While Liu Teng and his companions were talking, not far from them in a small forest, another group of people were also gathered together, resting.
Leading them was a man in dark clothing. He held a strip of paper taken from a carrier pigeon in his hand, a hint of joy surfacing on his face.
"Chief, any news?"
"Yes, the young master will be here within two days. Once he arrives, we won't have to keep following those people anymore."
He had no choice in the matter. He had been sent to receive someone, but since the person hadn't shown up, all he could do was send word back and then tail the people from Liushu Village while awaiting orders.
The people they were looking for weren't here, but they had no intention of searching far and wide. Following the villagers from Liushu Village was enough to complete their assignment.
"Chief, our manor already has one young master. If we take back another young miss, could that affect the young master's position?" a man in blue couldn't help but speak up.
A flicker of mockery appeared in the dark-clothed man's eyes. "We're just taking her back, nothing more. Just one extra pair of chopsticks. And besides, it's not just one—it's two, plus a three-year-old child. Do you really think two girls could threaten the young master's position? How likely does that sound?"
The man in blue shook his head after hearing this. He figured he was overthinking things.
A man in gray chose that moment to speak with a smile. "What you two are worried about probably won't even become an issue. Those two kids have had no news at all, and they haven't been traveling with these villagers. They've probably already died in some deep mountain or forest long ago. Our work will be done soon."
The man in blue also nodded with a smile. "I'll go along with that. Throughout this journey, we've seen countless refugees die on the road. Those two little girls have probably already been torn apart by someone long ago."
The group chatted carelessly among themselves. They had been ordered to come pick someone up, but since they hadn't even seen the person, how were they supposed to bring anyone back?
Xi Qingyue had no idea that anyone was looking for her and her sister. She couldn't care less.
As for Xi Weilan, the only people in her heart were her mother and her older sister. She wouldn't spare a thought for anyone else.
"Lan'er, if you're sleepy, go ahead and rest a while, or you can go back into the space and sleep first."
Xi Qingyue glanced at Xi Weilan, who was dozing off beside her, and couldn't help but laugh.
Xi Weilan perked right back up at those words. "Big sister, I'm not sleepy."
"Alright, then don't sleep. We can just wake up a little later tomorrow and walk a bit further tonight."
Xi Qingyue smiled and gathered the little one into her arms. Since she wouldn't go back to the space to sleep, holding her while she slept worked just as well. For the time being, she had no plans to stop and rest.
The glow was especially conspicuous in the darkness of the night. Many people spotted a moving spot of light racing across the distance.
Those who were close enough couldn't help but cry out in surprise: "Good heavens, what is that? Why is it so bright? And why is it moving? Let's go take a closer look!"
There were plenty of people who shared his curiosity, but no one could truly make out what the thing was.
Before they could even rush over to check, the point of light gradually vanished from sight.
Lu Qianning and Luo Ling also watched helplessly as the light disappeared from their view. Aside from a blinding flash, they hadn't seen a single thing clearly.
Xi Qingyue didn't stop even as she watched Xi Weilan drift off to sleep in a daze. She kept going for a full hour and a half before pulling over to a halt on an empty stretch of roadside.
Then, cart and all, she vanished from the spot in an instant.
Xi Qingyue carried Xi Weilan back into the room and crashed into bed without another thought.
The next day, when Xi Qingyue woke up, it was nearly noon.
"Elder Sister, you're awake. I woke up before you." Xi Weilan leaned over the edge of the bed, her smile radiant.
Xi Qingyue laughed and ruffled her hair. "Mm, Lan'er is amazing."
She didn't bother pointing out that her younger sister had woken up at most a quarter of an hour earlier than she had.
Xi Qingyue got up, washed up, and changed her clothes. Then she dressed Xi Weilan in a pale pink outfit, brushed her hair, and only then took her to eat.
"Elder Sister, I accidentally fell asleep last night. How far did we travel?"
Xi Weilan took a bite of her mantou as the question came to mind, looking up at Xi Qingyue.
"I didn't calculate the exact distance, but roughly over two hundred li." Xi Qingyue thought for a moment, that was about how far they'd gone.
She figured that at this pace, they'd reach the capital soon enough, and if they spent a few days playing there, maybe Lu Qianning still wouldn't have arrived.
Xi Weilan had no idea how far two hundred li actually was, but she simply believed her elder sister was extraordinary.
The two ate some mantou and stir-fried dishes, drank a bowl of millet congee, and while washing the dishes, Xi Qingyue kept an eye on what was happening outside the space.
People walked along the small path, but they always traveled in groups, and there were never many of them. They just needed to wait for a large group to pass before heading out again.
At that moment, it was the hottest part of the day outside, and Xi Qingyue had no intention of going out. She took Xi Weilan and their swords to the spot where they practiced daily.
Xi Weilan executed the sword forms with impressive precision, showing real natural talent in martial arts. She didn't lack strength—it was just that she was too young and too short. Without lightness skill, facing those who knew martial arts with a sword would put her at a disadvantage; she'd be better off with a spear.
With that thought, Xi Qingyue decided that once they settled down, she must make sure her sister learned lightness skill.
Xi Weilan put away her small sword and tilted her head. "Elder Sister, that man I hit with my spear yesterday could fly back and forth. It's just that his speed wasn't as fast as my spear. If I ran into someone really strong, would I miss?"
Xi Qingyue hadn't expected her to ask that, but she nodded anyway. "Mm, but such people are rare. Most can't dodge it. Once you learn lightness skill in the future, you can chase them down and hit them."
Imagining a three-year-old child flying through the air on lightness skill while firing a spear, Xi Qingyue couldn't help but smile slightly—that actually seemed pretty cool.
The two rested inside the space until evening before driving out in the car, effectively flipping their days and nights.
They slept, rested, practiced sword work, and studied characters during the day, then came out for two hours at night, stirring up chaos in every place they passed through before slipping away like the wind.
They paid no attention to the commotion they left behind. The headlights were blinding, so no one could see their faces, and whether the car was mistaken for a ghost carriage, they couldn't care less.
While the sisters traveled in their reversed schedule, the people of Liushu Village welcomed a familiar face.
Staring at the face before him—both familiar and strange—Liu Teng could hardly believe his eyes.
"Daniu, you didn't die? Then why haven't you come home all these years? Your mother died, your wife died, and did you know your second daughter was born?"
He had always believed Xi Daniu was truly dead, and using his name as the head of household when registering had only been necessary because there was no other way to establish Xi Qingyue's household. But now, seeing the living, breathing man standing before him, a nameless fury ignited in Liu Teng's chest.
Xi Daniu was dressed in fine brocade robes, with an exquisite jade pendant of the highest quality hanging from his waist. His entire demeanor seemed reborn, and behind him followed a retinue of guards, each one imposing and awe-inspiring.
He gave Liu Teng a warm, gentle smile. "Uncle Li Zheng, I understand. They already told me about this—I'm here this time to pick up someone."
Hearing this, Liu Teng shook his head regretfully. "The two of them left on their own; they're not with us anymore."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Liu Teng suddenly realized that the "they" Xi Daniu referred to were the very same group that had been shadowing them all these days. The anger in his heart flared even hotter—if it hadn't been for those unidentified people trailing them, he would have driven those villagers from Chengjia Village away long ago.
