"These beasts!"

After listening to Lu Qiqi's account, Gu Shaoqing clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he spoke each word clearly.

"Letting them die like this isn't so unfair!"

Gu Shaoqing recalled the cannibalism that was rampant in the border regions many years ago, and at this moment he felt a chill run down his spine.

"Fortunately, the village chief told me to treat my wound in time, otherwise I probably wouldn't have escaped the same fate!"

Lu Qiqi remembered that Gu Shaoqing had been bitten by that child, so just in case, she took out a small white porcelain bottle and handed it to him.

"If you apply this medicine three times a day, it should be fine."

The porcelain bottle contains spiritual spring water. The effects of this spiritual spring water are not only to enhance the efficacy of medicines, but also to suppress some non-extraordinary toxins.

Gu Shaoqing was stunned for a moment, then took the porcelain bottle and thanked her.

"Thank you, Lord Township Head."

Li Changlong recalled the horrifying sight of the dismembered body hanging upside down.

Now I finally understand why Lu Qiqi doesn't want to eat meat.

Such a tragic scene would be enough to make even a grown man lose his appetite, let alone a young girl.

Therefore, his gaze towards Lu Qiqi was filled with heartache.

After finishing their meal and resting for a while, the group resumed their journey.

We had mentioned earlier at the post station that it would take another six hours to reach the next post station.

They traveled for several hours last night, and although it was difficult to travel at night, they were now closer to the post station.

Gu Shaoqing planned to go to the post station early today to rest and recuperate, so that he could prepare to enter the city gate tomorrow.

Lu Qiqi had no objections. Even when she got hungry along the way, she would eat dry biscuits on the carriage or on horseback to fill her stomach.

The group finally arrived at the post station around 3 PM.

"arrive."

Li Changlong shouted into the carriage.

Lu Qiqi lifted the carriage curtain and, with Li Changlong's help, got off the carriage.

After sitting in the carriage for a long time, her bottom ached from the jostling. When they finally arrived at a spacious place, she couldn't help but stretch her neck and back.

"Qiqi, how about we have porridge for dinner?"

In response to Li Changlong's question, Lu Qiqi nodded.

She should have known better than to tell Li Changlong about the dismemberment and hanging upside down incident.

She listened to Li Changlong's worries and reassurances the whole way, but didn't have a chance to go into the space to move around.

It was incredibly uncomfortable to be curled up like that in the carriage.

Lu Qiqi turned around and found the carriage parked in front of the post station gate.

Unlike the previous post stations, this one had a wide-open entrance, and the area in front of it was not desolate at all; in fact, there was even a place where two evergreen plants had been planted in front of the entrance.

"Let's go inside and talk."

After Lu Qiqi finished speaking, she walked into the post station.

The inn we passed by earlier was a civilian inn, but today we are staying at an official inn, and we cannot enter without a travel permit.

As soon as Lu Qiqi entered the post station, a postman came forward and she handed him her travel document.

The courier took the official document and handed it to the postmaster. After a flurry of activity, they were finally able to check in.

Li Changlong closed the door, turned around and saw Lu Qiqi looking around the room. He said, "That courier was quite strange. When I asked him where the kitchen was, he didn't answer and just left without looking back. I was planning to boil some water for you."

Lu Qiqi thought for a moment, "Second brother, tell Gu Shaoqing and the others that they should just eat dry rations today and not disturb the post station workers below."

"Although I, as the head of this village, have a sacred mandate, the border region is not a good place after all."

In their view, being sent here meant they didn't know if they could return, and they were worried about unforeseen circumstances.

Li Changlong nodded, agreeing with her point. "I'll go now."

After he left, Lu Qiqi went to the bedside and saw the yellow stains on the bedding and pillows, as well as the unpleasant smell.

She couldn't help but fan her nose twice with her hand.

Without a doubt, with bedding this filthy, there must be fleas even if there aren't any bugs.

It doesn't feel as good as sleeping in a horse-drawn carriage outside.

However, she has no choice but to stay here for the time being.

After all, she had traveled through the old forest to reach the border.

They had not reached any post stations along the way. If they were to meet with misfortune at the border, given the remoteness of the region and the distance from the emperor, they might be accused of disobeying imperial orders if they submitted a memorial stating that they had never been to the border.

Now that she has registered at the post station, it can be proven that she has been to the border, since the post station's registration books cannot be falsified.

When it was time to eat, the courier delivered the food as scheduled, and Lu Qiqi accepted it and handed over some silver to express her gratitude.

After receiving the money, the courier's expression immediately underwent a complete 365-degree turn, and he told Lu Qiqi to enjoy her meal.

Lu Qiqi carried the food back to the room and casually placed it on the table.

The food had absolutely no meaty smell, but that's normal.

After all, the post stations could only provide food to fill their stomachs, not lavish meals.

But she couldn't tolerate the visible worms on the vegetables, let alone rice infested with black worms.

So she went into the space and cooked herself a pot of mushroom and pheasant soup for a hearty meal.

Gu Shaoqing looked at the green worms on the plate, his face pale.

Those who escort goods are used to living in the open and exposed to the elements.

To his surprise, the food served at the official post station, which he had never set foot in before, was so meager.

It was all for naught that he had held onto a sliver of hope before. Now it seemed better to spend the night outdoors, where he could at least hunt and make a fire.

However, when he thought of Lu Qiqi's worries, he gave up the idea.

Li Changlong returned to his room, saw the dishes, exchanged a glance with Zhou Yi, said nothing, and the two took out some flatbread from their bundles and started eating.

After thanking the courier, Doctor Huang took the tray, while Doctor Luo merely glanced at it and snorted coldly.

"These snobbish bastards are still like this!"

After setting down the food, Doctor Huang handed a piece of flatbread to Doctor Luo and said with a smile, "Luckily, the village chief gave instructions in advance, otherwise we would have suffered a lot after eating this."

Doctor Luo took the cake but didn't take a bite. He simply said, "When you're fleeing famine, you should be grateful to have these things to eat. There's no time to be picky."

Dr. Huang had never experienced the famine, but seeing corpses strewn everywhere along the way, he understood the suffering involved.

So he didn't say another word until he fell asleep.

The next morning, Li Changlong knocked on Lu Qiqi's door.

"Qiqi, get up..."

Before Li Changlong could finish speaking, the door creaked open from the inside by Lu Qiqi.

"Let's go," Lu Qiqi said calmly.

Breakfast was not eaten at the post station, as the water there was murky and undrinkable.

So the group ate some flatbread and water on the road and finished their meal.

After traveling for three hours, the carriage stopped.

Lu Qiqi lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out, immediately seeing the majestic city gate standing tall.

This city gate was the last line of defense for the people of the Great Jin Dynasty.

It is also the responsibility of all the soldiers to guard the border.

Lu Qiqi remembered the original owner's father, Lu Dashan, who had been captured and sent to the border for several years and had not returned to this day.

She guessed that the person was probably already gone.

"Let's go," Lu Qiqi said to Li Changlong.

Border cities are strictly guarded, and both entering and leaving the city are subject to rigorous checks to prevent thieves from causing trouble.

Lu Qiqi handed over the official document. The soldiers guarding the city glanced at her, learned her identity, and then let her pass after a simple bow.