After speaking, she gracefully bowed.

I know you will break our engagement, so let me be the one to free you first.

You will ascend the throne. At this time, abandoning a fiancée who has had a marriage contract and waited for you many years would invite criticism from the people and scholars.

Then, let me preserve your unblemished reputation.

And preserve my own dignity as well.

…

The plaza fell silent, shocked by that woman’s resolute wisdom.

Xia Zirui’s face paled. She hadn’t expected to encounter such a situation and instinctively turned to look at Tie Xingze. But Tie Xingze spoke first.

He said: “People have their own aspirations and cannot be forced. Since this is so, Xingze wishes Miss Xuanting eternal wellbeing.”

His expression showed slight remorse as he bowed deeply to Yao Xuanting. Yao Xuanting returned the courtesy properly, and when she raised her head again, tears glimmered in her eyes.

Everyone felt it unbearable—she was still just a young woman after all.

Having waited so long for him, done so much, only to personally end it all—this was destined to be long-lasting pain that could not be taken lightly.

Xia Zirui stepped back and opened her mouth to speak, but Tie Xingze suddenly said softly beside her: “Zirui, between wronging her and wronging you, I can only choose to wrong her.”

Xia Zirui trembled, and when she looked back at him, tears also glimmered in her eyes.

She had never imagined he could have such resolve.

In this moment, her young woman’s heart of love blazed three degrees brighter. Suddenly she felt that after years of traveling, she had finally met the right person—one glance back required no further reason.

Jing Hengbo murmured: “We only hear the new love’s laughter, never see the old love’s tears…”

But Gong Yin said beside her with disapproval: “True love, one and only for life. Where do new love and old love come from?”

Jing Hengbo’s heart shook. The tone in which he said this was completely natural, not deliberately speaking sweet words, but truly believing this.

No matter how proud and noble this man was, no matter how much his views conflicted with hers, in matters of the heart he was truly as clean as white paper, tolerating not a trace of other colors.

When he loved, it was like fire in ice and snow, burning with a deep blue brilliance, one branch alone.

Looking at how he regarded Tie Xingze’s current expression, he seemed somewhat disapproving too.

On the plaza, Tie Xingze stepped back slightly, clearing the way.

Since Yao Xuanting had wisely taken the initiative to break the engagement, he said nothing more. Yao Xuanting patted Guan Xiulong and asked: “Would you be willing to leave the royal city with me and retreat to the mountains? I dare not promise much else, but ensuring you lack for nothing in food and clothing for life—that I can do.”

Everyone knew Yao Xuanting came from a scholarly family but was naturally gifted in commerce, owning countless farms and shops, making her one of Shen Tie’s wealthiest women. If Guan Xiulong went with her, she would still have good days ahead.

But Guan Xiulong gently shook her head, lowering her head in silence.

Seeing her like this, Yao Xuanting knew her heart was not dead. She sneered coldly: “Take care of yourself then!” No longer paying her attention, she turned and walked away.

The wind lifted her loose long hair as she never looked back.

In this life, my hair was bound up for you and loosened for you—from now on, there will never be a day when it’s bound up again.

Human love is nothing more than this.

From now on, I will live for myself.

…

Everyone watched until that woman’s figure completely disappeared before returning to life.

Tie Xingze’s expression remained normal as he walked to Xia Zirui’s side and suddenly reached into his robes, taking out an exquisite jewelry box.

Seeing this, Jing Hengbo’s eyes widened: “Oh no.”

A marriage proposal rhythm!

She didn’t know why, but she felt this was wrong.

The main reason was she felt this matter wasn’t handled cleanly—Tie Xingze’s nature was too indecisive. It would be better to observe more.

But Zirui might very well agree on the spot from excitement.

Women always lost their intelligence when it came to love.

Sure enough, on the plaza, before all the soldiers, Tie Xingze gently opened that box. From a distance, Jing Hengbo couldn’t see what was inside, but from Zirui’s amazed and admiring expression, it must be a treasure.

If even a palace lady couldn’t control her amazement and admiration, it had to be a priceless treasure.

Taking out something of this level without getting a wife in return would be a waste.

Tie Xingze held the box, offering it to Xia Zirui, saying softly: “Zirui, now that I’m free, I want to ask you…”

Xia Zirui had already covered her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.

Jing Hengbo rolled her eyes—why did all women act like this when encountering marriage proposals?

