Peak of No Return was just like that. A peak, no return.

Although it was called a peak, the name was attributed to a lone mountain that stood conspicuously at the edge of Phantom Forest. This sole mountain stood thousands li tall, like a majestic monarch with head held upright, reaching the bundle of soft clouds above. The base of the said mountain was luscious green and bustling with life, while it's peak was capped with white snow all year round. The lifelessness and coldness of this mountaintop was in stark contrast with its flourishing base.

Although the name Peak of no Return refers to the entire mountain, it was mostly attributed to its snow-capped top. On how it got its name, there were quite few stories. And those stories, while some are legends and mostly exaggerated, some may be based on true events. Peak of no Return was named like that because everytime someone accidentally wandered onto that mountain peak and fall into the cliff, they would surely vanish without a trace. Yes, they wouldn't just simply die, they would eventually vanish, never to return in this world. If they fall on that treacherous cliff, not even a single part of the body remains, they would magically disappear. Some people believed that the mountain had grown a spirit, devouring these unfortunate souls. Others says that there's a vicious demon living at the bottom of the cliff, luring people to jump to their death and ate them. While some believed that it was a path to ascension, a secret door towards heavenly realm. No matter which it was, no one dared to confirm these suspicion.

And naturally, everyone avoided that place. Almost no one dared to climb that infamous peak for a reason or two.

Well, almost no one... Except the plain-looking, poor-clothed Shen Lian.

Climbing several hundred li of terrainous mountain, Shen Lian finally reached the snowy part of Peak of No Return. He started to feel the chilling cold as he continue to ascend so he clutched his old faded robe closer to his body. On his arms, two cold clay jars were resting.

He sighed softly as he felt the coldness crept on his neck. Then he muttered in a soft low voice, "I... It's probably a bad idea to accept requests like this."

After walking for many more minutes, the edge of the cliff becomes visible. Shen Lian once again let out a soft sigh before crouching down to scoop two jars full of snow.

To find the hidden mystery of the Peak of No Return was not Shen Lian's goal at all.

"Sigh. Those noble families really do have peculiar interests. Why would they be fond of playing snow during summer? Can't they wait until winter? So baffling."

This is exactly why he came here. That's right. His very intention was to fetch this two jars of snow. He had braved the perils of the mountain for the sake of these two jars of snow.

After fetching what he needed, Shen Lian hugged the two jar, ready to left. Before he left, he cast a glance towards the very tip and while doing so, his eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of something amidst the thick white snow just few zhang away.

Driven by curiosity, Shen Lian slowly walked towards the figure and as he walked closet, the figure lying on the snow becomes clearer. And when he reached at that particular thing, he was stunned.

Indeed, it was a human figure.

Not just any ordinary human.

It was a bizarre-looking lady.

This lady looked no more than twenty years of age, lying unconsciously on the snow. Her tightly shut eyes were covered witb odd clear object that was worn on her ears. She was also dressed in a strange manner. She was not wearing any robe, instead she was only wearing a short-sleeved, thin clothing and a very short lower garment, barely covering half of her thigh. Her exposed limbs were very pale, even paler than the snow she was lying on.

After a moment of blankness, Shen Lian bent down and placed his fingers under the woman's nose. He detected a hot yet faint breathe. Then he withdraw his hand and held the woman's wrist to check her pulse. Then he carefully examined the woman's appearance.

No external injuries except for shallow scratches and frostbite. The temperature was also not right. It was far from right. In fact, despite the chilling temperature of the surrounding, her body was scorching hot.

She was burning with fever.

Shen Lian put down the two clay jars that he had been hugging for a good while now.

"Young lady, just what are you doing in this kind of place?"

Of course, the unconscious lady won't be able to answer him. He took a layer of his outer robe and draped it all over her body. With a sigh, he snaked his arm on the woman's back and his other hand lifted her knees. Just like that, he carried the unconscious lady in his arms. His nose was suddenly filled with a fresh citrus scent.

He had just took three steps when he suddenly halted. The he turned back, crouched again, picked up the two jars of snow and put then in the arch of the lady's stomach.

And just like that, he descended the Peak of No Return, with both the jars of snow and an unconscious lady in his arms.

