Chapter 253 – Another Instant Trigger Mission (2)
Jiang Pengji crossed her arms and leaned against the side of the carriage.
Xu Ke felt increasingly uncomfortable, not even knowing where to put his hands.
“But that little girl is quite silly and stubborn. You should know she chose to stay in Hejian for a reason, right?”
Xu Ke didn’t know how to respond, falling silent and lost in thought.
He hadn’t realized it at first, but with his Young Master saying so, he smartly figured it out.
Staying in Hejian was likely to take care of his aunt.
Xun Mei’s personality, true to her name, was gentle and very kind.
“Looks like you understand…” Jiang Pengji playfully patted his shoulder and whispered, “If you fancy Xun Mei, remember to come find me to propose. If you don’t like her, make your decision early so you don’t delay the good girl…”
Xu Ke gave a helpless smile, surprised at his Young Master’s unexpected temperament.
The audience in the live stream witnessed the entire conversation, with many Master and Servant CP fans expressing their heartache.
“Host, you really aren’t a qualified time-traveling girl, you know?”
“Also, when did Xun Mei and Xu Ke get close?”
“Ke understands.”
Xu Ke cupped his hands in front of him, keeping his head down, but his ears had already flushed slightly.
After taking a break and refueling, the group set off again.
Once outside the boundaries of Hejian County, the surroundings grew more perilous, facing not only human harm but also natural dangers.
The distances between each post were unpredictable; sometimes it took half a day to get to the next stop, while other times it stretched over three to four days. Thankfully, there was sufficient rice and water on the carriage, making life a bit more bearable for the fifty or so in the caravan.
Traveling had become exceedingly mundane and tedious. After five or six long days, even the delicate Xu Ke gradually got used to the bumpy carriage.
His complexion remained pale, but it was much improved from earlier.
In contrast, his adaptability was lacking compared to Ta Xue, one of the inner courtyard girls.
In such circumstances, the content of the live stream during these days had naturally become monotonous. After personally witnessing the ancient travel scene, they no longer envied Jiang Pengji’s grand procession; it was just pure misery.
【Candied Lemon】: I used to envy it a bit, but now I only feel heartache. I live on the prairie, have ridden horses, and know how tiring long rides can be. Just imagining the bumpy ride inside the carriage… In a word, modern society is so much better.
【Unbeatable in the World】: You guys are only focused on the host and the carriage, but am I the only one feeling sorry for the guards who are traveling on foot? I counted, and each of them has worn out seven or eight pairs of straw sandals! Earlier, I even saw one person sitting on the ground, picking at the blisters on their feet.
【Your Yida】: The above discussion hit upon my doubts. I just came in and was curious about why each guard had a long string of straw sandals hanging from their shoulders. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were preparing to sell shoes… Now I understand, just feeling a bit sad.
【Old Driver Alliance】: I remember back in high school, during our senior year, our school organized a hiking activity. The whole grade walked around twenty kilometers up and down the mountain, and many people couldn’t recover for a week. These guards have traveled much further than that, and at night they need to take turns guarding the camp, a group of people camping outdoors… Conditions are truly tough.
Thinking back to myself, as long as I have a card or a phone with savings, I could embark on a trip anytime.
But in ancient times, that was practically impossible.
“The water in the flask is finished. I wonder if there are any water sources nearby…”
Liu Zhi bit into a dry, hard biscuit, with no flavor in his mouth, and the flask in his hand was already empty.
Guards were scattered around, seemingly relaxed, but were secretly alert to their surroundings.
“I’ll send someone to look. Father, please rest in the carriage first.”
Jiang Pengji took his flask and signaled a few of the guards in decent condition to help find a clean water source.
She could choose not to go, but when it came to outdoor survival experience, who here had more than she did?
She could find water in the shortest time possible while avoiding the dangers lurking in the forests, so no questions about efficiency.
Each person carried several flasks on them, and if they filled them all at once, it should last them until the next post.
Jiang Pengji had a long dagger strapped to her waist, straight and sharp. If not for her delicate appearance and small stature, she would look quite valiant. She raised her hand and used the dagger to clear the shrubs around her, making a relatively clear path.
“There’s a small stream half a mile ahead…” Jiang Pengji confidently stated. “It’s not winter, so snakes and insects are very active…”
Before she could finish, her wrist flicked, and she gripped the dark dagger backward, stabbing it deep into a tree behind a guard, startling him stiff, cold sweat beading on his forehead, too scared to move.
Because of all the walking, her breath was a bit heavy. “It’s a venomous snake.”
With a clack, she pulled the dagger out, and everyone realized the blade was already stained with blood. A triangular-headed, brown-reddish, tree trunk-like venomous snake was pinned to the tree, still struggling moments before its death.
Had it not been for Jiang Pengji’s swift action, its fangs would have bitten into that guard’s neck.
“Be careful!”
