Chapter 694: Knight Cook, Young Master's Maid (Part 2)

Chen Ping laughed.

“It’s really you. I just thought we had gotten separated again.”

During the last Heaven-Reaching Tower trial, they had been separated, so Han Xiaoru thought it might happen again this time. She glanced around, not expecting much of a chance to find Chen Ping.

Her joy was beyond measure.

She was unreserved, her figure leaping fluently onto the horse, sitting behind Chen Ping and pressing the old horse down heavily. It neighed several times, slowed slightly, and fell to the back of the group.

The Captain of the Guard, Yun Teng, gave a cold glance over, as if wanting to reprimand them, his hand on the sword hilt showing bulging veins, yet he held back.

Perhaps because they were in such a hurry to travel, he didn’t have the mood to deal with these matters.

However, the killing intent still faintly seeped out, clearly holding thoughts of settling scores later.

It was the guards following Yun Teng whose glances turned odd.

Chen Ping mostly understood the meaning of those looks.

“On the escape route, and still thinking about flirting, brother, you’re quite bold.”

“Hehe.” The warm touch from behind and Han Xiaoru’s carefree laughter followed.

Clearly, she also understood the guards’ expressions.

“Should we leave? With us appearing here, Xiaoyue shouldn’t be far; otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.”

“We can’t leave for now, the actions of Heaven-Reaching Tower this time are unusual. It’s actually a rescue. The rescue mission doesn’t clarify if it’s rescuing this country, this prince, or perhaps, this world?”

Chen Ping pondered slightly, “Currently the key is to first understand why we’re in this escape squad; there must be a special purpose. Let’s observe for now.”

Chen Ping counted the fleeing group; including the Captain of the Guard Yun Teng, there were only seventeen people.

There was also a black carriage drawn by two horses, a half-old driver proficiently steering the carriage at the front.

Inside the carriage, a woman’s voice faintly emerged.

Those running or perhaps speed-walking on the ground were over thirty strong servants.

Most carried various items.

Like Han Xiaoru, carrying an iron pot, others carried food, cooking utensils, pack-bundles of bedding and so on…

Much like fleeing famine, a scene of misery indeed.

Chen Ping checked carefully, finding that amongst those strong servants, regardless of their figure or gender, none had a body posture similar to Ji Mingyue.

After such a long time of acquaintance, he was familiar to the bones. Chen Ping didn’t boast, but with merely a glance or a lift of hand, he’d recognize the young girl.

But clearly, she wasn’t among these people.

Could it be she’s really not in this escape squad, and perhaps has been allocated among the pursuers.

That would be dreadful.

If by any chance there’s a clash on the road, and a mishap occurs…

Chen Ping didn’t know what might happen this time if someone dies in Heaven-Reaching Tower’s world.

But he’s certain he wouldn’t want to test that.

He could only guess the consequences might be quite severe.

Definitely not something he’d want to see.

“Oh…”

The carriage tightly covered with black vine cloth suddenly lifted an edge of the curtain, eyes at once charming and angered glanced over.

Chen Ping and Han Xiaoru, as if with mutual understanding, both turned to look.

Just to see those eyes blink, a trace of familiar smile at the corner.

“Xiaoyue sister.”

Han Xiaoru suddenly hugged Chen Ping’s waist, whispering joyfully.

Yes, Chen Ping also recognized her.

“What identity does she have now?”

Very quickly, there was no need to ponder this question.

From inside the carriage came a reprimanding voice, “You clumsily poured wine for this young master, what use are you?”

Then, they saw a foot wearing cloud pattern silk shoes heavily kick a woman in a green skirt.

The carriage door banged open, a figure in green clothing plummeted head-down.

About to crash head-first, the green skirt figure suddenly extended a fair slender arm, pressing on the ground to dissipate the falling force, flipping mid-air, half-squatting on the ground.

As the carriage curtain briefly flapped open in the wind, Chen Ping saw inside, a gloomy-faced child dressed in rich robes, crowned with a golden crown.

Called a child because he looked about eleven or twelve, his body seemed not yet fully grown…

But seeing that child’s sinister face, and his disregard for others, Chen Ping felt almost certain this was the so-called Prince of Yan, Zheng Dongyuan.

Memories suddenly popped up in his mind, turning from symbols into real images.

“No wonder during the escape, there are only a handful accompanying, such meagerly loyal followers for a grand nation’s crown prince, it speaks volumes of how detested this lad must be daily. Then, what purpose does Heaven-Reaching Tower’s arranged identity hold?”

Chen Ping disliked cryptic people, but had to accept this.

He surmised that perhaps due to some unspoken, unexpressed rules, everything couldn’t be too clear.

All had to be discovered by oneself.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t call for help yet remain so cryptic.

Such thoughts could be set aside for now.

Chen Ping gave a deep look at the richly dressed golden-crowned youth, then at a similarly dressed, elegant and indifferent seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl in the carriage, before urging his horse forward, reaching out to pull the green-dressed young girl onto the horse.

The green-dressed young girl was naturally none other.

Her identity didn’t need guessing.

From the reprimanding words of the “young master”, it was clear to infer.

She was a maid.

Surprisingly, her age looked younger than Han Xiaoru’s body, appearing only about twelve or thirteen.

The reason she angered Prince of Yan, Zheng Dongyuan, likely was Mingyue’s unfamiliarity in serving people upon arriving.

To speak of, aside from as a beggar looking after Chen Ping warmly for a while, she hadn’t served anyone in her life.

A Commandery Princess by birth, later advancing step by step in cultivation, becoming a Divine Martial Realm grandmaster, Celestial Heart Pavilion’s chief, only deserved to serve just one person, her own Seventh Brother.

This hesitation led to being kicked off the carriage.

Though the cause was specific, the manipulative mindset and cold nature of the young master were evident.

“What point in fleeing? I doubt if pursuers come, how many of these people would truly fight for him, having just a few would be good enough.”

“None at all? Only, once on this ship, leaving isn’t simple; saying it’s unrelated doesn’t make it so, the rule is to err by killing rather than missing, prevalent everywhere.”

Ji Mingyue seemed not to mind the earlier action of the young master kicking her off the carriage. Rather, she smiled like a flower, sitting in front of Chen Ping, looking up closely at her Seventh Brother’s wind-weathered face.

“Hmm, age seems about seventeen or eighteen, far from Seventh Brother’s original physique, a bit stronger than being a beggar initially, but the resemblance is uncanny.”

There was something peculiar indeed.

Not only did Chen Ping resemble his original self closely.

Even Han Xiaoru and Ji Mingyue, they too had striking similarities to their previous appearances.

Only, one was youthful, appearances hadn’t matured to reveal a captivating beauty.

Still, her status remained extraordinary, although as a servant, still taken along during the young master’s escape, clearly valued.

The other was tall with arms that could run horses.

Despite her fine features, probably didn’t align with this world’s aesthetic, initially categorized as a “ugly woman,” it’s no wonder her role was “cook.”

Living days harsher than Hua Mulan.

Because Chen Ping also pulled the petite Ji Mingyue onto the horse, the trio riding together as a sandwich, the horse slowed further, making everyone’s gaze more peculiar.

Among ten, nine were gleefully watching, the remaining looking with concern as if regarding a dead man.

From this, it seemed this world’s nations likely had strict identity hierarchies.

Once someone did something out of line, it could invite catastrophic disaster.