At the small village in the outskirts of Wu City, a small thatched wooden house stood quietly among others. The house was in poor condition that walls were ridden with holes and the roof leaks during rainy days. That house has two small rooms and inside one of the room, an unconscious girl lay flat on the wooden bed covered in coarse bedding.

On the dusty chair beside the bed, a man in grey robe was sitting. He was attentively looking at the girl, checking for any signs of movements. After a moment, his eyes shifted towards the bowl of porridge sitting on the table nearby. The porridge was already lukewarm, and he was worried that it would go cold and not good to eat.

This man was named Shen Lian.

While Shen Lian was feeling the temperature of the porridge, he heard a fragmented sound from the bed. The sound was barely audible and almost unintelligible.

He looked at the girl at the bed and saw that her eyes were already opened but her gaze was shallow and there was a frozen on her forehead.

He inched closer and put his palms on her forehead, checking her temperature. Then he said softly. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"

The girl looked at her blankly and then opened her mouth to talk. "G... give me...give me my glasses."

Her words came out as whisper and still fragmented that Shen Lian couldn't figure out what she wanted. He inched closer to listen but she suddenly stretched her arms and with a twitching mouth, reached at the side table.

"Young lady, be careful!" He warned when he saw her blindly reaching out.

Few things were knocked down and even the porridge was almost knocked down by her. Finally, her hand reached the transparent, strange object on the table. The girl felt it for s moment, then she wear it on her eyes.

Wearing that strange thing, her gaze became more focused.

Shen Lian stared at her for a moment and once again asked, "Young lady, how are you feeling?"

Seeing him, the girl frowned even more. Then her face twisted like she was in some sort of pain.

"I feel like I've been beaten up so badly." The girl replied.

For a good moment, the girl's eyes was fixated on Shen Lian. Then her eyes wandered curiously around the room as if studying the place. After that, her eyes went back to Shen Lian and stared at him without saying anything.

"Hmm." Shen Lian faked a cough to break the silence. "You're bruises are healed. Your fever is also gone. After taking a rest for a few days, you will be fine."

He smiled at the girl who looked suspicious of him. Shen Lian understand. After all, waking in an unknown house with a stranger is indeed suspicious.

But the girl silently gritted her teeth. She looked like she wanted to spat a bunch curses. Shen Lian was really expecting her to throw him a few. Unexpectedly, the girl calmly asked, "Excuse me but... who are you? Where is this place?"

As a gesture of courtesy, Shen Lian stood straight before cupping his fist and bowing a little.

"Young lady, this person's name is Shen Lian. This one is neither popular nor has many affiliations. I am just a humble traveler who happened to see the unconscious lady at the top of Peak of No Return so I decided to bring the lady back to this small village for treatment. We are currently in the Rui village at the outskirts of Wu City."

The girl looked at him in disbelief. He didn't understand what does the expression means but it probably wasn't something good. He immediately grabbed the medicine at the table and let the girl sit properly before handing it to him.

"Young lady, please drink the medicine first."

The girl looked at the medicine and her eyes twitched a bit. There was a hint of suspicion in her face as she looked at Shen Lian. It was as if she was given a poison.

Shen Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Don't worry young lady, it's not poisoned."

After hesitating for a while, the girl decided to drink the medicine. After wiping her mouth clean, she looked at Shen Lian and mumbled, "Thank you for saving me. My name's Lei MengXi."

Shen Lian smiled upon hearing her words. "It's nothing. Good deeds accumulates virtue."

Shen Lian then gave her the bowl of lukewarm porridge to eat. This time, without hesitation, Lei MengXi slowly ate the porridge.

"Mr. Shen, you said this is Wu City right? Then are we not on GuangXi?"

GuangXi? That was the first time Shen Lian heard the word and it made him think for a moment. Then he replied honestly, "I do not know a place called GuangXi."

Lei MengXi's expression became weird. After pondering for a few moment, she asked again, "Then Mr. Shen may I ask where is the nearest bus station? I might as well return to Beijing."

This time, Shen Lian frowned. The words be just heard were unfamiliar. Bus station? Beijing? He has not encountered such words before.

"I'm sorry. I do not know of it. I haven't heard of Beijing either."

Lei MengXi paused, as if sensing that something was wrong. She fell into a deep thinking that Shen Lian thought she was going back to sleep. Finally after a long time of contemplation she asked one more time. "You said you're a traveller, how come you didn't know the capital of China? Beijing? How about Shanghai?"

