C128 Liang Ruoxuan(1)

Following the direction of the voice, Woo Zhengyang quickly spotted the speaker. It was a woman, so slender she seemed almost ethereal. Her light blue dress fluttered in the breeze like wings, as if it might lift her into a graceful dance. She appeared as delicate as a flower in the wind.

It was only then that Woo Zhengyang realized there were five merchant groups gathered here. The one the woman belonged to was so small and inconspicuous that he hadn't noticed it before. It consisted of a modest tent, four merchant carts, a young girl, an elderly man dressed as a servant, four listless guards, and a driver.

"Haha... can't even hire proper guards, yet still meddling in others' business. The folks from the Medicine Pavilion sure are generous, haha..." The clerk who had just turned Woo Zhengyang away couldn't help but laugh when he saw who was speaking.

The other three merchant groups laughed heartily as well. Another clerk chimed in, "Maybe they're hoping to recruit this guy since they can't find anyone else. Otherwise, if they run into a pack of beasts, they'd barely be a snack!"

Amidst the laughter, Woo Zhengyang approached the woman, offering a respectful bow. "Thank you, miss!"

The woman, Liang Ruoxuan, didn't share Woo Zhengyang's calm demeanor. A flash of anger crossed her pale face at the mockery, but she managed to suppress it. She replied to Woo Zhengyang, "It's nothing. When you're out and about, it's only right to help each other. My name is Liang Ruoxuan. What's your name, sir?"

Woo Zhengyang was about to speak when one of the four guards behind him stood up and said in a mocking tone, "Oh, what a lovely idea of mutual help, Miss Liang. We were hired by you to escort the goods, not to play babysitter!"

"Exactly. We agreed to the job without knowing all the details, but we’re men of our word. We’ll get you across the Misty Mountains, but bringing along this useless kid is pushing it," another guard chimed in, with the remaining two nodding in agreement.

"You all..." Liang Ruoxuan, visibly upset, turned even paler and started coughing, unable to respond. Her elderly servant quickly approached and handed her a pill.

Seeing this, Woo Zhengyang hurried to reassure her, "Miss Liang, don’t worry. I’ll just tag along without bothering anyone."

"Kid, who are you calling a bother?" The first guard took a step toward Woo Zhengyang, eyes filled with malice. He couldn’t believe this so-called useless kid dared to talk back and was ready to teach him a lesson.

"Who are you calling a useless kid?" Woo Zhengyang met his gaze fearlessly.

"I'm talking about you, of course!"

"Then you’re the one who's a bother!"

"You little punk, looking for trouble!" the man shouted, swinging a slap at Woo Zhengyang.

"No, don't..."

Liang Ruoxuan, her coughing just starting to ease, saw what was happening and quickly tried to intervene. But the guard wasn't about to stop; if anything, he seemed to hit even harder.

The old servant, seeing this, immediately turned to help. However, he had barely taken a step when a figure went flying, and it was a moment before the gasps and thud of landing were heard.

Woo Zhengyang was still standing there, so it was clear who had been sent flying.

Witnessing this, the other three guards' expressions shifted slightly, and the laughter from the onlookers in the caravan abruptly stopped.

The caravans that hired guards here weren't from any major trading companies, as those had their own security teams. The really wealthy ones even used special bags to transport goods.

The other four trading companies, although larger than the Medicine King Pavilion, only had a few top-tier Nine-star Martial Disciples as their guards.

The person who had just been sent flying was also at the peak of the Nine-star Martial Disciple level. To send someone like that flying with a single slap, this young man was clearly no ordinary character.

"A Martial Master?"

Everyone couldn't help but wonder, though it seemed unbelievable, as there was still no sign of any energy emanating from Woo Zhengyang.

However, regardless of the circumstances, several merchant guilds couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. Even if Woo Zhengyang wasn't a martial master, his combat prowess was far beyond that of an ordinary Nine-star Martial Disciple. If he joined their caravan, he could be an invaluable asset.

Traditionally, when these caravans traveled together, they would journey in close proximity. The order of who led and who followed was determined by a friendly competition, with each caravan sending a representative to compete.

Before Woo Zhengyang's arrival, the four caravans were quite content. As long as their own experts stepped forward, the Medicine King Pavilion would undoubtedly take the lead. But with Zhengyang's presence, this dynamic was likely to change.

"You scoundrel, attacking me out of nowhere!"

The figure that had just been sent flying finally got up, looking disheveled and covered in dust, and started to walk back, cursing under his breath.