Chapter 53: Rebirth

  She didn't know how long she had slept, but when Qing Xia woke up, it was already dusk. The golden sunlight gently poured in through the window, casting a warm yellow glow over the entire room. She hadn't opened her eyes for a long time, and at first, she only felt that the sunlight was piercing and made her eyes ache, so she instinctively wanted to stretch out her hand to cover them.

  But another hand moved faster than hers, a slightly rough palm gently covered Qing Xia's eyes, and a mellow voice sounded beside her: "You're awake."

  "Who... are you?" A low, hoarse voice suddenly rang out, Qing Xia was startled and hurriedly covered her own throat with her hand, as if suspecting that there was a hole in it, wondering how such a sound could come from it.

  "You've been silent for too long, the doctor just left, you're just a bit injured, nothing serious." The man in white said, his tone was light and casual, as if everything seemed like no big deal to him.

  Qing Xia cleared his throat twice and then said: "Where am I? Who are you? Why are we together?"

  "This is a very calm woman, from the moment she opened her eyes, he knew: "This is Rong Chui County, it is the last city on the northern border of South Chu. Beyond Rong Chui County, to the north is Great Qin, to the west is Western Sichuan, to the east across the Yun Shu River is Eastern Qi, and to the southwest is the territory occupied by the Lu Dan people. Following the official road south will lead to the capital of Southern Chu. I am a traveling medicinal merchant, you fainted from hunger on the road, it was my servant who brought you back."

  So it seems that the other person is his benefactor. Qing Xia looked around and found that there was nothing much to see, the wounds on his body had been bandaged and he was no longer wearing the black night clothes from before. Looking around again, it was indeed a typical inn setting. After taking a glance around, he finally smiled kindly at the man in front of him: "Although great kindness doesn't need to be thanked, I still want to thank you for saving my life."

  The man in white smiled slightly and stood up. It was only then that Qing Xia noticed the two subordinates in green shirts standing behind him. They didn't look impressive, and if thrown into a crowd, they wouldn't be noticeable, but they emitted a special aura, hiding in plain sight, and even Qing Xia hadn't detected them.

  It seems that this businessman is not an ordinary merchant, able to hire such high-quality bodyguards.

  The man in white saw that she was awake and left without a word. After a while, the aroma of food wafted in. Qing Xia had not eaten for a long time and was already dizzy with hunger. Only after eating a big meal did she notice an old man with a kind face and white beard sitting in front of her.

  "Child, have you eaten enough?" The old man asked with a faint smile.

  "Ah, I'm full, thank you, old man." Qing Xia wiped her mouth and smiled. After all, at this time, a full meal was like a rebirth.

  "Child, what's your name? Where are you headed? These are troubled times, and it's dangerous for a young girl like you to be wandering around alone." The old man asked with a kind face.

  "My surname is Tang," Qing Xia said with a smile: "I'm going to Qin State to find my brother."

  "Go to the Qin State?" The old man's eyebrows slightly furrowed, saying: "The Qin State is thousands of miles away from here. You're a young girl going alone to find your brother, don't you have any family members accompanying you?"

  "It's okay," Qing Xia shook her head and said, "I'm going to Bai Huang Prefecture in Qin State. My brother and I agreed to meet there."

  "What's White Swallow County?" The old man's eyebrows furrowed tightly, and he said in a deep voice: "White Swallow County is located in the far north of the extreme land, where the Hu people gather. It's cold and distant, why do you want to meet there?"

  "Is it very far?" Qing Xia asked dazedly, a vague premonition suddenly rising in her heart. However, she quickly threw that feeling aside and smiled lightly as she said firmly: "It's okay, the place is far, I can ride a horse to get there. It's cold over there, I can wear more clothes. No matter how long the road is, it can always be walked."

  The old man was taken aback by her words, thought for a moment, and then smiled, saying: "Miss is right, as long as the mind is strong, no matter how far the road is, there will be a day to finish it."

  "Old man, was it you who saved me?"

  "It's not me, it's the young master of my household, otherwise I, a lowly servant, wouldn't dare bring you on this journey."

  "Oh," Qing Xia nodded and said: "What's your young master's name? If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely repay him."

  These words were spoken from the heart, but when heard by others, they seemed a bit childish. Zhong Bo smiled and patted Qing Xia's shoulder, saying: "You rest well, if you need anything, just call Xiao Er to call me."

  Zhang Bo finished speaking and retreated, Qing Xia leaned on the bed, her face gradually calming down. After eating a meal, her mind also started to clear up.

  She can be sure that the pursuers on that day were not Chu Li's people!

  That day, when Shengdu left, Chuli didn't dispatch a large army to pursue them, so there was no way they would be ambushed again. Moreover, the methods used by the incoming people were all ruthless and deadly. After three days of fleeing like a homeless dog, Qingxia and Yangfeng were finally trapped on Wushan Mountain.

