Ying Feng smiled wryly, then looked up and spoke frankly.
"Miss Mu, travel safely."
"Thank you," Qing Yao said faintly, lowering the carriage curtain and ordering Mo You, who was driving, "Let's go."
"Yes, Miss," Mo You complied, flicked the reins, and the carriage sped away.
Thinking of the young lady's unborn child, Mo You drove the carriage quickly and steadily. The young lady had been too traumatized today, and she feared the child might be affected. She was already heartbroken, so the child must not have any issues.
Inside the carriage, Mo Chou looked at her mistress. She saw her staring blankly at Mei Xin, not saying a word.
Mo Chou's heart ached. Now the three of them were assassins who had attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince. Although they were out of Feng Fen City, they were still on the territory of the Qing Luo Kingdom. She feared that imperial edicts would be posted tomorrow, so they had to be even more careful. And with the young lady so sad, what about the child?
"Miss, please don't be sad. What do we do now?"
Mei Xin was dead, and they couldn't keep carrying her body. This would easily lead to them being discovered.
Although Mu Qingyao's heart ached inexplicably, she did not want to implicate Mo You and Mo Chou and cause them to lose their lives as well. Most importantly, she still had her child. Therefore, they had to bury Mei Xin now and leave the Qing Luo Kingdom's territory as soon as possible.
"Mo You, find a place to stop. We'll bury Mei Xin. When the day comes, I will return to bring her back."
Her voice was as cold as water. Mo You's heart trembled, and she replied, "Yes, Miss."
The carriage sped forward. Before dawn, Mo You found a place to stop.
The morning mist was cool and thin like water, with a faint, deep mist. The flying flowers were as light as a dream. A light drizzle began to fall, as dense as the sorrow in their hearts. The distant mountains and nearby waters were shrouded in a layer of haze.
The newly sprouted branches and leaves were nourished and plump in the rain, and the world was a vibrant, verdant green.
Spring had arrived, but why was it still so cold?
Mo You carried Mei Xin's body down and found a spot by the lake, by the shore. Wildflowers bloomed all around. The three of them dug a new grave and buried Mei Xin inside, erecting a wooden tablet inscribed with: The tomb of Mei Xin, Mu Qingyao's most loyal sister. xxs壹贰
After settling everything, Qing Yao looked at the solitary earth mound in the distant mountains and finally could not help but murmur softly.
"Mei Xin, Miss will learn skills and one day will flatten Qing Luo to bring you back to Miss's side. You wait."
In the hazy mist, the three of them cast a solemn last glance at her new grave. They had arrived as four, but left as three, a truly desolate parting, and it was Mei Xin, the most timid and fearful one, who was alone here. Would she be lonely?
Mo You and Mo Chou helped their grieving mistress and spoke softly, "Miss, let's go. It's dawn, and if we don't leave soon, someone might catch up to us."
Qing Yao nodded and got into the carriage. Mo You drove, and Mo Chou supported her as they entered the carriage. The carriage slowly moved away from the place.
The assassination of the Crown Prince had become widely known throughout the Qing Luo Kingdom. Notices with the assassins' likenesses were plastered everywhere, in alleyways and on street corners.
The leading figure was Mu Qingyao, as beautiful as a banished immortal, followed by Mo You and Mo Chou.
The streets were crowded with people discussing the matter. Mu Qingyao, Mo Chou, and Mo You mingled with the crowd, observing the unfolding events. The three of them were all disguised.
Mu Qingyao from the modern era was still the Chief of Staff of the Army. She had considered all sorts of disguises, so making a disguise was effortless for her.
Even if she stood before Changsun Zhu, or anyone else, no one would recognize her. Therefore, they had not attracted much attention along the way, having already passed several cities.
They reached Yanmen Pass, the border of the Qing Luo Kingdom. Once they passed Yanmen Pass, it would be the territory of the Huang Yuan Kingdom.
Ghost Doctor Wu Qing's Wu Qing Valley was located at the junction of the Huang Yuan Kingdom and Xian Yue. From here, the three decided to go to Wu Qing Valley to learn their craft.
In times of turmoil, to protect oneself, one could only constantly grow stronger, becoming a feared entity to maintain peace. It was like Ghost Doctor Wu Qing; who would dare to provoke him?
Yanmen Pass.
The security was extremely strict. Even during the day, soldiers carrying long spears patrolled the streets. The common people were nervous and fearful, not even daring to speak loudly. The entire street was desolate. The vendors who used to do business had disappeared.
Three people stood on the street: an old woman, with white hair and wrinkled face, followed by two awkward country folk. All three were dressed in coarse cloth, with patched clothes, appearing completely unworldly.
The old woman suddenly raised her head, her eyes bright and cold, completely inconsistent with her aged face. She scanned her surroundings vigilantly, then turned and calmly commanded the two behind her.
"Let's go, out of the pass."
"Yes, Master," those disguised as country folk were Mo Chou and Mo You.
The old woman was Mu Qingyao. Because she was pregnant, over four months along, it was easy to get exposed if she disguised herself as someone else. She disguised herself as a white-haired old woman, stooped, with missing teeth and blurry eyes, leaning on a stick, which made things much simpler.
The three of them walked towards the city gate. It was getting late. The afterglow of the setting sun, tinged with a bloody redness, enveloped the tall and majestic city gate.
A long queue had formed in front of the city gate. There were more than a dozen soldiers guarding it, with two more teams of guards on the sides, searching everyone, comparing them against the portraits, letting no one pass. Mu Qingyao, Mo Chou, and Mo You exchanged glances, their eyes firm as they joined the queue, one by one.
Many people were exiting the pass. The soldiers questioned them one by one, stern and focused, not daring to be negligent. As it was about to be Mu Qingyao's turn, the three of them simultaneously held their breath and walked forward.
The inspecting soldier looked up at Mu Qingyao, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. He raised a hand to cover his nose.
This was because Mu Qingyao emitted a peculiar odor, a strong smell of the elderly, which was extremely unpleasant. Besides that soldier, another soldier on the side also seemed to dislike them, their expression cold.
The soldier asked indifferently, "Why are you leaving the city?"
Mu Qingyao pouted her seemingly toothless mouth, "Ah, tea? I haven't had any yet? Officer, will you give me some tea?"