Chapter 3: The Lonely Lantern of the Wind Old Woman

"Wait for him to return?" The face of Master Shen turned the color of pig liver. Perhaps his wife could be found, but his face could never be restored. "I will report to the authorities! I will capture him and bring him back! I want him in prison!"

The sound of hooves echoed outside, indicating that someone had arrived, and it was not just Shen Laosi.

Well, that is quite a large capital city. If you follow the official road, you will pass through Linhe Town, Xiao'er Fortress, and Da'er Fortress. It will take about a month to arrive, but if you ride horses, you can get there even faster

If she does not get on the horse, I will escape by myself, Xiao Qiu made this decision in that moment

This is a small courtyard nestled among lush greenery, with plants climbing all over the fence, making it nearly impossible to discern any signs of human intervention. If it were not for the faint light emanating from the courtyard, passersby would likely overlook the existence of the three thatched cottages.

The old woman nodded in approval, "Hmm, so you have a plan. Would you be willing to hear my suggestion?"

The residents of Yelin Town had never seen Lord Shen lose his composure and erupt in anger like this; they were as frightened as Old Qiu and all thought that Xiao Qiu had really gotten into big trouble this time

My horse ... ... " Xiao Qiu was bewildered and did not understand

After a while of silence behind her, Xiao Qiu felt a pang of guilt, when suddenly the arm around her waist tightened a little more. Fang Fang whispered, "Then just drink the northwest wind."

The hesitation of that small figure lasted only a moment, as Fangfang lifted the red veil, revealing a face that Xiao Qiu had no impression of at all

He was taken aback; the last time he saw Fangfang was several years ago

"A small effort, why not do it?" The smile of the Wind Old Lady grew even wider, "Is the rumor true? Is there a large group of demon species on the run?"

The groom, Shen Jia, vaguely realized that something was missing, and he plopped down on the ground, crying loudly, "It was taken! It was taken!"

Fangfang cried, her sobs filled with deep sorrow, intermittently uttering something, her voice growing increasingly indistinct. Xiao Qiu stood anxiously in the courtyard, while the chestnut horse stretched its head to sniff around his neck, offering him some comfort

Hehe. The Wind Granny turned her head to glance at the little girl in her arm, her face covered with dense wrinkles that could easily confuse anyone who looked at her. "In any small town, you two would stand out quite a bit. I suggest you go to Xijie City. Do you know where that is?"

Hmm," Fangfang said softly, without asking any further questions

The Wind Old Woman is not a crazy old hag; she often goes into town to buy things and is very kind. She lives outside the town because she loves peace and quiet

The old woman laughed even more joyfully, her eyes narrowing into slits. She trembled as she brought over half a pot of rice porridge and a few side dishes, constantly muttering about how pitiful it was. Fangfang wanted to help, but she did not accept her offer.

The Taoist in blue nodded and said, "It is not far from here. Having resided in this place for a long time, have you not noticed anything?"

I do not know

From this moment on, Fangfang's movements became swift and agile. She lifted her skirt with one hand, stepped onto the pole of the sedan chair with her foot, used the momentum to leap up, grasped Xiaoqiu's hand with the other, nimbly jumped behind him, adjusted her attire, and settled down firmly.

"Once we get past this hurdle, it will no longer be Yelin Town," he said, making small talk.

The old woman put away her smile, straining to straighten her body, instantly appearing much taller, "The fire of the Dao does not extinguish"

Lao Qiu was so frightened that he stood there in a daze, stammering, "He is still a child. When he comes back, I will give him a good beating..."

In the dim yellow light, a face full of wrinkles yet exuding great kindness was revealed, and Xiao Qiu's tension and vigilance instantly vanished. This could not possibly be a madman. He slowly walked in, with the chestnut horse following behind.

As the sky darkened, Xiao Qiu's panic faded away. "I will go find something to eat later, then find a place to sleep. Tomorrow, I will continue on my journey, wherever that may be... We'll see. In any case, I won't let you go hungry."

Hmm. The voice behind was very faint, and the arms wrapped around the waist relaxed considerably

After a while, Granny Feng entered the house, still wearing a smile on her face, as if lying were a common occurrence. "Don't worry, you won't have any trouble in my home."

"Who are you?" Fangfang asked.