Shen Lian could feel the nervousness on Lei MengXi's voice. He didn't know what she is nervous about nor the places she just mentioned.

"Young lady Lei, I don't quite understand your words. I've travelled a lot of cities in the entire Qin State but I've never heard any place called Beijing, or Shanghai or even China."

Lei MengXi's mouth hanged open as she looked at Shen Lian. There was a conflicting emotion in her eyes, those that Shen Lian can't name. Her pale face turned even whiter as she forced to mumble her next question.

"T-then, w-what... what year is it?"

Shen Lian, even though a bit confused with her questions and her expressions, still answered her earnestly.

"It is the 22nd year of the reign of King Xi, the third ruler of the Qin dynasty."

Lei MengXi's heart sank.

Shen Lian watched as Lei MengXi's face changed from snow pale to flush red then back into paler color before falling into a trance-like state.

"Young Lady Lei, are you okay?"

Instead of answering, Lei MengXi stood up with great difficulty. And even though still limping, she dragged her body towards the door, ignoring the repeated, anxious call of Shen Lian. She pushed the door open and went out so Shen Lian ran after her.

Upon reaching outside, Lei MengXi's eyes went wide with disbelief and she was stuck on the spot. Shen Lian has no idea what was going on with her but he knew something was wrong. He went closer and noticed that she was slightly trembling.

"Young lady, what is wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

But Lei MengXi continued trembling and suddenly, tears began flowing on her eyes.

Shen Lian didn't know what to do, so he watched helplessly as the lady began crying at the ground. He had no idea what upsets the girl and how to comfort her.

After an hour, Lei MengXi finally calmed down.

Shen Lian didn't asked her about her matters. Instead, he cooked soup at the kitchen and brought it for Lei MengXi to eat. The soup tasted good that Lei MengXi quickly finished a bowl.

"Young lady-"

Just as Shen Lian was about to speak, Lei MengXi raised her hand, gesturing him to stop. "Can you please drop the young lady? MengXi is fine."

Shen Lian smiled at her. It was improper for him to address her with such familiarity. After all, they were strangers. "Then, Lady Lei do you want to take a look outside? It will be good for your body to move for a bit."

"Alright."

When Lei MengXi stood up, Shen Lian noticed that the robe she was wearing looked weird for her. Because he initially thought that the piece of clothing Lei MengXi wore was a covering a bit too little, he decided to drape her with his own clothes. But his clothes were just too big for her that the sleeves are covering her hands completely and the hem of the clothes is touching the ground. The clothes was also too loose for her.

Seeing her looking at her own body, Shen Lian felt a little embarrassed.

"This..." He looked away as he awkwardly explained. "When I took you from the Peak of No Return, you are a bit underdressed. I don't have any women's clothing so I can only lend you mine. I hope Lady Lei won't mind."

Shen Lian saw Lei MengXi felt inside her clothes. She sighed of relief before pulling up the hem of the long robe.

"W-what are you doing?" Shen Lian asked flustered as he look away.

"Mn." Lei MengXi coughed. "Your definition of underdressed is quite strange. But thank you Mr. Shen."

Lei MengXi crouched down the bed and pulled something from under it. Shen Lian saw that it was the pair of white shoes. Lei MengXi put the shoes on.

Shen Lian led the way while Lei MengXi was following suit.

It was still early in the afternoon and the sky was still up in the sky. Lei MengXi guessed that it might still be three o'clock in the afternoon. The village was indeed a small one and the people living in it are obviously not living very well. The buildings are dilapidated and in a bad condition. The people outside wore tattered clothes and some are emaciated. When Shen Lian looked at Lei MengXi, he suddenly struck with feeling that she don't look like she belongs here.

As they walk, they passed by a small stall of steamed buns. The vendor of the stall is a thin, middle aged man who was wearing an old cloth with many patches and heavy stain. Lei MengXi sighed.

Shen Lian noticed how she was staring at the stall and thought that she wanted to eat steamed buns. So, Shen Lian walked towards the direction of the stall with Lei MengXi following behind him.

"Uncle Liu, two mantou please."

