Once again, exhausted, they returned to the market.

Once again…

Extremely exhausted…

“Sigh…”

In broad daylight, standing on the bustling market street, Meng Ruji let out a long sigh.

Going around in circles, what a big detour, only to end up back here working again. Since they’d have to work either way, why didn’t they just work steadily from the beginning? Without all the trouble and ups and downs, staying stable and steady, by now, she might even have had some spare money.

What delivery job… what mountain bandits to kill… what a big circle they’d made…

“Sigh…”

Meng Ruji sighed heavily again, lifeless.

Meng Ruji turned to look at the four men behind her.

Yes, four.

The rabbit had returned to his burly man form on the way back to the market, saying he wanted to protect his City Lord big brother.

But now, Meng Ruji had them go into the streets to find some work…

Because this rabbit wanted to protect his City Lord big brother, he crossed his arms as thick as her legs and stood behind Mu Sui like a door god, glaring with wide eyes, vigilantly watching every person who approached “City Lord big brother.”

Mu Sui also radiated killing intent. The two of them standing together – forget finding work, even the stray dogs on the street were too scared to come near them.

As for Mo Li…

Meng Ruji didn’t even want to talk about it…

After this old man arrived at the market, he kept saying “oh my, oh dear,” found a shady corner to sit down, lay down casually, and fell asleep.

The only one who seemed somewhat reliable, Ye Chuan…

It was only “somewhat” reliable.

He was indeed a persistent person – Meng Ruji could see that.

He found work helping a family on the street repair a crooked door pillar. But what happened? This Ye fellow was too meticulous in his work. While repairing, he started carving flowers on the door pillar, saying he saw the natural grain patterns and felt it would be a waste not to appreciate this natural beauty of the wood grain…

As a result, he was fired by the employer for blocking other workers.

But he persistently began carving flowers for free, and was now hiding in a corner by the door, still carving away…

No wonder he’d been in seclusion for hundreds of years.

Meng Ruji understood! A leopard can’t change its spots!

“Sigh!”

Turning back, Meng Ruji looked down at her own industrious hands. She wondered – when they said on the road about earning travel money to go to Zhuliu City, surely they didn’t mean she’d have to earn it alone?

Even a life of toil shouldn’t be this toilsome, right?

Unlike Meng Ruji’s despair, Mu Sui, standing by the street corner, looked completely calm and composed. Only his burly tough-guy rabbit was somewhat indignant:

“Making the City Lord come to the market to work – this bad woman’s heart is too vicious!” The rabbit glanced at the sleeping Mo Li, then swept his gaze over Ye Chuan carving the door, grumbling in his deep voice: “These two are also weird. This woman doesn’t want to wait for the City Lord to work and support her two kept men, does she!”

Mu Sui glanced at the rabbit.

The rabbit flinched and immediately lowered his head, but after being quiet for just a moment, he couldn’t help staring at Ye Chuan carving the door: “But City Lord, why did we agree to let that person come to Zhuliu City with us? He was possessed by malevolent qi and harmed us. Who knows if he might in the future…”

“He’s regained his clarity now and poses no immediate threat. Moreover, this Ye fellow is naturally persistent – even if we refused him, he’d follow us. My ‘wife’ wouldn’t let him go either. Rather than let them contact each other secretly, it’s better to have all the pieces visible on the board.” Mu Sui glanced at Meng Ruji, who was looking around the market for work.

The rabbit immediately nodded: “Worthy of the City Lord! The City Lord is wise!”

“As for that one over there.” Mu Sui glanced toward Mo Li sleeping by the street, his expression cold. “Find an opportunity to kill him.”

The rabbit was startled: “Kill him? Isn’t he that bad woman’s elder? Oh!” The rabbit had a sudden realization. “Kill the chicken to warn the monkey! Scare that bad woman!”

Mu Sui: “…”

The phrase “go back to Zhuliu City” circled in Mu Sui’s throat. He held it back – these days, the rabbit was still useful and couldn’t be driven away.

Mu Sui only said: “He’s not simple. Keeping him is a great danger.”

To be able to control the spiritual power of the Land of No Return with his true form – in all his years here, Mu Sui had never seen anyone with such ability.

Moreover, he had also used nightmare power to try to peek into his dreams…

Thinking of this, the cold intent in Mu Sui’s eyes grew stronger.

He knew that Mo Li hadn’t discovered anything this time, but having him around was a huge hidden danger.

“He’s injured and weak now. This month is suitable for us to act in secret.” Mu Sui said.

“Will that bad woman let us succeed? If she discovers and stops us, what do we do? Take care of both of them?”

Mu Sui looked toward Meng Ruji in the crowd. His injured arm hanging from his neck suddenly seemed to itch. The “bandage” wrapping his hand was still torn from her dirty clothes…

“Keep her. She’s still useful.”

“But if we kill her elder, she’ll be sad, right? What if she gets angry at the City Lord?”

“Her emotions deserve attention?” Mu Sui glanced at the rabbit. “Just bring her back to Zhuliu City alive.”

The rabbit responded with an “oh” but tilted his head to observe Mu Sui a few times.

If her emotions don’t deserve attention, then why do you keep staring at her?

The rabbit had questions in his heart, but didn’t dare speak. He just continued crossing his arms and standing beside Mu Sui, being a fierce and intimidating guardian. He wanted to see which blind fool would dare make his City Lord big brother work today!

Meng Ruji, struggling in the market, couldn’t find any work. She was so mentally exhausted that she wanted to cry.

Just then, a joyful call came from ahead: “Big sister?” Meng Ruji looked up and saw Miaomiao running over happily, carrying a cloth bag.

