The group did not linger long at Kyushu Port.

Compared to Qingchuan Port and Citong Port, although Kyushu Port bears a grand name, its actual size is not large.

It's only half the size of Qingchuan Port.

After Zhang Rongfang joined the Kong family convoy, he replenished some food and drink at the port, then set off under the protection of experts dispatched from the already arranged Tianye Escort Agency.

Everyone along the way was riding in white ox carts, traveling on smooth and stable official roads, with fresh fruits and prepared dishes available for meals at any time.

One could say it was truly much more comfortable compared to Zhang Rongfang's previous journeys.

Only when he was traveling with Princess Yongxiang did he experience such luxury.

On the mountain road heading from Kyushu Port to Wushan Prefecture.

Among the long procession of white oxen, Zhang Rongfang was seated in a cart in the middle, playing a game of Go with Kong Yuhui.

Slam.

"Hahaha! You lost again!" Kong Yuhui laughed heartily, clearly in high spirits.

Zhang Rongfang frowned, stroking his chin as he carefully examined the board in front of him, unsure of how he lost.

Logically, his mind should be as quick as lightning now, his reactions sharp, making him a formidable player.

But this...

He was clearly dominating in various small areas, yet the final outcome was a complete defeat.

"Brother Zhang Jing, are you puzzled about your loss?" Kong Yuhui asked with a smile.

"Indeed, I had captured quite a few of your pieces earlier," Zhang Rongfang nodded. "To be honest, I'm not very skilled at Go, just know the basic rules. But in general, having more pieces should mean a win, right?"

"Though that's true, the overall situation isn't that simple," Kong Yuhui shook his head. "Many times, what you perceive as winning might be part of the opponent's strategy. Your gain might seem like progress, but in the grand scheme, it could actually be a retreat."

He stroked the beard on his chin.

"As the saying goes, a single move can affect the whole board. Any action in one place can impact the outcome elsewhere."

"Hmm... the rules of Go are inferior," Zhang Rongfang shook his head. "In reality, not everyone has equal strength. There are many who can match tens or hundreds of people."

"Indeed, the premise of Go is that everyone is equal, each piece has the same power. But reality is different," Kong Yuhui nodded in agreement.

"Brother Zhang, since you are a pharmacist, do you happen to have a medicine that can make one smarter?"

Kong Siyan, who was watching the game, asked with a smile.

"Of course, do you want some?" Zhang Rongfang replied with a smile.

"There's really such a thing?" Kong Siyan, initially joking, widened her eyes upon hearing this.

"It enhances one's senses, but shortens one's lifespan. Would you still want it?" Zhang Rongfang smiled, acknowledging such a medicine exists but with significant side effects.

"This..." Kong Siyan pondered, about to respond.

Bang.

Suddenly, a muffled sound came from ahead, as if something had fallen to the ground.

The ox cart came to a gradual stop.

The entire convoy halted.

Kong Yuhui remained unfazed, his expression calm.

"Look, what was meant to come has finally come. Brother Zhang, there's no need to worry. No matter what happens, we are already prepared. Just watch how it unfolds."

"Hmm." Zhang Rongfang was not concerned; he merely glanced around to gauge the strength of those nearby.

Instead, it was the chessboard before him that occupied his thoughts and puzzled him over his loss.

Kong Yuhui's skill was evidently formidable, making him lose without realizing it.

He had been winning all along, yet ended up defeated...

"Siyan, rest here for a moment, I will go handle this," Kong Yuhui said to his daughter lightly.

"Alright, Father, please be quick. I don't want to spend the night outdoors when it gets dark," Kong Siyan said with a sweet smile.

"Hmm." Kong Yuhui confidently stepped out of the car.

Walking towards the front of the convoy. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

At the very front, a massive log had fallen across, blocking the road.

Kong Sijie, another son of Kong Yuhui, was whispering with the convoy's escort leader.

"So? Are they from the Tan family?" Kong Yuhui asked, the smile fading from his face, replaced with calm demeanor.

"Yes, ever since the decline of the three major families in Wushan a few years ago, the Tan family has been increasingly encroaching on surrounding lands, drawing in numerous former small and medium families, now completely replacing the former position of the Huang family. They are even trying to extend their reach to our Kong family, it's simply absurd!"

Kong Sijie said indignantly.

"Father, should there be an ambush ahead, should we force our way through or take a detour?"

"An ambush? This is not an ambush, but a delay! They don't want us to return at this moment," Kong Yuhui said casually, "The former Huang family, Shangguan, the Yue family, are all things of the past. Our Kong family has been waiting for decades, now we finally have the opportunity to take control of the provincial capital. Who can stop us? Who dares to stop us?"

He looked up at the road ahead.

The gray official road, flanked by deep woods exhaling cold air, seemed like beasts ready to devour lives at any moment.

"Moreover, we are here by official order, transferred under the decree of the Great Spirit. They don't dare to take action openly, only resort to such underhanded means. No need to fear, break through! Our people are enough to handle everything!"

This time he brought along three Super Grade elders from the family, who might not count for much elsewhere, but in the remote Wushan Prefecture, these three were enough to suppress everything.

"Yes!" The escort leader understood immediately; in fact, this so-called escort agency was also a business of the Kong family.

So everything within the convoy was under Kong Yuhui's command.

The convoy immediately continued forward, moved the log aside, not caring at all.

Meanwhile, the three Super Grade experts, along with other ranked experts, quietly disappeared into the forest. Before long, a faint trace of blood smell emerged.

Inside the carriage.

Zhang Rongfang silently looked at the chessboard before him.

Opposite him was Kong Siyan, smiling like a little fox.

Yes, he had lost again.

