A Madwoman's Journey Through the Song Dynasty

Chapter 10

"The long journey, malnutrition, and extreme weakness led to his coma," Liu Xiao said, taking a medicine bottle from her small medicine box and feeding the old man a pill. "Young lady, let your father rest for a while, he'll be fine, but he should eat more to replenish his strength," Liu Xiao reminded the old man's daughter.

"Thank you, doctor, but..." The pretty young girl stammered, looking troubled.

Seeing the girl's hands frantically twisting the hem of her clothes, her frail appearance, and noticing her tattered bundle—clearly lacking in food—Bai Qianqian felt a pang of heartache. Such a young girl, displaced by war, her only relative now facing imminent death… Suddenly, a strong desire to help these refugees surged within her. However, material assistance alone wouldn't be enough!

“It’s time for us to define the future of Xiaoyao Palace! Xiaoyao Palace, far from war, far from disease, far from oppression and tyranny, a place where everyone can live in peace and tranquility, a paradise on earth!” Bai Qianqian expressed her thoughts. “Although it is difficult to achieve with our current strength, I believe that day will come soon.”

"Good! I, Liu Xiao, am willing to go through fire and water for the ideal of Xiaoyao Palace and dedicate my life to it!" Liu Xiao echoed excitedly.

"That's wonderful!" Mei'er cried tears of joy. If she and her mother could live in such a place, things wouldn't be like this now. Thinking of her mother's tragic death, Mei'er's belief became even stronger.

"Let's do it this way!" Flying Eagle said firmly, looking at Bai Qianqian. Qianqian, no matter what the future holds, I will always be by your side, working hard alongside you, protecting you, and taking care of you…

"Okay, it's settled then. Let's all work hard together!" Bai Qianqian said with boundless enthusiasm, her face radiating endless confidence and determination!

Of course, the first priority is to appease the two to three hundred refugees along this road.

Food? No problem! Bai Qianqian had foreseen this and stored countless food items in compressed bags, mostly gourmet food. (It must be said, Bai Qianqian is quite a glutton.) This made the refugees, who had been living a life of hardship for so long, both grateful and astonished. In their eyes, amidst their endless suffering, several exceptionally kind-hearted people with such outstanding appearances suddenly appeared to help them. Even though they hadn't seen them carrying so much food, they had indeed distributed enough to each of them, along with a considerable amount of medicine. Almost all the refugees had a question in their minds, a sense of awe: Were they… gods?!

The old man's daughter, unable to contain her curiosity, timidly asked them, "Benefactors, may I ask who you are...?"

"Hehe, we are from Xiaoyao Palace," Bai Qianqian replied casually.

"Xiaoyao Palace?" the little girl murmured gratefully.

From then on, the Xiaoyao Palace, this mysterious organization, began to gain fame throughout the world through word of mouth among these refugees, and it has always been shrouded in mythology...

Chapter Thirty-Two: Punishing Evil

At the gate of Yingtian City, a group of weary and distressed refugees were gathered.

"Go away! Get out of here and stop getting in my way!" A fat man with big ears, who looked like the captain of the city gate guards, shouted at the group of refugees with a fierce face.

Some timid refugees retreated a short distance and hid under the city wall in the distance, looking hopefully toward the city gate, as if the guards would suddenly show mercy and let them into the city.

Other refugees who didn't move far weren't brave; they were simply exhausted. The long, frantic journey and lack of food had drained their strength. God was always lurking nearby, waiting for an opportunity to take their lives.

"Grandpa! What's wrong with you! Waaah~~~~~~~~Grandpa!" A young child fearfully pushed his grandfather, who had just closed his eyes due to exhaustion and hunger.

"What's going on over there?" Bai Qianqian and her group, who had just arrived at the gates of Yingtian City, were still lamenting the chaotic state of the world when they heard this cry.

Liu Xiao had already spurred his horse and rushed off. Mei'er called out to Bai Qianqian and followed closely behind.

"Sigh, this world." Bai Qianqian sighed and spurred her horse to follow. Meanwhile, Flying Eagle carefully searched among the refugees. It seemed that he had just sensed a special aura, the unintentional aura of a martial arts master. There were experts hidden among these refugees, and he wondered which side had sent them as spies.

Am I just imagining things? After searching carefully several times, the aura was nowhere to be found, as if it never existed. Flying Eagle had a slight doubt. If someone really was hiding among these refugees, that person was clearly a master, and not just an ordinary one. Although they were still somewhat inferior to him, they were not to be underestimated, and he couldn't let his guard down.

"Qianqian..." Liu Xiao saw Bai Qianqian's questioning eyes and sighed softly. It was too late.

Looking at the delicate-featured yet incredibly thin child, Bai Qianqian sighed softly, "Such a small child, now he doesn't even have his last relative..."

