A Jiu rushed over upon hearing the commotion. When she saw Qi Yihan, her lips moved, but no words came out.
Qi Yihan and the others were already exhausted. Even Li Man'er was tired and quickly called out to Old Sun, "Old Sun, quickly boil some hot water for everyone to drink."
"Yes!" Old Sun was overjoyed. He didn't know how he had managed these past ten days, waiting and hoping for them to come out quickly. He and A Jiu had barely spoken, which had nearly suffocated him. He worried about Li Man'er's safety while also being wary of any underhanded moves A Jiu might make. The feeling of pent-up frustration was unbearable.
Now that he saw they had all returned safe and sound, his heart finally settled into its place.
Old Sun hurried to boil water for everyone. Li Man'er immediately slipped into the carriage, refusing A Si's offer to help her.
Li Man'er first entered the space, took a refreshing bath, changed her clothes, and then woke Ning Dao Cheng, who was in a deep sleep.
Facing Ning Dao Cheng, Li Man'er's feelings were incredibly complex. He was the original owner's biological uncle, but he was also likely the successor of the barbarian tribe. If his identity were exposed, it would bring unimaginable disaster upon the Ning family.
"Little Uncle?"
Ning Dao Cheng was blind, but his hearing was sharp. He immediately recognized Li Man'er's voice. "Man'er."
For Li Man'er, a long time had passed since their last meeting. But for Ning Dao Cheng, it felt like it had only happened yesterday.
"Little Uncle, I have something I want to ask you."
"Ask away."
"When you were in the Mo Luo Mountains, did you encounter the Poisonous Mist Forest?"
Ning Dao Cheng replied, "Yes, I personally went in many times. Why do you ask?"
"Did you find your master?"
Ning Dao Cheng shook his head. "They say there's a great treasure in the Wuzu tomb in the mountains, but we could never find it. We returned empty-handed several times. I went into the mountains myself to look for my master, but alas..."
Li Man'er frowned. "Little Uncle, how long did you stay in the mountains?"
"More than several months!"
So long?
The more Li Man'er thought about it, the more something felt wrong. Their group, from the start of the mountain to the descent, had only spent about ten days. But they...
Did they not have a map?
"Why did it take so long? Was it because you didn't have a map?"
"The Xiao family was determined to find the Wuzu tomb, and they had already drawn up most of the map. However, each time they entered the mountain, they seemed to be interfered with, often getting lost. Some froze to death in the mountains, while others would wander in one area, unable to get out for over ten days, returning without success."
In other words, they were also subject to magnetic interference and encountered illusions, but getting out was not easy.
In contrast, their group of over a dozen people had been exceptionally smooth.
Could it be a bloodline issue? Qi Yihan also had Wuzu blood, which was why he could lead them smoothly to the Wuzu tomb.
Was this predetermined by fate?
"Man'er?"
"Oh, Little Uncle." Li Man'er snapped back to attention. "It is said that the Wuzu tomb contains treasure. Do you know what it is? Is it truly the elixir of immortality?"
Li Man'er had asked him this question before.
Ning Dao Cheng gave a bitter smile. "Who knows!"
"Little Uncle, I will take you back to the capital in a few days. Once we are in the capital, I will help you heal your eyes. Although rebuilding severed limbs is as difficult as ascending to heaven, I want to try."
Ning Dao Cheng took it as comforting words and did not refuse her kindness. "Alright. You've had a fortuitous encounter; perhaps Uncle will finally get to enjoy some blessings."
Seeing his demeanor, Li Man'er knew that he had experienced too many upheavals and had long since lost his youthful ardor and impulsiveness, pushing the past behind him.
Some fates, one had to accept.
"Little Uncle, you cannot go out for now. Please stay in this Sumeru Ring and recover your health. When we reach the capital, I will find a way for you to appear in public openly."
"Okay!"
Li Man'er made Ning Dao Cheng fall asleep and then exited the space.
"Miss, are you well?"
Li Man'er replied, "I am."
A Si then opened the carriage door and brought hot water. "Have some hot water first. Your meal will be here shortly."
"Mm!"
A Si added, "His Highness said we will rest here today and set off for Mo Bei City tomorrow."
"Understood."
A Si, seeing her lack of enthusiasm, assumed she was tired. He quickly closed the carriage door and went to prepare dinner for Li Man'er.
That night, everyone slept soundly, a rare luxury. The next day, they rode their horses back, heading straight for Mo Bei City.
Compared to the arduous journey in the forest, this distance was nothing, especially since they had horses, which were far better than walking on two legs.
Upon arriving at the new city, they learned that Li Nian had gone to the old city and had not yet returned.
Xiao Qi Niang came out to manage the city's affairs. Knowing that Qi Yihan had returned, she waited personally in front of the yamen.
"Miss Xiao Qi is indeed capable, but the Xiao family will fall sooner or later. Her doing this, isn't it..." Li Man'er's casual glance made her jaw drop, her expression one of utter shock, as if she had seen a ghost.
A Si was also curious and stole a glance. Good heavens, after just a few days, Xiao Qi Niang had styled her hair into an updo and donned a married woman's coiffure.
She had gotten married! Who had she married?
Li Man'er had a very bad premonition!
She knew that in Mo Bei City right now, the most promising man was Li Nian. Could it be that Xiao Qi Niang had become Li Nian's concubine?
Qi Yihan also frowned at Xiao Qi Niang's attire, but as an outsider, he naturally wouldn't inquire about such trivial matters. Li Man'er, however, couldn't resist teasing, "It's only been half a month, Miss Xiao... have you gotten married?"
Xiao Qi Niang said with a hint of shyness, "With my grandfather's consent, I married Lord Li as his honored concubine..."
Lord Li?
Was there another Lord Li in this place?
"Miss, are you referring to my third uncle?" Men are indeed all the same. She thought Li Nian would be different, but she didn't expect that his affection for Madam Yu was also an illusion. Seeing a new woman, his eyes would still go wide and his mind would go blank.
"Precisely."
Li Man'er gave a fake smile. "Congratulations! You're so happy to be a concubine. I overestimated you before."
While her words were somewhat hurtful, anyone could see that Li Man'er would be the Ninth Princess Consort in the future, so no one would criticize her.
"Miss must be tired. Why don't you rest first? We can talk later." Xiao Qi Niang didn't seem angry.
Li Man'er examined her closely and then realized that the youthful spirit had not yet faded from her eyes; she was still like a maiden.
How interesting!