She was thinking how to interrupt this—she could mobilize some remaining power to knock Zirui unconscious with telekinesis, but that would be equivalent to telling everyone she was here.

Just as she was getting anxious, she saw Xia Zirui step forward, looking at the box with surprised admiration, saying loudly: “Ah, Your Highness, is this the Misty Jade Twin Rings you mentioned wanting me to help appraise? It truly is a wonderful piece. However, Zirui’s eyes are poor—I need to examine it carefully. Could Your Highness give Zirui a little more time?”

She met Tie Xingze’s slightly stunned gaze, smiling as she closed the box lid, her fingers gently pressing his hand, her eyes gentle yet pleading.

Jing Hengbo almost slapped her thigh in approval.

Excellent!

Our lady official is indeed clever!

Discovering she was about to be proposed to by her beloved, she didn’t lose her head. Her reaction was extremely quick—with those words, she both refused and saved Tie Xingze’s face, while hinting he should “give her time to consider.” Truly beautiful.

Even Gong Yin lightly praised: “A strong general has no weak soldiers.”

Jing Hengbo felt even more pleased and happily decided she could treat him slightly better.

However, she was somewhat puzzled. As an observer, given Zirui’s current feelings—being happy and moved—there was no reason to refuse Tie Xingze. What was her reason for refusing?

Over there, Xia Zirui pressed down the box lid, meeting Tie Xingze’s gaze, saying softly: “I… I actually am very willing… but my affairs… I hope to gain the Queen’s approval…”

She was the type of woman cultivated by strict palace rules. In her understanding, she belonged to the Queen, so her marriage should naturally be decided by the Queen—how could she decide on her own?

Moreover, Tie Xingze wasn’t an ordinary person. He was about to become the Shen Tie chieftain, and marriage with him involved political situations. Having stayed by the Queen’s side for so long, she had this kind of sensitivity.

Tie Xingze gazed at her and smiled slightly, smoothly closing the box and saying gently: “Good. I’ll wait for you.”

Xia Zirui’s face filled with gratitude. Jing Hengbo felt that just from this incident, this little girl’s feelings for Tie Xingze would deepen another layer.

But she also breathed a sigh of relief. This was also good—everyone should think it over.

Zirui was her close friend. She only hoped her love could withstand trials to gain true happiness.

Tie Xingze’s failed proposal seemed to somewhat dampen his spirits. He didn’t look much at the queued crowd here, signaling the palace guards to let them pass.

Jing Hengbo walked toward outside the palace while Zirui walked toward the palace interior—she was hurrying back to find the Queen.

Jing Hengbo waved her sleeve.

Zirui suddenly felt an itch on her chest. She was startled but dared not make a sound. Only after entering the palace and finding a washroom did she remove her clothes to look—somehow, there was an extra button on her chest.

Zirui gasped, recognizing this as a button from the Queen’s clothing.

Just now on the plaza…

She was overjoyed—the Queen was safe and had been right there on the plaza!

She hurriedly ran out, wanting to share this good news with Tie Xingze first. People in love always wanted to share with their beloved first.

But she couldn’t find Tie Xingze. After calming down, she realized the Queen hadn’t shown herself and only left a button as a hint—there must be hidden circumstances. It would be better not to make a scene, so she went to quietly tell Ying Bai.

Ying Bai also had a steady nature and shared her view. He immediately acted as if nothing had happened, leaving half the people to continue pretending to excavate while half secretly searched.

The plaza was mostly cleared out. Yelu Qi remembered that earlier seemingly familiar silhouette, but when he looked back to find it, where could he see anything?

Outside the palace gates, several large carts waited to transport these people out of the palace city. Jing Hengbo and Gong Yin, along with several Yi Kingdom spies, got into one cart.

Not far from the palace city, this convoy’s horses were startled and the carts scattered. When the escorting soldiers found them again, they discovered the numbers were short, but since the convoy’s mission was just to drive people out of the city, being short didn’t matter—no one cared.

Meanwhile, Jing Hengbo and the others had already changed faces, clothes, and carts, traveling out of the city. The Yi Kingdom people truly deserved their reputation as the nation of disguises—they were extremely skilled at changing faces and identities.

Just after they left the city, martial law suddenly tightened inside. Troops searched every street, gates began allowing entry but not exit, and everyone’s travel documents were strictly examined.

But by then, the cart carrying Jing Hengbo and Gong Yin was already traveling through the countryside outside Shen Tie’s royal city.

