Qin Yi knew that although the South Li Kingdom was remote and self-sufficient, it still had enemies nearby. The West Wilderness Kingdom was South Li's sworn enemy.
Unlike South Li, which had been established for a thousand years and had a culture close to that of the Central Plains, the West Wilderness was a nation formed by barbarian tribes that had only risen in the last century. They were fierce and often invaded.
Of course, the people of South Li were not easy to deal with either; many generals had fought back against the West Wilderness and even launched counterattacks. The two countries had been at war for over a hundred years.
Just over a month ago, South Li had repelled an invasion from the West Wilderness, and the one commanding the troops in the capital was the young prince, Li Qinglin. Qin Yi never expected that while he was fighting against the enemy, he would soon be accompanying his sister to seek out immortals.
Moreover, Li Qinglin had personally been on the battlefield many times, with countless enemy blood on his spear.
Qin Yi didn't have high ambitions himself, but he still admired such a person. No wonder Li Qingjun thought that the conflict between her brother and the national teacher was a battle between good and evil; it really did resemble the struggle between a nation's good general and a calamity-bringing monster.
"So, is Brother Li the crown prince?" Qin Yi asked, not fully understanding.
"No. I have an older brother who is the legitimate heir, so he is the crown prince," Li Qinglin replied casually with a smile. "My brother has been studying statecraft since childhood, unlike me and Qingjun, who only have the courage of commoners. We can only fight in battles."
Qin Yi looked at his expression seriously but couldn't read anything from it.
Li Qingjun said, "What commoner's courage? Either you lead the army to fight, protect the people, or you wander the world, slaying evil and doing good. Isn't that what we desire? Are we supposed to sit around in a room, embroidering, pretending to be weak and delicate?"
Li Qinglin explained to Qin Yi with a smile, "Our South Li's founding ancestor came from the martial world. He established the rule that royal family members must hide their identities and venture out alone to experience the world. Although this has led to some unfortunate events over the generations, overall, it has greatly benefited the royal family's reputation, so it continues to this day. However, because of this, the atmosphere in the families of married princesses has always been a bit... peculiar."
Qin Yi couldn't help but laugh. No wonder the prince and princess traveled alone; it turned out to be a rule. Speaking of which, this founding ancestor's rule was quite interesting... but a princess raised this way would probably be hard for an ordinary prince consort to handle.
Li Qingjun scoffed, "What do you need marriage for? Once I find an immortal, I can roam the world, slaying monsters and demons. Isn't that much more exciting?"
Li Qinglin smiled but didn't respond.
Qin Yi chuckled as well, feeling that this girl shouldn't have been born a princess; she would have made a great heroine instead.
Since she was eager for immortal encounters, he wondered what would happen if she met Liu Su. Given their differing views, their arguments would probably be fiercer than his own.
At this moment, the three had been walking for quite a while, and they could faintly see the outline of the county city ahead.
"This is Hengshan County. If we hurry past this county, we will reach Lihuo City in less than two days. We can rest here for a bit," Li Qinglin said as he dismounted and, like an ordinary martial artist, led his horse into the city. Qin Yi followed suit, taking in the sights of this large county.
Having only been here for a little over two months, and having only reached the county seat at most, he hadn't really had a good look at an ancient city before.
The South Li Kingdom didn't have a large population, and the county didn't feel very lively. Many travelers carried swords and knives, showcasing the fierce local culture, which was quite different from the peaceful atmosphere of the village he came from. Various notices were posted at the city gate, including bounties, but they looked like they had been there for a long time, and passersby ignored them as they walked by.
Qin Yi stopped to look around. There were notices for recruiting soldiers and some for collecting certain items, including "Blazing Fire Stones." The seal used was different from that of the recruitment notice, resembling a Taoist talisman, indicating that this was a notice from the national teacher, not the court. Therefore, its purpose might not be for the king's alchemy but perhaps for the national teacher's own matters.
However, if something went wrong, others would only blame the king. Of course, some local officials might flatter the national teacher or take the opportunity to line their own pockets, leading to public resentment.
In short, the South Li Kingdom felt a bit unhealthy.
Li Qingjun glanced at him, her meaning unclear.
Qin Yi understood her implication. When she had "recruited" him earlier, she had mentioned that she could help him find some rare medicinal materials. Given her status, her words were not empty; it was much better than him searching aimlessly.
