"It's okay, we need to avoid pursuit now. If you get caught and taken back, how can I take you to see my parents? My parents are very kind, and they will treat you like their own daughter when they meet you. When we reach my hometown, I'll let you feast your eyes on the beautiful scenery!" But this young man kept saying words of encouragement to persevere.
Guo Lili said, "I've thought about it carefully just now. It's too much for my father to leave without saying goodbye, so I should go back."
Guo Lili was already eighteen years old, and of course, she wouldn't be easily deceived by a few words. She still had her own way of thinking, and now she was testing the other person.
If the other party insisted on not letting her leave, it would mean that he felt guilty, which was why he would act this way, stopping her departure and satisfying his own desires.
Now that a seed of doubt had sprouted in Guo Lili's heart, she began to test the other person subtly, wanting to know how he would answer her question.
As a result, the young man, upon hearing Guo Lili's question, said without hesitation, "Since you don't want to go anymore, let's just forget about it. However, I hope to escort you back before we part ways."
Upon hearing this, Guo Lili said, "Are you crazy? They are probably looking for me now. If you escort me back, they will definitely catch you as a bad guy. You shouldn't go; I'll go back by myself!"
The young man, after hearing this, said earnestly, "From the moment I saw you, I fell in love with you uncontrollably. So, even if it's a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, I will brave it. Besides, I haven't done anything harmful to you. How could they kill me without reason?"
Now, Guo Lili was moved by the other person's resolute words and bold declaration of love. After all, women are emotional beings; a few sweet words can make them overjoyed.
So, after hearing the other person's firm words, Guo Lili was incredibly touched and immediately declared, "I was just joking with you earlier. I already promised you that I would go home with you. How can I abandon you and go back alone now?"
After saying these words, she urged the young man to leave quickly. She knew that as long as they left the vicinity of Yuzhou, she would be free. She wouldn't have to live in a big city like before, like a bird in a cage. Although it looked beautiful and sounded melodious, it could never attain freedom.
Afterward, the two of them traveled through many mountain paths towards the outside, crossed the Wushan Mountains, and then arrived at the Lianghu region, where they had already left the scope of Yuzhou.
"Didn't you say there was a wonderful world outside? But why do I only see desolate farmland and dilapidated ruins? Where is your home?" Guo Lili couldn't help but ask.
Before leaving Yuzhou, Guo Lili had believed every word her boyfriend said, thinking that everything he spoke of was true, even more captivating than the tales told by storytellers. However, after she truly left her home, she discovered that the outside world was even more miserable than Yuzhou.
To describe it with an ancient poem, it would be "White bones exposed in the wild, no chickens crowing for a thousand miles." Such a tragic sight was truly shocking to behold.
Here, only barren farmland remained, overgrown with weeds, with no trace of crops. The promised thousand miles of wheat waves were nowhere to be seen. As for the wonderful world, it had not appeared at all. Everywhere they went, there were ruins, and occasionally human bones could be seen. After walking for dozens of kilometers, they still hadn't found any signs of human habitation.
"Don't worry, you always have to go through a long journey to see beautiful scenery. We've just arrived in a less fortunate area. The road ahead will be brighter. I promise that my hometown has a more wonderful world!" The young man was still deceiving her.
"I don't believe your words anymore. You've been lying to me all along because I've found that the places I've passed through are much worse than Yuzhou. Your claim that the outside world is more wonderful is nothing more than a deception." At this moment, Guo Lili said loudly.
The saying goes, "Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles." In fact, the best way for a person to know what the outside world is like is to see it with their own eyes. Only then can they see more colorful places. If they don't see it for themselves, a person who has been in a knowledge-poor area for a long time is easily misled. Guo Lili only realized she had been deceived when she saw the desolation of the outside world with her own eyes, and then she understood that she had jumped from a honey pot into a fire pit.
"How can you say I'm deceiving you? I promise that the world I've described is definitely wonderful. As long as you come with me, I'll show you this wonderful place right away!" At this point, the young man still wanted to use his eloquence to make her believe him.
Guo Lili said loudly, "Zhang Chenmin, no matter what else you say, I won't believe you anymore. I've seen through you. I'm going home now!"
After saying this, she turned to leave. She was confident that she could return to Yuzhou by herself because she was now an evolved being, and her physical fitness was still quite strong.