…

In the twelfth month of the Gengshen year, Cheng Gumo divided his forces to advance north, intending to use cavalry for a surprise attack on the Queen. The Queen lured Cheng Gumo to Shen Tie royal city for a decisive battle. After feigning surrender by self-immolation and drawing Cheng Gumo into the city, she surrounded him with the Yan Kill Army. On the twenty-second day of the twelfth month, Kanglong surrendered and Cheng Gumo escaped.

None of the six nations and eight tribes expected that this battle would determine not just Shen Tie, but also the Queen’s royal position. The Kanglong Army that had always opposed her had its most elite portion subdued in this battle. Once Cheng Gumo was defeated, Kanglong would never again be able to constrain the Queen.

This naturally made Di Ge even more anxious, but that’s a story for later.

As the Queen’s prestige grew daily, some rumors also began quietly spreading across the Great Wilderness.

It was said this battle could be won because the State Preceptor personally led the Jade Illumination Dragon Cavalry to assist at Shen Tie.

It was said that after the battle’s victory, the Queen disappeared. The State Preceptor also disappeared.

When the first news emerged, Di Ge was shaken—the State Preceptor assisted? The State Preceptor was at Shen Tie? Then who was Di Ge’s State Preceptor?

But when news of the State Preceptor’s disappearance came, it instead dispelled Di Ge people’s suspicions about the figure sitting on the throne—disappearance? What a clumsy excuse. Indeed, the State Preceptor being at Shen Tie was just a rumor.

Even if some had doubts, that phrase about the State Preceptor’s disappearance made people worry he might be deliberately creating confusion. Perhaps he had already returned to Di Ge—better not act rashly.

Of course, Gong Yin’s “disappearance” wasn’t merely to confuse Di Ge’s people.

On the snowy mountain, someone sat alone on that grassy meadow, gentle snow foxes jumping in the folds of her wide skirt.

Xu Pingran spread several paper scrolls before her, slight confusion showing in her eyes.

Where exactly was Gong Yin?

Earlier, traces suggested he seemed to be at Dai Mao. She immediately ordered investigations there to determine his true reason for going. But after Snow Mountain people reached Dai Mao, they lost track of Gong Yin. He seemed to be everywhere yet nowhere, leading them on chases following various clues to the most distant foreign nations!

Snow Mountain disciples had suffered consecutive losses. After outer disciples were completely wiped out, she sent inner disciple Namuer, but unexpectedly all of them vanished without trace. Without question, their fate was grim.

Now it seemed Gong Yin had indeed been at Dai Mao earlier, as he recently appeared at Shen Tie, but his current disappearance left her unable to determine where he actually was.

Snow Mountain disciples recently captured some of Gong Yin’s guards. To force them to reveal his whereabouts, they used forbidden methods, confirming that indeed no one knew where he was.

Unable to track his location meant being unable to strike effectively.

Xu Pingran pressed her palm on the scrolls. Under her palm, the scrolls slowly disappeared, pale yellow paper mist rising in the sunlight. She slightly raised her head, her eyes showing rare confusion in that smoky light.

Though she had controlled Snow Mountain’s great power these years, those people had never given up various soft resistance against her. For instance, the elders’ demands to see the sect master. For instance, the faction led by Murong demanding early termination of the sect master candidate’s training and swift transition between old and new sect masters. Still others objected to her various human limit experiments, believing these couldn’t cultivate supreme talents and would waste many good prospects.

A faint mocking smile curved her lips… What did they understand?

Nothing but a bunch of fools. Did they really think Snow Mountain bloodline was the most noble in the world, that the Nine Heavenly Gates truly stood high in the clouds?

What did they understand about true nobility?

The smile at her lips remained, making her appear gentle and kind. For so many years, she had met those tests and resistance with such gentle, kind smiles. Her smile was so warm, yet her extended hand was iron-fisted. Behind seeming discussion and concession flowed endless blood in hidden ditches at Snow Mountain’s base.

She didn’t mind more blood flowing—Snow Mountain was very high anyway. That blood would dry up along the way down.

Snow Mountain was too high.

For so many years she hadn’t walked down. For so many years, that young man, surrounded by crowds, tried to walk up, walk to the highest peak, but still couldn’t reach her.

But she had already caught the scent of his approaching presence.

Defeat her, and he would be the qualified one.

Suppress him, and she would be Snow Mountain’s eternal ruler.

