Childhood Friend or Destined Encounter? - Chapter 16

Yezi had been quite the picture of elegance when she left her farewell letter in Jiangzhou City, but before she had even been on the road for four hours, her body staged a protest.

She had spent three quiet, stable years in Yuanhe Town. Even during the past two weeks of travel, she had been well looked after by Feng Ya, which led her to overlook the actual toll her fragile health usually took on her.

Now, slumped over her horse’s back, Yezi felt as though her bones were rattling apart, and her head swam with a dizzying fog.

She pulled a medicine bottle from her bundle. When she poured it out to check, only three pills remained. Most of the medicine she took was brewed daily, but she had refined a small batch of pills for emergencies just like this. Her supply of herbs from Yuanhe Town was nearly exhausted. Before, it was a matter of being short on funds, but today, despite finally having some silver, she had left the city before she could restock.

At this thought, her head throbbed even harder, and she cursed herself for being so short-sighted. Earlier that day, stimulated by those flashy chests and boxes of treasure, her only thought was to slip away while Feng Ya was gone, completely forgetting such a vital necessity.

Returning to Jiangzhou City now was out of the question. Yezi estimated that the nearest settlement, Fengbo Town, was about a two-day journey away, where she could finally resupply.

However, since it was already late and she was utterly exhausted, she found an elderly woman packing up a tea stall along the main road. After offering some coins and explaining her plight, she managed to secure a place to stay for the night.

Because of this delay, Yezi actually fell behind Feng Ya, who was pushing through the night in a desperate pursuit to find her.

The old woman lived alone. Seeing a young girl like Yezi traveling by herself and looking so frail, she took great care of her. The next morning, she even made several flatbreads for Yezi to eat on the road. After thanking her, Yezi set off once again.

Further ahead lay a vast forest. For the rest of the journey, she wouldn’t be lucky enough to find another household to take her in.

Ever since her master left when she was twelve, Yezi had experience spending nights in the wilderness alone. However, that was before she had been captured by the Baqi Pavilion, back when her body was a bit more resilient than it was now.

This forest stretched for dozens of miles, but it was the shortest path to Fengbo Town.

As night fell again, Yezi lit a campfire and set traps around the perimeter to keep wild animals at bay.

She leaned against a tree trunk, listening to the wind, the distant cries of beasts, and the chirping of insects. Her heart felt peaceful. She looked up at the sky, where a bright, clear moon hung in the boundless night. It was beautiful.

Perhaps her neck grew sore from looking up so long, or perhaps the brilliance of the moon was simply too dazzling, but tears unknowingly welled in her eyes. For her, even the act of focusing intensely on one thing for a long time was a significant drain on her spirit.

Yezi used a handkerchief to stifle a sudden, violent fit of coughing. The resulting bloodstains ruined the originally white fabric.

She hadn’t been this delicate before. It really was true: it’s easy to go from rags to riches, but hard to go back to rags. Curling up by the fire and clutching her bundle, she mocked herself silently.

Hadn’t she lived alone for six years before this? Shouldn’t she have been used to it by now? Why, after less than a month of companionship, could she no longer adjust to the way things used to be?

Yezi knew that she shouldn’t indulge in too much sorrow or longing. Any form of emotional dependence was a deadly poison to her.

The only reason she had been able to drag this dying body through the years was her inner resilience and independence. She deliberately tried not to think of Feng Ya, yet she saw the woman’s shadow everywhere.

Her body was exhausted, but her mind remained sharp. In this half-dreaming, half-awake state, she spent the night in the forest.

Meanwhile, Feng Ya had already reached Fengbo Town. She had searched for news of Yezi along the way to no avail, and the more anxious she became, the faster she rode.

Feng Ya was a veteran traveler of the martial world. Even when faced with the great forest, she had Yezi’s mechanical wooden bird to guide her. Consequently, it took her less than a day and a half to get from Jiangzhou City to Fengbo Town.

Feng Ya showed Yezi’s portrait to many people, but the answer was always the same: no one had seen her.

It was understandable if they had missed each other on the busy main road, but Fengbo Town wasn’t that large. It was illogical that not a single person would remember a traveler with a face as striking as Yezi’s. Yet, south of Jiangzhou, there were no other towns for miles.

Only then did Feng Ya realize she might have overtaken Yezi. She checked into an inn and decided to wait for her prey to walk into the trap.

Another day passed, and Yezi finally arrived at Fengbo Town. Her first priority was heading straight for the pharmacy.

Yezi knew her own condition better than anyone. Every day she lived was borrowed time. Now that her health had worsened, she added two more precious medicinal ingredients to her list. Having learned her lesson from almost running out on the road, she made sure to buy in bulk.

Of her two hundred taels of silver, thirty had gone toward her horse, and after buying this mountain of medicine, there wasn’t much left.

After settling her luggage at an inn, she borrowed a medicine stove from the owner to brew her concoctions in the backyard. After several days of roughing it in the wild, she finally had a roof over her head.

