Chapter 170 One More Taste

Before we knew it, it was the Shangsi Festival on the third day of the third lunar month. At this time, the grass and trees were green, the spring was warm and the flowers were in bloom. People put on light spring clothes and went to the river in twos and threes to perform purification rituals.

Unfortunately, Achan is leaving the capital today and can't join in the fun.

Just after 9 AM, Bai Xiuming came to pick up Achan from her home. Chen Hui handed over the prepared luggage to him, then held Achan's hand for a while and gave her some instructions before seeing her off.

When the two arrived at Fulai Inn, there were already more than a dozen fully loaded wagons and several horse-drawn carriages parked outside the inn.

The horse pulling the carriage was pure white with reddish mane, looking quite mystical.

When they saw Achan and the others arrive, Lie Xian came out carrying a wooden basin filled with flower petals, and in his other hand he held a willow branch.

Seeing her curious expression, Lie Xian explained, "This is a ritual to pray for blessings and ward off disasters. Our ancestors will bless us so that we can have a safe journey today."

Upon hearing that the ancestors would bless them, Achan immediately cooperated fully. The offerings might be unreliable, but the ancestors were definitely reliable.

She stood there, waiting for the willow branch to be dipped in the water of the flower petals, and then swept over her head and body.

Bai Xiuming wasn't particularly interested in the ancestors of the Liexian clan, but he was still pulled along by Achan and forced to experience the protection ritual of the Wu clan's ancestors.

After the simple ceremony, Lie Xian turned around and shouted, and people began to come down from the second floor.

Just by looking at their appearance, one could tell that these people were of the same clan as Lie Xian. Regardless of gender, they were all tall with deep-set eyes, although the women had fairer skin.

Achan had already met them yesterday. When they saw her, they all greeted her, but ignored Bai Xiuming. Then they lined up and were swept by Lie Xian with willow branches before leaving the inn.

Bai Xiuming and A Chan were assigned to the same carriage, but after they got in, there was no driver in sight.

Once everyone had arrived, Lie Xian, riding at the front of the procession, took a white bone artifact from his waist, put it to his mouth, and blew on it forcefully.

A deep, distant wail sound rang out, and the horses in the caravan started moving along with Lie Xian, who was walking at the front.

Many tourists went out of the city for a spring outing today, and the car queued for quite a while before finally leaving the city.

After traveling for about fifteen minutes, the towering city walls disappeared from sight, and Achan heard that wailing sound again.

This time, the sound was much more urgent. Achan curiously tried to peek out, but the horse pulling the carriage suddenly galloped away. She lurched backward and almost fell, but Bai Xiuming caught her quickly and put her in his arms.

For the rest of the journey, Achan comfortably stayed on her human cushion and refused to move.

She had initially thought that Lie Xian's claim of a fast travel speed was just a little faster, but who knew they were actually flying on the ground.

After traveling all day, with only a short rest along the way, Achan barely managed to get used to the speed. It wasn't until it was completely dark that the caravan stopped in a clearing by the woods.

Achan was carried off the carriage by Bai Xiuming. Although she was sitting on Bai Xiuming's lap and didn't feel too much of a bumpy ride, she was really exhausted after traveling all day.

After the caravan stopped, everyone set up a pot to cook. Lie Xian came over to visit A ​​Chan and, seeing that she was unsteady on her feet, asked with some concern, "Is Miss A Chan alright?"

“I’m fine, Brother Lie, don’t worry.”

Lie Xian nodded hesitantly, clearly not quite believing it.

He turned and left for a while, then returned with a bowl of dark-colored liquid and handed it to Achan: "This is a medicinal tea from our hometown. It can help restore your strength. If you don't mind..."

"Thank you, Brother Lie." Achan did not refuse. She took the bowl of herbal tea, and a fresh, herbal aroma immediately filled her nostrils.

She took a sip, found it tasted good, and then tilted her head back and drank the whole bowl of herbal tea.

Upon seeing this, Lie Xian smiled slightly.

"Brother Lie, where are we now?"

She spent the entire day half-dead in the carriage, only knowing that the journey was incredibly fast, but unaware of where she was.

Lie Xian said, "We have now arrived in Liangzhou. This area is within the territory of Guiku Mountain. This forest is very safe, and we always rest here."

Lie Xian's words puzzled A Chan. What did he mean by saying that this forest was safe?

He exchanged a few more words with Lie Xian, then someone called him from the other side, and he hurriedly left.

After everyone left, Bai Xiuming pinched her chin: "You dare to drink anything."

