Путешествие безумки по династии Сун

Глава 27

Although he desperately wanted to find her, he was more worried about her safety. Her identity was far too unique. He wondered if, when he emerged from Wuyou Valley again, she would have a new identity. Would he then be qualified to stand by her side again?

"The carriage ahead has run into trouble! Could it be a robbery?" This thought immediately flashed through Leng Jie's mind. Meddling in other people's business wasn't her style, and curiosity was a foreign concept to her. However, there were no other forks in the road, so she couldn't detour even if she wanted to. Going back? That was even more impossible. She'd already spent most of the day walking thirty li (about 15 kilometers), and if she wanted to get back to Yunxi Town, it would be dark by then. Then her whole day would have been wasted. Her mind paused briefly, considering for a second. But her feet didn't stop for a moment; instead, she quickened her pace, using her light-footed skill.

When she landed in front of the carriage, the scene seemed worse than she had imagined. Corpses lay scattered everywhere, a gruesome sight, and the air reeked of blood and gore, pungent and nauseating. The carriage—no, it should be called a carriage, because there were no horses. It seemed the horses had been stolen too? The carriage was a mess, clearly ransacked. Leng Jie held her breath, frowning as she scanned the mangled corpses on the ground. Men and women were among them, seemingly a family; there appeared to be no survivors. It seemed the security in this ancient place wasn't very good. No wonder Qingfeng was worried about her traveling alone.

In modern times, she would probably call the police at this point. But here, all she could do was leave the scene immediately, as quickly as possible. So, she once again used her lightness skill to speed towards the capital. In the blink of an eye, she was two or three miles away from the scene of trouble, and the air was fresh again. Leng Jie stopped to catch her breath. She continued on foot. Although lightness skill was quick and convenient, Leng Jie still felt that using it on the official road in broad daylight was a bit too conspicuous. It also didn't match her current village girl attire. Although she couldn't see a single person around her at the moment, who knew if one or two might suddenly appear out of nowhere? It wouldn't be good if they frightened innocent civilians.

See? Her concerns were indeed correct. Just fifty meters ahead of her, a tiny child, less than a meter tall, was struggling forward, stumbling and falling every three steps, then crawling on all fours. To avoid frightening the child, she didn't use her light-footed skills, but instead sprinted at top speed. The child seemed to realize someone was chasing him and started running too. He had only taken two steps when his small body collapsed to the ground. But he bravely tried to get up and run again, falling again. After two such attempts, Leng Jie caught up with him.

The child, lying on the ground, stubbornly raised his face, which was obscured by tears and dirt. Two black, pearl-like eyes darted about in their misty sockets, looking incredibly cute. But in an instant, Leng Jie abandoned any thought of calling him cute. Because, at that moment, he was piercing Leng Jie with two fierce gazes completely out of character for his age, gazes fixed on him from the rooftop.

What a chilling, sinister gaze! Could that really come from the clear eyes of a five or six-year-old child? Leng Jie shook her head in disbelief, then looked at him again. Yes, it was indeed the child's gaze, for he was still staring at her like that. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: could he be a survivor from that carriage? Did he mistake her for one of those heartless scoundrels? She had only worn relatively safe makeup; she couldn't possibly look like a murderer, could she?

Leng Jie pulled him up from the ground without a word. Although he resisted, he was simply too weak. He kept his hands tightly clutching the front of his shirt, as if afraid someone would take his precious possession away. The coldness in his eyes had only grown stronger, and there was not a trace of fear in them.

"Little friend, I'm not a bad person, and I won't take your things. Tell me, where are your parents?" Leng Jie wasn't good at dealing with children, but out of a woman's innate maternal instinct, she still tried to communicate with him gently. Seeing that he was still hostile towards her, Leng Jie took out a water bag from her bundle and handed it to him, asking, "Do you want some water?"

The child nodded unconsciously, then seemed to remember something and shook his head frantically, his hands clasped tightly to his chest. It was as if he was afraid she would snatch his things while he was drinking, or perhaps he was worried she might poison the water?

