Chapter Five

What happened next was simple. Xingliu, who had finally met his beloved, did not want to miss the opportunity to leave. After his passionate encounter with Feiyu, he packed his belongings and prepared to flee Yanwu Kingdom.

As expected of Xingliu, even when doing something that should be done secretly, he still manages to make it more comfortable.

Actually, he didn't do anything!

Based solely on the principle that "money can make the devil turn the millstone," he spent some silver to have the servants in the Third Prince's mansion help him buy a spacious carriage, along with two spare horses. He then ordered the carriage to be parked in the suburbs for his and Fei Yu's convenience after leaving the capital via the underground passage.

The carriage was naturally furnished with soft quilts and other things that would allow him to sleep well. As for things to pass the time, all he needed was Fei Yu and a little bit of sweet affection.

As for their escape expenses... Previously, when Qin Lei was pursuing Mo Yan, he brought a bunch of jewelry that Mo Yan didn't like, but later Qin Lei gave all of those things to Xing Liu.

There wasn't much to it: a string of pearls the size of a thumb, a luminous pearl, a jade thumb ring... Afterwards, Xingliu always felt something was off. He didn't care for the pearls or the luminous pearl, so it was natural for Qin Lei to give them to him. But what about the thumb ring? Was it lost by mistake? Or did Qin Lei just consider the thumb ring a useless decoration?

It doesn't matter whether they were lost by mistake or not. Xingliu sold them all and used the money to travel expenses to settle down in Xia Yu Kingdom with Feiyu.

Actually, it wasn't all true. At least Xingliu didn't sell the luminous pearl, because Qinlei had said that Feiyu liked it quite a bit... Besides, Xingliu wasn't foolish enough to say goodbye to Feisheng, Moyan, and the others before leaving. He wouldn't do something as stupid as alerting the enemy. Who knew if the unpredictable Qinlei would stop them at the last minute and make them experience the feeling of their love being thwarted?

However, Xingliu's previous plan to get rid of Qinlei did not stop.

Before leaving, he left two letters on the table in the room. One was for Feisheng, only mentioning that they would meet again. The other was for Moyan, which had no words on it, only a painting.

The painting depicts several lotus flowers and a pair of mandarin ducks cuddling together, with green mountains and white clouds in the distance and the sun shining brightly... Xingliu believes that based on Moyan's understanding of him and his trust in Moyan, Moyan will be able to understand the meaning of the painting.

After finishing everything, Mo Yan put on her shoes and socks again, and slowly and affectionately walked out of Yanwu Capital through the tunnel with Fei Yu, hand in hand.

Before leaving, he and Fei Yu looked closely at Yanwu Capital outside the city, the place where they grew up. They probably would never come back for the rest of their lives, never again.

"Man proposes, God disposes; God disposes, so it's better not to do anything at all," Xingliu sighed.

It wasn't that they had encountered anything major that made Xingliu sigh like this. Rather, it was because he and Feiyu were both pampered children, and their successful escape from Yanwu Kingdom last time was entirely due to Moyan's help.

This time, Xingliu didn't learn from the lesson of last time at all.

He packed his valuables, brought plenty of clothes, and even moved several brocade quilts to the carriage. He also took his pass token and didn't forget to exchange some loose silver and a few strings of copper coins for easy use on the road. He even remembered to prepare two extra horses so that they wouldn't get exhausted while traveling.

But no matter how much he planned, neither he nor Fei Yu had thought of bringing food and water, let alone fodder for the horses.

The horses were doing alright; at least they ate wild grass by the roadside and drank water from the stream. The two of them could drink the water and catch fish... but they didn't know how to roast them, so they had to put the fish back into the stream. Catching them was the same as not catching them at all.

Both of them were quite naive, thinking that after leaving the capital, there would be inns or similar establishments along the way that would provide food, and that they could simply eat and stay overnight at an inn and leave Yanwu Kingdom smoothly.

Sure enough, less than an hour after leaving the capital, they came across an inn. Since neither of them was hungry, they didn't stop to eat.

Looking back, this was the beginning of all the tragedy.

For the next three days, they did not see any more inns.

