Plane Supermarket Plane 1: Da Liang Dynasty C24
The sky gradually brightened. The moment when the sun rose, it seemed to indicate that those bathed in its light will live another day.
But it was only one more day.
Yang Zhi leaned against the tree trunk. Although the food Chen Liu had brought was enough for them to eat for a while, they were running low on water.
In this scorching heat, even half an hour without water felt like an eternity.
When they had no water, they could endure, but once they had water, their thirst intensified even faster.
Yang Zhi gazed southward. He had already given up hope. Many days had passed, and still, there was no sign of Chen Liu. Although they didn’t say anything, the group had already come to terms with their fate.
Death loomed over them, but they lacked the chance or strength to leave behind any final words.
Even Yang Zhi, the strongest among them, had lost his spirit. From day to night, each of them could manage no more than a single sentence.
Their moments of clarity grew increasingly shorter. If not for the fact that the wild beasts in the vicinity had been cleared out, they might have long since become roadside corpses.
Yang Zhi’s eyes slowly lost focus.
It was as if his life force was seeping away, tangible and real.
And just at that moment—
The sound of hooves cutting through the vast sky. The horse’s neigh in the distance, rang out like heavenly music.
The celestial music in the immortal palace surely can’t compare to this sound.
Yang Zhi abruptly sat up, and with this movement, his vision darkened for a moment. He remained seated for a while before finally steadying himself by leaning against the tree trunk.
This sound also made Li Qing, who was lying on the ground, struggle to stand up.
They all looked in the direction of the sound.
Soon after, they witnessed an unforgettable scene in their lives—
On the vast, yellow-sand road, a chestnut-red steed leaped out. It defies the sunlight that casts a golden edge upon its fur, as if it were a mythical horse from a story. It was very handsome, with strong, well-defined muscles, and when it leaped, it seemed to be able to soar over the lofty mountains and ridges.
The deep brown tail scattered like a celestial duster in the hands of an immortal at the moment of leaping.
Its beauty was earth-shattering, making it impossible for people to look away.
Even Yang Zhi, who had seen many fine horses, couldn’t help but murmur, “A divine horse… a divine horse!”
He was like someone who had seen his beloved girl and dared not speak loudly, only gazing at it with longing eyes.
“Slow down! Slow down!” Before the horse reached them, Yang Zhi and his group saw Wu Yan and his men, panting heavily, trailing behind the horse.
None of them knew how to ride horses, not a single one—except for Wu Yan, who could ride a donkey.
While Cao Er had some experience with riding bulls, she didn’t dare to mount a horse.
In this era, horses were a luxury item. Aside from lawless bandits who stole horses for a ride, many government officials could only travel by ox carts. Horses were the exclusive possessions of the nobility and high-ranking officials, and a good horse was worth a fortune.
At first, they could lead the horses on foot, but once the road became smooth, aside from the two horses pulling the cart, the others started to frolic. But they still knew how to “take care of” the humans and would stop and wait once they ran too far ahead.
Chen Liu walked at the rear of the crowd, unwilling to engage with Yang Zhi and his companions any longer.
Yang Zhi stared in disbelief at the horse standing in the middle of the road and involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
In reality, he had little hope of finding a replacement horse. At this moment, the only ones with horses were likely true immortals.
He hoped that the other party would be willing to provide just one horse, and one would be enough!
Then, he could have his most skilled brother ride away with their belongings.
And that horse doesn’t even have to be a good one. The lowest-grade horse will do.
But the horse that appeared before him now was undoubtedly a peerless beauty, and if sold, it could buy an entire city.
And there were six such horses!
The last two were even pulling a carriage!
At this moment, Yang Zhi paid no attention to the strange wheels beneath the carriage. His gaze and full attention were captivated by these horses.
Wu Yan and his group approached Yang Zhi and his companions.
Except for Yang Zhi, everyone instinctively took a step back. Although Wu Yan and his group are not tall, they still looked sturdy in comparison to them. Not to mention, they were accompanied by two women, or rather, two young girls, indicating they must have had quite a bit of confidence.
“Sir Yang,” Wu Yan greeted Yang Zhi with a cupped fist salute.
He wasn’t sure what to call the other party, as he didn’t know the person’s age, but addressing him as “sir” would likely not be a mistake.
“There are a total of six horses, as well as provisions and water,” Wu Yan said. “You can inspect them. If everything’s in order, we’ll report back.”