Shen Lian took out a string of copper coins and gave four of it to Uncle Liu. Uncle Liu opened a drum-like wooden structure and it emitted fresh steam. When Lei MengXi took a closer look, it was full of hot steamed buns.

"Young Master Shen, you seemed to have a good appetite. Two mantou huh." Uncle Liu laughed while handing him the steamed buns.

Shen Lian smiled. "It's not for me."

Then he turned around to give the buns to Lei MengXi.

Lei MengXi was standing behind Shen Lian so the vendor didn't see her at first. And when he finally saw the girl, her eyes opened in surprise.

"And who might be this young lady be?"

Even though Lei MengXi was wearing men's clothing, there's no way that anyone would mistook her for a boy. She has a petite figure and compared to Shen Lian, she was a head and half shorter. Also, the contour of her small, round face is definitely of a girl's.

Shen Lian saw Lei MengXi glanced at him.

"This is Lei MengXi. She is a cousin of my uncle's sister-in-law."

Shen Lian noticed Lei MengXi's gaze to flicker.

"I see. Lady Lei id such a beauty. Master Shen must be having a hard time shooing swarms of men away." Uncle Liu teased them that the tip of Shen Lian's ears instantly turned a bit hotter. But when he looked at Lei MengXi, she has no reaction at all, only that her lids are drooping low.

"Alright Uncle Liu, stop teasing us."

Uncle Liu laughed heartily. "But Lady Lei, if you keep that expression, you'll scare them all by yourself. Hahaha!"

Shen Lian: "..."

Lei MengXi: "..."

Shen Lian was speechless for a moment but when he looked at Lei MengXi's serious face, he finally realized why the old vendor said those words.

Lei MengXi's resting face was not friendly-looking at all. Even though her face indeed hold some unique charm, one might assume that she was displeased because of the deadpan expression she was wearing. Even more, her almost lifeless eyes added to the not-so-good expression that she had. Her face was naturally melancholic.

Seeing the expression on the two young people's face, Uncle Liu chuckled and said. "Alright! Alright! I'm just joking with Lady Lei."

After receiving their steamed buns, the two continued walking.

While Lei MengXi was munching on her steamed buns, she suddenly fell into a deep thought. Shen Lian tried calling her for few times before Lei MengXi finally looked at him.

"What's wrong now?"

Lei MengXi sniffed herself and then looked into Shen Lian's eyes. "Mr. Shen, how long have I been unconscious?"

Shen Lian replied, "three days."

"Three days?" Lei MengXi muttered. Then she murmured, "No wonder I felt sticky and uncomfortable."

"Mn. I thought it would take you a bit longer to wake up."

Lei MengXi stared at the young man in front of her. And for a long moment, she didn't say anything. Shen Lian's curiosity was growing but he didn't say anything at all. He just also stared back, wondering what was on the girl's mind.

"Young master Shen!"

Their staring contest was suddenly interrupted when a small voice called Shen Lian's name. When they turned to the direction of the voice, they saw two people, and old woman and a young girl of fourteen. It was the old woman who greeted Shen Lian which he generously and respectfully greeted back.

"Little Yan'er had grown a lot." Shen Lian commented with a smile as his soft gaze landed upon the teen.

The teenage girl's cheeks immediately turned pink upon greetings. She shyly tucked a lock of hair that had strayed behind her ear.

The old woman smiled too as she pulled the girl closer. "Yes. Now that our Yan'er had come to age, I'm bringing her to a matchmaker Wang to find a good match for her."

When the old lady mentioned marriage, Yan'er's expression slightly turned sour but her face once again glowed when Shen Lian gently patted her head.

From the side, Lei MengXi suddenly asked, "Yan'er, do you want to get married?"

When Lei MengXi asked this, three pairs of eyes landed on her. The old woman then looked at Shen Lian with a questioning look but he turned to study Yan'er's expression.

Yan'er casted a shifting glance between Lei MengXi and Shen Lian before looking away. There was still a shade of pink in her wheat-colored face as she spoke. "I... I have to find a good husband, fulfill my duties and be a good wife. Then I would live a happy life."

Lei MengXi did not speak anymore. Her sullen expression did not change a lot and just stayed silent. When Shen Lian saw her silence, he turned to the old lady.