She would lead Snow Mountain, along with those ice-and-iron warriors she’d cultivated, down the mountain, toward the Great Wilderness, toward the divine altar that truly belonged to her.

But first, she had to find Gong Yin. The imperial throne was still waiting for him!

Xu Pingran’s gaze traveled far toward the mountain’s base. In the sunlight, Snow Mountain was crystalline like a jade dragon galloping across the earth without end.

The hidden dragon waits dormant for wind and clouds—when will it soar and rise?

She suddenly thought of Jing Hengbo, this Black Water Queen who now had considerable fame. It was said some called her “Hidden Phoenix,” claiming she would surely rise within years.

Hidden Phoenix? Heh heh.

But this little phoenix’s wing spread did somewhat remind her. Previously her attention had all been on Gong Yin—she’d actually overlooked his surrounding relationships, failing to see how deeply rooted Gong Yin’s feelings were for this little phoenix.

Now it seemed the palace gate confrontation was entirely a show Gong Yin performed for the world, including her, to prevent Jing Hengbo from becoming her target. But affairs don’t go according to plans. He banished her yet couldn’t let go, ultimately arousing her suspicion. One Shen Tie battle forced out his true feelings and made her realize that perhaps for so long, her attention had been focused wrongly.

Finally knowing what Gong Yin cared about most wasn’t too late.

She flicked her fingers. Silver-clothed figures appeared among the flowers, still pale as shadows in the sunlight.

“How is Yelu Tan’s situation?”

“Reporting to Madam,” the subordinate answered respectfully. “The chest wound caused the experiment to fail, but he didn’t die, proving the experiment still had effect. His condition is good now, preparing to test the latest Snow Control Pills.”

“Suspend that for now,” she said. “Have him go down the mountain once. To visit the Yelu clan. Also bring some Qi Condensing Pills to bestow on them.”

The silver-clothed person’s eyes showed surprise and envy, never expecting Yelu Tan to be so valued by Madam that even his family could receive the Qi Condensing Pills that Snow Mountain people dreamed of. It seemed Madam had chosen the Yelu clan as the family to support for the next ten years.

Xu Pingran saw his envy but showed no expression. Giving precious things to such ordinary families was indeed wasteful—if not for Yelu Tan’s special constitution, how could it be their turn?

After two consecutive batches failed down the mountain and Namuer also disappeared, using other people again risked providing ammunition for the elders’ criticism. Better to use Yelu Tan, who could return to his clan periodically, to properly “greet” the Queen.

“Madam…” that silver-clothed person suddenly said, “Among Dai Mao’s Thirteen Guardians, the Second Guardian called Jian Zhizhuo sent gifts to Madam through our outer sect contacts…”

She seemed to smile, but her eyes showed the indifference of hearing ants crawl, saying lightly: “Keep them.”

Keeping them meant she didn’t want them, wouldn’t even look, leaving these people to handle themselves.

The silver-clothed person’s eyes flashed with joy—those were generous gifts.

She waved her hand. The silver-clothed person disappeared like a wisp of smoke. She stood up, her wide skirt slowly trailing across the grass. The snow foxes had been jumping on her skirt hem but hurriedly fled when she rose.

She returned to her house that looked like an ordinary residence, poured tea herself, drank water, and stared at the still-lowered curtains.

“Murong has been very quiet lately… but that makes me uneasy… I sent that person to investigate our child… actually not hoping he’d search… just hoping to see if he had any unusual movements. If he acted, I’d have clues… but he seems completely uninterested… what is he thinking… or… or…”

She suddenly threw away the teacup, which crashed and shattered on the ground. She had already rushed into the curtained area. With a ripping sound, half the curtain was torn down. A muffled thud suggested something had fallen, but she ignored it, kneeling on the bed, grabbing something and shaking it desperately: “Or is our son really already dead! Tell me, is he! Is he! Is he!”

The curtain hooks swayed, curtains trembled, the entire bed shook, making various creaking, clanking sounds. Her hairpin fell from the violent shaking, her hair scattered everywhere. She raised her hand and tore—rip—the wide dress fell away with a crisp sound.

Rip. Rip.

Tearing, tearing.

A chest full of resentment and hatred, suppressed deep in her heart, burned her heart to dry coal year after year. Though seemingly dead and dark, it always suddenly burst into flames, demonic fire blazing red, burning everything.

Torn clothing fell to the floor beside the bed.

The bed shook violently, endlessly.