Ah Chan smacked her lips, savoring the taste, and said, "It's delicious."

"Be careful he doesn't drug you and sell you."

"Isn't it because you're here?" The truth is, Achan knew about medicinal tea.

She also knew that the herbal tea was made from a medicinal fruit that grew in the wilderness, was not common, and was very good for the body.

Seeing his tense expression, Ah Chan pouted and leaned closer to his face: "Want to try some?"

"I won't taste it." Bai Xiuming turned his head away from her approach, but A Chan persisted and pestered him for a while before finally kissing his lips.

"How does it taste?" Achan asked him.

Bai Xiuming lowered his head: "I don't feel anything, try it again."

The two were being all lovey-dovey for a while until a heavy coughing sound rang out. Only then did Achan push Bai Xiuming away, turn her head to look behind him, and see Lie Xing standing not far away.

"Dinner is ready, come and eat."

Lie Xing led the two to a campfire. A Chan and Bai Xiuming each received a bowl of stew, and baked flatbread was placed in a basin, so they could take as much as they wanted.

Achan ate a flatbread and then finished a bowl of stew.

After finishing her meal, Achan sighed softly.

Her resentful aura was so strong that Bai Xiuming asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

I miss Hui Niang.

Although they had only been separated for a day, they were already quite far from the capital. She was already starting to regret not taking Hui Niang with her.

Ah Chan said quietly, "If I hadn't separated from Hui Niang, I might have had roast chicken for dinner tonight."

Bai Xiuming paused for a moment, then immediately understood—he was craving it.

"Not tonight, I'll catch a pheasant for you and roast it tomorrow."

Why not tonight?

"Didn't I just tell you that this is Ghost Cry Mountain?"

"Is there a problem here?" Achan still didn't understand.

Bai Xiuming had no choice but to explain in more detail: "There is a ghost gate sealed in this mountain. Didn't Shang Yin tell you that the original Shang family was built here?"

Shang Yin had never mentioned it. A Chan guessed that he probably didn't know either, since the Shang family had already disappeared by the time he was old enough to understand.

However, she finally understood why Lie Xian said it was safe here. With the Ghost Gate there, no demons or monsters would come near, so it was safe.

Before going to sleep, Ah Chan begged Bai Xiuming to take her for a walk around the neighborhood. There really wasn't a trace left. He only pointed Ah Chan in the direction of the Ghost Gate before taking her back.

After a night's rest, Ah Chan was full of energy again the next day after drinking the herbal tea.

Before dawn, after washing up by the river, the group set off again.

After five days of continuous travel, their group reached the border of the Great Xia Dynasty.

The speed of their journey was truly astonishing. After observing for several days, Bai Xiuming went to discuss a horse deal worth tens of thousands of taels of silver with Lie Xian.

These horses possess the bloodline of Ji Liang, and were specially bred for their purpose of trading in the Great Xia.

In the wilderness, horses are really inconspicuous, but once they entered the Great Xia, every mount had to look like a horse. They did this to adapt to local customs, but they didn't expect to have such a pleasant surprise.

The convoy stopped before it got dark.

After Achan got out of the car, she found that the convoy had stopped outside a village. At the entrance of the village, there was a stone tablet with the words "Bailong Village" written on it.

The closer they got to the border, the more Achan could feel the dryness. It wasn't just the weather that was dry; in many places along the way, there was no water source, and many rivers had dried up.

But this village seemed different. It was surrounded by a small river, and many teenagers were playing and frolicking by the river, creating a lively scene.

The procession seemed to pass through this village frequently; as soon as their convoy stopped, villagers would come out to greet them and warmly invite them into the village to rest.

They were greeted by a middle-aged man named Zhou Huai, who was said to be the son of the village chief of Bailong Village.

This person clearly had no cultivation experience, but he was strong and muscular, and looked only slightly weaker than Liexing and the others. Achan looked at him curiously for several moments.

Zhou Huai was unaware of A Chan's gaze. As he walked, he said to Lie Xian, "Brother Xiao Xian, the house you're staying in has been cleaned up a long time ago. How long will you stay in the village this time? The fabric you brought from the capital last time was so beautiful. My wife even said she wants to buy another piece of fabric for my Yingying to wear on her wedding day."

"No rush. We'll probably rest for three days before setting off again. This afternoon, Brother Zhou can bring his wife and sister-in-law over to choose the materials first. I guarantee they'll all be the best." At this moment, Lie Xian looked more like a businessman.

Zhou Huai's face lit up with joy: "Then thank you very much, Brother Xiao Xian. I'll bring them over after lunch."

