Surviving in the General's Mansion - Chapter 84

After lunch, Cang Chuli took Mo Qing and Mo Bai into the hunting grounds to ride.

Xia Heng and Chuqing were washing up beside a pool of running water at the edge of the grounds, cleaning the pots and bowls they had used earlier.

The water was shallow, merely cold. Xia Heng had boiled a pot of hot water in advance. Mixing the two together made it easier to wash everything clean.

Without warning, a sack dropped over her head from behind. Before she could cry out, pain exploded at the back of her skull, and she knew nothing more.

*Thud!*

Someone threw Xia Heng to the ground. She had just begun to regain a trace of awareness and was not yet fully conscious when—

*Thud!*

Another heavy object landed on top of her.

Through the haze, Xia Heng heard people talking nearby.

“These two girls are far too heavy!”

“Seriously. Why feed servants so well? They nearly worked me to death.”

“Why did we bother carrying them here at all? Wouldn’t it have been easier to slit their throats?”

“No. Second Young Master gave orders that it had to look as though wild beasts mauled them to death.

“Hurry. Sprinkle that meat-scent powder on them so we can get out of here!”

“They won’t wake up and run away, will they?”

“Don’t worry! We drugged both of them. Even if they wake, they won’t be able to run! Now move. We still need to leave signs by the water.”

Only after the voices faded into the distance did Xia Heng slowly open her eyes.

She could not see clearly, but at least she could tell that the sacks were no longer over their heads.

She cautiously tried to move.

The drug was viciously strong. Even after summoning every shred of strength in her body, she could not so much as roll over.

She opened the system store and exchanged for a basic antidote.

With immense effort, Xia Heng moved one hand toward her mouth. She could barely keep her eyes open. All she could do was bite down on the tip of her tongue and fight desperately against the drug’s effects.

She retrieved the basic antidote from storage. By the time she finally managed to pull out its stopper, her mouth tasted of blood.

Her hand moved toward her mouth while her head strained to meet it. At last, she managed to push the antidote bottle between her lips.

She gripped the mouth of the bottle with her teeth, and the cool liquid flowed into her mouth.

Only then did some strength return to her body.

She pushed against the ground with her left hand and rolled onto her back, then drained every last drop of the antidote.

After returning the bottle to storage, she planted both hands on the ground and sat up.

Only then did Xia Heng see that the heavy object that had struck her was no object at all.

“Chuqing? Chuqing?”

Xia Heng pushed her twice. Chuqing’s brow creased faintly, but she showed no sign of waking.

Xia Heng hurriedly exchanged for another bottle of basic antidote and poured it into Chuqing’s mouth.

Before long, Chuqing opened her eyes.

She sat up, rubbed her head, and immediately said, “Ow! Which accursed bastard hit me on the back of the head?”

Xia Heng was studying their surroundings. This appeared to be a dark cave, and an unpleasant smell hung in the air.

At Chuqing’s words, she felt the back of her own head.

Such a huge lump?!

Those men had mentioned a second young master… Xia Lang?

Other than Xia Lang, Xia Heng truly could not think of another “Second Young Master” she knew who would try to harm them.

She reached over and touched the lump on the back of Chuqing’s head. The pain made Chuqing suck in breath through her teeth.

Xia Heng’s expression turned grave.

The poor girl had been caught up in this through no fault of her own.

After Cang Chuli left, she and Chuqing had been practically inseparable at the hunting grounds.

They ate together, worked together, and watched every spectacle together.

The Xia family had probably waited in vain for Xia Heng to be alone. In the end, they had abducted Chuqing as well.

Xia Heng brushed at both their clothes.

The meat-scent powder was extremely fine. Even after the loose powder on the surface had been knocked away, some still clung to the fabric.

Taking advantage of the cave’s darkness, Xia Heng retrieved another spring-loaded dagger and handed it to Chuqing.

“Take this. Be careful.”

