After they left, the carriage continued on its way. Lu Fengjun said happily, "They said that the Western Regions won a battle and slaughtered the leader of the cannibalistic and ferocious barbarians. Those barbarians were crippled and can't do anything."
How long ago?
"In just the last day or two, those people planned to launch a surprise attack while the Western Regions were celebrating a wedding, but they were captured instead. It's truly gratifying."
"What happy event is it?" My heart was pounding. It must be Xie Yuancheng and the girl's happy event. I was happy but sad at the same time, and I felt particularly uncomfortable.
“It’s a happy occasion for the sister of the King of the Western Regions.” Lu Fengjun looked at me. “Yingdi, since you’ve already escaped, you don’t need to inquire about his affairs anymore.”
"Yes." It was my own idea to run away, and now that he has gotten his wish, it's a good thing. I should be happy for him.
Ling Wu stood silently to the side, his eyes shining brightly. I smiled at them, and when I held the Phantom Sword, I felt like crying.
When we returned to the small town we had left, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Lingwu and the others went to buy clothes for Dazhao, then found an inn to wash up and get a good night's sleep.
I washed myself thoroughly, even my hair, which took more than half an hour. I had just finished changing when I heard a knock on the door. My hair was still wet, so I covered my head with a dry towel.
He opened the door and found Lingwu. He stepped in and said, "Sister-in-law, let's go quickly. I saw my senior brother's men here, and they all know us."
"Huh? Shouldn't they be celebrating with the King of the Western Regions?"
“He has people in this small town. We were dressed as people from the Western Regions when we entered the town, so we didn’t know.”
All I had on me was a sword and some silver. Lu Fengjun paid for everything along the way, and I kept all my money.
Lingwu put a mask on me. He had already left a note for Lu Fengjun, saying that we were able to escape together this time thanks to his help.
The Western Regions are truly different from the Great Zhao; it's not a place for ordinary people. Especially for women, it's best not to go to dangerous places unless absolutely necessary, or you might not even know how you died.
Lingwu led me to the other side, and we immediately mounted our horses and rode off. This place was infuriating; we rode for a long time, not stopping even as darkness fell.
They finally stopped in a cave in the early hours of the next day.
"Sister-in-law, I just used a special method to hide it. You should rest for a while. You haven't slept for more than a day."
"And what about you? We've been on the move the whole time, without a break." I tore off the dough and put it aside. My face was a little hot. It had started snowing outside, and it was very cold.
The Lunar New Year is just over two weeks away, and I won't be able to spend it at the Ji residence this year. I really miss my three little ones; I wonder how they are doing now.
Yu'er is over two years old, I guess she'll start arguing with me by now, and Xizhi and Suling are over nine months old.
"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I can go three days without sleep and nothing will happen to me."
"This isn't good for your health. Since you've already set up the traps, you should rest first. If anything goes wrong, we'll wake up."
“This…” Lingwu was a little worried. “Sister-in-law, this is a mountain. I don’t know what might happen nearby. Although we are on the main road, we still have two days before we reach my father’s territory, so we should be careful.”
"Then let's not rest, let's get going together."
"No, you're a young woman, and you've had three children. You should rest and recuperate. I'll stay with you. You get some sleep, and we'll leave when you wake up."
"Lingwu, I'm so sorry."
"If you keep saying that, I won't let you leave. It's still very dangerous here. You should get some sleep. I'll probably have to wake you up in about two hours."
I felt ashamed, but the situation was special, and I was already very tired. With Lingwu by my side, I closed my eyes and started to sleep.
I dreamt that I would encounter robbers on the road today. Lingwu hadn't had a proper rest, and outnumbered, we all died.
When I woke up, my face was covered in sweat. Lingwu came over and said, "Sister-in-law, did you have a nightmare? You only slept for an hour, go back to sleep."
"No, let's hurry and take the back road. Something bad will happen on the way."
"The shortcut takes an extra day, and it's all mountain roads, so it's not easy to travel."
“Lingwu, you are skilled at setting up formations in high mountains, so taking the mountain path is the safest option for us. We can avoid this danger by resting during the day and traveling at night.”
"Sister-in-law, you can't handle this. I'm away from home most of the year, so it's not a problem for me, but..."
"No buts, it's better for us to be alive than to fight. You can rest during the day. If we keep taking the official road, you'll be in trouble."
"Sister-in-law, are you too nervous? That's why you're having nightmares."
"No." Seeing his disbelief, I told him everything about my first dream, including the fierce battle in the Western Regions. Lingwu looked at me, and I was truly worried that he would insist on taking the official road.
"I believe you. Even the most absurd things are right."
Lingwu started reinforcing the horses, and we began our journey up the mountain. The mountain path was incredibly difficult. But in order to get back to the capital, I forced myself to endure the discomfort and continued on.
The snow was particularly heavy when walking at night, and in such cold weather, very few people went out. Many refugees and bandits had all gone to the main road, hoping to survive.
We walked for three days straight, lost a lot of things, and were exhausted and cold. Fortunately, during the day, thanks to the snow and Lingwu's escaping techniques, we managed to avoid two groups of bandits.
Hearing them talking outside about how much they had looted and how many people had died, Lingwu suddenly grabbed my hand, and I gave him a reassuring look.
While traveling that night, Lingwu said she admired me greatly, saying that without this dream, we would have truly perished. After another day of travel, we finally arrived at Lingwu's territory.
As soon as we entered the mountains, we heard the sound of bugles. My eyes were almost blinded by the sound when Lingwu blew a whistle, and two people jumped down from above.
I heard them call her Senior Sister Lingwu. Luckily, I was wearing a mask. Lingwu was just introducing the people she had rescued outside, so I followed them inside.
Traveling is too difficult now. Lingwu said that unless they take the official road, it will be very difficult to reach the capital.
I specifically asked Xie Yuancheng, and he said that if he came here, I would absolutely not stay.
"Don't worry, my senior brother hardly ever comes here. We'll stay here for now. After the New Year, when the snow has melted, I'll find an excuse to go to the capital."
"Lingwu, your father..."
“My father is in Linyang and won’t be coming back this year.”
I was relieved and decided to stay in Piaomiao for the time being. It was halfway up the mountain, shrouded in mist, giving it an ethereal, otherworldly feel.
Apart from Lingwu and the teacher, no one else has ever seen me, so I can show my true colors even in the inner courtyard.
This place is truly magical, just like a place for spiritual cultivation and seeking enlightenment. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Many outsiders have already perished before they even get close.
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