Chapter 8

Chu Zhaoyou stood up, kicking an iron block under his feet.

Like a token?

Chu Zhaoyou picked up the half-moon-cake-like token, blushing. It had been on Xiao Hei for a few days without falling off, except when he undressed last night… Ahem.

He casually tucked it into his pocket, planning to return it to Xiao Hei when he woke up.

With Xiao Hei’s recovery settled, Chu Zhaoyou realized he was starving. Unable to wait for Xiao Hei to wake up and hunt for food, he weakly leaned against the wall and went outside to look for wild fruits nearby to satisfy his hunger.

Although the thatched cottage was dilapidated, it could still block some wind.

Chu Zhaoyou moved to the doorway, and as the wind blew, his clothes fluttered, making him feel a bit cold.

Looking at the yellow dress, Chu Zhaoyou felt a bit uncomfortable. He didn’t want Xiao Hei to see him as a woman. After being suppressed and tormented all night, he urgently needed to find some men’s clothing.

Now that Xiao Hei was awake, he couldn’t let him think he had a special preference.

Without a second thought, Chu Zhaoyou retaliated by changing into men’s clothing, then bundled up the women’s clothing and used it as a pillow for Xiao Hei. He also tidied up Xiao Hei’s clothes, removing any suspicious marks.

The divine healer said that Xiao Hei might forget some things due to the intense pain from his headaches, but not everything. He hoped that Xiao Hei would forget this particular period when he woke up.

Chu Zhaoyou touched his face. It had been two days since he last washed. He hesitated about whether to clean himself up before Xiao Hei woke up.

No, I won’t wash… Why should I wash my face just for Xiao Hei!

As Chu Zhaoyou was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and took the broken bowl from the ground with him.

I look so good, I must be good at begging for food.

Of course, before starving to death, Chu Zhaoyou couldn’t bring himself to beg for food, but he carried it just in case.

Squinting, Chu Zhaoyou scanned the area and found a persimmon tree near the official road at the foot of the mountain. The bright red persimmons hung from the branches like lanterns, tempting the eye.

They definitely weren’t wild.

Chu Zhaoyou thought to himself and decided to walk over.

I’ll just take a look, won’t do anything.

Chu Zhaoyou stood under the tree, but soon grew tired and sat down. He gazed longingly at the bright red persimmons, which seemed to glow, making him feel eager.

Why won’t the persimmons fall?

Why won’t they come down and hit me!

He stood under the tree for a quarter of an hour, but the persimmons didn’t budge, and the owner didn’t show up.

This gravity isn’t working.

Frustrated at not being able to pick the persimmons, Chu Zhaoyou concluded, and then suddenly heard a strange sound.

“Have you seen this person in the portrait?”

“No.”

“Take a good look, it might not be a man, it could be a woman. Providing clues will be rewarded with five hundred taels of silver.”

“Five hundred taels… I, I’ll take another look.”

Chu Zhaoyou and Xiao Hei stayed here for a day, and the Imperial Guards finally caught up with a portrait.

Chu Zhaoyou’s nerves tensed, and his back prickled. Once the arrow is released, there’s no turning back. Since he had run away, he knew he wouldn’t fare well with the Regent. It would be better to roam the world with Xiao Hei.

Chu Zhaoyou looked around and saw a cart behind the persimmon tree, with several large barrels on it, covered with several piles of straw.

He stealthily climbed onto the cart and hid among the straw, observing the situation outside.

The Imperial Guards were well-trained and upright, just conducting routine inquiries without taking advantage of the people.

Chu Zhaoyou breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Hei should be safe.

Thud. The cart suddenly started moving, and Chu Zhaoyou unexpectedly hit the wooden barrel, right on his old injury. It hurt, but he didn’t dare to make a sound.

The barrel was filled with a strong smell of alcohol, probably used for transporting liquor, and the straw was used to cushion the impact after the liquor was loaded.

The donkey cart jolted, and the smell of alcohol lingered in Chu Zhaoyou’s nostrils. He felt dizzy and in pain. He hadn’t drunk much alcohol before, and judging by his reaction, his body’s tolerance was definitely low. He had hardly slept last night, and he felt like he was getting drunk.

No, he had to go back and find Xiao Hei… Chu Zhaoyou pinched his thigh, hitting a bruise, and instantly sobered up.

He sat up slightly, revealing a pair of clear black and white eyes in the gap of the straw, observing his surroundings and looking for an opportunity to get off the cart. There was an old man in a gray-black robe sitting in front, muttering incessantly, “Five hundred taels, what a sum! Whoever sees that person will be as rich as Croesus!”

Five hundred taels were right there on the cart.

He couldn’t let the old man find out.

Chu Zhaoyou leaned back against the barrel, holding his stomach in pain. He was weak from hunger and couldn’t jump off the cart without being noticed. The barrel was too high, making it difficult for him to climb out.

Tired, sleepy, and hungry, Chu Zhaoyou half-dozed and closed his eyes.

The donkey cart gradually disappeared into the distance on the winding official road. In the shadowy woods behind him, the Imperial Guards finally discovered the dilapidated house.

“There’s someone in the house!”

“It’s, it’s the regent!”

“Quick, inform the head of the guards. We’ve found the regent!”

“The regent is unconscious. Get a carriage! Seal off the area, inform the imperial physician to be on standby, and let’s return to the mansion immediately.”

The Imperial Guards were overjoyed, more excited than if they had found the emperor! They had accidentally let the king emperor last time, causing a huge disaster. They had been too ashamed to return to the capital in the past few days. They had been searching tirelessly for two days, and although they hadn’t found the emperor, they had found the Regent!

The second captain of the Imperial Guards remained calm and methodically arranged the situation. First, the Regent was unconscious, and this matter couldn’t be publicized to avoid alerting others. They would quietly transport the Regent back to the Regent’s mansion. Secondly, it was too suspicious for the Regent to appear in such a remote dilapidated house. The scene was temporarily sealed off, and they would wait for the Regent to wake up to handle the situation.

The Imperial Guards quickly found a carriage, helped the Regent into it, and left the area. The entire process took less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. They had to return before the morning court, and the journey was urgent and couldn’t be delayed.

…

When Chu Zhaoyou woke up from hunger, the carriage had already stopped, seemingly at the entrance of a village, with no sign of the coachman.

He glanced at the sky, feeling somewhat hopeless.

Had Xiao Hei woken up? Had he been found? Where was he? After walking for most of the day, would he still be able to find Xiao Hei?

He still had a packet of medicine to take. He had to find Xiao Hei.

With pale fingers, he struggled to grab the edge of the barrel, and with great effort, he stood up in the barrel. In an instant, he felt dizzy and blacked out, causing the barrel to roll off the cart.

The slope caused Chu Zhaoyou to roll several times before being thrown out of the barrel. As the barrel and Chu Zhaoyou separated, the barrel rolled down a side road. Chu Zhaoyou, covered in dirt, returned to the side of the donkey cart. He looked so disheveled that he didn’t resemble the person in the portrait.

He had to ask the old man where the cart had come from; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to find Xiao Hei due to his poor sense of direction.

Before he could approach the donkey, he was angrily kicked by the startled animal.

Chu Zhaoyou quickly stepped back, stumbled, and fell to the ground. He sensed a heavy silence around him and cautiously opened his eyes to see a pair of black boots at eye level.

The commotion from the group searching for the person with the portrait had attracted attention. All eyes turned to him, and their pupils dilated. “Your Ma—”