Chuqing accepted the dagger and nodded. Only then did the two women slowly feel their way toward the cave entrance.

At a bend in the passage, they suddenly heard what sounded like small animals whimpering.

Chuqing gathered her courage and poked her head around the corner.

A litter of fluffy puppies had probably smelled the meat-scent powder and was tottering toward them.

“Puppies! They’re adorable!”

Hearts nearly appeared in Chuqing’s eyes.

Xia Heng, however, remembered what Xiao Yaqing had told them that day. Her expression changed drastically, and she dragged Chuqing past at a rapid pace.

Where would dogs come from in the middle of this wilderness? They were most likely wolf cubs!

The two did not stop after leaving the cave. Only when they had traveled so far that the cave was no longer visible behind them did Xia Heng’s taut nerves ease slightly.

Xia Lang was truly vicious. He had taken advantage of the wolf pack leaving to hunt and dumped the two women inside its den.

He had drugged them so they could not escape, then sprinkled them with meat-scent powder. He had practically delivered dinner straight to the wolves’ mouths!

After walking a little farther, Xia Heng spotted a small earthen rise ahead.

She told Chuqing to wait below, then climbed to the top and looked in every direction.

There were trees and more trees. No road was visible, but she did find a stream.

After discussing it, the two women headed toward the water.

When they reached the stream, they cautiously made sure there were no other people or animals nearby.

Xia Heng took out the handkerchief she had tucked inside her clothes. It still retained a little warmth.

First, she used a dry handkerchief to brush away the powder from their clothes. Then she soaked the cloth in the stream and scrubbed the fabric repeatedly.

Both feared they would fail to clean it thoroughly and leave some of the smell behind, so they rinsed the handkerchief several times.

Xia Heng took care not to soak their padded jackets completely. Even so, the outer layers were damp, making the garments feel heavier.

There was no helping it. First Cang Chuli had encountered a tiger, then Xiao Yaqing had run into wolves. Who knew what else lived in these woods?

The weather might be cold, but running around a place like this covered in meat-scent powder—how would they be any different from two walking sausages?

Once they had finished, the women emptied their pockets and counted their possessions.

Two handkerchiefs, two daggers, and one tinder tube. Xia Heng also found a packet of dried meat she had roasted just before washing the pots.

She handed Chuqing one strip and chewed another herself, using the action to calm her mind.

Determining direction was not difficult. The problem was something else.

“Do you know which way the hunting grounds are?”

Chuqing shook her head, her gaze limpid and innocent.

“Mo Bai said that if I ever get lost in the wilderness, I should light a fire. He’ll follow the smoke to find me.”

Xia Heng pursed her lips.

“But we don’t even know whether they’ve discovered we’re missing yet… And I’m afraid Mo Bai might not be the one who comes.”

Chuqing nodded, looking worried as well.

“How about this? I need to answer nature’s call. Wait right here! Don’t wander off. Do you hear me?”

Chuqing obediently agreed.

Xia Heng walked some distance away, hid behind a large tree, and took out her phone.

She prayed inwardly, *Please don’t be more than five kilometers (about 3.1 miles)! Please don’t be more than five kilometers!*

…It was over. They were more than five kilometers away. The area containing the hunting-ground tents did not appear on her map.

Fortunately, she found a route labeled “Main Hunting-Ground Road.”

As long as they reached it and followed the road, they ought to make it back.

She had not expected those bastards to haul them so far so quickly!

Because the map had no navigation function, Xia Heng could only establish the correct direction and memorize the route as best she could.

Then she returned to Chuqing and proposed with studied casualness, “Why don’t we go that way? I have a feeling that direction should more or less take us back.”

“You went to answer nature’s call and came back with a feeling?” Chuqing asked, puzzled.

Why had this wretched child chosen now to become so clever?

Still, Chuqing obviously had no better idea. After thinking for a moment, she decided they might as well take things one step at a time.