Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

"Ayan, let's hurry on our way; there might be an inn ahead."

Are you tired?

Tao'er was holding Ayan's hand, walking briskly along the edge of the mountain path.

I was thinking that I had to find a place to stay before dark and get a good night's sleep.

She can't conjure things up every time and put them in the space every time.

If this happens too many times, Ayan might start to think she's a monster.

"Sister Tao'er, I'm not tired."

Ayan shook his head. Along the way, Sister Tao'er had taken several breaks because she was worried he would get tired.

"Ayan is awesome!"

Tao'er praised with a smile.

"Sister Peach, why won't you let Sister Winter Mist come with us to Jiangnan?"

Ayan couldn't hold back any longer and asked the question; he had wanted to ask it for a long time.

"Because Sister Dongkui can stay in Tiger Head Village, protected by the First Madam, and with arrangements made by your Uncle Shi Qi and the others, Tiger Head Village is a pretty good place now."

Tao explained.

Xie Jingxing, that scoundrel, knew they weren't at Tiger Head Stronghold, so he wouldn't attack it.

Because his goal was to get the things that Prime Minister Xiao had entrusted to him for safekeeping.

As long as I'm not in Hutou Village, it's perfectly safe.

Winter hibiscus can live a peaceful life there, without having to wander and live under someone else's roof, and without the danger of being caught in the middle of the world.

"Oh, I see!"

What about Uncle Seven back then!

Why didn't you let him come with us?

Ayan nodded as if he understood, and then asked another question.

"Your Uncle Shi Qi has important things to do, he can't always follow us around..."

Ah Yan, do you understand?

Tao'er almost couldn't help but tell Ayan that Seventeen was actually his Uncle Xiao Wu, but she held back and didn't say it.

After all, Xiao Yi had instructed them not to tell A Yan yet.

"So Uncle Shi has something important to do. Alright then!"

I quite like him and Sister Dongkui.

Tao'er knew that during this time of companionship, Ayan had begun to trust and rely on Xiao Yi and Ayan.

"Ayan, don't be discouraged. I believe that one day we will meet them again."

After all, life is full of unexpected encounters!

Tao'er patted the little guy's head to comfort him.

"Yes, we'll definitely see Sister Dongkui and Uncle Shiqi again."

Ayan nodded solemnly.

Then she added, tilting her little face up, "Sister Tao'er, it's okay that they're not here. I'll protect you!"

Ayan's words just now made Tao'er's defenses crumble instantly, and her heart softened.

This child, though young, is so sensible that it breaks your heart.

It turns out he did it for her, not for himself.

"Okay, Ayan, protect your sister. From now on, your sister will rely on you."

Although it's from a young child, this sincerity is truly precious, considering the child is only five years old.

At that moment, some sounds were carried on the wind.

It wasn't the mountain wind whistling through the forest, nor the sound of night birds startled from branches; it was the crisp sound of weapons clashing, along with muffled groans.

Tao'er's expression changed. Without thinking, she covered Ayan's mouth, bent down, and spun around, leading him behind a thick bush by the roadside.

Ayan's eyes widened, his body tensed, but he didn't utter a sound.

Tao'er shook her head slightly at him, put her index finger to her lips, and then quietly parted the leaves that were blocking her view to look down into the valley.

At the bend in the mountain road, a somewhat ornate carriage lay across the road, the horse pulling it lying on the ground with a large pool of dark blood on its neck.

Beside the carriage, two men who looked like coachmen lay dead on the ground, the soil beneath them soaked into a dark brown.

Five men dressed in black surrounded the carriage.

Their long knives gleamed, and they aimed every blow at the people inside the carriage.

The sound of the blade cutting through the air was rapid and sharp, making one's scalp tingle.

The person inside the carriage was surprisingly skilled.

A man in a blue robe stood in front of the carriage, holding a sword, the gleam of the sword protecting a handsome man behind him.

The man looked to be in his early twenties, dressed in fine clothes, like a young master from some noble family. At this moment, his face was deathly pale, and he stood behind the man in the blue robe.

"Protect the young master and leave!" the man in green shouted, forcing back two men in black with his sword. However, someone took the opportunity to slash his shoulder, and blood splattered out, a shocking sight in the pale sunset.

The man in black remained silent, but his attacks became increasingly ruthless.

The masked man at the head of the group suddenly lowered his blade and headed straight for the man.

The man in the blue robe tried desperately to block it, but was entangled by the other two and could only watch helplessly as the knife fell towards the man's head.

Junmei let out a miserable scream, closed his eyes, and curled up into a ball.

Tao'er covered Ayan's eyes tightly, her heart pounding in her throat.

At the critical moment, a dark figure rushed out from the side, kicked the knife away, and stabbed the man in black through the throat with a backhand sword.

The man in black collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound.

He was a man in his thirties, with a full beard and his tight-fitting clothes stained with blood, as if he had fought his way in from afar.

He scooped him up and tossed him behind him, shouting, "Master, run!"

The man in the green robe perked up, and the sword light became even more fierce.

Despite losing one of their men, the men in black did not back down; instead, they launched an even fiercer attack.

The bearded man protected the boy as they fought and retreated, and two more corpses were added to the ground, but three men in black remained, their blades pressing relentlessly.

Whether the man was terrified or injured, he staggered, and the bearded man couldn't break free from him.

Another slash came down.

The bearded man dodged to the side, the blade grazing his arm and drawing a spray of blood.

He groaned, but held the man tightly in his arms.

The man in the green robe tried desperately to rush over, but was held back by two men in black.

Tao'er held her breath, her nails almost digging into her palms.

But she only slowly, very slowly, shrank back and hugged Ayan even tighter.

Any one of those three men in black could have killed her.

She still had Ah Yan to protect; she didn't want to die.

She couldn't risk Ayan's life in a fight between complete strangers.

She took a deep breath, lowered her eyes, and stopped looking.

The sounds of fighting faded into the distance; it was unclear whether those individuals had broken through the encirclement, or...

Tao'er dared not think about it, but simply held Ayan and quietly bypassed the mountain valley from the other side of the bushes.

After walking quite a distance, Ayan asked in a low voice, "Sister Tao'er, those people..."

Tao'er held his hand tightly, her voice calm, "It's alright..."

Let's hurry and find a place to stay before dark.

"Ayan, remember this: we must not do things beyond our capabilities. We must always act within our limits."

"Protecting yourself is the right thing to do!"

Ayan obediently stopped asking questions and nodded.

The two hurried along, and finally, before it got completely dark, they spotted a small town.

It's called a town, but it's really just a few dozen scattered households, nestled at the foot of this desolate mountain, as if it had been forgotten.

The first house at the entrance of town was where they would stay for the night.

A crooked wooden board hung above the door, bearing the four characters: "Toll Money Inn".