The waiter, hearing how interested Mu Jin was in what he was saying, spoke with great enthusiasm.
"These past two days, a group of people, judging from their accents, seemed to be from the capital. They were carrying two portraits, one of a man and the other of a woman, both very handsome. They were going from house to house in our town asking about them."
Upon hearing this, Mu Jin quickly asked, "What are they asking about?"
The waiter replied, "Find out if those two people have been here before, and there's a reward of one thousand taels."
The waiter's eyes lit up when he mentioned the thousand taels of silver.
"My goodness, a thousand taels! That's enough for us ordinary folks to work for several lifetimes without eating or drinking. So recently, people in this town have been searching for him in the surrounding villages and mountains."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "Why don't you go if it's such a good thing?"
Mu Jin heard the waiter sneer.
"A person who can command a reward of a thousand taels of silver is not someone to be trifled with. A thousand taels of silver is tempting, but after thinking about it, I need to keep my life to support my family. If I end up losing my life before getting the money, my elderly mother, wife, and children will be the ones who suffer."
Mu Jin laughed and said, "You really know how to live life."
Seeing that Mu Jin didn't ask any more questions, the waiter wisely prepared to leave.
"Then please have your drink first, sir. I'll get back to work now. Please let me know if you need anything."
Seeing Mu Jin nod, the waiter then went about his business.
"It seems that the people Su Mu sent are still in this town. It's not a good time to stay here any longer."
Mu Jin watched the crowds coming and going, sipping her tea as she considered whether she should leave early.
After finishing her tea, Mu Jin bought two sets of men's clothing and some food in town, and finally bought a horse to take back to the mountain.
When Mu Jin returned to the mountain, she saw Nangong Min's familiar figure standing at the cave entrance waiting for her from afar.
Mu Jin thought to herself, not knowing how long she had been standing there. As she thought about it, a warm feeling welled up in her heart, and she couldn't help but urge her horse to hurry forward.
Nangong Min saw Mu Jin finally appear in the mountain valley, and the anxiety in his heart dissipated with her return.
He smiled and waved to Mu Jin.
"Ah Jin, you're back." Nangong Min's voice was full of tenderness and joy.
Mu Jin nodded and smiled in response, "Yes, I'm back."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Mu Jin asked Nangong Min, "Why did you come out again? Are your injuries alright?"
Nangong Min helped Mu Jin off the horse, took the bundle from her hand, and smiled slightly, "It didn't hurt much when I was walking. I felt stuffy in the cave, so I came out to wait for you at the cave entrance."
The two returned to the cave, where Mu Jin told Nangong Min about what she had seen and heard in town that day.
Nangong Min said, "It seems that this place will be discovered sooner or later. Let's change our clothes and disguise ourselves, and leave under the moonlight."
Mu Jin also had the same idea; Su Mu's men were offering a reward of one thousand taels of silver to capture the two of them.
The people have had a hard time these past two years. For the sake of this thousand taels of silver, all the men in some villages have spontaneously united to search for their whereabouts. This place is not far from the village, so it's only a matter of time before they are found.
However, Mu Jin hesitated again because she was thinking about Nangong Min's injury.
"But what about your injury?" Mu Jin asked worriedly.
"It's alright, Ah Jin's medicine is very good, and my body is recovering faster this time than usual."
Mu Jin stepped forward to examine Nangong Min's wound. Just as Nangong Min had said, tender pink flesh had grown from the cracks, and it was indeed much better than she had seen this morning.
Mu Jin said with some envy, "I wish I had your healing abilities."
Nangong Min thought for a moment and said to Mu Jin, "I remember my grandmother telling me that pills made from our blood can make people look radiant and are also very useful for treating injuries and illnesses. When I return to the Nangong Divine Sect, I'll find the recipe and make some pills for you, just in case, okay?"
"Stop!"
Mu Jin interrupted Nangong Min, saying, "I don't want you to harm your own body to satisfy my momentary desires."
Nangong Min quickly shook his head, somewhat anxiously, and said, "It's alright, just a little blood is needed."
"I said no, and that means no. Got it?" Mu Jin warned Nangong Min.
Nangong Min nodded in agreement with Mu Jin, but there was a hint of disappointment on his face.
The two went into the cave, ate some food, and after Nangong Min changed his clothes, they disguised themselves again and, under the cover of night, rode their horses down the mountain and headed west.
Although Nangong Min was injured, he insisted that Mu Jin sit in front of him when riding his horse along the mountain path, because if enemies attacked from behind, Nangong Min could protect Mu Jin with his own body.
After traveling for most of the night, the two passed a stream, dismounted, washed their faces to clear their heads, and then continued on their way.
The two traveled through the night without sleep, but Mu Jin was the first to give up.
Mu Jin couldn't help but sigh, "Back when you were being chased by Nangong Ce, did you also flee towards the capital for several days and nights?"
Nangong Min thought for a moment and said, "Actually, it's not that far. It's just that we're traveling along mountain roads. If we were to travel through county towns, we could reach Nangong Shenzong in six days at the latest."
Mu Jin said with some regret, "It's a pity that the emperor is chasing me now. Otherwise, if we had gone through that county town, it would have taken another day or two to get to your house."
Nangong Min nodded and said, "Yes, it's a pity you had to work so hard for several days."
Speaking of hardship, Mu Jin was indeed in great pain all over her body at this moment. She held her waist and said to Nangong Min.
"I didn't know traveling at night was so tiring. I felt like my body was falling apart."
Mu Jin's words were unintentional, but Nangong Min felt a pang of sympathy upon hearing them.
"Then let's dismount and rest for a while," Nangong Min asked.
Mu Jin was too tired to move.
Seeing that Mu Jin didn't speak, Nangong Min thought that Mu Jin would be displeased, so he quickly explained.
"We can't rest at the inns in the county town right now, so we can only go to those less populated villages. If we come across a village later, we'll stop and ask for lodging. Once you've rested, we can continue our journey, okay?"
No matter the situation, Nangong Min was always so gentle with Mu Jin that she couldn't bear to refuse him. Mu Jin thought for a moment, then decided not to dismount and rest, but instead leaned gently against Nangong Min and pretended to doze off.
"Let's keep going. I'll lie down on you and rest for a while."
Nangong Min thoroughly enjoyed the sense of dependence Mu Jin felt when she leaned on him. Mu Jin's small gesture was like a spring breeze, dispelling the fatigue of Nangong Min's night of travel.
He looked tenderly at Mu Jin, who was leaning softly against him, and his spirits lifted. He smiled and spurred his horse to gallop away.
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