Chapter 82 Shameless Her waist was held by a strong arm...
The wheels rolled past, raising dust on the official road. When the driver occasionally stopped to hailed the driver, the sobbing sounds in the carriage became clearly audible. Some people cried for joy, while others cried their hearts out.
Just as Lin Meizhu had predicted, before the Huishengtang convoy departed, a dozen or so survivors arrived at the post station. Qiaoniang's husband, Zhang Cong, was the last to arrive. He suffered minor injuries and claimed to have escaped by hiding in the bushes. Seeing him alone, Qiaoniang, realizing her daughter's tragic death, nearly collapsed in tears. Lin Meizhu rented a carriage at the post station and brought these terrified people back to Jiangling County.
Lin Meiju glanced at the carriage behind her, her eyes fell on someone, she seemed to be thinking about something, then turned around and said a few words to the waiters on her left and right.
Zhang Cong was comforting his wife softly when he noticed someone was looking at him. He looked up and saw Lin Meiju looking over here. He nodded at her in a friendly manner and moved his lips. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Meiju turned her head away first.
Seeing the driver take a different road, Lin Meizhu hurriedly called out, "This isn't the road we came from. Why are you taking this road?"
There were four medicine merchants counting their supplies, with a combined total of fifty or sixty donkey carts laden with goods, stretching for two or three miles. The merchant guard, responsible for maintaining the formation, heard the shouting behind him and quickly rode over, but he didn't order the team to stop. He explained, "Manager Lin, you're late, but there's a rock flow on the road we came from, blocking the road and preventing our carts from getting through. The other three managers have discussed and decided to find another way forward."
Lin Meizhu had a hunch that something was amiss. Any disturbance at this moment would make her uneasy. "Have you sent someone to check if it's a real rockfall?"
The merchant guard nodded and said, "We've checked everything. There's a massive mudslide halfway up the mountain. It's beyond human control."
Lin Meizhu asked again: "Has this happened before?"
The guard replied, "There have been quite a few. It's been raining a lot lately, and there was an incident recently where a road was blocked and a village was buried." Seeing that she was still worried, the guard said, "While exploring the road, I sent someone to the front to report the situation. As long as we move faster, we can still meet the guards at the agreed time."
Lin Meiju knew that the business protectors were more familiar with the route than she was, and that there were also several local drug dealers checking it. This alternative route was indeed the most convenient one, but she just felt something was wrong for no reason.
Lin Meizhu leaned on the shaft of the cart and gazed into the distance. The convoy continued on its way, with the Huichuntang people leading the way. They were approaching a bend in the valley. The cliffs on either side were as sharp as knives, and the path was narrow, only wide enough for a single carriage. Above the cliffs, dark clouds pressed down, looking from afar like a huge black maw slowly swallowing the convoy bit by bit.
Lin Meiju's feeling of foreboding grew stronger. She turned around and caught a glimpse of Zhang Cong's worried face. Seeing her looking at him, he forced a smile with a pale face, raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and then lowered his head to comfort the panicked Qiao Niang.
The merchant who was protecting Lin Meiju saw that she had a gloomy face and thought that she was unhappy because the other drug dealers had snatched away her right to speak. Now that she lowered her head and remained silent, he thought that he had persuaded her. He was about to urge the convoy to move forward quickly, but the flag in his hand was snatched away by someone in a hurry.
Lin Meizhu waved the command flag vigorously, and the copper bell under the handle rang violently. The leader in the front saw the emergency stop gesture, and immediately shouted loudly and blew a quick whistle. The sound of the wheels rolling on the ground gradually slowed down, and the drivers all leaned back to look. The whole convoy stopped shoulder to shoulder, forming a winding line of vehicles.
Lin Meizhu shoved the banner into the merchant's hands and said hurriedly, "We can't go any further. The road ahead is dangerous, and heavy rain is coming. The convoy is nowhere to be found. If we encounter an ambush, the consequences will be disastrous! Quickly inform the other shopkeepers!"
The merchant retorted subconsciously, "There's nowhere to stand on such a steep cliff. It's impossible to hide..."
Lin Meizhu interrupted him loudly: "Hurry up and go!"
When the businessman saw her expression suddenly change, no longer as gentle as usual, but instead with a firm decision, he couldn't help but feel startled. He hurriedly clasped his fists, and rode his horse forward to convey her order.