Seeing Miaomiao’s simple and sunny smile, Meng Ruji finally got some relief from the gloom and pressure: “Miaomiao.”

“I haven’t seen you for days! Where did you go? You don’t know – our market was so lively two days ago! That Linlan Mountain Lord came, you know! He seemed to have captured that Qianshan Jun, too! You know! That Qianshan Jun from Zhuliu City!”

“I…”

She knew, she knew all too well…

“That Qianshan Jun seemed to have been pushed into the Nai River by the Linlan Mountain Lord! Some say the Zhuliu City Lord died and Zhuliu City will be in chaos, but others say he didn’t die. That Linlan Mountain Lord later seemed to be seriously injured too, unconscious, and was carried back to Linlan Mountain.”

“Mm…” Meng Ruji laughed dryly. “Rich people’s affairs are quite exciting…” Not wanting to recall these troublesome matters, Meng Ruji changed the subject, pointing to the package in Miaomiao’s hands. “What are you carrying there?”

“Oh… this…” Miaomiao scratched her head, somewhat embarrassed. “This is all my possessions.”

Hearing this, Meng Ruji became cautious: “Then you must hold onto it well. Don’t lose it over some random nonsense.”

“It’s fine. I’ve walked this far, and I’ll go to the pawn shop ahead soon to pawn it all.”

Meng Ruji was startled: “Pawn it? Why?”

“I want to exchange it for money as travel fare. I want to go to Zhuliu City, but I don’t dare go alone. I want to hire someone to protect me and escort me to Zhuliu City. The Land of No Return has been so chaotic lately…”

This!

This was exactly like a pillow arriving when she was sleepy!

Meng Ruji looked at Miaomiao, straightened up, grew serious in expression, and made her voice solemn: “Miss Miaomiao, look at me and these several bodyguards behind me – can we keep you safe?”

Meng Ruji had wanted to turn around heroically and gesture with the momentum of conquering the world for her, but unfortunately, the several “misfits” behind her were standing too far apart. Meng Ruji had to point them out one by one in the crowd.

“That one carving the door, that one sleeping by the roadside…” Even as Meng Ruji spoke, she embarrassedly touched her nose. “But there are those two! Don’t those two look somewhat presentable!”

Meng Ruji grandly presented the wall-corner duo of Rabbit and City Lord.

Miaomiao’s gaze swept over them. The first two gave her an indescribable expression, but seeing Mu Sui and the rabbit seemed to restore her confidence.

“Young Master Mu? He looks like compared to before…” Miaomiao seemed to think of something and shrank back, closing her mouth. “Not much different… But who’s that beside him?”

“His pet.”

“Pet?”

“Bodyguard.”

“Oh…” Miaomiao thought for a moment and weighed her possessions. “Is this money enough to hire you all? I might not be able to pay much.”

“Just provide meals!” Meng Ruji agreed immediately.

Miaomiao was about to agree, but glanced at Mu Sui with lingering fear: “Including Young Master Mu’s meals?”

Meng Ruji’s mouth also opened, and then she carefully considered it.

Meng Ruji turned to look at Mu Sui. Unexpectedly, at this moment, Mu Sui’s gaze was also focused on her. When their eyes met, Mu Sui immediately turned away to look elsewhere, as if that eye contact was just an inadvertent glance.

Meng Ruji didn’t develop any romantic thoughts. Her gaze fell on Mu Sui’s stomach area, and after serious contemplation for a long time, she told Miaomiao:

“I’ll handle his meals!”

Resolute and decisive.

Miaomiao looked Meng Ruji up and down: “Big sister, can you manage?”

“I could before, so of course I can now!” Meng Ruji patted her chest. “Just give him a normal person’s meal allowance. If he’s not full, I’ll feed him. Besides, he now has hands and feet…” Meng Ruji glanced at Mu Sui’s arm hanging across his chest, paused, and rigorously corrected herself: “He now has one hand, two feet, and a bodyguard. There’s no reason for us to still be running around busy with his food and drink. Don’t worry!”

With this promise, Miaomiao beamed with joy.

“Big sister and Young Master Mu are both capable people – I’ve seen it! Having you escort me to Zhuliu City couldn’t be better! Wait for me, I’ll go pawn these things and bring the money right back. Let’s set off immediately!”

“So urgent?” Meng Ruji snapped out of her joy at this windfall and properly examined Miaomiao’s decision. “You’re pawning all your possessions – aren’t you coming back? Do you plan to live in Zhuliu City from now on?”

“No.” Miaomiao scratched her head. “I… seem to be approaching rebirth soon.”

Meng Ruji froze, looking at Miaomiao’s face that still carried a smile, momentarily speechless.

“In the Land of No Return, some people have no awareness when approaching rebirth, while others might have some premonition. These days, I keep seeing my palms disappear and reappear, and I inexplicably remember things from the past. So many memories appear in my mind. I don’t know why, but I just feel my time is approaching.”

“Perhaps… It’s just an illusion?” Meng Ruji said.

Miaomiao shook her head: “I can’t say for sure, but big sister, I feel this is certain. But after so many years in the Land of No Return, I’ve come to terms with it. Rebirth is just like people’s birth, aging, sickness, and death – no one can escape it. These years in the Land of No Return, I’ve lived steadily and peacefully.”

Meng Ruji was speechless.

“I won’t need these things in the future anyway, so I might as well pawn them all and use the money to travel around other places in the Land of No Return. After coming here, I haven’t been anywhere else. I just heard people say the Land of No Return is vast, with many places. What I most want to see is the Marriage Tree in Zhuliu City. I heard the Marriage Tree is especially beautiful when it blooms.”

Miaomiao’s face was full of anticipation, smiling warmly: “I want to see that tree blooming more magnificently than ten thousand flowers.”