Chapter 351 - 222: The Box

Chapter 351: Chapter 222: The Box

A horse-drawn carriage laden with goods sped down the road. The trees on either side flew past, and the air was filled with the rich fragrance of grass and wood.

Fang Yue sat inside the carriage, resting with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, a muffled THUD echoed from the wheels grinding against the ground, and the carriage began to lurch violently.

"AH!"

A bloodcurdling scream from outside the carriage made Fang Yue’s eyes snap open. His expression shifted, and he hurriedly pushed the door open and rushed out.

The moment Fang Yue rushed out of the carriage, a piercing scream reached his ears.

He looked toward the sound and saw a young man clutching his left shoulder, squatting on the ground and wailing in agony.

"What kind of driving is that? Are you trying to kill me?" the young man roared furiously.

The carriage driver, drenched in sweat, bowed obsequiously and stammered, "Young Master Wang, my sincerest apologies!"

Fang Yue’s brow furrowed. The young man was dressed in magnificent clothes and was quite handsome; he looked like a young scion from some great family.

"What are you, useless? How do you even drive? Can you afford to pay if I’m injured?"

the young man snarled viciously.

Fang Yue stood to the side, coldly observing as the young man known as Young Master Wang berated the carriage driver. He had no intention of intervening. It was, after all, someone else’s business, and he had no desire to meddle.

However, Young Master Wang’s tirade grew uglier and uglier, and he even began to whip the driver.

But a moment later, Fang Yue lost interest and returned to the carriage.

The commotion outside continued for a while longer until the caravan’s Steward came over. After offering a stream of apologies, he finally managed to placate the fuming young noble.

After that minor interruption, the caravan was back on the road.

The caravan slowly set out once more, continuing along the winding road.

Fang Yue sat back down inside the carriage, but he found it difficult to calm his mind.

Although he hadn’t interfered in the dispute between Young Master Wang and the carriage driver, witnessing the scene had still left him feeling unsettled.

He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself, but the image of Young Master Wang’s imperious arrogance and the driver’s meek, subservient expression kept flashing through his mind.

’Something’s not right. It seems like a setup!’

Fang Yue’s eyes flew open, a sudden realization dawning on him.

That carriage driver who was just being beaten... his fingers were long and slender, his skin fair. He didn’t have a single callus. Those were absolutely not the hands of a man who drove a carriage for a living!

He lifted the carriage curtain again, quietly poking his head out to scan the caravan.

The driver was back in his seat, but his handling of the reins was incredibly clumsy—not at all like that of an experienced driver.

The more Fang Yue watched, the more certain he became that something was wrong.

’There’s something wrong with this driver!’

Fang Yue’s heart seized. He instantly realized he might have been caught up in a conspiracy.

Just then, Fang Yue sensed a faint, almost imperceptible trace of killing intent in the carriage.

Immediately after, a strange and incredibly acrid smell filled the carriage.

’This is... a knock-out drug!’

Fang Yue reacted instantly. He wasn’t worried, however; with his level of cultivation, a mere Secret Medicine like this was completely useless against him.

’Looks like we’ve run into bandits,’ he thought. ’That driver must be a mole they planted.’

’They probably got spooked about being exposed, so they’re making their move early.’

Fang Yue sneered inwardly, but his expression remained impassive.

He silently circulated his Primordial Qi, expelling the drug he had inhaled. At the same time, he kept his breathing steady, pretending to have succumbed.

The carriage continued onward, but Fang Yue had already sensed that something was amiss.

The trees outside seemed to be thinning, and the road grew increasingly rough and uneven. They had obviously strayed from the main route.

Fang Yue grew even more certain. These bandits had a premeditated plan to lure the caravan to a remote spot and rob them.

A short time later, the carriage came to a sudden halt.

"WHOA—"

The carriage driver pulled the reins taut, bringing the horse to a stop. He then glanced back at the carriage, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

’So, we’ve arrived at the bandits’ den,’ Fang Yue thought.

He kept his breathing even, lying motionless inside the carriage, but secretly, he was gathering his Inner Strength, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

Just then, the carriage curtain was flung open. A masked man peered inside, and seeing Fang Yue lying there motionless, he was overjoyed.

"Haha, this knock-out drug sure is potent! It took effect so quickly!" the masked man exclaimed.

"Just some poor wretch. Get him out of the way."

He reached out, dragged Fang Yue from the carriage, and unceremoniously dumped him under a tree.

Then he went back to the carriage to search for other goods.

Meanwhile, similar scenes were playing out on the other carriages.

Lying under the tree, Fang Yue continued to feign unconsciousness while secretly observing his surroundings.

He watched the masked men rummage through the goods in the carriages, their movements rough and greedy. Their eyes betrayed their ferocity and cruelty as they recklessly damaged both carriages and cargo.

Fang Yue laughed coldly in his mind. ’These bandits are truly brazen, not even bothering with the slightest bit of subtlety.’

He shifted his body slightly, settling more comfortably on the ground while keeping his Primordial Qi circulating, ready to act at any moment.

After a short while, the masked men seemed to find what they were looking for and began unloading certain goods from the carriages.

Seeing this, Fang Yue became even more certain of the bandits’ objective. ’They aren’t here for money,’ he realized. ’They’re after the cargo!’