Bai Xi fell silent and looked at Peach Blossom. “Where did she say she’d look for this ‘immortal’?”
“Second Miss didn’t say… but,” Peach Blossom suddenly remembered something, “Miss did say she was headed east, to seek an immortal across the Eastern Sea…”
“The Eastern Sea? To the east!” Bai Xi and Bai Xun’s eyes narrowed, both guessing Bai Shuo’s escape route.
“Bai Lei!” Bai Xun called out, “Prepare the horses!”
“Father!” Bai Xi stopped him, glancing towards the outer hall as the festive sounds drew nearer.
Bai Xi shook her head. “The Chong family’s bridal procession will arrive soon; you can’t leave now.”
Bai Xun halted, waving his sleeve in frustration and pointed to Bai Lei, “Take the mansion guards and chase her east! She left last night; with her pace, she can’t have reached Wei City yet. Bring her back before she gets there!”
“Yes, Master!” Bai Lei, who had once served with Bai Xun in the army, responded immediately without a word, but was stopped by Bai Xi.
“No,” Bai Xi said, looking at her father. “Father, the General’s Mansion has always safeguarded the capital. Today is a grand day for our household; if Bai Lei leaves the capital, His Majesty will surely take notice.”
The festive sounds grew louder, and firecrackers exploded, jarring Old General Bai’s heart. Recalling the decades of friendship between the Bai and Chong families, he could only grit his teeth in frustration.
“The Chong family’s bridal procession is right at our doorstep; we can’t search, nor can we act! Where am I supposed to find a daughter to replace her for Chong Zhao?” Bai Xun paced back and forth, frowning deeply.
“Father, calm down. The Bai family is in danger, but only one person can help us now.”
“Who?” Bai Xun stopped in his tracks.
“Chong Zhao,” Bai Xi stated calmly.
Bai Xun blinked in surprise.
Several miles outside the capital, on a narrow mountain path, the cheerful ringing of a small bell drew closer.
“Dear sister sits in the boat, while I walk along the shore. Love sways us gently on this slender rope…” A young man in simple clothes, with a wild grass stalk in his mouth, lay comfortably on a donkey cart, humming a mountain song.
Suddenly, the little donkey snorted and came to a halt. The young man opened his eyes to see the donkey turn its head, “huffing and puffing,” with its big, round eyes wide open.
Strangely enough, although A-Shuo hadn’t become immortal, she somehow read from the donkey’s eyes the message: “I’m so done with this; I’m starving and exhausted.”
The little donkey was one A-Shuo had lured out from the grass shed in the capital using two bananas. He wasn’t exactly a sworn brother, but seeing the donkey about to throw in the towel, A-Shuo quickly jumped up, putting on a friendly smile.
“Brother Donkey, just a bit further down this mountain path, another ten miles, and we’ll reach Wei City. I promise, once we’re there, I’ll find the finest inn for you to rest in! And I’ll buy you ten pounds of dry grass. How about that?”
The little donkey flicked its tail, thoroughly unimpressed, and turned to head back.
Bai Shuo suddenly became anxious, holding up a single finger: “And I’ll add a fresh, tender little she-donkey just for you!”
The little donkey paused mid-step, eyeing Bai Shuo suspiciously.
“Really, I’m not lying! If I’m lying, I’m a dog!” Bai Shuo swore to the heavens.
Satisfied, the donkey gave a snort and, with newfound determination, prepared to head toward Wei City—only to halt again, staring intently at a pile of rocks about five meters away.
“Boss, do you think that kid might have some issues? Is it even possible for an animal to understand human speech?”
Behind the rocks, five or six rough-looking men were hiding, each holding knives and axes, clearly bandits. The small, wiry man, named Wu Yong, was staring at the lone person and donkey nearby, smacking his lips in curiosity. He was the second-in-command of the gang.
“Maybe he does, but who cares! The stupider, the better—grab him, bring him back to the camp, and keep him quiet!” barked Zhang Chao, the square-faced leader, who looked fierce and ruthless.
“Boss, the donkey’s staring at us. You think it figured us out?” Wu Yong suddenly said, looking as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Nonsense! How could an animal possibly…?” Zhang Chao scolded, lifting his head to peer down the path—only to lock eyes with the giant, glaring donkey eyes. Known for his cold and merciless nature, the bandit chief actually felt a shiver go through him.
“Could this donkey be… a demon?” Wu Yong stammered.
But the bandits’ fears quickly faded when they saw the donkey’s wide-eyed look of horror as it backed away, its legs shaking.
Whether or not it was a demon didn’t matter—it was afraid of them! The bandits instantly felt invincible. Zhang Chao brandished his axe and pointed in the direction of the donkey and its owner. “Charge! Capture that brat!”
The little donkey’s glare had only lasted a moment, but in that brief pause, Bai Shuo, who’d been annoyed at the donkey’s sudden hesitation, was left dumbstruck when the mountain bandits descended upon her from above.
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