At the other end of Yu County, in the backyard of Wang's house, the atmosphere was gloomy.
Manager Wang held his teacup, his face grim.
"That Yu An sold his old family house today!"
"It seems they're determined to go to the capital! It looks like they're not coming back!"
Opposite him sat several street thugs, the leader of whom was bald with a scar across his face.
The bald man chuckled and spat out the grass root in his mouth.
"A poor scholar, who got lucky, actually started to think of himself as someone important."
"Shopkeeper, didn't you say last time that his ice came from suspicious sources?"
Manager Wang slammed his hand on the table, his face trembling.
"It's not just strange!"
“I checked! Every few days, he can haul a whole truckload of ice to sell to those rich people!”
"Where did he get so much ice in this sweltering heat? He must have a recipe for making ice quickly!"
A short, thug next to him had his eyes light up and was rubbing his hands together greedily.
"Wow! A recipe for quick ice making? Isn't that a gold mine?"
"Shopkeeper, let's be decisive. Let's wait until he leaves the city, then ambush his whole family on the mountain road and snatch the prescription!"
The bald man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
"Yes! I think it's a good idea! We can break the legs of the men and, well, the women... well, that whole family is full of delicate, fair-skinned girls!"
"Let's see how arrogant he can be now!"
One of the more timid thugs shrank back, his voice weak.
“But brother, I’ve heard that things are not peaceful in the North Mountain Pass outside the city lately.”
"Some say that a wolf demon appeared there, and several passing caravans have disappeared without a trace, not even a bone fragment was left!"
"What if we run into that evil spirit..."
These words instantly cooled the previously enthusiastic atmosphere.
Manager Wang's eyes darted around, and a sinister smile spread across his lips.
"Demons and evil spirits?"
He tapped the table triumphantly.
"If that's the case, then that's perfect."
"We don't need to do it ourselves."
He lowered his voice, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.
"We'll lure them into that wolf demon's lair!"
"Last time on the street, he made me lose face and cost me nearly a thousand taels of silver!"
"This time, I'll make him pay back the principal with interest!"
"Once the whole family is eaten by the wolf demon, won't all the silver notes he's carrying and the luggage in the carriage be ours?"
"Without evidence, the authorities can't trace it back to us!"
The bald man was stunned for a moment, then slapped his thigh, his face full of admiration.
"high!"
"Manager Wang is so thoughtful!"
"Using someone else to do the dirty work! Brilliant!"
"Let's do it this way!"
…
On the other hand, Yu Luo acted even faster than they had imagined.
Having just broken ties with her great-uncle's family, she immediately took her family to the largest carriage and horse trading company in the city.
Without the slightest hesitation, she directly used 120 taels of silver to buy a slightly old but spacious and sturdy carriage.
They spent another ten taels of silver to hire a muscular and strong-looking groom.
The mother watched the gleaming silver coins flow out like water, and her heart ached so much that she gasped for breath.
She followed behind Yu Luo, muttering to herself.
“An’er, this…this is far too extravagant.”
"Why don't we just rent a car? You still need to go to the capital for the imperial examination, and you'll need money for everything. We can't be so extravagant."
Yu Luo handed the last few pieces of silver to the coachman, asking him to prepare some dry food and water.
She turned around, took her mother's arm, and remained calm.
"Mother, this money cannot be saved."
"I noticed that this driver's hands were covered in calluses and his temples were slightly bulging, indicating that he had some martial arts skills."
"With him around, the journey will be a little safer."
She paused, her voice soft yet firm.
"The lives of our family are more important than anything else."
The grandmother, who had been silent all along, suddenly slammed her cane down heavily on the ground.
"right!"
The old woman's eyes held an unprecedented clarity.
"An'er is so thoughtful! Money can be earned back, but if you're gone, you've lost everything!"
Looking at her daughter's calm profile and her mother-in-law's resolute expression, the mother swallowed the rest of her words and nodded silently.
The carriage was quickly prepared, and the family boarded it.
The wheels rolled over the bluestone road, slowly heading towards the east gate of Yu County.
Yu Luo lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked at the street scene rushing past outside the window, but there was always a strange feeling in her heart that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
She didn't know where this feeling came from; it was like an instinctive warning.
Sure enough, just as the carriage left the city gate and before it even reached the main road, a sudden change occurred.
"Whoa!"
With a shout of anger, the coachman tightened the reins.
Suddenly, seven or eight masked men appeared ahead of the official road, wielding sticks and blocking the way.
Inside the carriage, the mother and sister-in-law gasped in fright, while the niece, Xiaoya, burst into tears.
"Hold on tight!"
The coachman roared, his face fierce, and with a sharp crack of his whip, he turned the horse around and charged into the mountain path beside him!
The whole family was on tenterhooks.
However, Yu Luo's brows furrowed even more deeply.
Something's not right.
Something's really wrong!
The group of masked men were less of a robber and more of a driver.
They just waved their sticks and shouted, but not one of them actually rushed forward to fight.
Their goal seemed to be to force the carriage onto this remote mountain road!
This thought suddenly flashed through Yu Luo's mind.
"Stop!"
She instantly lifted the car curtain and shouted sharply.
"Stop right there! There's danger ahead!"
However, it was too late.
To evade pursuit, the coachman drove the carriage at breakneck speed, plunging deep into the mountain valley.
At that very moment, a thick, foul stench, mixed with the smell of rotting flesh, assaulted our senses.
The entire forest suddenly became deathly quiet.
The chirping of insects and calls of birds vanished in an instant.
The old horse in front of the carriage let out a mournful wail, its hooves went weak, and it collapsed to the ground in terror.
The carriage suddenly stopped, and everyone inside was thrown into a heap.
Just as they were still in shock, a huge figure slowly emerged from the shadows at the foot of the mountain.
It was a giant gray wolf, larger than a calf.
Its fur was matted and tangled, covered in dried blood and dirt.
One eye is blind, leaving a terrifying hole, while the other eye, though still single, gleams with a cold and cunning light.
Between the corners of his open mouth, revealing sharp, dagger-like fangs, thick saliva was dripping down.
It stared greedily and motionlessly at the carriage.
The masked men who had been chasing them with sticks had disappeared without a trace, and the forest was now eerily quiet.
The family could even hear their own heartbeats.
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