You have a discerning eye for those who are unsightly.
They don't even fancy taking those who are not good-looking…
Yun Erman touched his face, wondering if he was considered somewhat presentable.
“So, you’ve taken a liking to me?” Yun Erman asked sheepishly.
Sister Hua chuckled, a blush flitting across her pretty face, “If you ask a woman that question, she’ll be very embarrassed!~”
Yun Erman: “……”
You dare to snatch people, yet you’re afraid of being embarrassed?
The rain had stopped, and the road was still wet. Yun Erman gave the innkeeper his tea money and prepared to ride on.
“What are you going to the prefectural city for?” Sister Hua asked.
Yun Erman mounted his horse and tugged at the reins. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “My sister was taken to the prefectural city by human traffickers. I need to deliver a letter to the Prefect…”
“Huh?” Sister Hua was slightly taken aback. “In broad daylight, they dare to abduct children?”
“Ah, it’s hard to explain in just a few words. I’m leaving now!~” Yun Erman kicked the horse’s belly, preparing to depart.
“Wait!” Sister Hua also climbed onto her horse. “I’ll go with you!”
Otherwise, what would it mean for her to go to the Old Yun family alone?
She could no longer afford to stay in this county town. Staying at an inn cost over thirty copper coins a day, and her meager travel funds were almost depleted…
Yun Erman said nothing and rode away.
Sister Hua hurriedly followed.
Meanwhile, Xiao Xi Tian and Xiao Jin Heng were still drifting on the small, dilapidated boat.
“Big Brother, are we ever going to reach the shore?” Xiao Xi Tian asked.
They had been drifting on this large river for an entire afternoon, and it was already getting dark. When would this end…
The further they went, the farther they were from Da Shui Village.
Their parents and siblings must be worried sick.
“Shh, don’t speak!~” The man put down his bamboo pole and covered Xiao Xi Tian’s mouth.
His hawk-like eyes scanned the riverbank, as if ready to fight at any moment…
“Hey, let go of the little village girl!” Xiao Jin Heng hit the man.
How dare he cover the little village girl’s mouth? His audacity was truly immense.
Although this person had done them a great service by leading them out of Camel Peak Mountain, he couldn’t just lay hands on them…
The man pointed to the shore helplessly, “Listen yourself, don’t you hear movement over there?”
Xiao Jin Heng cupped his ear. Besides the sound of rushing water, he heard nothing.
“Those people must have caught up. No, there must be an ambush here!~” The man frowned, instinctively touching the map in his怀.
Hmph, those fellows were desperate enough to get this thing back…
Since this map was now his, they wouldn’t get it back.
Xiao Xi Tian pushed his hand away and took a few deep breaths. “Brother, who exactly have you offended? We can’t keep running for our lives with you, can we!~”
In the forest, she could still deal with anything she encountered using anesthetics.
At least she could slowly make her way back to the village…
But ever since she met this man, her and Xiao Jin Heng’s risk factor had soared.
This was no longer just about returning to the village; it was a matter of life and death.
“It’s a long story!~” the man said, gripping his sword hilt and scanning both banks of the river. “You just need to remember that I’m not a bad person…”
“Hmph, you’re so mysterious and being chased by so many assassins. How can anyone be sure you’re a good person?” Xiao Jin Heng scoffed.
Upon hearing this, the man reached out and flicked Xiao Jin Heng’s forehead. “No, you’re not that old, but your mouth is so sharp. Everything I’m doing is for the entire Daliang Kingdom. Believe it or not!~”
“You’re working for the court?” Xiao Jin Heng narrowed his eyes, looking suspicious.
When he was in the palace, how had he never met this person?
The man pursed his lips and smiled, “You could say that…”
His master was extremely low-key, and his identity was not easily exposed.
As Xiao Jin Heng was about to say more, a group of men in black suddenly emerged from the grass on the riverbank.
They held bows and arrows, aiming at the small, dilapidated boat and unleashing a volley of shots.
“Quick, get down!~” The man stood up, drew his sword, and quickly blocked.
With a series of ‘ding ding’ sounds, a sharp arrow accurately pierced his arm…
“Hiss!” That hurt.
“Are you alright?” Xiao Xi Tian, lying on the boat, asked loudly.
“N-no, I’m fine, I won’t die!~” The man’s forehead was covered in beads of sweat.
He wondered if the arrow was poisoned.
“Let’s abandon the boat. It’s better to jump into the river than be shot to death!” Xiao Jin Heng said.
Alas, what a predicament this was.
He shouldn’t have gone into the mountains to pick mushrooms.
He had wanted to go into the mountains to clear his head, but who knew he would get entangled in so much trouble…
Fortunately, the little village girl was unharmed, only spraining her ankle.
“No, the current is too strong. If we jump in, we’ll be swept away!~” The man stood unsteadily on the boat, blood trickling from his arm.
Immediately after, the second wave of attack arrived.
The men in black nocked their arrows, drew their bowstrings, and fired at the small boat again…
Xiao Xi Tian looked up at the man. He definitely wouldn’t be able to withstand the second attack in this state.
Her thoughts quickly moved within her space, and she soon found a large wooden plank.
Without thinking, she took it out.
“Quick, use this to block!~” Xiao Xi Tian shouted crisply.
The man was very curious about the suddenly appearing wooden plank…
Where did this thing come from?
He didn’t remember there being such a large plank on the boat.
With survival being the priority, the man picked up the plank and placed it on the side of the boat.
After a series of ‘dong dong dong’ noises, the wooden plank was instantly riddled with arrows like a hedgehog.
“My goodness, that was too close…”
The man’s eyes widened like light bulbs. He looked at the little girl on the boat and was speechless for a moment.
The small boat was moving faster than the men in black. After surviving this ambush, they were temporarily safe.
The man threw the wooden plank into the river and slumped onto the boat, his clothes soaked with sweat…
“Let me take a look at your wound!~” Xiao Xi Tian came closer.
The man asked in surprise, “You little girl know how to treat wounds?”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jin Heng gave the man a sidelong glance.
The little village girl was more than just capable of bandaging wounds.
She was like an immortal being; whatever you needed, she could get it.
“I know a little. Your arrow wound isn’t difficult to treat…” Xiao Xi Tian’s eyes curved, and she took out suturing tools from her small satchel.
The man smiled and said, “Is your little satchel a Qiankun bag? How can it hold so many things?”
Did that large wooden plank also come from the satchel?
That was truly heaven-defying.
Xiao Xi Tian cut open his clothes with scissors and explained with a smile, “My little satchel has good elasticity, so it can hold a lot!~”
The man’s mouth twitched. This reason was not convincing at all.
At this moment, Xiao Jin Heng suddenly pointed forward and shouted, “Look, there’s a small village ahead…”