Li Qi cupped his hands politely, "May I ask?"
He was dressed as an ordinary person, wearing clothes adorned with cotton and silk, holding a long saber wrapped in coarse cloth. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary passerby leaning on a wrapped stick, showing no signs of martial prowess.
However, there are always those who can recognize talent.
The rchant hurriedly approached, "I noticed that you have been wandering around this area for quite so ti, looking for work. Coincidentally, our caravan is short of a skilled expert to maintain order. Would you be willing to lend us your strength?"
He imdiately recognized Li Qi as a martial expert, indicating he had good judgnt. Perhaps he was a cultivator himself, just not ranked.
"This journey will take only four or five days, and I am willing to offer one gold per day," he promptly added the compensation.
One gold per day was a generous offer, but... such a price indicated that the task ca with comnsurate risks and challenges.
No one would give money away for nothing.
Therefore, Li Qi did not hastily accept but asked instead, "May I know where you are heading? If it's not on my way, I fear I cannot comply."
The rchant, being shrewd, understood the implied aning and, noticing the bustling crowd, invited Li Qi, "This place is too crowded for discussion. Why don't we go to my caravan to talk in detail?"
"Alright, please lead the way," Li Qi gestured for him to guide the way.
The rchant led the way imdiately.
The caravan wasn't far; they reached a comrcial inn within less than a minute.
These inns were rented out to rchants, equipped with courtyards, stables, and storage areas for goods and carts, along with places for oxen to rest.
Of course, there were no horse-drawn carriages since spirit horses were too expensive and unsuitable for pulling carts. Ox carts were more common because oxen were strong, steady, and could carry more cargo. Speed wasn't crucial as long as they moved steadily.
Upon arrival, Li Qi noticed that the caravan consisted of about fifty to sixty people, both n and won, with over twenty ox carts loaded with goods from White Snake Mountain.
It was normal for small caravans to make a profit of only two or three gold pieces per trip. Only a large caravan like this could afford to offer one gold per day.
Everyone greeted the rchant and Li Qi, who nodded in return.
The rchant then led Li Qi into a guest room, closed the doors and windows, and said, "If I'm not mistaken, you are a Ninth Rank Martial Dao practitioner, right?"
"I thought you might call a pre-celestial warrior," Li Qi smiled, jokingly.
"That term is used by country bumpkins. Those who officially step onto the cultivation path use the Nine Ranks system. Without it, it's hard to compare strengths across different traditions." The old rchant replied while pouring tea and presenting a plate of dried fruits.
Li Qi was sowhat surprised by the fruits presented.
They weren't fresh but dried, and very familiar to him.
The fruits were shriveled, greenish, and covered with a white frost-like substance. There were only a few dozen pieces on the plate.
Seeing Li Qi's surprised look, the rchant explained, "Don't think little of these. They co from the Western Regions, a specialty of Chechen, thousands of miles away from Great Deer Kingdom. Here, each piece can sell for a silver coin, and it's hard to get even at that price. This small dish is worth over a hundred coins."
A hundred coins could buy at, yet these few dozen dried fruits barely filled a handful.
Li Qi looked at the dried fruits with surprise and nostalgia.
Though shriveled, after special treatnt, the sugar condensed within their bodies, filling the air with a sweet aroma.
Unable to resist, Li Qi picked one up, put it in his mouth, and said, "I know, this is called grapes."
Raisins existed in this world too...
"You truly have broad knowledge, recognizing even foreign specialties," the rchant praised Li Qi's knowledge.
Li Qi didn't dwell on the praise but felt a mix of nostalgia and alarm.
Why were there so many similarities between this world and his original one?
Leaving aside myths, scripts, languages, and countries like Tang, now even things like the Western Regions and grapes were similar, making him uneasy.
But unease was useless. He had no right to worry about such matters, which were as insignificant to a re Ninth Rank cultivator as the vastness of the universe.
Quickly setting aside these thoughts, Li Qi smiled at the rchant, "Just read a bit more. Please tell our destination to see if it's on my way."
"Alright, then I won't hide it from you. Our caravan aims to reach the port at the source of Lishui River, then ship our goods via Lishui River to Song Kingdom," the rchant revealed their route.
"So... you need to escort you to the port?" Li Qi asked.
"Precisely," the rchant answered.
"But from Snake Tail County to the port, it's a straight road with many travelers. It only takes two or three days. Why would you need protection?" Li Qi quickly sensed sothing was off.
"Cough cough, truth be told, our caravan may not be able to travel the main road... We have to take mountain paths, hence the estimated four to five days," the rchant explained with a dry cough.
"What happened?" Li Qi frowned, lowering his voice.
"I made a mistake and offended the county magistrate here. He's targeting , and traveling the main road ans heavy taxes that could bankrupt . Taking the mountain paths is a last resort," the rchant bowed apologetically, looking helpless.
This was a reasonable explanation. A rchant seeking stability wouldn't willingly choose a riskier mountain route unless necessary.
Then the rchant continued, "But don't worry. Our caravan has a major deal this ti, and we already have another Ninth Rank martial practitioner guarding us. However, I still feel uneasy with just her. eting you is fortuitous. With two ranked experts, this journey should be safe."
"If there's already soone else, it does sound safer. I'll take the job. When do we leave?" Li Qi asked.
"There's no ti to waste. Since we're still on their turf in Snake Tail County, we hope to depart this afternoon. Do you have other matters to attend to? We can wait if needed," the rchant said happily.
"I have nothing else to do, but I have a companion I'd like to bring along. Is that possible...?" Li Qi requested to bring soone.
"No problem, just one more set of chopsticks. It's settled then," the rchant readily agreed, finalizing the arrangent.
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