The child, who was about seven or eight years old, was already very sensible. Perhaps he had seen too much of life and death. Now that he knew his grandfather had died, he burst into tears.

"Alright, alright, don't cry. Your grandpa has gone to heaven to live a happy life. He'll be watching over you from there." Bai Qianqian, who had never been particularly fond of children, softened her voice and gently coaxed him. "What's your name?"

"Waaah~~ My name is Qi'er, sister. Did Grandpa really go to heaven?" the boy named Qi'er asked timidly.

"Yes, he'll be watching over you from heaven, protecting you. You're the one he sent to help and protect you." Bai Qianqian gently patted his head. "You have to listen to your sister, okay?"

"Yes, Qi'er is willing to listen to his sister!" The older sister in front of him was so beautiful and gentle. It had been so long since anyone had smiled at him. Some of the better-dressed adults would look at him and his grandfather with disgust, their eyes full of contempt and coldness. It had been so long, so very long since anyone had smiled at him.

"Hey! What's going on!" Some guards came over after hearing the commotion.

"Boss! Someone's dead, that old man!" a thin guard shouted at the fat man.

"What!" The head guard rushed over, cursing as he went, "These days, I always run into this kind of bad luck! Is he really dead? Drag him to the mass grave! He's an idiot!"

"Yes, yes, we'll go right away!" Several guards came up and were about to take action in front of Bai Qianqian and her group.

"Wait!" A tall figure suddenly stepped forward and said in a humble voice, "Gentlemen, we won't trouble you with this old man. Let me take care of his burial."

"Well, alright, hurry up and bury him. Remember to bury him far away, so as not to bring bad luck to our Lord Wang!" the head guard said gruffly, then turned and left.

"Yes, I will bury him far away." The man replied in a low voice, turned around, looked at the dead old man, shook his head and sighed.

The more Bai Qianqian looked at the person, the more familiar he seemed. Who was he?

“You are Hong Feng,” Flying Eagle said coldly, his certain tone startling the man with the shawl.

"Um. Yes, that's me. May I ask who you are?" Judging from the other person's impressive attire, he probably didn't know anyone wealthy.

"Flying Eagle, how do you know him?" Bai Qianqian was very curious. She felt that this person looked familiar, but she just didn't know who he was.

"Hong Feng from the Qingyang Talent Selection Conference, the one who faced off against Feng Bao," Flying Eagle explained casually to Bai Qianqian.

"Oh, it's him." Bai Qianqian suddenly remembered. "Flying Eagle, you have such a good memory, so amazing!"

"Heh..." Flying Eagle gave a bitter laugh. This was a necessary part of being an assassin. Recalling his training and the harsh punishments for those who failed, Flying Eagle felt a heaviness in his heart. Was that aura he sensed just now his? Flying Eagle was uncertain...

Chapter Thirty-Three: Punishing Evil 2

"Hong Feng, who is this old man to you?" Bai Qianqian asked, her curiosity tinged with sadness.

“He’s nobody to me, we’re not related at all,” Hong Feng sighed. “He just reminds me of my father.”

It turned out that Hong Feng had participated in the talent selection competition in Qingyang City primarily for the prize money awarded to the top three. At that time, his father was seriously ill, and they couldn't afford medicine, so they urgently needed money. Unfortunately, he still failed...

His hometown was now ravaged by war, so he came out with his fellow villagers to make a living. Although the rise and fall of a nation is the responsibility of every citizen, seeing that the Song Dynasty was full of corrupt officials who preyed on the people, and even the minor officials in the government offices often harassed the people, he had lost all interest in joining the army and fighting. He just wanted to find a peaceful place to live a peaceful life.

Seeing such a young child lose his grandfather already filled me with deep sorrow. But hearing that those guards were going to drag the recently deceased old man to a mass grave only intensified my grief and indignation for the old man and the child. Those officials are so despicable, yet I can't confront them directly; I have to grovel and beg them. Alas, the world is unjust!

"Those officials are despicable!" Bai Qianqian glared at their departing figures. "Perhaps we can give that prefect of Yingtian Prefecture a small punishment, at least to make him let those refugees in for a while."

"You?!" Hong Feng looked at the group of people in surprise. Who were they? How dare they utter such disrespectful words! If the guards heard this, they'd be in jail!

"Would you like to join us? Join our Xiaoyao Palace?" Bai Qianqian smiled warmly and brightly. Hong Feng before her was skilled in martial arts and had a good character; most importantly, his appearance was extraordinary. Although he couldn't match the cold, stylish Flying Eagle, and was slightly less elegant and gentle than Liu Xiao, he still possessed handsome features, especially a pair of deep, captivating, narrow phoenix eyes, paired with delicate, sword-like eyebrows, a straight nose, and full, slightly thick lips. If he changed his attire and groomed himself, he'd probably turn heads at least 97 or 98 percent. Heh, if he joined, she'd be one step closer to her goal!