"What a clever child," Leng Jie thought to herself. She scanned him from head to toe and noticed his trousers were soaked with blood around the knees. Ignoring his wishes, she rolled up his trouser legs to examine the wounds. He must have scraped his skin when he fell. The child initially resisted, but perhaps realizing his protests were ineffective, he stopped moving. Leng Jie carefully cleaned the wounds, applied medicine, and bandaged them. Finally, she gently breathed on the bandaged wounds and softly coaxed him:

"Sweetie, I'll blow on it and it won't hurt anymore."

A hint of disdain flashed in the child's eyes as he stared at Leng Jie without saying a word, but the sinister look in his eyes had automatically diminished considerably.

Carefully lowering his trouser leg, Leng Jie put the medicine and bandages into her bundle. She said to the child:

"Little friend, where are you going? Do you need me to take you there?"

The child shook his head vigorously and remained silent.

Could he be a little mute? Hmm, possibly. No wonder he didn't utter a sound even after falling and bleeding. Leng Jie felt it was inappropriate to abandon a child in this desolate place, far from any village or shop, with a hellish landscape just miles away. She couldn't bear it. So, summoning her best patience, she continued to coax him:

"My sister is heading towards the capital. What about you? If we're going the same way, can we keep each other company? Look, there's no one on this road. My sister is very timid and scared. Can you give her some encouragement?"

A fleeting glint of mockery and disdain flashed in the child's eyes, though it was brief. Leng Jie saw it clearly, and it sent chills down her spine. Good heavens! Is that the kind of expression a child should have?

Leng Jie began to consider whether she should suppress her meager maternal instincts and continue on her own path. Just then, the clatter of hooves came from ahead. Two swift horses galloped up and stopped abruptly in front of the child.

The child beside Leng Jie suddenly burst into tears. He seemed terrified by the sudden appearance of the two horses.

Leng Jie paused for a moment, realizing the boy wasn't mute after all. She then scooped up the crying child. Trembling, the child looked up at the black-clad men on horseback, fear clearly in his eyes, yet stubbornly saying, "Why did you stop? Why were you so close? You're scaring the child, you know that!"

The man in black swept his sinister gaze over the rough-looking, stubborn village girl before him and coldly asked:

"Is he your child?"

“Yes, he is my child.” Leng Jie easily altered his meaning.

"How old are you? How could you possibly have a son this big?" The man in black asked incredulously, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Does this have anything to do with you scaring him? If you stopped not to apologize, then please make way and let us go first." Seeing that the other party was already suspicious, Leng Jie coldly replied without showing any weakness.

“Young lady, I advise you not to meddle in other people’s business. He is a key member of our Green Robe Sect, and you cannot protect him. If you hand him over now, we may spare your life.” Another man in black threatened in a gentle tone.

The body in Leng Jie's arms trembled slightly, and Leng Jie gently squeezed his small hand to comfort him.

"What? You really are from the Green Robe Cult?" Leng Jie looked up and asked in surprise.

"Hmph, now you're scared, huh!" The man in black immediately raised his head smugly, seemingly disdainful of answering a question from such a nobody.

After a pause, Leng Jie asked again:

"What is the 'Blue-Clad Classroom'?"

The faces of the men in black suddenly changed color, almost blending into their black attire.

The wailing child abruptly stopped crying. He lifted his dirty little face and stared blankly at her, seemingly finding her question utterly unbelievable.

Just as the man in black changed his expression, she suddenly realized and said, "Oh! I know, you all wear blue robes, so you're called the Blue Robe Cult, right?"

This time, the faces of the two men in black twisted and distorted simultaneously. Suddenly, two humans disappeared from the world, replaced by two hideous, ferocious demons.

Seeing that the two were already enraged, Leng Jie added fuel to the fire, saying, "I've seen two mad dogs who also wore blue robes before, so they must be members of the Blue Robe Cult...?"

