Su Nuan looked up and saw dozens of small, glowing red eyes deep within the cave mouth. Instantly, her scalp tingled with fear, and she dared not make any sudden moves.
Cheng Feng kicked at the people sitting and resting inside the cave. “Move aside. A good dog doesn’t block the path.”
Everyone quickly made way, clearing a path about two feet wide in the middle.
Cheng Feng approached Su Nuan, torch in hand, and continued forward. Suddenly, a large swarm of rats surged out, squeaking and scurrying chaotically through the mountain cave.
The commotion startled many inside the cave, though a few brave souls began catching the rats.
“Hurry, catch them! This is meat!”
“Get away… get away… I’d rather die than eat that…”
On the third day of their exile, most people hadn’t yet reached the point of extreme hunger, so the majority avoided the rats with a mix of disgust and fear.
Su Nuan had no intention of eating rats. Seeing Cheng Feng drive them away, she remarked, “Rats don’t usually gather like this in caves with bats. This rain might last a long time.”
Cheng Feng grew agitated. Being unable to travel meant they wouldn’t reach their destination on time, and he would face punishment as a result.
After a moment’s thought, Su Nuan suggested, “Brother Cheng, since we haven’t traveled far from Jingcheng yet, why not send someone back to request a Clemency Decree?”
Cheng Feng shook his head. “It’s not that easy. However, delays due to natural disasters usually grant a twenty-day clemency period.”
Su Nuan pressed her lips together and fell silent. In her previous life, this rain had lasted a full month. Cheng Feng hadn’t allowed the group to take shelter from the rain, and nearly twenty people had died within ten days.
It wasn’t that Su Nuan had the heart of a bodhisattva; she simply wanted to make life more comfortable for her own group.
She spoke up again, “The rain won’t stop anytime soon, and there are no towns ahead. If we buy more oilcloth to make raincoats, we won’t have to delay our journey.”
Cheng Feng handed the torch to Su Nuan. “Hold this. I’ll go make arrangements.”
Su Nuan nodded. “The group will surely be delayed for a few days. May I explore the mountain during this time?”
Without turning back, Cheng Feng replied, “Do as you please. No one will dare say a word.”
A faint smile touched Su Nuan’s lips. Cheng Feng’s voice had been loud enough for everyone to hear, so no one would dare criticize her for venturing out.
Of course, with the darkness and heavy rain outside, Su Nuan had no intention of leaving just then.
She squeezed in beside Xue Shi and, under the cover of her sleeve, pulled out a bundle of steamed buns.
“Mother, Grandmother, please make do with this for now.”
They hadn’t brought anything from the carriage, as it would have been soaked by the rain.
The night passed restlessly, with many people coughing.
Early the next morning, Su Nuan went outside the cave and headed down the mountain to check on the carriage.
The horses were fine, but they couldn’t endure being drenched in the rain indefinitely—livestock could catch colds too.
Su Nuan untied the horses and led them to a recess near the cave, which provided some shelter from the heavy rain. For the horses, it was a decent enough spot.
She then retrieved some items from the carriage, wrapped them in oilcloth, and carried them back to the cave.
Ling Yun, inside the cave, couldn’t bear to see her working alone. “Sister-in-law… I’m strong. I can carry things too.”
Su Nuan nodded. “Alright, come with me to move the supplies. We’ll likely be staying here for a few days.”
The rain hadn’t yet reached its peak, and the path was already difficult to traverse. Cheng Feng wouldn’t risk leading the group forward recklessly.
Su Nuan took Ling Yun with her to transport everything from the carriage to the cave.
They spread oilcloth on the ground and laid bedding over it, ensuring the elderly and children could sit without feeling the cold.
The others huddled together in small groups, watching Su Nuan’s side with envious and jealous eyes.
Someone shouted, “We’re all suffering because of their family. Why should they live so well while we endure hardship?”
“They are the real criminals. Let’s take their things—it’s what they owe us.”
Those who only received two pieces of black bread cornbread a day were now hungry and idle, so they rose in unison and closed in on the Ling family at the inner side.
Su Nuan frowned. These exiled individuals were no different from famine refugees—they felt no psychological burden seizing others’ possessions for their own gain.
She stepped forward, shielding the Ling family, and coldly snapped, “Do you have a death wish?”
An unfamiliar man, disregarding all decency, charged forward and attempted to slap Su Nuan.
Ling Yun swiftly stepped in, seizing the man’s wrist. He raised his fist and roared, “Don’t you dare bully my sister-in-law!”
His punch landed squarely on the man’s face, accompanied by the distinct sound of a breaking nasal bone.
The man staggered backward, but with his wrist still gripped tightly by Ling Yun, he could only clutch his nose and howl in pain.
Ling Yun released his hold and delivered a fierce kick, sending the man flying into the crowd and knocking several people down.
The mountain cave amplified sound, and their cries and curses quickly alerted the soldiers outside.
A man wearing a specially made raincoat entered. He had gloomy, hawk-like eyes, a sharply defined jaw, and lips pressed into a thin line.
Su Nuan’s heart skipped a beat—this was Qin Shou, the man both Cheng Feng and she wanted dead!
She instinctively touched her face. The rain had long washed away the grime, and this lecher wouldn’t let her off easily.
She pulled up her rain hood, covering most of her face. That should be enough.
Suddenly, Ling Yun reached out and smeared something on Su Nuan’s face. “Sister-in-law, your face is dirty.”
Su Nuan caught a whiff of earthy dampness and wiped her face—her hand came away smudged with dirt and what seemed like grease.
Had Ling Yun been handling jerky and then grabbed soil? Was he trying to make her face even dirtier?
She meant to wipe it off with her sleeve, but her gaze met Qin Shou’s, and she froze instantly. Clenching her fists, she steadied her emotions.
It wasn’t just for herself—it was for her mother-in-law. In this life, she refused to let her mother-in-law endure humiliation and Qin Shou’s harassment for her sake.
She fixed her eyes on Qin Shou and declared, “Sir, these people tried to rob us. We, the main lineage, are the principal offenders. If we don’t reach the exile destination safely, those above will surely hold someone accountable.”
Her threatening words deepened the gloom in Qin Shou’s eyes. He swept a cold glance over the crowd.
“Hmph, troublemakers will receive thirty lashes.”
In such cold and hunger, thirty lashes meant only one outcome: death.
The once-incited crowd instantly retreated to their spots, each shrinking like quails.
Fortunately, Qin Shou was only intimidating them and had no intention of delaying the journey, so no one was actually whipped.
But he glanced indifferently at the man Ling Yun had kicked down, who still couldn’t get up, and ordered coldly, “Drag him out and behead him.”
Officials never tired of making examples—the effect was truly effective.
Seeing that Qin Shou wasn’t paying attention to her side, Su Nuan quietly sighed in relief.
She looked at Ling Yun. Though this guy had become foolish, his combat prowess remained intact. This actually seemed quite good—she could order him to do things, then placate him with candies to keep his mouth shut.
Ling Yun felt his temples throbbing under Su Nuan’s calculating gaze. A sense of foreboding rose in his heart, yet he couldn’t fathom what Su Nuan intended to do. He could only grin foolishly, using this to mask his unease.
Su Nuan averted her gaze. Both harbored their own thoughts, and fortunately neither knew what the other was thinking—otherwise things would certainly have become lively.
Qin Shou, who had originally turned to leave, seemed to recall something. He turned back and raised his finger to point at Su Nuan. “You—take off your hat.”