Koi Fubao: Being loved by everyone on the road to escape from famine

Chapter 264 Escape from the Cage

Xiao Zhixue did not enter immediately, but asked Mu Qin to go ahead: "You go first to avoid any ambush."

Mu Qin said nothing and set foot on the road leading to the darkness.

Xiao Zhixue followed closely, took out a fire starter from her sleeve, and lit the dim path ahead. The light illuminated their steps forward.

This hidden passage was not long, and soon the two arrived at a basement.

Fortunately, there were no traps as expected. Mu Qin pointed to a few old wooden boxes stacked in the corner and whispered, "Master, those boxes contain all the savings of the Mu family."

Xiao Zhixue was not in a hurry to open the wooden boxes, but signaled Mu Qin to do it himself.

Mu Qin was well aware of the other party's doubts. To prove her innocence, she used the inconspicuous wooden hairpin on her head to gently rotate the rusty iron lock.

The lock opened with a sound, and the lid of the box slowly opened, revealing the scene inside the box.

Xiao Zhixue took a closer look and saw many precious calligraphy and painting works neatly arranged in the box.

Mu Qin then opened the rest of the boxes, which were filled with banknotes and all kinds of dazzling jewels.

All this dispelled the last bit of doubt in Xiao Zhixue's heart, and she was convinced of Mu Qin's true identity.

The locks on those boxes were all made of special alloys and could not be opened by ordinary keys. The simple wooden hairpin on Mu Qin's head was actually the only key to unlock these treasures.

Xiao Zhixue showed a relaxed smile on her face. She had no intention of coveting Mu Qin's wealth.

After all, this was the last inheritance left to her by Mu Qin's parents. Xiao Zhixue naturally disdained to take such wealth for herself.

"Let's go out."

Xiao Zhixue turned around first and walked towards the exit.

Mu Qin was quite surprised that in the face of such huge wealth, Xiao Zhixue could show such detached indifference.

If it were someone else, they might have been blinded by greed and taken the wealth for themselves.

This action made Mu Qin's affection for Xiao Zhixue even deeper, and he became more determined to repay her for saving his life by giving himself to her.

The two returned to the bright world. Mu Qin knocked three times again next to the rockery, and the stone wall returned to its original state, covering up the secret passage behind it.

Afterwards, Mu Qin led Xiao Zhixue to visit every corner of the Mu family mansion until Xiao Zhixue was ready to leave.

Mu Qin followed closely, determined to accompany Xiao Zhixue wherever she went.

Xiao Zhixue no longer expelled Mu Qin. Since she belonged to this land, she was naturally most familiar with everything here.

After leaving the Mu family’s residence, Liu Yin came towards them holding Ding Xiaojun in her arms.

Just now, when she was waiting outside, she witnessed more than 20 women fleeing from the house in panic.

The shocking scene still left her with lingering fears. The women were in disheveled clothes. Liu Yin quickly covered Ding Xiaojun's eyes with her hands.

Although she didn't know the whole story, Liu Yin could roughly guess that those women must have been victims of Yuan Shang and his accomplices.

After the women went away, Ding Xiaojun began to complain of feeling unwell, his voice revealing fatigue and confusion.

Liu Yin then suddenly remembered the small bottle of extremely precious "holy water" that Xiao Zhixue had given her not long ago. She hurriedly took it out from her bosom, carefully handed it to Ding Xiaojun's lips, and let him take a sip.

The clear and transparent liquid slowly flowed into Ding Xiaojun's thirsty throat, as if it contained incredible vitality. The little boy's face, which had originally turned pale due to fatigue and fright, gradually regained its rosy color, and a glimmer of life reappeared in his eyes.

At this moment, Liu Yin was close to Xiao Zhixue and inadvertently noticed a woman following behind Xiao Zhixue. She was dressed simply but very neatly, and her manners revealed an extraordinary temperament, which made Liu Yin feel a little confused.

"What happened in the chaos just now? I clearly saw many women fleeing in a hurry. Could it be that, apart from Yuan Shang's men, there are other secrets that we don't know about?"

Such a thought flashed through her mind.

Xiao Zhixue seemed to have noticed Liu Yin's doubts. She waved her hand gently and explained calmly, "Don't worry. Yuan Shang's men are not there. Those women were actually imprisoned before, and we just happened to rescue them."

After she finished speaking, she turned her eyes to Mu Qin, with an imperceptible tenderness in her eyes.

Mu Qin, a seemingly ordinary but strong woman, looked at the sleeping child in Liu Yin's arms and the concern on Liu Yin's face, and secretly wondered: Could these two be the family members of the legendary young master? An inexplicable sense of closeness arose spontaneously.

At the same time, Liu Yin was observing Mu Qin quietly, wondering: In such a panicked scene, why didn't she choose to escape like the other women, but instead seemed so calm?

As if to break the silence at this moment, Mu Qin politely bowed to Liu Yin, his tone gentle and humble: "This is the former residence of the Mu family. I was also imprisoned by Yuan Shang and his men. Thanks to this young master's rescue, I was able to escape the cage and regain my life. Madam, please forgive my presumptuousness. If my previous words were inappropriate, I hope you will forgive me."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yin was about to clarify that her relationship with Xiao Zhixue was not what the outside world had rumored, but Xiao Zhixue had already taken the lead and gently interrupted her: "I plan to look somewhere else. Sister Liu will stay here to take care of Xiaojun, so that he won't catch any more colds."

After she finished speaking, Xiao Zhixue's eyes were filled with unquestionable determination.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yin quickly nodded in agreement, then carefully held Ding Xiaojun and found a place with dense shade to sit down so that he could rest in the coolness.

Mu Qin was secretly blaming himself for his slip of the tongue. Just as he was about to apologize to Xiao Zhixue, he looked up and found that Xiao Zhixue was already striding towards another quiet courtyard.

She quickly calmed herself down, forced a smile at Liu Yin, then quickened her pace and followed closely behind Xiao Zhixue.

In the sunshine, the two figures gradually walked away, each carrying different missions and hopes.

Xiao Zhixue stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary house. On the lintel were carved the words "Lu's House" in a simple yet solemn font.

Compared with the Mu family's house, this house is less luxurious and more peaceful. The surroundings are quiet and silent, and it is obvious that it has not been disturbed by Yuan Shang and his ilk.

Gently pushing open the creaking wooden door, a breath of stale but fresh air rushed towards me. The house was empty, and every room was covered with dust from years, indicating that no one had lived here for a long time.

Xiao Zhixue and Mu Qin walked through the empty house, passing through one silent room after another, and confirmed that Yuan Shang and his gang had indeed never set foot here.

Afterwards, they visited several similar houses in succession, and without exception, they were all in a state of desolation, as if time had stopped there.