The young man clearly shared the same thoughts as Qin Yining. Although no pursuers had been discovered in the village for the time being, Wang the Benefactor lived in this very village, and they both worried he might suddenly change his mind and come after them.
The young man’s limp seemed more severe than before when he walked. In the quiet night, Qin Yining could hear his labored breathing.
Qin Yining herself was also very tired. When treating the young man’s wounds at Wang the Benefactor’s house, she hadn’t even had time to rest. Fortunately, she had brought along the medicine Bingtang had given her—otherwise, the young man’s condition would likely be dire by now.
The two walked along the village’s small paths for a while, avoiding people as they headed toward the outskirts and into the mountains.
After crossing a large field ridge and reaching the foot of the mountain, the young man pointed up the mountain, then toward Danfu County, gesturing a few times.
Qin Yining smiled slightly. “You want to rest here for now, and send me back when it’s safe later?”
The young man naturally wouldn’t answer her, busying himself with finding a good angle to begin climbing the mountain.
Though tired, Qin Yining had experience living in the wilderness in her early years, and her body had recovered considerably under Bingtang’s careful care. During her last trip to Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, she had managed to persist on those steep mountain paths—let alone today when they were fleeing for their lives. Such a small hill was naturally not insurmountable for Qin Yining.
As they walked, both concealed their tracks. Upon reaching the mountain, they searched for a hiding place, finally choosing a spot behind a small steep slope. A tall, thick tree grew on the mountainside, its developed root system gripping the soil of the steep slope firmly, forming a natural wind-and-rain-sheltering cave-like depression on the back side of the slope.
Fearing they would attract pursuers, they naturally dared not light a fire.
Qin Yining sat on the inner side, while the young man held his bamboo staff and guarded the cave entrance.
In the quiet mountains, only bird calls, insect chirping, and occasional wild animal sounds could be heard. The sky gradually began to grow faintly bright, everything outside the cave entrance covered in a layer of azure gauze. The morning breeze carried dew, making one feel quite cold.
By the morning light, Qin Yining rummaged through the small medicine pouch in her bosom, finding pills for treating the young man’s wounds, as well as ones for replenishing qi and blood, increasing stamina, treating wind-cold…
Various kinds of pills, each prepared with several pieces, were brought to the young man’s side.
“Take these first.” Fearing the young man wouldn’t trust her, Qin Yining gestured as she spoke. “These are life-saving things. Just now at the Wang house, it was because I used these on you that your life was saved.”
However, though she spoke these words, Qin Yining held little hope. Her current appearance was quite disheveled, and she was offering small pills of various sizes and colors for someone to eat—the situation looked suspicious no matter how one viewed it. The young man couldn’t hear, and she couldn’t clearly gesture the meaning of complex words.
Qin Yining felt somewhat defeated.
Who would have thought the young man’s reaction would be completely unexpected? He didn’t wait long for Qin Yining to feel dejected before taking the pills, tilting his head back to swallow them, and even nodding expressionlessly at Qin Yining.
Qin Yining was slightly surprised, then couldn’t help but chuckle. “Aren’t you afraid I’m giving you poison?”
The young man looked somewhat bewildered, seeing her laugh, he too pulled at the corners of his mouth in a slight smile.
Qin Yining shook her head with a smile and sat back in her original position.
She tiredly rubbed her legs, then hugged her knees to curl herself up. Having stayed awake all night, constantly being pursued, and with the young man later collapsing, her nerves had been taut the entire time. Only when she relaxed did she realize just how exhausted she truly was.
While the pursuers hadn’t found them yet, the sensible thing was to quickly rest and recuperate. No one could guarantee what those hatred-filled, ignorant people might do to them later.
Qin Yining gradually fell asleep.
The young man glanced back at her once, then also closed his eyes to rest while holding his bamboo staff.
It could be said that heaven was watching over them—the pursuers didn’t immediately come searching. Perhaps having just searched the village, they thought the fugitives had escaped elsewhere. The two rested until the afternoon, until hunger struck and Qin Yining went to gather quite a few wild vegetables and fruits.
The two still dared not light a fire, fearing the smoke would attract pursuers, so they drank mountain spring water and ate fruits and wild vegetables, barely managing to fill their stomachs.
However, after eating “lunch,” Qin Yining still rationally decided to go down the mountain.
“Though Danfu County is a large county, when they can’t find any trace of us elsewhere, they’ll definitely come back here to search, especially since you left blood traces here. They might even suspect we’re hiding at Wang the Benefactor’s house, since the last blood traces were right at the Wang family’s door.”
Those pursuers hadn’t suspected Wang the Benefactor before because the preconceived impression was that Wang the Benefactor’s wife had been killed by the young man.
But after they really couldn’t find anyone, how could they not think more about it? Even if they wouldn’t suspect Wang the Benefactor, they would suspect the young man was hiding with someone in a familiar place.
Communication between Qin Yining and the young man was somewhat difficult, but she managed to make him understand her meaning through sign language.
The two quietly descended the mountain, observing cautiously.
Though they knew they couldn’t stay in this village, for a moment they didn’t know which direction would be safe.
Qin Yining pursed her lips in thought, just about to make a decision when from the corner of her eye she suddenly saw a red dot shoot up into the sky in the distance, flashing light silently before the light gradually disappeared, turning into a wisp of white smoke that was blown away by the afternoon’s hot wind. The entire process took only a breath—if one wasn’t carefully paying attention, it would be completely unnoticeable.