"Xiaoyao Palace? Xiaoyao Palace! Are you the Xiaoyao Palace?" Hong Feng murmured a few times before suddenly asking excitedly.

"Huh? How come we're so famous? Even if we helped some refugees last time, it's unlikely that word would spread so quickly," Bai Qianqian said, puzzled, then asked, "Where did you hear that from?"

"That's what the locals are saying. They say there's a guest staying at Baiyun Manor who's from Xiaoyao Palace, and his surname is also Bai. They say he's incredibly talented, proficient in everything from literature and martial arts to music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Occasionally, when he's out with the owner of Baiyun Manor, if they encounter someone drowning or about to be hit by a carriage, he always appears just in time to save them. He's a truly rare and good person. Do you know him?" Hong Feng said with boundless admiration.

"Get to know him, he's Bai Ke, the head of my Xiaoyao Palace. Do you want to join Xiaoyao Palace and follow Bai Ke?" Bai Qianqian continued to tempt her.

"Alright! I'll join!" Filled with reverence, Hong Feng decided to join without hesitation. Since the Free and Unfettered Palace had such a good hall master, it must be a very good organization. Thinking about being able to follow Hall Master Bai Ke in the future, Hong Feng became excited again.

"Hehe, then welcome!" Bai Qianqian handed Hong Feng a token from Xiaoyao Palace with satisfaction. "This is a token from our Xiaoyao Palace, a black peony. There's a hidden compartment in the center of the flower with a button inside. When you're in danger, just press that button and someone will come to your rescue." (That person is naturally the robot Xiao Ke. Each token has a unique number and positioning system.)

"Th...thank you!" Is it really that amazing? Hong Feng was surprised again.

"Alright, it's getting dark now, let's settle the refugees here first!" Bai Qianqian directed everyone to divide the work and selected a few strong people from among the refugees to help transport food, clothing, medicine, and other supplies.

About an hour later, after everything was settled, Bai Qianqian looked at the city gate with a mixture of anger and amusement, and muttered, "Looks like someone's going to be in trouble tonight. Let's end your leisurely life early!"

It was a dark and stormy night, perfect for murder. However, Bai Qianqian and her group had no intention of killing anyone. They stormed into the residence of the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture, dragged the Prefect out of bed, and found him embracing one of his concubines (whose rank was unknown). Without a word, they brutally beat him. The concubine was too frightened to utter a sound, and the Prefect was knocked unconscious before he could even cry for help.

"Tch~~~~ So useless!" Bai Qianqian clapped her hands and smiled at the little beauty on the bed who was almost fainting from fright. "Beautiful lady, please tell your master that if he doesn't let those refugees in tomorrow, I'll beat him three times a day. Since we were able to come in quietly, we can naturally do what I just said." After saying that, the group quickly left.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Gathering Cold Moon

"What! The martial arts tournament is over!" Bai Qianqian cried out in utter disappointment. "Sigh, it's all A-Guai's fault, he made us late." Speaking of him, remembering those days, Bai Qianqian felt a pang of melancholy. An... are you alright?

"Hehe, Qianqian, let's go check out Cold Moon Manor," Liu Xiao said with a smile, trying to divert her attention. "Cold Moon Manor is known as the number one manor in the world!"

"Wow, it must have something special about it! Let's go take a look!" Bai Qianqian suggested excitedly.

Inside the main hall of Lengyue Manor.

Simple, meticulous, elegant, solemn, and vast. This is the first impression one gets of Cold Moon Manor. At this moment, Bai Qianqian is examining a landscape painting in the center of the hall wall. Flying Eagle and the others sit quietly in their guest seats, appreciating the surrounding decorations.

"Honorable guest, you have come from afar. Please forgive me for not greeting you properly." A clear voice rang out as Leng Haotian, the master of Lengyue Manor, stepped in with a smile.

"Hehe, you're too kind, Master! I am the Palace Master of Xiaoyao Palace. I have long admired your esteemed manor, and seeing you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved!" Bai Qianqian displayed her magnanimous demeanor.

"Hehe, you're too kind. It's a great honor for me that you all could come to my Cold Moon Manor as guests. A few months ago, thanks to the Palace Master who sent people to rescue my mother and younger sister, I am extremely grateful!" Leng Haotian bowed deeply.

"I'm so sorry! Master, there's no need for such a grand gesture!" Bai Qianqian replied with a smile. Looking at Xiao Ke, as handsome as ever, behind Leng Haotian, she longed to rush forward and give him a big hug. Xiao Ke, it's been so long! In ancient times, you were like family to me!

