Chapter 164: Chapter 163: The Lost Trio

Unless….. there is someone in the enemy army with her strength, it is very difficult to stab Liu Ji to death in individual combat.

But he was just an ordinary civilian with no value to be surrounded.

So there are only two remaining causes that could lead to his death.

First, being executed for laziness and violating military discipline.

But his name is not on the death list, so this does not hold true.

Because any civilian executed for military discipline violations would certainly be recorded, and in serious cases, three generations of their family would be implicated.

As of now, the entire Liu Family is still fine.

Second, physical inability leading to natural death.

Catching a cold from the rain, getting injured and dying from untended tetanus, etc.

But Liu Ji tricked Second Lang out of his little treasure, amounting to three hundred and ninety-eight coins, enough to pay for medicine for a common cold.

As for tetanus, if you calculate seriously, the probability is not one hundred percent either.

“Hiss~” Qin Yao rubbed her temples, she didn’t want to continue analyzing with the village chief, got up, and took her leave.

The village chief watched her leave, noticeably relaxed.

Because under Qin Yao’s analysis, knowing Liu Ji was well-prepared, it was certain that Liu Qi was surely with Liu Ji, putting everyone’s mind at ease.

Qin Yao lay on the narrow single-bed in the guest room, looking at the pitch-black night outside, furrowing her brow in confusion; if Liu Ji isn’t dead yet, where exactly is he now?

“Achoo!!!”

On the vast grassland, Liu Ji sat up in fright from his dying illness, giving a huge sneeze, ejecting two strands of snot that landed precisely on the faces of Wang Wu and Liu Qi, who were lying in front of him.

Wang Wu: “…”

Liu Qi: “…”

Liu Ji lifted the back of his hand to wipe his nose, naturally wiped his hand on his clothes, wrapped his thick cotton coat tightly around him, looked up, and found that the fire had gone out.

He got up again and rekindled the fire, looking at the leaping flames, seeing several overlapping illusions, took a deep breath, feeling his nose blocked, could only take in a large mouthful of cold air through his mouth, coughing twice.

Seeing he was fine, Wang Wu and Liu Qi calmly wiped the snot off their faces, wrapped themselves tightly in the straw mats, and went back to sleep.

They no longer worried about a surprise attack from the enemy army because Northern Desert and Sheng Country had agreed on a peace treaty, and Princess Huixiang had willingly accepted to marry, causing the fighting to cease.

On the vast grassland, this was the only light spot, surrounded by darkness, appearing eerie, but the trio had gotten used to it.

Because they had been lost on the grassland for a whole month, only reaching the city gates of Xuanyue Pass today.

Considering the journey of the civilians this time, the three of them couldn’t tell if it was a stroke of luck or misfortune.

They didn’t die, and the mission was successfully completed under Shangguan Lie’s leadership.

And just after completing the mission, Northern Desert and Sheng Country had a cease-fire discussion, and the subsequent task of transporting grain was directly canceled.

But because the task was canceled in advance, the return fee the civilians were supposed to get was nowhere to be found.

After each received a bag of grain, they set out for their hometowns in groups.

Initially, Liu Ji and the others left with the main group, but who knew they would encounter a pack of wolves halfway, causing everyone to scatter in escape, running and running until they lost each other.

Unlucky as they were, the three of them ended up wandering the unfamiliar grassland for a month.

In the end, it was under the guidance of Liu Ji, this half-baked scholar, heading in the direction opposite to the bright North Star, that they reached the southern Xuanyue Pass.

Ever since the mission ended, their good luck vanished. After much difficulty escaping the grassland to arrive at Xuanyue Pass, they didn’t catch the hour to enter the city and had to camp below the city overnight, waiting for daylight the next day.

Unexpectedly, Liu Ji, who had been safe despite being trapped on the grassland for a month, suddenly developed a high fever.

He slept through the whole afternoon, entirely dependent on Liu Qi and Wang Wu’s care, and was startled awake in the middle of the night by the cold. His forehead’s high temperature hadn’t come down, with his nose stuffed like ’mud’, feeling cold, hungry, and faint, more uncomfortable than death.

Earlier, Liu Ji occasionally dreamt happily about going home.

Now his little bit of hope had been shattered by reality, with the only thought in his mind being—leaving the grassland.

In October in Northern Desert, the night temperature could freeze a person into a popsicle; Liu Ji made the fire blaze vigorously, wrapped tightly in his overcoat, yet still trembled with cold, almost fainting from dizziness.

Trapped on the grassland for a month, they had long used up the rationed food and were now at the point of gnawing at the grass roots.

Liu Ji had money in his pocket, three hundred and ninety-three coins. He wanted to spend it, but where on this grassland was there to buy food?

Staring at the walls of Xuanyue Pass with both eyes, hoping desperately that the sky would brighten soon, and the gates would open quickly so he could go in to buy medicine.

Clinging on for dear life, Liu Ji stayed up through the second half of the night, guarding the fire until dawn.

As soon as soldiers appeared on the walls of Xuanyue Pass, he immediately woke Wang Wu and Liu Qi, and the three of them, looking like wandering beggars, rushed to the city gates.

Luckily, they still had documents to prove their identity and entered the pass smoothly.

Three miles past Xuanyue Pass, they finally saw signs of human habitation.

Liu Ji’s body had reached its limit. He handed the string of copper coins hidden in his inner shirt to Liu Qi and promptly collapsed with a “thud”.

Liu Qi screamed in surprise: “Uncle Third, don’t die! How could I explain to Aunt Third if you die!”

Wang Wu looked in shock at the copper coins in Liu Qi’s hands, utterly astonished, realizing Liu Ji actually had some money.

But now wasn’t the time for surprise; seeing the young Liu Qi panic and not knowing what to do, Wang Wu quickly stopped him, telling him to carry Liu Ji on his back to find a doctor.

When Liu Ji awoke again, he found himself in a dilapidated Daoist Temple, with a fire beside him and Wang Wu and Liu Qi resting on a pile of straw.

A bitter herbal aroma filled the air of the Daoist Temple, with medicinal broth bubbling in a clay pot.

Liu Ji knew then that he had survived again.

But now he was utterly weak, called out to Liu Qi, only to find his throat was hoarse, unable to wake him after huhs and ahs for a long time, so he grabbed a small stone by his side and threw it over!

“Ouch!” Liu Qi yelped in pain, sitting up stunned, and upon seeing Liu Ji’s open eyes, exclaimed in delight: “Uncle Third, you’re alive!”

Liu Ji rolled his eyes speechlessly, then turned toward the bubbling clay pot. Following his gaze, Liu Qi noticed the overflowing potion, stirring him into a flurry again.

Wang Wu was awakened by the commotion, and upon seeing Liu Ji was conscious again, let out a long sigh of relief.

But after Liu Ji finished his medicine, the three of them fell into an even bigger dilemma—no money to go home.

The distance to Kaiyang County was at least half a month’s journey, and the food and drink expenses for this half month weren’t small.

Wang Wu patted his pockets, which were empty.

Liu Qi shook his whole body, and a broadsword with a missing edge fell out, which the pawnshop refused to take.

Liu Ji secretly glanced at his chest, where he still had two strings of copper coins, enough to rent a cart.

He could help Liu Qi; after all, they were from the same village and had some ancestral connections, so the village chief could make up for it later.

But why should he have to pay for Wang Wu?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep