The group that came to rob didn't stay, but the several hundred people led by Chief Zhao had complete faith in Qi Nian. Even the onlookers stopped watching the commotion and grabbed whatever water containers they had—wooden buckets, wooden basins, water skins—and ran toward the valley.
Water meant survival. Who would willingly fight to mutual destruction, or even lose their lives?
When those who had come to steal grain and water saw how certain the others were about finding water, they too retreated, scrambling in a frenzy to reach the valley.
Chief Zhao and a few of the elders wanted to ask Qi Nian whether the water was real or not, but Qi Nian had already left with the little wolf.
"Old Hu, take me to the valley ahead on horseback. We need to hurry."
"I'll do it!"
Old Hu handed the reins to Yao Chengyi and, being perceptive, went with Shen Lu to look after the three children.
Qi Nian didn't know how to ride a horse. She had originally asked Old Hu to take her to the valley because horses were fast—getting there in time would give Da Bai room to open the Secret Realm and release the water.
But now Yao Chengyi had snatched Old Hu's job, and Qi Nian didn't dare let him take her.
"Get on."
As if seeing through Qi Nian's thoughts, Yao Chengyi mounted the horse and then lifted Qi Nian onto the saddle as easily as if she were a child.
Shen Lu, quick-eyed and quick-handed, passed two wooden buckets to Qi Nian.
One horse with two riders, followed by a little wolf, sped past the crowd rushing for water like a gust of wind.
And just like that, she was forced onto this thief's horse.
How was she supposed to channel the water out without being discovered? Qi Nian had no confidence she could fool this man.
This guy had deliberately stolen Old Hu's job—his purpose was to pry into her secret, wasn't it?
Definitely! But Qi Nian couldn't think of a single way around it.
True to its reputation as a warhorse, they reached the foot of the valley in no time.
"Do what you need to do. I won't look." Having said this coldly, Yao Chengyi led the horse around a bend to a spot where he was guaranteed to see nothing.
Fine then. Qi Nian couldn't be bothered to explain. She took Da Bai into the valley to find a place that could hold water.
It wasn't until Da Bai had exhausted the little Spiritual Power it had barely recovered, going limp in Qi Nian's arms, that the dry pit beside the pair was filled with water.
Qi Nian carried the little white wolf to find Yao Chengyi. "Done. Go draw the water out."
Yao Chengyi didn't say much either. He silently turned the corner back into the valley and drew the water.
"Aren't you curious?"
"If I were curious, would you satisfy my curiosity?"
That she couldn't do. Tell him she came from the immortal realm or the modern world? Who would believe that? But Qi Nian still wanted to find some way to explain this miraculous occurrence.
"That water isn't my doing. It's Da Bai's."
The last time water appeared in the river, she had brought the little wolf back with her, and the appearance of the water was connected to the wolf. Yao Chengyi believed that much—but he wasn't blind. This woman was clearly the little wolf's master.
Still, since Qi Nian didn't volunteer the information, he wouldn't ask. Yao Chengyi believed that extraordinary people existed in this world.
"Get on. Let's head back."
"But what about the water?"
Yao Chengyi first helped Qi Nian onto the saddle, seating her in front, then handed her the reins. He mounted, then took a bucket of water in each hand.
"Pull the reins slightly to the right. Don't pull too tight—let the horse walk on its own."
"Oh."
Qi Nian was learning to control the horse's direction with left and right.
Despite having spent so long in the immortal realm, she had always traveled by flying sword or simply sitting on the back of a spiritual beast. This skilled business of riding a horse was beyond Qi Nian.
They had only traveled a short distance back when they met the main crowd coming for water. People she knew and didn't know saw the buckets in Yao Chengyi's hands and, without even pausing to greet them, charged toward the valley like mad.
"Father! Mother! You're back!"
Xiao Xi—if you're going to call "father," call "father," and if you're going to call "mother," call "mother." But mixing them together like that, what's that supposed to be?
Qi Nian grumbled inwardly. She dismounted, pinched Xiao Xi's little flower-smudged face, and led her daughter and Da Bai to find a place to rest.
Soon after, Chief Zhao led many of his people to find Qi Nian and offer their thanks.
"Alright, alright, no need to thank us." Old Hu blocked them, not wanting them to disturb Qi Nian's rest.
"It's like this, Brother Hu—we actually came to ask for some wound medicine. Several people were badly hurt in the fight earlier."
Chief Zhao had to swallow his pride to make this request. Medicine was so precious at a time like this—how could one simply ask for it and expect to receive it?
Old Hu did have medicine on him, and he was a highly skilled physician—otherwise, he could never have concocted the potion that made Qi Nian forget everything before childbirth. But the medicine he carried was limited, and every bit used was a bit gone. His duty was to protect his master's safety. As for others, if he couldn't afford to help, then he couldn't help.
"Our household's matters are decided by Lady Qi. Asking me about this is useless."
"Brother Hu, I beg to see Lady Qi. I'll just ask her whether she can spare some medicine. We'll buy it—we'll pay!"
As if a few copper coins would cover it? Old Hu didn't say it, but his expression said exactly that.
Chief Zhao knew he had misspoken and clasped his hands repeatedly toward Yao Chengyi and Old Hu. "That's not what I meant. I beg you, Third Master—their wounds are truly severe. If the bleeding isn't stopped soon, they'll bleed out."
Qi Nian was dozing on the carriage, able to hear everything. She simply didn't want to move, and she also wanted to see how Yao Chengyi would handle it.
"If you have medicine, give them some." Yao Chengyi, standing by the carriage, lifted his gaze and spoke to Old Hu.
Only after his master gave the order did Old Hu reluctantly part with the medicine.
Chief Zhao and several others thanked them repeatedly, expressing their gratitude profusely.
Qi Nian's opinion of Yao Chengyi improved somewhat—he wasn't as cold and aloof as he appeared on the surface.
Chief Zhao returned to his villagers, applied medicine to the injured, and gathered the clan's leading members to discuss an important matter.
"Let's talk about how Young Mistress Qi suddenly discovered that water source today." Chief Zhao took a big gulp of the water Zhao Youcai handed him, waiting for everyone to speak.
"Uncle Chief, what exactly do you want us to say?" one person asked, and a dozen or so old men and middle-aged fellows all stared at Chief Zhao.
"Fine, let me be clearer. My plan is this—whether we can stay at the next city or continue fleeing the famine, I've decided to stick close to Young Mistress Qi's family. Wherever they go, we go. Even if they decide to occupy a mountain and become bandits, I'll follow. If you ask me why, it's because they have both skill and integrity. That's all I have to say—you can share your opinions now."
Only after Chief Zhao put it that way did everyone understand.
"I'll follow Uncle Chief's lead."
"I've been wanting to say this for a while—their family is no ordinary lot. Take this water, for example. So many people died of thirst without finding it, yet it was Young Mistress Qi who discovered the water in that valley. Just for that bit of luck alone, my family will follow."
"Mm-hmm, their martial arts are formidable too—they're definitely not ordinary people. I'll follow, and my family has no objections either."
"…"
This small meeting of Zhao Village passed unanimously—they were firmly resolved to follow Qi Nian and Yao Chengyi.
Qi Nian was too far away from Chief Zhao's location to hear any of this. Otherwise, she'd have been spitting blood—as if just anyone could follow them if they wanted to!
It was time to set out again at dusk. They had just passed the valley ahead when a large crowd gathered on the road.
They turned out to be the robbers from before, silently trailing along with their remaining family members.
However, as they continued forward, rotting corpses began appearing along the road one after another, and a heavy stench hung thick in the air.