On the carriage, after enduring a day of extremely painful jolts, Xiao Yan finally managed to stir a thread of qi within his otherwise empty body. Though this strand of qi remained frail, it was sufficient to allow him to freely retrieve items from his storage pouch. Furthermore, although his condition had made little significant progress during this day of careful recuperation, he was now able to step off the carriage and walk, no longer lying motionless like a corpse. Standing up from the carriage, Xiao Yan gently twisted his arms, feeling a subtle ache that prompted a quiet苦笑. At this moment, he was at his weakest in all these years—though his body was frail, if anyone truly intended to harm him, they would find it difficult to gain much advantage. Beyond the Earth Spirit Automaton hidden within his storage jade relic, even Xiao Yan himself was far from the fragile figure he appeared to be. After all, while he was a warrior, he also held the rank of a skilled alchemist, and his spiritual strength was no less than that of many mid-tier cultivators. While he couldn't claim to match a Daoist Grand Master solely with his spiritual prowess, at least, when he summoned it, ordinary Daoist Grand Masters would find it hard to secure any advantage against him at this very moment. With these reserves, Xiao Yan felt a bit more confident. He rubbed his face and then pulled aside the carriage curtain. The carriage帘 was lifted, revealing a series of vehicles partially covered by fabric. In front of each vehicle, a monstrous creature with a dark, wild bull-like body, bearing sharp horns on its head, carried them forward. On either side of the vehicles, numerous figures on horseback stood, most of them bare-armed, wearing only coarse leather garments that conveyed a strong, rugged presence. Their weapons, gleaming with a sharp, sunlit brilliance, flashed with a piercing luster. This tall man was also quite robust, his arms covered in various scars. Behind him, a ghost-headed great sword glimmered with a cold sheen, dotted with fresh streaks of crimson. "By the gods, this is unbelievable—witnessing someone survive such severe injuries. This kid truly has a good streak of luck," said the man, chuckling as he finished. At that moment, a lean, wiry man shook his head in resignation, then glared at the first speaker, sighing, "Hmph! What's the point of all that wailing? A few coins? I don't care. But the winnings you've earned? Not even enough to make those delicate young women in the flower pavilion feel the weight of your attentions!" "You can keep your complaints!" the tall man retorted, then mounted his horse and approached Xiao Yan. He scanned the younger man with a steady gaze and smiled, "Hey, kid, I'm Guo-Tou—everyone calls me Old Ghost. I was the first to spot you in the northern desert. But don't thank me—those winnings you just earned are my thanks, really. Haha!" "Thank you, Mr. Kage. This is Xiao Yan." Xiao Yan smiled, sitting down by the back of the carriage. Over the years, most of the people he had met were seasoned, accomplished elders with astonishing strength—rarely had he encountered individuals from the lower ranks like these. It reminded him of the days in Wutan City, when he had helped his father manage the market, where the mercenaries were just as rough and open-hearted as the people before him. With his soul power, Xiao Yan could clearly perceive that the tall men here were around the peak of the Du-Ling stage, while the shortest were only at the level of a Grand Du-Shi. The man before him, Kage, was only at the two-star Du-Ling level. "Ha ha, with you calling me 'elder brother,' I'll make sure to protect you on this journey. But Xiao Yan, your condition isn't impressive—keep training, because in the Zhongzhou region, without solid strength, you'll always be looked down upon." The sound of "elder brother" seemed to please the ghost-headed man greatly. After glancing at Xiao Yan's frame, he furrowed his brows, speaking with a clear sense of guidance toward a younger disciple—something that made Xiao Yan slightly embarrassed. Xiao Yan smiled and offered a casual excuse, saying, "Perhaps I have a strong constitution..." Han Chong, known for his straightforward and sincere nature, didn't dwell on such matters. He glanced at the sky and declared, "It's getting dark now. The lady has instructed us to set up camp. Gui Tou, you take a few people to scout for a suitable spot nearby; Wang Ya, you send some personnel to post sentries around the perimeter; Jian Bei, you take a small group..." Clearly, Han Chong held a high position within the caravan. As his commands flowed out, no one objected—everyone merely chuckled and accepted, then rode off with their assigned groups. After issuing all the instructions, Han Chong exhaled in relief and smiled at Xiao Yan, "Can you still