"Has the imperial court never sent troops to suppress bandits?"

Ji Yong'an shook his head, "We sent troops, but these bandits were well-trained and the terrain was easy to defend and difficult to attack. The troops sent out never returned, and the court stopped caring about them afterwards."

Mingyue hummed in agreement, her fingertips tapping lightly on the table.

Ji Yong'an looked at the map again, his rough fingers pointing to another road. "If we take a detour, it might take five more days. What do you think, Grand Preceptor?"

"There's no need to take a detour; that will lead us to these bandits. I'm confident that General Ji is brave and skilled in battle, and these bandits won't take him seriously."

Ji Yong'an: ...

Was he not explaining it clearly?

The imperial court sent troops to suppress the bandits several times, but they all returned empty-handed. They were only there to escort supplies; why were they trying to suppress bandits? They were just giving away supplies to these scoundrels for nothing.

Mingyue smiled faintly, "Does General Ji have anything to say?"

Ji Yong'an hesitated, "...No."

Mingyue was satisfied. "That's good. Let's eat."

This time, Ji Yong'an and Mingyue ate at the same table, enjoying the rare opportunity to taste the food prepared by the imperial chef.

As night fell, after three days of travel, Xiaoyun finally had a chance to wash up and go to bed. She made a makeshift bed on the floor under Mingyue's bed, and soon began to snore.

Bright Moon: ...

The demonic sound echoed in my ears.

The next morning, Xiaoyun woke up and saw Mingyue dressed and sitting in a chair. Startled, she hurriedly got ready and went to Mingyue. "Why did you wake up so early, Grand Preceptor?"

She was sleeping right next to me and didn't hear a thing. She felt remorseful for being so sleepy.

Mingyue smiled faintly, "It's alright, let's pack up and get ready to go."

"Yes..." Xiaoyun and her group packed their bags, bought some food at the post station, and continued on their way.

After traveling for half a month, the closer Ji Yong'an got to Jinghu Town, the more anxious he became. During the midday break, he sent someone ahead to scout the area.

Ji Yong'an carefully considered his words and walked up to Mingyue. "Grand Preceptor, how about we rest here for now and wait for the scouts to return before deciding whether to proceed?"

"Is General Ji not confident in his own martial prowess?"

Ji Yong'an: ...

This isn't a matter of self-confidence or lack thereof. If the emperor gave him a force to suppress bandits, he would have gone without hesitation.

However, he now had to protect both the Imperial Preceptor and the supplies, and he was really worried about leaving a few unarmed men behind without a proper mission.

Mingyue lifted her eyelids to look at Ji Yong'an, her dark pupils devoid of any warmth. "Young General Ji, there's no need to worry. I will take care of these mere bandits."

Ji Yong'an: ...

I'm even more worried now, okay?

Ji Yong'an looked at Mingyue with worry. The Grand Preceptor's body was so weak that a gust of wind could blow him away. Asking him to believe that the Grand Preceptor could suppress bandits was like believing that a sow could climb a tree.

The faint smile on Mingyue's lips vanished. "General Ji, you don't believe me?"

Ji Yong'an shuddered, the sweltering July heat giving him goosebumps. "No, of course I trust the Grand Preceptor."

Mingyue gave a lazy "hmm" and returned to the carriage to rest after finishing her meal.

The scouts sent out by Ji Yong'an returned as night fell, and just as Ji Yong'an had thought, there were armed bandits patrolling and guarding the area at the foot of the mountain.

Mingyue didn't plan to take a detour; this was the only way for them to get there.

"Young General, shall we take a detour tomorrow?"

Ji Yong'an sighed softly. Even his subordinates could see that something was amiss. After all, the Imperial Advisor had never been involved in court affairs and only knew how to perform divination.

Fine, at worst we'll risk our lives to escort the Imperial Advisor away tomorrow. The supplies will probably be stolen...

"Let's not take a detour, let the brothers get some rest, there might be a fight tomorrow."