Long before the escort of the merchants left, Lin Meizhu ordered the people of Huishengtang to retreat one by one. At this moment, the sound of wheels suddenly rang out again. Instead of retreating, the convoy in front sped up and moved forward!
Lin Meiju's mind raced, but she figured out the key point in just two seconds. Zhang Bosheng and the others were eager to return home, and they thought they knew the terrain well, so they didn't listen to her words at all. Moreover, some of them resented her for stealing the limelight in the past, and were now secretly trying to intimidate her!
At a critical juncture like this, you're still obsessed with those vain, superficial gains and fame! How foolish! How foolish! How foolish!
Zhang Bosheng in the front felt the wind and water vapor blowing on his face getting stronger. He was about to urge the carriage to go faster again when he suddenly heard a thunderous rumble behind him. Turning around, he saw a speeding carriage rushing out from the rolling yellow sand. The mountain road was bumpy and the wind was blowing strongly. The woman in the carriage, wearing a crown, held the shaft with one hand, motionless, with a solemn expression. As her clothes fluttered, she even revealed a murderous aura.
No one knew what she said to the two drug dealers in the middle section, but the rear half of the convoy stopped crookedly again.
Zhang Bosheng couldn't help but frown and shouted from afar, "Manager Lin! We're only a few miles away from the sentry post. I just heard the sentry's whistle. They'll be here soon to help us!"
Lin Meizhu replied coldly, "You and I both know that if we're ambushed, relying on just a few dozen sentries won't guarantee safety."
The road ahead is dangerous. If there is really an ambush by robbers, the most likely thing is to intercept the goods in the middle of the attack. Although it was agreed in advance that we should resist the ambush together, in fact, there are conflicts of interest among several drug dealers and they all have their own thoughts, so there is no guarantee that they will go all out.
"Does Shopkeeper Zhang rely so heavily on support?"
Zhang Bosheng met Lin Meizhu's cold, star-like eyes. Hearing her emphasis on the word "repair," he felt a strange sense of guilt. Huichuntang had brought the largest number of guards and would be the first to reach the sentinels, making them undoubtedly the team most likely to escape unscathed.
Zhang Bosheng was arguably the leading drug dealer in Jingzhou, so how could he tolerate a woman questioning his decision? He wanted Lin Meizhu to realize her mistake and admit defeat with conviction. Still perched high on his horse, he said, "You saw the flash flood along the original route and thought it was strange. You saw this rugged valley..." Zhang Bosheng came back to his senses and pointed to the road ahead, half-smiled, "So you thought there were gecko people lurking here... All this is just because you're a woman, women are naturally suspicious, and this is your first time out on business. You've been excited a few times, and then..."
Lin Meizhu couldn't stand it any longer and interrupted him loudly, "You idiot! I suddenly became suspicious because of our medicine!"
With a roar, a flash of lightning like a crimson golden snake streaked across the sky. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew up, threatening to throw the men and horses off their feet. A torrential rain poured down, pelting the men and women. The tarpaulin covering the medicine cart banged against it. Lin Meizhu's voice pierced the rain, sonorous and powerful: "I initially thought the thieves didn't poison their weapons because they were in a hurry, but what if they were out of herbs?"
"If there had been another melee today and Fubo Village launched a surprise attack, the people of Jinhu Village would have likely suffered casualties. If my guess is correct, they would have been in dire need of medicine!"
After being touched by these few words, the rest of the people couldn't help but get goose bumps on their backs. If they were walking outside at this time, wouldn't they be lambs to be slaughtered?
Lin Meiju reached out to wipe the water droplets off her face, and no longer looked at Zhang Bosheng who looked surprised, and said: "We will not do business that will lose money. Huishengtang will not accompany you in seeking death!" After that, she stopped talking nonsense, called the people from Huishengtang, and retreated quickly.
When the other two drug dealers saw this, they were frightened and anxious, and hurriedly ordered to follow the suspicious woman to retreat.
Zhang Bosheng was speechless after being silenced by Lin Meizhu. He hadn't known how meticulous this woman was, able to deduce a chain of cause and effect from seemingly unrelated clues. If her deduction was true, their situation was extremely dangerous. Retreating to the posthouse, whether to hold out or resist, and then await reinforcements, would be much safer than their current situation.
"Boss, where are we now...?"
