Chapter 183: The Few Days of Journey
Xiao Qingya felt the novelty of a long journey. The horse carriage was definitely faster than an ox cart.
In a day, they had crossed quite a distance, and when the sky went dark, they stopped in an inn.
During the night, there were many stalls selling all kinds of delicacies. Xiao Qingya’s heart suddenly felt a little heavy.
[System, if my second sister were here, she would have let me choose any snacks to my heart’s content. I already miss her...]
The System immediately consoled her. [Host, don’t worry, you will meet your second sister in the Capital as long as she is alive. I will help you find her.]
[Pinky promise?]
Xiao Xue raised its paw and tapped Xiao Qingya’s hand. [I promise! I am a cat who never broke my promise, meow.]
Zhou Wenzhi brought his family to the night market, letting his grandchildren buy anything they wanted. After all, he didn’t want them to feel prolonged sadness and anxiety.
Before he left, he didn’t forget to give quite a sum of money for his eldest son’s wife and daughter. It would be able to last them tens of years as long as they lived frugally.
If it wasn’t enough, he could send more, but he definitely didn’t tell them that he would go to the Capital.
After they explored the night market, the family quickly had dinner and went to rest. They would need to depart again quickly as soon as they woke up.
If possible, they would have travelled during the night too. Alas, it was too dangerous. It was safer to find an inn before the sky went dark.
The Ling siblings also served as scouts, and they narrowly avoided a lot of accidents because of them.
In a few days, Xiao Qingya finally felt the fatigue of being on a constant journey. Some scenery had changed, and so was the people’s culture.
She began to see a more diverse version of this world.
[Host, I have a warning for you...]
Xiao Qingya, who was watching the scenery outside, perked her ears and asked. [What is it? A new mission?]
[Yes, a new mission...] The System affirmed. [You should receive it soon.]
At this moment, the sky had gradually turned dark and they were supposed to find an inn soon or they would definitely have to stay in the open, which was dangerous.
Her family members who could hear her thoughts subconsciously frowned, trying to guess the content of the mission.
They analyzed their current situation and their hearts sank. Zhou Anran glanced at her children.
Xiao Jingran was already talking to the Ling siblings. "Can you detect if there is any danger ahead?"
[Yes.] They quickly disappeared.
Zhou Wenzhi was no longer surprised when he saw his oldest grandson and youngest granddaughter communicating with ghosts, but Zhou Shuran was still unused to it.
She would subconsciously glance around her in worry about the existence of ghosts.
Xiao Qingya blinked, and looked at the darkening sky outside. Her brother’s concerns weren’t unfounded. Their surroundings outside had become much more sparse with people.
Fortunately, the Ling siblings returned soon.
[Master Jingran... there seems to be a village ahead, but the people there do not seem to be...] Ling Bo struggled to find the words.
Ling Yu continued it for him. [They seem to be suspicious.]
[We only looked at them from a bit far away. They seemed to be communicating normally with other people there, but... there is something weird.] Ling Bo muttered his analysis.
Xiao Jingran reiterated what the Ling siblings had said to his grandfather and mother. They both frowned.
Zhou Wenzhi looked behind them. "This village seems to be closer to our current location. If we head back, it should take around an hour."
By then, the sky would have completely turned dark.
"How many people are there?" Xiao Jingran asked.
[Around two dozen.] The Ling siblings answered.
After Zhou Wenzhi listened to the answer from Xiao Jingran, he opened his mouth to decide. "Shall we go there?"
No one objected because it was their only option for now. If they pull back, it would have been more dangerous because they would travel in the dark.
At this moment, Xiao Qingya suddenly heard the system’s notification.
[Mission Triggered!]
[Mission Objective: You will encounter a few bandits. Keep all of your items safely and do not let them get robbed away.]
[Rewards: 300 system points.]
She tensed slightly and stared at the village ahead with a pair of suspicious eyes. They were getting closer to it.
"Tianliang, we will stop at the village ahead." Zhou Wenzhi told Guo Tianliang who was taking charge as the coachman of the other carriage.
Guo Tianliang made a hand sign showing that he understood.
[Bandits huh? Are we going to get robbed as soon as we reach the village? Who are the bandits?] Xiao Qingya echoed the question of everyone at this moment.
They were incredibly alert, keeping their senses to their surroundings. Zhou Anran gripped her youngest daughter tightly, her heart drumming with some anxiety.
Not long after, they arrived at the village.
It was a small village with a few dozen houses. Some of them seemed to be abandoned.
The sky hadn’t turned completely dark yet, so there were still some people doing activity outside. They seemed to be surprised to see two carriages passing by at such a time.
One middle-aged auntie scanned the surroundings, and she suddenly approached them.
"What are you doing when the sky is going to turn dark soon?" She whispered.
The Xiao family looked at each other.
"Auntie, we are going to pass by this place," Zhou Shuran replied, a little puzzled by the woman’s reaction.
Unexpectedly, the Auntie shook her head.
"You all shouldn’t. It’s not safe to do so in the dark," she muttered and lowered her voice. "How about you all take a rest in our place for a night? We have a huge barn over there, enough to be a shelter for your horses."