Wu Yan took a package from his back and handed it to Yang Zhi. “The immortal said not to accept these things, but take a look for yourselves.”
Yang Zhi reached out to take the bundle but, at the moment of receiving it, he staggered and fell to the ground, carried down by the weight of the bundle.
Wu Yan and his group were startled by Yang Zhi’s fall, but the people around Yang Zhi could see clearly and knew that he was so weak that he couldn’t even handle the weight of this bundle.
Yang Zhi slowly got up, his hands weakly opening the bundle.
The glittering golden jewelry met his eyes, and Yang Zhi’s eyes slowly widened, sitting on the ground in disbelief.
In that bundle of golden jewelry, only these few items were from well and good families.
The remaining wealth was all ill-gotten gains from corrupt officials and villains.
The items they had returned were the result of a case of mistaken identity by the Huangshan brothers. While they hadn’t taken any lives, for Huangshan, this was an indelible stain. It seemed to cement their reputation as bandits, which didn’t bother most of the brothers, but for someone like Yang Zhi, who had no intention of becoming a bandit, this incident was enough to keep him awake at night.
Seeing the numerous pieces of gold jewelry, he could immediately identify their origins.
From Yang Zhi’s expression, Wu Yan also deduced the origin of these items. The long-standing puzzle that had troubled him was finally resolved, and he sighed, “Immortals know everything.”
At this moment, Yang Zhi finally asked with a hint of doubt, “Why did the immortal… save us?”
He believed that they were no longer pure, having robbed good people, and thus, couldn’t be called good individuals or deserving of salvation.
What’s more, this was something he was aware of. In the mountains, there were many brothers, and he couldn’t claim that all of them were good people, nor could he say they hadn’t robbed or killed innocent people. Even before the time of severe drought, he wouldn’t dare make that guarantee, let alone now.
Wu Yan replied, “Perhaps the immortal believes that in the future, heroes can become virtuous individuals.”
Yang Zhi sighed and said, “I’m afraid I can’t become a good person. In the days to come, I may have to kill even more people.”
But Wu Yan said, “The immortal has never been mistaken in assessing people. Heroes need not underestimate themselves. If the ones you’ve killed were evildoers, aren’t you saving people from harm?”
Yang Zhi waved his hand, unwilling to delve further.
With Wu Yan’s support, he climbed into the carriage, and only now did he notice the strange wheels. But more surprising than the wheels was the contents inside the carriage. There were barrels of water, stacks of dry provisions, and even the horses’ feed, all neatly organized.
Just moments ago, they had been teetering on the brink of life and death, and now they had received an unexpected windfall from heaven.
Yang Zhi’s hands couldn’t stop trembling, and when he stepped down from the carriage, his footing was unsteady. If it weren’t for Wu Yan’s assistance, he might have fallen once more.
For the first two decades of his life, Yang Zhi lived a comfortable life as the son of a wealthy landowner, born into a position that ordinary people could only dream of.
But he had always possessed a sensitive and compassionate nature, showing kindness to the weak and unable to bear the sight of people around him being mistreated and bullied.
To this day, he still didn’t know whether it was right or wrong to have taken the laborers to the county yamen1.
The family’s century-old legacy had been destroyed in one fell swoop..
Although the King had saved his family, he couldn’t save the tenants on their estate.
His parents and siblings were stranded on Huangshan, living in constant fear of the government’s efforts to suppress the bandits. The peaceful days they had once enjoyed had suddenly become a distant memory.
Everyone praised him, praised his sense of justice, his fearlessness against the powerful, and called him a great person.
But only he knew how much one had to sacrifice to be a good person.
His parents cried day and night, his siblings no longer spoke to him, and even the former tenants probably wouldn’t be grateful to him.
If he hadn’t gone to the county yamen, most of the tenants could have continued to farm and lead an honest life.
But by going to the county yamen, he had lost the family estate, and the tenants were driven from the land they had cultivated for generations. They knew nothing other than farming. Would they be able to find land to rent elsewhere? Would they be able to feed themselves?
His momentary indignation had brought no good results. Instead, it had destroyed the family legacy and cut off the tenants’ livelihoods. It forced his family to join the bandits on the mountain. As for himself, he had gone from being a young master of a farming and scholarly household to becoming the second-in-command among the bandits.
He didn’t feel that he had done the right thing, yet he also didn’t know what had he done wrong?
Did he make a mistake by standing up for the tenants? Did he misjudge in showing compassion for the weak? Was it wrong for him to aspire to be a gentleman?