The rain was so heavy that it was impossible to open one's eyes. Seeing the convoy retreat, the waiter from Huichuntang wiped the rain off his face and walked forward to ask.
Zhang Bosheng knew that what Lin Meiju said made sense, but he still felt a little embarrassed, especially since she called him a fool!
At this moment, a female voice came from behind the rain curtain. The voice was no longer harsh, but softened. "Manager Zhang, we should work together now. The more people we have, the better our chances of victory."
Zhang Bosheng hummed softly, and then he went down the hill on the donkey, saying, "That makes sense. Let's go back first..."
Before he could finish his words, the strange rugged rocks behind him suddenly came alive and transformed into several ochre figures that jumped up. Without saying a word, they picked up knives and axes and started hacking at him. Before Zhang Bosheng could react, he was split in half!
Lin Meizhu heard the screams behind her and thought to herself that something was wrong. She turned around and saw that the front of the team was in chaos. Lin Meizhu noticed that there were not many robbers, only five or six people, and shouted, "Hold the formation! Retreat!"
But the Huichun Hall members set a bad example. Seeing their leader being slain, they lost their composure. Instead of immediately taking up arms to resist, they scrambled to escape, forcing many in the middle group down the cliff. The people in the middle of the group, once they realized what was happening, also began to disperse. In an instant, people and horses were thrown to the ground, and blood poured into the air.
Witnessing the death of the person she had just spoken to, Lin Meizhu felt the raindrops hitting her face as cold as ice. She shuddered, and without knowing where she had summoned the courage, she climbed onto the shaft of the cart and shouted, "Run to the forest, find cover! Hide!"
At the same time, the sound of galloping horses' hooves came from both sides of the road. The leading horse thief saw someone on the shaft giving orders to organize the retreat, his eyes narrowed, and he reached out to touch the bowstring behind him.
Lin Meizhu was pulled suddenly by someone, and the arrow just brushed past her hair. Qiao Niang held Lin Meizhu's hand tightly, her whole body shaking. Lin Meizhu was still in shock, and she exchanged glances with the people beside her, and they all ran quickly into the woods.
The raindrops were so dense that they hit the broad leaves like the rapid beat of drums, leaving only the clamor of water between heaven and earth. The forest was deep and dense, and the group soon became separated.
Amidst the noisy raindrops came the sound of sharp swords breaking through the air. Several times, those blood-stained swords were close to Lin Meiju's cheeks and neck, but for some reason, they all fell down when they took a step further.
But the speed of the pursuers was obviously much faster than she had imagined. She could hear the footsteps behind her gradually becoming denser. The chaotic kicking sounds were like a death spell, urging her to run faster and faster.
Lin Meiju felt that the Ox-Head and Horse-Face were waving at her.
The noisy clamor flooded into her eardrums like a tide. The sounds of fighting, cursing, and screaming seemed to come from deep under the water, echoing muffledly. Only the sound of a swift horse's hooves gradually became clearer, leaping out of the water at a certain moment and exploding in her ears.
Lin Meiju raised her head and saw a black horse galloping towards her at an extremely fast speed. Raindrops and strong wind poured into her eyes. She couldn't see who the person was at all, but she saw him leaning over and extending his hand to her.
Without thinking, Lin Meiju kicked the ground hard as the black horse was about to pass by, and grabbed his arms with both hands.
The next moment, a strong arm embraced her waist and abdomen. The man grasped her shoulders with his backhand, lifted her up steadily, and easily placed her on the side of the saddle.
At the same time, an arrow brushed past the back of his hand without attracting anyone's attention.
Lin Meiju's chest was hurt by the iron-hard object, and she urgently needed to breathe because she ran too fast. Every breath she took affected her lungs, and she cried in pain.
The man seemed to have noticed it as well. Seeing Lin Meiju holding her chest tightly, he actually wanted to help her calm down.
While he was hesitating, Lin Meiju suddenly raised her head and ripped off the veil covering his face with lightning speed.
After seeing the face of the man on the horse clearly, Lin Meizhu's blood boiled and she felt an even greater pain in her chest. She couldn't help but curse, "You bastard, you broke your promise!"
Seeing his identity exposed, Shen Changfeng simply put his arm around her waist, pulled her into his arms, and said shamelessly, "I said I would leave, but I never said I wouldn't come back if you were in danger."
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