Chapter 3: Learned Something New Today

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Learned Something New Today

Ling Qianjun stood in the woods holding a large bag of items. His eyes darkened as he stared at the door in front of him, his brows knit tightly together.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

This door simply stood there in plain sight, with absolutely nothing around it—no walls, no structure, just a freestanding door. He walked around to the back of it and found that he could simply stand right through where a room should have been!

Ling Qianjun took a deep breath. Once he calmed down, he looked at the supplies in his hands. "So what if she’s a Demon? As long as my family can survive this exile, nothing else matters." However, they had to resume their march at dawn. By then, he probably wouldn’t have the chance to come back and buy more things. Tonight was his last chance!

Wasting no more time, Ling Qianjun left the items on the ground and walked a short distance forward. There, he saw his third brother, Ling Qianfan—who had accompanied him into the woods to relieve himself—staring up at the moon. He quickly stepped up, clamped one hand over Ling Qianfan’s mouth, and used the other to drag him back into the depths of the woods.

"MMMPHH!" Startled by the sudden ambush, Ling Qianfan immediately struggled, muffled whimpers escaping his throat.

But the next second, he heard Ling Qianjun’s cold voice by his ear. "Don’t make a sound. Follow me."

It was Qianjun! Ling Qianfan relaxed. He looked at his brother and nodded furiously like a pecking chicken to show he would keep quiet. Only then did Ling Qianjun let go.

When they reached the abrupt, freestanding door, Ling Qianfan’s eyes went as wide as saucers. He lowered his voice and asked, "Qianjun, why is there a door here?"

Ling Qianjun handed the bag of supplies to him. "Hide this in your sleeves. Let’s head back first."

Ling Qianfan trembled in shock. "Qianjun, where did you conjure all these things from?"

Ling Qianjun shot him a cold glare. Ling Qianfan instantly nodded with a solemn expression and hid the items away.

The two slowly walked out of the woods. As they neared the main road, Ling Qianjun immediately feigned weakness. Ling Qianfan, clearly experienced in this routine, stepped up to support his brother, who had recently suffered a caning punishment and supposedly "couldn’t walk properly." Ling Qianjun’s leaning body also helped conceal his brother’s bulging sleeves.

The exiled prisoners were scattered in small groups at the edge of the woods. The government officers occupied the frontmost spot, while the Ling family lagged at the very back due to Ling Qianjun’s limited mobility. A government officer up front glanced at them. Seeing that the two had returned to the group, he looked away.

"Qianjun, Qianfan," their fourth sister, Ling Yunge, called out in a crisp voice when she saw them return. She hurriedly stood up to help support Ling Qianjun.

Their mother, Xu Panqing, looked at her two sons tenderly. "The government officers just handed out coarse cornbread and water. Sit down quickly, let’s eat together."

Ling Yunge was only thirteen, unable to hide the grievance on her face. "That cornbread is so hard it could chip a tooth. Even Wangcai wouldn’t eat this garbage back home."

Xu Panqing’s eyes stung with tears. Heartbroken, she reached out and gently stroked Ling Yunge’s cheek. "Child, staying alive is what matters most. Don’t think about anything else right now. Once you finish eating, close your eyes and get some good sleep. Only with proper rest will you have the energy to keep walking so we can reach Lingnan sooner."

"Mhm! I know, Mother. Don’t worry," Ling Yunge nodded emphatically. She then picked up two pieces of cornbread and shoved one into Ling Qianjun’s hands. With a sweet smile, she said, "Qianjun, eat some more. Your wounds will heal faster if you’re full."

Xu Panqing also pressed a piece of cornbread into Ling Qianfan’s hands, smiling. "Qianfan, you eat more too. One is enough for me."

Hearing his mother and sister’s words, Ling Qianfan’s heart felt heavy. He and Qianjun were the only men left to support the family. If anything happened to them, he couldn’t even imagine what kind of hardships weak women like his mother and sister would face on this journey of exile. Therefore, the brothers didn’t refuse their kindness.

