Chapter 4: Rescuing Someone

This area had only one village, so when the fire broke out, no one noticed. Lin Qing retrieved a flashlight from her space and carried Lin Hao away. Seeing the glowing object, Lin Hao was curious but refrained from asking questions—survival was their priority.

After running for some distance, they arrived at an open field. Both siblings were exhausted. Looking back, they had only managed to cover about two miles. At this rate, they wouldn’t be able to escape being found. Realizing this, Lin Qing took out a bottle of water and fed some to Lin Hao. Soon after, Lin Hao drifted off into a daze and fell asleep.

This wasn’t ordinary water; it was a sleeping potion Lin Qing had prepared in the modern world. It wouldn’t harm the body and would cause the person to sleep for a day, waking up with no memory of what had happened.

She was exhausted and decided it was time to use advanced technology. Silently, Lin Qing summoned a helicopter, which materialized before her eyes.

She didn’t know much about this world. The Dayu Kingdom was a fictional dynasty, and there were no maps for reference. Her only option was to head in the opposite direction of the imperial capital.

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Meanwhile, Xuan Yi had identified the jade pendant as the heirloom of Lin Qing, the legitimate daughter of Minister Lin. Knowing that Lin Qing wasn’t in the imperial capital, they quickly locked onto her as a target. When they arrived, all they found was a sea of flames with no other clues.

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The Prince Qi’s Residence

Crash! Crash! Crash!

The sound of cups shattering echoed.

Sheng Qi was in the study, his bloodshot eyes radiating an icy killing intent. The people around him didn’t dare to make a sound, fearful of becoming collateral damage.

He had only just learned about her identity and her tragic experiences, which stirred a sense of compassion in him. He didn’t reject her; in fact, he even harbored lingering feelings for that night. He had planned to request her appointment as his princess consort.

“Find her. Search everywhere. She cannot have died in that fire.”

The Prince Qi’s residence was cloaked in a chilling frost, and even the servants tread lightly, afraid of disturbing Sheng Qi.

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A Small Village

From high above, Lin Qing looked down at the small mountain village below. After flying for five hours, they had traveled over 3,000 miles from the imperial capital, a safe distance.

Taking advantage of the pre-dawn darkness, she found an empty plot of land and landed.

Once on the ground, she quickly stored away the helicopter—it couldn’t be seen by others, or she would risk being labeled a demon and burned at the stake.

Holding Lin Hao, she rested beneath a large tree, planning to continue their journey after sunrise. In this era, traveling without household registration was impossible, so she needed to figure out a way to forge registration papers for the two of them.

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When dawn broke, Lin Qing took a potion from her space and fed it to Lin Hao. Within minutes, he woke up. Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, he remained nestled in his sister’s arms. His confused gaze soon filled with joy—they had finally escaped and would no longer be beaten.

“Big Sister,” a raspy child’s voice called out.

Lin Qing looked down, ruffling his hair. “Hao’er, from now on, we’re free. I’ll work hard to earn money, and you can go to school. How does that sound?”

Her voice was gentle. In the modern world, she had been an only child burdened with heavy responsibilities, never experiencing such familial warmth. Now that she was here, she wanted to live this life well.

“Mm, Hao’er will study hard and grow up to protect Big Sister,” the little boy said with unusual determination in his eyes.

The siblings exchanged smiles.

As daylight brightened, they headed toward a more populated area. Along the way, faint cries for help reached their ears.

“Help… is anyone there?” The voice was weak, barely audible.

Lin Qing followed the sound and discovered a man covered in blood lying in the bushes. She worked hard to pull him out. Taking his pulse, she found he was barely breathing. A large wound stretched across his abdomen, spanning from one side of his waist to the other, and blood was still flowing out.

The man felt someone tugging at his clothes. Straining to open his eyes, he saw a young woman with bright eyes and delicate features, accompanied by a small, malnourished boy.

“Miss… I am Zhou Tong, the county magistrate of Lihua County. I was ambushed while on official business and have been gravely injured. Could you… inform the county office to send someone to carry me back?” His face was filled with hope as he looked at her, as if seeing a savior.

Lin Qing thought about it—saving him would be beneficial. As a magistrate, he could help her with the household registration issue.

She lowered her gaze, smiled, and said, “Lord Zhou, I am, and this is my younger brother, Lin Lei. We fled here with our family due to famine, but now only Lin Nuo the two of us remain.” Her eyes welled up with tears, and she looked at him pitifully.

“I know a bit of medicine. May I tend to your injuries first?”

“Miss Lin, I would be deeply grateful,” Zhou Tong rasped, summoning his strength to bow slightly in gratitude.