Twenty days passed.
The caravan continued moving towards Shang clan city. During these twenty days, Fang Ming's position in the caravan became steadier. He was a Rank three trader, had attended route meetings, and had shown judgment in front of the caravan leader. Although he had joined late, no one treated him like an ordinary newcomer anymore.
His relationship with Zhang Xin Ci also became much closer. They met almost every day. Sometimes they spoke about trade, sometimes they spoke about routes, weather, village customs, servant management, or the prices of herbs and beast materials. The subjects were ordinary, but the time spent together slowly changed things. Zhang Xin Ci became more comfortable speaking with him. When she did not understand a price, she asked him. When a trader's words sounded reasonable but felt strange, she looked for his opinion. Fang Ming did not always help directly. Sometimes, he only explained the reason behind the trick and let her decide.
Zhang Zhu watched all this. He was still cautious, because that was his duty, but even he had to admit that Fang Ming had not wronged Zhang Xin Ci. This young man had calculation, but he did not hide everything behind false warmth. His respect towards Zhang Xin Ci also did not seem fake. Because of this, Zhang Zhu's hostility towards him lessened somewhat.
On the twentieth day, the caravan reached another mountain village. This village was larger than the hamlet Fang Ming had first entered. It had proper wooden gates, a small market road, and several Rank one Gu Masters guarding the entrance. When the caravan arrived, the entire village became noisy. Villagers carried goods to the roadside. Dried mushrooms, cured meat, mountain herbs, bamboo baskets, animal hides, rough ore, and jars of fruit wine were placed on cloth mats. The caravan servants inspected them quickly, bargaining with practiced mouths, while Gu Masters stood behind them, watching with indifferent expressions.
At the same time, the caravan began replenishing manpower. Some servants had died on the road, others were injured and could no longer work, while some had run away at night only to be eaten by beasts. Mortals were easy to replace. Villages along the route knew this, and some poor families were willing to send young men into the caravan if they could earn a little money or gain protection on the road.
Fang Ming stood near his cart, watching the recruitment area.
At this moment, a messenger Gu Master hurried through the camp with several sheets of paper in his hand.
"New arrest warrant! Bai clan arrest warrant!"
The paper was quickly posted on the side of a black skin fat beetle. Several Gu Masters nearby gathered to look.
"Information reward, one thousand primeval stones?"
"That high?"
"Killing reward is higher. Bai clan truly hates these two."
"One man, one woman. One Rank three, one lower rank. They look young."
"Demonic cultivators?"
"Who knows? If Bai clan is willing to pay this much, they must have caused serious trouble."
Fang Ming walked over and glanced at the warrant. The portraits were not perfect, but the description was enough. A male and a female. A Rank three and a lower-ranked Gu Master. Wanted by Bai clan. Fang Ming's eyes moved slightly.
The timing was right.
Gu Yue Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing had arrived.
Most Gu Masters looked at the arrest warrant with interest but not vigilance. Bai clan was far from here, and in such a large Southern Border, two wanted youngsters appearing in this exact caravan sounded unlikely. People often thought danger belonged somewhere else.
Fang Ming left the crowd and walked towards the village entrance. Near the recruitment area, several outsiders waited to join the caravan. Some carried bundles, some had carts, and some looked nervous, afraid the caravan would refuse them. Among them stood two people.
One was a young man with an ugly burned face and dark hair. His clothes were rough, and his posture looked like that of a tired mortal traveler. Beside him stood a young woman with blackened skin and plain clothes. Her eyes were lowered slightly, and her bearing had been carefully suppressed.
But disguise could only hide appearance, it could not fully hide essence. Fang Ming recognized them at once: Gu Yue Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing. At this time, an old attendant was questioning them, and when he asked for their names, the burned young man had just opened his mouth and said: "Hei Tu. My wife is—"
"Fang Yuan."
Fang Ming's voice interrupted quietly.
