Transmigrated into the Scum Female Consort - Chapter 31

Ye Xuejin said calmly: “Those masked men will catch up very quickly once they discover something is wrong. Lord Yu, you might want to hear my suggestion.”

Yu Lu’s eyebrows slightly knitted: “Tell me your thoughts.” Since things had reached this point, and Zeng Laosan couldn’t be brought back to life, he had no choice but to accept. It was better to focus on overcoming the immediate crisis.

It was late and cold. The cold wind swirled, dancing with fallen leaves, occasionally hitting people’s bodies.

A leaf brushed past Yun Chi’s cheek, and she slowly came back to her senses, her eyes still focused on the tall, straight figure standing a few steps away.

Ye Xuejin was standing with her back to them. Her voice was cool and clear, and her calm tone seemed to convey an unending strength. Her points were logical and well-organized, as if every step of the plan was completely within her grasp. Hearing her speak was deeply moving.

For no reason, Yun Chi recalled the afternoon before she transmigrated, when her cousin sighed dramatically like an old scholar, “It’s such a pity…” Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “What’s a pity?”

Then she heard a string of complaints from her cousin, heard Ye Xuejin’s name, and heard about the Princess Consort who lost her life right at the beginning of the novel, whose presence was minimal early on but frequently appeared in the heroine’s later recollections. When speaking excitedly, her cousin even recited a few of the heroine’s monologues:

—It’s a pity I was too late. His Highness departed too soon.

—His Highness’s demeanor and cultivation were truly the best. It’s a pity I failed to learn a fraction of it.

—His Highness was truly a peerless beauty, unforgettable to behold. It’s a pity I will never see her again.

—It’s a pity His Highness is gone. Otherwise, with His Highness’s brilliant talent, she would surely have been able to help the Great Shao Kingdom resolve this crisis.

His Highness… what a pity…

Yun Chi suddenly understood why the heroine in the novel repeatedly lamented, and why her cousin felt the same after reading the story. Even she, having transmigrated and known Ye Xuejin for just seven or eight days, couldn’t help but feel a sense of pity more than once.

Yun Chi inadvertently scanned her surroundings and noticed that everyone’s eyes were fixed on Ye Xuejin, listening quietly to her words.

“…Finally, we must conceal Zeng Laosan’s identity to avoid unnecessary trouble. What are your thoughts, Lord Yu?”

“We will follow your suggestion for now.” After agreeing, Yu Lu looked at the crowd: “Who will change clothes?”

“My Lord, I am not afraid.” Mu Da quickly walked forward, his face honest and simple.

Yu Lu nodded, signaled Xiao Gao to wrap Zeng Laosan’s head and take it along, and waited for Mu Da and Zeng Laosan’s clothes to be swapped.

“I will lead the way. The constables will assist the elderly and weak in the middle. Shi Niang, keep Zeng Laosan’s knife and guard the rear. We set off immediately.”

This time, the group did not go up the mountain but headed down the slope.

As the first rays of dawn appeared and the sky was turning white, they reached a crossroads they had passed during the day.

Yu Lu looked back, perhaps checking on someone, then his eyes settled, and he made the opposite choice from last time, taking the right mountain path.

Both paths actually led south, one to the southeast and one to the southwest. Yu Lu had a map and could generally determine the correct direction for each location. He chose the southeast path earlier because it offered a nearly straight route to the Southern Frontier after crossing a few mountains, as the Southern Frontier was slightly to the east of the southernmost point of the Great Shao Kingdom.

Now, changing to the southwest route would take them significantly further west. However, Ye Xuejin’s analysis made perfect sense: the masked men sent by the Zhenshan County Yamen would quickly catch up if they followed the obvious trail. Even if they couldn’t catch up immediately, knowing the group was heading to the Southern Frontier and having followed them this far, they weren’t fools and would know where to pursue them. It was even highly likely that the masked men, more familiar with the mountain paths, might take shortcuts to set up an ambush ahead.

To evade the masked men, Yu Lu was temporarily without a better plan and had to adopt Ye Xuejin’s suggestion. After all, only he and Shi Niang had decent fighting skills in the group; the constables only knew superficial techniques, and the prisoners, naturally, were barely able to defend themselves. Since the opposing side dared to send twenty men with the intention of eliminating all the men, they must be well-trained experts. If they encountered them, the group stood no chance.

Gradually, the sky became fully bright. By noon, no one had caught up to them from behind. Yu Lu breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Ye Xuejin was right; they no longer needed to worry about the masked men.

Everyone collectively relaxed. The men, in particular, felt relieved. Although they didn’t know how much further they had to walk or if they could get out of the mountains, at least they didn’t have to worry about being killed right now.

Yu Lu looked ahead, raised his hand, and signaled for everyone to take a break.

The moment the group stopped, Xiao Gao scurried to the front: “My Lord, what should we do with this head?” To prevent dripping blood, he had been holding it in his arms, wrapped in his own bundle. He was utterly disgusted.

Yu Lu sighed: “It is still improper to leave it here.” The ground was full of rocks, making it impossible to even bury it with earth.

Xiao Gao said miserably: “Just disfigure the face and discard it! The wild beasts in the mountains will probably gnaw on it quickly.”

Yu Lu still shook his head: “Improper. We will carry it a little further.” If no wild beasts came to eat it, and it was discovered by the Zhenshan County Yamen, it would be troublesome. A corpse wearing the prisoner’s uniform without a head could have many possible explanations, but if a disfigured head was found, it could only mean concealing the deceased’s identity. Whatever the case, Zeng Laosan’s death needed to be kept secret for now.