Yang Zhi couldn’t find the answers. So he could only follow this path to the end, hoping that at the end of it, he would finally understand whether his actions had been right or wrong.
“Thank you,” Yang Zhi looked into Wu Yan’s eyes. “Does the immortal have a title2? If I safely make it to the south, I will create a statue in your honor, so his legacy will be forever.”
Wu Yan shook his head. “It’s not necessary. Whether you believe in immortals or not, whether you erect a statue or not, immortals don’t mind.”
Yang Zhi muttered, “Oh, immortals…”
“Come. Have some water,” Wu Yan fetched a bucket of water from the carriage, and it was carried in a way that required great effort to tilt without spilling during the process of fetching water.
Yang Zhi and the others couldn’t wait to use the cups prepared on the carriage. They took turns putting their mouths to the opening and drank happily.
By the end, Yang Zhi felt like his belly was entirely filled with water. He felt he could even hear the continuous sloshing as he walked.
They had finally quenched their thirst and all felt like lying down to rest, but they insisted on standing in their places.
Wu Yan said, “Since you have no objections, we’ll be on our way.”
“Chen Liu!” Yang Zhi suddenly called out Chen Liu’s name.
Chen Liu, who was hiding at the back of the group, hunched his neck and was reluctant to respond. He didn’t want to be associated with Yang Zhi and his group!
But Yang Zhi walked directly up to Chen Liu and bowed with respect. His voice was trembling as he said, “I offended you before.”
Chen Liu looked around helplessly, blinked a few times, and said dryly, “I… I have repaid my debt to the brothers. I won’t owe you anything in the future. If we meet again, please don’t acknowledge me.”
Yang Zhi remained silent, still maintaining his respectful posture.
Wu Yan signaled to Chen Liu, and the group didn’t interact with Yang Zhi and his companions further. They continued to walk back along the official road in silence.
Cao Er whispered to Sarah, “Sister, is that it?”
She thought she would get to use her repeating crossbow3!
But not having to use it was better than something.
Sarah yawned, holding Cao Er’s hand. As she rubbed her eyes, she replied, “Yes, it’s over.”
She said it to show off a bit. It seemed that this trip didn’t offer her much opportunity to shine.
Cao Er breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across her face. “It seems the immortal is watching over us!”
Sarah didn’t argue, she simply nodded in agreement. Giving face to the boss, not undermining the boss’s authority, was a good rule for a reliable bodyguard.
Only Yang Zhi and the others remained standing in their places, watching their figures with complex expressions.
Yang Zhi muttered, “Oh, immortals…”
·
In the distance, the sky was painted with a myriad of rosy hues, and the scattered clouds were tinged with a gentle, hazy yellow in the twilight’s last moments. The world looked so breathtaking that it could take one’s breath away.
“Let’s rest here,” Wu Yan chose a spot.
They never traveled at night, even though they had powerful flashlights. To avoid unnecessary trouble, they rarely used them.
Moreover, they were already tired from traveling during the day, and the immortal didn’t require that they arrive at the supermarket at a specific time, so there was no need to rush.
The employees systematically took out their mosquito repellent, applied it to themselves, and then passed it to their companions.
They didn’t mind smelling strongly of it, even to the point of being overpowering because getting bitten by bugs was more uncomfortable than the strong scent.
They didn’t light a fire either. The weather was too hot, and starting a fire would only feel like roasting themselves.
Everyone stuck to dry rations. This time, they had some cold dishes prepared by Cao Er Niang, which, when paired with dry cakes and bread, felt like a luxurious treat, even during a time when there wasn’t a drought.
“Now Li Gu is willing to use cooking oil!” Wu Yan took a bite of the cold dish and said with a smile, “She used to be very thrifty with it.”
Cao Er retorted, “You wouldn’t understand the cost of household necessities until you’re in charge! Salt and oil are expensive, even the landlords can’t afford to use too much!”
The men laughed. “In the past, we didn’t dare to use much salt at home!”
“When we went to the market, we had to head into town before dawn to get some cooking oil. Otherwise, how could we afford to have meat?”
“Is sesame oil made from sesame seeds? How many sesame seeds do you need to make a small bottle?”
“The soybeans don’t produce much oil,” Wu Yan sighed, “and since it’s expensive due to the low yield, not many people can afford it.”
For a little more money, you could buy lard. Who would want to buy soybean oil?
