At those words, Xu Taiping immediately picked up the Jade Slip and said:
"Miss Nanxing, focus on your journey. I'll keep an eye on things here. See you in Seven Sages Town."
With that, he put away the Jade Slip.
"Young master, since everything is going smoothly for Miss Nanxing, we have nothing to worry about."
After hearing Xu Taiping's conversation with Gongshu Nanxing, Zhai Mo, standing beside him, also let out a long sigh of relief, then grinned at Xu Taiping.
"It's still a little early to say that."
Xu Taiping shook his head, then looked down the mountain toward Golden Summit Village, where lights were already coming on one by one.
By then, the sky was gradually darkening. At some point, dark clouds had filled the once-clear heavens.
Above the clouds, muffled thunder rumbled.
"It looks like rain."
Zhai Mo tilted his head to look at the sky, then murmured to himself.
Just then, a rapid patter of footsteps suddenly came from the foot of the mountain.
Xu Taiping and Zhai Mo instantly went on alert, turning wary gazes toward the sound. Zhai Mo even took out his enormous axe.
Though he could not use the axe, he could at least hold it to bolster his courage.
"Grandpa, are you still there? Grandpa?"
As a very young voice rose from below, the tension on Xu Taiping's and Zhai Mo's faces abruptly eased.
"Grandpa, I brought you some salted pork rice my mother made. It smells so good!"
Soon, a boy riding Dahei Dog rushed up the slope with a food box in his hand.
This boy was none other than Young Ayu, who tended sheep here these days.
"So when the little fellow said he'd come back to see you before he left, he meant to bring you