On the Canglan River"Is this direction leading to Winterfell?"
Tang San and the Fifth Elder, leading an elite army, searched along the official road for the tracks of the carriage that had escaped from Tian Dou City. Tang San looked at the wheel tracks, a purple glint flashing in his eyes, and frowned as he spoke.
The Purple Demon Eye, at the mustard seed level, can clearly see any minute trace, even in the darkest night.
Winterfell was just a small northern city, and the weather was extremely cold. Escaping here was practically like walking into a trap. Tang San began to wonder if he had made the wrong choice.
Staring at the tire tracks on the ground, Tang San suddenly frowned, bent down, and reached out to touch the tracks.
"What's wrong?"
The Fifth Elder asked in confusion.
Tang San rubbed the fine soil between his fingers, his tone grave, tinged with uncertainty:
"The ruts seem to get shallower from here?"
The Fifth Elder's expression hardened. He understood what Tang San meant: the weight of the carriage had decreased. In other words, the two who escaped might have gotten off the carriage midway.
A vast amount of spiritual energy surged and dispersed in all directions, the chaotic air currents causing the surrounding trees to sway violently, and the chirping of insects to cease. In the darkness, all was silent. After a moment, the Fifth Elder said in a deep voice:
"Are you mistaken? I didn't sense anything unusual."
Before leaving, Dai Yao carefully checked for any traces that might reveal his presence and erased any clues about his and Qian Renxue's whereabouts. Therefore, although the Fifth Elder was powerful, he could not find anything out.
Tang San gazed at the dark jungle, his eyes gleaming with an inexplicable light.
On the official road, the rammed earth was extremely hard, leaving numerous ruts, some so shallow they were almost invisible. He said that the ruts on the carriage that the Asura Emperor left had become shallower, which was less a discovery of evidence and more an intuition.
However, this very point made him determined to change the pursuit route, and even though the Fifth Elder believed him, he himself could not convince himself.
He gritted his teeth slightly and said in a deep voice:
"Let's go to Winterfell."
In any case, the nearby cities will all be placed under martial law upon receiving the order. Anyone found suspicious will be stopped. Moreover, the Third Elder and the Fourth Elder have already laid a tight net in the east and west respectively, so the Asura Emperor will not be able to escape.
Upon hearing Tang San's order, the group set off in a grand procession towards Winterfell.
······
As dawn broke, a horse-drawn carriage sped along the rugged path.
Gazing at the sun slowly rising over the mountains ahead, Dai Yao squinted slightly, and while steering the carriage, he said:
"We'll be there soon. How are you?"
Dai Yao lifted the curtain and saw Xue Qinghe leaning weakly against the carriage pillar, her face deathly pale and cold sweat pouring down her forehead. Hearing Dai Yao's words, Xue Qinghe, enduring the pain and dizziness, forced a smile, straightened up, and said:
"If I walk on this road any longer, I might really not be able to take it anymore."
She had never imagined she would be so weak. Her injuries hadn't had time to heal before she fled with Dai Yao. Especially last night; she had never felt the night so long. The jolting of the carriage aggravated her injuries, but she knew now was not the time to stop, and could only grit her teeth and persevere.
More importantly, she didn't want to appear weak in front of Dai Yao.
Back then, she longed for her mother's love, just like other children. But every time she approached Bibi Dong, she was met with that icy, indifferent face. Countless times she pleaded and wept, yet she could not change that woman's cold heart.
She hated that helpless version of herself.
Is there any difference between who she is now and who she was then? The same helplessness, her fate entirely in Dai Yao's hands. If Dai Yao fails, she will die too. Even so, subconsciously she tells herself that she is different from that helpless little girl; she has grown up!
She possesses a powerful martial spirit, a distinguished family background, and stunning beauty; she is no longer helpless! She is no longer the little girl yearning for Bibi Dong's love!
Therefore, even if she had to force herself to stay strong, she was unwilling to show her weakness.
Dai Yao glanced at Qian Renxue and immediately saw through her condition. Her injuries had all worsened to varying degrees, but stopping the car now was out of the question. He had noticed soldiers on the road after they left, inspecting something.
"They're moving really fast. Even on such a remote road, there are soldiers checking things. That means there must be even stricter checks in the city ahead."
Dai Yao's brows furrowed deeply, then slowly relaxed:
"However, I'd like to see how you plan to investigate now!"
Gazing at the rising sun leaping over the mountaintop, Dai Yao smiled faintly:
"I hope Yanyan and Rongrong can leave Tiandou City safely..."