Her sobbing and moaning were like a crouching mother beast awaiting a bloodthirsty chase.

The half-fallen curtain hung precariously, vaguely revealing undulating flesh, disheveled black hair flashing with dark light, withered white hair gleaming snow-white.

…

The cart traveled leisurely along the road.

Jing Hengbo sat beside Gong Yin, using a damp cloth dipped in water to moisten his lips.

Cotton quilts were piled beside her, with a basin of ice water at her feet.

Gong Yin’s face was always so pale, looking no different from usual, but Jing Hengbo’s eyes suddenly became very sharp. Seeing Gong Yin’s face flush slightly with an abnormal reddish tint, she immediately picked up a cloth from the ice water, wrung it out, and covered his forehead.

Before the ice cloth dried, he suddenly trembled. Jing Hengbo instantly removed the cloth while her other hand had already pulled over a quilt, wrapping him tightly. Just then Gong Yin began shivering, the flush quickly fading, replaced by a pale blue tint between his brows.

Jing Hengbo’s movements were incredibly practiced, flowing seamlessly.

Because she’d repeated this countless times.

After leaving the city, Gong Yin’s condition worsened again. Those Yi Kingdom people hired a new large cart for them to ride in. Jing Hengbo completely couldn’t attend to other matters, focusing all her attention on Gong Yin.

When martial artists deviated into madness, they could usually slowly regulate and recuperate through breathing exercises, but Gong Yin wasn’t regulating his breathing. Instead, he was lying down like an ordinary sick person. His illness looked very much like a cold—alternating hot and cold—but Jing Hengbo absolutely didn’t believe he just had an ordinary cold. If she guessed correctly, though Gong Yin seemed to have an ice-snow constitution, his body definitely also contained blazing yang-type inner energy. Now clearly, the inner energy in his body had lost balance, clashing and colliding, causing symptoms similar to chills and fever.

Jing Hengbo only regretted not understanding medicine, and her internal skill hadn’t reached the level of understanding others’ inner energy problems, but she knew that people who usually didn’t get sick, once they fell ill, it was serious. How dare she be careless even for a moment? She cared for him without undressing, also urging those Yi Kingdom people to find doctors, medicine, and physicians.

Fortunately, that group was fairly cooperative. Initially they had watched the two warily, but later seeing Gong Yin truly seriously ill and Jing Hengbo also weakened and focused entirely on the patient—she wouldn’t even leave if driven away—they gradually relaxed. Every time they passed market towns, they’d find the best local physicians, though the doctors’ opinions varied. Some said it was typhoid, some said internal heat, some simply said to prepare for the funeral—and were kicked out by Jing Hengbo.

Jing Hengbo could tell that though this group was ordered to find the rebellious imperial uncle, their hostility wasn’t heavy. Subordinates’ attitudes reflected their commanders’ attitudes. It seemed Yi Kingdom’s ruler hadn’t demanded his people make things difficult for the “imperial uncle,” so she wasn’t polite either, demanding soup, water, and tonics, making all sorts of requests. When requirements weren’t met, she’d hoist Gong Yin up and threaten mutual suicide. That group could only cry and shout while stopping her, secretly resenting this assignment was too frustrating, just hoping to quickly deliver this deeply affectionate pair of lovers to Yi Kingdom.

They traveled entirely by cart, rarely staying at inns. Jing Hengbo ate, lived, and slept in the same cart as Gong Yin. She connected the seats on both sides of the large cart. When extremely tired, she’d lie down. Sometimes when too weary to keep her eyes open, her finger would still rest on Gong Yin’s wrist. She was like a living thermometer, constantly monitoring Gong Yin’s changes. Within days she’d developed an amazing skill—without opening her eyes, just touching Gong Yin once, she knew whether he was having chills or fever. Even with eyes closed, she could apply ice towels or cover him with quilts, ensuring towels didn’t cover his nose and quilts covered him completely from head to toe with corners properly tucked.

Daily she also bathed him. His unstable body temperature meant sometimes stiffening, sometimes sweating. Someone who loved cleanliness like him naturally needed constant cleaning. She wouldn’t let others attend him, knowing he certainly wouldn’t want that either, so she had to personally handle it. Initially she felt slightly embarrassed reaching inside his clothes, but later it became taking advantage. When his condition was most serious, even the thought of taking advantage disappeared. She gradually became like a professional nurse, gently turning, bathing, and changing his clothes while keeping him from being exposed.