The house that Zhou Huai arranged for the caravan was near the edge of the village. Opening the window, you could see the river that surrounded Bailong Village. This row of houses should have been newly built. There was also a well in the open space in front of the house.

Achan and Bai Xiuming entered the room, which was empty except for a bed, a table, chairs and benches, and no other furnishings.

As soon as she entered the house, Achan said to Bai Xiuming, "I want to take a bath!"

After traveling for several days, she felt like she had turned into a little mud figure, and these days she refused to let Bai Xiuming carry her.

"Okay." Bai Xiuming closed the doors and windows, took out Achan's bathtub from his storage bag and arranged it, then took out the bedding and laid it out.

Before the trip, Chen Hui packed A Chan's usual personal items, including bedding and a bathtub.

Anyway, Achan said that Bai Xiuming could be taken along, and she had made very thorough preparations, but Achan didn't have a chance to use them on the way.

After drawing water from the well, Bai Xiuming used his inner energy to heat the water before going out.

He went out for a walk and came back carrying two pheasants.

Villagers along the way greeted him with smiles and chatted with him, showing no signs of alienation.

Bai Xiuming, on the contrary, seemed rather indifferent and did not communicate with them, so gradually no one came forward.

He walked a short distance and saw Lie Xing surrounded by several older women. In one hand he was carrying a basket filled with various fresh seasonal vegetables, and in the other hand he was carrying several plump fish. The fish were still moving and had obviously just been taken out of the water. They must have been caught from the river.

When Lie Xing saw Bai Xiuming, he raised his hand to greet him: "Brother Bai, you went out hunting?"

Bai Xiuming is now considered a major customer of the caravan, and the caravan's attitude towards him has changed very quickly.

Tens of thousands of taels of silver is enough for them to trade for several years. Moreover, the fact that he can buy horses in the capital suggests that this Brother Bai is of high status, and may even be an official.

Although they had no intention of becoming close friends with Bai Xiuming, they knew that having more friends meant having more options, and they couldn't afford to offend him.

Bai Xiuming nodded to him and handed over the two pheasants in his hand: "Achan wants to eat chicken, please have someone make one for you, and the other one is for you."

Lie Xing readily agreed: "Okay, thank you very much, Brother Bai."

After saying that, he lifted the fish he was holding with a straw rope and asked, "Does Miss Achan like to eat fish?"

Bai Xiuming glanced at the fish and refused, "She doesn't eat fish."

“Okay,” Lie Xing muttered under his breath, “A Chan is a bit picky about food.”

Bai Xiuming chuckled and agreed, "She is indeed a picky eater."

Not long after Achan finished showering, Bai Xiuming pushed open the door and came in.

At this moment, Achan was standing by the window, looking towards the river.

Bai Xiuming walked over and stood behind her, gently gathering her still dripping long hair as he asked, "What are you looking at?"

"I'm looking at those children." Achan slightly raised her chin, gesturing for Bai Xiuming to look outside.

Bai Xiuming ran his fingers through her hair, drying it while glancing outside occasionally.

"What's wrong?"

"They looked to be only seven or eight years old, but they were all very healthy."

The children were all dressed in shorts. It was only March, and it was understandable that the children were warm and dressed lightly. However, it was a bit strange that all the children, who were only a few years old, had muscles on their bodies.

Bai Xiuming glanced at it briefly before looking away, and said indifferently, "Perhaps they ate well from a young age."

"What could you eat to get like this?"

"The fish here are very fat."

"Really?" Achan isn't very interested in fish anymore. Ever since she ate the dragon carp, other fish don't even rank in her eyes anymore.

After having stewed chicken for lunch, Achan was in a good mood. When Zhou Huai took his wife and daughter to Lie Xian to choose fabric, she went over to join in the fun.

Accompanying Zhou Huai was a middle-aged woman, his wife Wu, and two young women.

One of the women was slightly shorter and looked very much like Ms. Wu; her appearance was ordinary. The other woman was tall, with fair skin, and was very beautiful.

According to Ms. Wu, the shorter one is her daughter, named Zhou Ying, and the taller one is their adopted daughter, named Zhou Ning.

Both girls have now reached marriageable age, and Zhou Ying recently got engaged.

Zhou Ying has a very cheerful and generous personality. She was not shy when it came to marriage. She seemed to know Lie Xing very well and asked him a lot about his experiences in the capital. Her eyes were full of longing.

Compared to Zhou Ying, Zhou Ning was much more silent.

Although she was more beautiful, she didn't say a word after entering the room and stood in the corner until Zhou Ying called her, at which point she took the initiative to come forward.