"You're asking for death!" Before Leng Jie could finish speaking, with a roar, the whips in the hands of the two men in black whistled as they lashed out at Leng Jie and the child in her arms.

She stopped crying, her eyes wide and bewildered as she stared at the cold, innocent child. She immediately closed her eyes, awaiting the pain. But instead of the expected sharp pain, she heard two heavy thuds as the child fell to the ground. Then she felt herself being lifted into the air. She abruptly opened her eyes and found herself reversed position with the two men in black. She was holding her as she rode on a horse. The two men in black from the Green Robe Sect lay motionless on the ground like two dead dogs. The child stared in astonishment, mouth agape, and asked in disbelief:

"You killed them?"

A gentle voice came from above: "Sister doesn't like killing. They're just unable to move for two hours."

The child suddenly frowned and growled, "Let me down!"

"What, you've still decided not to come with me?" Knowing he wanted to go down and seek revenge, but not wanting to see such a young child tainted by bloodshed, Leng Jie deliberately misinterpreted his words.

"Keeping them around will only kill more people."

The profound wisdom emanating from the delicate child's voice stunned Leng Jie for a moment. She looked down at the child in the cup—was he really only a few years old? A thought flashed through her mind, and she blurted out:

"Are you a dwarf?"

The little body in his arms stiffened instantly. After a moment, it recovered and shouted in a childish voice:

"Ugly freak! Don't talk nonsense. I'm only six years old, how tall do you think I could be?"

But can a six-year-old understand what dwarfism is? Can they understand that keeping it around as a menace will harm even more people? I remember even a child prodigy like her didn't understand these questions back then!

But now is not the time to discuss this. Leng Jie thought about it, and he was right. Keeping this kind of person around would only harm more people. Moreover, if she hadn't deliberately diverted their attention and then used a secret weapon to strike first, she couldn't guarantee that she could protect this difficult little kid while taking them down in a real fight.

Looking at the child, who seemed genuinely sensible, she thought that perhaps letting him avenge himself would purify his heart. Because if someone is constantly controlled by hatred, the consequences are terrifying. So she lowered her head and asked:

"They killed your family? Were the people in the car behind your family members?"

The child suddenly looked up, his eyes and face filled with sorrow and grief, evoking an involuntary pity in the viewer. Without uttering a word, his expression spoke volumes. His small mouth clenched tightly, and through gritted teeth, he squeezed out eight chilling words:

"A life for a life, that's only right!"

"Do you want to do it yourself? Then go ahead! May their blood, while staining your hands, also wash away the hatred and darkness in your heart."

The child looked up and gave Leng Jie a meaningful look. Then, he lowered his head, turned around, and walked to the man in black's side. With a "whoosh," he drew the long sword from the man's waist, followed by several deafening screams that soared into the sky.

The child made deep, bone-revealing cuts on the tendons of the man in black's limbs. This was unexpected by Leng Jie. The man in black's limbs were useless, but he was still alive.

The child spoke to the man in black, who was curled up on the ground and wailing incessantly:

"I'll spare your lives. Go back and tell your leader to wash his neck clean and wait for me to come and take his head."

The chilling words coming from a child's mouth were even more unsettling. Leng Jie couldn't help but shudder. Leng Jie was even more certain that this child was no ordinary person.

The child turned around and walked to Leng Jie's side, saying coolly and clearly, "We can go now!"

Leng Jie was stunned. This brat was pulling at her! First he was hostile towards her, then he helped her, and instead of thanking her, he dared to order her around. She couldn't help but tease him:

"Where are you going? Tell me first, and see if we're going the same way."

The child answered "same" with unusual decisiveness.

“Oh, I was originally going to the capital, but I’ve changed my mind,” Leng Jie continued teasingly.

The child glanced at Leng Jie, then said coolly:

"Wherever you go, I will go."

"Uh! What does this mean?" Leng Jie stared at him blankly.

"You just said I belong to your family," the child reminded him, frowning slightly.

"Heavens! Wasn't that just to cover for him?" Leng Jie asked seriously.