walk?" Xiao Yan nodded and leapt down from the carriage, his steps slightly unsteady but ultimately steady. Seeing this, Han Chong sighed with a faint smile and said, "It seems you still need rest. With such serious injuries, it will be quite difficult to recover fully—there's a real chance you'll have lingering complications, which would surely complicate your future cultivation journey." Hearing Han Chong's concerns, Xiao Yan smiled and reassured him not to worry. Seeing Xiao Yan's calm and composed demeanor, Han Chong didn't offer any further words, only silently exhaled and turned to prepare to arrange for the camp. The efficiency of the caravan team was indeed impressive—within less than half an hour, numerous white tents had already been erected on a small hill, with fencing surrounding them. A light powder, used to repel toxic insects, had been scattered outside the fencing. Xiao Yan, due to his frail health, had not done much work. He simply strolled around the camp before settling down and slowly scanning the surroundings. According to Han Chong, this caravan should belong to the family guard of the Han family from Tianbei City. From the cargo on the vehicles, it appeared they were escorting something. The escort's strength was generally at the Dou Ling stage, with several of them reaching the peak of Dou Ling, comparable to Han Feng. Naturally, Xiao Yan hadn't missed the strongest presence among them. As he thought about this, his gaze involuntarily turned toward one of the several wagons—this particular one stood out as notably more luxurious, emitting a faint, delicate fragrance, clearly indicating it was occupied by a woman. What particularly caught Xiao Yan's attention was the presence within the wagon—a power level of Three-Star Dou Wang, making this individual the strongest among the caravan's escort. "Creak…" As Xiao Yan focused his attention, the tightly closed carriage suddenly began to open slowly, revealing a long, smooth jade leg into his line of sight. Xiao Yan paused, his gaze slowly rising upward, his eyes flashing with surprise. He hadn't expected the owner of such a refined three-star battle prowess to be so young and beautiful. The woman had delicate eyebrows like willow branches, porcelain skin, and a tall, graceful figure dressed in purple silk. Her well-proportioned figure appeared particularly full and lush beneath the silk. The only slight flaw was a touch of coldness on her cheeks, giving her eyes a stern, commanding presence when she looked around. Yet, for some reason, Xiao Yan suddenly felt a subtle sense of familiarity in her facial features—though he could absolutely confirm that he had never seen her before. As soon as this woman appeared, the numerous eyes around her immediately focused on her—some with normal warmth, many with a sense of reverence. As she stepped down from the carriage, her gaze slowly swept across the camp. Anyone she looked at instantly adopted a serious, attentive posture, a scene that made Xiao Yan chuckle gently. Just as he found himself amused, her gaze suddenly settled on him. Her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and then she walked steadily toward him. A moment later, her long, graceful legs appeared before him, and a voice slightly cold and composed came forth: "Are you the person Frang saved on the road?" "Yes," Xiao Yan nodded. Out of politeness, he intended to rise, but a sense of weakness within him caused him to smile faintly and shake slightly before settling back into his seat. Seeing Xiao Yan in such a frail condition, the woman furrowed her brows more tightly, speaking gently, "Within our Han family's convoy, there is a rule—no one is allowed to be idle or inactive. This time, since you're injured, I've spared you further words. But next time, I hope you'll at least get up and do something, even if you can only manage to push a gate. Do you understand?" Such a strict and serious woman was almost entirely new to Xiao Yan over the years. He found himself both touched and somewhat embarrassed—when had he become such an idle person? Yet, though thinking this, he nodded in agreement on the surface. Seeing Xiao Yan nod, the woman's expression softened as well. She casually tossed him a item and said, "My name is Han Xue. I'm currently in charge of the车队. If you have any issues, feel free to reach out to me. Should you perform well on this journey, once we arrive in Tianbei City, I might be able to have you join the Han family's guard unit. It may not bring you great wealth or status, but it will certainly ensure your survival. Here's a healing tonic—should help with your injuries. Also, tomorrow we'll pass through the territory of the serpent Xiameng. Be cautious then, and stay inside the vehicle, don't come out." After speaking, Han Xue walked straight past Xiao Yan and entered a nearby tent.