Chapter 8, Joining the Convoy
As soon as he uttered, "That’s fine," Wei Luo could not help but exhale a long breath, his body went limp, and he nearly collapsed to the ground
Wei Luo looked at the knight with anticipation, sensing that this person before her was not at ease with her presence. Could it be that he thought she was a bait sent by robbers or something? However, having finally encountered such a group, she was determined to travel with them, and ideally, she hoped to join their ranks.
As Wei Luo gazed at the bright moon, lost in thought and wandering thousands of miles away, a faint sound of clattering hooves began to echo in the distance
Wei Luo felt a sense of anticipation in her heart, so she decided not to walk forward. She walked to the side of the official road and found a stone to sit on. As soon as she sat down, Wei Luo turned her head to look back. The woods behind her were dark and chilly, making her feel as if something might suddenly leap out and bite her on the back.
There stood a small child in the middle of the road, and the knight furrowed his brow, asking suspiciously: "Child, why are you blocking the way?"
It appears that a very large group is approaching, and they are certainly not bandits, as a bandit group would not be this large nor would they move so slowly
Brother Lou could not help but turn his horse around and look back at Wei Luo with a serious expression
Great!
Weiluo raised his head and looked, secretly taking a deep breath, and thought with emotion: judging by this fire dragon, this convoy is at least two to three miles long, and I wonder what kind of convoy this is, to have so many people
As he was about to leave, Wei Luo hurriedly performed a deep bow with both hands and said in a loud voice: "Brother Lou, the night is quiet and the tigers and wolves are to be feared. I implore you to take in this humble person."
As the convoy drew nearer, Wei Luo's eyes grew increasingly bright
After staring for a while, he raised his head and glanced around. It was pitch black all around; how could he see anything in such darkness?
When she positioned the stones and stepped back into the middle of the road, a knight rode out from the caravan, charging directly towards her
Wei Luomei looked joyfully at the source of the flames, thinking happily: This group is numerous and strong; if I can travel with them, then I need not fear tonight
Not only were the flags painted pink, but Wei Luo also discovered that the carriages were painted in particularly bright colors, deep red, light red, pink, forming a continuous line of red. At first glance, it was surprisingly beautiful
Wei Luo could not tell whether it was joy or surprise, and she quickly turned her head to look back.
At that moment, a soft and melodious voice from a convoy about thirty to forty meters away reached us, "Lou Ju, this child speaks elegantly and behaves gracefully. It seems that, as he said, he comes from a respectable family. You should accept him."
In the distance, on the official road obscured by the woods, a row of flames appeared before her eyes like a long serpent
Wei Luo felt a tingling sensation all over her body, and her pace quickened slightly. Unfortunately, her foundation was too weak; although this movement was said to be a bit faster, it was merely a transition from the pace of a snail to that of an ant
Gradually, the convoy entered the official road where she was located, and the winding and distant fire dragon clearly appeared before her eyes
The convoy was getting closer and closer, and gradually, Wei Luo was able to see the carriages ahead. The first thing that appeared in her line of sight was a rectangular flag, which, in the glow of the fire, surprisingly appeared pink. No, each carriage behind had an identical pink flag mounted on it.
At this moment, neither of the two spoke, while the convoy was drawing ever closer.
Seeing the convoy drawing closer, Wei Luo bent down and moved the stone back to the side of the road
The knight turned and waved his hand behind him, saying loudly: "A frail and lonely little boy."
As he spoke, he pulled the reins and turned back, preparing to return to the ranks
Wei Luo looked up at the crescent moon, gazing at the sparse shadows within it. As she continued to look, her thoughts drifted, as if she had returned to several years ago when she was still a young girl, yearning to fly to the moon to discern whether those shadows were indeed from osmanthus trees. Gradually, Wei Luo realized that as she walked while gazing at the moon, the sounds of insects chirping and beasts howling were no longer so terrifying.
Is someone else coming again
After all this commotion, the sun has already set in the west, leaving only the last faint glimmer of light filtering through the clouds, passing through the layers of trees, and casting its reflection on Wei Luo, on her face, and on the ancient dusty path behind her.
On this night, the sounds of various insects and animals became particularly jarring, evoking a sense of desolation.
In just a few hundred meters, the knight swiftly arrived. He was a man in his thirties, with a light beard on his chin, a square face, and an expression that carried a hint of a smile when he looked at others, giving him a very amiable appearance
The incident with the bandits still lingers in Wei Luo's mind, leaving her with lingering fear. She does not know if she will encounter robbers or mountain bandits again tomorrow or the day after. Moreover, she has very little money left to use. At this moment, the only way she can think of to survive is to join a group, even if it means doing menial work.
The knight stared intently at Wei Luo, uncertain whether he had taken her words to heart
The convoy drew closer, gradually, the sounds of clamor became incessant. Amidst this clamor, there were the sounds of carts rolling, the voices of people calling and laughing, as well as the long whinnies of cattle and horses, creating a lively atmosphere
Wei Luo picked up a branch from the roadside, propped it against the ground to use as a cane, and slowly made his way forward step by step
The flickering light twisted for several miles, filtering through the thicket of trees, and each time the wind blew, a faint murmur of voices would reach her ears. Wei Luo observed closely and found that the pace of the procession was not fast.
The knight immediately spotted the frail and weak-looking Wei Luo standing in the middle of the road
Time passes little by little, and before one knows it, the last ray of light in the sky is also fading away. Gradually, the pale crescent moon in the sky begins to stand out and becomes brighter
Wei Luo revealed a shy smile and, with a hoarse voice and arms crossed, said: "Esteemed brother, I am a Yue person who has become separated from my companions. Alone in this place, amidst the dark night and strong winds, I was filled with trepidation when I saw your caravan. In my joy, I stepped into the middle of the road. Please do not take offense, esteemed brother"
Wei Luoyue grew increasingly fearful, so he moved the stone to the middle of the road and sat down. Indeed, sitting there made him feel much more at ease.
Time flies swiftly, and as Wei Luo still sees dense trees ahead with no signs of habitation, the sky has darkened, and the sun has completely sunk below the horizon. A thin mist envelops the woods and the official road.
Luo Ju furrowed his brows slightly upon hearing the words, and he scrutinized Wei Luo earnestly. In the darkness, Wei Luo's eyes were as black as lacquer, clear and transparent. After observing for a few moments, Luo Ju nodded and said, "That is acceptable"
Before long, a youthful voice emerged from the convoy, "Brother Lou, who is this person?"
However, it is night, perhaps I am not seeing it clearly myself
She spoke in one breath up to this point, noticing that Brother Lou's figure paused for a moment, then raised her voice and said again clearly: "I can read and calculate, come from a respectable background, and now only seek a place to reside, so as not to fall into the jaws of beasts. I ask for your compassion, Brother Lou." She spoke eloquently, her voice clear and pleasant, sounding like a plea for help, yet upon closer observation, there was no trace of humility in her demeanor or expression.