Zhou Ying first selected a light green fabric, held it up to Zhou Ning to compare, and asked her, "Ningning, do you like this color?"

Zhou Ning nodded hesitantly.

"Then let's keep this piece of cloth and make new clothes for Ningning." She looked at Madam Wu, as if seeking her opinion, since a piece of cloth is not cheap.

Without hesitation, Madam Wu nodded: "Okay, this color suits Ningning very well."

Afterwards, Lie Xian and the others took out some jewelry, and Wu Shi picked out a pair of silver bracelets, one for each of her daughters.

Achan lost interest after watching for a while. This time, Liexian and his group did not purchase goods from other places. Most of the things they brought were from the capital, which were not new to Achan.

She went outside and saw two stools by the wall, so she chose one and sat down.

Not long after, the girl named Zhou Ning also came out. She stared at A Chan for a while, then came over and sat down next to her.

For some reason, after the girl came over, Achan felt that the surroundings seemed to have become a little cooler.

"My name is Achan, what's your name?" Achan asked her.

"My name is Ningning." Zhou Ning didn't seem to speak often, and her voice was a little hoarse. She fiddled with her fingers while glancing at Achan every now and then.

How old is Ningning this year?

"Sixteen years old." After answering Achan's question, Zhou Ning asked her in return, "And you, how old are you?"

"I am nineteen years old this year."

Zhou Ning looked behind A Chan, his expression seemingly puzzled, as if he didn't believe she was nineteen.

However, Zhou Ning didn't say anything. She fumbled in her sleeve for a while and took out a round piece about half the size of her palm.

The disc was white, like it was made from a polished seashell, and it shimmered with a silvery sheen in the sunlight.

Zhou Ning passed the round piece towards A Chan.

"For me?" Achan asked.

Zhou Ning nodded.

As soon as Achan took the round piece and held it, she felt a coolness envelop her.

It doesn't feel cold, just a damp coolness. It would be very comfortable to hold this in the summer.

Achan looked down at the round piece with surprise. This thing must have some origin, but she didn't recognize it at first.

Just then, Zhou Ying's anxious voice suddenly rang out: "Ningning, where are you?"

Before the words even finished, Zhou Ying had already found it.

When she saw Zhou Ning and A Chan sitting together, her eyes were filled with hostility and wariness as she looked at A Chan: "My sister doesn't like to talk, you haven't been bullying her, have you?"

"Yingying, how can you talk like that?" Wu's voice rang out. She came out and smiled apologetically at Achan. "I'm sorry, Miss. My Yingying didn't mean it. She was just worried about Ningning."

"It's okay, they're really good sisters."

At this moment, Zhou Ying noticed the disc in A Chan's hand and asked her bluntly, "Where did you get that? Is it Ningning's?"

At this moment, Achan's expression turned cold. She raised her eyes, her expression unfriendly: "What, do I have to explain the origin of my things to you?"

Perhaps sensing that Achan looked unapproachable, Wu slapped Zhou Ying: "How dare you speak like that? Apologize right now."

Zhou Ying moved her lips, then reluctantly said, "I'm sorry."

Then he pulled Zhou Ning and quickly walked outside.

"I'm so sorry, my Yingying is overreacting." Madam Wu apologized to Achan again, but her gaze remained fixed on the plate in Achan's hand.

Ah Chan calmly put the plate away and said without any politeness, "Then you'd better teach her some manners, Auntie."

After saying that, she got up and left, ignoring Wu's expression.

Achan returned to her room and found it quiet when she opened the door. She quietly walked to the bedside and saw Bai Xiuming lying on the bed, seemingly fast asleep.

She bent down and touched the tip of his nose with her finger, but he didn't react.

Then she moved her finger to his lips, but before she could move it, he suddenly opened his mouth and lightly bit her fingertip.

Achan was so startled she almost jumped up, and angrily accused, "How could you pretend to be asleep?"

"I wasn't pretending to be asleep, I was just woken up by you."

"Nonsense, I was very gentle."

"Didn't you say you made a big fuss? What did you bring back?" Bai Xiuming asked.

Achan paused for a moment and took out the round piece that Zhou Ning had just given her.

Bai Xiuming stared at the object in surprise: "Dragon scales?"

"These are dragon scales? But the dragon scales I've seen don't look like this." Achan was a little confused, wondering if her memory was wrong.

Bai Xiuming took the round piece, turned it around and looked at it for a while before returning it to Achan: "This is a dragon scale from a young dragon, and... this is a reverse scale."