A carriage traversed in a fast speed through the cold night.
Li Amm doesn't have a chance to choose a good carriage. She sneaked out after she made sure that Xiao Min was already rested in her chambers. She knew that from the look of the expert's eyes, those two experts would not go anywhere outside of Ren household. She understood that they had orders, but she could not let the two kids die out of hunger and cold. Leaving them there was the same as killing them.
Li Amm , who had soft spot for children who are in needs, could not leave them alone. Even she knew that what she was doing was risky and reckless, it was the only way to save the two children. She hugged the coats she prepared beforehand. She just hope that there would be no accident on the way to the Lin City and getting back to the capital.
The carriage driver could not help but sneezed out loud. Their road was bit bumpy since this was not the main road from the capital to the Lin City. Li Amm chose the desolated road to avoid the next city to the capital where the Emperor's men were in. With this road, the travel time would be a bit longer and the ride would not be smooth. However, this was the best option for her and the carriage to arrived in Lin City unnoticed. She just hope that this carriage would hold-on on this rough journey.
"Lady, we are now at the outskirts of the Lin city. Are you sure you don't want me to drop you on the entrance? The walk from here was a bit dangerous." The driver said with worries for this lady who paid him one gold coin.
"It's alright. Just wait for me here. You will get two more gold coins once we get back to the capital." Li Amm handed the carriage driver a single gold coin. The driver's eyes lit up. He nodded like a peacock.
"Remember, hide your carriage and don't let anyone find out that you are here. If my brother-in-law knew that I am taking the children, he won't just hurt them but he would cut those children's legs. Their mother, my sister, had died because of his abuse. I don't want the children to suffer like her. So please, do these favor for me." Li Amm used the story of having an abusive brother-in-law. She used the story of saving her niece and nephew that was always beaten up by their father.
The driver nodded sympathetically. He has children too. So he hid his carriage beside a tree and put some snow on his carriage's roof.
Seeing that carriage driver was willing to help, Li Amm was at ease. She have to lie to make sure that this man would not just take the half part of the deal and left them here. Li Amm knew that they could not travel with a handicapped person with just only her and a little girl.
As the driver had said, the road here was quite dangerous.
Li Amm found the dog hole that Yun told her about. It was a good thing that the area they stopped was near at the west alley. The hem of her clothes were wet and dirtied. It was hard to crawl into the dog hole with the thick clothes she wears. It took her a long time to finally get in the west alley of the Lin City.
The dark night was a perfect cover for her little self to ran and walk to the last house in the west alley.
The ruined house was now in sight. The broken door was slightly opened. Li Amm frowned. Were the children had been eagerly waiting for her that they left the door open?
She silently crept into the door. Even though she knew there was no one in the neighborhood, it was still better to be safe and acted discreetly.
"Xan'er?" Li Amm called out.
However, silent met her. This made her nervous. She went inside and saw none of their shadows. The only thing that was left was the straw bed that Shan had been laying on before.
Li Amm touched the straw bed. There was no remaining warmth on it. It means they had left probably more than an hour ago. But where they would go?
Xan'er and Shan wouldn't able to go anywhere unless someone get them. But who will?
Li Amm thought the maybe the two experts still kept their words, but Li Amm couldn't shake off the possibilities that they were taken by other people. Li Amm senses that was hone through the battlefields of the great minds of known businessmen in earth, knew at one glance if a person was confident in what he was saying. The expert's eyes were telling her that he had no choice but to follow his mater's orders even he have to leave the children behind.
So there's no way they would risk themselves for these two children. With these thoughts, Li Amm decided to take one look in this city. In this dark night and cold weather, a person could not travel unless it was an urgent matter. With a handicapped person with them , it was impossible that they would have gotten far. They must still inside the city. And the best place here was the plaza.
Li Amm used the night as dark veil and look for any source of light. She started to go to the direction's of the old man's inn.
The place was still quiet as ever. It was the same empty place like before. However, Li Amm had a feeling that this wasn't the case. She felt like there were dangers everywhere. She had a bad premonition. But what exactly it is?
She continued to silently walk with a heart full of suspicions and doubts.
After one turn, she would be in the plaza. As she was about to take a step and show herself to the plaza, a cold hand blocked her mouth and pushed her against the wall.
Li Amm was shocked. She did not feel the man's presence at all! If this person has intention to kill her , he had probably done so easily. But since she was still alive and was forcefully pushed to the wall, Li Amm calmed down a bit. This person would not kill her. At least not for now.
She could not see the person in front of her. The person's tall shadow covered her from everything.