Chapter 467 The Fifth Day — Two Groups, One Dangerous Road

The fifth day of their journey began beneath a grey sky.

The road ahead was uneven, with patches of mud left behind by the previous night’s rain. The travellers had barely finished their morning meal when another commotion erupted near the carts.

Someone had discovered that two sacks of grain were missing.

Someone else was complaining about a broken wheel.

And a little farther away, a woman was crying because her son had developed a fever.

It was hardly a peaceful morning.

Lian An sat on a flat stone near their belongings, helping an elderly woman wrap a cloth around her injured ankle. Her own clothes were dusty, her sleeves were plain, and her hair was tied with an ordinary wooden pin. Nothing about her appearance suggested that she had once lived surrounded by the finest silks and jewels.

Beside her, the Emperor crouched to repair a strap on one of their worn bags.

He had learned rather quickly that travelling as an ordinary man meant doing ordinary work.

Unfortunately, he was not particularly good at it.

"You’re tying it incorrectly," Lian An remarked without looking up.

The Emperor glanced at the strap.

"I know how to tie a knot."

"Then why is it coming apart?"

"It isn’t."

She pulled the bag towards herself.

The strap immediately slipped loose.

Lian An stared at him.

The Emperor stared at the strap.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then she covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.

"Don’t laugh."

"I’m not."

"Your shoulders are shaking."

"I’m cold."

"In this weather?"

"Yes."

She finally burst out laughing.

The Emperor narrowed his eyes at her, but the corners of his mouth betrayed him.

"Very well. Since you are so capable, you may repair every bag in our group."

"Gladly."

She took the strap from him and tied it properly within moments.

The Emperor watched her hands.

"You seem to enjoy embarrassing me."

"Only when you make it so easy."

Before he could respond, a loud voice interrupted them.

"Everyone! Gather near the carts!"

It was the travelling instructor, a broad-shouldered man named Zhao who had been responsible for organising their movements since the journey began.

His expression was unusually serious.

Lian An immediately stood.

The Emperor rose beside her.

Something had happened.

Again.

And judging by the expression on Instructor Zhao’s face, it was not going to be good news.

### The Attackers Had Returned

By the time everyone gathered, several injured travellers had already been brought to the centre of the camp.

One man had a deep cut across his forehead. Another was holding his left arm against his chest. A young woman had blood on the hem of her dress, while an elderly traveller sat pale and trembling beside a cart.

The sight silenced even those who usually complained about everything.

"What happened?" someone demanded.

"Bandits," a man answered bitterly. "The same sort as yesterday."

"How can that be? We changed our route!"

"They followed us!"

Voices rose immediately.

Some travellers cursed. Others began checking their belongings. A few frightened people moved closer to their families.

Lian An’s face grew solemn.

She had seen injured people before, but every new attack reminded her that the people around her were vulnerable. Most had already lost their homes, livelihoods, or relatives. Some had committed crimes and were travelling under supervision. Others had escaped famine, floods, drought, or circumstances they did not speak about.

Whatever their pasts, they were now travelling together.

And someone was hunting them.

The Emperor approached the injured man with the wound on his forehead.

"Can you speak?"

The man nodded weakly.

"How many attackers?"

"At least twenty. Perhaps more. They came from both sides of the road."

"Did they try to steal the supplies?"

The injured man swallowed.

"Some did. But others didn’t care about the carts. They attacked anyone who tried to stop them."

The Emperor’s expression hardened.

"Did you recognise them?"

"No."

"Did they say anything?"

The man hesitated.

"One of them told us to hand over the people who were travelling at the front."

The Emperor went still.

Lian An noticed.

So did Instructor Zhao, who had come close enough to hear.

"Which people?" the instructor asked.

"The ones who usually walk ahead. The men who help organise the journey."

A tense silence followed.

The Emperor exchanged a brief glance with Lian An.

They had both understood the implication.

This was not necessarily a random robbery.

Someone might be targeting the group itself.

