Ultimate Path to Heaven

Chapter 44 Reflections on the Journey

The backyard wing room.

The shopkeeper respectfully clasped his hands in greeting to Ye Bufan: "Reporting to the commander, since this morning, in addition to the three brothers of the Huo family, there have also been some chivalrous figures from Jinzhou and Changzhou passing through this town..."

If you are traveling from Jinzhou and Changzhou to Huizhou, this small town is a necessary stop.

"Did you glean anything from their words?" Ye Bufan asked meaningfully.

The shopkeeper thought it over carefully and finally shook his head: "He is taciturn, but his killing intent is strong. Perhaps they have the same purpose."

"It must be the Eighth Prince," Ye Bufan guessed, but then changed the subject, "Put those aside for now and quickly prepare five fast horses!"

Upon receiving the order, the shopkeeper left without saying a word, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Xiao Jin had just arrived at the backyard when he bumped into the innkeeper, who was hurrying out of a side room. The innkeeper was slightly startled to see Xiao Jin, then bowed, clasped his hands in greeting, and stepped aside to let him pass before leaving.

"Hmm?" Xiao Jin was puzzled by this when Ye Bufan walked out of the room.

"Young Master, please don't be surprised. This is an informant from our Dark Guard Town." Ye Bufan clasped his hands in greeting to Xiao Jin. "The horses are ready at any time. May I ask when the Young Master will depart?"

Eyeliner?

Xiao Jin was struck by this: If even a small town like this has spies and informants, then Huizhou must be even more so. But the food in this restaurant… it must be because life in this town is so hard…

Lost in thought for a moment, Ye Bufan clasped his hands in greeting again: "May I ask when the young master will depart?"

"Let's set off!" With that, Xiao Jin turned and walked away.

As they left the tavern, Qin Huang finally couldn't contain himself any longer: "It's getting late, why don't we rest here and set off again tomorrow!"

Qin Huang's tone was not very friendly, suggesting that he had some prejudice against Xiao Jin.

Xiao Jin didn't immediately respond to Qin Shen, but instead looked at Lin Miao before speaking: "If you two wish, you can come later!"

Qin Huang was about to say something when Lin Miao wrapped her arms around hers: "Sister Huang, just listen to him, I don't want to stay in this small town anymore, okay!"

"But......"

"There's no 'but' about it, Miao'er wants to get to Huizhou City as soon as possible!" She said in a coquettish tone, shaking Qin Shen's arm with her hand.

"All right!"

In the canyon, Qin Huang, this domineering "tomboy," also showed her own doting affection for Lin Miao.

Upon receiving Qin Huang's response, Lin Miao actually made a face at Xiao Jin... implying that it was done on purpose.

Xiao Jin smiled faintly at this, not taking it to heart.

After obtaining the horses, they continued their journey.

Three hours later, the horses gradually became exhausted and had to rest on the spot. Everyone took the opportunity to take a nap, but Xiao Jin was not sleepy at all.

Looking up at the night sky, there were no stars, but the moon could be vaguely seen.

"The darkness of the night is really slowing us down; hopefully, Chu Xiong won't leave so early in the morning..."

Judging by the time, it would be around noon noon no matter how fast he rushed, and Xiao Jin was somewhat worried that he would not be able to see the Eighth Prince Chu Xiong.

"portrait? 』

Although a portrait of the Eighth Prince could be found in Huizhou City, Xiao Jin felt uneasy if he couldn't see the real Prince in person.

"Well, for now, we can only let nature take its course!"

Unconsciously glancing at Lin Miao, who was already asleep on Qin Chong's lap... Xiao Jin felt that this girl's happiness was simple and pure. After gaining some freedom from the valley, she wandered the world, seemingly without any so-called ideals or pursuits... He was somewhat envious of her carefree state of mind.

After confirming his rebirth into another world and having a mother, Xiao Jin considered living a simple, ordinary life with her, but reality wouldn't allow it...

