The moment Jiang Qingshu heard that her sister-in-law was pregnant, she froze in shock.
From the start of the family’s exile until now, only a little over ten days had passed. That meant the child had clearly been conceived back in the General’s Manor.
The Jiang family was about to welcome a new life—what should have been joyous news.
Yet it had come at the worst possible time.
“Third Brother, I brought Big Sister over,” Jiang Luoyou said mischievously, sticking out her tongue at Jiang Chengyu.
Jiang Chengyu turned to look at his younger sister. Relief first spread across his face in a brilliant smile, but he quickly grew serious again.
“Shu’er, come try it too.”
Jiang Qingshu adjusted her breathing slightly before stepping into the training area.
Thinking about it, it really was time to temper this delicate body.
Jiang Chengyu carefully explained the rules to her, which were basically what she had already guessed.
“At first I’ll release the vines slowly. Don’t worry about getting hurt. If you really can’t handle it, just drop to the ground immediately and dodge.”
As he spoke, he pulled back one of the vines.
“Big Sister, even though I tried really hard earlier, I only dodged the first stone. Be careful!” Jiang Luoyou cheered while rubbing her swollen cheeks.
“Go ahead.”
Very quickly, the vine tied to the stone swung toward her.
Unlike the others, however, Jiang Qingshu stood perfectly still, showing no intention of moving.
Jiang Chengyu panicked instantly. It seemed his younger sister really was different from ordinary people—perhaps she simply was not suited for training.
Just as he was about to swing his spear and cut the vine to prevent her from being injured, she suddenly tilted her head at the critical moment and narrowly dodged the stone.
“How is that possible?! No way!” Little Sixth Brother, whose face was covered in bruises from training, kicked his legs in disbelief.
Seeing her posture, Jiang Chengyu immediately realized she was completely different from a beginner.
Could her mysterious master have already taught her martial skills?
Excitement flickered in his eyes.
“Again. This time, two at once.”
Jiang Qingshu showed no fear. With two quick twists of her shoulders, she avoided both stones flawlessly.
Now Jiang Chengyu was completely certain—she definitely possessed some martial training.
“Then this time, four.”
Four stones flew at her from different directions.
Even so, there were still gaps between them. Jiang Qingshu once again used nimble footwork, slipping precisely through the openings.
“Wow, Big Sister, you’re amazing!” Jiang Luoyou stared in complete astonishment.
But the most delighted person was undoubtedly Jiang Chengyu.
He could tell that this little exercise posed no challenge for her at all. Her limits were far beyond this.
This time, eight stones…
Jiang Qingshu smiled bitterly.
Escaping from four stones was already the physical limit of this body. Against eight, unless she used teleportation, she would only end up getting smashed.
“Can’t do it?” Jiang Chengyu watched anxiously as the stones closed in on her.
“Big Sister—!” Jiang Luoyou shut her eyes tightly, unable to bear watching.
Yet the moment her eyes closed, Jiang Qingshu suddenly vanished from the center of the formation.
In the next instant, she appeared directly in front of Jiang Chengyu.
“Little Sister!!! What kind of bizarre movement technique was that?!” Martial arts fanatic Jiang Chengyu had never felt such shock and excitement in his life.
The reason Jiang Qingshu had hidden her teleportation ability from her family was because she had never found a reasonable and believable explanation for it.
But after surviving the fire, she realized she could no longer continue hiding it.
Her family needed to know she had the ability to protect herself. Otherwise, one day they might lose their lives trying to save her.
“This is a life-saving secret art my master taught me. So if danger comes again, you don’t need to worry too much about me.”
“I knew it! After all these years practicing martial arts, this is the first time I’ve ever seen such a technique.”
“Well of course. Did Third Brother forget? My master is a hidden expert beyond the mortal world.”
“Can you explain the unique principles behind this movement art in more detail?” Jiang Chengyu asked eagerly, desperate to uncover its mysteries.
“Well… honestly, I’ve only learned the bare basics. I can merely teleport a short distance instantly.”
Jiang Qingshu concealed her guilt.
Her maximum teleportation distance was actually around thirty meters, but she certainly dared not reveal everything. Otherwise, if she ever did something shady in the future, wouldn’t she practically be confessing in advance?
Some truths could be told—but not all of them.
Jiang Chengyu believed her completely. Since it was a divine technique, naturally it would not be easy to master.
And if merely scratching the surface was already this incredible, what would the highest realm look like?
“Little Sister, next time you meet your master, make sure to ask if she’s still accepting disciples!”
Jiang Qingshu’s stiff smile twitched helplessly.
“Sure… I’ll ask Master the next time I see her.”
Heh. At this rate, the pit she dug for herself would eventually tunnel straight through the planet.
That evening, Elder Ma among the refugees personally brought food for the Jiang family.
Over the past two days, although Jiang Fengyu had gone hunting, the severe drought meant there were barely any living creatures within dozens of miles.
So most of the time, Elder Ma had been supporting them.
As Jiang Qingshu looked at the bread and biscuits he delivered, the corners of her lips unconsciously lifted.
Fortunately, she had secretly left supplies behind to help these refugees earlier. In the end, that kindness had indirectly helped her own family as well.
But that was also because these refugees themselves were kind and generous people.
Anyone could add flowers to brocade.
But how many were willing to offer charcoal in the snow?
So she decided she would continue helping them as much as possible until they found stability.
This time, after returning, she had also prepared plenty of supplies under the excuse of her “master’s assistance,” enough to satisfy her family’s daily needs completely.
Yet faced with Elder Ma’s sincere generosity, they still could not bring themselves to refuse.
Inside the grass hut, the two elderly men sat cross-legged on the ground, discussing tomorrow’s plans.
“Elder Ma, thank you and everyone else for your righteous help these past few days. Have you decided whether you’ll continue heading west?”
The previous day, Jiang Kun had honestly shared his analysis of the western situation and advised them to change directions.
Elder Ma had spent the entire night discussing the matter with his clan, yet they had struggled to make a decision.
But judging from the bright spirit in his eyes now, something good must have happened.
“We heard that the authorities in Qianzhou have begun accepting refugees. We’ve decided to stay. As long as we can endure until spring next year, once the rains come, we’ll be able to return home.”
“Is the news reliable?”
Jiang Kun deeply understood the suffering of displacement. Compared to having these refugees risk danger by following the Jiang family, finding shelter was clearly the better choice.
Moreover, their destination was Tianwen City. According to Tianwen City’s rules, refugees like these would never be allowed entry.
“It’s true. The officials prepared storage buildings for us to stay in. They’re sealed tightly against the wind. Food is millet and corn buns. We all want to head there as soon as possible.”
“That truly is good news. But you should still remain cautious. One must always guard against others.”
Seeing the hope shining in Elder Ma’s eyes, Jiang Kun found himself unable to say anything more.
“We’ll be careful. The weather is getting colder and colder… what about your family?” Elder Ma asked worriedly.
“Though the road ahead will be full of hardship, as long as our family stays together, we can face any suffering.”
“Yes… In these chaotic times, having the whole family survive together is already the greatest blessing imaginable…”
That night, the two old men—whose identities and life experiences were worlds apart—sat together chatting happily for a long time.
Elder Ma planned to see the Jiang family off first before leading the refugees to the resettlement camp.
The next morning, at the third quarter of the Hour of Mao, dawn had only just begun to brighten the sky.
The Jiang family was ready to depart once more.