Chapter 59

As Liang Xiao jumped into the backyard, the lights in the west wing room turned on. A soft sound, and the door opened, a faint yellow light spilling out.

"Liang Xiao, is that you?"

"Why haven't you gone to sleep yet?" Liang Xiao walked over quickly and closed the door behind him. Li Rongqing was dressed neatly, clearly not having gone to bed and waiting for Liang Xiao to return. Liang Miao sat on the bed, half-closed eyes, resting.

"Are you hungry? I'll go get you something to eat." Li Rongqing left the room.

Liang Xiao sat by his mother's bed and licked his lips. "Mother, I went to check it out. The place is flat with no place to hide. Once we're surrounded, there's almost no chance of escape. The Hu family has many horsemen; two legs can't outrun four."

Liang Miao opened her eyes and glanced at Liang Xiao. "Liang Xiao, do you think the Hu family wants to kill Rongqing? No, they want to kill you. Before, your archery wasn't fully developed, so you could wait. Now that you've made some progress, how long do you plan to hide? Liang Xiao, archery is important, but if you lack the courage to take risks, how good can your archery be?"

Liang Xiao frowned. He didn't understand why his mother was so persistent, almost to the point of being unreasonable. How could a mother force her son to take risks?

"Liang Xiao, great wealth comes with great risks. You weren't born into a noble family, you have no ancestral favors to inherit, and no brothers to support you. Besides taking risks, what other opportunities do you have? Do you want to be a farmer like Tuniu's father, or a wanderer like Rongqing's father?"

Liang Xiao's frown deepened. His mother's words hit the mark. If he didn't dare to take risks, he indeed had no way out. Wuwangchi was dangerous, but wasn't the battlefield dangerous too?

"Mother, if I have no choice and kill someone, we might not be able to stay here."

Liang Miao looked at Liang Xiao and reached under the mattress to pull out a few bamboo slips. Liang Xiao took them, smiled bitterly, and returned them to his mother, bowing. "Since Mother has already decided, I have nothing to hesitate about. I'll go prepare."

"A man should be like this." Liang Miao nodded in satisfaction.

Liang Xiao pushed the door open and returned to his room. Li Rongqing was waiting outside with food. Seeing Liang Xiao come out, she quickly followed.

Liang Xiao entered the room, closed the door, and sat by the table, starting to eat without a word. Li Rongqing sat beside him, resting her head on the table, staring at Liang Xiao without blinking. Liang Xiao glanced at her. "If you want to look, look your fill. Maybe you won't see me in a few days."

"Ugh, ugh, ugh!" Li Rongqing spat a few times, blushing. "Liang Xiao, although you don't make promises lightly like other wanderers, you keep your word and are brave and wise. I believe you can turn danger into safety, rise to prominence, and achieve great wealth and honor."

"Hehe, I didn't expect you to be so eloquent. No wonder my mother likes you."

"Mother likes me not because I'm eloquent, but because she is kind." Li Rongqing propped her chin on her hand, lost in thought. "The way she looks at me is exactly like how my mother looks at me, as if she's looking at herself. I think she must have suffered a lot when she was young."

Liang Xiao blinked but didn't ask. His mother's past was a taboo, and no one could ask about it; they could only wait for her to speak.

"Prepare yourself. Mother has already prepared the travel documents. After we pay respects to your father, we'll start our escape."

"Escape?" Li Rongqing was stunned, clearly not expecting the situation to be so serious, and that Liang Miao had even prepared the travel documents.

"Don't be so nervous. This actually has nothing to do with you; the Hu family has always been after me." Liang Xiao shrugged, feeling depressed. "Although I still don't know why."

...

"Escape?" Huan Yuan's single eye flashed. "Where do you plan to go?"

"Not decided yet, just get out of Jiangdu first."

Huan Yuan pondered for a moment. "In that case, why not go to Jiangnan? Jiangnan has deep mountains and dense forests, suitable for hiding. The people there are fierce, and the government troops are reluctant to enter the mountains. When Wuwang was considering where to establish his capital, he chose Guangling because of the local customs. There are also many tigers and leopards there, perfect for your archery practice."

Liang Xiao's eyes darted. "Master, did you plan this long ago?"

Huan Yuan was taken aback and smiled without answering.

"Is there a remnant of Wuwang's army in Jiangnan, dreaming of a counterattack?"

Huan Yuan's expression became serious, his single eye staring intently at Liang Xiao. "How do you know these things?"

Liang Xiao didn't answer, just shook his head. "Master, I don't know what your plans are, or if you have other reasons for staying in Guangling. But I want to advise you, don't have such illusions. The trend of unification is already set. Wuwang couldn't achieve it when he was alive, and a few remnants have even less chance. It's been over a decade, and there's been no movement..."

"Stop talking." Huan Yuan interrupted Liang Xiao. "Everyone has their own aspirations, and I don't force anyone. Since you don't want to go with me, our master-disciple relationship ends here. Liang Xiao, your archery foundation is solid. As long as you keep practicing, your strength and range will improve, and your hearing will get better. Whether you can reach the highest level and become a true archer depends on your talent."

Liang Xiao sighed, feeling a strange sense of sadness. He had thought about the day he would part ways with Huan Yuan, but he never expected it to come so quickly and suddenly. He bowed deeply before Huan Yuan, knocking his head three times.

...

The next morning, when Liang Xiao woke up, Huan Yuan was gone. The door was slightly ajar, and the room was neatly arranged, just as it always was, as if Huan Yuan were still sitting there, ready to listen to Liang Xiao's daily lessons through the door.

After breakfast, Liang Xiao was about to go find Tuniu when Tuniu came to him first. He told Liang Xiao that his master, Zhongli Qi, had just sent someone to tell him that he didn't need to go to Shili for training anymore. As for the reason, Zhongli Qi didn't say.

Tuniu didn't understand what was happening and came to Liang Xiao out of habit.

Liang Xiao knew the reason. Huan Yuan was gone, and Zhongli Qi would definitely leave too. Whether he returned to Jiangnan to find the remnants of Wuwang's army or stayed in Guangling to hide and continue acting as their spy, only they knew. It wasn't appropriate to ask more.

"Niuer, I plan to travel. Are you interested?"

"Travel?" Tuniu perked up. "Where, to Huainan?"

"I want to go to Chang'an." Liang Xiao patted Tuniu's shoulder. "I want to find opportunities in Chang'an. If you want to come with me, go home and pack. Don't worry about the travel expenses; my mother has prepared everything."

"Is your mother going too?"

"My whole family is leaving. But this is a secret; you can't tell anyone. Otherwise, we won't be able to leave."

"Definitely, definitely." Tuniu thumped his chest.

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