The Next Day
"Get moving, everyone."
"Pack everything up. Don't leave a single thing behind."
At the first light of dawn, shouts rose from the caravan's encampment. Several team leaders urged their members to pack up and load everything onto the wagons.
Originally, Fandexi's caravan would have left after two days, but fearing an attack by that crimson giant wolf on the road, they had waited until the cavalry returned to Three Towers Town before setting out together.
"Hurry up, hurry up. Lord Frien won't wait for us. If we're late, we won't be able to catch up." Fandexi came over to supervise and urge them on.
On the other side of the village, the cavalry members had already risen and were gradually loading the wounded onto wagons. Frien and the village elder were discussing matters at the edge of the square.
"Elder Pang De, I'm borrowing these two wagons. I'll have someone return them in a while." He hadn't brought any wagons when he came.
"It's fine, but when you come back, best bring me ten sets of bows and arrows, plus some iron-jawed traps. Linden Village is badly in need of those."
"Those things you mention aren't cheap." Frien shook his head.
"Even white ash longbows cost four silver coins a set, and with arrows it's about five silver per set. Ten sets would be fifty silver, plus iron traps at roughly ten silver, so sixty silver in total."
"You can apply to Baron Holin. Just say that if something happens to Linden Village, next year's taxes will be hard to pay." The old village elder waved his wooden staff.
Baron Holin's power completely overshadowed Linden Village, but this old elder enjoyed high local prestige. He was Baron Holin's elder and a friend of the late Baron Holin, so unless absolutely necessary, the current Baron Holin would not fall out with him over such a small matter.
"Alright, I understand." Frien could only helplessly agree.
Around seven in the morning, the prepared cavalry and caravan set out together, with a small number of villagers accompanying them. Some were going to Riverstone Town, others to Burnt Stone City.
In the convoy, Xilutaiya and Taliel sat in a carriage. Today Xilutaiya wore a reddish-brown wool cloak with a hood she could pull up at any time. Beneath it was a newly sewn cloth dress, the material a gift from the merchant Fandexi. However, judging by how pained he had looked when giving it, it must have cost a large sum.
In the Regas Duchy, wool fabric was not expensive—three times the price of linen—but cloth was not cheap, costing about ten times as much as linen. This was because the duchy had many forests and plains, and many villages raised cattle and sheep, so wool was plentiful, while cloth was imported from distant countries, naturally keeping prices high.
The plain white silk dress Xilutaiya had originally worn was too precious and conspicuous, so it had been put away, now placed in the small wooden chest traveling with them.
As for the small wooden chest, it held Xilutaiya's silk dress, short sword, headband, and three silver leaf coins—all the property she had now.
For ordinary villagers of Linden Village, monthly income was about two to three silver coins. The three she owned were Frien's payment for her nursing the wounded.
Accompanied by the rumble of wheels, shouts, and the cries of drivers, the group set out from the village, heading west along the road across the plains.
On the road.
Xilutaiya leaned by the carriage window, watching the distant scenery. There were broad, rolling grasslands here, and far away the high mountains and forests were clearly visible. Occasionally flocks of birds flew over the mountains and woods, their songs drifting through.
The road was bumpy, and the old-style carriage had poor shock absorption. Xilutaiya wanted to sleep but was constantly shaken awake, so she could only rest by leaning on the table in front of her from time to time.
Across from her, Taliel remained full of energy, chatting with Xilutaiya about local oddities. She would occasionally pull back the curtain and point outside, telling Xilutaiya what this place or that place was, and what had happened there.
"See that big rock? Isn't it jarring, standing out when the surrounding area is all flat ground?" Taliel chattered away again.
"That's a stone Baron Holin's great-grandfather had quarried from the mountain when he wanted to build a castle. But the wagon overturned halfway there, and the accompanying scholar said it was an ill omen, so the stone was never used. It's just been left by the roadside, and now it serves as a useful landmark. Generally, once you see it, you know Riverstone Town isn't far."
Xilutaiya looked at the stone and saw traces of charred firewood beneath it, guessing that travelers sometimes camped there overnight.
The convoy continued on. When they reached Riverstone Town, it was around three in the afternoon.
The sound of the river drew nearer. Around the small town stood a crude stone wall three meters high, with vines and moss growing on parts of it. Several idle guards sat in wooden shelters on the wall, their gazes occasionally sweeping over the road below and the town gate.
