Sun Tiantian said gratefully, "This servant is extremely grateful." Sun Tiantian was tall and slender, with a healthy and athletic figure, even taller than Li Xi. Li Xi gestured that she was about 180 cm tall, taller than most adult men. Her appearance and name were completely unrelated, creating a striking contrast. To make it easier for her to travel, Li Xi took her to a clothing store and bought her two sets of men's clothing, so she could dress as a man like her.
After changing their clothes, the other three women's eyes lit up. Their righteous and imposing aura made Li Xi envious; their power was somewhat intimidating. In modern internet slang, they were "man-slaying and woman-slaying." Li Xi, however, possessed a masculine appearance, yet looked dashing in women's clothing. These two women made Meng Zhelan appear bright and charming, while Ling'er was gentle and lovely.
Led by Sun Tiantian, the four went to the blacksmith shop. Li Xi prepared to select some handy weapons. The journey was long and full of unknowns, so it was always good to prepare more.
The blacksmith at the entrance, hammer in hand, dressed in coarse cloth, his face tanned and covered in sweat, a cloth belt around his waist from which hung a string of tools, heated a block of iron in the furnace. Once red-hot, he struck it with the hammer, letting it cool before returning it to the furnace to heat again, striking it repeatedly… Li Xi watched, mesmerized. This traditional craft was rarely seen nowadays. The collision of power and sparks revealed to her a primal, direct fusion of strength and beauty. This craft embodied humanity's direct manipulation and control of materials, using skilled hands and high-temperature flames to deform and fuse metal, creating new forms and functions.
The blacksmith shop assistant interrupted Li Xi's reverie: "Gentlemen, what would you like to buy?" Li Xi asked him, "Shop assistant, do you have any swords or daggers on hand?"
The waiter led the group into the main hall. "Sirs, please take a look. Master Zhang's craftsmanship is the best in our county. These are all made from the finest iron. If you have time, you can tell Master Zhang your requirements, and he will forge the most suitable one for you."
Li Xi picked up a sword and brandished it a few times. Actually, she didn't know if it was good or not; she just wanted a weapon that felt comfortable in her hand and suited her body. After trying a few, she finally chose a scalpel, a sword, and four daggers, which cost fifteen taels of silver. Li Xi handed one of the daggers to Sun Tiantian and asked her to try it out and see if she could wield it.
Sun Tiantian took the knife, twisted her wrist, and chopped a few times in the air, saying, "It's similar to a wood-chopping knife, just a bit heavier." She had been chopping wood at her neighbor's house for over half a year, but she accidentally broke the knife, which is why the housekeeper had asked her to go out and deliver goods. She didn't know why, but she always broke the broom while sweeping and ruined her clothes while washing them.
After listening to Sun Tiantian's words, Li Xi realized that she didn't know how to use her power or how to control it. He would teach her when he had the chance. The group bought some food at the market; they didn't need anything else, and the carriage couldn't carry more.
As dusk approached, the group searched for an inn to stay overnight. Sun Tiantian was indeed as strong as an ox; she carried a bucket of hot water in each hand and walked briskly without even panting. She made several trips back and forth, preparing hot water for Li Xi and the others, conscientiously doing the work of a maid. Li Xi told her not to be too reserved; this straightforward girl was hardworking and a true expert at rough work.
Whenever Li Xi stayed overnight, she liked to sample the local cuisine. The four of them ordered eight dishes, and Li Xi and Sun Tiantian devoured more than half of them, especially Sun Tiantian, who ate eight bowls of rice. Li Xi thought to herself, "No wonder the restaurant owner wanted to make a move; this appetite is truly astonishing."
Meng Zhelan looked at Sun Tiantian and laughed, "Tiantian, you can eat even more than Xi'er! That's great. Seeing you two eating makes me eat too much without even realizing it." Tiantian picked at her fingers a little embarrassedly, realizing she had accidentally eaten too much again and was a little afraid that her master would dislike her.
Ling'er patted Tian Tian's shoulder, "It's okay, you can eat as much as you want, our Boss Meng will provide for our food and drink without any problem," Ling'er smiled and looked at Meng Zhelan. "Ling'er, you've learned to tease me now," Meng Zhelan said with a smile.
