When the caravan stopped for a rest at night, Hua Zichen told Hua Kai that the Shen Family members had left the Han Family's caravan and headed towards Jinan City. Hua Kai couldn't help but be alarmed.
If the other party wanted to send someone home to report their safety, it would be faster for one person to ride a horse than to follow the caravan.
If they wanted to curry favor with the Han Family, it didn't make sense. Who would leave on their own halfway?
Most importantly, with the speed of the Shen Family's caravan, it would take at least ten days to reach Guang County. It was obviously too early to report their safety.
"Kai 'er, could it be that the Shen Family is planning to deal with us?
If we return safely this time, our family will definitely become stronger. The Shen Family won't just stand by and watch us grow, "Hua Xing said to Hua Kai.
"If they want to deal with us, the best chance is at Hutuo Mountain. Last year, I suspected that the Shen Family and the bandits of Hutuo Mountain knew each other. Why would they only attack us when our caravan was in the middle of the caravan? The Shen Family only needed to send a Qi Refining Realm cultivator to act as a show. Our losses wouldn't be that great," Wei Baotou said.
Hua Kai and the others fell into deep thought. If this was true, then the caravan would really be in danger.
The terrain of Hutuo Mountain was complicated. It was impossible for the Hua family to guard all the dangerous areas.
"Let's talk about it when we reach Jinan City!
The Han Family needs to rest for at least a day in Jinan City! "Hua Kai couldn't think of a way to deal with the Shen Family. He could only wait and see.
Two days later, the Guang County caravan arrived at Jinan City at noon. Outside of Jinan City, there were all kinds of markets. There were all kinds of cattle, sheep, horses, furs, and other goods. After all, Jinan City was the largest city on the official road!
The caravan stopped in Jinan City for a day and a half. Hua Kai went to Jinan City to pick some spiritual herbs and common herbs for refining pills. Some of the herbs that the Alchemy Room lacked were gathered. He could refine pills again.
In the evening, Hua Kai was thinking about how to resolve the Shen Family's crisis in the main tent. At this time, his grandfather came in and said that the head of the Chen family wanted to see him.
The Chen family and the Shen Family arrived in Jinan City this evening. They had to stop in Jinan City to rest for two days before they could continue their journey. Hua Jia Caravan would leave early tomorrow morning.
"Why is the head of the Chen family not in his own caravan at this time?" Hua Kai still remembered the arrogant expression of the head of the Chen family when his father was buried last year.
"Hua Jiazhu, I found out that the Shen Family is going to attack the Hua Family. One of their Qi Refining Realm masters disappeared after seeing Hua Jia Caravan that day. The leader of the Shen Family came to our caravan a few days ago and said that the Hua Family is like a grasshopper at the end of autumn and won't be able to survive for long. He wants all of our families to target the Hua Family!" The head of the Chen family looked at Hua Kai and said excitedly.
"Oh!
Then why are you telling me all this today?
Aren't you afraid that the Shen Family will find out? "Hua Kai asked.
"No matter what, the Hua family and the Chen family are one of the eight major villages in Guang County. How can I not care about them?" The head of the Chen family rolled his eyes and said.
Hua Kai knew that the head of the Chen family was gambling. The Chen family and the Hua family were both part of the eight major villages in Guang County. Their common interests were much greater than that of the Shen Family. If the Hua family could survive this crisis, they would definitely not forget the contributions of the Chen family. The Chen family would reap much more interest.
"Thank you for telling me, Chen family head. The Hua family will be prepared. When the caravan returns home, please come visit the Hua family as a guest!"
The head of the Chen family knew that the Hua family was about to start preparing. He did not stay any longer and left quietly.
Hua Kai called a few core members of the family to the main tent and told them what the head of the Chen family said.
"Hutuo Mountain has always been a thorn in the Hua family's heart. Now that the Hua family is not helpless against the bandits of Hutuo Mountain, I plan to use this opportunity to beat them at their own game and eliminate the bandits of Hutuo Mountain to avenge my father!"
After Hua Kai finished speaking, everyone was silent. How could the bandits of Hutuo Mountain be eliminated so easily? However, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, no one would give up this opportunity.
