Even though both of them had left, they wouldn't just abandon Li Yuan by the roadside. They struggled to help him to lie down beside the dense forest before trudging into the woods.
After the three left, two figures landed lightly on a tree ten meters away.
"Why go through all that trouble to see him?" Yue Chen looked in the direction Li Zheng had left with dissatisfaction, and cracked his fists in frustration.
He came to see him. Yes, the only person Yue Chen cared about was him.
"Of course I had to come and see. It's finally time to check the results." Hua Cai smiled mischievously. "Seeing them in a bad mood makes me feel much better."
Yue Chen was helpless.
Well, even though he was sure that the woman in front of him really didn't care about that man anymore, he still couldn't stand her.
Thinking about how this fierce woman, now baring her teeth and brandishing her claws, used to be so gentle and submissive in front of Li Zheng, she felt a burning rage.
No, I won't feel at ease until I give them a good beating.
Yue Chen gazed intently into the direction of the dense forest, pondering his plan. Suddenly, he felt something touch his leg. Thinking it was Hua Cai causing trouble, he grabbed it without thinking, only to find it was cold and slippery.
He quickly flung the object in his hand away, took two steps back, and saw that Hua Cai was holding a snake in her hand. The long snake body was struggling in mid-air, and its cold scales were gleaming in the moonlight.
Yue Chen held back the word "be careful" but didn't say it out loud. When he saw Hua Cai looking over because of his movement, he finally spoke up: "Where did you get this snake from?"
They arrived empty-handed, with nothing at all.
"I just scratched you." Hua Cai proudly waved her hand, showing the snake in her hand to Yue Chen.
Yue Chen silently turned his head away.
Why do I suddenly get goosebumps all over my body?
Hua Cai gave Yue Chen a shushing sound, tiptoed silently to a spot not far from Li Yuan, and placed the snake on the ground.
As soon as the snake landed, it quickly fled. Hua Cai grinned, her small mouth slightly open, and an invisible sound wave spread out. The snake, which was slithering on the ground, paused for a moment, then instantly changed direction and crawled away in a distant direction.
"Let's go." Hua Cai returned to her original spot, not intending to watch any longer, and pulled Yue Chen back to camp.
These three are far behind; even with their lightness skills, it would take them some time to get back.
The two had only been gone a moment when Li Yuan's heart-wrenching screams rang out, and Li Zheng and his companion, who had just entered the woods, immediately rushed out.
When the three of them, relying on tree bark and wild vegetables, finally reached their first village, before they could even feel excited, they received a shocking piece of news.
Over the past two days, the Yue army has been advancing day and night, sweeping through three cities in quick succession and heading towards the capital.
In two days and two nights, three cities were captured in succession. Taking into account the time spent traveling, the defenders were almost helpless against the enemy.
Li Zheng's heart sank; Jin Baozhu actually wanted to destroy his Li Kingdom.
He cannot afford to lose the country; he must find the Golden Pearl as quickly as possible to salvage the situation.
He needs a fast horse, but they are penniless and have no money to buy one.
The Vietnamese army is moving so fast; the palace might be breached before they even arrive.
Li Zheng was anxious, and Li Yuan was anxious too. After a whole day, the two still hadn't come up with a solution, so they finally turned their attention to Zhao Qinglian.
Completely defenseless, Zhao Qinglian was sold to the village chief of this small village for one night, in exchange for only one tael of silver and a special oxcart to take them to the nearest city.
The next morning, the Li brothers carried the unconscious, bruised and battered Zhao Qinglian into a carriage.
Looking at Zhao Qinglian's pale face, Li Zheng and the other man no longer showed pity, but rather longing and hope for returning to Lidu.
After the first time, the two seemed to have decided on this way of making money quickly, and even though Zhao Qinglian was now a burden in their eyes, they still took her along.
They had hoped that once they arrived in the city, they could quickly raise enough money to buy fast horses. They had never bought horses before, but they were surprised to find that even the most ordinary horses cost one hundred taels of silver.
One hundred taels of silver—Li Zheng and Li Yuan had never realized that one hundred taels was such a huge sum. They would casually reward a palace maid or tip a waiter, sometimes for more than that amount. Now, however, it had become a mountain blocking their way.
The two rented the cheapest thatched hut in the corner of the city, which provided them with a place to stay. However, the hut was too small, and whenever "guests" came, Li Zheng and the other person could only stay at the door.
No one knows what the village chief did that night, but after Zhao Qinglian woke up, she became somewhat mentally unstable, refusing to let anyone get close to her, and sometimes even self-harming.
However, this had no effect on either of them; Zhao Qinglian's strength was no threat at all.
But her good fortune didn't last long. When a guest came, Zhao Qinglian suddenly went mad, which enraged the visitor, who slapped her face so hard it swelled up.
A disfigured face can no longer earn money until it heals.
They gagged and tied Zhao Qinglian, who was acting like a madwoman, and tied her up inside the house. Li Zheng and the other man sat at the door thinking about their future plans when they heard similar news that they had been hearing every day recently.
The Vietnamese army has captured another city.
The image of the valiant and invincible female general that everyone talks about makes me feel dazed every time I hear about the two of them.
That woman, who was as obedient to Li Zheng as a canary in a cage, actually had this side to her.
"Tsk tsk tsk, yeah, I've never heard of a woman leading troops into battle, let alone being so capable." One person exclaimed in amazement.
"Hey, you don't know this. Like father, like daughter. A woman filled with hatred can be terrifying. Just look at this female general." An old man, lounging in a chair and basking in the sun, sighed upon hearing this.
"Old Master Liu knows? Your son works in our county magistrate's office, so he must know a lot of information. Tell us about it." As soon as one of the men spoke, he seemed to recognize an authority in the gossip world and quickly went back inside to brew a pot of tea and hand it to him.
The old man accepted it without a second thought, took a leisurely sip, and smacked his lips: "This female general's identity is extraordinary. Do you still remember the arrest warrant issued by the emperor three years ago? It was issued in every city of the entire Li Kingdom."
"Absolutely, that's the biggest event in our little town in recent years."
"That female general is the person on that wanted poster, the daughter of Caishen Jinyin, and the former Imperial Noble Consort Jin Baozhu. When the Yue Kingdom army attacked, that female general stayed in the county magistrate's mansion for two hours." The old man proudly reported the inside story.
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