Thinking of this, he looked back, his eyes filled with complexity.

Ye Xuejin seemed to sense his gaze. She looked up briefly, then subtly lowered her eyes.

Beside her, Old Imperial Censor Zhou, who had been observing Ye Xuejin, noticed the fleeting moment of eye contact. His heart sank, and he grabbed his beard. There was no turning back now, even if they hadn’t drawn the bow, the arrow had been released.

“Father,” Zhou Qiyue whispered hoarsely, leaning next to Old Imperial Censor Zhou. She pretended to casually glance at Ye Xuejin before asking, “Did you find out last time what the deal is with the Venerable Star of Literature?” Does the celestial being still favor their Zhou family? She was practically starving.

She was not the only one starving. Everyone here was exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. Old Madam Zhou and young Ying’er, in particular, immediately looked up when they heard this. Old Madam Zhou looked at her husband, wondering if the matter had been clarified and if the celestial being still favored their Zhou family. Young Ying’er looked at Ye Xuejin; the Fairy Aunt had sweet water and divine pastries, which she had given to her before.

Hearing the question, the faint regret in Old Imperial Censor Zhou’s heart suddenly intensified. Princess Consort Ye can communicate with celestial beings…

“Father, please say something,” Zhou Qiyue swallowed. The act of swallowing made her feel even thirstier, and she pressed again.

Old Imperial Censor Zhou glanced around, subtly indicated Ye Xuejin’s direction with a look, and whispered: “She said… she can communicate with celestial beings.”

Old Madam Zhou was stunned. She looked over in alarm. The Princess Consort can communicate with celestial beings!

Zhou Qiyue felt similarly, though her eyes held more surprise and delight than the old madam’s. Does this mean His Highness asked the celestial being to favor the Zhou family? His Highness truly treats her differently, keeping secrets from Big Brother but not from her.

Just then, Yun Chi looked over and saw Zhou Qiyue’s eyes shining as she stared at Ye Xuejin, along with Old Madam Zhou. Huh?

She leaned toward Ye Xuejin and whispered: “The Zhou family seems to be staring at you.”

Ye Xuejin glanced coolly in the direction of the Zhou family, then retracted her gaze. “It is nothing.”

“Your lip is bleeding!” Yun Chi exclaimed softly.

Ye Xuejin reached up to wipe it, then pursed her lips: “It’s nothing, just very dry.”

Yun Chi frowned slightly. Since the rain stopped the day before yesterday, they hadn’t had a chance to eat or drink during the day away from everyone, and at night, they focused only on escaping. If this continued, they wouldn’t just be starving, their throats would be parched.

Yun Chi subtly surveyed the surroundings, sighing inwardly. This mountain path was narrow and long, with nothing but bare rocks, offering an unobstructed view, without a single tree. There was still no way to avoid the others.

Just then, Shi Niang stood up and called out to Yu Lu: “I will go back and keep watch again. You all go ahead first.”

“Shi Niang, can I come with you?” Shi Song also stood up. Since killing Zeng Laosan last night, she felt a new burst of energy inside her, urging her to do more. Shi Niang considered her the bravest, and she wanted to stay by Shi Niang’s side to learn more skills.

Yu Lu waved his hand.

“Come with me,” Shi Niang nodded, leading Shi Song toward the rear.

Yun Chi looked at Shi Song’s small figure and had an idea. This girl is brave enough. She wanted to be friends with her. And, she seemed to know how to drink water openly now.

Shi Song was full of anticipation, following closely behind Shi Niang, when she suddenly felt a weight in her arms. She instantly stopped.

Shi Niang turned sideways: “What’s wrong?”

Shi Song confusedly reached into her clothing and pulled out a transparent bottle. Seeing what was inside, she was so startled she couldn’t speak properly.

“Water… Shi Niang, water… it’s water!”

Shi Niang quickly took it, shook it a few times, then used her knife to cut off the cap. After sniffing it, she urgently asked: “Where did this come from?”

Shi Song shook her head repeatedly: “I don’t know either! I was just walking, and suddenly something appeared in my arms. I reached in and pulled this out.”

Shi Niang stared blankly at Shi Song’s midriff, unable to resist reaching out to touch it. It was empty—just a shriveled stomach. Nothing magical about it.

“What happened?”

Because they hadn’t walked far, many people initially didn’t pay attention when they stopped. But hearing Shi Song’s gasp and seeing the transparent object in Shi Niang’s hand, everyone realized what was happening and craned their necks to look. What did they hear? The girl shouted… water!

Yu Lu naturally heard it too and immediately stood up and asked.

Shi Niang no longer cared about the origin of the bottle. She turned and ran back, covering the opening with her hand, afraid of wasting even a drop of water.

“My Lord, it’s water!”

Yu Lu reacted exactly like Shi Niang, first taking it to confirm, then asking: “Where did it come from?”

Shi Niang turned and grabbed Shi Song’s arm: “Shi Song said she was just walking, and the water suddenly appeared in her arms!”

Immediately, everyone stared at Shi Song’s abdomen.

Shi Song nervously raised her hand, instinctively touching her stomach, then suddenly froze, looking down blankly at the object she was holding in her other hand.

Ah!!!!! There’s a ghost!!! Shi Song screamed internally.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at her hand, their eyes wide.

What did they just see!