In the mountains, a medium-sized merchant caravan proceeded slowly.
The packhorses dragged carts loaded with goods, wooden wheels rolling over dirt and leaving behind twin ruts.
A middle-aged guard named Yang Er sat on horseback. His eyes were fixed on the Dark Woods, and his palm, bearing the long scar of a knife wound, subconsciously reached for the handle of his Horizontal Knife at his waist.
During peaceful times, the role of the Escort Master Guardian for a merchant caravan wasn't too bad—famed outlaws mostly abided by the unspoken rules of the underworld, with tacit agreements between officials and Escort Agencies. When an Escort Master encountered a "hero" of the greenwoods, an introduction of their respective affiliations followed by a modest bribe would secure safe passage through dangerous defiles, protecting both the lives and property of their employers.
