When the siblings returned to the riverbank leading a carriage drawn by two horses, every member of the Jiang family wore the exact same stunned expression.
Not only had Jiang Qingshu brought back a carriage, but inside were clothes and food supplies they desperately needed.
“Could… could there really be some hidden master helping us?” Sun Yuluo stood there dumbfounded.
With new clothes, they could finally change out of the prison garments that drew too much attention. That alone would make traveling while fleeing much safer and easier.
The injured Jiang Kun and the children climbed into the carriage, while the quilts and supplies were loaded onto it as well. The younger adults chose to walk alongside the cart.
This arrangement not only increased their speed, but also eased everyone’s burden considerably.
To avoid any pursuers who might appear at any moment, they had to stay off the main roads as much as possible.
Their goal for the day was to reach Qianzhou, forty li away.
Inside the carriage, Sun Yuluo continued treating Jiang Kun’s injuries.
The mangled, bloodied flesh on his back made several of the children tremble in fear, instinctively shrinking away.
“Grandpa, does it hurt a lot?”
Only Lin Bao not only failed to retreat, but even leaned closer.
Hearing the child’s soft concern, Jiang Kun froze for a moment before turning to look at his little grandson.
Because Lin Bao’s identity was complicated, he had always lived in the countryside with his mother. Grandfather and grandson had rarely met.
The old man and the child quietly studied one another, both filled with curiosity.
Jiang Kun observed that the little boy was not only handsome and fair-skinned, but also sharp-eyed and intelligent—no worse than any of his other grandchildren.
Perhaps because he loved Jiang Qingshu, he found himself beginning to like this child as well.
“Are you afraid of Grandpa?” Jiang Kun asked while stroking his beard.
Lin Bao blinked his large eyes and shook his head.
Jiang Kun laughed.
Because he was tall, burly, rough-looking, and intimidating, the younger children in the family were usually terrified of him.
Yet this grandson, who had only met him twice, dared to approach him without fear.
“Then are you afraid of blood?” Jiang Kun asked again.
“No!” Lin Bao answered firmly.
“Oh?” Jiang Kun clearly didn’t believe him.
“A true man would rather lose his head and shed blood than bow to force!” Lin Bao declared proudly, lifting his little face high.
Both Jiang Kun and Sun Yuluo were stunned.
What a fearless child.
Soon, they both smiled with genuine delight.
Jiang Kun grabbed Lin Bao’s small hand and pulled him closer.
“Good boy. You’ve got guts. As expected of a child from the Jiang family…”
Sitting outside the carriage, Jiang Qingshu heard those words and smiled in relief.
After four years, Lin Bao had finally received his grandfather’s acknowledgment.
After traveling more than twenty li in one stretch, both the horses and the people needed rest.
Driving the carriage, Jiang Fengyu glanced at the sun overhead.
It was already noon.
After climbing over a hill, the family decided to stop and eat before continuing onward.
As usual, the men were responsible for gathering firewood, feeding the horses, and keeping watch, while the women prepared the meal.
The moment the two sisters-in-law opened the food bundle left in the carriage by the “mysterious master,” they were instantly dumbfounded.
Inside were not only a large package of poria cakes and walnut pastries, but also two roasted geese, five jin of braised beef, and two large water skins.
Beneath the food was even a small iron pot with handles, along with several bowls, chopsticks, and coarse salt.
“Fourth Sister, who exactly is your master?” Second Sister-in-law sighed in amazement. “She thought of absolutely everything.”
“That’s right! With a pot, we can even hunt and cook food ourselves along the way,” Eldest Sister-in-law said excitedly.
“Shu’er,” Jiang Kun suddenly asked seriously, “did that expert ever mention any conditions? What does she want in return for helping us?”
In Jiang Kun’s eyes, receiving such careful aid without any request for repayment only made him uneasy.
If the benefactor had proposed conditions, he could at least weigh whether repayment was possible. If not, he would rather refuse the favor entirely.
