Volume 1: Forgetting Each Other in the Jianghu Chapter 354

Zhang Xiaohua thought back for a moment. Fortunately, the map Ji Xiaohua had given him did indeed have this place marked on it. It seemed he really was headed in the same direction, so he nodded and said: “Miss Nie, it’s wonderful that you know the way. As it happens, it’s on my way as well. Allow me to accompany you a bit further.”

“Oh, it’s on your way, Big Brother Ren? May I ask where you’re headed?”

Nie Qianyu asked excitedly.

Little Orange’s eyes sparkled on the side.

“Where am I going?” Zhang Xiaohua pondered for a moment, then smiled and said: “Forgive me, but I can’t say.”

The two ladies, who had been full of anticipation, nearly rolled their eyes in exasperation. Was it really necessary to be so secretive? After all they’d been through together, couldn’t he at least share such a small detail?

But then again, they had forgotten that they themselves hadn’t revealed their own destinations, either. Perhaps, in their hearts, they believed in the chivalrous rule of ‘ladies first.’ Yet Guo Village was also a taboo for Zhang Xiaohua; unless absolutely necessary, he would never reveal a single word about it, especially with so many wolves tracking these two.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua tilt his head to gaze at the drifting clouds above, as if endless stories were hidden there, Nie Qianyu could only pout and instruct Little Orange to pack up their things and get on the carriage.

Luckily, they had never planned to stay long. All their belongings were already on the rickety little carriage, so packing up was easy. In no time, the two of them were aboard.

Zhang Xiaohua went to the inn’s counter to settle the bill, thoughtfully leaving a few extra coins as a tip. He felt a bit awkward, but the innkeeper was overjoyed. It wasn’t about the amount, but rather that this young man had rented a half-old, not-quite-new courtyard, never needed the staff’s help, and always handled everything himself, saving them a lot of trouble. Guests like this were rare indeed, perhaps only a few in a year. So when Zhang Xiaohua left, the innkeeper saw him off from afar, nearly wiping away tears with his sleeve.

Zhang Xiaohua had no idea, he simply thought the innkeeper’s enthusiasm was due to the tip. While marveling at the power of money, he also became more cautious, worried the innkeeper might notice something suspicious about their carriage.

In reality, he was overthinking it. The innkeeper, after years in the business, though somewhat lazy and indifferent, was no fool. How could he not see things clearly? Zhang Xiaohua had stayed in the inn’s small courtyard for several days, and even without deliberate observation, the innkeeper could guess a few things. Every time Zhang Xiaohua took meals for two from the inn, he had already been labeled as someone “eloping” or “running away from marriage” by the worldly-wise innkeeper, who then took special care of them. This was the main reason no one came to pry into their affairs.

Zhang Xiaohua didn’t release his divine sense, so he couldn’t see the innkeeper’s ambiguous look. Driving the ramshackle carriage slowly forward, he felt quite satisfied with his performance in the town. Who said, “A boy with no mustache can’t handle affairs properly”? On his first journey into the Jianghu, he’d already outwitted that group of villains!

Back on the road, Zhang Xiaohua was in no rush. First, Nie Qianyu’s wrist hadn’t fully healed, and he worried that a bumpy ride might worsen her injury. Second, there could be bandits ahead, who would be foolish enough to rush forward blindly? Third, Zhang Xiaohua sat cross-legged on the carriage, leisurely enjoying the perfect opportunity to comprehend the Dao. Ahem, truthfully, the most important reason was that the battered carriage he’d bought simply couldn’t go any faster!

As they traveled, the creaking of the carriage was constant, and every rough patch made their hearts leap, fearing it would fall apart at any moment. Finally, Little Orange couldn’t take it anymore. She lifted the somewhat dirty curtain and asked: “Ren Xiaoyao, are you doing this on purpose?”

Her question pulled Zhang Xiaohua out of his reverie. Puzzled, he replied: “Little Orange, what’s wrong? What am I doing on purpose?”

“Look at this carriage! We can barely cover any ground in a day-when will we ever get home? If you just want to spend more time with us, just say so. We appreciate your efforts and would let you escort us a bit longer. But this is just overdoing it.”

Zhang Xiaohua gave a wry smile. “Little Orange, didn’t you agree when we bought the carriage? Why the change of heart now? It’s really hard to be a good person.”

Nie Qianyu’s gentle voice chimed in: “Big Brother Ren is doing this for our sake, Little Orange. Don’t blame him. If we’re slow, so be it. If Big Brother Ren isn’t anxious, why should we be?”

“But,” Little Orange said, somewhat annoyed, “he bought all this junk with our silver, didn’t he?”

Nie Qianyu couldn’t help but laugh: “So that’s what this is about! Turns out you’re just distressed over your private stash, huh? Hehe, I know you’re a thrifty little housekeeper, but there’s no need to show off here.”

“You… Miss, you… just… fine, I can’t even get a word in?”

Little Orange’s words came out in fits and starts, barely audible.

Zhang Xiaohua inwardly groaned. So it’s true what they say, “three women make a drama”. These two girls alone are like “five hundred ducks.” They hadn’t even escaped danger yet, and already they were teasing an honest young man!