Following Lin Miao's gaze, Qin Huang, who was sleeping with his eyes closed, had a face as clear and bright as jade, with distinct features. He was without makeup, possessing both the elegance of a woman and the handsome features of a man.

Her overall demeanor was neither delicate nor entirely fierce. Xiao Jin couldn't quite put his finger on it; he just felt that she was an unusual woman, or perhaps he couldn't regard her as a woman at all.

What is the significance of these siblings in the canyon?

Subconsciously glancing at the sky, Xiao Jin sighed at the fact that the two siblings, both ninth-rank officials, had condescended to serve in the canyon and obey Lin Yan's orders...

Turning to look at Li Mian and Ye Bufan... these two were sworn to serve their mother to the death; it would be more accurate to say they belonged to the Xiao family...

Now you're following yourself... what are you after?

In his past life, he was ignored by everyone, and thus he didn't care about anyone around him. Now, in this different world, he is cared for by everyone except his mother. Xiao Jin couldn't describe the feeling he had never experienced before.

In any case, after many things, Xiao Jin vaguely understood one thing: if you want others to care about you, you must first care about others and be "worthy" of their care.

Recalling the time when the original owner was whipped, Wang Suiyue and Li Mian didn't care about his life or death, but now they are determined to follow him to the death. Xiao Jin was still a little confused about the "strangeness" behind it.

Lost in thought, Xiao Jin inexplicably thought of his father... and the vastness of this other world... He looked up at the sky once more, as if seeking a clear 'answer' from that day...

Lost in thought, Ye Bufan awoke and checked on the horses before informing Xiao Jin that they could continue their journey.

The journey thereafter went smoothly without any unexpected incidents.

As noon approached, Huizhou City finally came into Xiao Jin's view.

Looking at the city from afar, it resembles a colossal iron beast lying dormant on the vast earth, giving Xiao Jin a slight visual shock.

Upon closer inspection, the city gate was wide open, like a giant beast swallowing and spitting out the flow of people in and out. Several Iron Guards stood on both sides with their swords at their sides, their black armor gleaming coldly in the gray haze.

The leader, unarmored and reclining in the shadows of the city gate, unconsciously tapped his knuckles on his sword ring. Whenever someone entered or left, he would look up and show his so-called identity card.

Xiao Jin was prepared for this, and he dismounted and followed Ye Bufan calmly.

After the team leader examined Xiao Jin's identification badge, he stood up with considerable respect: "So you are the young master of the Tongzhou Grain Store. May I ask what brings you to Huizhou?"

Before Xiao Jin could react, Ye Bufan had already stepped forward and handed the team leader a silver note: "It concerns our own business, so I can't disclose the details!"

The team leader immediately accepted the silver notes with a smile, saying respectfully, "That's right, that's right!"

"There are dogs like this everywhere!" Xiao Jin walked into Huizhou City in indignation.

As you pass through the heavy doorway, the sound waves surge in like a tide.

The first thing that catches the eye is the straight, straight street, its cobblestone surface worn smooth by time, covered with crisscrossing ruts and footprints.

Banners fluttered like clouds on both sides, and colorful cloth signs rustled in the wind, with large characters for "wine" and "tea" waving in the breeze.

The air was filled with the sweet aroma of freshly steamed buns and the enticing smells of various roadside stalls. The shouts of peddlers, the clanging of blacksmiths' tools, and the rumble of horse-drawn carts blended into a bustling cacophony of sounds.

Xiao Jin's first impression was a stark contrast to the small town; it was strange that a city could be so bustling in this world...

Perhaps sensing something, Ye Bufan explained to Xiao Jin, "This Huizhou City is in this state because of the Ninth Princess."

"The Ninth Princess?"

I had previously heard that Princess Lin Yan was interested in serving the people, and now it seems that she is not so simple.

Despite his feelings, what he saw was attractive to Xiao Jin, but it paled in comparison to Lin Miao. If Qin Huang hadn't stopped her, that girl would have already run off somewhere.