The burned young man stopped speaking. The old attendant frowned and turned around, but when he saw Fang Ming, his expression quickly changed. "Lord Fang Ming."
Fang Ming ignored him and looked at the two people before him, then his gaze fell on the young woman with lowered eyes. "Bai Ning Bing."
The young woman slowly raised her head. For a moment, the air became tense. Fang Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, while Bai Ning Bing looked at Fang Ming for a moment before smiling. "To think we would meet you here. Interesting."
Fang Ming did not answer immediately. His gaze moved from Fang Yuan to Bai Ning Bing, then looked at Bai Ning Bing more carefully. After a few breaths, his expression gradually became strange, and he even took half a step back. "Wait."
Bai Ning Bing's smile stiffened.
Fang Ming looked at him from head to toe and said: "So after all that shouting in the smoke, this is the path you chose?"
Fang Yuan glanced at Bai Ning Bing.
Bai Ning Bing's eyes sharpened.
Fang Ming nodded slowly, as if he had finally understood something. "Instead of dying brilliantly, you decided to live as a woman and continue travelling the world. Bai Ning Bing, your heart towards life is truly firm."
Silence fell.
The old attendant looked confused. He did not understand the meaning of these words, but he could feel that these two mortals should be acquaintances of Lord Fang Ming. Bai Ning Bing's smile vanished, and a faint chill rose around him.
"Fang Ming," Bai Ning Bing said slowly, "one day, I will cut that mouth of yours."
Fang Ming turned away, his shoulders moving slightly as he laughed under his breath.
Fang Yuan looked at him and said: "You recognized us."
"Obviously." Fang Ming said without turning around. "Your disguises are enough for ordinary people, but not for me."
Fang Yuan's expression remained calm, and he did not ask why Fang Ming was here. He could guess enough. Fang Ming had left Qing Mao Mountain before the final collapse, joined the caravan earlier, and even became a Rank three trader with enough status to interrupt recruitment. Since Fang Ming was standing here now, there was no need to ask a useless question.
Fang Ming stopped laughing and said: "If you two want to enter the caravan, come under my name."
The old attendant became startled. "Lord Fang Ming, these two…"
"They are my people." Fang Ming said.
The old attendant immediately lowered his head. "Yes, lord."
In the caravan, backing mattered. Two unknown mortals could be questioned, arranged, bullied, or squeezed, but if they belonged to a Rank three trader, the matter became different. Fang Yuan looked at Fang Ming and asked: "Your people?"
"On paper." Fang Ming said. "In private, handle your own matters. Do not bring trouble to my camp."
Bai Ning Bing sneered. "You want us to become your followers?"
"A name in the records." Fang Ming replied. "If you prefer carrying goods under some servant supervisor while pretending to be harmless, continue."
Bai Ning Bing glanced at him, while Fang Yuan said: "This saves time."
Fang Ming looked at the old attendant. "Register them under me. Temporary followers. No need to assign them servant work."
"Yes, Lord Fang."
The old attendant quickly changed his attitude. A skinny servant who had been watching nearby immediately lowered his gaze and moved away. He had originally planned to test the newcomers later, but now that thought disappeared. Depriving newcomers was one thing, but touching a Rank three trader's people was another.
Fang Ming turned to leave. Bai Ning Bing stared at him coldly, but Fang Ming only glanced back once and said: "Also, try not to let other servants bully you and bring shame to my name."
Bai Ning Bing's hand tightened slightly.
Fang Yuan remained calm. "Where is your camp?"
"Third section. Ask around."
After saying this, Fang Ming walked away.
Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing watched his back. After a while, Bai Ning Bing snorted. "He became more annoying."
Fang Yuan said lightly: "He became more useful."
The old attendant coughed carefully. "Since Lord Fang Ming has spoken, the two of you can follow the caravan under his name. Do not cause trouble."
Fang Yuan nodded. Bai Ning Bing said nothing.
Soon, these two people who had brought disaster to Bai Gu Mountain would bring disaster to this caravan as well.