As Ling'er traveled further and further away from home, she became increasingly cheerful. Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, Sun Tiantian felt relieved. Perhaps this was the best place for her...
After dinner, Li Xi walked to the night market to digest, as usual. She liked the night market culture; the aroma of food, the vendors' calls, and the noisy chatter were all part of life.
Before long, the group returned to the inn to rest, and the brief relaxation brought them joy. In her previous life, Li Xi liked to stroll through the night market when she felt irritable; the lively atmosphere of everyday life could calm her down.
With Sun Tiantian joining them, Li Xi and she took turns being the coachman. During the day, they would usually run for two hours and then stop to let the horses rest and replenish their food. After resting for an hour, they would continue on their way. After another two hours, they would let the horses rest again, and after traveling for a little over an hour, they would find a village nearby to stay overnight. They would then continue on their way early the next morning.
After five consecutive days of this intensity, the horses were starting to tire. So Li Xi and the others went into the city, spent some money to exchange for three more horses at the horse shop, increasing their horsepower. This made them even faster, allowing them to travel an extra fifty li each day. Fortunately, there were no restrictions on the specifications of horse-drawn carriages in the Jingyuan Dynasty.
During his months here, Li Xi couldn't help but marvel at the strength of this dynasty, which didn't have many rules and regulations that restricted ordinary people.
Every five days, Li Xi would go back to the city to buy more horses, which significantly improved their efficiency. The Jingyuan Road was wide and smooth, with clear landmarks, so there was no fear of getting lost. After traveling at a brisk pace for twenty or thirty days, the group finally arrived at Shitou Village, still thirty li from the capital city gates. It was already dark, and the horses were too tired to run any further, so they decided to stay at a nearby inn to rest before heading into the city the next day.
The exhausted horse, led to the stable by the waiter, became excited and ran to the water trough to drink, taking a while to recover. Li Xi and her companions were also exhausted these past few days, traveling every day, eating, drinking, and sleeping irregularly. They were all pale, smelly, and covered in dust. Now, they were starving, so they asked the waiter to quickly bring several dishes, which they all ate in silence.
Only when there was not a drop of food left in the bowls and dishes did the four of them put down their chopsticks, let out a long sigh, and feel completely satisfied. The four returned to their room, quickly washed up, lay down, and fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow.
Inside the inn, the others were still drinking and making merry, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere. They discussed which wealthy family had taken a concubine, which family had kept a mistress, which young master had spent tens of thousands of taels of silver to book the most beautiful courtesan at Chunfeng Tower, which son had passed the imperial examination, and whether their own children were living up to their expectations. If Li Xi were there, she would definitely have ordered some tea and snacks and eavesdropped; listening to gossip was her way of calming herself. However, she was fast asleep, and no matter how noisy it was downstairs, it didn't wake her.
After midnight, everyone was sound asleep. Suddenly, several screams pierced the night, waking those who were light sleepers. Stepping out of their rooms, they saw swords flashing and fighting raging in the downstairs living room. Terrified, they fled back into their rooms, bracing the doors. A group of burly men wielding large knives rushed upstairs, kicking open doors as they searched for the missing people. Li Xi, a deep sleeper, was sensitive to the sounds of clashing weapons. She quickly went to find the other three, grabbed one of them, and jumped out of the window. She repeated this three times, bringing all three downstairs and hiding them in a haystack.
He handed the long sword to Sun Tiantian and told them to be careful. Li Xifei climbed a tree to keep watch; his position was perfect for observing the scene inside the guest hall. A burly man dressed in flashy clothes was clashing swords with eight or nine men in identical uniforms.
A man in a dark blue brocade robe was trying to help a bright-eyed girl escape, but they were surrounded by burly men from behind, leaving them trapped. The men who had gone upstairs earlier were carrying a large pile of bundles and had driven all the guests down to the first-floor reception area. Luckily, Li Xi and her companions had already taken their bags, otherwise they would have suffered heavy losses. The innkeeper, the waiters, and the guests were all forced into a corner by the men…
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