Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan were currently sitting on a large tree in the mountains, eating apples, their calves swinging gently back and forth.
“Big Sister, why did we come out here?” Xi Weilan asked, still groggy from waking up only to find herself in the mountains.
Xi Qingyue smiled and said, “Staying in the village means either spilling blood or being killed. But for the next few days, Grandpa Village Head and the others will likely be busy, so we should be considerate and lighten their load. Besides, if we encounter little rabbits or something in the mountains, you can practice your archery.”
“Big Sister, where will we sleep tonight? Will there be a big tiger that comes out to eat us?” Xi Weilan blinked her big eyes, which held more curiosity than fear.
Xi Qingyue ruffled her hair. “Don’t worry, no one’s around here. I guarantee you’ll sleep more comfortably tonight than before.”
With that, she picked Xi Weilan up and jumped down from the tree.
With a thought, a fully black recreational vehicle appeared before them. It was over ten meters long and about five meters high. The door swung open, revealing opulent and exquisite interiors that looked extremely imposing, leaving Xi Weilan utterly astonished.
“Come on, it’s almost dark. Let me show you where we’ll be staying tonight.”
Xi Qingyue smiled, took Xi Weilan’s hand, and led her into the RV. Since the mountains were empty, she absolutely loved it.
Stepping inside and gazing at the completely unfamiliar, strange items, Xi Weilan’s head spun with confusion.
She walked up to a leather sofa, touched it with her hand, then sat down to try it out, a radiant smile spreading across her face. She also curiously stroked the marble tabletop that reflected their images.
Then she ran to the double-door refrigerator, opened its doors, and felt the cool air inside, her joy multiplying.
Finally, she reached the soft, comfortable oversized bed, grinning so wide she couldn’t close her mouth.
“So, do you like it?” Xi Qingyue’s voice tinged with laughter rang in her ears.
Xi Weilan turned around and nodded vigorously. “Yes, I like it, Big Sister. This place is so beautiful!”
Xi Qingyue took her hand and explained the names and functions of everything inside one by one, eventually leading her to the bathroom and showing her its purpose.
Hearing this, Xi Weilan’s little face lit up with happy smiles as she stuck her head out, curiously exploring everything.
A quarter of an hour later, the two sat in the luxurious living area of the RV, enjoying delicious snacks, feeling even more at ease than they had in their thatched cottage.
“Lan’er, in a few days, I’ll take you away from here. We’ll find a good place in the south and buy a big house to live in, okay?”
“Big Sister, then will we never see the people from the village again?” Xi Weilan looked up at her.
Xi Qingyue nodded. “Yes, once we leave, it’ll be hard to see them again. War will break out here before long, so we’ll leave early and settle elsewhere.”
“Alright,” Xi Weilan replied obediently, but her little face looked conflicted.
“What’s wrong?” Xi Qingyue asked curiously.
“Big Sister, will Grandpa Village Head and the others die?” Xi Weilan, though young, understood that war meant people would die.
Xi Qingyue smiled to reassure her. “Don’t worry. Before we leave, I’ll leave Grandpa Village Head something to protect himself with.”
After a pause, she spoke again. “Lan’er, we’re both still young. If we wait until trouble strikes and then have to flee with the villagers, things would get very inconvenient. Even our daily meals would have to be hidden and sneaky.
Besides, if we two little kids travel by donkey cart, whether alone or with the villagers, it would attract trouble. We’d inevitably have to fight or even kill to defend ourselves, which would also cause problems for the villagers. But if we don’t use the cart, we’d have to walk, and your small body simply couldn’t handle it, and there’s no need for that.
Since any way we travel brings trouble, traveling alone will give us more freedom. We can go slowly, play along the way, and I’ll show you the scenery in other places.”
Hearing this, Xi Weilan smiled broadly. “Big Sister, I’m not saying I want to go with them. I just think Grandpa Village Head and the others helped us a lot, and the uncles, aunties, and everyone were kind to me. I’m a little sad to leave them.”
Xi Qingyue nodded in agreement. “Yes, they were all good to us. But everyone has their own life. Just like when you were sold, they couldn’t stop it. And we can’t give up our freedom for their sake. Besides, people’s hearts are unpredictable. It’s uncertain what things will be like once we leave the village—do you understand?”
“Big Sister, I understand,” Xi Weilan said with a dazed nod.
Xi Qingyue stood up with a smile and reached out her hand. “Come on, let me take you for a shower. You’ve never taken a shower with a spray nozzle before.”
“Yay!” Xi Weilan happily followed her to the bathroom.
Faced with all these novel things, Xi Weilan was buzzing with excitement. Even using the toilet, she insisted on carefully examining the bowl.
After washing up and lying on the soft, large bed, she rolled around joyfully. A bed this soft and cool—she had never slept on anything so wonderful in her whole life.
Xi Qingyue watched her with a slight smile—this was the innocence a three-year-old should have.
She sat on the sofa, continuing to enhance her supernatural ability. Before long, her space would be able to let people enter. Then whether it was the donkey or Xi Weilan, in critical moments they could slip inside, leaving her unburdened by danger no matter the trouble.
Unlike the sisters’ good mood, the mood at the county office that day was far from pleasant.
The County Magistrate was in a bad state. Several constables had vanished without a trace, along with their horses, greatly annoying him.
It wasn’t until the on-duty staff couldn’t find them during shift change and reported it to the Chief Constable that the truth was uncovered.
The Chief Constable reported the matter to the County Sheriff, who initially wanted to find the men quietly and punish them privately. But when night fell without finding them, he had to go and confess to the County Magistrate.
Kneeling before him were the other county office personnel, all summoned except for the gatekeepers. The County Magistrate stared at them with a dark expression.
“Tell me everything from start to finish. Where did they go today? What did they do? Honestly confess all of it now.”
Then, everyone who had seen them that day recounted what they had observed. Upon hearing their reports, the Magistrate found nothing unusual.
“From what you’re saying, they suddenly left the city on horseback. Did you search outside the city?”
The County Sheriff quickly replied, “Your Honor, we followed the directions given by the city gate guards and searched, but found no clues at all.”
Hearing this, the County Magistrate slammed his desk in fury. “Impossible! How could they vanish into thin air?”
Losing a few constables didn’t concern him much; what he disliked was uncontrollable factors operating within his jurisdiction.
“Investigate! Increase the manpower and re-search that road from start to finish. I refuse to believe we won’t find any leads. And check anyone suspicious who left the city around the same time—every single one of them!”
After giving his orders, he stormed off in anger, leaving the County Sheriff and the others drenched in cold sweat.
“Your Honor, it’s already this late. Can we find anyone outside the city?” the Chief Constable wondered doubtfully. If they couldn’t even find anyone in broad daylight, finding them at night was unimaginable.
The County Sheriff said irritably, "We have to find it even if it seems impossible. Since the County Magistrate already knows about this, let's borrow his dog—that thing has a keen nose and might pick up some clue."
