Chapter 16: Chasing Departure

Scholar Wang’s mother walked while crying, wailing "Oh my, oh my" at the top of her lungs, "My two legs are going numb from all this walking!"

"Ma'am, we've only just started walking..."

"Oh my, oh my, I wish I could just carry my two legs on my shoulders," Old Mother Wang wailed as if she were at a funeral.

A bailiff lashed out at her with his whip. "Old hag, I see you’ve still got plenty of energy to howl. Do you want me to loosen up those old bones of yours?"

Old Mother Wang shut her mouth instantly. The others followed suit, as if wound up by a spring, burying their heads and trudging along, daring only to let out intermittent sobs.

Leaving the post station and heading north, they had completely exited the capital’s territory.

The capital—a place they would never be able to return to in their dreams again. They would walk further and further away, into increasingly desolate lands, eventually reaching the barren, extreme north. *Wuwuwu.*

Thinking of this, everyone felt a deep sense of sorrow in their hearts, unable to stop themselves from weeping softly, suppressing a chorus of cries.

Xie Ninglan found it all a bit headache-inducing and quietly complained to her daughter, "These ancients have such poor mental fortitude. It’s already the second day; haven't they adjusted their mindset yet? What’s the use of crying? They’d be better off facing reality early and saving their strength for the journey."

Xin Nian chuckled with her head bowed, "Aside from those mountain bandits and outlaws, more than half of these people are official family members. They’ve never suffered like this, walking every single day."

Unlike their family, who had been migrating every few days before the apocalypse; they were used to the bitter pursuit of oases...

"Your dad used to complain back then, saying that every time we moved bases to hide from natural disasters, it was just like being exiled as a prisoner in ancient times. Heh, well, he’s participating in it for real now. Let’s see if he dares to run his mouth like that again."

Xin Nian almost burst out laughing.

She secretly held her mother’s hand, channeling a wave of healing energy to her. "Mom, stop complaining. They say the best time to plan the day is in the morning. Since it’s a fact that we left at three, we should make good use of this morning time. Practice your abilities; bathing in the essence of the sun and moon will surely replenish your natural energy."

Xie Ninglan nodded, kept her mouth shut, and walked on, silently circulating the energy within her body.

The mother and daughter spent the whole morning recovering their abilities, and it felt quite good. At least today, with the aid of their abilities, the walk wasn't as exhausting as it had been yesterday.

Walking more was good, too; her delicate body was in dire need of strengthening its muscles and bones.

Otherwise, the close-quarters combat techniques she had learned in her past life wouldn't even be thirty percent effective.

"Officer, how much longer until we reach Locust Slope? This old woman can't hold it anymore!"

"If you can't hold it, just do it in your pants," the bailiff replied coldly and heartlessly.

Scholar Wang’s mother let out an "Oh my" and began to wail, "If I do it in my pants, it’ll stink for everyone else!"

The crowd wanted to laugh but lacked the energy; they merely twitched their faces.

Scholar Wang was embarrassed by his troublesome mother and could only walk alongside her, trying to persuade her, "Mother, please, just bear with it a little longer."

"Bear it, bear it, you unfilial son! Is shitting, pissing, and farting something you can just 'bear'?"

Scholar Wang was on the verge of tears, bowing repeatedly to the bailiff, "Officer, sir, I wonder how much longer it will be before we reach Locust Slope."

"Almost there, almost there!" The bailiffs were also getting a headache from the old woman and waved their hands impatiently. "It’s just up ahead."

"How 'almost'? This old woman is about to burst! You are abusing prisoners! I’m going to the capital to file a petition with the Emperor, I’ll report you!"

"Ma'am, we brothers support you!"

"Officer, this is truly inhumane. You control the heavens and the earth, but you also control people's shitting and pissing? How long has it been? Nearly two hours, right? Can't you even give people a moment to breathe? You really are trying to torture us to death on the road."

Several discordant, mocking voices rose up.

Liang Guang frowned, his gaze sweeping over them. "Sha the eldest, Pi the second, I see you lot are itching for a beating, aren't you?"

The ones named, like the others from the Dragon and Tiger Stronghold, were dragging heavy shackles and handcuffs; they were clearly hardened criminals.

"These people are the bandits who were robbing and plundering on the official road outside the capital a while ago."

"How are we being escorted together with these bandits?" someone couldn't help but complain.

The bailiffs didn't show any mercy; anyone who dared to speak up was met with a few lashes of the whip.

Whether they actually hit anyone didn't matter; once the whips were brandished, everyone instinctively fell silent.

Xin Nian’s family of three didn't get involved in the other affairs and kept their heads down, practicing hard.

Madam Yu was in very poor spirits today and had been carried on Zhao Xun’s back the entire way.

The third young lady, Xin Ruoyu, had her wounds cleaned and re-dressed last night, and after having her acupoints pressed, her fever had mostly subsided, but her legs remained weak and limp.

Fortunately, Nanny Lu came over to help, and by supporting her, she was able to keep walking.

The morning was particularly painful and agonizing for the prisoners.

Walking from three o'clock until eleven o'clock—a full eight hours—they finally arrived at Locust Slope before everyone collapsed from exhaustion.

Originally, there were no stops, but after Old Mother Wang’s outburst, the bailiffs finally granted half a quarter of an hour for bathroom breaks.

Eight hours without a bathroom break was indeed too inhumane and lacked any sense of mercy.

Four hours for a break could only be called barely acceptable.

Everyone collapsed at Locust Slope waiting for food, drooping their heads like eggplants that had been battered by a storm.

Madam Yu leaned against a tree, panting and gasping for air, feeling as if half her life had already entered the coffin.

Glancing over, she saw her unreliable youngest son sneakily approach her and stuff something wrapped in leaves into her hand. "Mother, here is your lunch. It’s only one portion, enough for you alone."

"From now on, you’ll get one portion for lunch and dinner. We eat what you eat. But if you give it to others and end up hungry yourself, don't come asking your son for more. Your son is currently being supported by his wife, and this portion for you was deducted from my own rations!"

The old lady was so angry she nearly fainted...

This wretched son, ever since he woke up after fainting, didn't seem to have fought with the Xie woman anymore, but his behavior was becoming increasingly unreliable.

Just as she was catching her breath to scold her son, she heard someone sitting on the periphery exclaim, "A horse is coming."

Xin Nian and the others were just opening a small jar of pickled vegetables to spread on their flatbreads. As they looked up, they saw a woman in red nimbly flip off the horse’s back and stride toward the main family’s side with swift, vigorous steps.

"Eldest Sister?" Xin Ruoyu was shocked, the half-eaten coarse grain pancake in her hand nearly falling to the ground.

The old lady’s mouth hung open in astonishment. "Wanqing? Why are you here?"

Xin Wanqing walked quickly to Madam Yu with a bundle on her back and knelt down immediately. "Greetings, Grandmother, Mother."

The eldest Madam Nie looked at her eldest daughter, who had arrived covered in the dust of the journey, with tears streaming down her face. Her bad premonition sank deeper and deeper.

"Child, why have you come?"

Xin Wen'an was furious. "Do you even need to ask? It must be that the Marquis of Pingyang’s estate has no conscience and kicked Sister Qing out!"

Madam Nie stuffed her fist into her mouth and burst into tears. "My poor child."

The old lady was trembling with excitement. "Wanqing, tell Grandmother, what exactly happened?"