Hearing Su Qing’s words, Li Yichou turned to her and asked, “Miss… are you going to take action yourself?”
“Can you handle all of them alone?” Su Qing asked, tilting her head.
Li Yichou nodded. “They’re just a bunch of rabble; they’re nothing. I can handle them myself. Besides, I loathe these routed soldiers who prey on travelers.”
Su Qing looked at Li Yichou and saw a deep, genuine disgust in her eyes. Clearly, something very unpleasant had happened in Li Yichou’s past.
She nodded and said, “Since you want to take action, then go ahead. I’ll just watch the show.”
“Then I must ask Miss to keep Qing’er from seeing this,” Li Yichou said. “She is still too young.”
Su Qing nodded and tossed a precious sword to Li Yichou. “Let me see how much you’ve learned from following me lately.”
Li Yichou caught the sword, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
The routed soldiers, seeing the group’s appearance, continued to spew filth and insults. They were clearly unaware of the danger approaching.
After that, Su Qing sat to the side and quietly watched the performance.
This was not a fair fight; in a way, it could even be called a one-sided slaughter. Li Yichou’s martial arts were already at the pinnacle of the world. Even outnumbered, she remained incredibly composed. Moreover, these people were just a disorganized mob of soldiers; they didn't even have heavy crossbows that could threaten her.
Under these circumstances, how could she possibly lose?
The slaughter did not last long. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, not a single soldier was left standing.
After killing everyone, Li Yichou let out a long breath of turbid air. She turned to Su Qing and said, “Miss, it’s all settled.”
Su Qing nodded. “Mhm, well done.”
“Thank you for letting me handle it, Miss,” Li Yichou said with a smile.
“It’s nothing.” Su Qing shook her head and tossed the water skin at her waist to Li Yichou. “Here, wash your face. It’s covered in blood.”
Li Yichou nodded and broke into a cheerful smile. It was a beautiful smile, though it had a slight hint of something unsettling—not that she was truly unstable, of course.
After washing her face, Li Yichou returned to the driver’s seat. Su Qing calmly stepped back into the carriage. With a sharp “Hyah!” from Li Yichou, the carriage began to move again.
Before long, Su Qing’s group stopped at a ruined house at the foot of a mountain. It was getting late. Although there was moonlight and they could have continued, there was no real need. They weren't running for their lives; there was no reason to travel non-stop.
Everyone settled down to rest in the ruined house. However, because they were camping in the wild, someone needed to keep watch. Su Qing had intended to do it, but Li Yichou volunteered and took the duty upon herself. Su Qing didn't argue; she would just let Li Yichou rest tomorrow and not make her drive.
During the night, the moonlight was soft. Li Yichou looked up at the sky and reached out her hand as if trying to catch the falling beams. “One really can’t live in the shadows of the past forever,” she murmured to herself. “If I can’t even walk out of this shadow, how can I ever seek revenge on those who deserve it? How can I avenge my fallen sisters?”
At the thought, Li Yichou clenched her fists. She began to silently recite the heart-clearing Daoist scriptures Su Qing had taught her to calm her mind. “Forget it, I’ll use another way. This method still doesn't work for me.”
As a martial artist, the scriptures were mostly just obscure texts to her, lacking any real effect on her state of mind.
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, the sun peeked over the horizon. It was dawn. Su Qing and the others needed to continue their journey.
Meanwhile, on the Northern Continent, Su Qing and Yudie took advantage of the morning coolness to set out.
Unlike the Su Qing in Linzhou City who traveled by carriage, the Su Qing heading into the Northern Continent chose to walk. This method of travel was inevitably slower, but other than the speed, it had no drawbacks. It allowed her to better experience the local customs and enjoy the scenery. Besides, walking was nothing new to her; she had done the same when traveling with Morning Glory.
Su Qing and Yudie naturally stuck to the main roads. Su Qing was afraid of getting lost on the small paths. Even though getting lost didn't really matter, she wanted to avoid walking in circles, so following the main road was best.
