Chapter 278 - Chapter 278: Chapter 247 Swarm of Insects_1 (1/2)

Chapter 278: Chapter 247 Swarm of Insects_1

“Miss, someone is approaching!”

Zhao Yan had just alighted the carriage and sat down to rest by the bonfire for a moment when Zhao Yunlong, her head of guards, hurriedly came to report.

“Who is it?”

Zhao Yan’s brow furrowed slightly, her cherry lips gently parted, her voice soft and calming.

“It’s an old man, around seventy or eighty years old, riding a donkey!” warned Zhao Yunlong.

Now, with the late evening shrouding everything in darkness, and being in this desolate and remote area, anyone would find the sudden appearance of an aged man suspicious.

This world was full of monsters, demons, and all types of eerie creatures.

“Everyone, be on your guard and act accordingly!” Zhao Yan commanded sternly.

Normally, she might not be this vigilant, but this time she had found something particularly precious, so she couldn’t help but be extra careful.

“Yes!”

Zhao Yunlong acknowledged before swiftly going off to relay the orders.

Before long, an old man dressed in green clothes and riding a donkey appeared in their line of sight.

At the sight of the old man, Zhao Yan’s gaze slightly hardened.

The weather hadn’t yet reached midsummer but already, the wilderness was bone-chilling cold at night. The old man was sparsely clothed, so he probably wasn’t ordinary.

He might even be a cultivator!

However, Zhao Yan found the man’s choice of transportation – the donkey – rather odd.

At first sight, the donkey seemed to be a typical one owned by rural farmers. Not a mount a cultivator would prefer since even walking seemed to be faster.

This strange pair was confusing her.

The donkey appeared weak and had presumably been on its feet for quite a while. Despite not carrying its owner, it was huffing and puffing as if it was ready to drop.

“You lazy beast! If you keep this up, I’ll turn you into donkey meat buns once we reach the city!”

The old man grumbled and grunted, pushing the donkey to a side of grassland then, he himself sat down under a tree to rest.

The old man was apparently not interested in interacting with them, and kept a distance of several hundred steps. If Zhao Yan wasn’t a cultivator herself, she probably wouldn’t have been able to hear the old man’s mumbling.

Given his actions, he was likely just passing by and not intentionally seeking them out.

“It seems he merely happened to be passing by.”

With that thought, Zhao Yan somewhat relaxed and signaled her fellows to ease their scrutiny.

Shortly after, a prepared meal was delivered to her.

Zhao Yan was about to take a bite when she stopped and instructed, “Send a portion to that old man.”

“Um, Miss, isn’t that inappropriate? We don’t know him at all!” Zhao Yunlong questioned with confusion.

“Meeting by chance is itself a kind of fate. We are not short of this small portion of food. Think of it as earning a favor.” Zhao Yan said with a smile.

If the old man bore them no ill will, then there was potential for friendship.

When traveling, it’s always better to have more friends and connections. Even if he turned out to be indifferent, there wouldn’t be any loss on her part.

“I understand now!”

Zhao Yunlong, who was familiar with the second miss’s character, said nothing more. He took a full platter of food and personally delivered it to the old man.

As the food was brought over, a flash of surprise flickered across the old man’s eyes.

Zhao Yan distantly made a gesture of goodwill towards the old man, indicating her sincerity.

The old man took the food and a subtle smile flickered across his face. Without a word of thank you, he snatched up a perfectly roasted rabbit leg and started eating. However, after just one bite, he spat it out and threw the food onto the ground.

“Sure enough, you can’t carelessly eat food given by strangers. You’ll get worms in your stomach!”

The old man muttered and trampled the discarded food a few times.

Zhao Yunlong, who had just delivered the food and hadn’t yet returned, watched the old man’s rude behavior and was so furious he was about to draw his sword.

“You little beast, do you want to keep eating? Do you want to get worms in your belly too!”