"Then Madam Yu, I won't be hindering your business any further." Shen Lian said politely to the old lady. Then he turned to Yan'er and said in a gentle voice, "Yan'er, I wish you happiness."

The old lady and Yan'er thanked the guy and continued on their way. Lei MengXi and Shen Lian also continued to walk aimlessly. As they walk, Lei MengXi couldn't help but sigh.

"It might be a good thing for her if she could find a good husband that would treat her sincerely." After a moment of silence, Shen Lian suddenly spoke.

Lei MengXi lightly pushed the clear object she was wearing in her eyes to fix it before giving a very soft, almost unnoticeable chuckle. "Hearing that from you, I suddenly felt a bit of pity for Yan'er."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "When I was at her age, I was busy finding ways to skip school. I used a various of methods to deceive my parents so that I can stay at home."

Shen Lian's brows knitted. "School?"

Is this lady from aristocratic family? Is she some sort of noble lady from far land? How else she can go to school? Ain't only boys are allowed in school?

Lei MengXi slightly nodded her head and continued. "Did you know that according to Erikson during adolescence, youths are more inclined on finding their identity? I'm past my adolescence and already climbing into adulthood yet I still can't pass that stage. And here is little Yan'er being a few stages ahead of me."

Erikson?

Somehow, Shen Lian felt that Lei MengXi's words are extremely confusing. He understood her words separately yet he couldn't make sense of it. It was as if she was speaking using a foreign language.

"Lady Lei, do you always speak in a strange manner?"

The corner of Lei MengXi's lips turned upward very slightly. It was a small gesture but Shen Lian finally caught this small change in her expression.

They were walking casually when Lei MengXi suddenly halted. She looked as if she had just came into a realization. When Shen Lian noticed that she wasn't walking anymore, he asked, "What is wrong this time, Lady Lei?"

She looked at Shen Lian and in a really serious voice she asked, "Mr. Shen, can you hear my mind?"

Shen Lian was taken aback with this sudden nonsensical question. "W-what is the lady talking about?"

"Just answer me. Are you able to read my mind? Hear my inner voice?"

Shen Lian paused for a moment before answering. "How can that be possible? Of course I cannot do it."

Lei MengXi stayed quiet for a second. Then to Shen Lian's surprise, she suddenly screamed like she had gotten mad.

"WHAT THE HELL! I TIME-TRAVELLED WITHOUT ANYTHING AT ALL! WHERE  IS MY FREAKIN' SYSTEM? I'M FREKIN' WILLING TO TAKE ANY FREAKIN' TASK! OR AT LEST SPOIL ME THE PLOT THAT I SHOULD FOLLOW! OR EVEN GIVING ME A GOOD POSITION AS NOBLE LADY OR ROYALTY WOULD BE ENOUGH! GIVE ME THOSE STUPID PLOT ARMORS! WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME WITH NOTHING AT ALL? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?"

Carrying a large piece of an aged paper, Lei MengXi stood dazedly in front of an unfamiliar fork road. After being dazed for a moment, she began looking back and forth at the old piece of paper she was holding and this two roads in front of her. Her gaze then lingered at the piece of paper and after a good amount of time, she let out a crisp "F*CK!"

Earlier this morning, she was just boasting her "excellent map reading skills". She was even confidently saying that she had never been lost even once. Well, that was not a lie though. She truly had never been lost in the entire Beijing. But who would've thought that navigating her way with the use of Google maps and a hand drawn map would be two completely different things.

Lei MengXi wanted to curse even louder and tore the useless map to pieces. But thinking how Shen Lian carefully draw that map under the dim candlelight, her irritation subsided for a bit. It was her fault anyway. Before Shen Lian left her in the morning, he asked her many times whether she would be fine alone. He even offered to accompany her to the Peak of No Return but she politely refused upon learning that the guy was originally headed towards Wu City. She just asked the guy for a map, thinking that she would be able to find the place easily and totally forgetting that she was in a place which she was totally ignorant of.

Now, she's facing a fork on the road and this was clearly not on the map she was holding. In short, she was completely lost and the map she was holding was completely useless.

She sighed once again, suppressing the tears that wanted to escape from her eyes.

Since these two are both roads, then they should be leading to somewhere. I'll just pick one first.

She then decided to take the road to the right.