"Kai 'er, just tell us what you plan to do!
All of us will support you fully, "Hua Xing said from the side.
Everyone looked at Hua Kai and nodded vigorously.
Hua Kai slowly explained his idea to everyone. However, he did not mention the specific details. Everyone knew that Hua Kai would not fight a battle that he was not confident in. Therefore, they all agreed with Hua Kai's plan.
After the discussion, Hua Kai went to the Jia family's leader alone. He planned to borrow some people from the Jia family tonight.
If he relied on the Hua family's strength alone, there was not much hope to defeat the bandits of Hutuo Mountain.
"Leader Jia!
These two 'Energy Cultivating Pills' are the reward for this operation. The Hua family needs the Jia family to send Jia Zhan and 15 core members of the caravan. When the time comes, the Hua family will be responsible for all the Qi Realm experts in Hutuo Mountain. As long as the Jia family helps us, the caravan will not be attacked by the bandits, "Hua Kai said as he arrived at the Jia family's main tent.
"Hua Jiazhu, as long as the Hua family needs help, the Jia family will definitely help. However, the bandits of Hutuo Mountain are not as easy to deal with as they seem. Every bandit group has the support of an aristocratic family. I heard that the biggest bandit group is backed by the Tian family of Linzi City.
Otherwise, the Qi family would have eliminated the entire Hutuo Mountain long ago, "the leader of the Jia family reminded.
"The Hua family has already considered all of this. My father died in Hutuo Mountain, so I hope that the Jia family will not tell the Han family about this plan!" Hua Kai said.
The relationship between the Han family and the Shen Family was not ordinary. Hua Kai did not know what the Han family's attitude would be between the Shen family and the Hua family. As long as this plan succeeded, even if the Han family was dissatisfied, Hua Kai was not afraid. After all, the Han family did not have an Innate Realm expert.
After convincing the leader of the Jia family, Hua Kai went to the Ren family's caravan. All the caravans of the Guang County's caravan had received favors from the Hua family. After paying another 'Energy Cultivating Pill', the head of the Ren family agreed to personally lead a team with six family experts above the late stage of the Kaiyuan Realm to help the Hua family deal with the bandits of Hutuo Mountain.
When he returned to the caravan, his grandfather had also returned.
Other than the Han family, the Hua family had already borrowed experts from all the caravans in Guang County. In total, there were two Qi Refining Realm experts, nineteen Qi Transforming Realm experts, and forty-six Qi Transforming Realm experts.
Hua Kai also sent all the female slaves and children to the ten caravans. This way, the women and children who had already become official members of the Hua family and Household Servant would act as a front outside the caravan. Everything was done secretly.
After preparing everything, Hua Kai and his Fifth Uncle, Hua Zichen, brought thirty official members of the family and seventy reserve Household Servant and left Jinan City at daybreak.
The 101 people arrived at the border of Jinan Country at the Ling Pass. Since no one had a travel permit, Hua Kai had to pay one gold and fifteen silver to pass through the pass.
Hua Kai rode his horse until noon. As they approached Hutuo Mountain, he slowly stopped.
"Xiao Qiang, can you sense where the Shen Family's Qi Refining Realm expert is?" Hua Kai put Xiao Qiang down from his arms. Xiao Qiang sniffed and looked into the distance.
As a spirit beast, Xiao Qiang's tracking ability was its innate talent. When the Hua family discovered that the Shen Family's guard captain was in the Han family's caravan, Hua Kai had asked Xiao Qiang to remember the other party's scent.
Hua Kai looked at the direction Xiao Qiang indicated and let the Fifth Uncle and Xiao Qiang scout ahead. He led Han Jinsheng and the rest to slowly follow behind.
The mountain path of Hutuo Mountain was very difficult to traverse. If there was no one to lead the way, it was very possible to get lost in the mountain.
Fifth Uncle and Xiao Qiang had already left for more than an hour. Hua Kai led the others to find a cave in the mountain to hide. If the bandits discovered that strangers had entered Hutuo Mountain, they would be on guard.