She no longer had so many chaotic thoughts. What resentment, incomprehension, whether love or hate, whether to go or stay—faced with constantly threatening life and death, these emotions seemed overly pretentious. She didn’t even have leisure or mental energy to pay attention to outside situations, no longer caring how the battle went, whether soldiers had all returned to Dai Mao, whether Tie Xingze successfully ascended the throne, or even whether Cheng Gumo was dead or alive.

As for the outside world spreading news of this battle far and wide, shocking at Kanglong’s rebellion, praising the Queen’s wisdom, her fame rising like the sun over Dai Mao and the Great Wilderness—what did this have to do with her?

If she had to trade all this for Gong Yin’s recovery, that wasn’t impossible either. She was used to seeing the great god high in clouds, untouched by ice and snow. She really wasn’t accustomed to his such weakness. This rare weakness made the fearless her feel terror in her heart. She feared he might truly be struck down by this blow, feared waking to find his corpse beside her, so initially she dared not sleep, persisting for a day and night until finally, due to accumulated fatigue and internal injuries, she collapsed unconscious with a loud thud, getting a large bump on her head.

Later, seeing that though his condition wasn’t good, it also wasn’t worsening but maintaining the same state, she guessed this might also be one of his ways of healing. Sometimes toxins needed to be expelled—otherwise they’d accumulate deeper. So she gradually felt relieved.

This time she’d truly guessed correctly. Gong Yin had suppressed his injuries and illness too long, which was extremely harmful to his body. But with Jing Hengbo constantly in turmoil, he dared not even collapse. Not until Jing Hengbo forced herself into a dead end and forced him to one too did he run the entire way, directly into the fire, pushing his physical abilities to the limit. Only after confirming Jing Hengbo was safe and finally revealing his true identity to her did his heart relax. The suppressed injuries and illness immediately rebounded fiercely. Collapsing now was yielding to his body’s demands at its limits—it wasn’t necessarily the worst thing.

Because medicine had minimal effect, Jing Hengbo still wasn’t entirely reassured. Daily she’d also use her own inner energy to slightly regulate his condition, maintaining a level that could help him somewhat without severely injuring herself. Because of this, her own condition was much worse than before. Strictly speaking, she was also an injured person.

The whole world was praising the Queen, the whole world was searching for the Queen. Those praising and searching didn’t know that the woman of legend who blazed with glory was currently cramped day and night in a cart, exhausted, haggard, constantly worried, her eyes sunken deep, bloodshot, her black hair withered, even quietly sprouting white hairs.

After leaving Shen Tie royal city, she estimated there was now a gap in her whereabouts—she could contact her subordinates, but then Gong Yin’s condition was critical and she was too panicked to think of it. By the time things stabilized enough to make contact, they were far from Shen Tie. She couldn’t be sure when the signals she left would be discovered by searching subordinates who might catch up.

Fortunately, Yi Kingdom seemed to have no evil intentions for now. Take it step by step.

Sometimes she felt this might be heaven’s arrangement—heaven wouldn’t let her leave so freely, automatically making the choice for her when she was most hesitant. Those nights, leaning against the cart wall, holding his hand, listening to his long and short breathing, her heart felt both sorrowful and peaceful—sorrowful for those past events she couldn’t completely let go, yet peaceful to still hear his real breathing at this moment.

Was the taste of love always so contradictory? She gloomily stroked her thinned cheeks, thinking what were men anyway? Originally wanting to have a vigorous, earth-shaking romance was truly stupid. Her brain must have been squeezed by a door to want something vigorous. Were handsome, rich men so easy to provoke? If they were fickle, you’d be hurt; if they weren’t fickle, they’d be hurt and you’d be hurt too. Either way, everyone got hurt. They’d known each other two years without even sleeping together once.

Thinking this, she felt she’d lost big time. With a howl, she pounced out to grab the cart driver’s whip, cracking it wildly, driving the cart in complete chaos. After venting, she threw down the whip and dove back to attend the patient. Those poor people who’d grown accustomed to her antics could only shout a few times, then had to find the way back to the proper road.

Because they kept changing carts, faces, and identities, and because they had to pass through Emerald tribe territory, the journey was slow. This day they finally reached the border between Emerald tribe and Yi Kingdom. After crossing one more mountain, they’d be in Yi Kingdom territory. Because it was too late, crossing the mountain would be dangerous, so they stopped at the mountain’s base.