Bai Suihe knew there were quite a few mountain bandits and highway robbers along this road, but she didn’t expect the first hurdle to be so easy to pass.

"Is this a mistake?" Bai Suihe felt it was too smooth, just like those toll highways in the future, it seemed acceptable.

In her mind, she chided herself. She really had gotten used to paying fees, actually thinking it was just the way it should be.

"There are quite a few teams like ours," Gu Kaiyuan saw the guards beside the ox cart and also guessed why the opponents retreated.

The small-time bandits probably didn’t have the guts to confront them, considering that even bandits cherished their own lives.

"Looking at the number of people in our team, and remembering the weapons they held before, it’s clear what choice to make."

Bai Suihe recalled the scene she saw through the gaps before, where they were holding machetes and axes, which were not in the same league as the long knives and swords worn by their own people.

"But why did Liu Pingkang and the others..."

"You want to ask why Liu Pingkang and the others were willing to give the silver?"

Bai Suihe nodded. Logically, Liu Pingkang and his group were officials, so they had even less reason to fear these people.

"Liu Pingkang and his group have the ability to protect themselves, but what about the people before that?

They were escorting us to Lingnan and had the responsibility to ensure our safety along the way. If a few died or got injured, they could report, but if the casualties were too high, they would be punished too.

They basically make one trip a year and naturally know how to balance the losses in between.

Sometimes when money can solve a problem, it is not a big problem.

There might also be their own measures of balance in this, which we don’t understand."

Bai Suihe nodded in agreement, even though it felt aggrieving, it minimized the losses.

The team moved another 20 Chinese miles forward before Liu Pingkang finally let everyone stop for a short rest.

They managed a quick bite and fed the animals, then started urging everyone to hurry on the road again.

Seeing that it was about to get dark, not only Liu Pingkang but everyone else was getting anxious too.

They now understood the crisis here, and no one was opposing the escorts anymore.

Yet even under those circumstances, they were still halted by a second wave.

These people looked fierce, as over a hundred of them surrounded them, scaring everyone into silence.

The Gu Family was very honest this time, hiding obediently in the crowd, trying to lessen their presence as much as possible.

Gu Baijiang also looked for Gu Kaiyuan in the midst, but couldn’t find him in the group.

"Seen Kaiyuan anywhere?"

Upon hearing Gu Baijiang’s question, Gu Kaiping and his brother did not know how to answer. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Over the past few days, it felt as though they had forgotten about Gu Kaiyuan, not expecting Gu Baijiang to still think of him.

"Dad, do you have something for him?" Gu Kaichen asked quietly.

"What business could I have with him? I just think that since we’re family, it would be good if we could look out for each other." Gu Baijiang thought of Gu Kaiyuan’s strong build, along with Zhuang Datou and the two men, having them nearby would offer more security.

At the same time, he decided he must contact Lord Ming again and have more guards sent here; his life was still quite valuable, he believed they wouldn’t refuse.

"More people now might not be a good thing," Gu Kaiping was eager for Gu Baijiang to forget about Gu Kaiyuan and wouldn’t let him come to the forefront.

Gu Kaichen alone already gave him a headache, Gu Kaiyuan was not as easily fooled as Gu Kaichen.

"Be honest; hand over all your valuable items." The scar-faced leader looked fierce, waving his big knife at them.

Liu Pingkang helplessly stepped forward, "Leader, we’re on official business from the capital, escorting these prisoners to Lingnan, we hope you’ll give us some leeway."

Then, he took out a silver note from his chest, ready to have Ma Zhi deliver it, but the other party shouted, "I don’t care who you are, on our turf, you follow our rules.

I know these are all prisoners, criminals—no better than us. But why should they live better than us even in this state?"

"We’re not asking for much; just leave your valuables. These things were plundered by them anyway. You officials love to say take from the people, use for the people, right? Now, we’re giving you a chance to atone. This would make a deeper impression than the emperor sending you into exile."

"Yes, these cursed officials, if it weren’t for you corrupt officials, we wouldn’t be in such a state?"

If life weren’t unbearable, who would want to do such life-risking things.

Hearing the rebukes, Liu Pingkang’s scalp tingled; the team had never encountered anything like this before, and the usual approach wouldn’t work here.

Who knew that within such a short time, so many new faces would appear, indicating that the previous group was either taken down by them or driven off.

A bad premonition arose within him; it seemed there would be no smooth ending this time.

"Gentlemen, I know you came here seeking wealth," Liu Pingkang appealed emotionally and rationally, "I’ve dealt with others before and know there’s a rule in our path, one doesn’t go all out..."

He glanced at the heads of the two escort agencies, seeing their slight nod gave him some confidence.

The scar-faced man interrupted, "Ha, we don’t know any rules; I brought my brothers here to make money. If you don’t comply, you’re blocking our path to fortune; don’t blame us for being ruthless."

With that, he waved towards his men, "Brothers, let’s..."

As they charged, the escorts and escort agency men drew their blades, and a burst of screams and exclamations erupted from the crowd.

Bai Suihe, sitting inside the carriage, was anxious, protected by two maidservants; Gu Kaiyuan stood at the carriage door, with Lin Hua and Lin Wei on either side, handling anyone who approached them.

The mountain bandits refrained from risking their lives, knowing these people were hard to deal with, and turned towards others instead.

The two escort agencies occasionally helped, but mainly protected this side; it was impossible for the escorts to protect all the prisoners, not long after, the scent of blood filled the air.

Gu Kaiyuan watched coldly, without any intention of helping; when it came to protecting his wife and children over playing hero, he had made his choice.

On the Gu Family side, the women and children shrank in the carriage, and the three Gu Family father and sons, facing the outside originally, seeing the situation go wrong, quickly jumped into the carriage as well.

With no one resisting outside, it naturally became a feast for the bandits, they didn’t even check the situation inside the carriage and just took the oxen away.

Noticing the movement of the carriage, Liu Yun and the others turned pale, but all covered their mouths, fearing to make a noise.

Still, Gu Kaichen quietly lifted a corner of the curtain, saw the oxen being led away, and urgently asked, "Dad, what should we do now? Aren’t we going to be taken to the bandit lair?"