Xi Qingyue held Xi Weilan's hand as they walked, looking around left and right. They were searching for a shop that sold lamb soup.
"Big Sister, should we ask someone for directions?" Xi Weilan asked, her small stature making it difficult to look around.
Xi Qingyue gently shook her head. "No need. We can take a look around and see what other good food there is."
With that, she picked up Xi Weilan so the little girl could see more clearly.
As they passed a pancake stall, they bought two pancakes. Xi Welan tore off a piece and fed it to Xi Qingyue, then happily munched on her own pancake.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, they finally spotted a shop selling lamb soup.
"Big Sister, we're here!" Xi Weilan pointed at the shop excitedly, her small face beaming with joy.
Xi Qingyue carried her over to an empty table and called out, "Shopkeeper, two bowls of lamb soup and two large flatbreads, please!"
At an inconspicuous table in the corner, Lu Qianning and Luo Ling were leisurely sipping their soup. They had found an inn, bathed, and then come out, with this shop recommended by the innkeeper for having the best lamb soup in Mirror City, famous throughout the area.
Hearing that familiar voice, both of them turned toward the source. When they saw those two familiar little faces, the chopsticks in Lu Qianning's hand clattered to the floor, and Luo Ling spat out the soup she had just brought to her mouth, splattering it all over Lu Qianning.
Luo Ling quickly grabbed a handkerchief to help wipe it off, but accidentally knocked over a bowl of lamb soup on the table.
Lu Qianning was unlucky again. She stood up and hurriedly shook off the soup stains, unaware that Luo Ling was trying to help. Caught off guard, she tripped over a stool and fell flat on her back.
Luo Ling, also tripped by the stool, tumbled down and landed face-first, hitting the ground with her forehead with a clear thud.
Lu Qianning was utterly speechless. Not only had she failed to enjoy the lamb soup, but her earlier bath had been wasted, and she had fallen in such an embarrassing way.
What was most frustrating was that both of them knew martial arts, yet they had fallen so clumsily.
Luo Ling, for her part, was filled with shame. She had only meant to help.
"Are you two gentlemen all right?"
The shopkeeper rushed over with concern when he saw the two young men fall.
Lu Qianning covered her face with her sleeve instead of standing up immediately. She waved at the shopkeeper to indicate she was fine, and the sharp-eyed shopkeeper turned and walked away.
Not far away, Xi Weilan heard the commotion and said curiously, "Hey, Big Sister, someone fell over there."
Xi Qingyue glanced briefly and saw only two men on the ground, not their faces.
She patted Xi Weilan on the head and said earnestly, "Lan'er, you need to be careful. Don't be like them, falling even while drinking soup."
"Don't worry, Big Sister, I'm not that clumsy," Xi Weilan promised, patting her chest.
Just as they finished speaking, their lamb soup was brought over. "Two guests, please enjoy."
The two happily began drinking their soup, with Xi Weilan praising how delicious it was as she sipped.
As for Lu Qianning and Luo Ling, who had just been called clumsy, they didn't say a word. They scrambled up, left some silver coins, and quietly slipped away, afraid of being recognized.
After running into another deserted alley, they finally stopped.
Lu Qianning looked down at herself. Her clothes were soaked with soup, reeking of lamb. She glanced at Luo Ling, who now had a small bump on her forehead. They looked utterly disheveled.
Seeing that the alley was empty, Luo Ling knelt down directly. "Princess, I really didn't mean to. I swear, I was just startled when I saw those two little rascals."
She never imagined she would one day reduce the princess to such a state. Should she consider herself impressive?
Lu Qianning waved her hand helplessly. "Enough, get up. It's no big deal. I was startled by their appearance too and forgot to use my lightness skill. Let's hurry back to bathe and change clothes before they see us like this."
Hearing this, Luo Ling quickly stood up.
Back at the inn, Luo Ling immediately asked for hot water for a bath.
The innkeeper's assistant looked puzzled. "Two gentlemen, bathing twice in broad daylight like this—do you have some special habit?"
He muttered to himself, then cheerfully took the silver and went to prepare hot water.
Overhearing this, Lu Qianning was annoyed but didn't have the energy to dwell on it. She was busy wondering how Xi Qingyue had gotten to Mirror City.
Half an hour later, Lu Qianning and Luo Ling changed into fresh clothes and sat down at the table in the room.
Luo Ling couldn't contain her curiosity anymore. She asked Lu Qianning, "Mistress, we rode horses for days, exhausted, to get to Mirror City. How did those two get here so quickly? In Yao City, they ordered a lot of dishes. Even just cooking those would take several days, wouldn't it?"
Lu Qianning shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe they left right after we did. The news about them ordering many dishes might have been a rumor."
"That still doesn't make sense. A mule cart couldn't travel that fast. Also, Mirror City doesn't allow refugees in. How did they get inside? Do they have travel permits?"
The more Luo Ling thought, the more confused she got. Her mind couldn't figure it out—was she really that slow?
Lu Qianning suddenly said, "I didn't see their mule cart just now, and they weren't riding a mule. Could they have used lightness skill to sneak in?" But she immediately shook her head, dismissing the idea. Xi Qingyue had previously asked her for a manual on lightness skill, so she likely only knew the basics—nowhere near skilled enough to fly over the city wall.
After discussing it for a while with no answers, they decided to drop it. They ordered some simple food from the assistant, ate, and then went to their respective rooms to rest. After days of travel, it was rare to have some relaxation at the inn.
Meanwhile, Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan had taken a liking to the lamb soup. They told the shopkeeper to make extra later and that they would come back to pick it up in the evening.
They had already paid, so even though the shopkeeper was skeptical of the two children, he agreed to have it ready.
Afterward, Xi Qingyue took Xi Weilan on a long walk through the city's streets. They noticed no refugees inside the city and found this puzzling.
They spent half an hour at a teahouse, and by the time they left, they had learned the reason.
Mirror City had stopped allowing refugees in half a month ago. Everyone entering or leaving the city was strictly checked. Unless one had a travel permit or was a local resident, they were driven away. Sometimes soldiers would randomly check people's identities, and anyone suspicious would be arrested.
It all started with the county magistrate's son. Previously, a group of refugees passed through Mirror City. The magistrate's son harassed a woman among them, but someone knocked him unconscious. He fell with his hair standing on end and convulsing all over. By the time the magistrate found out, the refugees had already fled.
The magistrate sent people to chase them, but the refugees disappeared into the mountains outside the city. Having failed to catch them, he developed a deep aversion to all refugees.
According to the city folk, the county magistrate's son wasn’t doing this for the first time, but in the past, the refugees had always accepted their fate. This time, however, he had run into someone not so easy to bully.
Xi Qingyue felt something was off. She suspected the county magistrate’s son had been knocked out by an electric shock, and it seemed the device used was the very one she had given the people of Willow Tree Village for self-defense. Could it really be such a coincidence?
"Lan'er, Big Sister is going to the county office tonight. Would you like to come?"
She figured her sister was old enough to be consulted on such matters. Besides, there would be no danger.
Xi Weilan quickly nodded. "Big Sister, I want to go too, but what are we going to the county office for?"
Xi Qingyue then explained her suspicion. "I think it was the people from Willow Tree Village who knocked out the county magistrate’s son. We’ll go and check on them tonight. If the officials are bullying our villagers, we’ll help teach them a lesson."
"Mm, Big Sister, let’s get justice for the village folks."
