Qin Yao shook her head helplessly and looked him straight in the eyes.

"First of all, I can be sure that I’m neither a ghost nor a spirit, but I don’t know what I am either."

"Secondly, I don’t know where your sister went, maybe she died."

"Finally, I didn’t do anything to her, we just share one body."

With each sentence she spoke, Qin Feng was more and more shocked. Upon hearing the last sentence, "we just share one body," his worldview almost shattered.

Qin Feng trembled violently, staring at the woman in front of him, Qin Yao and her image constantly overlapping, eventually separating into two figures. One was the last memory he had, a starving, dying Ah Yao.

The other was a vibrant, invincible Qin Yao who looked down on everyone, cold and ruthless.

He shook his head violently, the two figures merged into one, becoming the cold-eyed woman in front of him.

"How long have you been using it, using this body?" Qin Feng didn’t know his voice could shake so much, his teeth seemed ready to collide.

Qin Yao: "Four years."

"Four years..." It was the year of the great disaster. Qin Feng had already guessed the result he did not want to know.

"Was she starved to death?"

Qin Yao nodded: "Sort of."

So, she watched as the big man in front of her shed tears.

Qin Yao thought to herself, men are really annoying!

Her body, however, honestly threw over a clean handkerchief.

Qin Feng wiped the tears from his face, choked up and asked, "Have you seen her?"

"No."

"Then how did you choose my sister..." pointing to her, "How did you choose it?"

"I don’t know." Her tone gradually turned irritable.

Qin Feng looked at her warily: "Now that I know your secret, are you going to kill me right away?"

Qin Yao sneered and said something unexpected to him.

"You are her brother, you have a right to know." So killing him was just a scare.

"I assume you wouldn’t want to see more innocent people dying at my hands either."

Like hiring someone to cast a spell to burn her, the dead would not be her but those innocent people he hired.

Qin Feng took a deep breath, his body finally didn’t shake as much. He handed the handkerchief to her, Qin Yao took it, their fingertips touched, and he discovered that her hand was warm, with human temperature.

Qin Yao gave him a silent glance, fully able to decode his thoughts from that little expression.

She’s not dead; of course she would be warm!

Seeing her rich expression, Qin Feng was finally relieved, curiously asked, "Why did you save me earlier?"

Qin Yao looked helpless: "Would you believe me if I said it was instinct?"

Qin Feng nodded seriously, he believed her.

Protecting his sister is also a brother’s instinct, even though he knows she’s not Ah Yao, looking at this body, he can’t help but have an instinct to protect her.

"They might have already gone down the mountain, let’s notify the Daoist Priest and then go down the mountain." Qin Feng pointed to the fasting hall with the locked door ahead, speaking softly to Qin Yao.

Feeling unfed, Qin Yao could hardly believe her eyes, "So fast it’s already closed?"

Qin Feng had already left to notify the Daoist Priests, leaving Qin Yao to reluctantly stare at the locked door as she descended the mountain step by step.

"My lady!"

"Mother!"

As soon as Qin Yao reached the mountain base, she saw Liu Ji coming with the children, smiling as if they’d been waiting.

She joyfully thought to herself, so there are people waiting for her.

"Didn’t eat enough?" Liu Ji asked with concern, "Hungry?"

He asked nothing inappropriate, just handed her a packed fasting meal diligently.

"I’ll ride, my lady, you sit in the cart and eat slowly."

The children chattered about how delicious the fasting meal was, Da Lang strongly recommended her try the glutinous rice lotus root, refreshing and sweet.

Second Lang also said the tofu-made vegetarian meat tasted just like real meat, incredibly tasty.

Third Brother and Fourth Sister, looking hungry, were already staring at Mother’s lunchbox eagerly, waiting for her to open it and sneak a bite.

"Just one bite, just one small bite." Third Brother pinched his two little fingertips, signaling he’s not being excessive, just wanting a tiny bit.

Qin Yao pinched his chubby cheek as he swallowed ravenously, agreeing: "Okay, I’ll let you have one more bite."

Before long, Qin Feng came down, and everyone immediately set off towards Wu City.

Liu Ji and Ah Wang were on horseback, while Yin Le drove the carriage, Qin Yao and the four children sat on the back-end opened carriage, eating the large box of fasting meal packed by the family, while watching the hills outside Wu City covered with welcoming spring flowers, occasionally feeding Third Brother and Fourth Sister who opened their mouths wide waiting to be fed.

The two little ones nestled beside her, sweet-talking as if their mouths were covered in honey, "We love Mother the most, Mother is the best in the whole wide world~"

Qin Yao smiled peacefully, not asking where she came or where she’s going. She only needed to live each day well.

Wu City is the last city heading east from Yu Zhou, where everyone rested for a night, replenished their supplies, fed the horses, and departed towards the Capital City the following morning.

Through Yu Zhou, the roads began to widen as they headed north.

Upon stepping onto Qingzhou, they were only a third of the way from the Capital City, merely needing to pass through the vast plains and hills of Qingzhou to see the outer city walls of the Capital City garrison.

Since that day coming down from Qingyun Temple, Qin Feng and Qin Yao hadn’t actively spoke.

Only when passing through campsites, when the two families decided to camp and arrange shifts for night watch, would they say a word or two.

Liu Ji guessed something must have happened between these two on the mountain, but he dared not ask, dared not speak, only using indirect probes through Qin Feng.

Were they to fall out, he would steer clear of Qin Feng.

But if the siblings acknowledged each other, he would naturally recognize the brother-in-law! Salt merchants aren’t found everywhere.

A lifetime of dream for an easy life was close at hand. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Arriving in Qingzhou territory, they missed the post station due to hurry, they decided to camp under a small hill.

Liu Ji entrusted Yin Le and Ah Wang with pitching tents, reminded Da Lang siblings to write reflections, and happily took a pot to find Qin Feng.

Seeing Liu Ji smile cheerfully infuriated Qin Feng, like a peacock with no masculinity.

As he fed the horses dry hay, he glared at Liu Ji, "What do you want?"

Liu Ji chuckled, "My great boss, you and my lady both come from the same place, with food tastes differing widely. My lady’s appetite has been poor lately, I thought can you teach me a few hometown dishes to whet her appetite."

"What? Ah Yao’s appetite is poor?" Qin Feng grew frantic, immediately stuffing a bunch of hay into the horse’s mouth, not caring if it could eat fast, urgently pulled Liu Ji over: "Why didn’t you say so earlier!"

Seeing this, Liu Ji thought, well, the siblings have secretly acknowledged each other.

Seems the Qingyun Temple’s Daoist Priest’s spells aren’t great, the sinister woman exceeds in skills.