Zhang Xiaohua said nothing, simply reached out to pat Huanhuan’s rump. As if receiving an order, Huanhuan’s four hooves flew, and the carriage jolted forward. From behind came a couple of bangs and faint cries of pain, followed by the carriage’s creaking growing louder. After that, it finally quieted down inside.

Even with Huanhuan running fast, the little carriage was still slow. The three of them traveled, eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty, and only as dusk approached did they reach another town. They found an inn and settled in. Zhang Xiaohua went out to gather information, and from the innkeeper learned that they were still about a day and a half from Danhe City. Zhang Xiaohua was stunned, then realized it was because their carriage was too slow. After traveling all morning, they’d only covered what others could do in half a day.

The next day, they set out again, but Zhang Xiaohua didn’t speed up. In fact, he went even slower than before. He knew there was only one main road from Danhe City to the town where they were attacked. The pursuers after Nie Qianyu would have no trouble finding the abandoned luxury carriage, and would surely guess that Nie Qianyu had switched vehicles. They would rush to Danhe City for clues, but of course, find nothing. Zhang Xiaohua was betting that the pursuers would assume Nie Qianyu had been rescued by her family and taken another route, or had already escaped their pursuit entirely. They would never expect that Nie Qianyu was still leisurely making her way toward Danhe City. And since they weren’t the government officials, they couldn’t set up checkpoints to search every traveler, could they?

Isn’t it often said in the stories, “The most dangerous place is the safest place”?

Perhaps Zhang Xiaohua’s instincts were right, for the next day passed almost entirely without incident. It wasn’t until the afternoon that a group of riders, dressed much like those who had previously pursued Nie Qianyu, hurried past from behind. The leader merely glanced at Zhang Xiaohua and his odd-looking carriage, then immediately looked away and pressed on without a second thought.

Once those men had gone far ahead, Nie Qianyu poked her little head out, watched for a long while, and furrowed her brows tightly.

Zhang Xiaohua asked: “Were those the people chasing you?”

Nie Qianyu shook her head in confusion. “I’m not sure. Their clothes looked a bit similar, but in the Jianghu, there are plenty of people who dress alike. We can’t be certain it was them. And to be honest, I still don’t know exactly which faction is after us.”

Zhang Xiaohua chuckled: “If you two end up getting killed, you’ll die without even knowing why!”

“Pah!” Nie Qianyu spat and retreated into the carriage.

But a moment later, she poked her head out again, curiosity in her eyes. “Big Brother Ren, didn’t you say you’re just an ordinary country farmer? How come you’re not afraid at all when faced with these fierce jianghu types?”

Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback. She had a point. What kind of country bumpkin could stay this calm?

He rubbed his nose and replied: “Didn’t I tell you? I studied the Three Character Classic for a few months. I understand the principle that ‘power cannot bend me, nor riches corrupt me.’”

“Just make it up!” Nie Qianyu huffed and shrank back into the carriage.

Zhang Xiaohua scratched his head, thinking that bickering with girls was almost as interesting as comprehending the Dao.

Not long after, they reached another small town where travelers could rest. Although it was still early, Zhang Xiaohua decided not to press on. Sleeping in the wild was a last resort; it was better to be cautious. After asking around, he learned that they were now only half a day’s journey from Danhe City. By his estimate, they would reach their destination by tomorrow afternoon.

What pleased Zhang Xiaohua the most was that, according to the locals, there was a rather large and reputable escort agency in Danhe City called Fushun Escort Agency. It was said to be quite powerful, capable of escorting both people and goods. Zhang Xiaohua secretly breathed a sigh of relief; once he delivered the girls to the escort agency, his mission would be complete. He could travel light and hurry home as soon as possible.

The season had already turned to winter. If he made good time, he might even make it home for the New Year. The thought of the whole family sitting together around the table for a reunion dinner filled Zhang Xiaohua’s heart with warmth, he longed to return to his cozy home as soon as possible.

The next morning, Zhang Xiaohua got the two girls up early to hit the road. Nie Qianyu and Little Orange both wore disgruntled expressions, whether from lack of sleep or because Zhang Xiaohua was about to hand them over to the escort agency, it was hard to say.

Along the way, they didn’t encounter any more jianghu characters; the few travelers they did see were lone riders, unrelated to them. That afternoon, as they were passing through a rather desolate stretch of road, chatting idly, they suddenly heard the rapid clatter of hooves ahead. Zhang Xiaohua released his divine sense and saw five strong men in martial attire riding toward them. He didn’t dare be careless and quickly told the two girls to hide in the carriage, while he himself pretended to be busy driving.

Huanhuan, true to form, pulled the rickety carriage right into the middle of the road, forcing Zhang Xiaohua to hastily steer it back to the roadside.

The five men in martial garb only glanced at Zhang Xiaohua and his battered carriage, seemingly unconcerned, and were about to pass by. Suddenly, one of them, a man with particularly thick eyebrows, let out a surprised “Eh?” and called out, “Hall Master, wait a moment-there’s something off about this carriage.”