Xie Yue and Hu Liena got into the carriage.
The driver steered the carriage toward the Heaven Dou Empire. He knew better than to play tricks on soul masters... even if they were just children.
Many people had died because they thought they were smart—only to end up without a burial place after trying to deceive noble soul masters.
So, he obediently drove toward the destination. He just hoped that once they arrived, these devilish children would spare his life.
Inside the carriage
"Brother~ where is Mother?" Hu Liena asked.
"I knocked her unconscious and left her behind," Xie Yue said calmly.
"Why, Brother?" Her eyes were full of curiosity.
"Because she is a bad woman," Xie Yue replied.
"Why is she bad?" Hu Liena asked again. There was no concern in her voice. She didn't care much about her mother. As long as nothing happened to her brother, that was enough for her. She was only asking to clear her little doubts—nothing more, nothing less.
"She knew about the bullying at the orphanage but didn't protect us. Tell me, is she a good woman?" Xie Yue asked.
"Ahh~ but then why was she good to us?"
"That was just an act. Now, she's trying to sell us to slave traders. That's why we escaped from her," Xie Yue explained patiently.
"Ahh, I understand. Brother, you're really mighty!!" She shook her hands, feeling proud of him.
"And little Nana~ don't ask questions like that again, okay?" Xie Yue hugged her and told her.
"Mmm~ Nana understands her mistake. She won't ask questions if Brother doesn't like it," she said sweetly, hugging him back.
Hearing their conversation, the driver also understood a little.
"What a smart child. So that's what happened. A bad woman indeed."
He drove faster, wanting to escape from that woman. What if she caught up with them?
"Driver Uncle, will there be any bandits on the route we're taking?" Xie Yue asked.
"Yes, young lord, but if we take the common commercial route, the chances decrease. There are guards patrolling to protect trade goods. Even if we encounter bandits, we can seek help from the guards if they are nearby," the driver said.
"Oh, okay. Then take the commercial route. And how long will it take to reach our destination?" Xie Yue asked, thinking about something.
"Nearly seven days, young lord!" The driver replied, unaware of his bad luck.
---
Eight days later
That day, two children approached the towering city gates at the Great Heaven Dou Empire's border. This was also the location of the Barak Kingdom (south of Heaven Dou Empire).
They wore black cloaks, covering their bodies from prying eyes.
As they neared the gate, guards stopped them.
After removing their hoods and paying the entry fee, they put their hoods back on and continued walking.
"After eight days of traveling, we're finally here," Xie Yue thought about their journey.
On the sixth day, he had killed the carriage driver and disposed of him. Since there was no one else around, he couldn't take another carriage.
So, he tried controlling the carriage horse. Only then did he realize it was pretty easy to handle the horse with his physique. After all, he was a level 9 soul scholar. They rode the horse toward the empire, but due to lack of care, the horse ran out of energy and died a few hours ago. So, they had walked the last five hours. Fortunately, they had enough food and water, bought from supply points along the way, so the journey wasn't too exhausting.
He had also made sure Hu Liena didn't know about the driver's death. He handled it carefully and told her the same excuse he used for Bai's case: "I knocked the driver out."
Nana wasn't at an age to know about killing. And if she did, how could he even explain it to her? Xie Yue himself was just a child. There was no justifiable excuse that would fool her.
If she saw him kill, she might struggle to accept that her beloved brother was a killer. It could leave a psychological scar. Only after the age of ten or so did people in the Douluo Continent mature in their thinking. At that time, he could kill openly.
He had even considered killing Hu Liena more than once. But he decided against it after weighing her usefulness. Killing his obedient little puppy just to save himself some effort wasn't worth it. If he wanted a good sword and a loyal dog, he needed patience.
"Nana, let's go find a hotel to stay in." He took her hand and started searching.
"Hmm~ okay, Brother," she followed obediently.
After finding a place, they rented a room and settled in.
"Nana, let's wash up and go to bed. We haven't bathed in days. Let's bathe together."
While bathing, he removed all his clothes and sat in the tub. Nana bathed with her underwear on. She also did her usual duty—helping him apply soap. But today, something was different... He told her to wash his little member.
She did so with curiosity. "Why does Brother have something like this between his legs? Hmm~ it looks like a little rat."
After finishing their bath, they ate lunch and went to sleep. Traveling was exhausting, after all.
Xie Yue needed proper rest, so he hugged her in his arms and fell asleep without thinking about anything else.
---
The Next Morning
Time passed, and morning arrived. They had slept for nearly sixteen hours.
After bathing and having breakfast, Xie Yue spoke to Nana.
"Nana~ stay here. Brother will go buy some clothes for you."
"Brother, can't I come with you?" Nana asked.
"No, Nana~ this is a new place for us. It's better if I go alone and learn about it first. You stay here. Brother will come back before noon." Xie Yue patted her head gently.
"Ahh~~ okay, Brother. I'll listen to you. Be careful outside." Nana nodded, enjoying his pats.
Xie Yue put on his little cloak before leaving.