Qin Yining’s eyes widened in surprise, her heart full of joy.
That was a firework unique to the Azure Sky Alliance, specifically used for emergency communication between members. Fearing the signal might be overlooked, they had fixed intervals—after sending three without receiving a similar firework response, they would give up and could only try this communication method again after another interval.
Qin Yining pointed in that direction and said to the young man, “Let’s go there. My people are there.”
Seeing Qin Yining’s cheerful expression, the young man also smiled slightly.
Qin Yining took out an identical firework from her belt and lit the fuse with a fire starter. The fuse made a soft “puff” sound, sparks flew, and immediately a red light shot up, finally disappearing in an instant in the sky.
Qin Yining signaled for the young man to follow her quickly. As they walked, she observed the sky—not seeing any other two fireworks from that direction, she was certain the other party had received her message.
During the journey, Qin Yining had already thought through the reason for the Azure Sky Alliance members’ presence and who they might be.
Finally, she guessed the person was Hall Master Liao.
However, when Qin Yining and the young man avoided the main road, took small paths, and finally reached the direction where the firework had been launched, they encountered a familiar face.
Upon seeing Qin Yining, that person immediately stepped forward to bow.
“Alliance Leader!”
“It’s you?”
The person was a familiar face named Meng Qin, who had once served under Hall Master Qiao. Later, when Liu Ban and Steward Tiger contacted alliance members, he had also delivered messages from Hall Master Liao to Qin Yining.
“How are you here? Did Hall Master Liao instruct this?”
Meng Qin said, “Yes, but Alliance Leader probably doesn’t know—I secretly followed you out. Hall Master Liao couldn’t come out himself but was worried you might encounter danger outside, so he arranged for me to secretly follow and protect you. Though my martial arts are mediocre, I’m good at running and skilled at concealing my tracks. Earlier when you were abducted in the county city, I was scared out of my wits.”
Speaking, Meng Qin glared at the limping young man behind Qin Yining. “This gentleman ran too fast—I couldn’t keep up and was worried about your safety, though I guessed this brother meant no harm to the Alliance Leader.”
Qin Yining was somewhat surprised and moved. “You’ve been thoughtful.”
Meng Qin smiled and scratched his head. “This is all within my duties. Oh, I just finished investigating the whereabouts of the subordinates His Highness arranged for backup. Now that you and this brother are outside, it would be bad if those violent people caught you. His Highness is still trapped and besieged in the county city—how about you first meet up with His Highness’s subordinates?”
Qin Yining rarely interfered with matters concerning Pang Xiao’s inner circle, only offering her thoughts when Pang Xiao couldn’t decide on something and consulted with her.
This time coming to Danfu County, to prevent any accidents in the city, before entering Pang Xiao had taken only advisors Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi, leaving some of his other advisors and Elite Tiger Guards outside the city. In case of any situation, these people could provide backup. The ceremonial procession he brought into the city consisted of imperial grants, plus Prince’s mansion soldiers and a small number of Elite Tiger Guards for show.
“That sounds very good. His Highness arranged for Advisor Tao to remain outside the city—I imagine they also heard about the troubles in the city and came in.”
“Exactly. When this subordinate couldn’t find the Alliance Leader, I guessed His Highness’s people would definitely enter the city to provide backup for His Highness. That’s why I kept careful watch and investigated their whereabouts. However, I didn’t act rashly, fearing they wouldn’t recognize me and might mistake me for someone with ill intentions.”
Qin Yining smiled. “Good, let’s head there now.”
“Yes.” Meng Qin pulled out an oil paper package from his bosom and untied a water pouch from his waist. “Alliance Leader, this is dried provisions, beef, and water I specially brought for you. Please make do with these for now.”
Qin Yining had washed her head and face with mountain spring water on the mountain and simply combed her hair, but she hadn’t had time to clean the blood stains covering her body. Her appearance looked quite disheveled, making Meng Qin feel heartbroken seeing her.
Qin Yining wasn’t polite, taking the oil paper package and opening it to reveal several oil-fried flatbreads sprinkled with salt and pepper, along with sliced sauced beef.
Taking out one flatbread and splitting it open in the middle, she stuffed it thick with beef and first offered it to the silent young man behind her.
“Eat quickly.”
The young man looked somewhat surprised, hesitantly glancing at Meng Qin without extending his hand to take it.
Meng Qin glared at the young man somewhat unhappily and turned his face away. He felt this savage had caused trouble by taking Qin Yining away.
Qin Yining smiled and offered the beef-stuffed flatbread again, gesturing eating motions.
The young man’s lips gradually pressed together, as if suppressing a smile, and Qin Yining saw a dimple appear on his right cheek.
He used his left hand to take the beef-stuffed flatbread and took a big bite.
Qin Yining laughed. “That’s right—how can you have strength to travel without eating your fill?”
Qin Yining took a flatbread for herself, and also prepared one stuffed with beef for Meng Qin.
Meng Qin smiled. “Alliance Leader, I ate before coming. This was specially prepared for you.”
Knowing Meng Qin could move freely and definitely wouldn’t go hungry, Qin Yining stuffed even more beef into the flatbread and offered it again to the young man behind her who had already finished his flatbread.