Exile? A mad, wicked woman empties the national treasury to escape famine.

But if we keep searching aimlessly, we don't know when we'll find them.

Ji Yunshu moved quickly through the forest, calling out as she went. When she saw a sparser area of ​​trees, she would take out the drone, raise it, and search from the air.

They searched for two whole hours, but still couldn't find a trace of Xie Mohuan and Xie Mu.

Thinking of this, she came up with a bold decision: to take out a signal flare from her spatial storage.

This was something she had discussed with Xie Mohuan and Xie Mu beforehand: in case of an emergency, they would use signal flares to communicate.

She didn't know if Xie Mohuan and Xie Mu were nearby, nor did she know if they would see her signal flare, but now, this was the only option she had.

I don't know how far I've run. Will Xie Moyao and the others be able to see this signal flare?

While she was thinking, she picked up the signal flare with her right hand and took out a lighter from her pocket with her left hand, lighting the fuse of the signal flare.

"Bang!"

A few seconds later, a colorful firework burst into the sky.

She threw the signal flare and lighter she had released into her spatial storage and waited there for a while, but Xie Mohuan and Xie Mu did not respond.

Ji Yunshu's heart sank.

"What's going on? The signal flares and supplies I left them should have been enough for them to travel comfortably without worrying about food or drink. Why aren't they responding to my signals?"

She was a little confused, wondering if Xie Mohuan and Xie Mu were outside this area, or if something else had happened to them that prevented them from returning the signal.

Thinking of this possibility, Ji Yunshu felt a little panicked, but also a little unwilling to give up. She took out another signal flare from her space, lit the fuse again, and aimed it at the air.

"Bang!"

Another colorful firework exploded in mid-air, and Ji Yunshu waited in place for a while longer. To make it easier to observe, she even took out the drone and controller from her spatial storage, raised the drone, and used the monitoring system on it to check the surrounding situation.

Once the drone ascends, it can clearly see the situation within a radius of dozens of miles in the air. As long as Xie Mohuan and Xie Mu fire a signal flare, she can see their positions.

While operating the drone, she listened intently to the surrounding sounds, but after a while, she still couldn't spot the two people.

Ji Yunshu's heart sank.

If only she hadn't left Xie Mohuan and Xie Mu outside, she would have brought them into the space instead. Otherwise, she wouldn't be unable to find them now.

Where did they go?

Is something bad going to happen?

Realizing it was still early, she thought for a moment, put the drone back in her storage space, and continued her search.

Since there's still time, and she has nothing to do when she gets back, she might as well search for Xie Mohuan and Xie Mu in the woods. Maybe she can find their whereabouts.

Meanwhile, halfway up the mountain, Chu Jinsheng and his group were resting on a flat area.

Chu Jinsheng sat in the carriage, idly looking at the sky, occasionally glancing at Xie Moyao's movements.

But as soon as I looked up at the sky, I heard a loud bang not far away. I looked up and saw that colorful thing in mid-air, which disappeared in an instant.

Chu Jinsheng was curious about that voice...

He seemed to have heard of it somewhere before.

Moreover, what was that thing that exploded in mid-air?

It looks like a signal flare; their Dongling Kingdom doesn't seem to have anything like that.

He suddenly remembered that Ji Yunyao had told him that the raw material needed on the blueprint was something called gunpowder, which seemed to be explosive. Could it be related to this?

Just as I was thinking this, another loud bang was heard in mid-air, and the place where the colors had just appeared suddenly had a new splash of color, which disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Chu Jinsheng abruptly stood up from the carriage, staring intently at the smoke in mid-air, his expression somewhat excited.

"Yao'er, look quickly! Could that thing you mentioned that exploded be the one that just exploded?"

"That thing just made a very loud noise, and it was even colorful. Is that the gunpowder you're talking about?"

Ji Yunyao sat in the corner of the carriage and, through the carriage window, also saw the thing that had just exploded in mid-air.

She didn't know what that thing was, nor did she know what the gunpowder she was talking about actually looked like.

Her eyes darted around, and since that was the case, she decided to go along with what Chu Jinsheng was saying.

If it's right, the credit is mine; if it's wrong, it's not her fault.

She stood up, walked to Chu Jinsheng's side, and looked up at the sky not far away.

"Brother Jinsheng, I've never seen that thing called gunpowder, but the book says that gunpowder can explode. If that's the case, the thing that just exploded looks very similar to that thing called gunpowder."

Brother Jinsheng, why don't you quickly send someone over to check what that thing that just exploded was, and send someone to bring some back?

If it really is gunpowder, then Yao'er would like to congratulate Brother Jinsheng in advance on taking another step forward in unifying the world.

At this point, she lowered her eyes slightly and changed the subject, "But if it's not, it doesn't matter. Under heaven, all land belongs to the emperor. We'll find that thing called gunpowder sooner or later. Anyway, right now, only you and I know about this."

Chu Jinsheng nodded repeatedly, looking at her with admiration.

"Yes, yes, you're right. For now, we should send someone to investigate what that thing was. If it really is gunpowder, I, the prince, will reward you handsomely!"

With a broad smile, he eagerly beckoned to his men, "Little Five, come here. I have something for you to do."

Xiao Wu paused, momentarily stunned.

In the past, he was never assigned to these kinds of errands. He would always stay by the Crown Prince's side and protect his safety. Now that the mistress has arrived, is the Crown Prince going to send him out for these kinds of errands?

Thinking this to himself, he quickly stepped forward and came to the Crown Prince's carriage.

"I wonder what business Your Highness has with me?"

"Did you see those colorful things that just exploded in the sky? You should take your men and quickly go back the way you came to check what those things were and whose they were. Bring them to me, the prince!"

Also, bring those other things along, as many as you have, understand?

Xiao Wu was somewhat bewildered, wondering why the First Prince suddenly wanted them to go back the way they came to find these things.

His gaze unconsciously fell on Ji Yunyao beside the First Prince. He hesitated for a moment, then refrained from asking any further questions.

"Yes, I will take men and do it right away."

That's fine too. He doesn't want to stay in this team now, and the Crown Prince's order for him to take people out on errands suits him perfectly.