Zhang Chenmin's expression suddenly turned quite unpleasant, as he realized that his usual sweet-talking attack had failed. The other party had developed resistance to his words.
However, as someone who specialized in deceiving women, he still had a plan. He pointed behind Guo Lili and said, "Look quickly over there! Isn't that a beautiful sight?"
Guo Lili, unaware of the ploy, naturally turned her head to see what beautiful scenery it was.
As she turned her head to look, she suddenly felt an attack on the back of her head and instantly fainted.
Zhang Chenmin retracted his hand knife and muttered to himself, "If you wanted to leave, you should have left quietly, not told me this. If you had spoken up, I would have been prepared. From this perspective, you are indeed naive!"
Afterward, Zhang Chenmin tied up Guo Lili and headed towards his pre-arranged destination. As he walked, he pondered how to maximize his profits. If he used Guo Lili for blackmail, he might get a few ability-enhancing potions, but if it was just that, it wouldn't be worth his trouble.
"If I use her for blackmail, the value will be smaller, and I'll only get a few rare potions, with no significant improvement. Instead, I might offend someone and be killed by a powerful person later. Let's take it slow, like boiling a frog in warm water. I'll let my father-in-law know that he has a grandchild!" Zhang Chenmin muttered to himself.
And so, Guo Lili was taken away, and no one knew what her future would hold.
In Yuzhou, Guo Pinming was also an important figure. Because he was very serious and loyal in everything he did, he was always highly regarded by Shen Feng. Later, when Rongcheng needed an important figure to guard it, he was sent there by Shen Feng and hadn't returned for several years.
Therefore, not keeping his daughter by his side was a way for Shen Feng to have some leverage. Only by holding certain leverage could he command his subordinates, which was also an unwritten rule.
But now, Guo Lili had actually disappeared. All major transportation routes were strictly guarded to prevent anyone from smuggling her out, yet no one could find her.
And Shen Feng didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected that so many children in Yuzhou would have accidents one after another. Especially Guo Lili, an eighteen-year-old girl, being deceived and taken away by a few words. What kind of logic was this?
In his helplessness, Shen Feng could only tell Guo Pinming the truth, hoping he would understand the matter.
When Guo Pinming heard about it, he was speechless for a moment.
"City Lord, there's no need to worry about this matter. This is also the child's fate. Perhaps she will return safely later, but the most frightening thing is if a kidnapper suddenly asks her to write a letter back, requiring us to pay a price. That would put you in a difficult position, City Lord!" Guo Pinming said.
Conversely, Shen Feng was not worried about being blackmailed, as he could provide anything they desired. What he was most worried about was Guo Lili never returning, and when she did, she would already have several children by her side. He didn't know how to handle such a situation.
Shen Feng thought for a moment and instructed his subordinates to pay attention to this matter. "Everyone, keep a close eye on your children at home. Don't be easily coaxed away by others. If you are, you'll bear the consequences. I won't be responsible!"
And many people in Yuzhou only realized it later. They sternly told their children, "Listen carefully, everyone. The outside world is not wonderful at all, so don't be coaxed away by a few words from others. If boys are coaxed away, their organs will be harvested. If girls are coaxed away, they will be sold to brothels to entertain guests. If such a thing happens to you, don't blame me for not warning you!"
No matter when, parental education for children is very important, because problems can arise easily. Especially for many children whose worldviews have not yet been formed, they always think that the entire world is as they see it in books. As a result, a few compliments from others can easily confuse them and leave them at a loss.
Therefore, many people are always slow to react. Only after a tragedy occurs do they try to mend the fence and do something to compensate for their mistakes. Thus, many people in Yuzhou vigorously publicized the message, telling children that no matter what others say, they must not leave home.
And Shen Feng said to the children, "I am not restricting your freedom, but protecting you, which is why I don't let you go out casually. However, if you ignore my good intentions, you will likely never see me again. So, be careful in the future and don't be coaxed away by others!"
After this incident, Shen Yishi finally became well-behaved and no longer talked about going out to play. Even if she had to go out, she would always find some senior brothers to protect her. And the place she frequented the most was her home in Yuecang Mountain, because she knew that she had caused the death of her sister, Yue Bitao, so she wanted to make amends for her mistake.
Shen Feng was not too concerned about this matter. Chu Chaoyan, however, reprimanded her several times, "You're a young lady, why do you always run to other men's houses? People might think you like him! You need to consider your reputation and not run around carelessly!"