Mo Yan did not miss the "expressive glances" exchanged between them, but her determination to rescue them left no time to dwell on the master-servant duo's emotions.
When Mo Yan arrived with her people, Mo Qingze, weak and having endured days of hunger, was being besieged by those villains, curled up on the ground, utterly powerless to resist!
The two young ones were restrained as well, watching their father being beaten, already weeping inconsolably.
Mo Yan's anger surged from within, rushing forward with long strides—yet Xiao Eleven and the others were quicker. By the time she helped Mo Qingze up and settled the siblings, the fight had ended, and the wrongdoers were tied up tight, lying on the ground whimpering, nowhere near as ferocious and brazen as before!
"Thank you so much, brothers. If you hadn't come to our rescue, my family would have certainly perished here!" Mo Yan was genuinely grateful and offered her thanks once more.
Xiao Eleven waved his hand dismissively, "No need for thanks, young lady. These damned scoundrels have probably harmed many people. Running into us, they simply got what they deserved for the people's sake!"
After speaking, he looked at the exhausted family of one adult and three children and couldn't help but ask, "Are you planning to go to Yongcheng? We just passed through Yongcheng the day before yesterday. The place is crowded with refugees. The Magistrate, fearing chaos, has ordered the city gates closed. I'm afraid until the disaster abates and the crowds disperse, those gates won't open."
What he did not mention was that, to survive, the refugees gathered outside the city gates were capable of anything; he had witnessed people fighting to the death over a stale pancake.
Mo Qingze was taken aback. He wasn't just a Scholar focused on ancient books; he could guess somewhat the situation in Yongcheng. But if they didn't go to Yongcheng, where else could they go?
Mo Yan was also somewhat surprised. The original host had never traveled far from home and was unaware of the full extent of Chu country's territories, knowing only to follow her father's lead to Yongcheng without any other knowledge. Newly arrived, she was even less aware of any other safe destinations.
As for having a Space to return home or such, she hadn't considered it; with bandits and the Court fiercely clashing, going back would likely endanger their lives.
The group fell silent, and the atmosphere became somber.
Xiao Eleven, observing the thoughtful father and daughter, knew they were at a loss for a safe destination, so he suggested, "You can make a detour to Jing City. Although it's a longer journey, it is still more stable at the foot of the Imperial City!"
Jing City had also seen an influx of refugees, and while they too were not allowed to enter, the benevolent ruler of the day had ordered simple dwellings built outside the city to shelter the refugees, and set up soup kitchens to feed them daily. Although it might not fully satisfy their hunger, it would at least keep them from starving to death.
Mo Yan's eyes brightened at the thought that Jing City was a good idea. She didn't know how long the drought would last or when the Court's conflict with the bandits would end, but compared to other places, JingDu was undoubtedly the safest.
Mo Qingze pondered the idea and seemed moved, but the distance to JingDu was indeed too far; without a month's worth of walking, they simply couldn't make it. More than the fear of hunger, he worried about encountering dangers on the road like the one they faced today.
Seeing that Mo Qingze remained silent, Xiao Eleven guessed his worries and refrained from persuading further. Were it convenient, he could have pleaded with his lord to take the family with them to JingDu, but their group was tasked by the Emperor to quell unrest in the south, so...
In the end, Mo Qingze did not make up his mind but accepted Xiao Eleven's kindness and expressed his thanks once again.
With his lord waiting, Xiao Eleven could not stay long. Without further ado, he handed a small Token to Mo Qingze and, along with the others, quickly left with the captured evildoers.
As they watched Xiao Eleven and his group depart, Mo Yan clutched the small Passage Order in Mo Qingze's hand, feeling a warmth in her heart, thinking there still were many good people in this world! Inwardly, she vowed to repay this life-saving grace if opportunity arose.
She disliked being in debt to others, fearing the cost of repayment might be more than she could bear. This was also the main reason she decided to look after the original host's family rather than strike out on her own after transmigrating into the host's body.
Yet, this little interlude left no deep impression on either party's mind, and naturally, they were unaware of the profound bond that would form between them in the future…