"Xue'e!" Liu Changhe strode forward, stopping in front of her. He smiled and said, "Thank you for coming today. Since you're here, why not stay for dinner? The two children miss you dearly."
If he had simply wanted her to stay for a meal, Wu Caiwei would have found an excuse to refuse. But when he mentioned the children missed her, and thinking about how long it had been since she had cultivated a bond with them, she saw the longing in Bao Ge's eyes. A smile bloomed on her face, and she nodded.
The dinner table was filled with laughter and joy. The two children, having been raised by the original owner, had formed a deep affection for her. Missing their mother after such a long separation, they shared amusing anecdotes from their recent lives, making everyone erupt in laughter.
After the meal, Wu Caiwei departed amidst the reluctant gazes of everyone present. Liu Changhe had tried to persuade her to stay several times, but the words caught in his throat. His mother, with a hint of helplessness, glanced at her son. She stepped forward, took Wu Caiwei's hand, and spoke earnestly, "Whenever you wish to return, the Liu family's door will always be open for you."
Although Wu Caiwei knew this was impossible in this lifetime, she still nodded, unwilling to disappoint her.
She sat in the carriage, her eyes closed, resting and contemplating what business ventures she could pursue next. The carriage suddenly halted. She quickly lifted the curtain, only to see dense bushes lining both sides of the road, growing over a person's height.
"Madam, a moment of urgency. Please wait a while, I shall return shortly." Although the coachman felt it was somewhat inappropriate to say such a thing to a lady in this desolate wilderness, he could not help himself, being utterly desperate.
However, he clearly underestimated Wu Caiwei's composure. Having lived through so many lives and witnessed so much, she considered it a perfectly normal request, given the long journey they had already undertaken.
"Ah!" A scream suddenly erupted from the bushes. Wu Caiwei's expression immediately turned serious. She pushed open the carriage door and stepped out. The coachman was rushing out of the bushes in a panic. Seeing Wu Caiwei, he hastily pointed towards the spot he had just emerged from, his face etched with terror, unable to speak for a long time.
Wu Caiwei drew the soft sword from her waist, held her breath, and slowly approached. The bushes were overgrown with thorns, making it impossible to see the path ahead. After walking for an unknown duration, the path suddenly opened up.
Looking at the scene before her, she finally understood why the coachman had been so terrified. The clearing was littered with corpses, blood flowing like a river, and wild dogs tearing at the remains.
Even Wu Caiwei, accustomed to such grand spectacles, couldn't help but frown. She stepped forward to examine the bodies. Most had died from a single fatal blow. As she walked, her foot was suddenly grabbed by a hand.
"Save... save me..." Wu Caiwei flinched in surprise, then looked down. She saw a woman dressed as a maid, her face covered in dirt and blood, her eyes barely open, weakly pleading for help. If not for the profound silence around them, Wu Caiwei would not have been able to hear what she was saying.
Although she didn't know who they had offended to suffer such a calamity, since she had stumbled upon it, Wu Caiwei decided to see it through. As she crouched down to help the woman up, she suddenly realized something was amiss.
This was a man, disguised as a woman, but he had not escaped. Wu Caiwei helped him up and slowly began to walk out. Su Dan Novel Network
The man, clinging to his last breath, now knowing he was being rescued, could no longer hold on and collapsed onto Wu Caiwei. Fortunately, Wu Caiwei had trained in martial arts and possessed more strength than an ordinary woman, otherwise, she might not have been able to carry him.
Seeing that his madam had been gone for so long and fearing she might have encountered danger, the coachman was hesitant to enter the bushes again after witnessing the horrific scene. He stood by the edge of the bushes, pacing anxiously.
Finally spotting Wu Caiwei, he hurried to meet her. Seeing the woman behind her, he was greatly surprised that anyone had survived. Being a kind soul, he immediately rushed to help without a word.
"Let's leave quickly," the coachman said upon hearing his madam's instructions, whipping the horses. He had long wanted to leave this place of misfortune. Who knew if pursuers would come after them?
With just himself and his madam, if they encountered bandits, they might also end up buried here. He felt a constant unease, and the carriage moved significantly faster than usual.
Regardless of which world she transmigrated to, Wu Caiwei always prepared some life-saving items. Even though she was here to help Liu Changhe, she always carried antidotes, hemostatics, fever reducers, and some sleeping powder, which proved useful now.
She opened his clothes and examined his injuries. They were less severe than she had imagined. The most serious was a sword wound to the abdomen, which had bled profusely. Any later and even Wu Caiwei wouldn't have been able to help. He was lucky to be alive.
To avoid drawing attention, they stopped at a small town, where Wu Caiwei bought him a set of women's clothes to replace his blood-stained ones.
They had originally planned to rest for a night at an inn in this small town. However, the town was sparsely populated, and two people with a unconscious woman in tow would inevitably attract attention. To be safe, Wu Caiwei instructed the coachman to press on, forcing them to camp in the wilderness.
As darkness fully enveloped them, the coachman looked at the desolate spot, far from any settlement, and said with concern, "Madam, there are only three of us. What if we encounter villains, or wolves?"
The coachman secretly regretted his earlier decision. Despite his prolonged persuasion, his madam had been adamant. Now they were in a predicament, unable to advance or retreat.
"Don't worry. Although I am a woman, I have studied martial arts. I know you've been through a lot following me. Rest assured, your pay will be doubled upon our return," Wu Caiwei quickly reassured him.
The coachman stared blankly at his madam's nonchalant demeanor. How skilled could a sheltered lady of the inner chambers be in martial arts? At most, she knew some superficial moves. This was the wilderness, and danger could strike at any moment.
They sat around a bonfire. Wu Caiwei felt the man's forehead and found he had a high fever. She gave him some water and fever-reducing medicine, and continuously added firewood. In a daze, she suddenly woke up, her hand instinctively going to her waist.
Suddenly, she heard the whistling sound of arrows piercing the air. Wu Caiwei shifted her body, caught an arrow, and with a slight flick of her wrist, sent it back in the direction it came from. A muffled groan followed.
She quickly pulled the two of them up and shoved them behind the carriage, cutting the horse's reins. In the next moment, the spot where they had just been sitting was riddled with arrows.
The commotion had woken the coachman, who stared blankly at the scene unfolding before him.
The horses, startled, neighed and bolted into the distance. Wu Caiwei directly overturned the carriage, using it as a shield against the incoming arrows.