Regardless of whether Qin Liuxi accepted the invitation pretentiously or out of consideration for the incense money, once she agreed to the sincere invitation of the Xiao family, she promptly urged them to set off, unexpectedly leaving Xiao Zhanrui a bit at a loss.
"Doesn’t the master need to pack so belongings?"
Qin Liuxi shook her head: "No need. It’s a trivial matter. I’ll go and return quickly."
Xiao Zhanrui’s mouth hung open for a mont, thinking to himself how she seed always ready to travel?
But to avoid Master Buqiu’s temperantal changes and the many unknowns that could occur throughout a long night, Xiao Zhanrui didn’t get fussy, and promptly led Qin Liuxi and his wife towards Ningzhou Prefecture.
However, when they had arrived, he and his wife occupied one carriage. Now with the addition of Qin Liuxi, having her share a carriage with his wife posed certain inconveniences. But having finally persuaded her to co, how could they ask her to ride a horse there?
Xiao Zhanrui did not dare to make such a suggestion.
"This is not difficult. You can go ahead first, and I will ride a horse back to the city first. Then I will arrange another carriage to follow you. When the master returns, we can travel back together." Yu Qiucai looked at Qin Liuxi and said, "The driver I’ll find for you will be from a military background, skilled and able to protect you, should there be any need."
Qin Liuxi raised an eyebrow: "To have driven by soone that skilled seems like an overuse of talent?"
"If you’re comfortable with it, that settles it. I’ll take my leave first." Without waiting for Qin Liuxi’s response, Yu Qiucai bowed and left the mountain gate, spurring his horse away.
Xiao Zhanrui, seeing his uncle act with such decisive hastiness, had no ti to say more and simply said, "Then may I trouble the master to squeeze in with us for the ti being?"
Qin Liuxi answered, "That’s fine."
Without any pretense, she helped Mrs. Xiao Cheng onto the carriage and then hopped on herself, sitting cross-legged by the door.
She could have ridden a horse, but knowing Yu Qiucai’s carriage would soon catch up, there was no rush, besides, the weather was getting colder—and she wasn’t foolish enough to ride and endure the chill.
The Xiao family’s carriage was spacious, and the young couple had prepared everything needed for the journey. Mrs. Xiao Cheng, taking on the role of a maid, kneeled inside brewing water for tea, took out desserts and fruits, and set up a small table to host them.
"You ca yesterday and are on the road again today without rest; you must be exhausted." Qin Liuxi, noticing the dark circles under their eyes, said, "We can take a short breather at Ten Miles Pavilion ahead and wait for the carriage Mr. Yu sends."
Xiao Zhanrui smiled and bowed, "Indeed, the back-to-back travel is tiring, but it is manageable. Having the master join us is our good luck. Uncle Yu has been an acquaintance of my father for many years, and I am aware of his efficient ways. I’m sure the carriage will catch up to us soon, so we won’t rest for too long. Once we are all together, we can take a nap in the carriage and then rest properly at the next station."
Qin Liuxi listened and didn’t insist.
After all, it was not she who was tired.
After taking a sip of tea, Xiao Zhanrui glanced at Qin Liuxi and asked, "I see the master is quite young. Have you been pursuing Enlightennt since you were a child, adept in all Xuann Five Skills?"
"What, you don’t trust my abilities? Want to put to the test?" Qin Liuxi replied with a faintly playful smile.
Xiao Zhanrui hastened to say, "By no ans, it’s simply curiosity."
"I entered the Dao at the age of five."
"And your venerable age is?"
"Ten years since Enlightennt," Qin Liuxi replied, her gaze lingering on the tea inside her cup, oscillating with the movent of the carriage—a montary trance took her.
Though she had been imrsed in the Dao for ten years, she felt as if she had known these teachings for a very long ti, so long that she couldn’t rember when or how she ca to understand them.
"Master? Master?" Xiao Zhanrui waved a hand before her, noticing her distracted state.
Qin Liuxi ca back to reality, raising her head with puzzlent lingering in her eyes.
Xiao Zhanrui was taken aback for a mont by that confused look, which along with her youthfulness, made her seem rather naive.
Mrs. Xiao Cheng frowned, poured more tea for Qin Liuxi, and encouraged, "Master, please have so warm tea."
Qin Liuxi tapped the tabletop in thanks for the tea, and looked at Xiao Zhanrui with a clear-eyed gaze, "Mr. Xiao asked in such detail, could it be you wish to have your fortune told?"
"It was just a casual inquiry," Xiao Zhanrui replied, licking his lips and then asked again after a mont’s thought, "Does the master also practice divination for others?"
"Do you wish to have a reading?"
Xiao Zhanrui felt a surge of eagerness; if possible, he desired to know his future fate.
Qin Liuxi smiled faintly, "Actually, what’s the use of divination? If you learn sothing unfavorable, you’ll harbor it in your heart, doubting gods and spirits, agonizing over whether it will co to pass or when it will co true, troubled by fears that ultimately betray your inner self."
"If it’s sothing favorable, upon knowing it, could you beco complacent, arrogant, and neglect your duties, thus deviating from your original intent? So people, when they change their initial intentions, lose their original thoughts and paths. With that in mind, would you still want it?"
Xiao Zhanrui pondered.
"The unknown is not always to be feared; on the contrary, an unknown future offers possibilities for change. Good or bad, how it turns around, that depends on one’s true heart. Mr. Xiao, it’s not that divination is bad, but what’s the point if there are no pressing concerns?"
Xiao Zhanrui chuckled and bowed, "I was shallow in my thinking."
Qin Liuxi smiled without a word, sipped her tea, rested with her eyes closed.
After so ti in the carriage, Qin Liuxi opened her eyes and said, "Let’s wait at the pavilion ahead."
Xiao Zhanrui was surprised, yet he had the carriage stopped.
"This is Ten Miles Pavilion; let’s rest here and wait for the other carriage," Qin Liuxi declared as she alighted first.
Xiao Zhanrui could not let her wait alone and followed suit, while Mrs. Xiao Cheng sighed in relief, asking the driver to move the carriage a bit so she could rest.
Once the carriage stopped, Mrs. Xiao Cheng called for a maid and produced a portable toilet bucket with a black base and red plum pattern, covered on the outside and containing a layer of ash within.
For a lady of her stature, it was inconvenient to relieve herself while traveling, so it was essential to prepare such a convenient ’toilet bucket’.
While using it, Mrs. Xiao Cheng recalled Qin Liuxi’s words. They had not planned to stop at the pavilion, yet Qin Liuxi had reiterated it, and with the inadvertent glance she’d cast before getting out of the carriage, Mrs. Xiao Cheng felt a flush of embarrassnt.
Could it be that Master Buqiu knew of her ’urgent’ need and purposely asked to stop for a rest?
It was a bit too considerate.
Qin Liuxi sat in the pavilion and before a pot of tea passed, she saw a cloud of dust in the direction of the city coming closer with the sound of horse hooves.
Xiao Zhanrui signaled a guard with a glance, and soone rode out to check but quickly returned, his expression taut and serious as he whispered into his ear.
Xiao Zhanrui jumped to his feet, exclaiming, "What? Why is that young mischief-maker here?"
He rushed out of the pavilion, completely forgetting about Qin Liuxi.
Qin Liuxi, however, half-closed her eyes and looked in the direction the guard ca from, raising an eyebrow as she recognized the leader of the coming group of guards.
Indeed, what a coincidence.
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