I don't know. Aside from escaping from Wildwood Town, Xiao Qiu has not thought about more issues.

The small figure in front of the sedan chair seemed to be stunned as well, remaining completely still

After walking silently for a while, Fangfang suddenly said: "Up ahead is the home of the Wind Granny; we can go there to stay for the night"

The two individuals blushed together, and Xiao Qiu hesitated to speak, unsure of how to express his true feelings: he only wanted to rescue Fang Fang and had never considered marrying her

Where will you sleep tonight

Xiao Qiu bent down on the horse's back, extended her right hand, and said in a hollow voice: "Come up, follow me"

Xiao Qiu first dismounted from the horse, then reached out to help Fang Fang down. Upon looking directly at her face for the second time, he still found it unfamiliar, though this could be attributed to the darkness of the evening.

The old woman noticed the youth's anxiety and her smile grew even wider. "In a moment, I will write down an address. When you arrive at Xijie City, you can find an old sister of mine. She will help you establish yourselves. Once you grow a few more years and are able to get married, you will no longer have to fear the Shen family."

So what shall we eat

"Xijie City, one month." Xiao Qiu repeated numbly, feeling that it was truly far away, as if it were a journey to the edge of the sky

A wave of panic began to rise in Xiao Qiu's heart. He thought that Fang Fang had either not heard his words or had heard them but rejected them. In this case, he would become the biggest joke in town, a label he would not be able to shake off for ten years

Xiao Qiu could not hear the threats from Old Master Shen, and the chestnut horse had already run far ahead, now slowing down.

Oh, are you referring to Fangfang

Xiao Qiu had seen a faint light ahead for quite some time and exclaimed in surprise, "Is that the old madwoman who forbids entry into the town?"

Xiao Qiu was truly hungry. At first, she was somewhat reserved, but soon she could no longer pretend, drinking the porridge in large gulps. After finishing one bowl, she served herself another. Just as she was about to express her gratitude to Granny Wind, a sudden sound of urgent hoofbeats came from outside, followed by a loud voice asking: "Granny Wind, have you seen two children riding a horse and a book passing by?"

Fangfang lowered her head, moving her numb legs and feet, and led the way towards the wooden gate

The oil lamp in the room was also lit, making it a bit brighter. The old woman of the wind smiled as she looked at Xiao Qiu, "Hmm, a good young man, quite handsome too. Why do you want to save Fang Fang?"

"Xiao Qiu, don't you remember me?" Beyond the panic, Xiao Qiu felt an additional sense of disappointment in her heart

Dressed in new clothes, he ran to the middle of the road, gazing at the distant chestnut horse. Although he and Xiao Qiu were enemies, at this moment he was so awed by him that he forgot himself. He jumped several feet high, raised his fist, and shouted: "Well done, Brother Xiao Qiu!"

No one is chasing from behind, and there are only a dozen or so horses in Yelin Town, all of which have run off and are nowhere to be found

"Your horse is grazing behind us," the old woman comforted, then served a bowl of rice porridge to Xiao Qiu. She sat opposite, affectionately embracing Fang Fang, and asked the young man, "Where do you plan to take Fang Fang?"

It was still that loud voice, "It's me, Shen Laosi from the town... Hmph... stubborn mule that doesn't listen, I'll go back and slaughter you..."

Xiao Qiu, feeling annoyed by the questions, replied irritably, "Drink the northwest wind"

"Xiao Qiu, Xiao Qiu," the Wind Granny repeated this name. "A few years ago, wasn't it you who took Fang Fang around, telling everyone that she was your wife?"

What about in the future? Where will you live

Xiao Qiu did not argue about the rumors regarding the Wind Granny, which he had heard since childhood and found somewhat frightening. Throughout the subsequent journey, he kept pondering excuses to avoid entering.

In the middle of the yard stood a wooden post as thick as a bowl, upon which sat a small oil lamp. Xiao Qiu immediately took this unusual practice as evidence of the "madwoman" and was about to call out to Fang Fang when she had already quickly circled around the oil lamp and rushed towards a person at the door of the thatched house, calling out in a tearful voice: "Grandma Wind"

The Taoist in blue stepped back, almost disappearing into the shadows, and solemnly said: "The Taoist fire does not extinguish"

Sitting on the stool, Fangfang finally stopped crying, "I don't want to marry into the Shen family, Xiaoqiu... Xiaoqiu saved me."

