Xi Qingyue and her younger sister, Xi Weilan, happily reached a consensus. They decided to take their mother's remains with them when they left and choose a better burial site after they settled down completely.
After the meal, Xi Qingyue put away the RV.
She removed the carriage of the mule cart and stored it in her space. Then she placed Xi Weilan on the mule's back and led the mule towards the deep mountains.
Anyway, both the village head and Scholar Han said she was dead last night. So she decided to play dead for a few days and stay out of sight.
In the mountains, she could hunt while teaching Xi Weilan how to shoot a gun and also improve her own superpower level.
When she left the mountains, it would be time for her to leave Willow Village. If she didn't go back, the village might have a few peaceful days.
The mule had been fed spiritual spring water and became more and more spiritual. It was very affectionate towards her and also liked Xi Weilan very much. It carried the girl on its back steadily.
"Big Sister, look! A little rabbit!" Xi Weilan's excited voice rang out.
Xi Qingyue sent out a wind blade, and the rabbit instantly fell to the ground, lifeless.
She put the rabbit into her space and smiled at Xi Weilan. "Big Sister will teach you a new game. It's more fun than archery. Do you want to learn?"
Xi Weilan, sitting on the mule's back, nodded repeatedly. "Okay, Big Sister. Is it easy to learn?"
Xi Qingyue stretched out her palm, and a small pistol appeared in her hand. She then took out a silencer and installed it.
She lifted Xi Weilan off the mule's back, squatted down, and held her hand to teach her in detail how to use this new weapon.
Xi Weilan was very excited. She learned very seriously. Compared with the bow and arrow, she preferred the thing in her hand. It was small and convenient.
The two of them hunted, practiced shooting and archery, and improved their superpowers in the mountains. They had a very leisurely time.
Outside the mountains, the people from Cheng Village were so frightened that they didn't dare to go to Willow Village again. Meanwhile, the families in Willow Village were still struggling with the decision of whether to stay or leave.
Early in the morning, the village head and Scholar Han went to the city to visit Scholar Han's friend. They were shocked by the situation at the city gate.
"What's going on? Why is the inspection so strict today?"
After inquiring, they learned that several yamen runners in the county government had died inexplicably. Their bodies were found last night in a place outside the city. They were buried underground. If it weren't for the sensitive noses of the hunting dogs, they would have been impossible to find.
The county magistrate was furious and ordered a city - wide search for suspicious people. He also sent people to investigate those who had left the city around the same time as the dead yamen runners.
Scholar Han and the village head didn't take it seriously. They didn't know when Xi Qingyue left the city yesterday, so they didn't think of her at all.
The two of them went to Scholar Han's friend's house and met Scholar Wang.
Scholar Wang was a collateral branch of the Wang family in the capital. A few years ago, Scholar Han offended a powerful official and almost got beaten to death. It was Scholar Wang who came to his rescue. The two seemed to have a good relationship.
After learning about Scholar Han's purpose, Scholar Wang smiled and said, "Brother Han, you've come at the right time. I was just about to tell you about this. I didn't expect you to be well - informed."
Hearing this, Scholar Han was surprised. It seemed that a war was really about to break out. "Please tell me, Brother Wang, so that we can be prepared."
Scholar Wang then briefly told them what he knew. "I'm not sure about the details, but it seems that Princess Wenqing, who was going to Beiyue for a marriage alliance, stabbed the old emperor of Beiyue and escaped with her secret guards. Beiyue has always wanted to start a war, and this is just an excuse. Whether it's true or not is uncertain, but both sides are preparing for war and it could break out at any time."
"Thank you, Brother Wang, for the information." Scholar Han bowed his hands in thanks.
Scholar Wang sighed. "Alas, once the war starts, I'm not sure if the border areas can hold out."
When the village head heard the definite news, his heart sank. Sooner or later, the war would reach their place.
There had been wars before. After Beiyue captured a city, they often burned, killed, and looted. Staying here was extremely dangerous.
Seeing Scholar Han's worried look, Scholar Wang invited him. "Brother Han, I'm going to the capital in a few days. If you're willing, you can come with me. You can find a job there to make a living."
Scholar Han didn't answer directly but smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Wang, for your kindness. If I really go to the capital, I'll definitely bother you."
After some polite exchanges, Scholar Han and the village head said goodbye and left the county.
They had to quickly tell the villagers this news. Internal strife was not terrible. No matter who took control of the country, they wouldn't slaughter the common people on a large scale. But foreign enemies were different. Massacres of cities were not uncommon.
They should make a decision now. Those who wanted to leave should do so quickly, and those who wanted to stay should find hiding places like caves in advance. They couldn't just wait for death.
When the two of them rushed back to Willow Village, they passed by several yamen runners who were coming to the village for an investigation.
These yamen runners were here to investigate Xi Qingyue. She had left the city around the same time as the dead yamen runners. Her image of a child driving a cart was very impressive, and she had just been to the county government. So it was easy for them to find her residence.
But when they arrived, they saw a charred ruin. They learned from the villagers that she and her sister had been burned to death. They almost didn't doubt it and left.
When the village head and Scholar Han learned that many houses in Cheng Village had collapsed last night, causing numerous casualties, they were both a little incredulous.
After thinking for a while, the village head called his son, Liu Xin. "You go to the mountains and find Little Yue. Tell her what's going on..."
He told Liu Xin about the impending war between the two countries and asked him to inform Xi Qingyue that they were planning to leave and that he had to let the girl know.
Then, the village head gathered all the families in the village and explained the news to them in detail.
"Everyone, think carefully about whether to stay or leave. This is a very important matter. No one should talk about it casually. Otherwise, we'll all be in big trouble."
"Don't worry, Village Head. We know the importance of this."
Everyone went home with worried looks on their faces, very anxious about the future.
After Liu Xin entered the mountains, he wandered around like a headless chicken, not knowing where Xi Qingyue was.
In the end, he had no choice but to shout Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan's names.
Xi Qingyue, who was teaching Xi Weilan how to shoot a gun, was very surprised when she suddenly heard someone calling her name.
"Big Sister, is it the villagers looking for us? Is something wrong?" Xi Weilan, holding the small pistol, was also very curious.
Xi Qingyue shook her head. "I don't know. Let's go and have a look."
She lifted Xi Weilan onto the mule's back, sat on it herself, and rode the mule quickly towards the source of the sound.
"Little Yue, Little Lan, I've finally found you." Liu Xin showed a smile on his face when he saw the two of them.
"Uncle Liu, what's going on?" Xi Qingyue jumped off the mule and quickly walked up to him, her eyes full of confusion.
"Well, there's really going to be a big problem. My father sent me to tell you that a war between Dajing and Beiyue could break out at any time. The villagers are probably going to leave early. You and Little Lan should also make plans early. By the way, several yamen runners came today..."
He told her in detail about the people who came today and the incident of her thatched cottage being burned down. Then he urged Xi Qingyue to go down the mountain soon to make preparations and follow the villagers later so that she could have someone to look after her.
Xi Qingyue thanked him with a smile. "Thank you, Uncle Liu, and also thank the village head. You can go now. We'll go back later."
