Koi Fubao: Being loved by everyone on the road to escape from famine

Zhou Shuqiong looked up at the darkening sky and said, "My child, it is already past the hour of Dachen, and it will be dark soon."

Xiao Zhixue's heart couldn't help but stir, and her thoughts drifted back to the mayor's mansion where they had briefly stayed.

She secretly wondered what the scene would be like when those lazy servants were perhaps awakened from their afternoon dreams and discovered that the dungeon was empty.

However, what she didn't know was that a bigger storm was quietly brewing in the mayor's mansion.

The fooled officers were panicked to find that the prisoners were missing, and hurried to the mayor's house to report it, but they ran into the mayor and his wife dead in their home, and the whole mansion was in chaos.

Gao Qiang's face was as pale as paper. He tightly grasped the arm that was broken by Xiao Zhixue in his hand, and his body collapsed weakly on the ground.

He felt deeply guilty for the sudden tragedy that befell his cousin's family. His original task was only to guard the dungeon and prevent them from escaping, but he did not expect that this small negligence would lead to a family catastrophe.

He knew very well that once the truth came out, his life would be in danger.

At the same time, faced with this sudden change, other officers in the town had no time to track down the fleeing villagers, and they flocked to the county town to report and request support.

Ding Xiang and her fiancé Xiao Yuyan rushed over after receiving the news, but they could only face a heartbreaking tragedy.

When Dingxiang witnessed the tragic plight of her parents, she was so heartbroken that she fainted and lost consciousness.

Xiao Yuyan tried to steady Ding Xiang with trembling hands, but he felt mixed emotions in his heart.

Once upon a time, he happily planned to become the son-in-law of the town mayor, looking forward to the power and glory in the future. However, the reality extinguished all his fantasies like cold water.

Looking at the bloated and ordinary-looking Dingxiang in his arms, an indescribable feeling of disgust arose, as if he had accidentally swallowed something disgusting.

He hated who it was that destroyed his golden dream and made him fall from heaven to hell.

Anger and despair intertwined, Xiao Yuyan felt a sudden sharp pain in his heart, his eyes went dark, his chest felt sweet, and he actually spat out a mouthful of bright red blood, and then fell limply to the ground.

In the chaos, the people from Xuanyu Hall took the opportunity to take Dingxiang away. After all, she was the granddaughter of the hall master.

They were eager to inform the hall master who was far away in Zhangzhou about this matter, and vowed to find out the real murderer who killed the young lady and avenge him.

As for Xiao Yuyan, no one cares whether he is alive or dead.

……

As night fell, the camp returned to a temporary calm.

After the meal, Xiao Zhixue and her group packed their luggage and set out again on the long journey to Zhangzhou. There were still two small towns ahead that they needed to cross, and every unknown tomorrow was full of challenges and hope.

At this moment, Fan Yanmu's steps were leisurely and unhurried, and he showed no urgency to cross the mountains and reach the prosperous Zhangzhou.

He had his own plan in mind, and every chess piece was placed just right.

The tragic news about the daughter of the head of Xuan Yu Hall was like a whirlwind, bound to penetrate through layers of barriers at an astonishing speed and reach every corner of the mayor's mansion.

Fan Yanmu knew clearly in his mind that Xuan Yutang's intricate intelligence network was like countless pairs of invisible eyes, which had long been deeply embedded in every crevice of the mayor's mansion, waiting for any disturbance so that it could be quickly conveyed to its master's ears.

When the hall master heard that his beloved daughter had died suddenly, he must have been in a state of panic. What followed was a series of urgent orders, and he would send out elite soldiers to hunt down the mysterious killer and comfort the dead soul.

However, Fan Yanmu skillfully blended in with the huge crowd of refugees and concealed his identity perfectly.

Just last night, with a flick of his fingertips, the secret letter containing the secret of heaven fell silently into his palm.

Every word in it is of precious gems, loaded with the most secret treasures of Xiliang Kingdom, and even includes an extremely detailed topographical map of Xiliang.

The god of luck seemed to be particularly kind to him. This spark that was powerful enough to cause a storm was intercepted by Fan Yanmu midway before it completely ignited the war between the East and the West, thus avoiding a possible disaster.

Just imagine, if this news was delayed for a moment, the elderly emperor of Dongchu would have already led his huge army to invade the other two choke points of Xiliang. Once the defense line collapsed, the name of Xiliang might only be found in the dust of history.

Fan Yanmu did not hesitate and sent his personal assistant Ying Er to carry a secret letter and rush north, heading directly for the residence of Zhenping Marquis Fan Heng.

As long as the emperor gives an order to strengthen the military forces in the north to compete with the covetous East Chu, Fan Heng, as the father of Marquis Zhenping, can truly let go of the worry in his heart.

Fan Yanmu was full of confidence in this. As long as the imperial court could send enough troops, with his father's ability to strategize, the threat from Dong Chu would be eliminated sooner or later.

Jinguan Town, a small town located in the southeast corner, is still immersed in the tranquility that has not been trampled by the iron hoofs of Eastern Chu. It is shaded by green trees, with small bridges, flowing water and houses, and it is peaceful and harmonious.

However, this tranquility is actually very fragile. Once the war breaks out, the lives of the people here will be shattered.

As the future master of Jinguan Town, how could Fan Yanmu bear to see his homeland being ravaged?

As my thoughts were in turmoil, I suddenly heard Xiao Zhixue's gentle voice.

"Mr. Fan, why did you decide to go to Zhangzhou with us?" she asked cautiously.

Fan Yanmu came out of his reverie and turned to look at Xiao Zhixue beside him.

The answer he gave was extremely simple: "There is an urgent matter in Zhangzhou, so I have to go."

After saying this, Xiao Zhixue responded softly. She was obviously not surprised by the answer and did not ask any further questions.

With the joining of Fan Yanmu, the group who originally relied on the crumpled map in Xiao Zhixue's hand now seemed to have found a more reliable navigation.

Under the guidance of Fan Yanmu, they finally found a place with dense shade after a long journey. They sat down one after another, panting and sweat rolling down everyone's forehead.

It was noon, the sun was scorching, and even the tough plants were wilted by the heat.

Everyone took a break in the rare shade, but no one mentioned lunch, because they had limited dry food in their stomachs and needed to save it for the more difficult journey ahead.

While there was no one around, Xiao Zhixue came up with an idea and secretly planned to go into the forest to look for some medicinal herbs.

After briefly explaining the situation to her family, she tiptoed into the depths of the woods.

Unexpectedly, after taking a few steps, he heard footsteps behind him. When he turned around, he saw that it was Fan Yanmu following closely behind him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with a hint of confusion in her tone.

Fan Yanmu looked calm and explained softly, "I am more familiar with this area than you are. Follow me and you won't get lost."