While the medicine simmered, Yezi took some water to wash up. By the time she returned to the backyard feeling refreshed, she had successfully refined two bottles of fresh medicine pills.

After taking her medicine and resting, her spirits finally lifted. She decided to go for a stroll around town.

The northern market of Fengbo Town was in full swing. Pedestrians flowed in an endless stream, and the cries of vendors echoed back and forth, giving Yezi a sense of familiarity, reminding her of Yuanhe Town.

Yezi found a street vendor and used a copper coin to buy a stick of candied haws. She took a bite. It was a bit sour, not nearly as sweet as the ones back home.

She frowned and, following her principle of not wasting food, continued walking while taking a second bite. Suddenly, someone crashed into her from behind, knocking the entire stick of candied haws to the ground.

Looking at her treat covered in dust, Yezi sighed: Well, it’s not my fault if it’s wasted now.

She wasn’t planning on making a fuss. She picked up the candied haws to find a place to toss them, but then she saw two men in black short-coats dart past. They were searching everywhere, muttering to themselves, “Strange, where did that brat hide? I saw her running this way just a moment ago.” They were from the Baqi Pavilion; Yezi recognized the emblems on their clothes.

Yezi turned and saw that the person who had bumped into her was hiding behind a decorative painting, hands clasped together in a silent plea for help.

The person was a girl dressed in coarse cloth, her face smudged with soot. She looked to be about Yezi’s age. Presumably, she was the one the two Baqi Pavilion goons were hunting.

If this had been before, Yezi, whose own situation was already precarious, would have chosen self-preservation. However… she couldn’t help but think of Feng Ya: If she were here, she wouldn’t just stand by.

“Follow me, I can help you lose them,” Yezi whispered to the girl.

Yezi had only been in Fengbo Town for half a day and had only visited the pharmacy and her inn, but she had a natural, keen sense of geography. She led the girl through the town’s most hidden alleyways.

Shortly after Yezi left, Feng Ya arrived at the same market. She had spent the morning searching for news of Yezi in the south of town with no luck, so she thought she’d try her fortune in the north.

Feng Ya also spotted the candied haw vendor. Though she usually disliked sweets, she felt a strange impulse to buy a stick. After biting into one, her brow instantly knitted into a knot. It was deathly sour! The stick Yezi had given her back then was much better.

Without hesitation, Feng Ya tossed the rest of the stick away and continued showing Yezi’s portrait to ask for information.

Yezi led the girl back to her temporary inn. she brought out the horse she had tethered in the backyard, handed the reins to the girl, and gave her half of her remaining loose silver. “I won’t ask you any questions. This town is small, and it’s hard to stay hidden for long. I’ll lead you to the nearest exit. Once you’re out, the roads go in every direction, and it’ll be up to you where you hide.”

With Yezi’s help, the girl reached the outskirts of the town smoothly. Since they were of similar build, Yezi had swapped outer coats with her.

With the situation being so urgent, there was no time for formalities. The girl gripped the reins and cupped her hands in a respectful salute. “My name is Luosang. I owe you my life today. If our paths cross again in the future, I will surely repay this debt with everything I have.”

Another one, Yezi thought, promising to repay the favor. She waved Luosang away dismissively and pointed ahead. “Don’t linger. Go that way. There’s a forest. Once you’re inside, it won’t be easy for anyone to find you.”

After seeing Luosang off, Yezi returned to Fengbo Town. Although she had been careful to stay hidden, the town was only so big. Both she and Luosang were outsiders, one with a soot-covered face and the other quite striking. The Baqi Pavilion men hadn’t been far behind. With a little questioning, they easily discovered that Luosang had been with her, and it wasn’t long before they tracked her trail to the main road leading out of town.

Yezi saw the two men in black from a distance and calculated how to lead them away.

“Did that girl leave town?” one of the men asked, stopping to look around. Then, his companion pointed at Yezi, who was wearing Luosang’s coat, and shouted, “Over there! Get her!”

Yezi led them back into the heart of the town, ducking into a narrow alley and leaning against the wall to catch her breath.

Normally, she could have easily lost them with her lightness skills, but facing the expert trackers of the Baqi Pavilion in a strange town while already exhausted, she felt her strength failing.

Before she could even steady her breathing, she saw the two men enter the alley. “Little brat, you won’t get away this time.”

Yezi used her lightness skills to vault over the wall just before they could grab her. She landed a bit too hard, twisting her ankle, but there was no time to worry about that now.

Hearing the sounds of pursuit close behind, Yezi dashed toward the crowded areas without looking back. Suddenly, she collided with a warm, solid body.

“Sorry,” Yezi muttered without looking up, trying to keep running. However, the person grabbed her and pulled her firmly into their embrace.

What’s the big idea? I said I was sorry! Frustrated and annoyed, Yezi looked up. Upon seeing the familiar face, she was stunned for a moment. “Feng Ya?”

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