Captain Frien and Fandexi were both old acquaintances of Riverstone Town. After exchanging simple greetings, the convoy entered the town. Compared to Linden Village, the houses here were much denser, many built along the streets, giving it somewhat the appearance of a town.
Coming to the inn where they would stay, everyone dismounted, planning to rest there for the night. It was still early before nightfall, but after Riverstone Town, there weren't many places to stop and rest overnight.
"Let's get down too." Xilutaiya pulled up her cloak's hood, covering her striking silver hair, then got down with Taliel.
The carriages stopped in the inn's courtyard. The caravan people bustled about in front and behind—some unharnessing the horses, some pulling part of the cargo wagons to the market to do some small business before dark, and others preparing to eat and rest first.
The cavalrymen were all at the inn. Frien took out a bag of money and told the innkeeper to prepare food. At that moment Xilutaiya walked in, and he waved for the two girls to come over.
"How was the journey, Tiya?"
"Fine. The scenery along the way was fresh." Tiya nodded.
Seeing she was in good spirits, Frien nodded slightly. This girl was far better than those spoiled noble young ladies. He remembered the first time he accompanied the Second Young Miss of Sindu on a long journey; the other had complained all the way, giving him a headache.
"Rest well tonight." He was a man of few words. After giving his instructions, he let Xilutaiya go rest in the inn room first, saying someone would bring food to her later.
Xilutaiya agreed, but she wasn't in a hurry to sleep. Instead, she and Taliel went for a walk in the town.
Riverstone Town probably had over two thousand residents. The main street was paved with stone bricks, and there were brick buildings along the streets. Many villagers from nearby villages could be seen coming to town to buy and sell. The two of them walked less than a hundred meters before reaching the town's market. It was enclosed by simple fences, with wooden sheds and stalls set up inside, and two local patrolmen sat lazily at the entrance.
It was nearing evening, and the market had thinned out considerably. Xilutaiya walked with a light step, browsing the various things here.
Taliel walked behind her. She was quite familiar with this place and felt no curiosity; she was just thinking about where to find something delicious to eat tonight.
Village food was simple. Only Auntie Mo Ti made bread and pies; others generally ate porridge and vegetable soup, with little meat and few seasonings, so the flavors were especially plain.
This time, following Xilutaiya to Burnt Stone City should be the only chance this half-year for her to taste something different.
Xilutaiya curiously observed the various goods on display here: vegetables brought by nearby villagers, including "white windroot," "purple turnip," "black millet" and other common vegetables, as well as "ousang fruit" and "grape-pit fruit," local fruits. Ousang fruit resembled apples from her past life but was yellowish and irregular in shape, with skin covered in small dots. Grape-pit fruit was similar to grapes, but its seeds were exceptionally large, leaving only a thin layer of flesh on the surface.
There were also honey, beeswax, hemp rope, straw sandals, woven baskets, jam, smoked sausages, animal hides, tree resin, and so on.
"The copper coins you use don't seem to be the same." Xilutaiya noticed that many people held copper coins of different sizes and shapes.
"Yes, the styles of copper coins are very casual, and many people don't want to accept them." Taliel came back to her senses and explained to Xilutaiya.
"Because nobles can all mint copper coins. Some cut corners, and some have crude craftsmanship with irregular shapes. We call them bad copper coins."
"What about silver coins?" Xilutaiya became curious now.
"Silver coins can only be minted by great nobles. They supervise each other, because taxes are basically paid with silver or gold coins."
"Gold coins?"
"Gold coins can only be minted by the king. One side bears their family crest, representing their reputation. Even the Duke of Regas Duchy, the highest authority here, isn't qualified to mint gold coins. The gold coins currently in circulation come from the distant Kingdom of Winter."
"It's said that minting gold coins is very complicated, requiring alchemists and craftsmen to participate together, engraving marks inside the gold coins to prevent counterfeiting."
"I heard from my sister that there are even more precious special gold coins, but I forgot exactly what they are."
After walking around the market for a circle, they bought several ousang fruits and a small bag of grape-pit fruits, then returned to the inn.
After the two figures disappeared at the end of the street and entered the inn, a short youth carefully stepped out from a street corner by the wall. He stared at the inn's location for a long time before leaving.
A wool cloak, the hem of the cloth, delicate wrists—was she a noble...?
Night.
After dinner, Xilutaiya and Taliel sat in the room. On the wooden tray before them lay washed fruit—exactly the ousang fruit and grape-pit fruits they had bought during the day.