The reason he didn't use the power of the Azure Lotus Sect and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to leave the Heaven Dou Empire was that he didn't want them to suffer damage from the Heaven Dou Empire's resentment. After all, he had almost overthrown the Heaven Dou royal family.
Moreover, once his relationship with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is exposed, his identity as the Asura Emperor will also be exposed.
The carriage continued on its way, and after a short while, the mountain road turned, revealing a wide river!
High mountains rise on both sides, revealing white-brown rock walls, and between the two mountains lies a ribbon of azure water. The shimmering water reflects the newly risen red sun, and for a moment, the water surface looks like shattered gold.
"arrive."
Dai Yao pulled on the reins, and the carriage came to a sudden stop on the winding mountain road. Overlooking the magnificent scenery, Dai Yao smiled from the bottom of his heart.
Hearing Dai Yao's voice, Qian Renxue forced herself to lift the curtain. The magnificent scenery that greeted her eyes caused her pupils to shrink slightly. The frustration caused by her injuries disappeared as the slightly damp morning breeze gently touched her face.
"This is?"
Qian Renxue asked with some surprise.
Having spent most of her life in the inner palace, she had never seen such a beautiful sight before.
Dai Yao smiled and said:
"The Canglan River is the largest river in the eastern region of the Tiandou Empire, with countless tributaries that irrigate the fertile Lima Plain. Now that things have come to this, there's nothing wrong with telling you my plan. Next, we will sail out to sea, circle the coast of the continent, and slowly head south."
"Finally, we returned to land, to Wuhun City."
"Although it takes longer, the pursuers are helpless on the vast sea, which is much safer than the escape route on land."
Qian Renxue immediately understood Dai Yao's plan. If she escaped on the river, it would be difficult for the soldiers of the Heavenly Dou Empire to pursue her. Moreover, the further away she was from Heavenly Dou City, the weaker the Heavenly Dou Empire's control over the city would be, and the stronger the local forces would become.
Qian Renxue stared at Dai Yao in surprise. Although it wasn't the most perfect plan, it was the safest. Right now, safety was more important than anything else.
Dai Yao gazed at the Canglan River, his expression hardening as he said:
"However, there is still a long river to travel before reaching the sea. Although the inspections on the river are much less stringent than on land, we still have to be careful. Once exposed, it will be difficult to escape."
Qian Renxue's expression darkened slightly, and she nodded.
The path down to the river was rugged and steep, and Dai Yao carefully drove the carriage down slowly. After a quarter of an hour, Dai Yao finally arrived at the riverbank.
The tide rises and falls.
Small boats bobbed on the waves, and a few thatched huts nestled on a flat area halfway up the mountain. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, indicating that breakfast was being prepared inside. On the shore, several small boats slowly approached, and a few dark-skinned men transferred the catch they had gathered in the early morning to the bank.
A man wiped the sweat from his brow, glanced at the man who had been cleaning the boat day after day for decades but had never gone to sea, and joked:
"Old Huang, are you still polishing your boat? You don't even drive it, why are you polishing it so shiny?"
The man named Lao Huang had a face etched with wrinkles, bearing the marks of time. Hearing the man's joke, he continued wiping the boat beneath his feet, smiling憨厚ly:
"Old Li, you don't understand."
Old Li smiled but said nothing. Old Huang had suddenly arrived here ten years ago and settled down. He was a nice person, but he had a strange habit: despite owning a fine boat, he never sailed it out, keeping it moored at the shore and meticulously maintaining it day after day for ten years. They were curious why, but Old Huang never answered.
Just then, the sound of hooves came from behind.
The group looked in the direction of the sound, and soon a carriage appeared before them. They were all startled, their gazes suspiciously fixed on this uninvited guest. In such a remote place, they rarely saw outsiders, except for the Soul Masters from the Spirit Hall who came once a year to awaken their Martial Souls.
"Whoa—"
Dai Yao stopped the carriage, looked at the strangers who were sizing him up, and his gaze immediately settled on the man wiping the boat. He smiled and said:
"Is my boat still there?"
The group was startled and looked at Old Huang with confusion. Old Huang stared blankly at Dai Yao, his lips trembling, and said:
"You are... sir?!"
A few of his companions looked at him with suspicion, suddenly finding this familiar guy somewhat strange. Had Old Huang been cleaning boats for so many years just for this person?
Dai Yao smiled, looking at the man with a face full of wrinkles, knowing that he was the pawn that the Spirit Hall had placed here, and said:
"Of course it's me. Is the ship ready? I need to leave immediately."
Suppressing his excitement, Lao Huang said:
"My lord, we are always ready. Bedding and food are all provided. You can set off whenever you wish!"