As they walked, they suddenly heard the sound of hooves in the distance. Su Qing turned and saw a group dressed as a merchant caravan. After a moment’s thought, she formed a plan. She stepped into the middle of the road and shouted to the approaching caravan, “Stop! Please stop!”
Hearing her, many people in the caravan turned to look. To her surprise, they actually came to a halt. Perhaps this was the benefit of being beautiful; if an ugly person had been shouting there, the caravan would likely have sped up.
Seeing them stop, Su Qing pulled Yudie along and jogged over to the front of the caravan. The leader was a man with a large beard. He looked at Su Qing and asked, “Is there something you need, Miss?”
The bearded man knew that most people who stopped a caravan like this intended to travel together, but he asked anyway to make it easier for her to speak.
Su Qing smiled and said, “It’s not safe for a widow and her daughter to travel alone. When we saw you, we thought we might travel with you.”
The bearded man chuckled. “Traveling together is fine, but you’ll have to pay. After all, every extra person in the caravan is another person we have to protect.”
Su Qing nodded. “That’s only fair. How much silver?”
She didn't care about the cost, as long as the caravan could take them to the nearest large city. If they wandered blindly, who knew where they would end up?
Seeing how decisively Su Qing agreed, the bearded man laughed even harder. “I was only joking. We won’t charge you. However, we don’t provide food. If you want a meal, that will actually cost you.”
Su Qing feigned a look of surprise and said, “Thank you so much! Truly, thank you!”
Su Qing’s acting was superb. Combined with her gentle and harmless appearance, no one would think she was a bad person, let alone that she was putting on an act. Only Yudie knew it was all a ruse. As Su Qing’s daughter—or rather, her sword spirit—how could she not know what her master was like?
And so, Su Qing easily joined the caravan. The atmosphere within the group was quite harmonious. Su Qing soon discovered that they weren't the only ones traveling with the caravan; there were about seven or eight others in a similar position.
“Hey, Sister Su, where are you and your daughter from?” a woman wearing martial attire with a spear strapped to her back asked as she walked beside Su Qing. Her name was Chen Mei, a hired hand for the caravan—essentially a bodyguard who handled trouble when it arose.
She was incredibly outgoing. As soon as Su Qing and Yudie joined, she had come over to introduce herself as if they were old friends. This was the kind of person Su Qing had envied in her past life—a total social butterfly. Fortunately, Su Qing wasn't actually bad at communicating, so she wasn't overwhelmed by the woman’s energy.
Su Qing responded calmly to all of the woman’s chatter. Seeing her curiosity about their origins, Su Qing smiled and replied, “My daughter and I are from the Changbai Mountains.”
Su Qing didn't mind revealing the name of the place. After all, it was unlikely anyone would actually travel all the way there to verify her identity. As for lying, she felt there was no need. The place she knew best was the Changbai Mountains; if she lied about a place she only partially understood to someone who knew it well, her lie would be easily exposed. Sincerity was often more practical than deception—though she certainly wouldn't hesitate to lie if the situation demanded it.
“Where is that?” Chen Mei asked, looking puzzled.
“A very far-off place,” Su Qing smiled. “It took us a long time to get here.”
Yudie rolled her eyes inwardly. Her mother could lie without even blinking; it had only taken them a few days to reach this area. They might be walking now, but they had flown most of the way before starting their stroll.
Chen Mei scratched her head. “I’ve traveled far and wide for many years, but I’ve never heard of the Changbai Mountains. If there’s ever a chance, I’d love to go there with you, Sister!”
Su Qing nodded. “If the opportunity arises, let’s go back together.”
“Mhm!” Chen Mei didn't actually intend to go; she had never heard of the place and didn't want to travel that far. It was just polite small talk. Then she asked, “By the way, Sister, how old is your daughter? And where is your husband?”
Su Qing smiled and patted Yudie’s head. “She’s twelve this year. As for my husband… he ran afoul of the local officials and was hounded to his death. Only we two were left to survive.”
“Oh… I’m so sorry. I didn't know.”
“Hahaha, it’s fine. It happened a long time ago; I don’t mind anymore. Besides, how could you have known if I didn't tell you?” Su Qing gave a faint smile. She didn't even have a husband, so how could she be sad?
