63: Chapter 63 Chase on the Snowy Road

For those escorts who had not yet started families and were on their own, Chief Escort Ye took out some banknotes.

"You have no burdens, it is the perfect time to strive."

"These banknotes are enough for you to seek a living elsewhere, learn a trade, and have a skill to support yourselves in the future."

The escorts cupped their fists in gratitude, their eyes filled with appreciation and respect.

That cupping of fists was a deep expression of respect for Chief Escort Ye's care over the years.

Besides cash and banknotes, there were also some valuable items in the Escort Agency.

Such as precious calligraphy and paintings, exquisite porcelain, and so on, all were distributed properly according to the escorts' contributions and needs.

He arranged everything methodically, considering every detail thoroughly.

Striving to ensure that every escort would have enough capital to start a new life after parting ways.

After the distribution, he looked at these brothers who had once fought alongside him and said with emotion.

"Although the Escort Agency is gone, our friendship remains."

"In the future, if there are difficulties, let us help each other whenever we can."

His voice carried a trace of emotion, as if recalling all the trials and hardships they had walked through together.

When everything was settled, the night had already descended like a huge black cloth, pressing heavily upon the small town.

Chief Escort Ye's family took advantage of the thick darkness to cautiously slip out of the Escort Agency through a hole in the back wall.

Chief Escort Ye knew that in times of life and death, worldly possessions were insignificant.

He only brought some clothing and necessary silver; he took nothing else.

The valuable items and accumulated assets of the Escort Agency were all useless in the face of life.

His expression was resolute; his only thought was to lead his family to safety.

The family dared not be the slightest bit careless, looking around constantly along the way; every tiny sound made their hearts race.

They hurriedly found a remote inn to stay in.

After settling down, Ye Hua, concerned about his father's fire poison, rushed to find herbs at a pharmacy in the city.

The herbs were common, so he gathered them quickly, wrapped them up, and hid them in his bosom.

He feigned strolling, walked into a quiet alley, and slowed his pace to watch out for anyone behind him.

After checking several times and confirming no one was following, he hurried back to the inn.

That night, the family lay in bed, filled with worry.

Various potential dangerous scenarios kept flashing through their minds, causing them to toss and turn, unable to sleep.

The next day, before the sky was fully bright, it still held a deep ink color, and a few remaining stars flickered on the horizon.

Chief Escort Ye's family rose early, silently packing their bags by the faint starlight.

When the sky brightened slightly, taking advantage of the first rays of dawn, they changed to another inn.

Chief Escort Ye understood that leaving the city now would undoubtedly be walking into a trap, as those people were surely lying in ambush outside.

At the most dangerous times, the city itself was actually safer.

He stood by the window of the inn room, looking quite grave.

He paid no heed to the scenery outside the window, his brows tightly locked together.

Forming a deep " river" shape, his gaze cast toward the street in the distance shrouded in morning mist.

"Sigh..."

A heavy sigh slowly escaped his lips, carrying his full heart of worry, a trace of anxiety appearing between his brows.

"This Young Master Yun, leaving without saying goodbye, truly makes one worry."

"I do not know what he is planning, but I hope he will not act rashly and venture out of the city to court danger."

...

After Yun Song left the city gate, he disregarded the bone-chilling cold and headed straight north, moving quickly.

Treading unevenly through the deep snow, the sound of his footsteps rang through the silent snowy day.

"Da, da, da..."

The sound of horses galloping rapidly through the snow was exceptionally clear in the quiet snowy day.

Yun Song was startled, his footsteps halted, and he quickly turned to hide behind a large tree nearby.

He poked his head out and looked through the swirling snowflakes, only to see several dark figures in the distance riding horses, galloping toward his direction.

The horses' hooves kicked up a large cloud of snow, which spread out behind them.

Those horses were robust and fast; in the blink of an eye, they were closer to him.

He quietly slipped into the woods, using the trees and snow as cover, and quickly found a hidden spot.

He put down his bundle, dug a snow pit, and buried it.

He gripped his mining hoe tightly, holding his breath and focusing, waiting for the pursuers to arrive.

Before long, the men in black indeed entered the woods.

There were six of them in total, dressed in black martial attire, their faces covered with black cloths, and the blades in their hands emitted a cold, chilling gleam.

One of the men in black pulled on his reins, his sharp gaze sweeping across the messy, trampled snow all around.

Then, he looked straight at the large tree where Yun Song was hiding, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his mouth as he said loudly,

"Come out, stop hiding. Only an idiot like you would use such a stupid method."

Yun Song inwardly cursed, suddenly realizing that this patch of previously untracked snow...

had been trampled by his frantic footsteps, acting like a conspicuous map that exposed his tracks completely.

He gripped the mining hoe in his hands tightly, his brain working rapidly as he thought of a plan to escape.

The men in black seemed well-prepared; rushing out recklessly would undoubtedly be like throwing an egg against a rock.

But continuing to hide was meaningless; he would eventually be dragged out.

Yun Song took a deep breath and slowly walked out from behind the large tree.

He gripped the mining hoe tightly in his hands, his gaze vigilantly sweeping across the six men in black before him.

Despite his inner tension, he still forced himself to appear calm and questioned them,

"Are you looking for me?"

"No, we are just passing by. Seeing you acting suspiciously, we came over to take a look."

The man in black spoke, his tone mocking, his expression full of the playfulness of a cat toying with a mouse.

Yun Song's brows furrowed slightly, but it was fleeting.

He thought to himself that this excuse was full of holes; how could there be such a coincidence?

But he did not expose it on the spot; instead, he responded with a calm expression.

"I was just wanting to relieve myself behind the tree earlier."

"It's freezing cold, if you had seen me, how embarrassing that would have been."

After speaking, he also perfectly feigned an embarrassed look, a flush appearing on his face.

"Hahaha..."

Upon hearing this, the men in black were stunned for a moment, then burst into uproarious laughter.

The leader of the men in black laughed until he was doubled over.

"Hehehe..."

Yun Song's anger surged within, but he forced himself to endure it, offering a dry laugh in return.

"Gentlemen, traveling in this freezing cold weather, one cannot help but have urgent needs."

"It's hard work for you to travel as well, so I won't take up any more of your time. I shall take my leave."

After saying this, he slowly moved his feet, attempting to get away from this dangerous place as quickly as possible.

But how would the men in black easily let him go? Another man in black urged his horse forward a few steps.

Blocking Yun Song's path, he said coldly,

"Wait a moment. Where is the bundle you were carrying when you left the city?"

Yun Song's heart tightened, realizing that the other party was clearly targeting him; it seemed that a battle today was unavoidable.

"Bundle? I only have a mining hoe, I didn't bring any bundle! You gentlemen must have seen wrong; please don't tease me anymore."

As Yun Song spoke, he was calmly observing the positioning of the six men in black, looking for any possible flaws.