Chapter 144: The Startled Horse

Neither Jiang Li nor Xiao Wu noticed anything unusual about Mu Qing.

It was not until Jiang Li had departed that Mu Qing called out to Xiao Wu, who was about to return to his room. His expression was complex as he said, "They have come."

Xiao Wu, who had just turned around, froze mid-step. He looked up, appearing disbelieving.

"Two people have been following me. I have already dealt with them."

Mu Qing watched him with worry. As expected, waves of emotion surged in Xiao Wu’s eyes; they turned bloodshot in an instant, with hatred and fury seemingly ready to erupt. His entire body tensed, like a predatory beast poised to strike.

Mu Qing prepared himself to knock the boy unconscious, but then Xiao Wu suddenly shuddered. The blood-red hue in his eyes dissipated, and his gaze cleared once more. He lowered his lashes to hide the sorrow and reluctance hidden within.

This left Mu Qing stunned. It was the first time Xiao Wu had received news of them without an immediate outburst, choosing instead to restrain himself. It was truly unexpected.

"Foster father," Xiao Wu said in a low voice, pulling Mu Qing back to reality, "are... are we going to leave?"

Mu Qing stood up and paced for a moment. Both staying and leaving presented difficult choices.

"I have thought about it for a long time, but I cannot make up my mind. As long as he—he himself does not come, we can both escape unscathed. The biggest problem now is everyone at the Liu estate. If we leave, I fear they will track us there and bring harm to the household. Yet, if we stay, we are conspicuous targets, which will only bring disaster upon them."

Xiao Wu pressed his lips together. He knew his foster father was right. Those people were ruthless and would stop at nothing. The Liu estate’s guards were no match for them. If they decided to strike, no one could stop them.

No, they must not harm his junior sister.

The blood-red color began to surge in his eyes again, but a hand reached out, channeling a surge of powerful internal energy into his body to keep his mind clear.

"Do not worry. I have decided: we shall stay here for another three months. If all remains quiet, we will leave immediately."

Within three months, those who needed to come would surely arrive. If they did not, it would mean their location had not been reported back.

"Do not leave the estate for now," Mu Qing instructed. "And it would be best if you persuaded the young mistress not to go out either."

Xiao Wu nodded.

It was a night in mid-April. A full moon hung in the sky, its cold, lonely light spilling over the thousands of households in Wucheng. As lamps were extinguished one by one, the town drifted into a sweet slumber. Occasional murmurs from dreams drifted away into the dark corners on the breeze.

Back in his room, Xiao Wu felt no trace of sleepiness. He sat ramrod straight at the table, refusing to light a lamp, remaining perfectly still, his breathing barely audible.

Only his eyes remained sharp in the darkness, roiling with unspeakable emotions, his mind filled with a chaotic swirl of thoughts.

Indescribable and tangled... until the dawn.

A month passed in peace.

News arrived from the farm: the first batch of fabric had been successfully dyed. Fang Nuo had taken Changsheng and Changan there the previous evening, staying the night at the estate.

Early the next morning, Liu Qin began clamoring to go and see for herself. The month had stifled her to the point of madness. Her father and mother had left her alone, but that stubborn Xiao Wu had been keeping her under tight watch for no reason. She didn't know what had gotten into him; every time she tried to leave, he would block her path. She had endured enough. Today, she was going out no matter what. If he dared to stop her again, she would… she would simply lie on the ground and refuse to move.

Having made up her mind, she prepared for a confrontation with Xiao Wu.

The carriage was hitched, and Lei Hu stood guard by the side. Just as Liu Qin and Jiang Li arrived at the side gate, Xiao Wu rushed over, extending his arm to block her as usual.

Liu Qin swiped his hand aside, ignoring him entirely.

"Junior sister, do not go out," the usually cold and aloof man pleaded softly, his eyes filled with desperation.

Liu Qin’s face remained cold; she was determined to resist to the end. "Why? Why won't you let me leave? Give me a reason."

"I..."

Xiao Wu was speechless. He knew it would be like this. Could it be that she had been bribed by her mother to stop her?

Taking advantage of Xiao Wu’s distraction, she climbed into the carriage with lightning speed. Jiang Li glanced at Xiao Wu before following her inside. Lei Hu sat beside Uncle Niu. Seeing the carriage about to depart, Xiao Wu gritted his teeth and scrambled into the cabin.

"Hmph." Liu Qin turned her body away, huffing as she looked out the other side, refusing to acknowledge him.

The carriage rolled out of the Liu estate, heading north along the East Avenue.

The street was bustling, and the sounds of vendors and chatter drifted into the carriage. Curiously, Liu Qin lifted a corner of the curtain.

Before she could even peek out, the curtain was slapped down. The falling fabric struck her nose, leaving it stinging with pain.

"You..."

Liu Qin glared at him, only to be met with an apologetic look from Xiao Wu.

This man was sick—he was seriously ill and needed a doctor.

Liu Qin didn't bother with the patient any longer; she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

The carriage slowly passed through North Avenue toward the city gate. Just as they were nearing the gate, the horses suddenly let out a long, piercing neigh. The carriage jolted violently. Before Liu Qin could react, she was thrown from her seat and tossed forward.

"Ah!" With a scream, she braced for impact, but instead of pain, she felt herself collide with something soft. She looked up to see Xiao Wu, who had used his own body as a cushion, clutching her tightly in his arms.

Xiao Wu gave a muffled groan. With one hand, he held her fast, while with the other, he grabbed the carriage railing, gripping it until his knuckles turned white.

Shaken, Liu Qin looked for Jiang Li. Fortunately, when Jiang Li had been thrown, she had instinctively reached out to grab Liu Qin, and after seeing her tumble, had lunged forward to grab a railing herself.

The carriage bucked like a boat in a storm. The three of them were tossed up and down, rolling from side to side.

Outside, screams echoed.

Luckily, there were few people entering or leaving the gate at the time. Seeing the horses go mad and charge forward, the crowd scrambled to get out of the way.

The driver, Uncle Niu, had been thrown from the coach; he lay on the ground, motionless, his fate unknown.

Lei Hu, still on the driver's bench, had been sharp-eyed enough to notice that a hidden dart had been fired into the horse's flank, causing it to go wild.

However, he had no time to investigate the culprit. The chaos happened in an instant. With three masters in the carriage, Lei Hu couldn't afford to hesitate. He leaped into Uncle Niu's seat and grabbed the reins, trying desperately to bring the horses to a halt.

But the horses were crazed, possessed of immense strength. Even with all his might, Lei Hu couldn't stop them. He couldn't kill them with a single strike either—not only was it difficult to land a lethal blow in the panic, but a sudden stop would have sent the passengers flying, causing them severe injury.

The guards at the city gate didn't dare to intervene, only helping to clear the path. They watched helplessly as the carriage charged out the North Gate and raced down the imperial road.

At a fork in the road, Lei Hu steered the carriage toward the desolate Liangzi Mountain.

They galloped wildly. The mountain road was uneven, and the carriage threatened to shake apart. The passengers were bruised and battered; except for Liu Qin, all the impact of the jolts had been absorbed by Xiao Wu.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the maddened horse finally collapsed from exhaustion, letting out a final neigh before its front legs buckled, and its massive body hit the ground.

The carriage overturned, and its occupants were thrown out into the tangled weeds.

Liu Qin poked her head out from Xiao Wu’s arms. Before she could grasp the situation, a group of men in black had already surrounded them.