She was just about to walk forward when she hear noises the that seemed to be coming from galloping horses. And when she looked back, she really did see horses, two horses pulling a carriage. And behind the carriage is another one with similar appearance. When the approaching horses saw her on the road, it didn't stop, but they made a neighing sound and faltered for a bit.

The curtain that was draping at the window of the carriage gradually flew open. At first, what Lei MengXi saw was the fair delicate hands that swept away the curtain. After that, a head popped out from the window.

Because the carriage was moving, Lei MengXi couldn't see clearly the appearance of the person inside. To her surprise, the carriage slowed down and finally halted in front of her. Now, she could clearly see the head that popped out. It belongs to a young lady with a charming smile.

Lei MengXi didn't know why the carriage has stopped or why the beautiful lady is smiling at her so she stood there, with her blank face.

The smile on the lady's face widened. "This young lady, are you heading to Wu City too?"

Lei MengXi frowned. Wu City? Does this means the road actually leads to Wu City?

She cleared her throat and in a voice faintly audible she asked, "This road leads to Wu City?"

The lady inside replied with a nod and a soft "mn".

Lei MengXi blinked twice. Then she pointed towards the road at the left side. "Then... how about that one?"

The lady in the carriage blinked many times before answering. "It also leads to Wu City, just a longer route."

F*ck! Lei MengXi wanted to curse again. But don't misunderstand her. She wasn't a fan of profanity but in this situation, she really can't help wanting to spew out one or two. Her initial goal was the Peak of No Return yet here she was, facing both roads towards Wu City.

"Young lady?" The girl noticed her silence and curiously called her attention.

"Uhm... d-do you know the way to the Peak of No Return?"

"Peak of No Return?" The lady was surprised. "Isn't that... on the opposite direction?"

At that moment, Lei MengXi had a strong urge to cry. She had walked for a very long time, almost two hours. And to think that she actually walked away from her original destination? Just what kind of sick joke is this?

The lady noticed her expression and asked, "So this young lady, are you going to Wu City or not?

Of course not! She wanted to scream. All she wanted to do is to go back to that Peak of No Return and find a way to go back home. But after walking the most distance she bad walked in her entire life, she had to longer the spirit to turn back and walked the same distance again. So, like a zombie, she nodded her head and replied, "Mn. I'm going."

The lady's face lightened up. "If that's the case, then would you like to go with us? We're also going there."

"Thank you very much but I'm fine. I don't want to trouble you on your journey."

The girl became more excited. "It's no trouble at all. No need to worry. Come, you can sit beside me. This carriage is spacious."

"Alright. Thank you."

In the end, she could only accept the generous offer. After all, she was already tired and besides, she didn't know how long it will take her to reach the Wu City.

Just like what the lady said, the carriage was quite spacious and there is a wooden box on the side. The lady opened the box and offered her mooncakes which Lei MengXi politely declined.

Upon seeing that Lei MengXi had no intention of eating, she carefully placed back the box on the side.

There was a long moment of silence between them as they travelled. Finally the young lady could not endure the silence anymore.

"I am Feng Liuli from the Feng merchant house. May I know from which esteemed household is the young lady from?"

Lei MengXi replied, "My surname is Lei. I am Lei MengXi."

She really didn't know how to introduce her family. Should she say that her mother is a psychiatrist that is more like a patient and his father is an idle person who also seemed to be mentally impaired?

Feng Liuli smiled. "What does your family do?"

"My father does odd jobs. He takes job requests from various clients." Lei MengXi answered.

"Lady Lei, you are so beautiful. I assume you are still unmarried, right?"

Lei MengXi was surprised by this sudden question but her expression did not falter. "En."

Feng Liuli's smile went wide. "Alright! That's great!"

On the rest of the trip, Feng Liuli did not ask anything but she was clearly delighted that somehow, it made Lei MengXi a bit uncomfortable. Feng Liuli once again offered her the snacks and she declined it again.

After almost an hour of travel, Lei MengXi finally heard variety of noises. Curiously, she swept the curtain and the moment she looked outside, her eyes widen in astonishment. The bustling crowd really stuck her in awe. It is not that she haven't seen a bustling and busy crowd, it is just the scene that greeted her eyes was unreal, as if it is a scene played in the small flattened device at her apartment.

"So this is Wu City." She mumbled to herself.