“Sigh. Speaking of which, Sister, where are you two heading? You can’t just be traveling aimlessly, right?”
Su Qing wanted to nod, but she had to invent a reason. She said, “It’s like this: my daughter suffers from a strange illness. That’s why I set out on this journey, hoping to find a way to cure her.”
As she spoke, Yudie cooperatively pulled up her sleeve, revealing metallic-looking scales beneath the skin. Chen Mei gasped, and a surge of sympathy rose in her heart. How could anyone not pity a woman who had lost her husband and had a sick daughter?
“That’s truly…” Chen Mei gently pulled Yudie’s sleeve back down. “Don’t worry, you’ll definitely find a cure.”
Yudie smiled and nodded. Seeing that smile, Chen Mei felt even more heartbroken. She even felt a wave of guilt and self-reproach. She shouldn't have asked. Why did she have to tear open someone else’s scars? She felt like a terrible person, especially after seeing Yudie’s adorable smile.
While Chen Mei was drowning in guilt, Su Qing looked at Yudie and sent a sound transmission: “Didn't you go a bit overboard? That looks terrifying. I don’t even know what kind of symptoms to make up now.”
Yudie’s illness was, of course, fake. As a sword spirit, she might rust, but she certainly wouldn't get sick. The symptoms were just a temporary transformation. Yudie pouted and replied via sound transmission: “It’s your fault, Mother! You didn't discuss it with me, so I had to improvise! Besides, isn't a weirder illness better? As long as it fools them, it’s fine.”
Su Qing couldn't argue with that. She just patted the girl’s head. “Fine, you’ve certainly gotten clever.”
“I am Mother’s daughter, after all! Of course I have to be clever.” There was a hint of pride in Yudie’s mental voice.
Su Qing was speechless, but she stopped teasing the girl. At any rate, she had successfully fooled Chen Mei—perhaps a bit too well, given how guilty the woman looked. Su Qing shook her head, unable to explain the truth. Since the lie was already out, she couldn't exactly expose herself. She simply said, “Don’t feel bad. This girl is used to it; she doesn't mind showing her condition. See? Isn't she smiling quite happily?”
Chen Mei: “…”
She had almost recovered, but Su Qing’s words only made her feel more self-reproach. Su Qing was at a loss. Great, she had managed to turn a social butterfly into a ball of guilt. What a sin. To avoid upsetting Chen Mei further, Su Qing stopped talking to her and simply followed the caravan in silence.
Time flew by, and soon it was noon. Chen Mei had mostly recovered her spirits. Being a natural extrovert, she quickly adjusted her state back to normal. The only difference was that she was now exceptionally kind to Su Qing and Yudie. Even the bearded leader was a bit surprised. Though Chen Mei was friendly, she was rarely this attentive to people she had just met. It hadn't even been two hours!
However, that was Chen Mei’s business, so he didn't say much. After a brief moment of curiosity, he put it out of his mind. After lunch, the caravan continued its journey. Along the way, Su Qing met many people and became familiar with several members of the caravan.
And so, Su Qing traveled with them for several days. One evening, the caravan made camp in an open area by the road, preparing to rest for the night before setting out again the next day.
“How much longer until we reach our destination?” By the campfire, Yudie looked at the bearded leader and asked.
The bearded man took a sip of ale and said, “About a day or two! Once we reach Tatu City, we’ll have to part ways, little girl.”
Yudie nodded. “That’s still quite far.”
“Hahaha, not that far,” the leader said. “Alright, don’t worry about the distance. Come, eat! You’re such a thin little thing; that won’t do. You need to exercise and get some muscle like me.” He handed a piece of freshly roasted venison to Yudie and flexed his gnarled, tree-root-like muscles.
Yudie took the venison and nodded on the surface, but inside she was thinking that she could take down a hundred men like him by herself. Probably more. And who was he calling a little girl? She was older than his grandmother. But she kept these thoughts to herself; she had to maintain the act of an ordinary girl, as her mother had instructed. She didn't want to get her ears boxed—that would be too embarrassing. She had been punished once before, and Su Ying had teased her about it for months.