Hua Kai sat cross-legged on the ground and switched to Xiao Qiang's vision. He found that the Fifth Uncle was quietly approaching a mountain where two bandits were on guard.
As a Qi Refining Realm expert, the Fifth Uncle easily climbed up the mountain. After he killed one bandit, he was interrogating the other bandit.
Knowing that there was no danger ahead, Hua Kai led the group and carefully walked on the mountain path.
After a while, Xiao Qiang and the Fifth Uncle came back.
"This Hutuo Mountain is much more complicated than we thought. There are more than ten big and small bandits. The strongest one is the Wolf Bandits, which has four Qi Refining Realm experts. The other bandits only have one Qi Refining Realm expert. I think the bandits that attacked our caravan last year might be the Wolf Bandits!" Hua Zichen came to Hua Kai's side and said.
"Did you find out how to get to the Wolf Bandits?"
"The Wolf Bandits are about twenty miles away from here. It will take us half a day to get there." Hua Zichen told Hua Kai everything he knew.
"That should be right. The Shen Family's Xiantian Realm expert might be in the Wolf Bandits. Let's hurry!"
Hua Kai and the others continued to move forward. Xiao Qiang was still scouting at the front. When it encountered bandits, it would hide and wait for Hua Zichen to deal with it. Hua Kai waited until everything was safe before leading the rest of the group to follow.
When the sky turned dark, everyone got off their horses and quietly ate their rations. After passing the mountain, they would be in the Wolf Bandits' territory. Hua Kai closed his eyes and watched Xiao Qiang's vision.
Xiao Qiang had already determined that the person Hua Kai was looking for was not far from the mountain. It quietly crept closer. Even if the bandits discovered it, they wouldn't pay too much attention to it. There were many wolves of this size in the mountains.
Xiao Qiang quietly passed through a checkpoint guarded by two people and climbed up a ten meter high hill. It saw a village with an area of ten acres in the distance. The village was brightly lit. This was the Wolf Bandits!
Xiao Qiang lay in the grass and quietly stared into the distance. The aura of the Shen Family's Qi Refining Realm expert was there.
Hua Kai knew that Xiao Qiang had found its target, so he warned it not to act rashly.
As long as the Shen Family's Qi Refining Realm expert didn't leave, the Wolf Bandits wouldn't attack Hua Jia Caravan.
At this moment, the Shen family's guard captain was sitting in the banquet hall of the Vicious Wolf Stronghold. Sitting above him was a big man in his fifties. The long scar on his face was a little scary, but the two of them were drinking and chatting happily.
"Head Bandit!
This time, the other party is a fat sheep. A small family outside the city has brought nearly 700 horses.
There are at least 300 horses. This time, their family has at most 60 people … "The Shen Family's guard captain sat below and said.
"They only have 60 people and they dare to bring so many goods. Are you sure they are only a small family and not a sixth rank family?" The Wolf Bandits' leader asked in disbelief.
"Otherwise, why would I come to the Wolf Bandits to tell you?
This time, their caravan bought more than 400 slaves from the grassland. The entire caravan is basically relying on the slaves to work. "The Shen Family's guard captain continued to instigate.
"How strong is their caravan?
You should first tell me what price the Shen Family is willing to pay! "The Wolf Bandits' leader wasn't stupid at all.
If a caravan dared to do this, how could they walk all the way back from the grassland if they weren't strong enough?
"Actually, you are familiar with the other party. They are the Hua family that attacked the Wolf Bandits last year. Their father retired last year and gave the position of family head to his grandson, who was just 12 years old. I heard that he has broken through to the Qi Refining Realm. This year, the young family head is personally leading the caravan!" The Shen Family's guard captain said.
"The Hua family?
I have some impression of them. Although that old man was only in the Qi Refining Realm, his strength was amazing.
Okay!
This time, I don't want any reward!
Our Wolf Bandits will accept this job! "
In fact, all the bandits in Hutuo Mountain had a tacit understanding. That was, if they encountered a powerful ordinary family, they wouldn't provoke the aristocratic families.
This was the main reason why the aristocratic families in the Qi Realm could tolerate their existence.