Kind-Faced

Shen Tang threw the shovel she was using to dig a pit onto the ground.

"Why would I go to Xiaocheng? To walk into a trap? Besides, what's so great about that dump?" she said irritably.

Respect my fugitive persona!

"Doesn't Young Master Shen worry about his other relatives?"

Shen Tang hesitated upon hearing this.

Qi Shan had hit the nail on the head.

Regardless, she was currently inhabiting this body. She should learn about the original owner's past to avoid revealing any flaws if she encountered people the original owner knew, which would only cause trouble. She wondered if the original owner had any family. If they had survived the hardships of exile, she could secretly look after them. If her relatives hadn't made it and died, she could at least arrange for their bodies to be properly buried, preventing them from being left exposed in the wilderness.

Shen Tang's expression changed, which Qi Shan noticed. His eyes visibly brightened with pleasure.

He was certain Shen Tang would make the choice he desired!

"I can see that Young Master Shen has extraordinary potential and may achieve great things in the future. I, Qi Shan, am not talented, but I am considered a scholar. Although I can't compare to those renowned Confucians and teachers who have countless disciples, I am more than capable of teaching Young Master Shen the basics..."

Shen Tang had made up her mind but didn't say it.

She deliberately said, "I've memorized all the books Yuanliang gave me."

Qi Shan chuckled, pointing to his own head. "Young Master Shen, the truly valuable content is in here. If one could master and control Literary Hearts just by reading a few books on Word Spirits, then stealing knowledge would be too easy."

"Yuanliang, what you say makes sense, but Xiaocheng..." She had gone to such great lengths to escape, only to go back there? If she ran into the officials who were escorting her, how embarrassing would that be? "You have to give me some kind of guarantee."

"Such as?"

Shen Tang: "For example, a Word Spirit that can change one's appearance and form."

Qi Shan: "..."

He truly didn't have such a thing, nor did he believe such unorthodox Word Spirits existed in his understanding. All Word Spirits in the world were used for power, schemes, or warfare. Why was Young Master Shen's mind so peculiar?

Although he didn't have a Word Spirit, he had something else.

"What is this?"

Shen Tang caught the small bottle he tossed her.

She opened it and squinted inside. It was a bottle filled with fine, dark powder. She had no idea what it was for.

Qi Shan revealed the answer: "Pot soot."

Shen Tang: "..."

"Smear some on your face, or run around a lot, get sunburnt, sweat profusely, and don't bathe for seven or eight days. Who would recognize you then?"

Shen Tang imagined herself sweating for eight days without bathing and could almost smell the indescribably pungent, sour odor.

"Is that your brilliant idea?"

"How is this a bad idea?" Qi Shan's smile faded slightly, his expression devoid of emotion. "This is based on experience."

Shen Tang was slightly taken aback.

Based on experience?

However, Qi Shan clearly didn't want to dwell on it. He raised his voice again: "Young Master Shen, you really don't need to worry so much. Those escorting officials are far more 'derelict in their duties' than you are. If a fugitive escapes, the chances of them reporting it are slim. At most, they'll cut off someone else's ear to replace your spot. Therefore, you don't have to worry about seeing your wanted poster at the gates of Xiaocheng."

Even if the officials weren't "derelict in their duties and trying to cut corners," and they reported Shen Tang's escape, what then?

Given the abstract nature of the portraits drawn by those artists, unless a person had very distinctive facial features, even their own mother wouldn't recognize them. Not to mention the city gates, which were frequented by people daily. The possibility of Shen Tang's identity being exposed was extremely, extremely small.

His words put Shen Tang's mind at ease.

"Fine, I'll go."

She dug a huge, deep pit with considerable effort, throwing all the corpses into it before filling it back with soil. By the time she finished, the moon was high in the sky. Qi Shan started a bonfire and roasted the flatbreads Shen Tang had conjured with her Word Spirit. As soon as she sat down, she was handed a hot meal.

"Hot!"

She misjudged the temperature of the flatbread and almost burned her tongue.

These flatbreads had little flavor. Apart from the slightly charred parts, which had a smoky aroma, the rest was all the same. The more she ate, the thirstier she became, needing a mouthful of water for every two bites. Her mouth felt bland. She couldn't help but wonder why they couldn't be filled with something, like preserved vegetables and meat.