The luminous pearl, which was used to light up the night on the first night, had become a target for anger on the second night when people were hungry and going to bed hungry. It can only be described as a miracle that it was not smashed.

On the third day, the horse, which still had plenty of wild grass and water to eat and was still plump and strong, became the object of the two men's covetousness.

However, after a certain conversation, the two gave up the idea of ​​slaughtering the horse.

'Let's slaughter one and eat it.' Xingliu looked at the horse, his eyes gleaming with an unnatural light.

"Eat it raw?" Fei Yu asked calmly.

'Let's roast it and eat it.'

"What will you use as firewood, the carriage?" Fei Yu asked with a laugh, patting Xing Liu's head. He still had patience for his starving lover.

"You can go chop wood." Xingliu's voice trailed off.

For the first time in his life, he was at a loss and helpless in the face of adversity. It was not a good situation for him to think positively. Starvation can kill people. To be carrying a huge sum of money and then starve to death would be a laughing stock for all time.

"Xingliu, we didn't bring any knives, so we can't even kill a horse," Feiyu reminded her with a smile.

Xingliu fell silent. What else could he do but remain silent? Scream? If it would have been useful, he would have already done so.

"Didn't you walk this path before?" After a long silence, Fei Yu couldn't help but ask.

Although he was gentle and patient, and unwilling to hurt Xingliu's feelings, everyone has their breaking point. Unfortunately, it was at this very moment, in this very situation.

'You mean the time you ran away with Moyan?' Xingliu paused for a moment, then began to interpret what Feiyu was saying.

Fei Yu nodded, trying her best to smile calmly, but unfortunately, she was too hungry, and her smile remained weak and listless.

'We've been eating dry rations the whole way. I always thought it was because Moyan wanted to save time...' Xingliu said leisurely.

Fei Yu's expression was stiff. After a long while, the two of them sighed together.

If there is a next time, two delicate people should never travel together when fleeing a disaster; it could lead to death.

Fortunately, on the afternoon of the third day, the two spotted the inn. Seeing the bright red characters in the distance, they immediately decided to spur their horses on and gallop as if they would starve to death if they were any slower.

After entering the inn, the two of them naturally ordered a bunch of dishes and ate like crazy, swallowing all the food they hadn't eaten in the past three days. They had never eaten so badly in their lives.

Neither Xingliu nor Feiyu were stupid. Having learned from past mistakes, they naturally worked hard to buy dry rations, and even bought a lot of feed for the horses.

After the two set off with peace of mind, they were shocked to discover something – there were inns along the way.

As they walked towards the border, Xingliu and Feiyu realized that they would not encounter any inns on the journey, except for the first two days. Every day after that, they would pass by at least one inn, and if they were lucky, they would also pass through markets and towns, so finding a clean room to get a good night's sleep would not be a problem.

The entire truckload of dry rations was neither tasty nor worth throwing away; they should have hired a guide before setting off.

What made the two of them faint even more was that when they had their last meal before leaving Yanwu Kingdom at the border, they started chatting with the merchants at the next table.

The two were shocked to realize that they had taken the wrong path from the start! Fortunately, after many twists and turns, they still managed to reach the border without dying on the way or being captured by bandits... Of course, they didn't know that it was because they got lost that the pursuers sent by Chin Lei couldn't find them.

Regardless of the journey, they had reached the border. Xia Yu Kingdom was not far away once they left the city gate, but Cheng Yaojin was guarding the city gate.

Qin Lei sent many pursuers to catch the two of them. The reason was not Fei Yu's identity, but because Qin Lei was dissatisfied with being tricked by Xing Liu and wanted to take the opportunity to get back at him.

Of course, Qin Lei was unaware of Mo Yan's actions; otherwise, the young couple would have had another argument.

Mo Yan's lack of knowledge was certainly not a good thing for Xing Liu, but it wasn't a terrible thing either. In any case, they eventually left the pass and headed towards their ideal home, Xia Yu Kingdom.

Despite the circumstances... after a hearty meal, Xingliu, carrying his very useful gold medal, climbed into his carriage, which was padded with a pile of soft brocade blankets, and prepared to leave Yanwu Kingdom with blissfully squinting eyes.

