Chapter 20: You naughty man, come a little closer

“Hey daughter, Mom is going with you.” Xie Ninglan winked at her girl, signaling that she wanted to accompany her to the restroom.

Xin Nian nodded. The two of them carried three water skins, took a basin and a jar from the cart, and shouldered a straw mat, preparing to walk a bit further to a slope behind the stream to attend to their physiological needs.

“Little Miss.” Dali held the cart steady beside Xin Wenyuan and hurried to follow them. “This servant will accompany you.”

Xie Ninglan thought it was fine; even if they were using the restroom, Dali could stand guard.

By this time, dusk had fallen. The three of them walked upstream along the creek. An escort guarding the area glanced at them, a sinister light flashing in his small eyes.

The three circled behind the earthen slope, looked left and right, and found a relatively secluded spot, letting Dali stand watch in front.

Xin Nian was the first to spread out the straw mat to shield her mother, letting her go first.

The mother and daughter helped each other complete the task, and then let Dali settle his business as well.

After the three of them circled out from behind the slope to the stream to fetch water, Xin Nian suddenly turned her head and said to Dali with a smile, “Dali, take the basin and the jar back first to watch over our cart.”

“Ask Father to bring two more jars for water. I need to decoct medicine later, and this amount of water probably won't be enough.”

Dali hesitated. “Little Miss, Madam, you should come back with me. This place is desolate and unsafe.”

“It’s fine.” Xin Nian patted the back of Dali's hand with a beaming smile. “You are fast on your feet; it won't take long to go back and forth. We’ll just wash our faces here and head back with Father in a bit.”

Dali was reluctant, but he couldn't argue with the young girl. He could only turn and run back, trying to be as quick as possible.

As Xin Nian watched Dali's receding figure, the sweet smile on her face gradually widened, and her eyes seemed to shimmer like a sea of stars, sparkling brightly.

She turned her gaze toward the banyan trees in front of the stream and waved her small hand. “Officer, what are you still hiding for? I see you, come out already.”

Xie Ninglan’s expression stiffened. She quickly moved closer to her daughter, secretly clenching her fists.

Under the cover of night, the shadows of the trees loomed and the leaves swayed. An escort of medium build and unremarkable appearance emerged from behind.

Xin Nian had recognized all forty-five escorts on the very first day, so she was in no way surprised to see this man.

This man was one of the followers of the bearded escort. She didn't know his surname, but his temper was quite foul—the type who would lash someone with a whip at the slightest disagreement.

The young girl smiled at everyone she met. She was exceptionally beautiful, though her features had not yet fully matured due to her young age. Her almond eyes rippled like clear waves, truly containing a galaxy of shattered stars; she was breathtakingly lovely.

They say one looks most beautiful in mourning clothes; even in her white prisoner's garb, the girl's delicate and exquisite features could not be hidden.

In the enchanting night, what a peerless little beauty.

The escort stared blankly, then gave a rare, kind-looking grin. “Yo, quite the bold one, aren't you? You aren't scared at all?”

“Scared of what? You aren't a bad person.”

“Uh, right, right, of course I'm not a bad person.” The escort rubbed his hands and walked forward with a chuckle. Seeing no fear on the girl's face, he couldn't help but take a few more daring steps closer.

“Officer, do you like lurking to watch women relieve themselves that much? If you're so curious, go back and watch your mother; she'll definitely show you.”

The escort's face flushed with embarrassment. He felt like lashing out, but when he met the girl's rosy lips and her bright, radiant smile, his anger evaporated instantly.

These women were quite vigilant, carrying straw mats for cover. They were so far away and separated by trees—what could he possibly see?

Even though it was an accusation, he simply loved the way the little girl's mouth moved as she talked; it was so pink and tender, almost like she was acting spoiled. It was beautiful!

“You're quite the talker, little girl. How are you not even a bit ashamed?” Unaware that his death was imminent, the escort continued to tease her, stepping even closer.

The smile in Xin Nian's eyes deepened. She let out a soft, coquettish whine, “You rogue, you were lurking there so sneakily just to catch a glimpse of me?”

The escort was so dazed by her flying flirtatious glance that he lost his wits, and his courage grew even bolder.

At this moment, his eyes and heart were filled entirely with Xin Nian. Xie Ninglan, standing beside her, rolled her eyes repeatedly, completely ignored.

“Of course not. Originally, Brother Beard sent me to ask you for money. He said the Xie residence must have given you plenty of travel funds, but none of us brothers have received even half a copper coin. All the benefits went to Liang Tou and his faction.”

“But now... little beauty, if you're willing to submit to me, I'll protect your whole family for the rest of the journey. I guarantee you won't suffer a single hardship.”

“Really?” When the little girl stared at him with sparkling eyes, it was as if the whole world became her backdrop, her eyes filled entirely with him, making one's heart race.

“Really, really. It's absolutely true, no lie.” The escort was overjoyed, thinking to himself that this little girl was far too easy to trick.

He would get his hands on this exquisite little beauty first, and worry about the rest later.

“Then you mustn't lie to me, or I'll haunt you even as a ghost.” Xin Nian beckoned him with a smiling finger. “You rogue, come a little closer. There's no one here, what are you afraid of?”

*Is your mother even human?* Xie Ninglan's eye-roll could have launched a rocket into the sky.

She was too much; this fool was being played like a fiddle by her daughter.

On the other side, the escort's heart was churning with excitement. He let out a howl like a wolf that had lost its soul, running forward with saliva dripping from his mouth.

In a flash, a wicked smile curled on Xin Nian's lips. Using a spatial movement technique, her figure blurred, and she suddenly appeared right in front of the running escort.

A sharp weapon sliced through his carotid artery. In the instant the boy's blood sprayed, Xin Nian casually produced another spatial bead and stowed the corpse inside.

Only then did two drops of hot blood fall, caught by Xin Nian on her pale, jade-like index finger, where she lightly crushed them.

“Tsk.” The girl showed a look of disdain. “Even for a rotten person like this, the blood is red. How illogical.”

“Hey, wife! Daughter!” Xin Wenyuan came rushing over, clutching two jars, breathless and nearly tripping over his straw sandals.

“Good heavens, what are you two doing out here in the middle of the night?”

“Shh.” Xin Nian raised a jade-like finger to her lips in a silencing gesture.

With a slight flicker of her silhouette, she suddenly appeared under a tree three meters away.

“Hmph, she's fast.”

Xin Wenyuan's eyes widened. After a long moment, he pulled his wife over to the girl's side and whispered with extreme excitement, “Daughter, oh my dear daughter, can you teleport now?”

“Mhm, I just reached the second rank.” Xin Nian glanced at her father, her eyes not hiding her disdain. “Father, you need to work harder. Mother is almost at the first rank.”

“Ah, yes, yes, you're right, daughter! Quick, give your old man some more healing energy. I won't sleep tonight; I'll keep practicing!”

Xin Nian gave her father a deadpan look.

*Not sleep? You'd fall asleep in three seconds if you hit the ground.*

Xie Ninglan covered her mouth and giggled beside them. “Let's head back quickly after we finish fetching the water. Dali won't be able to rest easy if we stay too long.”

“Alright, wait a moment while I fetch the water.”

Xie Ninglan glanced toward the trees. “Niannian, what did you see?”