Second Master Liu saw the shock on Xi Qingyue's face clearly. He didn't like the people from Cheng Family Village either; just mentioning them made his blood boil.
"Little Yue, you have no idea. They somehow got word of our departure, and when we villagers set out, they insisted on following along. The village head refused to let them come, but they wouldn't take no for an answer and trailed behind us no matter what. Later on the road, things got even worse—whenever we ran into robbers blocking our way, they'd turn tail and run, only to come back once we'd fought the attackers off. Scholar Han was so furious he nearly killed them."
"And on top of that, they've got sharp tongues. When they stirred up trouble, they'd hide themselves among our people. The others assumed we were all one group and came at us swinging, so our folks had no choice but to defend themselves. That bunch is just about the most repulsive lot you'll ever meet."
Hearing this, Xi Qingyue was puzzled. "Why didn't the village head just chase them off? If talking didn't work, a good beating should have done it. Aren't they just hurting everyone, themselves included?"
Second Master Liu let out a helpless sigh. "Ah, we tried beating them. It didn't work. Unless someone killed one or two to scare them off, nothing would stop them. But the village head's heart just isn't hard enough—he figures everyone's struggling out here, and he can't bring himself to go that far."
At that, Xi Qingyue rolled her eyes in speechless annoyance. Good thing she hadn't traveled with the villagers. With her tendency to kill wherever she went, she'd have scared them half to death.
Still, one question lingered, and she asked it. "What about Scholar Han? Did he just let them carry on like that?"
From what she'd heard earlier, Scholar Han had crippled the county magistrate's son. Surely he wasn't the type to be so easygoing.
When Second Master Liu brought up Scholar Han, he could only sigh again. "Ah, they split up. He refused to travel with the villagers any longer. A few families went with him, and they took a smaller path—no telling where they've gone."
Xi Qingyue sighed as well. The village head was a decent man back home, no question about it, but out here his kindness was too much. Numbers could be a good thing—fewer people dared to mess with a big group—but the way those Cheng Family Village folks behaved was just asking for trouble.
"Little Yue, would you and Little Lan like to stay here instead?"
Facing Second Master Liu's invitation, Xi Qingyue shook her head without hesitation. "No, Lan'er and I plan to head south. We're not intending to settle anywhere up north."
Second Master Liu was disappointed to hear that, but he respected her choice. "Going south is fine too. Even if war breaks out, it won't reach down there. The two of you need to be careful on the road—it's not an easy journey."
"We will. Don't worry about us, Second Master Liu."
They chatted a while longer, and when Second Master Liu saw the inn growing busier, he felt it rude to keep idling away and went off to help.
Xi Qingyue ordered some food and drinks, and she and Xi Weilan ate their fill before bidding Second Master Liu farewell.
As they left the city, they stopped to buy some snacks from the shops along the way. Thanks to Second Master Liu's tips on which shops had the best food, they grabbed what they needed and moved on without wasting a moment.
Leaving the city went smoothly; no one tried to stop them.
Only then did Xi Weilan voice the question on her mind. "Sister, why were the people from Cheng Family Village following our village's people?"
Xi Qingyue found it strange too, but she made her guess. "So many people from Willow Tree Village were leaving together, so Cheng Dingxiang must have found out and told her people. At first, maybe they just wanted the safety of numbers. But later, after seeing how strong our villagers were—and since the village head wouldn't deal with them harshly—they just kept trailing behind. When trouble came, they ran; when things were fine, they stuck around. In effect, they found themselves a bunch of bodyguards."
Then she recalled the village she'd encountered on the road earlier, whose group of over two hundred had dwindled to less than half. That, too, had come from kindness.
But there was a difference. Scholar Han from Willow Tree Village had chosen to leave the group with his own followers, while that other village's scholar had been the very cause of the ruin.
She couldn't help but reflect that everyone has their own fate. Two men of learning, and yet they made completely different choices. Even Second Master Liu had charted his own course, apart from the rest of the villagers.
"Sister, will Second Master Liu be in danger staying here?"
Hearing Xi Weilan's question, Xi Qingyue patted her head and shook it. "I don't know, Lan'er. This is his choice. As long as he's happy with it, that's what matters. You heard what he said yourself—staying with the villagers isn't necessarily safe either. If those Cheng Family Village people stir up big trouble, everyone in the whole group could pay the price. He doesn't want to keep running. He just wants some peace. That's understandable."
Mentioning the Cheng Family Village folks brought Cheng Dingxiang to mind. Xi Qingyue had collapsed so many houses back in that village, and yet Cheng Dingxiang was still alive. The woman really was lucky.
Seeing the sky fully darken, she used her ability to scan the surroundings and detected a dozen or so sneaky figures lurking nearby, clearly intending to rob them.
Without showing any change in expression, she activated her power. Sharp wooden spikes suddenly burst from the grass around those people and drove into them.
Before any scream could fully form, they were silenced. It was as fast as lightning.
In an instant, all of them fell dead.
Afterward, she and Xi Weilan entered their pocket space. After a short wait, they drove out in their small vehicle and rejoined the main road.
Though a few refugees still wandered along the way, there was no large crowd blocking the path, so they could drive normally. As for the headlights being seen by others—she didn't care. The glaring light was bright enough that no one could see her anyway.
Meanwhile, in a dilapidated temple a few cities away, the people of Willow Tree Village were resting. On the other side of the temple, the Cheng Family Village lot had shamelessly wedged themselves in as usual.
Li Wanqiu, the village head's wife, glared at her husband in fury. "Liu Teng, what were you thinking? Having a pack of leeches like that clinging to us day in and day out—are you not afraid they'll get the whole village killed?"
Liu Teng didn't get angry at being scolded to his face. Instead of answering, he looked around carefully before leaning in close and whispering, "Keep your voice down. We're being watched. There've been people following us the whole way. They even lent a hand a few times when trouble came. Can't tell if they're with us or with the Cheng Family Village crowd. They know martial arts—our stun batons wouldn't stand a chance against them."
Li Wanqiu's face went pale with shock. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Who in their right mind would bother watching us?"
Liu Teng glanced around again before speaking. "They've been trailing us the entire time. I was afraid that if I told you, you'd slip up and give us away. When Scholar Han led some people off on their own, that was a test. The group stayed right on our heels even after he left. No idea what they're playing at."
What he didn't say was that these people were masters of concealment—likely private guards or some such from a powerful family. Had it not been for the scholar's accidental discovery, he never would have known.
Those people kept following, and when things got dangerous, they stepped in to help, yet it didn't quite feel like protection. Compared to the Cheng Family Village crowd, they were far more relentless—and far more unsettling.
Li Wanqiu suddenly felt her skin crawl. She had no idea that another group of people had been trailing them every single day. They were just a band of homeless commoners—why would anyone bother keeping such a close watch on them?
