In the largest compound in the village, a group of burly men were rejoicing over the food and water they had found.
"This place is nice, we'll stay here tonight."
The group burst into laughter as they stared at the elegant brick-and-tile house before them. It was a dwelling they had seized after killing several refugees.
"Boss, if they fled the famine, why would they leave so much food behind? Shouldn't they have taken everything?"
"Not necessarily. Maybe they left in a hurry and couldn't take it all, or perhaps they were escaping from soldiers. A lot of things in this house are untouched."
As they chatted, the refugees set up pots and started cooking, and the entire village soon came alive with the smoke of hearth fires.
Meanwhile, in a cellar beneath the village, a group of people lounged smugly, sitting or lying down. They were the original villagers.
"Brother Guang, we made the right choice staying behind. As long as we leave a little food in the house, some fools will show up every day, walking right into our trap."
"Of course. It's better than following the Village Chief and the others. They'll likely die of thirst or hunger on the road, or worse, get conscripted by soldiers into battle. Would we survive that?"
The man called Brother Guang was in his early thirties and the leader of this group.
When the Village Chief led the others away, they chose to stay and specialized in robbing passing refugees. They had laced their own water with a sleeping drug. Anyone who drank their water would never escape their grasp.
They made sure the refugees walked into the trap willingly. For those who didn't stop in the village, there was nothing they could do. Showing themselves would arouse suspicion, and if the refugees outnumbered them, they'd be the ones to suffer.
In the dead of night, the burly men and their group had all fallen into a deep slumber, sleeping heavier than pigs.
Just then, the hidden entrance to a cellar behind the house they occupied slowly creaked open.
Brother Guang led his group up from the cellar, each clutching a cleaver.
"Split up. Don't let a single one escape."
At his command, the men ran toward the various houses.
They knew exactly where to go, having placed the food and water themselves. They headed straight for their targets.
The burly man who had once dreamed of killing Xi Qingyue and her sister now had his throat slit in his sleep. He died a disgraceful death, ignorant and miserable.
Two quarters of an hour later, every refugee resting in the village had been killed. Their food and water became the villagers' spoils, and the refugees themselves turned into rations.
"Hurry up and deal with the bodies. Don't let anyone catch on tomorrow."
Xi Qingyue knew nothing of what had happened in the village. She and Xi Weilan had slept soundly in their space.
The moment the clock struck the hour of the rabbit, Xi Qingyue opened her eyes.
She saw Xi Weilan's sleeping face, smiling even in her dreams, but didn't wake her. Little children need plenty of sleep to grow tall.
After washing up and eating a little, she left the space, accompanied by Tafeng.
She rode Tafeng out from behind a concealed thatched hut, glanced at the quiet village, and galloped straight onto a narrow path.
She had no clue about the village's abnormality and didn't go in to check. If she had seen the food left behind, she would have been suspicious. Her instincts told her it was safer to sleep in a dilapidated temple than in that village.
Xi Qingyue rode Tafeng for a while and was delighted to see no other refugees around.
She quickly swapped Tafeng for her small four-wheeler, started it up, and sped off.
Even if she could only use it for half an hour, it was comfortable and fast.
As she turned onto the main road, she first used her psychic power to check the area, making sure no one was lying around asleep before leaving the path.
She pushed the speed to the maximum, wanting to cover as much ground as possible while everyone was still asleep.
But to her surprise, there were still a few refugees who, like her, had risen early.
She didn't stop. They were walking too slowly to see her face or clearly make out her vehicle.
Xi Qingyue drove alone on the main road, accelerating further and further. Just as she was feeling pleased, she spotted two familiar faces riding fast horses ahead.
She thought quickly, veiled her face with a layer of watery mist, and sped past the two horses at maximum velocity.
Lu Qianning and Luo Ling, who were riding horses, only caught a blurry object whizzing past. A cloud of dust made them cover their mouths and noses, coughing.
After coughing, they reined in their horses, completely stunned.
"Luo Ling, did I just see that right? What was that thing? It moved without being a carriage." Lu Qianning tried to get another look, but it was already out of sight.
Luo Ling was still in shock. "I think I saw something like wheels, but I couldn't tell what was on top. It was too dusty. Even our horses don't kick up that much dust. If we see it again, I'll take a closer look."
Lu Qianning found it strange too. The dust cloud was unusually thick, or she might have seen more.
She waved her hand. "Forget it. We couldn't make it out anyway. Let's focus on the journey."
They puzzled over it for only a moment before resuming their ride. By then, Xi Qingyue had already traveled another two miles ahead.
She couldn't help laughing to herself. The dust cloud was her doing, using her earth-based power to keep those sharp-eyed women from recognizing her.
She hummed a little tune as she drove on, until half an hour later, she found an empty spot, pulled the vehicle off the road, and vanished quickly.
When she reappeared, it was two quarters of an hour later.
She had woken Xi Weilan, dressed her, and done her hair, then told her to wash up on her own.
"Sister, why didn't you wake me earlier?"
Xi Qingyue patted her head. "I saw you sleeping so soundly. You need plenty of sleep to grow tall. Tomorrow morning, I'll call you for sure."
Hearing about growing tall, Xi Weilan beamed. She glanced down at her height, then sat at the table, grabbed a bun, and took a huge bite.
Today, Xi Qingyue drove the mule cart again. Riding Tafeng was a bit faster, but she found the mule cart more convenient.
They could stop and rest anywhere, anytime, eating comfortably inside. If they encountered robbers, the cart gave her some cover when grabbing her gun. Most importantly, she wouldn't get a sore bottom from sitting too long.
The two chatted leisurely at the front of the cart. As the sun rose, more and more refugees appeared on the road, even those who had traveled through the night.
Suddenly, Xi Weilan pointed at a figure ahead and whispered, "Sister, I see Aunt Wu, the one who sold buns."
Xi Qingyue looked up and saw that it was indeed the bun-selling woman from the town.
At that moment, Aunt Wu turned around and spotted them too. She looked surprised. "Little girls, you're here too? Didn't you stay with your villagers?"
