Chapter 130 - 88: Fairy: Let’s Live Together

Chapter 130: Chapter 88: Fairy: Let’s Live Together

Before the city gate.

Some wept.

Some laughed.

Some threw themselves into the arms of others.

Zhao Ci held the little beggar, feeling somewhat helpless. Thankfully, he remembered what Kan Luotang originally looked like and could picture her in his mind; otherwise, there would have been nothing pleasant about this experience at all.

Fortunately, however, Kan Luotang’s emotions quickly stabilized.

She quickly struggled free, glanced at the stains she had left on Zhao Ci’s clothes, and said apologetically, "Tenth Prince, my apologies!"

Zhao Ci was speechless.

’Didn’t you just throw yourself into my arms?’

’Shouldn’t you be acting a little shy?’

He gave a light cough. "It’s nothing, Miss Luotang. What happened to you?"

Kan Luotang’s expression suddenly changed. "Your Highness! Can you help me?"

"What is it?"

"Save my horse!"

"..."

Zhao Ci was baffled.

Kan Luotang concisely recounted her ordeal.

Only then did Zhao Ci understand the full story. It was all his fault for underestimating the enemy and failing to communicate properly. Huang Duzhe’s network of contacts was truly terrible; he hadn’t even found Kan Luotang, but had managed to alert Zhang Delv instead.

He said in a low voice, "I’ll have a carriage sent for you right away..."

"No!"

Kan Luotang’s expression grew tense. "Your Highness, can you take me yourself?"

"Huh?"

Zhao Ci froze for a moment. To be honest, he had been sitting around bored all day and was actually getting tired.

’This girl... Don’t tell me this is the suspension bridge effect?’

Kan Luotang bit her lip. "I can’t trust anyone else!"

’Ah, this...’

’So it wasn’t the suspension bridge effect.’

’She’s just been traumatized by her persecution.’

Zhao Ci nodded and tossed the satchel containing the Nine Garrisons’ Roster to Huang Duzhe. "Old Huang! Take this roster and keep it safe. If you lose it, I’m holding you responsible! And while you’re at it, have someone bring us two horses!"

"Yes!"

Huang Duzhe accepted the order and quickly left with the roster.

A short while later, a guard arrived, leading two horses.

The two of them immediately vaulted onto their horses and galloped off in the direction from which Kan Luotang had come.

Unexpectedly, they had not been galloping for long when Kan Luotang’s head lolled back, and she fainted, falling straight from her horse.

WHOOSH!

With a flash of movement, Zhao Ci reacted, pulling her onto his own horse.

Her soft body in his arms, it was hard not to let his thoughts stray.

’Is this woman pretending to be weak to seduce me?’

’First, she hugged me and took advantage.’

’Now, she’s faking a faint to get me to hold her.’

’What a lecherous woman!’

However, he found after a quick inspection...

’This really wasn’t a seduction attempt.’

The True Qi in Kan Luotang’s meridians was nearly depleted. Coupled with the emotional rollercoaster of extreme joy and sorrow, it was perfectly normal for her to faint from utter exhaustion.

He couldn’t help but sigh softly.

’This girl... she really is a force of nature.’

Although her account had been brief, he could imagine the hardship of her running from one town to the next. He could picture her pain at being backstabbed by the officials, and her later desperation as she raced toward Qingyang County alone was truly heartbreaking.

No wonder she wasn’t willing to trust anyone anymore.

It was remarkable that she could still give a clear account of her experiences after everything she had been through.

’This girl is amazing!’

’At the very least, she’s someone worth admiring!’

The two horses galloped on.

One was riderless; the other carried two people.

By the time they found Kan Luotang’s white horse, the moon was already high in the night sky.

The open country was stark and cold at night.

Moonlight spilled over the millet fields bordering the main road.

The moonlight was bleak.

The millet heads were withered.

And there was the white horse, lying by the roadside, letting out feeble, listless neighs.

It hadn’t lost too much blood.

It was still alive!

Several men dressed as farmers stood guard around the white horse. When they saw Zhao Ci approach, they raised their farm tools, their expressions wary.

But when they saw that the person in Zhao Ci’s arms was Kan Luotang, they quickly lowered their tools.

The moment she heard the neigh, Kan Luotang woke up. She struggled down from the horse and rushed to check her white steed’s wounds.

After confirming there was no serious danger, she fed the horse a few healing pills. Only then did she let out a long sigh of relief, though her eyes were already terribly red.

The farmer in the lead quickly spoke up. "Fairy! We saw your white horse this afternoon while we were working the fields. We were afraid its wounds would reopen, so we didn’t dare move it. But don’t you worry, we fed it plenty of fodder. It should be alright."

"Thank you!"

Kan Luotang managed to force a smile onto her exhausted face.

She then turned to Zhao Ci. "Let me introduce you. This is the Tenth Prince, who secured five thousand Qi Cultivation Pills for the people of the Northern Three Prefectures."

The group of farmers, who had been slightly wary of Zhao Ci, immediately bowed gratefully to him after hearing Kan Luotang’s introduction. "We commoners greet Your Highness!"

Zhao Ci smiled and dismounted. "There’s no need for such ceremony! To be honest, I’m a bit ashamed. I said I secured them for the people, but they were nearly stolen by scoundrels. If not for Fairy Luotang’s help, it would have been a disaster. I must thank all of you for helping Fairy Luotang and looking after her horse!"

"Your Highness, please don’t say that! How could we not help the Fairy?"

The lead farmer glanced at the night sky. "Fairy! Your Highness! It’s getting late. This place is quite far from the county seat, and you both look exhausted. If you don’t mind, why not stay the night in our village?"

Kan Luotang started to answer, but then swallowed her words and looked toward Zhao Ci.

Zhao Ci considered it. The hour was indeed late, and they had to figure out how to transport the horse. Furthermore, Kan Luotang was on the verge of collapse. It was certainly not a good idea to return to the city.

He nodded. "Then we’ll be in your care."

The lead farmer, visibly pleased, called for a handcart and directed the others to help lift the white horse onto it.

The farmers quickly surrounded the white horse.

"One!"

"Two!"