Chapter: Chapter 296
The hustle and bustle of the day had passed, and night slowly descended.
As usual, they were huddled in a corner that offered a bit of cover.
Two small figures held each other tightly.
In the darkness, their light blue pupils were clearly visible.
Neither of them was asleep yet, and they were talking softly.
Chen An reached into the bundle that Xiao Huan had given him during the day and fumbled around.
He quietly crushed a small piece of dry rations in his palm.
Then, he brought his hand to the girl’s mouth.
Mu Sanniang blinked, looking at him with confusion.
The boy smiled, his voice faint.
“Open your mouth.”
He said softly.
Mu Sanniang did as she was told, her small mouth opening slightly.
Suddenly, a familiar taste filled her mouth.
Perhaps it had been too long since she had eaten normal food, but Mu Sanniang found it hard to describe. She only knew that it tasted incredibly good.
She grabbed the boy’s hand as he tried to pull away, sticking out her tongue to delicately lick his palm.
Chen An knew she didn’t want to waste a single bit, but he couldn’t help but say, “Sister, you’re tickling me.”
However, Mu Sanniang’s strength was surprisingly great. She held his wrist tightly, making him unable to move.
“Endure it,”
She replied without looking up.
Chen An was helpless against her, lacking the ability to resist, and could only let her have her way.
He thought for a moment, then reached out his other hand to continue fumbling in the bundle, wondering what else was inside.
Suddenly, Chen An’s fumbling hand paused, and he let out a soft exclamation.
Mu Sanniang looked up at him. “What’s wrong?”
Chen An didn’t answer immediately but took the item out.
It was a small piece of paper.
Chen An held it above his head, and using the faint moonlight, he could barely make out the handwriting.
After reading the entire sentence, his expression stunned, and he handed it to the girl beside him.
But Mu Sanniang just shook her head and said, “I can’t read.”
So Chen An took it back and read it aloud to her.
“West of Liucheng, three hundred miles away, there is a small town called Yunji Town. The town is located at the foot of South Mountain. Every three years, an Immortal will appear in the mountains and select those under the age of thirteen with excellent aptitude from the town to bring back to the sect for training.”
“If you set off now, there is still plenty of time.”
The writing on the paper ended there.
However, at the end, there was a name.
Chen An paused and read it aloud.
“Wang Yan of Liucheng.”
It seemed this note had little to do with Xiao Huan and was written by the Miss Wang who had been in the carriage and never showed herself.
Mu Sanniang’s eyes flickered. Her eyelashes were very long, and they were so close that Chen An could see even the slightest tremor of her lashes.
She keenly noticed the two most important words and instinctively repeated them.
“Immortal…?”
In fact, for the people of Da Zhou, the word “Immortal” was not unfamiliar.
Immortals were not some unattainable legend but were real and had appeared before.
From emperors and high officials to three-year-old children, most had heard stories about Immortals from their elders.
Whenever these stories were told, the elders would show expressions of admiration, reverence, and even fear.
Immortals had their own realm, high above, and rarely interfered in mortal affairs.
However, on the level of a nation’s destiny, they could not escape their unseen influence.
In the darkness, Mu Sanniang squeezed her palm.
She suddenly asked, “Why did she tell us this?”
This was exactly what Chen An was pondering.
He frowned and guessed, “Maybe she’s just casting a wide net? Doing some angel investing?”
Mu Sanniang was stunned, completely unable to understand what he was saying.
“What do you mean?”
Chen An scratched his head, organized his thoughts, and explained, “Well, you can think of it as her thinking we both have potential, and she also finds me somewhat likable, so she’s giving us a little something as a favor, like revealing some information.”
“After all, if we achieve success in the future, this gesture of help in times of need would seem all the more precious, wouldn’t it?”
Mu Sanniang looked at him, then turned her head away without a word.
Chen An was taken aback and gently turned her little head back.
“What’s wrong?”
Mu Sanniang lowered her head and whispered, “Brother, you’re annoying.”
“Hey, wait, why am I annoying?”
Chen An spread his hands innocently, unable to understand.
Mu Sanniang glanced at him, her tone not blaming but a little wronged.
“You know I can’t read, yet you still used so many words I don’t understand.”
Chen An was taken aback, then found it somewhat amusing. He realized she was upset about this.
He cupped the girl’s face and looked into her eyes quietly.
Mu Sanniang’s features were actually very beautiful, exuding a harmonious aesthetic.
Her eyes were like paintings, still holding a touch of childishness.
Chen An thought that if she were to smile, she would surely be incredibly beautiful.
However, Mu Sanniang usually had a poker face, appearing cold and distant. Coupled with her hair, which hadn’t been tidied in a long time and was partially covered by her bangs, she was naturally overlooked.
The girl seemed a bit uncomfortable with his gaze, pushed his hand away, and mumbled.
“What are you doing…?”
Chen An chuckled, “Alright, Sister, don’t be angry. I’ll tell you again.”
Mu Sanniang snorted softly. “I pretty much understood. You don’t need to say it again.”
Her slender, long eyelashes trembled, and she said earnestly, “I will remember her kindness.”
After saying that, she remembered she was the older sister, so she patted Chen An’s shoulder, not forgetting to add, “You too.”
Chen An didn’t pay attention to her pretense of seniority and just gave a soft hum.
He then looked up at the pitch-black night sky, feeling a sense of bewilderment.
Was all of this just a coincidence?
Or were they simply walking a predetermined path…
Were their conjectures merely destiny?
He didn’t know, nor did he have the answer.
Moreover, dwelling on these matters seemed to have no significance for him.
From the side, Mu Sanniang’s soft voice came.
“Then, let’s set off first thing tomorrow morning.”
Chen An took her hand; it felt cool and smooth.
“Do you want to try?”
“Yes, let’s try.”
Mu Sanniang did not hesitate.
The corner gradually fell silent, leaving only the faint breaths of the two children.
Chen An inexplicably thought that the snowfall tonight seemed to have subsided a bit compared to yesterday, and even the eerie wailing had lessened.
He closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming steady.
Fine snow fell, mingled with the cold moonlight, covering the ground with a layer of silver frost.
After an unknown amount of time, once it was certain that they were both sound asleep, a figure who had been hidden in the shadows slowly opened his eyes.
In those narrow, elongated eyes, malice and greed flickered.
The man was truly patient.
Even though his targets were just two insignificant children.
But to ensure stability, he had suppressed his inner desires and endured until now.
Finally, seeing that the time was ripe, the thin figure began to move.
His footsteps made an extremely faint sound on the snow.
(End of this chapter)