"Phew, tonight's bean paste stewed meat was really delicious." Taliel lay on the bed, still rubbing her belly, not yet satisfied.
Xilutaiya sat at the table, flipping through a yellowed, tattered notice. They had found it in the inn's common room when they returned—outdated things from long ago.
‘Bounty Notice: Hunting Thieves’‘Hunting Storm Vultures’‘Purchasing Premium Timber’‘Looking for Brightly Colored, Heat-Emitting Things on the Cliff’…
Beneath the notices were a few lines of text describing the situation and requirements.
Seeing that Xilutaiya wasn’t answering her, Taliel got out of bed to look, then walked over.
“These are usually copied from the guild over in Burnt Stone City, posted in nearby towns or villages to see if there’s any result, ahaha~” She yawned. Apparently she was getting sleepy after eating her fill.
“If completed, can one get the bounty?” Xilutaiya asked interestedly.
“Yes, but ordinary people can’t do the things on the notices.” She propped her hands behind her back, head tilted back to look at the ceiling.
That made sense. If they were really that simple, there’d be no need to post bounties for them.
“Thieves and such appear every year. Storm Vultures appear in some years before the Rising Wind Season, more dangerous than Ti Wolves.”
“Timber. Timber is probably some noble or merchant wanting to make furniture.” As she spoke, she got sleepy again.
“Bright… bright…” By now she had already climbed onto the bed, leaning against the pillow.
Seeing she was about to fall asleep, Xilutaiya found it somewhat amusing and didn’t ask further, instead covering Taliel with a thin blanket.
After Taliel fell asleep, the room quieted down. By candlelight Xilutaiya flipped through these old and outdated notices several more times, then stood up and closed the window, preparing to sleep.
Night gradually deepened. Insect chirping in the grass grew more active; occasionally a few strange bat calls pierced the night sky, drowned out by the town’s flowing water.
…
Late at night, a stealthy figure carefully crept into the inn’s backyard. He first carefully checked the position in the wall corner, then took action.
Tonight the moonlight was not showing, the sky dim. His clothes were exceptionally dark, enveloping his entire body; if he stood still in the shadows, he couldn’t be seen at all.
In this rural small town, candles were valuable. No one would light one all night. The streets were exceptionally dark; without torches, one probably couldn’t even see the ground beneath their feet.
Out of familiarity with the environment, the figure moved at not a slow speed through the darkness, vaulted over the wall, used the hay pile in the backyard to climb onto a slanted corner of the inn’s second floor. Then he steadied his breathing, hands slightly open, footsteps as light as possible as he moved through the corridor.
He knew the inn’s layout and room distribution like the back of his hand. He couldn’t be bothered to ransack the rooms of travelers without much money, and this time his target was the big fish he had been watching during the day.
She looked quite delicate and tender-skinned. The hem of her cloak revealed a cloth dress, with a servant following. This must be a noble. If he could steal that cloth dress, he’d be set for the second half of the year. If he could also get other jewelry, he wouldn’t need to work for the next few years.
The risk was great, but the reward was absolutely worth it.
Sneaking to the target’s door, the figure first stopped to observe the surroundings, then took out a thin iron strip, carefully inserting it into the keyhole. A slight spring-clicking sound was barely audible in the night.
Finally, after tense lock-picking, accompanied by a slight popping sound, the lock gave way. He pushed the door open at an extremely slow speed, bit by bit, trying to minimize any possible noise.
At this moment his heart was also at its most tense. If everything went smoothly, he should be able to see two sleeping figures.
In the dim environment, his gaze swept over and found two people lying on the beds. At that moment he sighed in relief, and joy immediately rose in his heart. It seemed today was a sure thing.
Again adjusting his breathing and footsteps, he bent over and slowly walked into the room, his gaze searching for valuables, carefully groping.
Unfortunately, when he had scanned the entire room, disappointment rose in his heart again. There wasn’t much luggage here; there was only one box.
Weren’t nobles supposed to bring many things when traveling, especially noble women, who always brought many clothes and jewelry? They cared greatly about appearances.
No money and still called a noble? Was it fake? His mood soured, and the patience he had accumulated somewhat dissipated.
After searching around, he found nothing valuable. Finally his gaze fell on the small wooden box placed by the bed head. A reddish-brown cloak was piled on top of the box.
The cloak was still okay; his bad mood improved slightly. He also inched step by step toward the middle of the two beds.