Jiang Qingshu understood well that the Jiang family were proud people.
They were not the sort who liked owing others.
To reassure them, she suddenly came up with an idea.
Pretending to hesitate, she slowly spoke.
“Father… Master said that long ago, you once helped her. She’s only repaying that kindness now. And… she’ll also be going to the Northern Frontier. You may even meet her there.”
Jiang Kun’s thick brows furrowed.
“She owes me a debt of gratitude?”
Though Jiang Kun had killed many people in his lifetime, he had also saved countless lives.
Could someone truly be repaying an old favor?
“No matter what,” Sun Yuluo suddenly interrupted his thoughts, “we’ve accepted this person’s kindness. Once we reach the Northern Frontier, we must personally thank our benefactor.”
Jiang Kun sighed quietly.
“What a pity. If I weren’t crippled now…”
“Father,” Jiang Qingshu interrupted with confidence, “Master’s medicine can heal your old injuries. You’ll definitely become that mighty general again—the one who could command armies with a single swing of his blade.”
As she spoke, she pulled a small white pill from the medicine bottle hidden in her sleeve and handed it to him.
Everyone stared at the tiny pill between her fingers.
How could something so small possibly heal internal injuries caused by an arrow wound?
“Father,” Jiang Qingshu raised a brow, “don’t tell me you’re afraid to take it?”
The moment Jiang Kun heard that, he snatched the pill and swallowed it immediately before anyone could stop him.
“What is there for me to fear?”
Jiang Qingshu laughed softly and handed him the water skin.
What none of them knew was that the real thing healing Jiang Kun’s injuries was not the vitamin C tablet she had given him—
but the spiritual spring water hidden inside the water skin.
Anyone who drank the spiritual spring water would recover from fatigue and gain tremendous health benefits.
However, the spring water was tied to the stability of her space itself, so she couldn’t recklessly use it without restraint.
Whenever ordinary medicine could solve a problem, she avoided wasting the precious spring water.
After the family had eaten and rested, they packed up once more and resumed their journey toward Qianzhou.
“Hm?”
The moment Jiang Kun stood up, he suddenly felt something different about his body.
“What’s wrong?” Sun Yuluo asked nervously.
“My back… it no longer feels like it’s burning.”
He cautiously rolled his shoulders, then realized in shock that even the pain from the arrow wound had lessened by more than half.
Sun Yuluo quickly lifted the back of his clothes to examine the injury.
The moment she looked, she froze in utter disbelief.
The bloody flesh that had previously been torn open was already beginning to scab over.
How was that even possible?
Everyone was shaken to the core.
“Shu’er,” Sun Yuluo exclaimed excitedly, “that expert of yours must be some immortal descended from heaven! This medicine is miraculous! If you still have any left, make sure you protect it carefully!”
“Little Sister,” Jiang Fengyu added solemnly, “when we reach the Northern Frontier, you must bring us to personally thank this benefactor.”
Jiang Qingshu smiled gently.
“Alright.”
After reorganizing their belongings, the family set off once more.
But when they were still about five li away from Qianzhou territory, fierce winds suddenly began to howl.
The gusts were so strong people could barely open their eyes, and even the horses became startled.
Some stretches of the journey offered no side paths, meaning they had no choice but to pass through the city itself.
As they drew closer to Qianzhou, more and more travelers appeared on the roads.
To avoid exposing their identities, the family discussed the matter and temporarily disguised themselves as merchants visiting relatives in the city.
They also changed their surname from Jiang to Chen.
Although the strong winds slowed their progress, they still managed to reach Qianzhou City before the gates closed.
To avoid attracting attention, they decided to split into two groups when entering the city and regroup later at a blacksmith’s shop inside.
Jiang Qingshu, Lin Bao, Third Brother Jiang Chengyu, and Jiang Luoyou would enter first.
But the moment they arrived beneath the city gates, they saw a squad of soldiers comparing wanted portraits against the faces of every passerby entering the city.
“This is bad…”