  To escape, they agreed to break through from both sides of the mountain top and meet in Bai Huang County, Qin State two months later.

  But when Qing Xia escaped from the other side of the mountain, she found that all the pursuers had been led away by Yang Fen. She rode on her war horse, watching the long dragon-like lanterns following Yang Fen to the south, and felt a wave of despair rising up, the heavy rain pouring down, instantly drowning her entire consciousness.

  Zhuang Qingxia's body was originally not good, and since arriving in this ancient chaotic world, she had been worried and frightened, and suffered serious injuries. On the road of escape, she had to endure wind and rain, hunger and cold. The body of this young lady could no longer withstand it, and after a severe illness, Tang Xiaoshi's cleverness and agility were all for naught, and she was forced to retreat in defeat. If not for Zhong Bo's rescue, she might have died on the desolate plains long ago.

  Unexpectedly, after a frantic run, she found herself at the border of Chu State. Thinking that she could leave this place tomorrow, Qing Xia couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. After eating her fill and feeling drowsy, she leaned against the soft bed and soon fell asleep.

  When I woke up in the morning, it was already bright outside. As I got dressed and was about to open the door, I saw Zhong Bo standing at the entrance, smiling faintly as he held out a package and said, "Miss, we're leaving now, this is something prepared for you."

  Qing Xia was taken aback and hastily shook his head, saying: "Old sir, you saved my life, I have nothing to repay you with, how can I accept your things?"

  "Miss, please take it. This place is thousands of miles away from the White Cicada County. As a young girl traveling alone, you're already in great danger. Without some silver to sustain yourself, how can you make it to Qin Country?" The old man's face was kind and gentle, like the director of an orphanage where Qing Xia had stayed during her childhood. A warm, moist feeling suddenly rose up to her eyes, this being the first time since arriving in ancient times that someone had been so unconditionally kind to her. Those people before, whether it was Chu Li, Zhuang Fu, Rou Fei, Qi An, or even Yang Feng, all had their reasons for treating her well. Either because of her past identity as Zhuang Qing Xia, or because they had received her kindness, none were like this old man, who had no ulterior motives and was simply good-natured by nature.

  "The journey is long, miss, take care of yourself. There are many escort agencies in this city, you might as well travel with them, it's safer and will save a lot of trouble."

  Qing Xia nodded emotionally and Zhong Bo smiled and said: "I'm leaving now, Tang Niang, we'll meet again."

  "Thank you, sir. Take care of yourself too."

  The procession slowly set off, and a gust of wind suddenly blew up, lifting the curtain of the carriage in the middle, revealing a white figure. By the time Qing Xia wanted to take another look, it had already disappeared from view. Qing Xia watched as they gradually disappeared into the crowded streets, turned around, took the small package that Zhong Bo had prepared for herself, and walked out of the inn's gate.

  It had been two months since the appointment with Yang Feng. Although she was also worried about him, after all, she still believed in Yang Feng's skills in her heart. Qing Xia didn't dare to think of the worst and just wanted to hurry up and get to Baiying County as soon as possible. Once there, there would be an answer.

  Zhang Bo left Qing Xia enough silver, Qing Xia bought a horse and some warm clothes, changed into men's clothing, and prepared a lot of dry food and water for the journey. After finishing all this, it was almost noon, so he ate something casually at the restaurant by the road and prepared to set off.

  After paying the toll, Qing Xia galloped her horse on the official road, her riding skills had improved a lot compared to when she first came here to save Qi An. After traveling for about two hours, suddenly, a team of carriages appeared in front of her, Qing Xia followed curiously and found out that it was actually Zhong Bo's carriage team.

  Zhong Bo seemed to have expected to run into her here and, lifting the curtain, laughed and said: "Tang young lady, you're quite speedy!"

  "Old sir, it's you who are too slow."

  "Hehe, I'm getting old and not used to rushing, miss, I won't delay you."

  "Yes, old sir, I'm leaving, see you later." With that, he spurred his horse and galloped past their cavalry, heading in the direction of the north.

  She didn't expect that Zhong Bo and others were also heading in the direction of Qin Guo to the north, but since they hadn't invited her to go together, it was obviously inconvenient. Qing Xia didn't think much about it either, in this world now, being able to meet such good people was already considered lucky, how could there be other luxurious ideas.

  It's winter now, the day is extremely short, and before you know it, the sun has gradually shifted to the west. Qing Xia raised her head and looked at the vast expanse of fiery red clouds in the west, suddenly feeling that her field of vision was extremely broad, and the long-suppressed melancholy in her heart also gradually disappeared.

  As long as I can find Yang Feng and confirm he's safe, I can start a new life then.

  Qing Xia smiled and tilted her face upwards, with the golden sunlight pouring down on her body, life suddenly became much more colorful.