After enduring the pleasantries and having lunch together, Leng Haotian went out on his inspection tour. It turned out that Lengyue Manor provided free porridge and medical care at the West Gate every day at noon and evening to help the refugees. Although he held the title of Prince, his influence in the court was limited, and he couldn't influence the decisions of the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture; he could only help the refugees through these means. In addition, he had also submitted a memorial to the Emperor, but with the Jin army launching a large-scale invasion, how could he possibly attend to the plight of these people?

"Xiao Ke!" Bai Qianqian affectionately hugged Xiao Ke, and seeing that he was still in a cold and aloof state, she quickly gave the order to switch to a gentler state.

"Qianqian, it's been a long time." Xiao Ke smiled gently at Bai Qianqian. The maids in the corridor gasped in surprise. They hurriedly tried to discern what was so special about the woman embracing their idol that could make the usually cold and aloof Young Master Bai so tender! Upon closer inspection, they were immediately awestruck. Heavens, how could there be such a beautiful woman, more radiant than a peony, more pure than a lotus, with an elegance comparable to a secluded orchid. "Alas. It seems my young lady has no hope..." a pretty maid sighed dejectedly.

"Yes, Miss Ling'er is beautiful and kind, but she has never made Young Master Bai smile at her. So Young Master Bai already has someone he likes." Another maid chimed in.

Are they... telling the truth? The eagle, with his exceptional hearing, showed no particular expression on his usually cold and handsome face, but his heart was...

It was incredibly somber. No, shouldn't we believe her? Flying Eagle looked at Bai Ke with a hint of doubt. His smile was so gentle, yet his eyes held no affection, only a deep, unfathomable depth… What was he really…?

"Flying Eagle, Liu Xiao, Mei'er, Hong Feng, and Xiao Ke and I, hehe, all the members of the Free and Unfettered Palace are here today." After sitting down in a pavilion, Bai Qianqian began discussing the establishment of the sect with everyone. Soon, a decision was reached.

"Alright, it's decided then. Hongfeng, you're in charge of recruiting. You can choose from those refugees; the conditions were already mentioned. Xiao Ke, you're in charge of assigning people, see what their special skills can be utilized. Liu Xiao is in charge of making medicine and training newbies, and Feiying is in charge of teaching newbies martial arts. That's all for now." Bai Qianqian was once again displaying her forthright and capable demeanor, calm and confident, with a glint in her eyes. She was thinking... Xiaoyao Palace, it has to be full of handsome men and beautiful women! She imagined people talking about Xiaoyao Palace in the future, all saying with longing: "Wow, Xiaoyao Palace is a gathering place for all the handsome men and beautiful women in the world! They're all extraordinary people like immortals!" "Oh hahaha!" Bai Qianqian laughed wildly in her heart. (Sweat, this is definitely her true nature!)

Looking at Fei Ying's handsome features, Bai Qianqian suddenly felt a pang of doubt. She remembered that kiss in the dungeon—so sweet, so heart-fluttering. But since then, nothing much had happened, and Fei Ying hadn't made any special gestures. "Do we really love each other? How deep is our love...?" she wondered. "If we don't love each other, that's a kind of happiness too, after all... I'll leave this place; I can't stay in ancient times forever..." She decided to put aside these questions for now.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Ming Ai

"Mei'er, my new drug has been successfully developed!" Liu Xiao ran out of the room and excitedly found Mei'er, who was practicing swordsmanship alone in the courtyard, to tell her the good news.

"Really, congratulations!" Mei stopped practicing, laughing breathlessly.

"Hehe, it's finally over. I've been thinking about pharmaceutical plans whenever I have free time these past month, and I feel like I've neglected you a bit. I'm sorry." Liu Xiao gazed tenderly at Mei'er, who was becoming more and more beautiful.

"How could that be? You teach me swordsmanship every day and even make me special pills to relieve my aches and pains!" Mei'er said coquettishly.

"Hehe, but that's far from enough." Liu Xiao remained focused on the beauty before him, feeling incredibly fortunate to have her! He truly had to thank Bai Qianqian; otherwise, how could he have won her heart so quickly? "By the way, how are things going between Qianqian and Feiying?"

“Speaking of which, you really have to talk to Brother Flying Eagle about this. He’s always watching over Miss Qianqian from the shadows to protect her. But Miss Qianqian is a bit careless in this regard and doesn’t really pay attention!” Mei’er complained.

“We can’t blame Flying Eagle; that’s just his usual style. However, I will heed the advice of the future Madam Liu and give him a good talking-to.” Liu Xiao bowed exaggeratedly to Mei’er.