The street was very lively. There are many stalls selling various goods, from street foods, to vegetables, and other items and trinkets. Although she had seen this scene on her device back home, seeing it unfold before her own eyes hits different.

She let down the curtain and went back to her position. In truth, she really wanted to ask if she could get off the carriage already but she was embarrassed to say so. Even though she itching to take a stroll outside, she remained quiet and impassive.

After a few more minutes, the carriage finally stopped. Lei MengXi climbed down first and Feng Liuli followed suit.

Upon climbing down, Lei MengXi rummaged inside the wide sleeve of her robe and fished something. It was an old gray pouch that contains few copper coins. She then took four from the string of coins she had.

Feng Liuli was watching her actions and was stunned when Lei MengXi suddenly handed her the copper coins she had fished out.

"Thank you so much for letting me hitch a ride. Here is my transportation fee."

"Impudence-"

The driver was going to scold her but Feng Liuli raised her hand to stop him.

She gladly accepted the money and said, "How about you stay at the Feng Manor for a few days? My father will be hosting a banquet for me and he'll be glad if I brought along some friends."

"Thank you lady Feng but I'm afraid I can't. I am going to look for someone ."

Feng Liuli's shoulders drooped down in disappointment. She has no choice but to let Lei MengXi go.

"Alright then. Take care Lady Lei."

Lei MengXi cupped her fists in front of her chest and bowed before leaving. She walked aimlessly on the busy streets not knowing what to do or where to go. As she aimlessly walked around, her gaze swept over a stall of steamed buns.And as if teasing her, her stomach growled heavily.

"..."

"How much is the steamed buns?" Her voice was low and timid.

The vendor answered in a very lively voice, "It cost only three wen. Lady, this is the best steamed bun in the city."

"Please give me two."

The owner gave her the buns. She fished six copper coins on her pouch and paid for the buns. She counted the remaining copper coins in the pouch. 10 copper coins left. Barely enough for 3 more steamed buns.

These copper coins was given to her by the kind Shen Lian before leaving. He was worried that Lei MengXi would starve to death so he gave her a few coins that he had. He was a kind person.

But these small amount wouldn't last until tomorrow. She didn't even have any place to stay for the night.

What the heck is this kind of time-travelling? No plot armor! No food! And no place to sleep! Does fate put me here just to die of starvation?

Lei MengXi was angrily biting her steamed buns while stomping her feet when her eyes suddenly caught something. In the left side of the street, there stood a building with a wooden plaque at the topmost part of the door. In the wooden plaque, there were characters written in jet black ink.

FENG PAWNSHOP

Lei MengXi's heart thumped as she clutched the only thing she had that was worth pawning. With heavy steps, she slowly walked towards the pawnshop.

At first, the attendants were delighted to see a guest. However, when they saw Lei MengXi's old, loose clothing, the attendants that were ready to serve her dispersed. In the end, only a single attendant reluctantly approached her.

"Welcome to Feng Pawnshop lady. Are you here to pawn or retrieve an item?" His voice wasn't hostile but it was bot friendly either. He was simply uninterested.

Lei MengXi did not mind his attitude. She clutched the item in her chest and said, "I... I'm here to pawn."

Upon hearing this, the attendant did not waste any time and led her towards the counter. Soon, she was face to face with a short man, probably in his late forties.

"Lady, what kind of item do you want to pawn?"

Lei MengXi took the necklace from her neck. It was a gold necklace made into chains that were too small. The pendant of the necklace was small too, just a few centimeters long. The pendant was in crescent moon shape with a tiny sapphire gemstone. Although small, the details in the pendant was intricately crafted and the details were vivid.

With a heavy heart she handed the necklace.

"Here."

The manager examined her necklace. He specifically focused on its pendant. After a while, he cleared his throat and asked, "Where did it came from?"

"It's a gift from my parents." Lei MengXi replied.

"Where did your parents got this?" The manager asked again.

Lei MengXi looked away. "I don't know."

The manager once again took a close look at the necklace before saying, "Alright, I'll take it for two liang."(1)

Lei MengXi was undecided whether she would take the money or not. After all, she didn't know how much two liang is.

But, ah, Lei MengXi, isn't that why you came here? You need money! Just take it!

