Chapter 41: Sorry? No Need!

The next day.

"The convoy to Peace Town is leaving right away! Only three spots left, grab them while you can!"

"One Grand Dou Shi and five Dou Shis escorting the journey! Anyone wanting to go to Canaan Academy for the entrance exam is welcome to join."

"..."

Following the information provided by the receptionist at the front desk, Hun Cang arrived at a corner of the city and couldn't help but pause at the bustling scene before him.

Dozens of caravans were shouting at the top of their lungs, backed by rows of carriages and waiting crowds.

The crowd mostly consisted of middle-aged people and children, holding or clutching items, their expressions a mix of tension and anticipation.

Had he not known beforehand, Hun Cang would have thought he had stumbled upon an otherworldly version of the Spring Festival travel rush.

"Still need people?" Hun Cang asked, walking up to the largest group. Peace Town was still dozens of miles away from the city; while walking alone was not entirely impossible, it would make his target a bit too obvious.

His purpose in coming to Canaan Academy this time was for the Fallen Heart Flame, and he wanted to avoid being detected by the Soul Palace.

With good reason, considering that the ancient tomb of Emperor Tuoshe was located right underneath.

"Yes, we're short one person. Are you heading there, young man?" asked the middle-aged leader of the group with a hearty smile.

Hun Cang nodded and paid the fee according to the quoted price.

Not long after, a massive convoy set off, with Hun Cang seated in a carriage at the very rear.

The carriage was pulled by two beast-like magical creatures resembling horses. The carriage body was quite large, fitted with five rows of seats that could hold four people per row.

"An otherworldly bus?" Seated inside, Hun Cang felt his body sway as the wheels rolled over the uneven ground, his gaze sweeping across his surroundings with a hint of astonishment.

Sitting beside him was a middle-aged couple, their weathered faces bearing smiles as they continually gave instructions to the plump teenager sitting between them, mostly concerning the preliminary exams for Canaan Academy.

After leaving the city, figures on horseback began patrolling back and forth on both sides of the convoy.

The conversations among the passengers also quieted down, their expressions replaced by a layer of vigilance and worry. Hun Cang's expression remained unchanged as he calmly admired the surrounding scenery.

Every year during Canaan Academy's external admissions, many parents from the Black Horn Region chose to send their children to participate, striving for them to pass the exams.

After all, Canaan Academy was much safer than the Black Horn Region, and having their children stay there would reduce their worries.

At the same time, however, there were always people who targeted this middle stretch of the journey.

This gave birth to a certain type of group nowadays—those who transported people to Peace Town in the form of caravans in exchange for some money.

The convoy departed in the morning, and as noon approached, they arrived at a hillside.

"Everyone, take a break in place..." The leader called out for everyone to get off. Turning his head and seeing Hun Cang standing on the carriage frame, he walked over.

In the distance, two majestic giant mountains stood facing each other like the horns of an animal, and in the cleft between them, a vaguely visible small town could be seen.

"That's Peace Town, our destination," the leader said, standing beside Hun Cang.

Hun Cang hummed in acknowledgment and remained silent.

"Young man, seeing you so young, you must be heading to Canaan Academy's entrance exam too, right? Why are you all by yourself? Where are your parents? Aren't they worried?" The leader was rather talkative.

Looking across the entire group, every single naive-looking child was accompanied by at least one middle-aged or robust adult.

"No, he's my neighbor, we're together." Just as Hun Cang was deep in thought, a sturdy middle-aged man suddenly walked over, eyeing the leader with a stern expression.

Then, blocking the leader's line of sight, he cast a sideways glance at Hun Cang.

Hun Cang didn't actually know the man, but wishing to avoid annoyance, he simply nodded.

Seeing this, the leader gave an awkward smile and walked away.

The burly man swept his gaze around the surroundings and lowered his voice. "Little brother, I've heard that some convoys are dishonest and prey on solo travelers. If you don't have companions, why don't you sit with us?"

With that, he glanced a few paces away, where a woman and a youth were seated. Seeing the burly man look over, they smiled and waved.

"No need." Hun Cang glanced at the three of them, narrowed his eyes slightly, and shook his head in refusal.

Before his voice had even faded, the burly man grabbed his arm and pulled Hun Cang toward the mother and son without any room for argument, saying at the same time, "Don't move around, the leader is still watching over here."

Hun Cang glanced sideways out of the corner of his eye and realized the burly man hadn't been lying.

Upon arriving at the spot where the family of three was sitting, perhaps noticing that Hun Cang was alone, they appeared extremely enthusiastic and shared a portion of their carried rations with him.

"I'll pass." Looking at the steamed buns and the fragrant piece of meat, Hun Cang smiled and refused.

The burly man leaned in closer, his gaze darting toward the distance, and said, "Little brother, you should eat a little bit. Otherwise, I'm afraid the leader won't believe us and will come looking for you again shortly."

"That's right, young man. We have less than half the journey left before we reach Peace Town, so let's minimize any trouble," the woman also persuaded.

"Big brother, these steamed buns and meat were made personally by my mother. They're very delicious, give it a try." The youth said with a naive smile, his mouth smeared with oil.

Stared at by the expectant gazes of the three, Hun Cang sighed helplessly inwardly, picked up the food, and slowly began to eat.

Some other children nearby looked over, but were sternly scolded back by their parents.

Having eaten their food, the leader seemed to truly believe that the two sides were neighbors, and his gaze finally stopped wandering back and forth toward this side.

The family of three maintained an enthusiastic and generous attitude, sharing everything they knew about the Canaan Academy trials with Hun Cang.

Soon after, the convoy resumed its journey. The three of them even voluntarily switched seats to sit in the same row as Hun Cang, and whenever the leader's gaze swept over, the burly man glared right back without the slightest politeness.

Time slowly crept toward evening, and the vaguely visible small town became distinct. The sound of chatter within the caravan gradually returned.

Hun Cang had kept his eyes closed the entire time, his brows slightly furrowed as if he were on the verge of falling asleep.

Right at that moment, the youth sitting beside him spotted a butterfly flying past and excitedly reached out to grab it, only to tumble right out of the carriage.

At the critical moment, he instinctively grabbed onto Hun Cang's clothes, dragging him down as well.

The commotion caused a mild stir in the rear rows.

"You guys go on to Peace Town ahead, I'll be right there." The leader told the convoy to press forward while he rode his horse back to the rear.

A flash of helpless emotion crossed Hun Cang's face as he steadied the youth to the ground safely, while the middle-aged couple leaped down from the carriage with anxious expressions.

The burly man shouted angrily, "You brat, what kind of madness are you up to?"

The woman said with a displeased expression, "Hurry up and apologize to the young man! We're almost at our destination and you're still acting up!"

The youth kept his head down, tears welling in his eyes, and muttered, "I'm sorry."

"No need. Save those words for the people you've killed." Hun Cang looked at the three of them with a mocking smile, then at the gradually receding convoy and the leader rapidly approaching on horseback.

"You figured it out?" The expressions of the family of three changed drastically before turning vicious.

Tears still in his eyes, the youth drew a dagger from behind his back. "Do it!"

Armors materialized over the bodies of all three. Sensing the disturbance, the leader leaped from his horse and rushed over quickly. All four of them lunged simultaneously at Hun Cang.

A few breaths later, Hun Cang mounted a horse and rode toward Peace Town, the scorching heat in the air behind him swept away and dissipated by the wind.