But today, things were a little different.

Ling Qianfan turned to look at Ling Qianjun with anticipation. "Qianjun?"

Ling Qianjun gave him a reassuring look before saying, "Turn your back and keep an eye on the people up front."

At the same time, Ling Qianjun quickly took the hidden bag from his brother’s sleeves. Ling Qianfan immediately turned around and sat cross-legged, trying to make himself as wide of a shield as possible. Holding a half-empty bowl of water in his left hand and three pieces of cornbread in his right, he ate while keeping a vigilant watch on everyone ahead. "Don’t worry, Qianjun. I’ll tell you the second I notice anything suspicious."

Xu Panqing and Ling Yunge had no idea what kind of charade the brothers were playing. They just heard Ling Qianjun say to them, "Mother, Yunge, sit on either side of Qianfan."

"Oh, okay." Though confused, the two immediately followed his instructions.

Once all three were seated properly, Ling Qianjun straightened his posture and lowered his voice. "What I’m about to say might sound absurd, but I experienced it firsthand. You must control your emotions after hearing this. Do not make a sound that might draw the attention of others."

Ling Qianfan immediately shoved the cornbread into his mouth. With his mouth stuffed, he wouldn’t be able to scream. Xu Panqing gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her lips pursed in nervous anticipation. Ling Yunge quickly clamped her hands over her mouth.

Seeing this, Ling Qianjun continued in a low whisper, "When I went into the woods just now, I found a door. Opening it actually led to a grocery store run by a Demon. Qianfan was there too. He saw the door as well, but I went inside, and he didn’t."

A sharp gasp instantly erupted from the group.

SWISH! Three pairs of eyes darted around, looking at one another in utter shock.

Finally, Ling Qianfan nodded in terror. He took the cornbread out of his mouth, his lips trembling. "I-I-I did see that door." After saying that, he hurriedly stuffed the cornbread back into his mouth.

He internally screamed like a slaughtered pig, "I saw the door, but I didn’t know a Demon lived inside! Qianjun actually walked into a Demon’s lair! And he came back alive! My brother is so amazing!"

SWISH! Three pairs of eyes snapped back to Ling Qianjun.

Ling Qianjun calmly brought out the bag. Opening it, he said, "This is the food and water I traded with the Demon using the Gold Leaves I had hidden on me."

Once Ling Qianfan snapped out of his daze, he immediately turned his back to them again. Absolutely no one else could know about this!

"I’ll go back once more later tonight. We have to seize the opportunity to trade for more supplies," Ling Qianjun said, handing a bottle of water each to Ling Yunge and Xu Panqing.

Except... the two women frantically tugged at the caps and even bit them... but they just couldn’t get the water bottles open!

Ling Qianjun narrowed his sharp eyes and struck the necks of the water bottles with a swift chop of his hand, sending the caps flying! He then handed the opened bottles of mineral water to his mother and sister.

Xu Panqing and Ling Yunge stared at the mineral water in shock, filled with profound awe. "So the water Demons drink comes in transparent bottles. And Demon bottle caps need to be chopped off." They both felt their horizons had been vastly broadened today.

Next, Ling Qianjun opened two packages of waffles and handed them over. Looking at the golden pastries emitting an enticing egg aroma, the two women swallowed hard in unison. It smelled so good!

Xu Panqing and Ling Yunge had already been partly convinced when Ling Qianfan confirmed the door’s existence. But now, looking at this otherworldly water and food, they believed Ling Qianjun’s words without a shred of doubt. Knowing the immense implications this secret held for their survival, they didn’t dare waste time. They hurriedly shoved the waffles into their mouths and chewed.

With just one bite, Xu Panqing’s eyes shone brighter than the stars in the night sky. Ling Yunge was so intoxicated by the delicious flavor that she had to pinch her philtrum to keep from passing out from sheer bliss.