The short-haired girl sleeping soundly on the right made snoring sounds, occasionally smacking her lips. The figure on the left was very quiet, almost no breathing audible.
When his fingers touched the woolen cloak, just as the fuzzy surface touched his fingers, a shock came directly from his lower back, kicking him onto the opposite bed frame. The impact pain made him involuntarily groan.
This huge jolt and impact woke Taliel opposite. Dazed, she crawled up, then saw the strange black shadow in the room and shouted in shock.
“Ah—yah yah yah yah—”
First one cry, then continuous screaming. By the end, the panic in her voice disappeared, replaced by some kind of excitement.
Facing this sharp sound, the black shadow panicked. He no longer had time to grab things; he prepared to smash open the window and jump downstairs to escape.
Unfortunately, before he could act, the cloak was thrown over his face, covering it. The thing he originally wanted to grab was now so in the way.
Haphazardly pulling off the cloak, his footsteps didn’t stop as he climbed onto the table, preparing to escape. A cold touch pressed against his neck, instantly sobering him up.
A weapon, a sword. He quickly judged, then stopped moving.
Stealing things at most meant flogging and punishment, but if he died now, there’d be nothing left. As a habitual offender, he knew very well the difference.
“Don’t, don’t…” he hurriedly begged for mercy, retreating bit by bit, moving away from the window.
Only now did he clearly see who had attacked him. During the day, with the hood and distance, he only knew the other party was probably female.
Now, in the dim room, that snow-white silver hair was very eye-catching, and those eyes that were lively even in the black night. This girl held a sword in one hand, making him retreat step by step.
So it’s a little girl… He lowered his eyelids, then his figure suddenly withdrew, dodging the swung blade.
Such speed, a Breathing Method?
Xilutaiya stared fixedly at the black shadow before her, strange light flickering in her eyes.
Afterward she pursued forward, the blade straight at the black shadow. This time she wouldn’t hold back anymore; after all, afraid of killing him with one blow, she had held back a lot of strength and speed just now.
Strangely, this time Xilutaiya’s thrust did not hit the opponent as desired, as if stabbing into thin air. This difference in feedback made her surprised for the second time.
After these days of practice, she was very sure of her swordsmanship accuracy. Perhaps in strength she wasn’t as good as sturdy adults, but in accuracy, speed, and technique she was stronger than many people.
Yet the opponent just strangely dodged like this. By now six seconds had passed since Taliel’s scream. Others in the inn had already heard, some starting to get up and come out.
Even if Captain Frien came, it would take at least 15 seconds. The man mused in his heart, then quickly dodged to the corner on the other side of the room, drawing the short blade at his waist.
15 seconds was enough to deal with this little girl.
The black shadow charged at the silver-haired girl again. The short blade in his hand was hard to detect in the dim environment.
“Clang!” A crisp metal collision sound rang out in the darkness.
Indeed, in such an environment ordinary people couldn’t see anything, but this silver-haired girl was no ordinary person.
Possessing the Appraisal Eye, even in darkness she could see that glint of cold metal. In the following ten seconds, they exchanged blows several times; the crisp sounds of blade clashes were especially clear in the night.
Noisy footsteps and shouts came from downstairs and outside the corridor. These situations made the black shadow increasingly anxious. His movements began to be reckless, and even a hint of ferocious cruelty burst in his eyes.
Originally I didn’t want to do this, he thought hatefully. Then his foot twisted, blood throughout his body accelerated circulation, giving his muscles greater strength, and once again burst forth with amazing speed charging at the silver-haired girl.
Facing the sudden attack, the girl’s eyes remained calm, as if she had already entered some focused state. Her body turned, and the short sword in her hand traced a beautiful, perfect arc in the darkness, like a new moon flashing, slashing onto the fierce short blade.
Sparks and shattered iron particles burst in the night. The black shadow only felt his palm go numb; the short blade was actually knocked out of his hand. At this moment, the sharp short sword attacked again, directly piercing his shoulder bone. The cold iron blade entering his body made him rise with incomparable fear.
“No, no, please.” He knelt on the ground, hands pressing on the floor, voice panicked begging for mercy.
This time Xilutaiya did not easily let him go. Instead she pulled out the sword and pressed it again against the other’s neck, but this time with the sword tip, still carrying blood.
Sticky blood drops fell one by one along his neck into his chest. This strange sensation made him incomparably clearly feel his life hanging by a thread, ready to break at any moment.
He was truly afraid now, no longer attempting to resist.
Chapter 6