Many people saw what the scholar had just done, including the refugees near them.
Xi Qingyue shook her head as she watched. These villagers would eventually be done in by that scholar sooner or later.
The refugees hadn't robbed them outright because the villagers had more people, but she really didn't know how they had managed to travel this far alive.
She had used her ability earlier to check the waterskins of the family of three. All three of them were full of water, plenty for their needs, far more than what the scholar's family had.
The reason they hadn't given the little girl a drink was probably because they understood their child's nature. They were afraid of drawing attention on the road.
The man had also never expected the scholar to actually give water to his child because of an angry remark. Afraid the scholar would demand repayment, he quickly held his daughter and pulled his wife along as they ran ahead.
Xi Qingyue glanced at Xi Weilan sitting beside her, secretly grateful that her own little sister was sensible and well-behaved.
She pulled out two pieces of peeled chocolate and handed them over. "Here, have something to fill your stomach first. We'll stop in a bit to eat, then set off again when it gets dark."
"Mm, whatever you say, Big Sister." Xi Weilan took the chocolate and ate it with a smile.
Two quarters of an hour later, Xi Qingyue drove the mule cart into the woods on the right side of the official road, heading toward the foot of the mountain deeper in.
The refugees nearby had all seen them go in, but those who had stayed close to them had also witnessed Xi Qingyue kill someone, so no one dared to try anything.
Xi Qingyue parked the cart behind a small mound of dirt at the foot of the mountain, shielding them perfectly from outside view.
She used her ability to check the surroundings, and when she confirmed no one was nearby, she took both herself and the cart into the space.
They had barely traveled any distance, yet already she'd had to kill someone, watch someone else die, or see a fool court disaster. What a hassle.
Once inside, they picked their favorite dishes and laid out a big table. After eating their fill, they lay down to rest.
An hour later, Xi Qingyue called out, "Come on, let's practice swordplay."
Xi Weilan immediately got up, grabbing her little wooden sword and following her. She loved practicing sword techniques.
"Big Sister, when can I use the kind of sword you have?"
Xi Qingyue glanced at her height. A child so small holding a sword taller than she was looked odd no matter how she thought about it. She shook her head. "My sword is too long. Once you're skilled enough, I'll give you a shorter one."
"Big Sister, a short sword isn't impressive enough. I'm strong enough to handle a long sword." Xi Weilan still thought a long sword looked more impressive.
Xi Qingyue's mouth twitched, but she respected the child's opinion. She nodded. "Alright, but first you have to promise you won't hurt yourself with it. When you're fully proficient, I'll give you a long sword."
Hearing that she had agreed, Xi Weilan jumped for joy and practiced even harder.
Finally, at dusk, the two quietly left the space and headed toward the official road.
Some people were still resting in the woods. They made a detour through areas without people or campfires, and in the hazy darkness, no one noticed the two small figures moving.
Once on the official road, Xi Qingyue scanned the area as usual and used her earth ability to sense the surroundings.
No one was visible on the road. Most people had gathered in groups and settled down in crowded places on either side, staying some distance away from the road.
Still cautious, Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan crouched down and instantly returned to the space. They boarded the electric cart, started the engine, and emerged with it back outside.
A moment later, the cart appeared on the road and shot forward in a flash. Even if anyone had caught a glimpse, there was no time to get a proper look.
And so, the two drove the electric cart through the night.
Xi Qingyue didn't set high demands. She only wanted to drive for one hour during the evening watch, which would easily take them at least a hundred miles.
At the same time, at a broken-down temple about a dozen miles from Mirror City, Lu Qianning and Luo Ling stopped to rest.
"Mistress, we've been traveling for days. We'll reach Mirror City tomorrow morning. I wonder how Zhou Shu and the others are doing?"
Lu Qianning smiled. "Don't worry. We can barely cover a hundred miles a day on horseback. They stop at every city, post notices, and leave. Even if someone wants to chase them, it's not easy. A thousand-mile horse wouldn't help them unless there are no refugees on other roads."
She was certain that other roads weren't any different. The situation was probably about the same.
After listening, Luo Ling knew she was right. She looked down at her clothes, already grimy from the journey.
She opened a bundle, took out a flatbread, and handed it to Lu Qianning. "Mistress, let's make do with this for now. Tomorrow, once we're in the city, we'll have a proper meal."
Lu Qianning nodded. "Mm. We'll find an inn tomorrow and at least get a bath."
After eating the flatbread and drinking some water, the two took turns resting in the broken temple. Even with martial arts skills, they wouldn't let their guard down; keeping watch in turns was necessary.
On the official road, Xi Qingyue sat in the front seat, steering the cart, while Xi Weilan stood in her arms, watching curiously as she worked.
Since her sister was interested, Xi Qingyue carefully explained every button and what it did.
The two chatted and laughed, and time passed quickly—until the cart's headlights hit the city wall ahead. Xi Qingyue quickly turned off the lights and returned to the space.
"Who's there?"
On the city wall, two soldiers rubbed their eyes, but the road before them was pitch black, as if the flash of light had just been their imagination.
"Are we seeing things? When has there ever been a light this bright? If there really was one, the others would have noticed and started yelling."
"Yeah, you're right." The other soldier glanced to both sides of the wall but heard nothing.
What they didn't know was that the other soldiers on duty were either chatting or dozing off. The light came and went in an instant—there was no way anyone could have caught it.
Inside the space, Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan got out of the cart.
"Big Sister, the city gates are closed. Are we entering the city tomorrow?"
Xi Qingyue shook her head. "No, it's better to enter at night. We'll go in now, find a hidden alley, and retreat back into the space. When we wake up tomorrow, we'll already be inside the city. We can go straight to eat something delicious without having to line up to get in. Perfect, isn't it?"
"Big Sister, we still have leftover food from last time," Xi Weilan said, remembering the snacks they'd bought.
Xi Qingyue smiled at her. "It doesn't matter. That food won't spoil. Every city has its own local flavors. Let's buy a bit every time we arrive at a new city. We're not coming back here anyway, so even if we want to eat this food again, we won't have the chance."
"Yeah!"
A quarter of an hour later, Xi Qingyue took Xi Weilan in her arms and reappeared outside.
She carried her sister close to the city wall and found a spot with no guards. In one swift motion, she flew up the wall, leaped down on the inside, and ran straight into the city.
Xi Weilan's little face was full of excitement. She had finally experienced what flying felt like—so amazing!
The two found a remote alley and disappeared again.
The next day, at high sun, Xi Qingyue came out carrying a basket on her back and leading Xi Weilan by the hand as they slowly walked out of the alley.
"Big Sister, I want to drink goat's milk soup later."
Xi Qingyue gave a slight nod and said, "Good, let's head to the place where they sell lamb soup. We'll have a bowl, then browse the other shops. Today we'll buy just a little—enough to sample the flavors—and tomorrow we'll come back for our favorites."
And so the two of them walked hand in hand through the streets of Mirror City.
