Chapter 7, Response

These individuals are almost all injured, with each person's hair tousled and disheveled by the wind. Their beards show no signs of grooming, and anyone who speaks can be seen by Wei Luo to have a mouth full of black and yellow teeth.

Wei Luo was taken aback to see them stop right in front of him, his heart tightened, and he instinctively took a few steps back into the woods.

Her voice was crisp yet slightly hoarse when she spoke, and her expression was genuinely respectful, which left a good impression on people. Especially when she mentioned the phrase 'abandoning one's country and leaving one's hometown,' there was a slight quiver in her voice, which truly evoked a sense of compassion in the listeners

She had only taken two or three steps when she suddenly heard a rapid sound of hooves coming from the right side of the path behind her. The sound of the hooves was chaotic and numerous, growing clearer by the moment, and in the blink of an eye, it had reached Wei Luo's back

I see now

Everyone pulls the rope together.

At this moment, Wei Luo no longer felt afraid. With a pale face, her steps no longer retreated; instead, she raised her eyes to look at the group of men and said, "This elder brother has good eyesight!"

Not good! Are we going to have to sleep outdoors again tonight? Or will it be in the woods?

Her voice was clear and unwavering, surprising all the strong men at once, each turning to look at Wei Luo

Wei Luo was taken aback and quickly moved to the side of the road. By the time she barely reached the roadside, the figures of the knights were already clearly visible

Although the cow does not run fast, it can cover a distance of one or two hundred meters in the blink of an eye. Just as this group of people was about to rush past, a hoarse middle-aged voice called out, "Stop!"

After completing these actions, Wei Luo stepped back a few paces, crossed his hands again, and respectfully said: "Esteemed brothers, these are the last remnants of wealth that I have after leaving my homeland, and I present them to you all."

Seeing him staring at Wei Luo, a pale-faced young man behind Luo Si Huzi said: "Brother, this kid is both poor and weak, without a mount beneath him, and no attendants behind him, looking as anxious as a chicken caught in the rain. Why are you staring at him?"

Wei Luo felt a sudden panic in her heart, but she was simply too exhausted to muster any strength in her legs. After several days of consuming only a small amount of green beans, not only was she unable to satisfy her hunger, but the lack of grains for nourishment had now taken its toll. Wei Luo felt as if her entire being was in a state of weakness, with a loss of warmth in her core. Even after resting, she found that she no longer possessed the vitality she once had.

No!

As Wei Luo walked intermittently, he finally covered a distance of 40 li. The sun was gradually setting, and Wei Luo found himself in a vast expanse of forest. Looking up, he saw that on both sides of the official road, only the green of the trees remained. This greenery was boundless, and no matter how Wei Luo gazed, he could not see the end, with at least 20 li of it.

The crowd of Han men simultaneously displayed expressions of disappointment upon seeing the coins in the bundle and the jade pendant she had pried off from her embroidered shoes

Not only this young man, but a group of burly men were also curiously observing Wei Luo, waiting for the response from the bearded man

These individuals are still one or two hundred miles away from Weilu, and a strong odor of cattle mixed with the sweat and blood scent of humans wafts through the air. This smell is extremely unpleasant, causing Weilu to instinctively retreat a few steps back towards the woods behind him

In the blink of an eye, she thought: With this amount of money, I can only sustain myself for a little over ten days. Now, I have no capital left to start a small business. What should I do?

On this day, Wei Luo set out on the official road quite early. She had now mastered the art of disguise, and her frail body had developed some habits regarding travel. Therefore, she aimed to walk a bit more each day, striving to arrive in Yicheng as early as possible

At her glance, her expression momentarily froze

Vailuo turned around to look at the group of knights

Go

These are secondary concerns; there is a bloodthirsty aura about these individuals! They must have killed before! Moreover, from the words of that young man just now, it can be inferred that they resemble a group of bandits

He stretched out his sleeve to wipe the cold sweat that had formed on his forehead. Wei Luo reached down to touch the last few coins tied to his feet and thought to himself: Fortunately, I had thought this through.

Wei Luo merely glanced twice, then with a pale face, retreated a couple of steps into the woods behind him

Wei Luo let out a heavy sigh, and amidst the astonishment of the crowd, she effortlessly unfastened the burden from her back, holding it with both hands and respectfully placing it on the ground five steps in front of the group of strong men. After setting down the burden, she skillfully untied the knot of the package, revealing inside a pair of straw sandals and over a hundred coins.

Scold

Wei Luo reached out to cover his stomach and turned to walk towards a large rock by the roadside: There is no need to rush, it is better to take a rest.

What appeared in her line of sight was a group of cow knights! On the backs of twenty to thirty strong, black water buffaloes sat a swordsman dressed in linen, each holding a long sword.

Wei Luozanpei looked at the bearded man and said loudly: "As my elder brother mentioned, I am indeed a person from Yue, and my family background is quite decent." Wei Luo knew that the tone of his current body must carry a certain recognizable Yue accent, and therefore, he could not lie about this aspect

Wei Luo caught a glimpse of their disappointment and dissatisfaction from the corner of her eye, as well as the tension still present on the faces filled with murderous intent. She continued to lower her head and took out a dozen coins from each of her sleeves. After retrieving the coins, she honestly placed them all on the open bundle, then straightened up, shook her long sleeves, allowing everyone to hear that there were no more coins jingling in her sleeves.

Amidst a sudden realization filled with admiration, Wei Luo's face turned pale once again. It was the first time she discovered that she was still not vigilant enough, far from it!

After a pause, Wei Luo continued, "Since childhood, I have envied the wandering heroes who travel a thousand miles with their swords. Thus, I secretly left my family and followed a horse caravan away from my homeland. Alas! Little did I know that upon entering the land of Chu, I encountered a bandit, and all my possessions were robbed. The others, considering me weak and a burden, abandoned me here. Alas."

As the cattle moved and the wind rose, dust swirled in the air. It was only after everyone had gone far away that Wei Luo's legs gave way, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

After examining Wei Luo up and down for a while, the man with the beard laughed and said, "Brothers, please take a look. Although this young man appears timid like a chicken, his eyes are clear and do not resemble those of a common person." After a pause, he laughed heartily and said in a loud voice, "Most importantly, just now when he first saw us riding on cows, the expression on his face revealed not the fear of a common man, but amusement! This indicates that he is accustomed to seeing nobles who ride horses. I dare say this young man has an extraordinary background, and there must be precious items in the bundle behind him."

The man with the scruffy beard stared at the bundle for a moment, then fixed his gaze on Wei Luo, scrutinizing him up and down. Suddenly, raising his voice, he commanded: "Pick it up, we are leaving!"

At this moment, Wei Luo harbored a glimmer of hope: these individuals clearly looked down upon his meager coins, perhaps their compassion would lead them not only to spare him but also to forgo these coins.

Among the crowd, the first to speak was a burly man with a full beard, who had a long scar running from the corner of his left eye down to the corner of his mouth. He turned the ox and looked towards Wei Luo

As a burly man leaped down to pick up the bundle, the bearded man shot a glance at Wei Luo and said, "The little brat is quite perceptive! Considering that you are somewhat sensible, today we will take your money and spare your life. Brothers, let's go"

A large group of knights has arrived