The merchants in the caravan were drinking. A copper pot was placed over the flames, inside which lamb and tofu were bubbling. The tofu was bought at the last village they passed, and both the lamb and tofu were cut into cubes, boiling in the milky white broth. Then, a large handful of chili powder was sprinkled in. The aroma was intensified by the chili, making it even more potent, as if a fire had been lit. But no one picked up their chopsticks; almost everyone was drinking. They weren't drinking to ward off the cold as they were at the beginning of the journey. Back then, a group of people sat together, passing around a white copper wine pot, heating the wine just with the warmth of their palms. Now, that wine pot was held only by its owner. Ma Yu, thin and wiry, held the white copper wine pot in his right hand. Inside was a slightly cloudy liquor, very strong. He tilted his head back as he drank, feeling as if he had swallowed fire that burned all the way to his stomach, creating a silent and oppressive atmosphere among the caravan. Ma Yu drank the liquor in big gulps; this wine pot was a gift from Sun Ren. But today, he had abandoned Sun Ren. At that moment, he only wanted to leave quickly, even at the cost of using Sun Ren's leftover goods to 'persuade' Zhou Chao to leave faster. Thus, the liquor tasted exceptionally harsh today, scraping his throat. He almost felt like his abdomen was being scraped and bleeding by a knife. When he tilted his head back to drink again, he did not feel that familiar wetness on his lips. Ma Yu shook the wine pot in his hand; it was empty. He looked at those around him, suddenly feeling oppressed, as if in the darkness beyond the firelight, someone was pointing at him, constantly scolding. His eyes dropped, he licked his lips, and suddenly spoke hoarsely: "Today, there must be an insider..." "Otherwise, how could we have such bad luck as to encounter the people of Great Wilderness Stronghold? Not only was old Sun robbed, but we almost didn't make it back as well. I don't believe it's a coincidence; there must be a traitor!" His tone grew somewhat intense, as if he needed to prove something to all or some unseen presence in the dark. Sitting nearby, tending to his bandaged wounds, Zhou Chao's lowered eyes brightened slightly as he spoke hoarsely, caressing his knife: "I also think there's a problem..." "I just don't know what the problem is. We're all moving together; we all know each other well enough. We're all planning to take our goods to the Western Regions to sell for money. Attracting bandits doesn't benefit anyone, only hurts. "The Great Wilderness Stronghold strikes ruthlessly without leaving anyone alive. No one knows if they would swallow even their own people's goods... "So I can't figure it out." Ma Yu's triangular eyes brightened, as if he had discovered the truth of the matter. Suddenly, he stood up, waving the wine pot, saying loudly: "What do you mean, know each other well? Isn't there still one more person? That person, the medicine merchant!" "He didn't bring any goods at all, not like a serious merchant going to the Western Regions to earn money. He says he's a medicine merchant, but who knows? No one knows. We don't recognize him, and when the incident happened, he wasn't even in the caravan." "Maybe he's the one who gave word, came back to check the situation, and then left again..." The caravan seemed to ignite with excitement. Another man with a round face and a beard took a swig of liquor, speaking viciously: "That's right! It's him! Damn it, old Sun treated him so well, even kindly gave him horse fodder. Old Sun's daughter called him Uncle, and that's how he repaid him?!" "Heartless and ungrateful!" "Exactly! A beast in human's clothing!" Zhou Chao sipped his wine, quietly leaning against the cart. This cart was loaded with goods, packed full with a large canopy that cast shadows covering his face; his black eyes were very calm. Due to the fervor around him, they appeared even quieter and colder, like a black scorpion hidden in the soil. He looked at everyone by the fire, venting their fears with the aid of alcohol, and that shame buried beneath silence and oppression. These were people with a conscience, he thought, but their conscience couldn't stand up to life and death, as is the case with most. They were now simply deceiving and numbing their conscience, using lies and alcohol to shift all guilt onto another person, allowing themselves to stand on the righteous side. Cursing and criticizing the other, the louder the voices, the more they seemed to purify themselves. Zhou Chao took a sip of his drink; his was different from the others. Inside his flat white iron flask was a pale green liquor, a strong spirit from the Yuezhi clan outside the region. He also needed this scapegoat, to prevent the sharp minds among the merchants from suspecting him. Additionally, he was on guard against the self-proclaimed medicine merchant, very much so. For some reason, this journey felt entangled with a chill, like that knife he'd once seen in the possession of the Fortress Leader. It was Great Qin's superior Waist Saber. A beautifully curved blade, iridescent with a purplish hue. This journey's feeling was like seeing that knife, sensing danger from it, as if its beautiful edge was poised against his back, feeling the chill, without knowing when it might pierce. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NovelHub(.)net He knew all the people in the caravan, except for that new medicine merchant. So if he could use these people to drive that person away, all the better, provided that he returned... His body was naturally thin, like a wheat stalk, waving his right hand, speaking amidst the merchants' curses, feeling the slight guilt in his heart fade, replaced by anger at the one who caused his friend's family to separate. "When he comes back, I'll definitely make him tell the truth! I'll report to the officials, hire warriors from outside the region, and kill him to pay tribute to old Sun!" He heavily swung his hand again, prompting a chorus of agreement. Unintentionally looking up, his body suddenly froze. The round-faced man who had been cursing the loudest saw Ma Yu's complexion, watched as his liquor-infused face paled at a speed visible to the eye, paused for a moment, then seemed to anticipate something and turned to follow his gaze, freezing as well. In the darkness beyond the firelight stood a man and a horse, quietly. It was unknown how long they had been standing there. The supposedly lean steed appeared enormous in the shadows, with the silent man astride it, his posture straight, clad in black as heavy as iron armor. The night was swiftly growing dark, with no starlight to be seen. The man seemed to be soaked in the chill of night, the cloak behind him gently fluttering. He sat on horseback, looking down at everyone. The fire burned fiercely, but could not illuminate his face, his outline cold and sharp like a blade. He nudged the horse's belly, and the lean, towering horse moved slowly forward, the sound of hooves crisp. A saber hung from one side of the saddle, a black blade reflecting a steely blue light in the firelight. Chaotic noise dissipated, and silence as profound as the long night spread gradually. Only the sound of hooves rang out, one beat after another. PS: Here's an additional update for you all today~ Three thousand eight hundred words, this extra chapter should be plenty... right?