For some reason, Qi Shan went to sleep unusually early that night.

He neither read nor practiced his Word Spirits.

Shen Tang couldn't sleep and stared blankly at the bonfire.

After an unknown amount of time, she heard the faint sound of footsteps on grass and branches nearby. Someone was cautiously approaching her, but without any malice. She ignored it.

The person sat down not far away. In the firelight, she saw the Grand Censor's foolish son. He kept glancing at her, wanting to speak but hesitating, as if trying to confirm something.

He opened his mouth several times but didn't know where to begin. Shen Tang grew impatient and finally initiated the conversation.

"Has the Grand Censor retired for the night?"

The man was startled, seemingly surprised that Shen Tang would speak to him first. "Yes... Father has gone to bed, but he's not sleeping well. He has a fever. He sustained too many injuries on this journey, and his wounds are inflamed. We'll need to find some herbs tomorrow..."

As he spoke, his eyes turned slightly red.

His father's body was much better than an ordinary person's, but he couldn't withstand significant jolts and hardships given his age.

Shen Tang said, "There should be a village nearby. You can go and get some herbs from the villagers. Speaking of which, I haven't asked for the young master's name yet. How should I address you?"

"I am Tian Zhong, courtesy name Shouyi."

"Shouyi, why were you looking at me like that just now?"

"I felt you looked almost identical to someone I'd met before, aside from the gender. Also, hearing your conversation with Mr. Qi Shan during the day, you said you were..." Tian Zhong swallowed the word "fugitive," "I thought you might have a connection to her."

Shen Tang: "..."

Speak of the devil.

Did I run into someone who knew the original body's owner?

Shen Tang asked, "Who was that person? Are you close?"

Tian Zhong waved his hands repeatedly. "Not close, not close. I only met her once. In terms of relationship, she should be considered my niece-in-law."

Shen Tang was greatly shocked. "...Niece, niece-in-law?"

"Strictly speaking, not really." He explained, "I and Yun Chi's father were classmates and entered the academy in the same year, so we became sworn brothers. Yun Chi is considered my nephew. If the two of them had completed the ceremony, according to the relationship, he should have called me 'Uncle Tian'."

"And who is Yun Chi?"

"Gong Clan's Gong Cheng, courtesy name Yun Chi."

Shen Tang: "..."

Good heavens!

I can't believe it!

This body is only eleven or twelve years old!

"Why wasn't the ceremony completed?"

"On the wedding day, before they could complete the three bows, officials broke into Gong Manor to arrest people. The entire household, including that person, was taken to prison and sent off on their journey within two days. I was a guest at the time... It was truly a pity."

He sighed after speaking.

He had once rushed around trying to help the Gong Clan with their exile, never expecting that just a few days later, his own family would suffer the same fate.

Shen Tang asked, "Where is Gong Cheng now?"

He gave a bitter smile. "If he's lucky, he's probably on the road of exile. If he's unlucky, he's probably on the road to the Yellow Springs."

Shen Tang suppressed her twitching veins and continued to probe indirectly for information. "And whose family was Gong Cheng's new bride from?"

"She was from the Shen Clan, but..."

"But what?"

He said, "But just two days after the Gong Clan was exiled, Zheng Qiao ordered the extermination of their entire clan. It was truly tragic."

Shen Tang: "..."

Extermination of the entire clan...

So, besides Gong Cheng, who might still be alive or dead, the original host's current family ties are -- truly an orphan?

Five hundred characters took an hour, damn it!

Gong Cheng isn't the male lead, isn't the male lead, isn't the male lead!

Gong Cheng is six or seven years older than the female lead!

He's not the male lead!

A passerby, at most with a bit of a role.

The female lead isn't married either!

The female lead is unmarried!

She won't get married in the future either, at most she'll marry someone!

The male lead is six years younger than the female lead. Anyone older than the female lead who appears in the text cannot be the male lead!

The emotional drama in this novel is almost zero, zero, zero, zero!

Everyone, just focus on the career line.

After all, as a boss, you can have a group of great subordinates, and an unlimited number at that, but romance isn't like that. What does this tell us?

It tells us that pursuing a career is more satisfying than pursuing someone.

PS: It's not that I won't write extras for the big shots, but look at how long the Empress arc is. I'm re-reading it, ahhh, I'm going crazy!