Jiang Pengji collected her dagger, maintaining a frozen expression, which paradoxically gave people an indescribable sense of safety.
After bumping along for half a mile, they finally heard the sound of flowing water, and a few guards looked at her with awe and admiration.
“Let’s go fill the flasks, quickly.”
Jiang Pengji stood on a large rock by the stream, observing the surroundings from a height, and found nothing unusual.
At her command, several guards immediately took down their flasks and crouched by the water’s edge to fill them.
【Three Squirrels Snacks】: Ancient water sources weren’t polluted; it looks so clean.
【Farmer Spring Has Some Suspicion】: Just because it looks clean doesn’t mean it really is. If you drink it directly, be careful of an upset stomach. Who knows how many microorganisms are in there? Drinking it could mean infection… It’s safer to boil it first.
Without needing the live stream audience to remind her, Jiang Pengji was not so careless.
In fact, every time they collected water, she made sure it was boiled before refilling the flasks.
“Young Master!”
Just as she was reading the comments to pass the time, a guard hurriedly approached her, holding a blood-soaked garment.
“What happened?” Jiang Pengji looked at the waterlogged bloodied clothing he handed her. It was an adult man’s cloak, made of exquisite material, far from the coarse fabric ordinary people would use. “Where did you find this?”
The cloak had several cuts made by a blade, still fresh with blood.
This meant its owner had likely met with misfortune not long ago and quite close to here!
“Reporting to Young Master, this garment just drifted down from upstream while we were collecting water.”
Jiang Pengji gazed at the clothing, her eyes flickering, and the atmosphere in the live stream fell into an eerie silence.
They all hoped Jiang Pengji would go and check it out, perhaps even saving a life. But they knew with their toes that finding a blood-soaked garment in such a secluded forest likely meant its owner encountered bandits or was pursued by enemies.
If Jiang Pengji got too close, she could very well be put in danger herself.
Being kind is a wonderful quality, but extending that kindness to a stranger or someone nearby at the cost of one’s own safety is another matter entirely.
That’s called being foolishly naive!
Just then, the system, which had been silent for a while, suddenly chimed in with its annoying voice.
【Cheng Cheng, friend of Meng Zhan from Cangzhou Meng County, is currently in an unknown crisis. Please rescue him within half an hour. If the mission is completed, the host will receive the reward “Full and Soft Chest: Lithe Wrists with an Elegant Gesture, Busts Up to the Sky.” Failure will result in a sixth-level electric shock penalty! The host is advised to consider carefully and execute the mission promptly to avoid the target’s demise.】
Another instant trigger mission!
Heh, this time it was a sixth-level shock.
Jiang Pengji: “…”
System, you’ve been so quiet for months, and suddenly you show up and throw this at me.
People get things done?
“Young Master, should I take a look?”
The guard whispered, fearful that a loud voice would attract bandits.
“No need. You go tell the others to keep it down, don’t let the bad guys notice us, or we’ll stir up trouble.”
With a cold face, Jiang Pengji carelessly threw the bloody garment on the ground without looking again.
It was clear to anyone with eyes what her decision was.
“Understood.”
As the saying goes, less trouble is better than more. Those truly willing to shout about injustice are few and far between.
As a guard entrusted with the safety of the Young Master, they naturally didn’t want any unnecessary complications to arise.
In the live stream, some audience members felt anxious, furiously typing to criticize Jiang Pengji for her cold-heartedness. Others felt a logical understanding but were emotionally disappointed… They wanted to see a righteous host, not one so selfish and indifferent.
At this time, the system’s voice popped up again.
The system, gritting its teeth, said, “Don’t tell me you’re going to refuse again, host. If you don’t listen to me, you will definitely regret it.”
Jiang Pengji sneered inwardly, “I’m not going to do the mission. What can you do about it?”
The system retorted, “Sixth-level electric shock punishment. Aren’t you afraid of death?”
“You think you can kill me?” Jiang Pengji queried, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
The system was momentarily at a loss, fuming, “You don’t have to refuse the mission just to oppose me.”
“You’re wrong. Just based on the fact he is Meng Zhan’s close friend, I won’t save him.” Jiang Pengji coldly replied.
The system: “…”
Done with this! This host is just too hard to deal with! Sure, she hates these instant missions, but does she have to counter me this much?
About ten minutes later, the guards had filled all their water flasks.
Jiang Pengji addressed the group, “Let’s go!”
The system stubbornly obstructed her in her mind, “Jiang Pengji, are you really not going to save him? The live stream audience is about to throw rotten eggs at you! As a host, you should maintain a positive image. If you don’t go save him today, you’ll definitely lose followers!”
“Shut up!”
She coldly spat out two words, her expression as frosty as ever.
The system was furious but ultimately couldn’t overpower Jiang Pengji, only huffing in annoyance.
At this moment, the guards realized that their Young Master was leading them down another path.
“Young Master… this isn’t the way back.”
This wasn’t the route to head home.