But neither could afford to reveal more than an ordinary traveller should know.

The Emperor lowered his voice.

"First, help the injured. We can investigate the rest once everyone is safe."

Instructor Zhao nodded.

"You there! Bring clean cloth. Someone fetch water. Don’t crowd them!"

The camp quickly descended into organised activity.

Lian An knelt beside the young woman with the injured leg. She carefully examined the wound before asking another traveller to bring water.

"Don’t try to stand yet," she said gently. "Let me clean this first."

The woman bit her lip.

"Will I be able to walk?"

"Not immediately. But we’ll make sure you have support."

A few feet away, the Emperor helped another man sit against a cart.

He did not order people around as though they were servants. He carried water, lifted a fallen box, and helped bind a wound when someone handed him a strip of cloth.

No one questioned his behaviour.

To them, he was simply a capable man travelling with his wife and their companions.

A man who had suffered losses like everyone else.

A man who did not hesitate to help.

And that was precisely how he intended to remain.

### The Decision to Divide the Travellers

After the wounded had received basic treatment, Instructor Zhao called the more experienced travellers together.

The Emperor joined them.

Lian An remained nearby, helping distribute water while listening carefully.

"We cannot continue like this," Zhao said bluntly. "Yesterday’s attack was bad enough. Today’s was worse. If we keep travelling in one large group, we make ourselves an easy target."

A middle-aged merchant rubbed his beard.

"Then we should stay together. More people mean more protection."

"More people also mean a slower journey," another man argued. "And every time we stop, we become vulnerable."

"Splitting up could make us easier to attack individually!"

"Staying together has not helped us so far!"

The argument grew louder.

Instructor Zhao raised his hand.

"Enough."

Everyone quietened.

"I have considered both possibilities. We will divide into two groups."

Several people immediately protested.

Zhao continued before they could interrupt.

"Each group will have experienced travellers, people capable of guarding the carts, and enough supplies to manage independently. We will take separate roads and meet again in the main town."

"And if one group doesn’t arrive?" someone asked.

"Then the other group will wait at the agreed meeting place and send people to search."

"How long will we wait?"

"Until the appointed deadline. We will establish the details before leaving."

The Emperor studied the rough map spread across a wooden crate.

"How far apart are the roads?"

"Not very far initially," Zhao replied. "But the northern route passes through a narrow stretch of woodland, while the other follows the old trading road. Both eventually lead to the main town."

"Which road is safer?"

"Neither can be guaranteed safe."

The answer was honest.

The Emperor appreciated that.

"Then the groups should be balanced," he said. "We shouldn’t put all the strong men in one group and leave the other without protection. Nor should all the injured travel together."

Zhao nodded thoughtfully.

"Agreed."

A merchant pointed towards the map.

"What about the people who cannot fight?"

"They will travel with whichever group can provide the better support," Zhao answered. "We must also divide the food, medicines, blankets, and tools fairly."

Lian An approached with a bowl of water.

"And the children?"

Everyone turned towards her.

She set the bowl down.

"They should be placed in groups with people who can help care for them. Some of the older travellers have already been looking after the younger ones. Don’t separate them unnecessarily."

Instructor Zhao nodded.

"That is sensible."

The Emperor glanced at his wife.

There was something reassuring about the way she spoke. She never needed to raise her voice to make people listen. She considered the practical details others overlooked.

He had watched her do it repeatedly during their journey.

And each time, his respect for her deepened.

Zhao looked at the map again.

"Very well. We will prepare two lists. Each group will receive a written description of the meeting point, the route, and the agreed deadline. No one is to change the plan without informing the others."

He looked around at the assembled travellers.

"Once the division is complete, you will not exchange groups casually. If you have a serious reason to change, speak to me first."

A nervous murmur passed through the crowd.

Two groups.

Two roads.

And the possibility that the attacks were far from over.

### Two Groups, Two Different Responsibilities

The next hour was spent organising the travellers.

It was not an easy task.