Chapter 44

Chapter 44

How many people went after this world? Chang'an didn't care, nor did she want to know. Wasn't she and Old Gu Six told to just muddle through life and not get involved? So they would just muddle through and live their own days.

They didn't rush on the road, walking and stopping, looking for a suitable place to live. Although they were going to the northern lands, there was no need to go all the way north, right? Somewhere partway would be fine.

As the sun set in the west, they passed by a small village. The village was tiny, with only a dozen or so households visible. The wooden thatched huts were dilapidated, and there was no sign of life in the village, so it must have been an abandoned one.

Old Gu Six went down to scout the path, entering the village to investigate. The houses were full of dust, with straw all over the floors, and the roofs had holes. Almost every house was in this state.

The people of this village must have left a long time ago, turning it into a deserted village.

However, it was better than sleeping outdoors, so Old Gu Six stood in the village and waved towards the highway opposite, waiting for someone to see him and drive the cart into the village.

But the mules and donkeys refused to move forward once they reached the village entrance, no matter how much they were whipped and pulled.

Chang'an thought of the stories of animals predicting disasters, and she looked seriously towards the village ahead. After a while, she said, "Chang Le, don't force the mules. We're not going in."

Then Yang Sheng called out to Old Gu Six, "Dad, come out, we're not staying in the village tonight."

Being a treasured daughter's dad who trusted her unconditionally, Old Gu Six promptly left the village without hesitation. He had also noticed the mules' abnormal behavior, and for whatever reason, it was better for them to sleep outdoors tonight.

When Old Gu Six returned, the group turned around and left. They didn't even need to drive the mules, as they bolted on their own, not stopping until they had run five miles away.

Old Gu Six thought about it and decided not to rest there. He led everyone another ten miles before stopping.

Night had fallen completely. Ever since the cold disaster, the originally moonless night sky now had moonlight and twinkling stars, no longer pitch black.

"Alright, this wide open area will do. We'll rest here for the night."

Old Gu Six had chosen an open area, far from the mountains, surrounded by fields.

It was like they had entered another world. The flowers, grass, and trees here were lush and vibrant, the green rice paddies flickering with fireflies in the moonlight, striving to radiate their own unique light.Fôll0w current novÊls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)

The starry sky, rice paddies, and fireflies - these were sights Chang'an had never seen in her previous life. The marvelous animations had come to life, beautiful and dreamlike.

Beautiful young women were captured by the officials and taken away on horseback. When their husbands chased after the horses, pleading for their release, the officials slashed them in half with their blades.

The officials led away the bound men, and the lead official raised his sword and shouted, "It is your honor to swear allegiance to the Rong King! Anyone who dares disobey will be killed!!"

"Move out!"

Only the weak women and children were left outside the city gates, their eyes filled with despair as they cried out in anguish that shook the heavens.

Even after running far away, Yu San and the others could still faintly hear those miserable and despairing cries. They wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads with their sleeves.

They came to the edge of the village but didn't immediately descend the mountain, afraid of encountering the officials as soon as they went down, rendering their efforts futile.

They went hungry on the mountain, hiding for an entire day. Only at deep night, when all was quiet, did they quietly descend the mountain, passing by the side of the village without making a sound.

After descending the mountain, they didn't dare stop to rest. Even though they were hungry after a day, they could only endure it, as they had not yet left the dangerous area and couldn't linger for a moment.

After walking all night, they still hadn't left the capital's territory, and everyone looked exhausted.

"Keep going, keep going. We're heading north, and we'll be out of the capital's territory soon," Yu San encouraged everyone while panting heavily, carrying the food supplies and holding Little Ya's hand.

The Rong King's territory was in Zhizhou Prefecture, part of the Jiangnan region. As long as they didn't go south, they wouldn't encounter those officials.

It wasn't until noon that they finally left the capital's territory. Only then did they dare stop, as a clear stream lay ahead. The group of over twenty people, whether acquainted or not, set up fires by the stream to cook.

Little Ya simply collapsed on the ground, not wanting to move an inch. In this lifetime, she never wanted to experience fleeing from a disaster again.

She thought that if they had followed Chang'an from the beginning, nothing would have happened. Of course, she did not blame her father for making the wrong decision.

If her mother had not made a fuss, she believed her father would have followed Master Six without hesitation.

No, she was too tired. She should sleep for a while.

Unlike the excitement on this side, Chang'an and the others had a good night's sleep while camping, but equally exciting was the deserted village they passed through in the afternoon.