Su Qing was also eating, staring blankly at the campfire as if deep in thought. What she was actually thinking about was… why the surrounding fog was getting thicker and thicker as they ate.
As she pondered, the fog became so dense that she couldn't see anything more than a few meters away. If not for the fire dispersing some of it, she might not have been able to see the person sitting right next to her.
“Is my luck really this good?” Su Qing thought as she chewed her meat. “Only a few days in the Northern Continent and I’ve already run into trouble.”
Su Qing wasn't afraid of trouble. At her current level, there were very few problems she couldn't solve. Aside from the heavyweights in the heavens, there were few things in the mortal realm that could stump her.
As she was thinking, the bearded leader also noticed something was wrong. “Strange, why is this fog so thick? This doesn't seem like normal fog,” he said, looking around.
“Could… could we have run into ghosts?” a thin, timid man sitting near the leader asked.
The leader was startled but quickly slapped the man’s shoulder. “Don’t talk nonsense! Our caravan has talismans posted; how could we run into ghosts so easily? It must just be an unusual weather pattern.”
“Right, right, right. It must be the weather. Definitely not ghosts,” the thin man stammered. He wasn't just agreeing with the leader; he genuinely hoped it was just the weather. No matter how scary the leader was, ghosts were far worse.
“Everyone, stay where you are! Don’t wander off! Don’t worry, it’s just the weather,” the bearded leader shouted, trying to keep everyone calm and prevent a panic. As the leader, he couldn't afford to lose his cool. Only if he remained calm would the others follow suit.
Su Qing nodded inwardly, impressed by the leader’s composure. However… the leader was wrong. This wasn't the weather. They really had encountered ghosts. Natural fog didn't behave like this. Furthermore, the talismans the leader mentioned were fakes. Not only did they lack spiritual power, but the strokes were drawn incorrectly. They were utterly useless. Even if the strokes had been correct, they might have served as an early warning, but these were so poorly made they did nothing.
Su Qing wasn't in a hurry to act; the time wasn't right yet. She just sat there, watching the leader steady the group. Beside her, Yudie tugged on her sleeve and sent a sound transmission: “Mother, what should we do? Are we just going to watch?”
“No one has died yet; there’s no need to intervene,” Su Qing replied with a shake of her head. “Besides, with you and me here, the ghosts probably won’t dare to make a move easily. We don’t need to worry as long as they don’t wander off.”
Yudie nodded, withdrew her aura, and sat back to watch the show.
Time ticked by. Suddenly, Chen Mei’s voice came from behind Su Qing. She turned to see Chen Mei walking over with a beaming smile, saying to the leader, “Boss, can you come over here for a second? I have something I want to show you!”
Chen Mei’s voice was full of a seductive charm, as if the ‘something’ she wanted to show him was herself. Su Qing glanced at the bearded leader. He looked at ‘Chen Mei’ but didn't budge. He just sat by the fire, watching as she beckoned him and then slowly vanished back into the fog. Even when her cries for help echoed from within the mist, the leader remained motionless.
Su Qing had to admit, the man deserved his position as leader. His willpower was exceptional. The thin man beside him had almost rushed out to save her, and if the leader hadn't held him back, the man would have likely thrown his life away.
Su Qing nodded to herself. The leader’s discipline had saved his life. The ‘Chen Mei’ who had appeared was a Chang Ghost—a spirit serving a tiger.
Since the leader hadn't been fooled, Su Qing didn't need to do anything. She simply closed her eyes and sensed the surroundings. She wouldn't strike first. If someone was about to be lured away by a Chang Ghost, she would use her power to snap them out of the illusion. Simultaneously, she released a faint ripple of spiritual power, a warning to the tiger demon lurking in the distance to stay away.
At first, the warning didn't seem to have much effect. However, once Su Qing increased the intensity of her aura slightly, the tiger demon immediately lost its nerve. It wasn't stupid; it knew when it had encountered someone it couldn't afford to provoke.
Before long, the tiger demon retreated. As it left, the thick white fog began to dissipate, and the Chang Ghosts vanished along with it.
Rate on N.U.
