Volume 1, Chapter 28 – Running Away

Shi Lan spread out a square cloth, then took a few sets of clean clothes from the wardrobe. After folding them neatly and placing them down, she set the dry rations off to the side.

After hesitating for a moment, Shi Lan opened the hidden compartment in the wardrobe and pulled out a few white cloth strips from inside, folded them, and put them into the bundle.

She had yet to reach the Innate Realm; matters like her monthly cycle were unavoidable. These things were necessities.

Thinking for a bit, Shi Lan took out the White Crane Skirt pressed at the bottom of the cabinet as well and stuffed it into the bundle.

In the end, Shi Lan took out her little private stash, emptied out all the silver inside, put it away carefully, then slung the bundle over her back. She put out the candle in the room, and quietly pushed the door open to leave.

Watching Shi Lan skulking along under the moonlight with a bundle on her back, Shi Feng was puzzled. Where could Young Master be going at this hour?

Twisting and turning through the corridors, Shi Lan avoided two patrol squads of night guards and quickly made her way to a secluded corner.

This was a spot she’d picked out earlier, at the border between the front and rear courtyards. Few people came and went here, and the courtyard wall was less than two zhang high.

Compared to the other walls, all of which were three or four zhang tall, this section that wasn’t even two zhang high was by far the easiest place to climb.

Shi Lan drew in two steady breaths, took two steps back, then dashed forward and leaped up. Her foot stomped against the wall, and she suddenly kicked off, shooting up nearly a zhang in an instant!

Her fingers hooked tightly into a crack in the wall. With her feet braced against the wall and her thighs tensing again, her body surged upward another bit.

After two surges, Shi Lan’s hands finally caught the top edge of the wall. With a pull of her arms, her body swung high and straight over the wall in one go.

“Thud—”

With a dull sound, Shi Lan hit the ground and rolled, dispersing the force of the fall.

Shi Lan stood up and brushed the dust from her clothes, then turned to glance at the towering wall, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Goodbye, Shi Residence.

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“Young Master, where might you be going?”

The sudden voice behind her froze that smile in place.

Shi Lan stiffly turned around and saw Shi Feng, face full of confusion.

“What are you doing here?!”

Shi Feng was taken aback by the question, then replied, “This subordinate is on night patrol here. It’s Young Master I should be asking—why are you not resting so late at night?”

“The world’s a big place. I want to go see it.” As she spoke, Shi Lan began slowly backing away.

Shi Feng stared at Shi Lan for a while, then said quietly,

“Young Master, like this, you won’t get very far before you’re dragged back. By noon tomorrow at the latest, the Madam will notice you’re missing and send people to look for you. With the speed of those in the Innate Realm, unless you somehow run several thousand li in a single night, finding you won’t take any effort at all.”

Shi Lan’s steps faltered, and her expression fell.

The air grew awkward for a moment.

Suddenly, Shi Lan’s eyes lit up. She looked at Shi Feng with a bit of hope.

Shi Feng took two steps back and shook his head firmly. “Young Master, you should just go back and rest.”

Shi Lan moved in close to Shi Feng and patted his shoulder. “Shi Feng, you know how the saying goes—when someone’s in a rush, you help them in their rush; when someone needs something, you give them what they need. Help me just this once, and I won’t forget it.”

“Young Master, I’ve never heard that saying before. And where exactly do you intend to go?”

“I’ve got something urgent. I have to leave Tenglong City. It really can’t wait.”

“I…”

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Shi Feng very much wanted to refuse, but looking into Shi Lan’s eyes fixed on him, the words of refusal lodged in his throat.

When he stayed silent, Shi Lan took two steps back. “If you don’t want to help me, I won’t force you. Just pretend you never saw me tonight. People have plenty of things to forget in a lifetime—one more or one less doesn’t matter.”

With that, before Shi Feng could react, Shi Lan turned and bolted.

Even after everything Shi Feng had said, Shi Lan still wanted to try. She’d figure things out after she got out of Tenglong City.

Shi Feng lifted his hand, but in the end didn’t call out to stop her. He let out a soft sigh, then started after her at a distance.

……

Shi Lan didn’t dare stop for even a moment. She followed the road out of Tenglong City, then randomly picked a direction and sprinted along it.

She didn’t know how long she’d been running before she finally saw a small town ahead.

By then, the horizon was already faintly turning white.

Shi Lan slowly came to a stop, a dull pain stabbing under her ribs. She was briefly unable to catch her breath.

If she kept running like this, something was bound to happen. Shi Lan walked into the town at a slower pace, deciding to rest for a bit.

The town wasn’t large. After circling once, Shi Lan found the only inn and knocked on the door.

“Who’s there?”

The sleepy waiter cracked the door open. Seeing Shi Lan’s windblown, travel-worn face outside, he yawned.

“Honored guest, please come in.”

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Shi Lan stepped into the inn and tossed him a small piece of broken silver. “An upper room. And a basin of hot water.”

At the sight of silver, more than half the waiter’s drowsiness vanished. “Right away, please head upstairs!”

In the room, she washed her face with hot water to clear her head, then lay down on the bed and closed her eyes for a short rest.

Shi Lan had barely lain down when Shi Feng stepped into the inn.

“Shopkeep, may I borrow pen and paper?”

……

Twenty li east of Nine Skies City, in a simple army camp.

Shi Tianlu walked out of the officers’ command tent, his expression unpleasant.

“Family Head, there’s a letter from Shi Feng.” A martial artist in the Innate Realm, who’d been waiting outside the tent, stepped forward and handed over the letter in his hand.

Shi Tianlu took the letter. After skimming it, his already furrowed brows tightened even more. He strode out of the camp, stepped into the air, and turned into a streak of light, flying straight toward Nine Skies City.

Once in Nine Skies City, Shi Tianlu went directly to the inn where he was temporarily staying and quickly wrote two letters, sending them out one after the other.

……

“Still no sign of him?”

Su Lanyue sat at the head seat in the main hall, her face dark, her eyes filled with deep worry.

“Madam, we’ve searched the entire residence, and we’ve also looked all over the city. There’s no trace of the Young Master at all,” the guard standing below replied with a bow.

Su Lanyue closed her eyes and waved her hand. “Send more people. Search outside the city.”

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“Yes.” The guard took the order and withdrew.

A flash of lightning shot into the hall and turned into a small silver-white bird that landed on Su Lanyue’s shoulder.

Su Lanyue frowned slightly and lifted a hand to remove the letter tied to the bird’s leg.

“Lan is safe. Don’t worry.”

Looking at the familiar handwriting on the letter, Su Lanyue called out to the guard who was just about to leave.

“Recall the men. There’s no need to look for him.”

The guard froze for a moment, then nodded and answered.

Su Lanyue’s fingers clenched, crushing the letter in her hand. For once, her heart was at a rare loss.

What on earth was going on?

……

After resting for a while, Shi Lan went downstairs and had a meal.

While resting, she’d spotted a few horses tied up in the inn’s back courtyard. She haggled with the innkeeper for a bit and bought a black horse.

At first, riding felt a bit unfamiliar, but Shi Lan was a martial artist now. She quickly got used to the jolting of the saddle.

Shi Lan rode west all the way, heading in the opposite direction of Tenglong City.