Lu Qianning was pulled along by Luo Ling as they ran, stopping only after they had ducked into an alley.
Only after coming to a halt did she realize something was off. "Luo Ling, why are we even running? We look like thieves."
Luo Ling was a little embarrassed. "Mistress, I just felt like we should run first and ask questions later. Don't you find it unsettling? If those two little girls people were gossiping about earlier are really them, then when did those two little ghosts slip into the city?"
Deep down, she had been afraid of Xi Qingyue since their encounter in the forest. Seeing their figures abruptly had triggered an instinct to flee.
Lu Qianning couldn’t figure out when the two girls had arrived. But it definitely wasn’t recently. If they were the two foodies she had heard about, they must have gotten here even earlier than she had. But that didn’t make any sense.
Moving with the stream of refugees while driving a mule cart was slow. Riding a mule alone would have been quicker, but word had it they had been buying and eating things long before she arrived, and they had been driving a cart too.
Completely baffled, she pulled Luo Ling to head back. It wouldn't do to run away just because they had been recognized.
As they walked, she scolded Luo Ling. "What’s there to run from? We’ve faced them countless times in the mountains — one more time doesn’t matter. Are they going to eat us? They’re not monsters."
She paused and added a warning, "And don’t go calling them ‘little ghosts’ or alike. If you get a beating, don't expect me to help. Also, don’t ask anything you shouldn’t."
Luo Ling nodded repeatedly. "Mistress, I know. I promise not to say a thing later."
When they returned, Xi Qingyue and her sister were standing at a candy-figure stall. They had picked out a variety of designs and were watching with great interest as the vendor shaped them.
Lu Qianning didn’t walk straight up to them. Instead, she stood at a distance, waiting. Turning to Luo Ling, she asked, "What do they look like to you? Refugees or sightseers?"
Luo Ling answered without hesitation, "Sightseers. They don’t look like refugees at all. Every time we meet them, their clothes are cleaner than ours. You don’t see a drop of sweat on their foreheads in this heat. Two kids wandering around without family, moving faster than they should — it’s strange, no matter how you look at it. What’s scariest is that they always show up out of nowhere. They’ve almost scared me sick."
Lu Qianning tapped her on the forehead. "Enough. They’re just children, and they’ve never meant us any harm. There’s no need to be afraid."
A quarter of an hour later, Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan walked over, each holding a dozen different candy figures.
Xi Qingyue smiled and looked at the two. "Why did you stop running?"
She bit into a candy figure with a crunch and started eating.
Lu Qianning gave her a calm smile. "Yue, you misunderstand. We weren’t running earlier — we had something to take care of. As soon as we were done, we came right back."
Xi Qingyue didn’t care whether she was telling the truth. She had heard their conversation and knew they were simply afraid of her.
She gave Lu Qianning’s disguise a look and was a little speechless. Masquerading as a man was one thing, but they had added a fake beard and dirtied their faces. She had almost failed to recognize them.
She handed Lu Qianning a tiger-shaped candy figure. "Want some candy?"
Lu Qianning accepted it without hesitation. "Thanks. Also, I wanted to let you know, we’re being hunted. I’m only wearing men’s clothes to avoid being found. If you see us again, keep your distance so you don’t draw unwanted attention."
Hearing that, Xi Weilan’s face showed surprise. "Big Sister, they’re so pitiful."
Xi Qingyue ruffled her hair. "Eat your candy. We’re the pitiful ones — no father or mother."
She gave Lu Qianning a slight nod. "Got it. Good luck!"
Lu Qianning said no more. She had only come over to greet them. She gave them another look, then turned and left with Luo Ling.
The moment Xi Qingyue had seen her, she understood how the city gates had been opened. The exact details were unclear, but it had something to do with the county office. Getting into the city would have been simple too — a person with martial arts skills wasn’t hindered by walls.
She took Xi Weilan and walked into an empty alley. Any place they stayed was worse than her space, where they could sleep peacefully.
Entering the space, she told her sister, who was still eating candy, "You heard her — she’s being hunted. She changed into men’s clothes on purpose. Don’t call her 'Sister Lu' again unless she comes up to us first. It could get people killed. Understand?"
"Big Sister, I know. I won’t call out thoughtlessly."
Xi Qingyue wanted to avoid any mistake that might put others in danger and force her to clean up the mess. Better to solve potential trouble before it started.
The next day, Xi Qingyue drove her cart to the restaurant bright and early.
The entire Hongyun Restaurant was closed for business. All their efforts were directed toward preparing her food.
Making three hundred portions of each dish was no small task — it was like buying out the restaurant's business. The manager took it very seriously.
Xi Qingyue didn’t insist they finish in a single day. Good work took time, and making three hundred servings was very different from making one. Rushing would spoil the taste. She told the manager it would be fine if they made a hundred servings of each dish daily. Even a few dozen would do — the most important thing was to keep the flavor as good as a single serving.
The Prepared servings would last her a whole year, so a few days’ delay didn’t matter.
She also handed the manager a bag of chili peppers. "These are chili peppers. I found them in the mountains. Add plenty of these to the dishes — use them in most of the dishes, and for a small portion, cook as usual. These are rare. If the food turns out well, you can keep whatever's left."
The manager was delighted. He didn’t recognize the red things at first, but after taking a bite, he knew they were perfect for cooking.
He smiled and nodded. "Don’t worry, miss. We’ll do exactly what you say!"
Xi Qingyue pulled out two large jars from her basket and addressed him with a serious tone. "This one has sugar. This one has salt. Use these in my food, not the restaurant's. But remember — keep your mouth shut. If word gets out, you’ll be the ones in trouble."
The manager was shocked at the quality. Could she be from a wealthy family? These supplies were far better than the ones they usually used.
He quickly nodded. "Rest assured, I’m a businessman. I wouldn’t run my mouth, and my people won’t either."
Besides the chili peppers, fine salt, and sugar, Xi Qingyue didn’t take out anything else.
"Good. Get ready. When things are ready, I’ll come pick them up myself. Don’t try to find me."
With that, Xi Qingyue left the restaurant.
That morning, another large wave of refugees streamed into the city. Many of them had come through Liangcheng and knew very well what had happened there.
The people of Yao City were curiously inquiring about the situation in Liang City. When they learned that the county magistrate of Liang City had colluded with bandits, many were filled with righteous indignation and cursed loudly. After all, children had also gone missing in Yao City, though not as many.
At that moment, they secretly felt fortunate that their own county magistrate was a coward. Although he was timid, he had not done anything truly despicable, and the people of Yao City were still living in relative peace.
By the time the refugees entered the city, Lu Qianning had already left Yao City with Luo Ling. The two traveled on horseback, splitting their group into three routes.
Zhou Shu took a portion of the men and stayed behind in Yao City. The night before, he had someone work through the night to carve the secret letters and other content onto printing blocks. Today, a batch of prints was made and given to someone to take away first. Zhou Shu himself would wait until all the printing was finished the next day before leaving.
The two groups would head in different directions as fast as they could, posting the notices in various cities. By the time those who needed to know realized what was happening, it would already be too late.
On the road, Luo Ling couldn’t help but ask, “Mistress, you don’t think those two little rascals are going to pop up again after a few days of travel, do you?”
Lu Qianning shook her head. “Probably not. This time it’s just the two of us on horseback. If no one recognizes us, we’ll move very quickly. Those two are greedy, lazy, and too fond of having fun—they won’t be able to catch up.”
