Martial arts long journey

Chapter 73
After parting with Xu Xiong, Zhou Yan headed north along the Ailao Mountains, heading towards the Qi State.

This Ailao Mountain Range is indeed a majestic mountain range lying between the Qi and Jin countries like a giant dragon. As Zhou Yan gradually went north and deepened, the peaks he passed became more and more towering and majestic.

Along the way, Zhou Yan often traveled through the deep mountains and old forests. Although the conditions were very difficult, it was extremely peaceful.

As for those bandits who lived in the Ailao Mountains and robbed houses for a living, and licked blood from their knives, Zhou Yan had never encountered them before.

This was not because the bandits had changed their temper and stopped looting passers-by in the Ailao Mountains, but because Zhou Yan intentionally avoided the path where the bandits gathered, and didn't even take the mountain road.

Zhou Yan's departure from Yanzhou Mansion this time, if it doesn't sound good, Zhou Yan is actually fleeing, so how could Zhou Yan go out of his way to provoke those bandits in the Ailao Mountains.

It wasn't until he got deep into the hinterland of the Ailao Mountains that Zhou Yan emerged from the deep forest and began to continue north along the mountain road.

There are two reasons for this. One is that as Zhou Yan went deeper and deeper into the Ailao Mountains, the surrounding forests became denser and the peaks became more and more rugged.

Even if Zhou Yan had the martial arts strength in the realm of fetal breath, he couldn't move quickly through that harsh old forest.

The second reason is that there are very few pedestrians passing through the hinterland of the Ailao Mountains, and the number of bandits who make a living by robbing pedestrians is also greatly reduced, so Zhou Yan doesn't have to worry about being intercepted by bandits .

Compared with the rugged old forest, those mountain roads were undoubtedly smoother and easier to walk on, so Zhou Yan stopped covering up his whereabouts, and started to go north along the mountain road to the border between Qi and Jin.

However, just as Zhou Yan set foot on the mountain road, the expression on his face suddenly changed. He suddenly turned his head and looked behind him.

It may be a bit exaggerated to say that Zhou Yan has practiced martial arts to see all directions and listen to all directions, but it is true that his eyes and ears are so clever.

Although the mountain road behind was empty now, Zhou Yan could hear the sound of horseshoes and the dull sound of heavy ruts rolling by.

Now that Zhou Yan is on the way to escape, Zhou Yan will never reveal his traces to anyone before he leaves Langya County, or even Jin State, and enters the territory of Qi State.

Seeing Zhou Yan's footsteps move suddenly, he immediately hid in the old forest that he just got out of.

After covering his figure with the dense forest of young leaves, Zhou Yan quietly lowered his breathing, waiting for the team behind to pass.

It wasn't that Zhou Yan didn't want to leave this place directly along the mountain road before the unknown team behind passed here.

It was because Zhou Yan didn't want to take the risk to move forward until Zhou Yan had a clear understanding of the situation.

This place has penetrated deep into the hinterland of the Ailao Mountains, and it can be said that it is almost inaccessible. Since the team behind carried the heavy ruts to go deep into this place, there must be an original intention behind it that cannot be known to outsiders.

If Zhou Yan continued to move forward easily, he might bump his head into it, and there would inevitably be many side issues, so Zhou Yan might as well wait here for a while and avoid the rear team.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

Not long after, a clear sound of horseshoes slowly reached Zhou Yan's ears.

Zhou Yan looked towards the mountain road through the shadows of the mottled trees, and saw nearly a hundred cavalry, guarding a convoy, walking slowly from the end of the mountain road.

Looking at the leader of nearly a hundred iron cavalry, Zhou Yan couldn't help flashing a look of surprise in his eyes.

Zhou Yan actually recognized the appearance of the leader of the iron cavalry. He was Han An, the mysterious bandit leader who had traded concentrates with Zhou Yan before!
However, compared to the Han An that Zhou Yan had seen in the previous two times, he was no longer dressed in a bunt as before. He was actually wearing a chain mail with fish scales, and he looked like a general in the army.

After the Chongru convoy passed in front of Zhou Yan, Zhou Yan couldn't help narrowing his eyes even more.

The items carried on the heavy rut convoy were all newly forged weapons.

A plain knife with a cold light, a sharp spear, and a sharp iron arrow, all the weapons are at least of the third rank.

Zhou Yan didn't need to think too much at all, he immediately thought that the ore for casting these weapons must come from the batch of concentrate he had traded with Han An before.

"It seems that Boss Han's background is extremely extraordinary!"

Seeing such a scene, Zhou Yan couldn't help thinking to himself.

The batch of ores he traded with Han An were all concentrated ores. However, being able to cast those concentrated ores into third-grade military equipment was beyond the reach of ordinary forces.

Slowly suppressing the astonishment in his heart, Zhou Yan hung far behind Han An's convoy, and quietly followed the convoy up the mountain road north.

Zhou Yandao didn't intend to investigate Han An's mystery, but because Han An escorted these military equipment deep into the Ailao Mountains, there must be a destination.

If Zhou Yan continued to recklessly go deep into the Ailao Mountains, if he directly plunged into Han An's destination, there would definitely be a lot of troubles.

Therefore, Zhou Yan was going to hang behind Han An, completely avoid Han An's destination, and then cross the border between Qi and Jin to go within the boundaries of Qi.

Hanging silently behind Han An's convoy until the middle of the moon, Zhou Yan finally discovered Han An's destination.

"Damn it, there is still a military stronghold in the depths of Ailao Mountain?!"

Watching the convoy escorted by Han An gradually drive into a cottage, Zhou Yan couldn't help cursing secretly in his heart.

It was a majestic stronghold, no, it should be said to be a city, but the walls were made of wood.

On the wooden city wall, there were dozens of machine bed crossbows hanging high. Even from a long distance, Zhou Yan could feel the bone-chilling chill coming from the arm-thin crossbow arrows.

In addition to the big killers such as the bed crossbow, the guards of the entire military village are extremely strict. It can be said that there is a guard at every ten steps, and a sentry at every five steps.

Looking at the heavily guarded military stronghold, Zhou Yan was filled with gratitude, fortunately he chose to hang behind Han An far away, instead of recklessly walking along the mountain road.

Otherwise, he might have plunged headlong into this military stronghold.

(End of this chapter)