Wu Yan continued, “My family’s oil mill sells the oil to the town’s grain stores. Business isn’t good, so they lower the price every year. Even when I cook at home, I don’t dare to use much oil.”
“Nowadays, we use all kinds of oil – animal fat, soybean oil, sesame oil, and that rapeseed oil. With so many choices, it doesn’t feel all that special.”
Cao Er nodded as if pecking at grains.
She loved sesame oil the most. When her mother mixed cold dishes, she would add some, making it incredibly fragrant!
Mustard oil was also good, but you couldn’t use too much. Or else she would always end up in tears.
As they were talking, Sarah, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stood up. Her eyes turned bloodshot, and she gazed towards the woods. Her muscles tensed, her upper body leaned forward, and her lips formed a straight line as she softly said, “Someone’s coming.”
Chen Liu was taken aback and asked quietly, “Refugees?”
Sarah replied, “There are thirty people, all men, carrying knives and axes.”
Everyone involuntarily widened their eyes, and panic started to spread among them. They were all ordinary people, and though they had known this situation might arise, they had never experienced it before. Without the experience, they couldn’t contain their fear.
Thirty people! Their numbers were several times that of their own group!
Wu Yan also panicked, “Weapons! Get your weapons out!”
Cao Er frantically went to retrieve her repeating crossbow, but in her panic, she dropped it the moment she got her hands on it.
Sarah suddenly spoke sharply, “Calm down!”
“With me here, what are you afraid of?! These people arrived just in time. They can give you all some practice.”
Strangely, Sarah’s petite frame instilled boundless confidence in the employees.
Wu Yan regained his composure, taking out his long knife and said to the employees, “Those with repeating crossbows, step back and find cover. Those with long knives and electric batons, gather around me.”
He was concerned about accidental injury and emphasized, “Wait until they get close before you shoot. When we engage in combat, don’t fire. So we don’t accidentally injure our own people.”
Cao Er was at her wit’s end, never expecting that she, a young woman, would have to enter the “battlefield.”
But as she looked at Sarah, she strangely found a surge of courage.
With her big sister around, she shouldn’t be in mortal danger, right?
As long as they spared her life.
The light of the fire quickly entered their field of vision.
During this period of eating well and living comfortably, their night blindness was no longer as severe as before.
Wu Yan held his knife horizontally in front of himself, mustering the courage to stand at the forefront, while the others with knives and batons closed in around him.
The fire vanished, extinguished by the approaching group!
In the darkness, they were concealed from sight as the other party drew near, but they couldn’t see where the others were.
The best course of action right now would actually be to scatter and escape. The enemy could use the darkness, and so could they. But it was clear that Sarah had no intention of letting them flee.
Escape was easy, but regrouping would be difficult. Not everyone knows the way back.
Sarah’s blood-red pupils locked onto Wu Yan, causing him to shiver. He knew Sarah had seen through his thoughts, so he pursed his lips and pushed all distractions from his mind, focusing his gaze on the forest.
The sound of snapped twigs came from within the woods.
Cao Er hid behind a tree, trembling as she raised her repeating crossbow. Her hand was shaking, and she fought to remain composed, but her trembling body refused to obey her commands.
Sarah whispered, “They’re here.”
They didn’t know who fired the first arrow, but they all heard a brief cry of pain, a sound that instantly arose and quickly disappeared.
The opponents were not ordinary bandits!
Ordinary bandits wouldn’t have such stealthy skills!
Sarah didn’t give her employees much time to think. She suddenly shouted, “Shoot!”
AS soon as they heard those words, even Cao Er, who was trembling all over, instinctively fired her arrows toward the front.
A repeating crossbow could hold twelve arrows. Before Cao Er even realized it, she had emptied her quiver.
After reloading, she looked up to see figures emerging from the forest!
She couldn’t count how many of them there were, but she felt as if these people were like thousands of troops. Her hands were shaking as she reloaded, and the more anxious she became, the more disobedient the repeating crossbow seemed to be. Arrows fell to the ground as she knelt to reload.
Wu Yan only heard a “clang” sound in his ear. He blocked the ax swung at him with his long knife, and his hand went numb. The long knife almost slipped from his hand in an instant. He couldn’t see the attacker’s face, but he could see the cold glint of ax blade.
At the moment the long knife hit the ground, Wu Yan instinctively closed his eyes.
He is going to die—
The first time I read this chapter abt Yang Zhi I felt so bad, like imagine all the things your fighting for only to be shunned TT
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If there are any mistakes/error, feel free to comment it down below.
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