Chapter 545: Seeking Shelter in the Village (Patreon)
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Chapter 545: Seeking Shelter in the Village
The slope was not short, and it was fortunate that Meng Yunzheng was strong enough to carry Shu Yu in a princess carry. Most people would struggle to take more than a few steps in this position, but he moved effortlessly and quickly made it to the top.
Once they reached the forest, Shu Yu turned her head to look around. The area was scattered and messy, with the trail left by the mule and cart that had crashed through.
The mule and cart had disappeared somewhere, and judging by the tracks, they had gone further into the forest.
At this point, Shu Yu had no intention of dealing with them. She could only wish them luck and let them fend for themselves. Hopefully, they would survive.
Shu Yu wanted to get down, but Meng Yunzheng didn't respond.
They followed the trail out of the forest, and as they walked, Shu Yu realized that the woods seemed quite dense. She wondered if Meng Yunzheng had some kind of insect repellent on him because they encountered no snakes, insects, rodents, or ants along the way.
By the time they emerged from the forest, half an hour had passed.
Shu Yu quickly asked him to put her down, and Meng Yunzheng furrowed his brow. He finally set her down and had her lean against a nearby tree. Then, he put his index finger to his lips and let out a melodious whistle.
Before long, Meng Yunzheng's horse came trotting over.
"Come on, get on the horse," Meng Yunzheng said, bending down to lift Shu Yu up again.
Once Shu Yu was on, he climbed on behind her and settled in.
"Where are we going? Back to the exile camp?" Shu Yu asked.
"Not for now," Meng Yunzheng replied, holding the reins. He waited until she was secure before continuing, "We've already distanced ourselves from the camp, and I don't know where they've gone. We don't have time to look for them. Your injuries need to be treated. Let's find a place to rest first and then decide what to do."
As he spoke, Meng Yunzheng looked around and pointed ahead. "There's a village over there. Let's stay there for the night and figure things out later."
Shu Yu had no objections to staying in the village for a night, but...
She looked down at her prison uniform and said, "If I go into the village wearing these clothes, won't I scare the villagers to death? They might think I'm an escaped criminal. They might even attack me."
Meng Yunzheng thought for a moment and decided to take off his outer robe. He wrapped it around Shu Yu, completely concealing her and even allowing the length to touch the ground, making it impossible to see her prison uniform.
Shu Yu glanced down and said, "Okay, once we're at someone's house in the village, we can ask them to buy me some clothes."
She paused for a moment, sounding uncertain as she asked, "Do you have any money with you?"
Meng Yunzheng chuckled lightly. "I do." Although most of his belongings were still in the cart, he did bring money specifically for buying clothes and seeking shelter.
Only then did Shu Yu feel relieved. With no issues on her end, Meng Yunzheng gently pulled the reins, and the horse slowly made its way towards the entrance of the village.
The village in front of them was not very large, with only a few houses scattered around its outskirts.
However, when they entered the village, their arrival did attract the curiosity of many villagers who came out to see them.
Shu Yu dared not move, fearing that she might accidentally expose her clothes.
Meng Yunzheng half-embraced her, appearing relatively relaxed as he asked one of the villagers at the entrance, "Excuse me, which way to the village chief's house?"
Someone pointed them in the right direction, and Meng Yunzheng nodded his thanks before heading towards the village chief's house.
The village chief had already heard the commotion and was waiting at the door.
Chapter 546: Meng Yunzheng's Guilty Conscience