Grandma Feng warmly embraced Fangfang and enthusiastically invited the two of them into the house

Old Master Shen was startled awake by a shout, and he punched Er Shuan on the top of his head. He rushed across the street, pulled out Old Qiu from the crowd, and spat in his face, "That is your son, isn't it? He took away my family's new bride!"

I saw her; she was still wearing the bride's dress, and she ran over in a flash.

Her tone was as if she were talking to herself, yet a response came from the corner of the courtyard: "Why interfere with what is destined? You know our rules"

Xiao Qiu reflected on the skills she had learned while grazing in the forest and felt that there were no significant issues

Uphill, downhill, Xiao Qiu felt panic once again

Xiao Qiu usually grazes and plays in the forest at the eastern end of the town, rarely coming to the west. Not far ahead, the gentle slope marks the western boundary of the wild forest town as he knows it; beyond that lies another world.

The chestnut horse seemed to understand the significance of this journey, raising its head and neighing as it ran towards the setting sun at the end of the road

Xiao Qiu has already made some preparations, quickly swallowing the food in her mouth, and said eagerly: "Go a little further away, I will let the horse go, or do something else, I can learn it all, anyway... anyway, we must not let the Shen family find out."

"I don't know." Xiao Qiu felt frustrated, as he had not considered any of the things Fang Fang had asked.

Fangfang did not respond. After a while, she asked, "Where are you taking me?"

"Fangfang? What are you doing here in the middle of the night? Aren't you getting married today?" The old woman Feng was short, about the same height as the ten-year-old Fangfang, and her voice was muffled, as if she had lost a few teeth.

"Drive!" Xiao Qiu shouted

The old woman settled the two individuals to sleep in separate rooms, then walked alone to the courtyard to add oil to the solitary lamp. She looked up and glanced around a few times, sighed, and murmured: "Let it be, let it be, the farther the better; everything is predestined."

Sigh. The Taoist in blue sighed deeply, "I simply do not understand, as the building is about to collapse, you are focusing your thoughts on two ants

Yelin Town resembled a freshly completed folk painting, suddenly coming to a standstill. In the distance, the residents awakened from the chaos brought by the startled horse, stretching their necks to gaze towards the Shen family's entrance. The crowd surrounding the bridal sedan remained ensnared in a state of incredulous astonishment, the sound of hooves still echoing in their ears, as they struggled to comprehend what had actually transpired

At this moment, both of their faces turned red, and they lowered their heads, avoiding eye contact with each other

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became, not understanding why he had to do this. Behind him, Fangfang was tightly holding onto his waist, more real than everything in front of him

Master Shen was supported by two servants, his shock gradually subsiding as he blankly repeated, "The new bride has been taken away?"

Indeed, she got married today and was taken away at the main entrance

However, as the light transformed from a yellow bean into a warm glow, Xiao Qiu yielded; even living in the house of the old madwoman was better than sleeping rough in the wilderness. He was tired and thought that Fang Fang must be even more exhausted.

The entire event transpired in a brief moment; by the time Liu the matchmaker managed to stand up while clinging to the sedan chair, Xiao Qiu had already run half a mile. She shaded her eyes with her hand and gazed into the distance at a horse and two people, exclaiming, "The new bride has been taken away."

The old woman turned to look at the blue-clad Taoist in the shadows, her smiling face showing no trace of surprise. "Strictly speaking, I haven't done anything. These two children ran out of Wildwood Town on their own. Doesn't that count as not breaking the rules?"

Liu the matchmaker turned around and nodded solemnly, "It was taken away."

Xiao Qiu no longer finds this old woman frightening at all; the rumors in the town are clearly unreliable. "Of course, I will listen to you"

The old woman smiled at the two people, indicating that there was no need to be afraid. She turned around and left the house, asking at the door, "Who is it?"

Xiao Qiu's face turned red, "It's nothing, it's just... Fang Fang doesn't want to marry into the Shen family"

"Isn't that our capital?" Xiao Qiu immediately said, not wanting to appear ignorant

The old woman glanced at the solitary little oil lamp in the courtyard, said nothing, and as long as this lamp was lit, she had nothing to fear

Xiao Qiu's heart tightened at once; the chestnut horse was still outside, easily visible to the pursuers.