After scolding herself, she reached her hand to accept the money. Suddenly, a cold female voice rang from behind her.

"Is this how the Feng conduct their business? Cheating a small girl in broad daylight?"

Lei MengXi looked at the direction of the voice and saw three people from behind her, two female and a male. They are dressed in exquisite robes that for a moment, she thought of covering her eyes.

"Daozhang! Welcome! Welcome!" The tone of the manager suddenly became very polite and respectful as he greeted the newcomers. "This servant wonders why the esteemed Silver Moon Sect would grace my humble pawnshop?" (2)

The lady in front gave a cold sneer. "Heh! We were just walking around and didn't expect to run into some shady business conducted by this... place of yours. Is this how the Feng Manor thrive?"

Her words were sharp that it was impossible for the manager to be not ticked by it. However, he still maintain his composure as he replied, "Daozhang, please don't say that. Our businesses may be small but the Feng Manor had been operating cleanly for many years. Just now this young lady wanted to pawn an item and I gave a reasonable price based on my appraisal. What is wrong with that?"

"Very wrong!" The tiny voice of the lady beside the woman in front surfaced. "You heard that the necklace was a gift from her parent and you want to gave her just two liang for that?"

"Qi ShuXin." The lady in front warned the girl beside her so she immediately shut up. "Manager Feng, you know very well that the necklace cost much more than two liang. Besides, why did you not give this young lady a pawning ticket so that she could retrieve it back?"

"I... I..." The manager gritted his teeth and glanced at Lei MengXi who was silently watching the scene. "What does the daozhang wanted from this humble servant?"

Without changing her aloof expression, the lady opened jade like palm as if saying 'give it to me'.

With a trembling hand, the manager slowly placed the necklace on the lady's hand. The sapphire gem glistened at the hand of that lady.

"Beautiful." The lady said but without a hint of admiration. Then ignoring the manager who was suppressing his anger, she turned to Lei MengXi.

"Lady, would you mind if I take care of this treasure for you? I'll give you twenty liang for it and you can retrieve it anytime you want."

Lei MengXi pondered for a moment.

What the heck are you thinking for, Lei MengXi! Just a while ago you are willing to pawn it for two and now there's a greater offer and you are hesitating? Just take it already! In any case, there is no guarantee that you will be able to take it back!

"Alright, thank you so much."

"Here." The lady gave her a pouch which contained money and afterwards handed her a piece of wood with delicate carvings and on it, a character was embossed.

"If you want to take it back, just take this token to the Silver Moon Sect and look for me."

Lei MengXi cupped her fists and bowed, copying the greetings she had seen on dramas. "Thank you so much, daozhang."

The lady didn't say anything and simply left. The other two followed the lady.

Lei MengXi, afraid that the anger of the manager would be directed to her, also left the shop.

It was already five in the afternoon and the sun was beginning to set. Lei MengXi stood at the front of two storey in, contemplating whether she should rent a room or not. In the end, because of fear of being cheated again, she decided not to. She walked around, hoping that she could find a shed or something where she could spend the night but she couldn't find anything. In the end, she found a small, shabby temple that looked uninhabited. Beside its wooden gate is a bench made of bamboo, almost a meter and half long.

"Alright. Let's make do with this."

Lei MengXi sat down on the bench and ate the last one bun she had with her. After finishing the bun, she lie down on the bench, eyes wide open, tears streaming down.

She let her tears fall until she got tired from crying and fall asleep.

She didn't know how long she had been sleeping when she was waken up by a suffocating feeling that had enveloped her. She opened her eyes only to see that the suffocation she had been feeling was because someone was forcefully covering her mouth with their hand. She began struggling, swinging her thin arms around, but it was useless.

"Stop moving!"

"..." Do you think I'm stupid? Letting you abduct me like this?

Lei MengXi struggled even more but two pairs of strong hands held down both her arms and legs at the same time.

F*ck!

This is the third time Lei MengXi cursed in her mind for this day.

They even ganged up on me! Shameless people!

Lei MengXi didn't let her abductors have it easy. She twisted her body and squirmed like a worm placed in a plate of salt. But it seems that one of her abductors had limited patience, as after she squirmed like crazy, a strong force hit Lei MengXi's nape, letting her go back to her peaceful slumber.

"I told you, stop moving."