Chapter 28: Mud Swamp

"Look! There's a rainbow!"

Qin Xiangning squatted on the big rock outside the cave with her knees hugged. She looked up and saw the colorful light flashing in the sky. She hurried back to the cave, took Qin Xiangnuan's hand and took her to see it.

Her sweet voice made everyone put down what they were holding and run outside to admire the long-lost beautiful scenery.

The General's Mansion, fully equipped, moved forward once more. Wang Qiang opened the sheepskin map in his hand and pointed to a red dot. "Look, Miss Third, at this rate, we'll be out of Savage Valley in two or three days."

"us?"

Qin Xiangnuan felt that there was something strange in Wang Qiang's voice. She slowed down her pace and looked at him with a puzzled expression as if he was hiding something.

Her gaze fell on the heavy bag, and she narrowed her eyes, as if guessing what was going on, and asked, "You want to follow us?"

Wang Qiang nodded heavily. "I've already brought everything in the room, including the things and food that could be used! I won't cause you any trouble on the way. Miss, please leave me behind and let me be your scout."

"Brother Wang, think carefully. We are exiled to a bitter and cold borderland. We are not here to enjoy ourselves."

Qin Xiangnuan was a little confused about Wang Qiang's thoughts.

Logically speaking, he lived near the Savage Valley, with no worries about food and drink, which was far better than being displaced. As he said, Qin Guang only showed him a favor and pointed out a way. How could that be worth him giving up everything to follow and protect him?

"Father has been stripped of his military power. He's now just a commoner. We're going to the border, presumably to find a piece of land, do down-to-earth farm work, and live an ordinary life. If you follow us, you'll have no future, and you won't get any official position in the future." Qin Xiangnuan lowered her voice, but picked out the most unpleasant and blunt words to say, "The emperor is extremely suspicious. The general's mansion... has no future, and I won't let father think about any way to turn things around."

Wang Qiang was stunned when he heard this, but he quickly understood what she meant. He raised three fingers with an embarrassed look on his face. "I understand everything you said! I never thought that I would gain any benefit from protecting you on the road. General Qin is my benefactor. For these years, I lived in the Savage Valley in a daze, never knowing what I wanted to do. Meeting you, perhaps it was fate, gave me the desire to repay you and the things I wanted to do."

"Even if it's farming, I can help. Fertilizing and watering, I can do it all!"

Wang Qiang's voice became a little high due to his impatience. The people on the road ahead kept looking back at him. Qin Xiangnuan looked straight into his eyes. One can read people's hearts through their eyes, so what he said was not a lie.

"Well, you've made up your mind. I can only thank you here."

"Just now you said that it would take two or three days to get out. You are not familiar with the road behind here, right?"

Qin Xiangnuan was extremely intelligent and quickly found the key to the problem.

Wang Qiang didn't evade the question, but nodded frankly, pointing to the winding path ahead. "I only hunt on the west side, occasionally stepping on that rock. I've seen the terrain of the canyon on the east side of Savage Valley, but I've never been there. I really don't know what's there..."

The creatures in the Savage Valley were very ferocious, and Qin Xiangnuan couldn't help but become alert.

Since the group of wild wolves were so skinny, it proved that there were creatures in this valley that were more powerful than them, so they could not catch prey.

"How much tinder and saltpeter have you got? Divide them among them, and let each man have some."

"Mom, Second Aunt, you should also take some. If you encounter danger, just throw it out and shout for help."

Qin Xiangnuan said this worriedly, with a bad feeling in her heart.

Hoping her premonition was wrong, Qin Xiangnuan looked at the hillside in front of her, her eyes moved slightly, and she pointed to an open space and said, "Let's take a break first, and then we can continue our journey later!" While everyone was eating their dry food and taking a breath, Qin Xiangnuan walked to a secluded corner, quietly closed her eyes, and walked into the space.

In the familiar space, Qin Xiangnuan looked around for things that could be of use.

She picked up the two exquisite pistols and placed them in her palms. After thinking about it, she put them back where they belonged.

"Silver needles? Darts? These can all be used..." Qin Xiangnuan carefully selected small weapons and put them in her arms as if searching for something. "Bring some candy back to Beibei. The nights have been cold these past few days, so she needs to eat some meat to build up her strength. Bring some dried meat too."

Qin Xiangnuan came back with the things contentedly and secretly put them into her luggage.

When they set off again, Qin Feng patted the bag on his back, scratched his head innocently, and muttered to himself, "Why do I feel like this bag is getting heavier? Is it because I'm weak lately?"

"Maybe, cousin, you can't even compare to your second uncle now."

When Qin Xiangnuan heard him say this, she quickly raised the corner of her lips and deliberately changed the subject.

Qin Feng was simple-minded and was quickly fooled by her into forgetting his suspicious thoughts. He clapped his arms, showing off his bronzed muscles and said, "How is that possible! Dad is already old, and I always give in to him. If we really compare, he can't beat me."

"Even my uncle can only knock me down within a hundred moves."

Hearing him bragging like that, Qin Yi said with a smile, "You're really promising. Are you satisfied with just a hundred moves?"

"Of course! If you let Qin Xiangsong go, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to even hold up a finger!"

Qin Feng replied with his neck stiffened. Everyone in the general's mansion burst into laughter because of his words, and the atmosphere became relaxed and cheerful.

The group did not delay and covered several miles in half a day.

There were no accidents on the road, and the smooth and easy journey made Qin Xiangnuan feel uneasy.

"Cousin, do you feel that this journey is a bit tiring?"

Qin Feng took two steps, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and took a difficult step. "I always feel like something is pulling me down. I can't move forward!" He shook his head and looked around. He lowered his voice and said stealthily, "Could it be something... scary?"

"But I heard that it's easiest to be blinded in deep mountains and forests like this."

Qin Xiangnuan is a staunch atheist, and she has no way to explain the matter of time travel.

But at the moment, she rolled her eyes and replied loudly, "I think the dry food my cousin ate at noon was wasted. Why are you complaining about the journey when you don't have enough energy?"

"Nuannuan, I also feel like something is wrong."

Qin Yi stopped for a moment, staring at his legs, and found that his whole body was sinking slowly.

"wrong!"

Qin Xiangnuan saw his movements, looked down at her feet, and shouted in surprise, "Hurry up, everyone run to the black ground ahead, don't stay here, this is a swamp!!"