Xingliu was thinking about finding a place to sell the gold medal after he left the pass. Even if he sold it as gold, he could get a lot of silver. Maybe his and Feiyu's future happy life would depend on this gold medal.

The city guard took the gold medal, glanced at Fei Yu, then at Xing Liu, then back at Fei Yu's face, staring intently at Xing Liu before finally shouting, "Fugitive!"

The two were immediately surrounded by guards, and everyone was on high alert. Only Xingliu and Feiyu exchanged a smile.

What good will it do if I don't smile? I've already been arrested, am I supposed to cry in front of them? That's such a waste of tears.

Besides, it's really funny! Just like every scene, they don't encounter any pursuers along the way, and even if they do, they can escape. But at the crucial moment, just when they are about to escape, the pursuers will inevitably appear, they will inevitably be surrounded, and the plot will reach its climax... How can they not laugh at such a scene?

"You! Yes, it's you. Come and give me back the gold medal. I was thinking of pawning it!" Xingliu waved to the guard holding the gold medal, her bright and beautiful face beaming with joy.

The guard timidly returned the gold medal, his hurried manner making Xingliu think that he had three heads and six arms, and that he might reveal his venomous fangs and bite people to death at any time.

"Excuse me, where is the notice announcing our arrest? May I take a look?" Fei Yu asked in a polite tone.

He was genuinely curious about the reason for arresting him and Xingliu. He had been demoted to a commoner and banished from the palace, and Xingliu's indenture had been burned and he was free. Neither of them had killed anyone or set any fires. Could it be that the reason for their arrest was fabricated?

The guards delivered the notice with trepidation, trembling all over as they went; they looked like new recruits who had never been on the battlefield.

The notice that depicted their faces was written more simply than Fei Yu had imagined. There was no explanation; it simply contained two words written in vermilion: "Fugitive."

It is so simple and concise that it has reached an incredible level.

"So you're going to take us away?" Xingliu asked knowingly.

The nervous guards could do nothing but nod.

"But I don't want to be caught by you, what should I do?" Xingliu asked the guard with a charming tilt of her head.

This caused everyone to swallow hard.

'What should we do?' Xingliu's desolate charm moved everyone in the audience.

Just then, with a clang, the guard who had just won the gold medal froze. The knife in his hand, which should have been tough and sharp, was lightly touched by Xingliu and instantly shattered into pieces of broken iron.

"Oh, how scary!" Xingliu used his special skill, and after a cry of surprise, tears welled up in his eyes, making people feel sorry for him.

Xingliu turned and hid in Feiyu's arms, but her fingertips stretched out and flicked the blade of another guard's sword... and it broke again!

He cried out in surprise again, as if the guards had deliberately broken the blades to frighten him. In the midst of the cry, Xingliu flicked his long fingers wildly. The seemingly chaotic movements touched the blades of the guards standing in front of him one by one, and the blades shattered at his touch.

Everyone was stunned. Once could be a coincidence, but twice? And what about all those broken swords on the ground? Could they have encountered a martial arts master?

Oh! How terrifying! They all have wives and children, those who are unmarried have childhood sweethearts, and everyone has elderly parents. They don't want to die! Dying for a random notice is just too much of a waste.

Xingliu wiped away her tears and looked at the guards with a calm and collected smile, a smile that was extremely sinister and bloodthirsty.

Apart from Fei Yu, no one in the arena could resist turning pale at Xing Liu's smile; it seemed they had offended someone they shouldn't have.

Anyone with even a little martial arts knowledge knows that for a knife to shatter like this, it must be caused by a powerful internal energy surge.

"I think we've never met before!" Xingliu suddenly said, his smile unwavering—a terrifying smile indeed!

Fei Yu smiled but remained silent, gazing tenderly at the person he loved. In this drama, there was no need for him to appear; he could simply watch obediently.

"Since we weren't here, and you didn't see us, then you haven't failed in your duties, and we didn't attack the guards. Don't you agree?" Xingliu grinned, his expression conveying a sense of danger, as if he intended to strike anyone who dared to shake their head.

Upon hearing that the beautiful woman's words were feasible, the guards nodded vigorously, fearing that if they didn't agree quickly, the finger that the woman had just tapped on the knife would strike them.

