Seeing the long sword in Jiang Yu's hand and the fierce howl beside him, the leader swallowed hard and said somewhat guiltily, "Brother, don't take it seriously, it was just a joke."
After saying that, he left without even glancing at the corpse on the ground, and led the others away.
"Ah Yu, when will we arrive?"
Qi Nuan asked wearily. She was getting tired of everything, from the fighting among others to the corpses on the ground.
Before she experienced chaos, famine, and apocalypse, she might have imagined conquering the world, heroes and beauties, wealth and glory, and love amidst chaos.
What they forgot most were the countless bones scattered on the ground, the hunger for food, the power struggles, and the ugly faces that were completely exposed for the sake of a little bit of profit.
"Very soon."
Jiang Yu comforted her, and seeing that she was unhappy, he took her and Xiao away from the crowd.
Xiao defended his food and was happily eating it, while Jiang Yu was also eating his food.
Qi Nuan, however, had a poor appetite.
She felt she was being too dramatic; if she didn't have space, she would probably fight over a bite to eat right now.
Why would anyone be here lamenting the passing of spring and the coming of autumn?
With that thought in mind, she cheered herself up, ate something, and figured that since being sentimental was pointless was pointless, she might as well pull herself together and do something meaningful.
Qi Nuan said to Jiang Yu, "Let's separate from the refugees."
"Okay." Jiang Yu nodded.
As night fell, Jiang Yu pulled Xiao aside, instructing him to keep an eye on Qi Nuan, and then headed towards the crowd under the cover of darkness.
Only after Jiang Yu's figure disappeared did Qi Nuan open her eyes and sit up.
Xiao watched Qi Nuan from the side.
Qi Nuan noticed that he was staring at her as if she were a big dog.
Qi Nuan couldn't help but pat his head.
She took out some food from her storage space and gave it to him.
A cool breeze ruffled Qi Nuan's hair, but her heart remained as calm as the night.
Jiang Yu still hadn't returned after a long time.
Qi Nuan had just stood up when she saw Jiang Yu's figure.
He led a horse through the night, his face stern, his body radiating the chill of the wind.
He felt a little warmth when he saw Qi Nuan.
"woke up?"
"Um."
Qi Nuan didn't ask Jiang Yu where he went, nor did she ask where he got his horse.
When he approached her, she smelled a faint scent of blood on him.
But she knew it wasn't his; perhaps because she had tasted his blood, she was exceptionally sensitive to its flavor.
Are you sleepy?
Qi Nuan shook her head. "Let's go."
Jiang Yu originally wanted him to rest well before setting off, but she agreed when she saw his insistence.
Jiang Yu mounted his horse and held Qi Nuan in front of him, while Xiao sat behind him.
"Hold on tight."
Jiang Yu gave Xiao a reminder, then rode away.
The sound of horses' hooves could be heard fading into the distance.
The young man then said, "Father, they have left."
Upon hearing the young man's words, the middle-aged man looked at the incomplete crescent moon with a somber expression and remained silent.
The young man, however, couldn't help but ask first: "Father, who exactly is he?"
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man shifted his gaze to the young man, but did not answer him, recalling the three questions the little girl had asked the boy that day.
He then posed these three questions back to the young man.
After some thought, the young man replied, "The incursions by displaced people are a last resort. We should appease them, gather resources, and distribute them among ourselves..."
Before the young man could finish speaking, the middle-aged man interrupted him, "Go and call Changfeng in."
Although the young man did not know why his father had suddenly interrupted him, he still obeyed and went to summon his third brother to his father's tent.
The middle-aged man was shocked as he watched his eldest son leave. He had always known that his eldest son was kind-hearted, but he never expected him to be so benevolent.
In times of chaos, I fear they would not survive long.
"Father."
The man who followed the young man in was dressed in black armor and had a long sword at his waist.
The middle-aged man was very satisfied with the resolute look on his face, and asked him the same question he had just asked the eldest son.
Fu Changfeng replied: "Those who use their lives to carry out a deception should be killed; those who insubordinates defy their superiors should be killed."
“If I were a refugee, I would gather people together, kill and steal.”
A hint of regret lingered in the middle-aged man's eyes. Thinking of the boy, and then looking at the two children before him, he couldn't help but sigh, realizing that he was far behind.
The two can complement each other, but separating would be too extreme. If they stay together for a long time, there will likely be constant conflicts, and they will eventually go their separate ways.
I'm afraid I'll have to find a way out for the Fu family.
With one being a scholar and the other a warrior, he was indeed a good minister.
Finally making up his mind, he said, "Tomorrow, issue the order to change course and head to Shangjun."
On the other side, Jiang Yu and the others rode on horseback.
The speed was indeed much faster; in just one night, they had traveled a hundred li.
Qi Nuan reached out to catch the falling snowflakes, her worry deepening.
It's snowing!
"Come here." Jiang Yu reached out and helped Qi Nuan down from the horse.
"Let's rest here for a while and see how things go before we set off again."
Qi Nuan nodded, exhaled a breath, and said, "It's so cold."
It looks like an uninhabited thatched hut. Most of the thatch on the roof has been blown away by the wind, leaving only a few strands hanging forlornly on the beams.
The things inside the house were dilapidated, with thick layers of dust piled up, making it look extremely old and run-down.
Jiang Yu cleared out a spacious area in the house, and the group lit a fire, set up a stove on the fire, and cooked a pot of steaming mutton soup.
Jiang Yu found some grass to feed the horses, but as soon as he entered, Qi Nuan pulled his hand and placed him on the fire.
"Ah Yu, let's warm ourselves by the fire first."
They were wrapped in summer quilts that Qi Nuan had taken out of her space, and sat by the fire. They weren't too cold, and it even felt a bit like sitting around a fire brewing tea.
After taking a sip of mutton soup, I felt warm from the inside out.
Outside, the snow had changed from drifting poplar catkins to fluffy goose feathers.
It looks like I won't be able to leave today.
Qi Nuan leaned against Jiang Yu's chest, watching the snow falling all around her. In the past, she would have been interested in playing in the snow, but now she was only filled with worry.
I don't want to move at all.
I wonder what the situation is like with the refugees now?
Qi Nuan was staring blankly outside when she saw two figures slowly approaching through the wind and snow.
They were wearing straw raincoats and bamboo hats, and carrying walking sticks. Judging from the direction he was walking, it seemed he was coming from this direction.
Before long, the people arrived at their door.
One of them knocked on the door and said, "We have been traveling all night, but a sudden heavy snow has come. The damp and cold weather is not suitable for traveling. May we ask to stay the night?"
Qi Nuan was pleasantly surprised. As the two approached, she recognized one of them as an old friend she had not seen for three years.
However, he didn't seem to recognize them.
Qi Nuan didn't speak, but Jiang Yu did.
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