The ferryman was an old man wearing a bamboo hat and straw raincoat. He was quite surprised to see Old Gu Six and his daughter.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Where did youe from?" he asked.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Old Gu Six scratched his nose awkwardly, bowed to the old man as a junior, and said, "We came down from the mountain across the way."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"People still live in the mountains?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"No, we were just passing through."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I see. Well, you can''t go to the other side. If you cross over, it''s still mountains. Where are you trying to go?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"The ce closest to the sea."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"In that case, follow me downstream. There''s a small town downriver. If you leave from there and travel for about a month, you should reach where you want to go."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Thank you, old sir."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The old man waved kindly and positioned his ferry in front of their raft, moving at just the right pace for the raft to keep up.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Floating downstream, they reached the small town the old man mentioned in about two hours.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The town was not small at all. It was bustling with activity, with peopleing and going at the dock, and cargo ships loading and unloading goods.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The old man called to the father and daughter toe ashore. "It''s gettingte. You should stay in town for the night and leave tomorrow."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Old Gu Six didn''t refuse and followed the old man with Chang''an.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The townspeople were curious about the new faces. As they walked from the dock to the main street, a group of adults and children followed behind, watching with interest.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Those familiar with the old man smiled and asked, "Uncle Li, where did you pick these two up from?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Uncle Liughed and scolded the young man, saying, "What do you mean ''pick up''? They''re just passing through our town."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He led the father and daughter to a decent-looking inn and turned to Old Gu Six, saying, "You two can stay here. The inn is run by my nephew, so you can rest assured it''s safe."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Thank you, old sir," Old Gu Six bowed again in gratitude.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Some children joined in, imitating Old Gu Six''s bow with exaggerated gestures, then burst intoughter.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The group of children left,ughing and ying.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After saying goodbye to Uncle Li, Old Gu Six took Chang''an into the inn.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, they were awakened by the aroma of meat pies from across the street.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They got up early, checked out, bought ten meat pies from across the street, and left the small town leading their mule.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Outside the town was a wide road with broad fields. Golden rice swayed in the morning sun, a breathtaking sight.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They didn''t immediately bring out the carriage after leaving town. After walking for two hours and carefully observing that no one was around, Chang''an finally took out the carriage.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Of course, taking the main road meant passing through towns. They had initially thought about taking small paths, but considering their sense of direction, Chang''an felt it was more reliable to stick to the main road.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Some cities didn''t allow outsiders to enter, so in those cases, they had no choice but to take side roads.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The cities they could enter were not peaceful. One day, they arrived at a ce called Qiushui County. Just to enter the city, they had to pay ten copper coins.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The innkeeper shamelessly overcharged customers, demanding two taels of silver as a deposit before allowing anyone to stay.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
As they passed through the lobby, they overheard people whispering.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Have you heard?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Heard what?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Howe you haven''t heard?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Well, what am I supposed to have heard?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"The Chen Family Army from Lingnan is fighting with Prince Rong''s Army in the south."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"They''re both in the south. Their fighting won''t affect us. Instead of worrying about this, you should go to the docks and carry a few more big packages to earn some extra money."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"How can you say that? If the south is fighting, won''t it be only a matter of time before we in the north start fighting too?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"That''s all the more reason to earn more money and stock up on food, so we don''t go hungry when the wares."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The other person wanted to say more, but hispanion ignored him and strode away.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
During dinner, Old Gu Six and Chang''an ate in the lobby, incidentally overhearing some current events.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
It was all about the war in the south, people bing refugees,rge numbers fleeing, and worries about their own hometowns. If it came to that, where would they escape to?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Chang''an thought: Will this fleeing ever end?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They didn''t linger long in this county. Since fighting had broken out in the south, it wouldn''t be long before it reached the north, so they needed to hurry on their journey.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They restocked some daily necessities in the city and also bought some grain and vegetable seeds before hastily departing.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
On the road, they noticed many families leaving the city with their belongings, heading for the mountains.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Chang''an wondered if they were trying to avoid danger in advance.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The father and daughter continued towards their destination, but unfortunately, halfway there, the mes of war spread to the north.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Misery was everywhere, and people could barely survive.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Taking the main road was no longer possible, so they had no choice but to switch to mountain paths again.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
This time, Old Gu Six didn''t blindly forge ahead. He first settled Chang''an safely, then went to scout the path alone.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
He was gone for four or five days. Chang''an waited in a cave, though she entered her space after Old Gu Six left.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
By the time he returned, ten days had passed.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"I''m not sure exactly what''s ahead, but I''m certain that even after we leave these continuous mountain ranges, we still won''t be at the seaside," he said.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"It''s alright, let''s just focus on getting out of the mountains first," she replied.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They climbed mountains and forded streams, fighting off wolves and chasing away tigers. Their days were nothing short of exciting.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
By the time they emerged from the mountains, a month had passed. Before them stretched an endless wilderness; they had somehow arrived at a in region.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Chang''an didn''t know where they were, but it didn''t matter as long as the road was easy to travel.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
However, their luck seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. A group of men with braided hair came galloping on horses, killing everyone they encountered and hanging the severed heads on their horses.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Theyughed uncontrobly. Upon seeing Old Gu Six, they discussed something in theirnguage.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Seeing them charge over, Chang''an was oddly reminded of stealing kills in a certain game she used to y.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
So now they had be potential "kills" in someone else''s eyes. Was this karma for her past game behavior?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
But they were destined to be disappointed. With Old Gu Six, the human killing machine, it wasn''t certain who would be taking whose head.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Daughter, stay in the carriage and don''te out."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Father, be careful."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Old Gu Six faced multiple opponents. The other side wasn''t entirely unskilled; two or three of them could put up a fight.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Fearing Old Six might be overwhelmed, Chang''an directly used lightning strikes. Old Gu Six followed up with killing blows. The father-daughter duo coordinated remarkably well.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Noticing the jewels on their bodies, Old Gu Six didn''t hesitate to strip them of everything.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
For several consecutive days, they didn''t leave the wilderness but encountered several waves of braided-hair men. All of them ended up having their heads taken by the father-daughter pair.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
After they passed through the wilderness, the road became increasingly familiar.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Father and daughter exchanged a nce. Wasn''t this the ce where they had robbed the County Governor''s mansion?<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
They bypassed this area and continued forward. The road was full of disced people seeking refuge with the County Governor in Linyun City.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
An old man stopped their cart. "Young sir, may I ask if you''reing from Linyun City?"<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Old Gu Six stopped the mule cart and said calmly, "No, we''re just passing through."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Young sir, there''s no need to go further. The area ahead has been upied by people from the Yan Kingdom. We barely managed to escape."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
"Thank you for the information, old sir, but we''re not entering the city."<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
Seeing that Old Gu Six wouldn''t listen, the old man just shook his head without saying more and let the cart pass.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0
The mule cart moved forward at a steady pace, then turned onto a side road.<span ss="css-1gz1n0z"><span ss="bg css-i073lf"><span ss="num css-0">0