Early the next morning, the bald-headed healer made an excuse that he was missing a few medicinal ingredients and needed to go to the pharmacy to pick them out himself. The attendant reported this to Qing Yan, who, seeing that the heavy snow showed no signs of stopping, didn't think much of it and arranged for a carriage to take him there.
Not long after he left, Mei Lin wrapped herself in a thick cotton robe, donned a bamboo hat and rain cape, and walked openly out of the side gate. Over the past few days, it had become clear that Murong Jing He treated her differently. No one had heard of any restrictions on her movements, so she passed through without any obstacles.
Once outside the mansion, Mei Lin headed straight for the carriage yard. On such a snowy day, no one at the carriage yard was willing to take a job, so she bought a horse and carriage outright and drove herself. Before leaving, she had the shopkeeper wrap the horse's knees, hooves, and belly in thick cotton to prevent frostbite. She also stocked up on supplies like coarse feed and charcoal, and bought a bag of braised meat buns from a nearby food shop before heading to the largest pharmacy in the city.
The money she spent came from selling game she had hunted earlier. In the two months she spent at the prince's mansion, she had been eating and sleeping all day, often in a daze, and hadn't gained any benefits. Looking back, she regretted not asking for some gold or silver.
The wind and snow were intense, and the few pedestrians on the road clung to the edges of buildings for shelter. Everywhere she looked was covered in white, with only the grayish buildings providing any contrast.
Mei Lin had already asked for directions at the carriage yard, so she drove swiftly along the route. Soon, she spotted a low-key but practical two-horse carriage parked by the roadside, the driver huddled against the carriage, stomping his feet from time to time. A few steps ahead, she saw the sign for Renhui Pharmacy. She gradually slowed the horse, passed the pharmacy, and stopped on the other side. Then she jumped out of the carriage, lowered her head slightly, and pushed through the thick door curtain to enter.
Moments later, she emerged wearing a light blue cotton robe, carrying two bags of medicine, and climbed into the carriage. The bald-headed healer, now dressed in the bamboo hat and rain cape she had brought out, followed, sitting lazily on the driver's seat and flicking the reins to drive the carriage.
The original driver hadn't recognized Mei Lin due to his unfamiliarity with her, allowing the two of them to pull off this switch seamlessly. It wasn't until two hours later that the driver realized something was wrong, but by then, Mei Lin and the healer had already left the city of Jingbei and were traveling on the road south. Before leaving, the healer had left a note in the room, explaining that he missed his hometown and, having completed his work here, was bidding farewell to make his departure seem legitimate.
Mei Lin kept the charcoal stove burning brightly, and though the carriage was somewhat drafty, it was still warm inside. After leaving the city, she switched places with the healer, letting him rest inside while she drove, dressed in the rain cape and bamboo hat. If not for her promise to care for the jade and her desire to have the healer remove the poison from her body, she would have likely gone on alone.
Thanks to her previous jade-cultivation experience, Mei Lin had paid special attention to how her internal energy flowed into the jade and the pathways it took. Gradually, she learned to control the surging energy within her. Although she couldn't yet wield it with perfect precision, she no longer feared it turning against her. Now, her greatest wish was to rid herself of the toxins that bound her.
The sound of the healer snoring came from the carriage, indicating that he had risen early and, finding the journey boring with no one to talk to, had decided to catch up on sleep.
Mei Lin's earlier unease dissipated entirely. Smiling slightly, she cracked the whip in the air, making a loud snap that, though it didn't strike the horse, urged it to run faster.
Initially, she followed the main road, but after traveling about twenty miles, she took a side path.
With the initial tension of escape fading and her mind clearing in the cold wind and snow, she began to reflect on the past few months. She had inadvertently learned too many of Murong Jing He's secrets. For instance, when he claimed to be spending time in seclusion with her, he had actually left Jingbei in secret, only barely making it back before Luo Mei was about to break down the door. This alone was enough to condemn her to death multiple times over. Although he had told her not to let him see her again, how could he allow her to leave alive?
The more she thought about it, the more her heart chilled, so she instinctively became more cautious, avoiding the main road and heading into the remote mountains. Even if it meant taking a detour of hundreds of miles, it was better than traveling openly along the main road.
At noon, they stopped at a fairly large village to rest, feed the horse, and buy some food and warm clothing. After asking for directions, they continued on their way. That night, they stayed at a small town. After two days of twisting and turning through various routes, with no pursuers in sight, they finally relaxed and slowed their pace, beginning to make their way toward Zhongzhou.
The bald-headed healer, sitting in the carriage, stayed warm enough, but his age made it difficult for him to endure the journey. Yet, unlike in the past, he didn't complain much, only occasionally grumbling when the wind and snow blew into the carriage. Mei Lin paid little attention to his complaints.
One afternoon, a sudden blizzard forced them to seek shelter in a nearby village. Surprisingly, though the village was small, it had an inn. They later learned that this was a key stop for travelers from northern cities taking shortcuts to Yecheng in the south, and they had stumbled upon it by chance.
In the heavy snow, there were no other travelers on the road. They had to knock on the inn's door for a long time before someone slowly opened it.
The man who opened the door looked like a country bumpkin or perhaps the inn's servant, though he could have been the innkeeper. He was pulling his clothes tightly around him against the cold as he squinted at the two figures standing outside. When he saw the fine clothes the healer was wearing from the prince's mansion and the carriage behind them, his eyes widened with a sharp glint.
"Ah, welcome, dear guests, please come in..." he said, calling back over his shoulder, "Qizi, go help the guests unload the carriage and take the horse to the back for proper care." He deliberately slowed his speech to gauge their reaction. Seeing they didn't object, he knew they intended to stay, and immediately became more attentive.
"It's tough traveling in such snowy weather," he said casually, his eyes lingering on Mei Lin as she removed her bamboo hat and rain cape, shaking off the snow. Her delicate features caught his eye, and he couldn't help but steal another glance. When he turned to address the healer, his face was full of a smile he couldn't hide.
The healer, still as lazy as ever, took a seat by the stove, casually pulling out his pipe.
"Who would have thought we’d have such bad luck, rushing to get home before the New Year," he said, yawning as he spoke. Though he had slept plenty in the carriage, the constant jolting had left him more exhausted than rested. "Innkeeper, we'll take two upper rooms."
"Certainly! Please warm yourselves by the fire and let me know if you need anything," the innkeeper replied cheerfully before heading to the back room.
Mei Lin sat down and watched the excited innkeeper's retreating figure, feeling a bit puzzled.
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