After a while, the caravan finally stopped.
The sun was directly overhead now, blazing down mercilessly. The heat was so intense that even the ground seemed to shimmer.
Everyone quickly moved toward the shade.
Some sat down heavily, while others loosened their armor slightly, trying to get even a bit of relief. Water pouches were passed around.
They had stopped near a river.
Before anyone approached it, a few soldiers went ahead to check the water.
After confirming it was safe, they began filling their pouches and containers.
At the same time, a small fire was lit.
They started cooking using the river water, deliberately avoiding the supply stored in the carriages. That water was meant for emergencies later in the journey.
There were fifteen of them in total.
Among them, two were men.
Unlike ordinary men, both were skilled, not only in combat but also in cooking and taking care of others. Because of this, Bo Xi had assigned them to stay close to Han Fei and Han Wei.
Han Fei and Han Wei sat side by side on foldable wooden chairs.
Both of them looked slightly uncomfortable, clearly not used to being taken care of in such a way.
Bo Xi walked over and took out some fruits, distributing them among everyone.
When she reached Han Fei, she handed him a small bundle of candied fruits.
Recently, he had been craving sour things.
Han Fei's eyes brightened slightly as he ate, a small, genuine smile appearing on his face.
Bo Xi watched him for a moment, then looked away.
Just seeing him eat those sour fruits made her teeth ache.
The atmosphere relaxed slightly as everyone rested.
But Bo Xi's gaze remained sharp.
From a distance, she noticed movement.
A thin, weathered old man was slowly walking along the road, holding onto a small child.
They looked like shadows more than people.
Their eyes were sunken, their skin had a yellowish tint, and their clothes were tattered and dirty. Each step they took seemed to require great effort.
Refugees.
Bo Xi recognized it instantly.
The old man's eyes landed on the caravan.
In the shade.
On the water.
On the food being prepared.
Hope flickered in his gaze.
His pace quickened, almost stumbling as he pulled the child along with him.
Behind Bo Xi, the soldiers, who had just removed parts of their armor, immediately stood up again.
In an instant, the brief moment of rest disappeared.
Their expressions hardened as they stepped forward, forming a protective line.
Hands rested on weapons.
Eyes locked onto the approaching figures.
"Miss… please, have mercy on us. Give us something to eat."
The old man's voice trembled as he spoke.
"My granddaughter and I… we haven't eaten for so long…"
As he spoke, he dropped to his knees.
The child beside him followed, kneeling silently, her small body swaying as if she might collapse at any moment.
Bo Xi watched them for a moment, her expression unreadable.
Then she gave a slight nod to the soldiers.
One of them stepped forward and handed over a bowl of hot porridge.
The old man didn't hesitate.
Ignoring the heat, he quickly scooped a small portion and blew on it before feeding the child first. Only after she swallowed did he begin eating himself.
They ate as if it was the last meal they would ever have.
Not a single grain was wasted, the bowl was wiped clean.
Around them, the soldiers stood silently.
Some of them couldn't help but soften at the sight, their expressions shifting slightly. But no one stepped forward again.
Kindness had limits in times like this.
Once they finished eating, the soldiers began asking questions.
The old man answered honestly.
He came from the far north.
There had been unrest along the borders, combined with natural disasters. Entire regions were collapsing. People had begun fleeing in waves.
His daughter had been clever and decisive. She insisted they leave early, hoping to survive ahead of the chaos.
But fate had not been kind.
On the road, they encountered bandits.
His daughter… and son-in-law… both died protecting them.
Only he and his granddaughter remained.
Since then, they had survived on wild vegetables.
But even those were disappearing now, withering under the relentless heat.
The old man lowered his head as he spoke.
"There is more…" he added weakly.
"A large group of refugees… they are heading toward the city ahead."
The same city Bo Xi and her group had just left.
A quiet tension spread among the guards.
If that was true, then sooner or later…
They would run into them.
Under the scorching sun, no one could move immediately. They were forced to remain where they were, waiting for the worst heat to pass.
The old man suddenly bowed deeply again.
"Miss… please. I beg you… take us with you."
The soldier stepped forward and rejected him coldly.
"We cannot."
The old man's face turned pale.
But he didn't give up.
"Miss… my wife was a doctor," he said quickly, his voice filled with desperation. "And I… I have experience as a midhusband. I know how to take care of pregnant men, how to assist in childbirth. I can be useful."
As he spoke, his eyes instinctively moved toward Han Fei.
Han Fei was sitting nearby, eating the sour candied fruits.
Beside him, Han Wei held his weak child.
The old man's meaning was clear.
He wasn't just begging for survival anymore.
He was offering value.
The guards remained silent, but their gazes subtly shifted toward Bo Xi.
Bo Xi considered the old man's words carefully.
They already had a physician traveling with them, a capable woman, but there were certain things she could not easily assist with, especially when it came to childbirth and caring for infants in such harsh conditions. The two men assigned to tend to Han Fei and Han Wei were skilled, but their knowledge was limited. Han Wei himself was still inexperienced as a new father.