Dai Yao smiled, turned around, pulled back the curtain, and helped Qian Renxue down from the carriage. Everyone was stunned when they saw the bloodstains on Qian Renxue, but despite her injuries, the noble aura she exuded still made them tense and shut their mouths, which they wanted to ask.
Qian Renxue merely glanced at the fishermen in front of her, and with Dai Yao's help, entered the cabin that Lao Huang had just wiped down.
Dai Yao turned around and said to Lao Huang:
"These two horses and the carriage are now in your care. Once they're done, your mission will be complete."
Old Huang nodded excitedly.
Just before leaving, Dai Yao glanced subtly at the man named Old Li. Old Li nodded almost imperceptibly.
Then, amidst the astonished gazes of several fishermen, Dai Yao pushed off with his oars, and the boat, which had been moored at the shore for ten years, slowly drifted away with the rippling water.
The boat wasn't big, just over ten meters long and two meters wide—an ordinary fishing boat. A wooden beam in the middle of the boat divided the cabin into a fore cabin and a stern cabin. The fore cabin was where Lao Huang stored his goods and catch, while the stern cabin was where he rested, with a simple wooden bed.
Despite being more than ten years old, it shows no signs of decay thanks to Lao Huang's meticulous care.
Dai Yao rowed the boat to the middle of the river, then went inside the cabin and raised the sail. As the mountain wind blew, the sail immediately tightened, and the wooden boat sailed eastward.
Qian Renxue lay on the wooden bed in the aft cabin. Although the bed was hard, she could finally settle down. The exhaustion from not sleeping all night surged up like a burst dam, and her eyelids grew heavier than a mountain. Thinking of her earlier doubts, she forced herself to stay awake and looked at Dai Yao, who was busy running around on the ship, and said:
"Was that person you arranged ten years ago? What was the meaning behind the look you gave that other person at the end?"
Qian Renxue had just noticed Dai Yao's subtle actions and was curious about the reason.
Dai Yao was tying the sail ropes to the wooden beam when he heard Qian Renxue's question, and he was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that Qian Renxue, despite her serious injuries, would notice such a subtle movement from him, and nodded in reply:
"Yes. Old Huang is an inside man I placed here to prepare ships for me. And the man named Old Li is someone I sent to monitor Old Huang. This task requires decades of hiding in anonymity, and it is tedious and lengthy. Once I start this plan, it means that our Spirit Hall has lost power in the Heaven Dou Empire."
"I couldn't be sure that Lao Huang would still be loyal to me in that situation. Therefore, Lao Li was my insurance to ensure that Lao Huang would not betray me. I confirmed this with Lao Li after I boarded the ship."
"If Lao Huang had betrayed us, we would have had to leave here as soon as possible and activate the backup plan. But fortunately, Lao Huang did not betray me."
"Don't worry about these things now. You've finally settled down, so rest and recover from your injuries. Once you're fully awake, change your clothes and dress simply. That way, you can hide from the search party."
Qian Renxue found it hard to believe that Dai Yao had laid out all this ten years ago. Moreover, this was only what Dai Yao had revealed; how many more secrets remained hidden?
She glanced at Dai Yao with a complicated expression, murmured an "Mmm," and then, overcome with exhaustion, drifted off to sleep.
Dai Yao glanced at the soundly sleeping Qian Renxue, sighed softly, lifted the wooden plank in the front cabin, and found the quilt. He opened it and smelled it; Old Huang had done a good job, the quilt wasn't rotten, but rather had a sun-dried smell.
Upon reaching the rear cabin, just as he was about to cover Qian Renxue with a blanket, she suddenly seemed to sense something. She had been soundly asleep, but immediately woke up, sitting bolt upright with a wary expression. She stared at Dai Yao and the blanket in his hand, her gaze momentarily fixed on him.
"Thanks."
She gritted her teeth and said with a complicated expression.
Dai Yao was taken aback, not expecting Qian Renxue to be so vigilant, even waking up from her sleep despite her serious injuries. Dai Yao could roughly guess the reason for Qian Renxue's strong vigilance. He nodded and covered Qian Renxue with a blanket.
Immediately, he walked out of the aft cabin, went to the stern, changed into a plain linen outfit, and took the helm.
Inside the cabin, Qian Renxue fell into a deep sleep.
Dai Yao's skin was naturally bronze, making him look like an ordinary fisherman. However, his full head of golden hair seemed somewhat out of place.
A gentle breeze blew, and the sails tightened, making a whistling sound.
The wooden boat cleaved the surface of the water, drifting eastward with the current...