"Could it be those bad guys again?" Xiao Xitian looked up, casting a furtive glance towards the shore.
The man was also uncertain.
The sound of hooves was coming from ahead. Could those assassins be planning another ambush halfway?
"You two, lie down. There's a row of willows ahead. I'll temporarily moor the boat there. We'll leave after those people pass..."
The man stood up unsteadily, picked up the bamboo pole with one hand, and vigorously pushed towards the willow grove.
Seeing this, Xiao Jinheng scrambled up to help him. "Let me help you with the pole!~"
The man smiled. "You're too small to have enough strength. Hurry up and lie down."
Even with only one arm, he could skillfully maneuver the small boat.
Xiao Jinheng: "..."
Who was the little one?
This man's mouth was quite sharp!
Xiao Xitian glanced at Xiao Jinheng and couldn't help but burst into laughter. "You little rascal, I'll call you 'little one' from now on, haha!~"
"Shut up!" Xiao Jinheng protested, waving his little fists.
The sound of hooves was getting closer, and it seemed like quite a few people were coming...
The man rowed the little broken boat into the willow grove on the shore at the fastest speed, perfectly concealing them from the approaching party.
Just then, Prefect Qin, leading a group of subordinates, galloped over on horseback.
These men had almost all been awake all night, their eyes darting towards the river surface.
"Did you find them?" Prefect Qin asked loudly.
His subordinates shook their heads. "There's nothing on the river. There was fog this morning, so thick and white that the brothers couldn't see clearly..."
"Then search carefully. You few, follow the bank and keep searching upstream. You must find them before noon!~"
Prefect Qin, with dark circles under his eyes, commanded loudly.
Xiao Xitian, lying on the boat, scratched her chubby cheek.
Why did this voice sound so familiar?
She felt like she had heard it somewhere before...
"Shh, don't move!~" The man winked at Xiao Xitian.
These people were searching back and forth around the willow grove.
Moreover, the three of them had overheard their conversation: they had to find them before noon.
There was no need to elaborate on what would happen if they were found; it would be death or severe injury, with no good outcome...
Prefect Qin furrowed his brow tightly. "Where on earth did this person go?"
He didn't dare to return to the prefectural city now, for fear that his wife would complain to his father-in-law.
He hadn't lost the person; this Snow Madam had inexplicably latched onto him.
"You few, come with me and take a look over there!~"
"Yes..."
Prefect Qin led his subordinates and galloped further upstream.
The sound of hooves gradually faded. The man looked up, and seeing that there was no longer any danger, he used the bamboo pole to push the small boat and drifted downstream along the river.
"Big brother, did you kidnap a princess from a neighboring country?" Xiao Xitian suddenly asked.
Upon hearing this, the man burst into laughter, "Little girl, why do you say that?"
Her train of thought was quite peculiar...
Why would he bother kidnapping a princess from a neighboring country?
He had heard that she wasn't particularly good-looking.
Xiao Xitian said with a serious expression, "If you didn't touch their princess, why would these people be chasing you desperately?"
She had noticed when they were on Camel Peak Mountain that the martial arts of those people were very formidable...
Only the royal family could train such formidable assassins.
The man was also very young, and when she thought of the royal family, Xiao Xitian immediately associated him with Princess An.
"Because... I did take something of theirs!~" The man mused for a moment before revealing a sliver of the truth.
Hearing this, Xiao Jinheng sat up and asked, "What did you take from them?"
It seemed to be something very significant, otherwise, why would those people have traveled so far to pursue him relentlessly?
The man grinned, "It's a secret!~"
Xiao Jinheng: "..."
He was playing coy with him. When they reached Shuo'an City, he would definitely have Prefect Qin thoroughly investigate the man's identity.
Then, through severe interrogation, he would see if he would talk.
"When we reach the prefectural city, you can write to your families to report that you are safe. I will find a carriage to send you back to the village!" the man said calmly.
Xiao Xitian blinked her big eyes. "Will you personally send us back?"
"No, no, no..." The man waved his hand. "I have important matters to attend to. There are three carriages running daily from the prefectural city to Heyang County. If you get tired, there are post stations along the way to rest. You will be very safe!~"
"You're going back on your word!" Xiao Jinheng said indignantly. "We agreed before that if you sent me and the little village child back to the village, I would give you two carts of sorghum wine, and you agreed, didn't you?"
He was such an adult, yet his words were so inconsistent and untrustworthy...
The man gave a dry laugh. "That's what we said, but plans can't keep up with changes. You two have seen it yourselves, those people are ruthless killers. If you continue to follow me, you will be in danger!~"
"But, but we didn't want to go to the prefectural city in the first place..." Xiao Xitian wrinkled her little nose. "When we were on Camel Peak Mountain, you promised to send us back to Dashui Village. Now we're almost at the prefectural city, and you want to go back on your word. That's not acceptable!"
"Yes, absolutely not!~" Xiao Jinheng stared intently at the man, his attitude extremely firm.
The man paused for two seconds. "No, are you two clinging to me or what?"
"If I hadn't brought you two out of the forest before, would you two have survived until now?"
These two ungrateful little things...
Even if he hadn't encountered these two little buns, those assassins would have found them by their scent.
What would be the outcome, did he need to say more?
Seeing the two little ones puffing out their cheeks with indignant expressions, the man shook his head helplessly. "Alright, alright, I'll take you to Heyang County then, is that okay?"
"No need!~" Xiao Jinheng flatly refused.
He was just testing the man. Once he and the little village child reached the prefectural city, Prefect Qin would naturally send someone to escort them back to Dashui Village...
"You two little brats, one moment you want to be sent, the next you refuse, are you treating me like a monkey?"
The man was annoyed and pulled Xiao Jinheng into his arms, tickling him under the arms.
"Hahaha, hahahaha, quick... stop, you, you're outrageous!~" Xiao Jinheng laughed until tears streamed down his face.
Xiao Xitian also covered her mouth and snickered.
Despite this man's mysterious demeanor, he was quite amusing.
"Little girl, what are you laughing at? Come here!~" The man reached out and pulled Xiao Xitian into his embrace as well.
"Gagaga..."
Oh dear, she was laughing so hard her stomach hurt.
"My arm will hurt!~" Xiao Xitian reminded him.
The man grunted, unyielding, "Even if it hurts, I have to tease you a bit."
And so, amidst laughter and merriment, the small boat finally drifted into the territory of Shuo'an City at noon...