The unspoken implications of these words were clear to everyone.
Even with adequate medical conditions before, the person hadn’t regained consciousness. The chances of waking up during the exile journey would be extremely slim.
Xin Ruoyu pointed to the figure lying in the corner. The family of three—Xin Nian and her parents—exchanged glances before hurriedly squeezing through the crowd to crouch beside the unconscious person.
The young masters and misses of the Duke Manor were all quite good-looking.
But this young man, who should have been in his prime, now lay pale with bloodless lips, as if hanging on by a mere thread.
Xie Ninglan’s heart sank. She reached out to touch his feverish forehead and gently lifted her son’s eyelids, her face clouded with worry. “What should we do about this persistent high fever?”
If he didn’t wake up, they couldn’t verify whether this was indeed their son.
The three huddled together, speaking in hushed tones as they shared the information they had gathered.
“I’m now the Fourth Master of this family, the notorious ne’er-do-well known throughout the area. My surname is Xin, given name Wenyuan. And you, daughter…”
“I’m the sixth child, the Old Madam calls me Sixth Girl.”
“At least you both received some basic information,” Xie Ninglan said with a troubled expression. “I received nothing at all—my mind is completely blank.”
Xin Wenyuan comforted her, “This is the situation we’re in, and panicking won’t help. The most urgent matter now is to wake your brother and confirm his identity.”
Leaning closer to his daughter, he whispered almost inaudibly, “Daughter, what about our space…”
Xin Nian made a bitter face at her father, frowning and shaking her head.
She had tried earlier but couldn’t sense her space at all, let alone open it. She wondered if it was because they had switched bodies.
Thinking about her Ninth-Order Space Ability that had vanished in an instant, Xin Nian felt heartbroken beyond measure.
The supplies she had diligently collected over more than a decade, the fruits and vegetables growing in her space—just a small portion would have been enough to ensure their family of four lived comfortably.
But now… everything was gone!
The three looked at each other, momentarily speechless.
This beginning didn’t look promising at all!
Xin Nian wiped her face and rallied her spirits. “I have what might be considered good news, depending on how you look at it. Listen carefully.”
“The good news is, I just sensed that the natural energy here is quite abundant. The environment is definitely thousands of times better than back there. If we retrain our abilities, energy absorption will be twice as effective with half the effort. Eventually, when our ability ranks improve, my lost space might just reappear.”
“And the bad news…” The couple knew their daughter better than anyone. If she was calling this “good news,” she must have already prepared for the worst in her heart.
“The bad news is, even if we absorb energy again, limited by our current bodies, we might not be able to restore our previous ability levels,” Xin Nian explained expressionlessly. “So, the supplies we collected before are likely gone for good. We need to be mentally prepared for that.”
Xie Ninglan sighed mournfully. “Forget about the other supplies if they’re gone. I just regret the special medicines we stored in the space. One injection would have woken your brother right up. What do we do now?”
Xin Nian handed the bundle hanging from her elbow to her parents. “The Virtuous Marquis’ Wife from Lin’an Marquis Manor left us some medicine. Let’s try giving brother one pill first.”
The three administered a pill to Xin Mochen and sat beside him, watching the unconscious youth with troubled expressions.
That night, the group of over twenty people spent an anxious, restless evening filled with sighs and worries, hardly anyone getting any sleep.
When dawn had yet to break, hurried footsteps echoed outside the prison cell.
The jailer’s whip cracked against the neighboring cell bars, accompanied by impatient curses. “Stay put, all of you!”
“Out, get out now! Stop dawdling and making trouble for me!” The clatter of keys echoed loudly.
Several irritable yamen runners were handing over duties to the escorts, cursing and urging everyone to move quickly.
Xin Ruoyu helped the Old Madam to her feet, softly calling out “Grandmother.”
The Old Madam sighed, glancing at Xin Wenyuan and the others sitting on the ground before instructing, “A Zhong, carry Third Son out first.”
None of the fourth branch family members were reliable. Having them drag Xin Mochen along would be worse than killing him outright with a blade.
A Zhong was the eldest son of Lu Momo, the Old Madam’s personal attendant.
Previously, all the mansion servants had been detained by the authorities and registered as government slaves.
However, Lu Momo and her family were unaffected by this exile because the Old Madam had already removed their slave status earlier.
Despite this, Lu Momo’s family of four voluntarily chose to accompany their masters into exile, a situation the authorities typically didn’t interfere with.
Though exiled convicts received daily rations, those who voluntarily followed their masters had to provide their own food, as the escorts wouldn’t supply it.
Xin Nian lingered at the back of the crowd with her mother, whispering to Xie Ninglan, “Mom, looks like there are quite a few people in this exile group.”
Xin Ninglan watched the men ahead waiting to be fitted with cangues, her eyes full of worry. “Dear, your father will probably have to wear that heavy cangue. He’ll suffer terribly.”
But the one truly suffering was A Zhong from Lu Momo’s family, who would have to carry her unconscious brother throughout the journey.
Xin Nian tied two bundles together and slung them over her shoulder, quickly catching up with the others.
In this procession, all men had to wear cangues, while women fared slightly better—bound by iron chains linking five together in a string.
Escape was impossible. Dragged along in interlinked groups, they pulled and hindered each other, making walking difficult.
Damn this feudal society! Just wait until I regain my special abilities—I’ll tear a hole right through the heavens!
While inwardly cursing up a storm, Xin Nian maintained an adorable, soft-spoken appearance.
“Hurry up and keep together! Don’t dawdle and make trouble,” shouted the escorts as they bound the Duke Manor women with iron chains, urging them onward.
Xin Nian walked close behind her mother. After a quick glance around, she signaled Xie Ninglan to stay close.
The hundred or so people dragged themselves toward the city gate.
It was early summer, and the morning mist felt thin and damply cold.
Everyone wore only thin clothing, and the chill seeped relentlessly into their bones.
When the group reached the city gate, many friends and relatives of the exiles had been waiting for a long time. Upon meeting, both sides broke into tears and lamented their parting.
The escorts looked thoroughly impatient. “Only half a quarter-hour! When the other group of serious criminals arrives, we depart immediately without delay!”
Xin Nian rubbed her mother’s arms. “It’s a bit cold now, but bear with it. We’ll definitely get warmer as we walk.”
She added, “Later, I’ll try to see if I can absorb and circulate energy. Wait for my signal.”
Xin Ninglan nodded, but before she could speak, someone exclaimed in surprise, “Why are these Dragon-Tiger Stronghold people with us?”
Commotion erupted ahead as everyone grew restless and fearful.
Xin Nian looked up and saw a convoy of fifty to sixty people slowly approaching to merge with their group.
In the lead wooden prison cart sat a robust man in his forties, wrapped from head to toe in over a dozen refined iron chains.
“Is that Zhao Jianghe, the Dragon-Tiger Stronghold leader?”
The burly man was dragged from the prison cart. When he lifted his tiger-like eyes, a cold, fierce aura radiated from him.
The crowd instantly fell silent.
The escort leader stepped forward to hand over the prisoners, waving his hand with a stern expression. “Alright, everyone’s here. Prepare to set off!”
Nearly one hundred and sixty exiled convicts, along with over forty escorts, formed a massive procession of nearly two hundred people queuing to exit the city.