"Hmm... Why can't one of my pieces take ten of yours? I find this unreasonable," Zhang Rongfang said in a deep voice.

"But that's just how the rules of black and white pieces work," Kong Siyan replied with a smile.

"But one of my pieces should be stronger than all of yours," Zhang Rongfang said seriously.

"I think the rules should be changed."

"... I can't decide on that," Kong Siyan shook her head. She had just played another fast game with Zhang Rongfang, and the result was the same.

Zhang Rongfang suffered a crushing defeat.

"Brother Zhang, why are you so fixated on winning or losing each time? In some situations, willingly sacrificing pieces can bring you greater benefits, so why not give up small gains for bigger ones?" This was something Kong Siyan didn't understand.

"Why should I abandon them?" Zhang Rongfang retorted, "If I sacrifice them, wouldn't it be too cruel for those pieces that were sacrificed?"

"Uh..." Kong Siyan was at a loss for words.

"People are like that. The bigger picture is important, but to me, the few pieces in the corner are more crucial. Without them, the bigger picture means nothing to me."

Zhang Rongfang responded decisively.

These words left Kong Siyan slightly stunned, unable to counter for a moment.

At this moment, the calm atmosphere inside the carriage was different.

In the high places within the mountain forest ahead of the convoy.

A team of masked men in black was watching the convoy from a distance.

"Kong Yuhui seems confident... boldly passing through on the main road. He really isn't afraid of us striking from the shadows," said the leader, a tall man with a long red-copper knife and long arms.

"Should we make a move?" a black-clad subordinate asked quietly.

"Of course. He thinks that traveling with Longbeard Blade, Snowless Gale, and Shadow Arrow, the three Super Grade experts, he can sleep peacefully? Unfortunately..." the leader with the red knife chuckled coldly.

"Unfortunately, he doesn't know that out of the three top Super Grade experts, at least two will not act recklessly!"

"Super Grade... There aren't many Super Grades in the entire Wushan. If not for hitting a wall, the Kong family would still be quite strong," the subordinate sighed.

"Let's go, kill Kong Yuhui first. Although there is Longbeard Blade senior beside him, with cooperation from Longbeard Blade, even though Kong Yuhui is the strongest, he is the easiest to take down," the red knife leader said in a deep voice.

"Yes."

All the black-clad men behind responded in unison.

There were thirty of them, all seasoned and ruthless fighters, whose eyes gleamed with excitement upon hearing that it was time to act.

*

*

*

Inside the carriage.

Zhang Rongfang was carefully listening to Kong Siyan explain the steps and thought process of the recent game.

Suddenly, he heard the sounds of fighting outside, fists and feet clashing, and weapons colliding.

"Is everything fine outside?" he asked.

"It's fine," Kong Siyan smiled. "There are three uncles guarding my father, absolutely foolproof."

"Is that so? If there's anything you need help with, just let me know," Zhang Rongfang replied in a deep voice.

"Don't worry, it's absolutely no problem," Kong Siyan paid no mind. This time, their Kong family was returning to Wushan Prefecture from a position of strength, bearing down with absolute power.

Upon hearing the answer, Zhang Rongfang listened briefly to the movement outside and discovered that Kong Yuhui was still speaking quietly with someone. Although he couldn't hear clearly due to the distance, the mood seemed calm.

He immediately relaxed as well.

Since they had invited him with good intentions, showing a protection mindset toward him, he ought to respond in kind, casually ensuring the convoy's safety.

Finding nothing amiss, Zhang Rongfang continued to immerse himself in the chessboard.

The sounds of fighting outside continued unabated for quite some time.

Gradually, Kong Siyan's initial calmness waned, her eyebrows showing faint signs of worry.

"Don't worry; your father is fine," Zhang Rongfang casually reassured. He could hear the commotion outside.

"Oh, you haven't told me yet, what's the situation in Wushan Prefecture?" he asked.

"Well, Wushan Prefecture is currently led primarily by the Tan family and Mu Chi family; other forces are weaker than these two.

In the city... in the city..." Kong Siyan was clearly becoming worried and began to lose focus in her speech.

"Since you are worried, why don't we go out and take a look together?" Zhang Rongfang asked.

"No way, my father said we shouldn't go down. This ox cart is specially designed to withstand flying arrows and hidden weapons. If we go down, it won't be able to protect us," Kong Siyan shook her head.

"So cautious?" Zhang Rongfang blinked.

"Yes, my father has a very powerful rival. Not worried about others, just that opponent. That person is incredibly strong. This time's trouble is because of him.

But rest assured, we aren't weak either, and along the way, they can't afford to strike with full force," Kong Siyan reassured.

"Actually, speaking of trouble, I initially didn't want to join you because I was afraid of bringing you guys into it," Zhang Rongfang said. "I have quite a few rivals too, and they are all formidable."

"Relax, my father is highly capable!" Kong Siyan laughed. She didn't seem to think Zhang Jing could encounter significant trouble.

"Besides, if my father can't handle it, stronger people hiding in the shadows will step up! Any enemies you have, should they dare come, they'll be in for a surprise. Rest assured, we will absolutely ensure your safety!"

"Well, thank you for that," Zhang Rongfang smiled. Despite being a bit foolish and straightforward, this girl undoubtedly had a good heart.

"No need, Brother Zhang. Although you look fierce, once people interact with you, they will know you're actually a good person. Anyone who opposes you must have issues!" Kong Siyan said earnestly.

"You're right..." Zhang Rongfang nodded with deep emotion, "This world is like this; even if you don't provoke others, there'll always be someone who doesn't like you and wants to mess with you."

Finally, the fighting sounds outside gradually abated and ceased.