"Stop! Let"s rest here for the night," Xiong Jingfei order, making the carriage coming into an immediate halt.
"Miss, we can still travel some more? The sun is still bright up in the sky, and night has yet to fall." Xu Song protested, lifting up the curtains and looked up at the blue sky.
"No, do as I say." Xiong Jingfei stood up, showing that she was going to leave the carriage and step outside.
Instantly, Xu Song got herself up and went out of the carriage first. She held up the door curtain and extended out of her hand for Xiong Jingfei to take while going down the tall carriage.
"Miss, why are we stopping already?" One of the soldiers traveling with her asked. It was well written on his face that he was in a hurry. He wanted to get to the border as soon as possible to accompany his general, Xiong Guozhi.
"Are you questioning my order?" Xiong Jingfei peered down at him with eyes containing the same pressure as her father.
"Of course not!" The soldier shouted gulping. She is, without a doubt, The Great General daughter! "There is a spot located over there that can be set up for the night."
Xiong Jingfei nodded her head and watched the soldier pick up his pace to return back to his post. He was literally running as fast as he could from her. He thought, maybe, the known gentle Eldest Miss would be more relaxing to be around with than with Xiong Guozhi. But who knew, his daughter was no different from him!
Xiong Guozhi did not wait for Xiong Jingfei to finish packing up at the Capital. He left right after he sent the male servant to relay his message to her. He was planning to rush day and night to reach the border and had no time left to waste. If he chose to wait for Xiong Jingfei to be ready, it would have taken him longer before he reached the battlefield.
He left Xiong Jingfei in charge of bringing the needed supplies, and for her to meet up with them within less than two weeks. He left a few of his soldiers behind to accompany her for safety purposes. Then left without further instructions for her.
If you travel day and night riding a horse without rest, you will reach the border within four days. The max is five days. This was the exact reason why Xiong Jingfei wasn"t traveling along with her father.
She had two carriages filled with supplies of food and medicine. Moving day and night without rest was not an option they can take. They had to be alert at all times in case someone tried to rob their goods. In Xiong Jingfei"s case, it wasn"t going to be that simple for them to reach there within six days. If she makes it there within less than two weeks or within two weeks, it was fast traveling already.
Xiong Guang followed after Xiong Jingfei got off the carriage. She inspected the area her Miss instructed for everyone to stop and set up camp. They were, once again, sleeping in the middle of nowhere!
There was a village not too far ago they had pa.s.sed by. It had those people that was clinging onto their cart asking for food and water. Why couldn"t they have stayed in that village? At least, they would have slept in a house for the night. Instead of staying out in the open for animals to feast on them. Yet, her Miss chose this place...
"Xu Song... How come we are staying here? We might as well go back to that village and rest there for the night!" Xiong Guang complained but was immediately hushed.
"Less complaining and more working!" Xu Song shoved a basket into Xiong Guang"s arms and walked towards where the soldiers were resting.
Xiong Guang pouted, watching Xu Song pa.s.s out each soldier"s portion of food to them. She doesn"t understand how Xiong Jingfei and Xu Song think. They seemed to understand each other, but she couldn"t read what they"re thinking of at all!
Xiong Guang, wanting to slack off the task given to her. When she saw Xiong Jingfei entering the forest with a basket in one arm. She shouted, "Miss, where are you going?"
She dropped the basket next to the carriage and quickly chased after Xiong Jingfei.
"Miss, what are you doing?" Xiong Guang asked, kneeling down next to Xiong Jingfei, who was touching the ground with her fingers.
"Gathering more herbs," Xiong Jingfei replied, seeing as Xiong Guang wanted to slack off.
Since Xiong Guang was younger than her, she will let her off this time. Xiong Jingfei beckoned her to follow along. It was better to have two people together than one in an unfamiliar place.
"Why? Didn"t we bring enough?" Xiong Guang asked again, looking over her shoulders at the second carriage. She saw the servants of the Xiong manor carried out more than five large chest boxes. That second carriage they brought along was filled with medicine and cloths only.
"It is always better to have more than less," Xiong Jingfei patiently answer, standing up and touched the tree bark.
Xiong Guang watched as Xiong Jingfei plucked what looked like leaves that can be found in the Xiong manor. Though it wasn"t, seeing how carefully she picked each one of them and putting it into her basket. Xiong Jingfei wasn"t the type to randomly pick and touch the things she sees.
"What are those good for?" Xiong Guang continued on with her questions, forgetting she was a servant, and Xiong Jingfei was her master. She leaned over to pluck what seemed remotely similar to what Xiong Jingfei picking.
Xiong Jingfei let out m.u.f.fled laughter, "These are good for... Don"t touch that!"
Xiong Jingfei slapped Xiong Guang"s hand away from the leaves. Grabbing Xiong Guang by the wrist, she flipped her hand over to examine her fingertips.
"Miss! What happened?" Xu Song shouted, rus.h.i.+ng over to them when she heard Xiong Jingfei yelling. "Xiong Guang..."
"I-I was going to..." Xiong Guang stuttered. "I forgot that I had things to do!"
Xiong Guang quickly ducked her head and ran pa.s.sed Xu Song. She grabbed the basket she dropped by the carriage earlier and went to do what she was a.s.signed to do. She was afraid Xu Song was going to yell at her. She felt it! The tone coming out of Xu Song was ready to lecture her, again!
"Miss, is everything alright?" Xu Song asked, walking over to make Xiong Jingfei didn"t get hurt.
"Yes, it was nothing. Let"s go back and not stay near here." Xiong Jingfei grabbed Xu Song by the arm and began walking back to the camping area. She turned back around to look at the deadly caterpillar crawling around the leaf Xiong Guang was about to grab. In a quiet whisper to Xu Song"s ear, "Be on a high alter toni-"
Xiong Jingfei didn"t get a chance to finish her warning. The sound of running with branches breaking under its feet was coming right at them.