“Hey sweetie, I’ll go with you.” Xie Ninglan winked at her daughter, signaling she wanted to accompany her to relieve herself.
Xin Nian nodded. The two hung three water bags on themselves, took a basin and jar from the flatbed cart, and carried a straw mat as they prepared to walk further away to the earthen slope behind the stream to take care of their physiological needs.
“Young Miss.” Dali positioned the flatbed cart beside Xin Wenyuan and hurried over. “This servant will accompany you.”
Xie Ninglan thought it would be fine – while they used the toilet, Dali could keep watch.
By now, dusk had fallen. The three followed the stream upstream. The guarding escort glanced at them, his small eyes flashing with lecherous light.
They circled behind the earthen slope, looked around, found a relatively concealed spot, and had Dali keep watch in front.
Xin Nian was the first to shake open the straw mat to shield her mother, allowing her to go first.
After mother and daughter helped each other complete their task, they let Dali take her turn as well.
When the three emerged from behind the slope and approached the stream to fetch water, Xin Nian suddenly turned and said to Dali with a smile, “Dali, take the basin and jar back first and watch our cart.”
“Have Father bring two more jars to fetch water. I need to brew medicine later, and this amount of water probably won’t be enough.”
Xin Dali hesitated. “Young Miss, Madam, you should come back with me. This place is desolate and unsafe.”
“It’s fine.” Xin Nian smiled sweetly and patted Dali’s hand. “You’re fast on your feet – the round trip won’t take long. We’ll wash our faces here and return with Father later.”
Dali didn’t quite agree, but couldn’t argue with the young girl, so she could only sprint back, trying to be as quick as possible.
Watching Dali’s retreating figure, the sweet smile on Xin Nian’s face gradually widened. Her eyes seemed to shimmer with starlight, sparkling brilliantly.
She turned toward several banyan trees by the stream and waved her small hand. “Officer, why keep hiding? I see you, come out quickly.”
Xie Ninglan tensed up, quickly moving closer to her daughter while secretly clenching her fists.
In the night shadows with leaves rustling, a medium-built, plain-looking escort emerged from behind the trees.
Xin Nian had memorized all forty-five escorts on the first day, so she wasn’t at all surprised to see this particular man.
This person was one of Beardie the escort’s lackeys. His surname was unknown, but he had quite the temper – the type who would whip people at the slightest disagreement.
The young girl smiled sweetly at everyone. She was exceptionally beautiful, though still young and not fully matured. Her almond-shaped eyes rippled like clear pools, truly containing scattered starlight, utterly captivating.
They say that mourning white brings out one’s beauty best. Even dressed in a white prisoner’s uniform, the young girl couldn’t conceal the delicate refinement in her features.
In the alluring night, what a stunning little beauty she was.
The escort stared dumbfounded, unusually kind-faced as he grinned. “Well, aren’t you brave? You’re not scared at all?”
“Scared of what? You’re not a bad person.”
“Uh, right right, of course I’m not a bad person.” The escort rubbed his hands together, chuckling as he stepped forward. Seeing no fear on the young girl’s face, he grew bolder and moved closer.
“Officer, so you enjoy staking out to watch women relieve themselves. If you’re so curious, why not go watch your mother? She’d definitely let you watch.”
The escort’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he felt like lashing out. But facing the young girl’s rosy lips and radiant smiling face, his anger suddenly evaporated.
These women were quite vigilant anyway, carrying straw mats for cover. From that distance, with trees in between, what could he possibly see?
Though it was unjust, he loved the way the little girl chattered nonstop, her pink lips pouting as if coquettishly—utterly enchanting!
“You’re quite the talker, little girl. How come you’re not the least bit shy?” Unaware his death was imminent, the escort chuckled and took a few steps closer.
A deeper smile flickered in Xin Nian’s eyes as she let out a soft, sugary whine, “You scoundrel, sneaking around and squatting there just to catch a glimpse of me?”
The escort was utterly bewitched by her flirtatious glance, his head spinning and his courage swelling.
Now, the man’s eyes and heart were completely filled with Xin Nian. Xie Ninglan, standing to the side, rolled her eyes repeatedly, entirely ignored.
“Of course not! Originally, Brother Beard sent me to demand money from you. He said the Xie Manor must have given you plenty of travel funds, but our group hasn’t received a single copper coin. All the benefits were taken by Liang Tou and his faction.”
“But now, my little beauty, if you’re willing to be with me, I’ll protect your family all the way from now on. I guarantee you won’t suffer a bit.”
“Really?” When the little girl fixed her sparkling eyes on you, it was as if the whole world faded into the background, her gaze so full of the other person it was utterly heart-stirring.
“Really, really, a thousand times true, absolutely no lie.” The escort was overjoyed, thinking to himself how easily fooled this little girl was.
First, get this exquisite beauty into his hands—what comes later can be dealt with then.
“Then you mustn’t lie to me, or I’ll haunt you even as a ghost.” Xin Nian smiled sweetly and crooked a finger at him. “Scoundrel, come a little closer. There’s no one here, what are you afraid of?”
Is your mother not a person? Xie Ninglan’s eye-roll could have launched a rocket into the clouds.
She’s playing him so hard, this fool is completely wrapped around her finger.
Over there, the escort’s heart surged with excitement. He let out a wolf-like howl, as if his soul had fled, and dashed forward drooling.
In the blink of an eye, a wicked smile curled at the corner of Xin Nian’s lips. She shrank the ground beneath her feet, her figure flickering, and suddenly appeared right in front of the sprinting escort.
A sharp weapon in her hand slit his carotid artery. As blood spurted from the young man, Xin Nian casually conjured another Space Condensation Pearl and stored the corpse inside.
Only then did two drops of warm blood patter down, caught by Xin Nian on her fair, jade-like index finger, which she lightly rubbed.
“Tch.” The little girl showed a look of disdain. “Such a rotten man, yet his blood is still red. How unreasonable.”
“Girl, wife!” Xin Wenyuan, clutching two jars, rushed over panting and out of breath, his straw sandals nearly flying off.
“Hey, what are you two doing out here in the middle of the night?”
“Shh.” Xin Nian raised a jade-like finger to her lips in a silencing gesture.
Her figure swayed slightly, and she suddenly appeared under a tree three meters away.
“Hmph, you sure run fast.”
Xin Wenyuan stared wide-eyed for a long moment before pulling his wife over to their daughter’s side, lowering his voice in extreme excitement, “Girl, oh my dear girl, can you teleport now?”
“Mm, I just advanced to the second rank.” Xin Nian shot her father a glance, her expression undisguisedly critical. “Dad, you need to hurry up and work harder. Mom is almost at the first rank already.”
“Ah, yes, yes, you’re absolutely right, my girl. Quick, give your old dad a bit more Healing Power. I’ll practice all night without sleeping.”
Xin Nian stared expressionlessly at her father.
Not sleeping? You’d be out in three seconds.
Xie Ninglan covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. “Let’s finish getting water and head back quickly, or Dali will start worrying about us soon.”
“Alright, you wait here while I go fetch the water.”
Xie Ninglan glanced toward the base of the tree. “Niannian, what did you see over there?”