Chapter 13: A Silent Goodbye and the Road Ahead
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Chapter 13: A Silent Goodbye and the Road Ahead
The sun had barely risen when Lin Yue and Li Wei gathered their belongings and prepared to leave the village. Song Yu was already awake, standing by the door of the clinic, his expression unreadable. There was an unspoken understanding between them, a mutual recognition of the choices they had made.
Lin Yue had spent the past few days helping Song Yu, gathering knowledge about the town, the Mystic Valley, and the dangers that lay ahead. She had grown fond of the eccentric doctor, but she knew she couldn't stay.
Song Yu watched them quietly, his eyes flickering between Lin Yue and Li Wei. "You're leaving, aren't you?" he asked softly.
Lin Yue nodded, a somber smile crossing her lips. "We have to. It's not safe here for us anymore."
Song Yu sighed, as if he had known this moment was coming, but it didn't make it any easier to accept. He looked at Li Wei, his gaze sharp and calculating for a brief moment. "You're both running from something… from someone. I'm not blind, you know. The Mystic Valley's reach is long, and they don't take kindly to people like you slipping through their fingers."
Lin Yue felt a chill run down her spine. Despite his calm demeanor, Song Yu's words held a weight that wasn't lost on her. He knew more than he let on, and that made her wonder just how much he had seen or heard during his time in this village.
"We'll be fine," Lin Yue said, her voice steady, but she couldn't quite shake the unease in her chest.
Song Yu stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Stay safe, Lin Yue. And if you ever need help, you know where to find me."
With a final nod, Lin Yue and Li Wei turned and left the clinic. The village seemed quieter than before, as though the very air held its breath, watching them go. The road ahead was uncertain, but there was no turning back now.
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The Journey Begins
They had planned to travel by carriage to get to the next town faster, but as they approached the town square, they realized that wasn't going to be possible. The streets were packed with people—villagers, traders, and travelers all milling about in a frantic hurry, their voices a cacophony of noise.
Li Wei frowned, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Looks like we'll have to walk. The carriage will be too obvious in this crowd."
Lin Yue nodded, her heart sinking a little. Traveling on foot would take much longer, and every step brought them closer to the dangerous world they were trying to escape. But there was little choice.
They set off down the winding road, the early morning sun already warming the air. The journey was long and arduous, but they pushed forward, knowing they couldn't afford to rest for long. By the third day, they reached another village, tired but relieved to have made it that far.
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The Encounter with Mercenaries
As they entered the village, the air was thick with tension. The normally bustling streets were quieter than usual, and Lin Yue couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Her instincts, honed over years of survival, were on high alert.
They had just passed a small market when a group of men appeared from the shadows. They wore leather armor and carried weapons, their faces masked or hardened with scars. At first, Lin Yue thought nothing of it, but then one of the men, a burly figure with a sharp jawline, stepped forward.
"You there!" he called, his voice gruff. "You're coming with us."
Li Wei instinctively moved closer to Lin Yue, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "We're not interested," he said coldly, his hand resting near the hilt of his sword.
The mercenary's eyes flicked to Lin Yue, his gaze lingering for a moment too long. "Oh, we're very interested. She's coming with us. Boss will pay a lot for someone like her."
Lin Yue's heart skipped a beat. She recognized the implication in his words—these men were mercenaries, and they had been hired to capture her. She couldn't understand why they would want her, but she could feel the danger rising.
One of the men tried to move toward Lin Yue, but Li Wei was faster. He unsheathed his sword in a fluid motion, knocking the man's blade aside with a sharp clang. The mercenaries hesitated for a moment, surprised by his skill, but they quickly regrouped, charging forward with a roar.
Lin Yue stepped back, her heart pounding as the fight broke out around her. She could see the viciousness in the mercenaries' eyes as they tried to overpower Li Wei. But he was too skilled for them. With each swing of his sword, he sent them reeling, his movements graceful and lethal.
Lin Yue couldn't just stand there. She searched for anything she could use—anything that could help. Her eyes landed on a nearby rock, and with a swift motion, she picked it up, throwing it at one of the mercenaries who was attempting to flank Li Wei. The rock hit its target, distracting the man long enough for Li Wei to take him down.
The fight was intense, but the mercenaries couldn't seem to touch them. After several minutes of battle, the remaining mercenaries began to retreat, realizing they were no match for the pair.
Breathing heavily, Li Wei stood over the fallen men, his sword still raised in readiness. "Are you alright?" he asked Lin Yue, his voice low and urgent.
Lin Yue nodded, her body still shaking from the fight. But there was something she couldn't quite shake off—the mercenaries had come after her, and they had no clear reason why.
As the last of the mercenaries fled, Lin Yue quickly wiped her hands on her clothes, suddenly feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. She took a deep breath and then did something spontaneous: she grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and smeared it across her face.
"Better to hide my identity," she muttered to herself, even though she wasn't sure it would help.
After hours of walking,the sun was already setting.li wei and lin yue entered the space back
Li Wei raised an eyebrow at her, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He was about to say something when he heard the laughter of the children.
The quadruplets, who had been watching from a safe distance, couldn't hold it in any longer. They burst into giggles as they pointed at their mother's dirt-covered face.
"Mom, you look funny!" Qin Ze giggled, his little hands clutching his belly as he laughed uncontrollably.
Ren An, not wanting to be left out, added, "You look like a mud monster!"
Ling Xue and Jian Yu joined in the laughter, their voices high-pitched and full of mischief. "Mom's a dirt monster!" Jian Yu squealed.
, the laughter still ringing in her ears. Once inside, she wiped the dirt off and looked at her children with feigned indignation.
"Is that how you all greet me after such a fight?" she said, hands on her hips. "You little troublemakers!"
The children burst into more laughter as they ran around inside the space, teasing their mother as they went. Lin Yue chased after them, her mock fury turning into playful laughter. For a moment, the weight of their journey seemed far away, replaced by the warmth of her children's happiness.
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As evening fell, they settled down for the night, the journey ahead still uncertain but their spirits lifted by the small, precious moments of normalcy. Lin Yue knew the road would be long, but as she looked at her children , she found the strength to keep moving forward.