"I can take you home. Tell me your name, where you live, and besides the people in the car behind you, do you have any other relatives?"

“No, your home is my home,” the child insisted.

Leng Jie nearly fainted! She couldn't get rid of him just now, how come he's suddenly clinging to her? Leng Jie was speechless; she realized she really couldn't communicate with children. However, she still needed to make things clear. She didn't want to be carrying around this little brat all the time, especially such a troublesome, cunning child. Nevertheless, she tried her best to explain:

“I have no home, I am all alone. I wander around all day and have no time or energy to take care of you. If you don’t want to go home, or if you don’t know where home is, then I will send you to an orphanage.”

"What kind of place is an orphanage? I'll go if you go. I don't want anyone to take care of me," the child stubbornly replied.

"Fine, I give up! Let's find something to eat first!" She'd forgotten that there were no welfare homes for orphans in this era. Left with no other option, Leng Jie had to temporarily rely on her. She thought to herself, "I'll take her to the capital first, then figure out a way to send her away."

And so, after just half a day of carefree bliss, Leng Jie found herself saddled with a little tagalong she couldn't shake off.

"Your Majesty, there's news! There's news about Young Master Qingfeng!" Eunuch Fu rushed into the Imperial Study, panting, and exclaimed excitedly.

Xuanyuan, who was engrossed in reviewing memorials, suddenly looked up. Although his face remained expressionless, the gleam in his eyes betrayed his excitement. He asked eagerly:

Where did they go?

Eunuch Fu quickly handed over the secret letter in his hand.

Xuanyuan took it and immediately opened it to read.

Eunuch Fu stood to the side, watching the Emperor's expression with expectant eyes. The Emperor had been terribly somber these past two days; now that there was finally news of Qingfeng and his group's movements, the Emperor should be relieved, right? But the Emperor's complexion hadn't improved; in fact, it had darkened further. Eunuch Fu, puzzled, cautiously asked:

"Your Majesty, has something happened?"

"Ying said that after they arrived at Yunxi Town, Wuming disappeared. Only Qingfeng changed to a fast horse and went straight back to Wuyou Valley," Xuanyuan replied coldly.

Chapter Sixty-Four: Stunning the Audience

A four-legged horse is much faster than a two-legged person. Leng Jie only traveled thirty li in the morning, while the horse carried the two of them for over a hundred li in an afternoon. As the moon quietly peeked out and the stars playfully winked, the two of them finally arrived in the capital.

The somber atmosphere of national mourning seemed to linger, with white paper lanterns flickering everywhere in the streets. A deep, heavy atmosphere permeated the entire city. Leng Jie once again regretted her decision. If she had known that Xuanyuan was going to stage a national mourning to avoid the selection of concubines, she would never have blown herself up. Now, not only was she starving, but she also had to endure this oppressive atmosphere.

"I'm hungry!" The little guy spoke up for the first time since he got on the horse.

A smile flickered across Leng Jie's face as she looked down at the little one in her arms. She said softly:

"Tell your sister your name and where you live first, then your sister will take you to get something to eat."

The little guy turned his head away and bit his lip, remaining silent.

Leng Jie was utterly helpless. For most of the day, the little one had kept his mouth shut, refusing to utter a sound no matter what she asked. It seemed he was determined to cling to her. There was nothing she could do; she was too hungry to walk. She decided to find an inn to stay in first.

At the entrance of Rongsheng Inn, the largest inn in the capital, white paper lanterns were also lit. However, the bustling crowds and numerous guests had significantly reduced the gloom. This was it! Leng Jie reined in her horse and stopped. She dismounted and then carried the child down.

"Waiter, waiter!" Leng Jie stood at the inn's entrance, leading her horse, and called out twice, but no one paid her any attention. Leng Jie raised her voice and shouted:

"Shopkeeper, come out here!"

Immediately, not only did the shopkeeper come out, but he also attracted quite a few curious glances. The fat, chubby shopkeeper, swaying his fleshy frame, walked to the door with a look of disgust and roared in a nasty voice: