As heavy rain fell from the sky. Qian Lan who laid unconscious inside what seemed like a little hut made of hay and tree branches. She slowly rubs her eyelids. While grunting she forces herself to sit up.
"Ugh....Yawn...where am I?"
Realizing she was in an unfamiliar setting, Qian Lan quickly sits up and call out for Julong.
"Julong?"
"...….."
Nothing but the breeze of wind and the heavy down pour of rain could be heard.
"Hello? Julongggggggg? Where are you? Jiang? Hello?"
After a few minutes of silence Qian Lan begins to panic. She quickly runs around and checks her surroundings. She soon realizes that she was no longer in the dragon palace or its forest grounds; Qian Lan meekly cries out.
"No....wha....what happened?!"
Lost and confused Qian Lan cries as she walks around to find a road. Walking for what seemed like hours in the rain finally came to a halt when Qian Lan came upon a farmer with a horse dragging hay in a wagon. Qian Lan quickly rushes towards the old man in the rain and waves for him to slow down.
"Sir! Please stop! Sir!"
The old man quickly notices Qian Lan rushes to pull his horse reigns only a few feet away from Qian Lan.
"Woah there! What're you doing out here little miss?! That was dangerous!"
"Mister! Please help me!"
"What is it little miss?"
"C...can you tell me where I am?!"
Qian Lan gasps for air as she had been walking for hours without water or food.
"Huh? Are you lost? This is the outskirts of Jinpo."
"Jinpo? Am...am I back on earth?"
"Earth?"
The old man scratches his head in confusion, slightly tilting his hat back; revealing his sweaty forehead.
"Am I back on earth?.....Sir! Ho.... how far is it from the capital?"
"Ah! The capital Zhu? It's only half a day from here."
"Zhu?...Was that what the capital was called? Agh! I can't remember. Sir! Is there someone named Xia Long in Zhu?"
"You mean Duke Xia Long? Of course!"
"Can you please take me there?! I'll make sure you're well paid for!"
"Hah?"
The old man glances at Qian Lan's dirtied clothes and brushes her off.
"Sorry little miss. You'll have to ask someone else. I am in a hurry to the capital and don't have time to make a stop at the dukes home."
Qian Lan runs to the front of the old man's horse again. With both her arms stretched out she begs the old man.
"Please sir! You have to help me! I have no one here! I'll die if you leave me here!"
Barely holding her tears back. The old man pities Qian Lan and sighs. He points for Qian Lan to sit in the back of the wagon with his hay stack to hide from the rain.
"Sigh...little miss you better keep your words. I don't do anything for free."
Qian Lan thanks the old man and quickly climbs onto the wagon and sits quietly as the old man continues on to the capital.
As night rolled around, Qian Lan couldn't help but hear the rumbles of her empty stomach.
"Growl...I'm so hungry....."
Quietly whispering to herself, Qian Lan could only curl into a ball in hopes of forgetting her hunger. Meanwhile, the old man hears Qian Lan's rumbles and takes out his dinner stash.
"Here little miss. It's not much but it'll help stop the noises."
The old man hands Qian Lan a single white bun wrapped in a cloth.
"Bu...but isn't that your dinner sir?"
"Don't mind me. When you get to my age you'll realize we don't need much to live."
The man tosses the bun wrapped in cloth to Qian Lan along with a small flask of water.
"Thank you so much sir! I'll make sure to reimburse you when we get to the capital!"
Qian Lan quickly savors the tasteless bun. Forcing it down her throat she gulps down the water and sits back down quietly on the hay. Unable to sleep she stares at the back of the thin old man in front of her.
"Sir....can I ask you something?"
"Sure little miss. What is it?"
"Has there been a lot of rain like this lately?"
The old man stares at Qian Lan like she had been living under a rock if she hadn't noticed all the mud puddles and rain that's still downpouring on them.
"Of course little miss. Ever since the sacrifice ceremony we've been getting rain. Harvest has been great and looks like this winter will be a good one."
