Chapter 17: Parting Ways

The next day, after finalizing who would continue heading north, only six families remained. This meant thirteen families were preparing to part ways with the group.

“Uncle Village Chief, we really have no other choice. If we keep going, who knows what kind of troubles we’ll encounter? We don’t want to continue on.”

“That’s right, Uncle Wang. Now that it’s raining, our original destination was Qingyuan City. Why should we go all the way to Beijiang?”

The village chief remained unmoved by their words. Though they were of the same clan, everyone had their own aspirations, and he wouldn’t force them to stay.

He distributed the food among them according to their numbers. This was the only thing he could do for his clansmen now.

With their food in hand, the Wang clansmen set off toward Qingyuan City, while the six remaining families stood outside the cave.

Aside from the Xu family, those who stayed included the village chief’s three brothers, the hunter Wang’s family, and the family of his wife’s younger brother.

Watching more than half of their group leave, Xu Nian felt a bit unsettled. The village chief, noticing the low morale, clapped his hands to lift everyone’s spirits.

However, just before departure, Luo Jin’an unexpectedly announced his departure, catching everyone off guard.

“Changsheng, why are you suddenly leaving? Can you manage on your own in your condition?”

Madam Wang had barely finished speaking when a figure floated down from the trees ahead, leaving her so stunned that she couldn’t close her mouth.

Little Liuzi gasped in awe, “Big Sister, it’s the Immortal Brother!”

Mo Zhu, who had just landed, nearly lost his composure.

Xu Nian was also staring in astonishment. Was this the lightness skill described in wuxia novels?

Xu Yaozu stepped forward and bowed. “So, it is our benefactor.”

Mo Zhu sidestepped the bow, gave a small nod, and walked behind Luo Jin’an.

Everyone understood that these two young men must have important matters to attend to, so they didn’t try to stop them.

Before leaving, Luo Jin’an handed an envelope to both the village chief and Xu Yaozu. Then, he searched Mo Zhu for silver and handed it to Xu Nian.

“Thank you for the medicine that saved my life. Consider this as payment. If we meet again, I’ll make up for it properly.”

Xu Nian looked at the silver in her hands and smiled warmly, with perfect politeness.

“This is really too much, but since I can’t refuse your kindness, I’ll reluctantly accept it.”

Luo Jin’an curled his lips slightly. He didn’t see a hint of reluctance in her expression—this girl was quite the little miser.

Standing behind them, Mo Zhu kept his expression neutral, but his mind was filled with thoughts.

“Since when did our prince become so friendly and approachable?”

Feeling a bit guilty about taking the silver, Xu Nian turned back into the cave and retrieved a small cloth bag.

“I… hid some dates. Here, you can have them.”

Luo Jin’an suppressed a smile and took the bag.

“Then, to not waste your kindness, I’ll reluctantly accept them as well.”

Even after the two had left, Luo Jin’an could still hear Little Liuzi whining.

“Big Sister, you’re so biased! You always give me just a few, but you gave Brother Changsheng a whole bag!”

“Little Liuzi, this is called not making a dishonest profit.“

“…”

At the very back, Mo Zhu couldn’t resist glancing back—only to hear a cold voice ask, “Like what you see?”

Mo Zhu quickly snapped his head forward and shook it vigorously.

“Not good-looking?”

His body stiffened mid-shake. This is too difficult. Should I say it’s good-looking or not?

Whenever his prince put him in a tough spot like this, he couldn’t help but miss Mo Bai, that chatterbox. If Mo Bai were here, he’d be the one doing the talking.

Luo Jin’an, however, wasn’t truly trying to make things difficult for Mo Zhu. He changed the subject and asked,

“Have we still not found the hidden grain storage?”

Hearing a serious question, Mo Zhu straightened up and respectfully replied,

“Your Highness, not yet. Mo Bai and Mo Song are still monitoring the prefectural city, but there has been no movement so far.

“After you left, I didn’t notice anyone tailing us.”

Luo Jin’an rubbed his fingers together slightly, frowning. “That means the rats have caught on. But that might be our opportunity.

“Send a message to Mo Bai and Mo Song—make a move. Stir things up a bit and flush them out.“

“Understood.”

“You go to Mo Wen for reinforcements. Search the mountains within a hundred-mile radius of Baoning Prefecture for caves large enough to store that much grain.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The two of them arrived at the base of the mountain, where a blue-clothed carriage was parked.

“Your Highness, are you returning to Yangcheng?”

“We’ll decide once we find the grain.”

Mo Zhu hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. “Yesterday, the heir sent a message instructing me to take you back. Your health…”

But as soon as he met Luo Jin’an’s calm and unwavering gaze, Mo Zhu wisely shut his mouth and focused on driving the carriage.

Luo Jin’an took a green date from the cloth bag on his lap, popped it into his mouth, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Meanwhile, in the village, the chief anxiously handed the letter to Xu Yaozu and urged, “Yaozu, take a look—what does the letter say?”

The others also gathered around, curious.

The message was brief, yet it shocked Xu Yaozu so much that his eyes widened.

Madam Wang, growing impatient, smacked her son on the back.

“Hurry up and tell us! What did Changsheng write?”

“This letter is addressed to the magistrate of Lingshan County. It essentially states that we will be settling there.”

“There’s another letter! Read it quickly!”

Xu Yaozu opened the second letter and barely skimmed through it before his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

Madam Wang had never been so frustrated with her son. What kind of scholar is he? Why does it take him so much effort just to say a few words?

Then, Xu Yaozu suddenly smiled. “This is a recommendation letter—it recommends me for a position in the Lingshan County government.”

As soon as he spoke, everyone was stunned. If they could reach Beijiang smoothly, wouldn’t that mean Xu Yaozu was already guaranteed a government position?

Old Man Xu couldn’t believe it. “Yaozu, are you sure you read that right? Isn’t Changsheng just the son of a merchant? How could he have the power to recommend you for an official post?”

“I’m not mistaken. Look, Father, here’s the official seal of the Chief Secretary of the Northern Warlord’s manor.”

Old Man Xu didn’t understand much about official seals, but he did understand one thing—the Xu family was truly about to change their fate.

The village chief was also delighted. With Xu Yaozu securing a government position, their settlement in Lingshan County would be even more stable. It’s just a pity for the clansmen who chose to go to Qingyuan City.

Xu Nian, on the other hand, had her own thoughts. The two letters had clearly been prepared in advance, so why didn’t he take them out earlier? If the others had known, they would have surely insisted on heading north with them.

However, she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she reached into her collar, feeling the silver hidden inside—she had another plan in mind.

“Grandpa Village Chief, now that we have some money, should we buy a few donkey carts to speed up our journey? That way, we can reach the borderlands sooner.”

The village chief knew this was the best option. However, the silver belonged to the Xu family girl, and he didn’t want to take advantage of their benefactor’s generosity again and again.

Old Man Xu, having experienced a lifetime of hardships, immediately understood the village chief’s hesitation from his expression. With a hearty chuckle, he persuaded him.

“Brother Wang, we need to hurry to the borderlands. If the weather turns cold and it starts snowing, we might not even make it in time. Compared to our lives, everything else is secondary.”

The village chief nodded in agreement. At worst, they could consider it a loan. Once they settled down in their new home, they could gradually repay the debt.