The soldier quickly bent down and returned the gold medal to Jiang Ning, presenting it with both hands.

"I was blind and offended you, Master Jiang. I hope you will forgive my mistake."

Jiang Ning accepted the gold medal without saying anything; it was just a normal inquiry.