Duan Mingyue laughed, "Wanted to see how stupid you could be, and it’s exactly as expected." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Duan Wenliang’s face darkened.

Along the way, Cui Hu and Yu Zichuan took turns driving the carriage.

Meng Qianqian and Tan’er rested inside the carriage.

Tan’er could sleep anywhere.

Meng Qianqian dozed off and on, having several dreams that were painful yet vague.

"Mom."

Tan’er muttered in her sleep.

Meng Qianqian touched her neck, found she was sweating, and adjusted the quilt a bit.

"Young Madam!"

Cui Hu suddenly spoke, "We lost them!"

The carriage was parked at the market entrance, but it was already empty.

Meng Qianqian said, "No worries, I placed a Misleading Gu on Duan Wenliang."

Cui Hu spoke hesitantly, "Ah, then why did we follow so closely? They must have noticed us and slipped away."

Meng Qianqian smiled slightly, "I wanted to test Duan Mingyue’s attitude."

"What did you find out?"

Cui Hu asked.

Meng Qianqian nodded, "He’s very arrogant."

This was important.

Cui Hu, "Ah..."

"Tan’er, get off the carriage."

Meng Qianqian gently woke Tan’er up.

Tan’er rubbed her eyes, "Are we there yet?"

Meng Qianqian straightened her clothes, "We’ve arrived at the town."

Tan’er sniffed and her eyes lit up, "Meat buns! The meat buns smell so good!"

Meng Qianqian bought meat buns for Tan’er and Cui Hu as well.

"He’s not eating?"

Cui Hu glanced at Yu Zichuan, the little ice block, while biting into a big meat bun.

Yu Zichuan, "Not eating."

Cui Hu, "Why not?"

Yu Zichuan, "Chop the fingers into bits, mix it with the meat, add egg whites and scallions, and that’s how you make human meat buns."

Cui Hu, "..."

Tan’er came over, "Human meat buns, they taste the best!"

Cui Hu, "...!!!"

Meng Qianqian bought some steamed cakes for Yu Zichuan and herself.

Cui Hu, holding the buns wrapped in lotus leaves, hurried to Meng Qianqian’s side, "Young Madam, have one. Don’t listen to Yu Zichuan’s nonsense, they’re not human meat buns."

Meng Qianqian knew that, of course.

She simply preferred steamed cakes.

"Have one, Young Madam."

Cui Hu looked at her eagerly.

That look, as if to say, human meat buns, we can’t just have me eating them alone.

Meng Qianqian was always very easygoing about small matters.

She took a bun.

The bun’s dough was very soft, and one bite revealed the oily, fragrant meat filling.

At that moment, her stomach suddenly churned, and an overwhelming nausea rose to her throat.

She covered her mouth and handed the bun back to Cui Hu.

Cui Hu felt as if struck by lightning!

Could it be!

They really were human meat buns!!!

"Sister!"

Tan’er turned around, seeing Meng Qianqian clutching her chest, standing there uncomfortably.

She dropped her bun, threw it to Yu Zichuan, and dashed toward Meng Qianqian, "What’s going on?"

Her mouth was greasy and her fingertips were oily from the bun’s juice.

Meng Qianqian, having just managed to suppress it, felt it surge again.

She finally couldn’t hold it anymore and turned to vomit.

"Sister!"

Tan’er was on the verge of tears.

Even when she got hurt, she hadn’t shed a tear.

Cui Hu hurriedly handed over a water pouch, "Young Madam!"

Meng Qianqian rinsed her mouth, wiped the water from her lips with her sleeve, and exhaled softly, "Perhaps it’s from sitting too long in the carriage, felt suffocated."

Yu Zichuan said, "We’ll rest tonight."

Cui Hu looked at him curiously, "Wait, you’re making decisions now?"

Yu Zichuan replied sternly, "He instructed it."

Yu Zichuan was sparing with words, and Cui Hu’s mind wasn’t as sharp as Ji Feng’s, often unable to comprehend this kid’s meaning.

But at least this time he understood.

The young master had instructed.

Everything should prioritize the Madam’s health.

All tasks come after the Madam’s health.

He agreed as well.

Tan’er said, "Sister, I’m also tired, can’t walk anymore."

Meng Qianqian sighed and had no choice but to find an inn in town to stay the night.

The next day, the group set out again.

She released the Misleading Gu.

The group followed the Misleading Gu onto an official road.

"Isn’t this the road we came by?"

Cui Hu asked, "Did they go back again?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the Misleading Gu flew into a village nearby.

The group, to avoid drawing attention, dressed like ordinary merchants.

Even so, they still drew many villagers’ eyes as they passed through the village.

"A group of city folks came yesterday, and here they are again today."

"Is there something big happening in the neighboring village?"

"Isn’t your brother-in-law from the neighboring village? Ask him?"

Meng Qianqian guessed that the first group of city folks the villagers mentioned was Duan Mingyue and his people.

After passing two villages and crossing a mountain, they wandered around for most of the day.

Tan’er, holding her leg, was out of breath, "Is it still far? How can someone in a wheelchair walk so much?"

This reminded Meng Qianqian.

The terrain here wasn’t suitable for carriages, and Duan Mingyue was in a wheelchair, even if carried by skilled people, he couldn’t travel fast or his body couldn’t handle it.

"We’ve gone too far."

Meng Qianqian narrowed her eyes.

Cui Hu was startled, "What do you mean?"

Meng Qianqian frowned as she looked around, "I mean, we’ve fallen for Duan Mingyue’s trick."

She took out the Bone Flute she had snatched from the Imperial Palace last time and brought it to her lips to play.

Cui Hu asked curiously, "What are you playing? There’s no sound."

Her Misleading Gu suddenly became agitated and quickly flew off to the southeast.

Yu Zichuan immediately chased after it.

About a quarter of an hour later, he brought back a Poison Bottle.

Inside was the Misleading Gu that Meng Qianqian had placed on Duan Wenliang.

Additionally, a note was attached to the bottle.

Meng Qianqian opened the note, on which were only four words: "Farewell from here."

Cui Hu was even more bewildered after reading the note, "Did that... Duan Mingyue guy write this? He... he... he knows we’re tracking him... and bids us farewell?"

Meng Qianqian said, "He knows I placed a Gu on Duan Wenliang."

Cui Hu scratched his head, "He knows and yet—"

This was also the part that puzzled Meng Qianqian.

If Duan Mingyue allowed them to follow him to Lu Fengyin’s territory, it could still be seen as his arrogance.

He didn’t care about them at all.

But the matter of the Gu Worm wasn’t just arrogance.

"Is he toying with us?"

Cui Hu asked.

"No, he guided us here, but from here on, we need to find our own way."

Meng Qianqian didn’t burn the note, instead, she placed it in her pouch.

"Why would he do this?"

Cui Hu didn’t understand.

Meng Qianqian also didn’t understand.

She believed that with Duan Mingyue’s arrogance, it was impossible for him to intentionally mislead them onto the wrong path.

He wouldn’t bother playing tricks on them.

But why did he help them?

No, not them.

He helped Tan’er.

Duan Mingyue helped because of Tan’er.

On Tan’er’s behalf, he led them here.

Yet, also for Tan’er’s safety, he could only lead them to this point.

This note, with its words bidding farewell, was telling her to part ways with Tan’er here.