If even a blade can shatter into pieces, how could their bones not be broken? Broken like that, even if they survived, they would be in excruciating pain! Who in the world is truly unafraid of pain?

"I was blind to your greatness. I wish you both a safe journey." The leading low-ranking official bowed and stepped aside to make way.

Seeing that their leader was already like this, and that Xingliu was so terrifying, the guards hurriedly made way for him, pretending they hadn't seen Xingliu and Feiyu.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Xingliu leaned back and lay on the quilt, ready to sleep. Feiyu nodded and smiled gently at everyone, then drove off into the distant unknown.

'I didn't know your internal energy was so strong.'

After leaving Yanwu Kingdom for some distance, Fei Yufang spoke in his usual gentle tone to Xingliu, who was lying in the car with his eyes open, looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

"I don't know either," Xingliu said with a cheeky laugh.

Fei Yu looked into Xing Liu's eyes and saw a pair of slightly furrowed brows. With just that, Xing Liu, who deeply loved Fei Yu, would obediently reveal the truth.

There's no way around it; everyone is vulnerable in front of the person they love, and Xingliu is no exception. Besides, Xingliu's love for Feiyu is no less than anyone else's.

'Do you really think I can sleep for ten hours a day? Who can do that?!'

Xingliu pouted and pretended to complain that Feiyu didn't care about him enough, and didn't even know if he was really asleep or not.

Fei Yu was smart enough not to respond. He gently stroked Xing Liu's forehead with his warm hands, carefully brushing away a few strands of hair that had fallen across Xing Liu's forehead. When facing a spoiled child, a hug and a caress are more effective than any words.

"Before, when I couldn't sleep and couldn't get out of bed, I had to find something to do. During the day, you were there to keep me company, or it would be easy to find a book to read or someone to play chess with. But the nights are long and everyone is asleep, so of course I'm bored," Xingliu muttered.

Xingliu kept refusing to get to the point, only rubbing against Feiyu and begging her to give him more affection.

Fei Yu understood Xing Liu's thoughts, so she let the horse run on its own and lay down next to Xing Liu, wrapping one arm around his slender waist and gently stroking his fair, smooth face with the other.

Little did they know that it was precisely because they often let their horses run on their own that they ended up wandering through countless twists and turns, unable to find an inn to eat at.

"I used to study dance, and my teacher often praised my talent, saying I was the best student she had ever taught. She said that to dance well, besides practicing dance, one also needs to practice martial arts so that one's body can remain flexible and one's breath can be long enough to perform many difficult moves in one breath. So she taught me martial arts."

When Xingliu mentioned his mentor who had taken great care of him back then, there was a sense of nostalgia in his tone.

Even when he was later bullied by the perverted old emperor, and his master never tried to save him, Xingliu could understand why. Even today, when he mentions his master's kindness, he still remembers it deeply.

"She not only taught me martial arts, but also internal energy cultivation techniques. I started practicing when I was seven years old. I was originally more interested in external martial arts, but I was inconsistent with internal martial arts. Later, I got bored because I couldn't get out of bed, so I had to practice internal martial arts!" Xingliu said innocently.

It seems that his profound internal strength today was not his own doing, but rather the result of being framed by a villain... 'Then he shouldn't be that strong,' Fei Yu pondered for a moment and asked calmly.

"But I actually sleep for less than three hours a day. The rest of the time I spend lying in bed is spent practicing!" Xingliu said so innocently, as if practicing internal energy was no different from sleeping for him.

"This could be considered a blessing in disguise." Fei Yu, true to her nature, always manages to think the best of things. "Yes! If I hadn't been punished by being forbidden from getting out of bed, how would I have met you?" Xing Liu said sweetly.

Fei Yu smiled faintly and took the initiative to kiss Xing Liu's flower-like cheek.

'We're out of the pass!' Xingliu's smile, which seemed to have a hint of wickedness, seemed to come from somewhere.

"Hmm." Fei Yu had no doubts and responded very naturally.

'Let's find a place to celebrate tonight!' Xingliu shifted slightly, getting so close to Feiyu that they were only a finger's width apart.

Fei Yu smiled but remained silent, her face flushed.

He now understood the meaning of "star flow".