It had been raining for the past two days, but today finally saw a clear sky. The bluestone roads of Liangzhou City still looked damp and ghostly, imbued with a chilly atmosphere. The last traces of summer seemed to have been washed away completely by the successive rains. The attire of the passing townsfolk was noticeably thicker, their steps hurried, lacking the leisure of previous days. Yan Lu, wearing a short outfit with thicker clothes on top, hurriedly ran across the slick path, shoulders and back tense, fearing a slip might send him crashing to the ground. As he passed by the Zhang Inn in North City, he instinctively glanced at the entrance. The innkeeper, with whom he had some familial relation, was sprawled miserably over a wooden table on the first floor, looking bored, and even his usually thick chin seemed to have slimmed down, from three layers to two. Understandably so, as the Zhang Inn had lost a lot of guests over the past two days, seeing a drop of about sixty to seventy percent in revenue, leaving it empty and without Silver Coin income. It's no wonder the innkeeper, known for being meticulous with money, would be so despondent. Yan Lu didn't stop but shouted a quick "Uncle" towards the shopkeeper to avoid being scolded by his elders at home, then continued running. Making a living through labor within Liangzhou City, occasionally taking on odd jobs, today he had been hired by a business about to set out, to inform other guests staying in the city that, in less than an hour, the business would be leaving the city, and they should head over early, as arriving too late would mean no refunds on the previously paid Silver. He couldn't help but recall the imposing figure of the merchant caravan's leader. The stature of locals from Jian Nan Dao seemed slightly smaller compared to those from the Northern Lands of Great Qin and the Central Plains; however, even the tall men from the Central Plains were dwarfed by this leader. At sixteen or seventeen years old, Yan Lu felt like a young child running about in front of this man, overwhelmed by a sense of pressure that made speaking somewhat painful, his voice squeezed out as if from his throat, carrying an unavoidable sense of weakness. After all, he was one of those who ventured into foreign lands to earn Silver, a tough man... Yan Lu murmured with a hint of envy, wishing he could go to foreign lands for Silver. As long as one returned alive, it was almost a guaranteed profitable venture. Even the most common ceramics could be exchanged for top-quality fur, jerky, and some herbs rarely found in the Central Plains. However, compared to the interior of Great Qin, foreign lands were exceedingly dangerous, with small countries not even comparing to a county within Great Qin, where fighting and looting occurred frequently. It's said that there were even notorious desert bandits over there, something even he had heard of. This was essentially tying your life to your belt, going out to earn a living. Yan Lu sighed, feeling that he finally understood the attire of that tall leader, especially with the broad saber inserted into the scabbard at his waist. Great Qin did not allow its iron weapons to be exported, and possessing a Great Qin Broad Saber was an invisible intimidation in foreign lands. If only I had a saber in hand... Yan Lu's wild thoughts were shattered by a loud, piercing scream, making the somewhat wiry young man shudder, his face pale, heart nearly leaping out of his throat. Poor him, having never ventured out of Liangzhou City, having at most only visited its underlings' villages, encountering such terrifying sounds for the first time. The sound was almost otherworldly, high-pitched and sharp, like weapons clashing together, sounding like something out of a story featuring mythical beasts and supernatural creatures. Only now did Yan Lu notice that he had inadvertently reached the place where the last guest was staying, his mouth twitching as his heart forced a quickened pace. Looking at the quiet little courtyard ahead, he felt an impulse to run immediately, yet the burly bearded caravan leader and promised Copper Coin suppressed his fear. Swallowing hard, he slowly moved forward, then tremblingly raised his hand and knocked on the wooden door. "Sorry to disturb you..." He hadn't expected the door wasn't locked, merely half-closed, and being very scared at this moment, his wrist trembled uncontrollably, resulting in the door swinging open. Yan Lu's heart nearly skipped a beat. The courtyard was a typical civilian residence, as it wasn't located in a bustling District Market, thus the courtyard area was relatively large. A plot had been cultivated on one side, growing vegetables, with many bright red chili peppers emerging. Yan Lu's gaze wandered into the courtyard, clearly large, but his view was overwhelmingly dominated by another silhouette. Pure black reflected in his eyes. The person in the courtyard was tall but not as bold as the daring bearded men who ventured into the Western Regions. Yet for some reason, at first glance, Yan Lu felt he might suffocate. If the bearded leader gave the impression of a wall, then before him, this person, merely a back view, was like the legendary Kunlun Mountains, turbulent with wind and snow, darkening the sky. Yan Lu's face turned pale, legs weakening, nearly collapsing along the door frame. At that moment, the person in the courtyard seemed to notice him, turned slightly, and looked at him, and said: The illusion of seeing the wrath of the Kunlun Mountains pressing against him disappeared. Yan Lu blinked, finally returning to normal, realizing that the pressure earlier was caused by someone barely over twenty, with a stern and steady appearance—not remotely intimidating, with a calm voice devoid of anger. He thought the feeling earlier was due to hearing that mysterious sound. Yan Lu reassured himself, then explained his purpose for coming. The youth nodded slightly and responded: "Alright." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel⟡fire.net Receiving such a reply, Yan Lu finally felt at ease, and smiled: "Make sure not to miss the time. There's about half an hour left." Yan Lu turned around to leave, sighing deeply, and glanced back at the courtyard. He had just seen the mount there, suddenly thinking this youth might have had similar thoughts, planning to try his luck in foreign lands by joining this dangerous gig. Not even a decent horse... Anyway, that red horse is too thin, how to face desert bandits? Yan Lu shook his head and sighed, the cold wind seeping into his neck, shivering. Remembering the scream heard earlier, his face whitened, not daring to linger further, quickly leaving the alley. Rain had fallen days earlier, the ground slick. Due to the terrain being slightly elevated, the wooden door groaned as it swung shut, dividing the courtyard from the roads bathed in damp chill. Within the courtyard, the youth in black silently twitched his mouth, suddenly raised his hand, and harshly grabbed the neck of his mount, pulling it towards himself. His right hand opened, bursting forth with blazing fire, shaping into a flaming Qilin head, immediately twisting the air with its scorching heat. The thin crimson horse let out a cry, snorted, staring at the youth ahead, its mouth panting loudly. Wang Anfeng remained expressionless as the fire from his right hand drew closer. "Outside, follow my lead." The horse's neck was held, yet it still tried pulling back with all its might, its eyes rolling back, showing a large area of white behind, displaying a very humanoid disdain. Then came another long neigh. PS: Here's the first update of the day...