"I see.....that's good."
"Though it has been raining more than usual for the past two days."
"Huh? Why's that?"
"No one knows little miss. How did you even end up out here in the first place?"
"I.....I can't remember mister.....Hey, mister....how much longer till we get to the capital?"
"Hmmm judging from the speed we've been going we should get there before nightfall."
"I see....by the way my name is Qian Lan."
"That's a beautiful name Qian Lan, you can call me Du Hai."
"Thank you for helping a stranger like me Du Hai."
The old man clears his throat. "
"Ahem, of course. You looked so pitiful and being so young and alone in the forest is not good. Lot's of bad people nowadays."
Qian Lan meekly smiles at the old man sounding like a father.
"Ha..ha...don't worry Du Hai. I will make sure you're paid for your service."
"Hah! Naturally! Get some sleep. I will wake you up when we arrive at the capital."
Qian Lan stops with her questions and lays onto the hay to warm herself. With it being the harvest season, the temperature was now colder at night. Not to mentioned Qian Lan was out in the rain for a few hours before she came upon Du Hai.
Qian Lan dozes off and is only awaken when the old man brushed her shoulder to wake her.
"Qian Lan, wake up. We're here."
"Hmmm?"
Qian Lan rubs her eyes and quickly sits up. She quickly hops off the wagon and realized she was definitely standing at the entrance to the Duke's home.
"Hah....to think I'd be back here. Wait here sir. I'll be back with some money."
Qian Lan ushers the old man to stay at the side of the Duke's mansion and walks to the entrance on her own, only to be stopped by two guarding soldiers. The taller of the two guards blocks Qian Lan's path and points his spear at her.
"Halt! What purpose do you have here?!"
"I....I am Qian Lan. Please let me speak to Duke Xia Long!"
"The duke is busy and has no time for a commoner such as you. Get out of here!"
"Please! If you'd just tell him my name he can vouch for me! Or just get the head maid! Please!"
Just as Qian Lan was struggling with explaining herself to the guards she hears something loud like a bucket falling to the ground and rolling into a mud puddle.
"Miss...Qian Lan?!"
Qian Lan quickly recognizes the voice and calls out to the head maid.
"Head maid! It's me Qian Lan!"
The maid looked at Qian Lan like she had just seen a ghost. She drops her umbrella and runs to Qian Lan. Quickly motioning for the guard to drop his spear.
"Leave her to me!"
The head maid grabs Qian Lan and drags her into a small clean room. Quickly closing the door behind her.
"Qian Lan! How is this possible?! How are you here?! The duke told me you were the maiden sacrificed over two months ago!"
"I...I know there's a lot to explain but I don't know how I am back here. Ah! Before you ask me any more questions can I borrow some money? Hehe."
The maid could only stare dumbfounded at Qian Lan who held her hand out. The head maid sighs and hands Qian Lan a small bag with eight silver coins inside.
"This better be enough."
"Hehe, thank you. I will be right back."
Qian Lan had almost forgotten about the old man waiting for her. She quickly runs back into the rain and hands the bag of silver coins to the old man.
"I hope this is enough mister. If its not let me know!"
The old man grabs hold of the bag and counts the silver coins. Only taking two coins he hands the rest back to Qian Lan.
"This is more than enough for someone like me little miss."
"Huh? Are you sure mister?! You can take the whole thing! Here!"
Qian Lan tries to give the old man more but he only continues to decline her offer. The old man breaks into a smile and offers a prayer to Qian Lan before going back on his journey.
"Take care little miss. Looks like you've had it rough, but you're young. I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Old man....sniff.....thank you for all your help!"
Qian Lan bows to the old man and waited till he was now out of sight before running back into the duke's residence. As Qian Lan was about to head back into the small room where the head maid was waiting; she hears someone call out to her from the distance.
"Is....is that you miss Qian Lan?"
Still drenched in rain, Qian Lan slowly turns around and meets eye to eye with duke Xia Long.