Li Qingjun said casually, "If you can really help, then letting you take his place later wouldn't be out of the question."
Qin Yi shook his head and didn't respond. He noticed that although Li Qingjun was talking to him, her gaze was on other notices, so he followed her gaze.
Li Qingjun was looking at a bounty from the county office, which said that there seemed to be ghosts haunting Zhang Family Village outside the city. Villagers had been disappearing without reason, and even the village head had recently died unexpectedly. The notice called for skilled individuals to investigate, promising a reward.
This was something he had heard people in the martial world talk about before, mentioning that a certain Daoist had gone to check it out and said there were no ghosts.
In fact, Qin Yi thought the likelihood of it being man-made was much higher. Looking at Li Qingjun's eager expression, it was clear that her curiosity and sense of justice were both piqued. However, since they were close to Lihuo City, Li Qinglin should be focused on the conflict with the national teacher and not be in the mood to investigate a case.
"Shall we go take a look?" Li Qingjun finally asked her brother.
To Qin Yi's surprise, Li Qinglin only pondered for a moment before turning to Qin Yi and asking, "Brother Qin, would you be willing to delay for a day?"
It seemed he thought Qin Yi wasn't the type to meddle in other people's business.
Qin Yi asked, "Isn't the national teacher responsible for dealing with these strange matters?"
"I haven't seen him do anything useful," Li Qinglin replied with a mocking smile. "Besides, this might not even be a ghost; human malice is more likely."
"Alright, then let's go take a look." Qin Yi didn't refuse. "It won't make much difference in our journey to the capital."
Li Qingjun's stern face broke into a smile.
Liu Su was very surprised. It knew better than anyone that Qin Yi really wasn't the type to meddle in other people's affairs, especially not in something that clearly seemed man-made. Unable to help itself, it asked in Qin Yi's mind, "Hey, you don't really have a crush on this princess, do you? Weren't you supposed to be a dog without a house?"
Qin Yi ignored it. The three turned around and left the city, heading straight for the farm outside.
As they approached the farm, it was already dusk. Looking around, they could faintly see white banners hanging in the farm, creating a desolate atmosphere.
Farmers working in the fields saw the long spears of the Li siblings and stood to the side, trembling, not daring to make a sound.
Li Qinglin pointed out, "Now this is what a normal villager looks like."
He was naturally referring to how different the villagers were from those in the Immortal Trace Village. Qin Yi didn't respond and directly entered the farm. Immortal Trace Mountain, the unique space, where Liu Su was located, and the origin of his crossing. He didn't know if the villagers had anything special about them; he was clearly the most special one, so it was better not to dwell on it too much...
The farm gate was open, and a farm worker was on guard. Qin Yi asked, "The city gate is closed, and we've missed the chance to stay overnight. May we borrow a place to stay for the night?"
The farm worker was taken aback. "Aren't you here to catch ghosts? Then you should leave quickly. This place is haunted; why would you want to stay here?"
Li Qingjun said, "If you're not afraid to stay here, then what ghosts are there to worry about?"
The farm worker stomped his feet. "If I didn't have to tend to the fields, I would have left long ago! Even the village head has died; this place really has ghosts!"
"Come here, Fu!" A gentle voice came from inside the farm. "What kind of behavior is it to block guests? Let them in."
The farm worker reluctantly bowed. "Yes, ma'am."
Qin Yi never expected that the so-called "Madam Zhang" would be such a beauty.
The woman in front of him was no more than twenty years old, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, without any makeup, yet her face was as red as a peach. She looked somewhat sorrowful, but when her peach blossom eyes glanced over, they sparkled with life, effortlessly captivating one's heart, and her mourning attire only added to her charm.
Moreover, she smelled wonderful, overpowering even the fresh scent of Li Qingjun beside her...
Madam Zhang's gaze swept over Qin Yi without stopping, clearly showing that his thin, weak figure and rough clothing did not interest her at all. Her eyes passed over Li Qingjun, and she smiled slightly, showing no particular reaction.
When her gaze landed on Li Qinglin, Qin Yi could clearly see her eyes light up, and her voice became soft and sweet, "When you're out, who doesn't have inconvenient times? If the three of you don't mind this farm being unclean, then staying for a night wouldn't be a problem, would it?"
(End of Chapter)