Chapter 13 Streaking Like Lightning​​

Qin Qing was using a three-wheeler she had bought years ago, back when regulations on electric vehicles weren't as strict. It had always been parked in the town and could reach a top speed of fifty kilometers per hour.

The official road was deserted. Thinking that no matter how far she went, she could instantly return to the Dimensional Supermarket, she sped forward at maximum velocity.

As the speed increased, the wind roared around them.

The two people behind her started off sitting on small stools, but gradually slid down to the floor. They gripped the handrails tightly while clutching their small stools to their chests.

"Is this speed okay? Should we slow down?" she called back.

Most of the roads connecting the town to the surrounding villages had become concrete or asphalt. Only a few remained the original dirt paths. As a child, she loved riding on fast three-wheelers, but hadn't had the chance since growing up.

With the official road empty now, it was the perfect time to speed.

"We're fine, no need to slow down," they shouted back. Even though their hands remained firmly gripping the rails, they had adapted to the high-speed rhythm and stared excitedly ahead.

As the three-wheeler sped along, they occasionally passed pedestrians. But most of the time, before anyone could react, the vehicle would "whoosh" past, giving no chance for a closer look.

After driving for a while longer, they encountered a large group of people and horses.

Seeing the group approaching, Qin Qing called out without turning her head, "Hold on tight!"

The moment she finished speaking, she stepped on the accelerator and shot through a gap at the side of the road. This time, there were too many people. Before the three-wheeler could break free, someone reacted. The synchronized sound of blades being drawn rang out instantly.

"What manner of person?!" a voice demanded.

"A traveler!" Qin Qing yelled back. In that instant, the three-wheeler burst through the crowd and raced rapidly down the official road.

"Divine One, they're chasing us!"

"Horses! Someone's chasing us on horseback!"

The two in the back nervously watched the pursuing horses closing in, instantly filled with tension. From their vantage point, they clearly saw the shock on the pursuers' faces.

"It's fine, hold on tight. Recognize the route. I'll take you further, it'll save you a lot of walking," Qin Qing reassured them without stopping, continuing along the official road.

After another stretch of deserted road, the sound of hoofbeats behind them gradually faded into the distance until it disappeared completely.

...

"Hyah! Hyah!"

"Whoa!"

"Master, we have failed in our duty. We could not catch that strange vehicle."

"Since it travels along the official road, its destination must be one of the towns along the way," said a middle-aged man with an imposing air, pushing aside the carriage curtain and surveying the surroundings. "Did you get a clear look at its occupants?"

"No, master. We could only tell it was powered by human effort."

"It was a young woman, dressed... strangely, in attire never seen before. The two sitting behind her looked no different from the refugees we encountered on our journey."

"Our horses are among the finest in the world, yet we still couldn't catch that strange vehicle. When did such an ingenious contraption appear under heaven?"

"Ingenious? It's nothing short of miraculous! If we could harness such a thing, we would be invincible."

"Then let us investigate," the man said, lifting his gaze. Having spoken, he lowered the curtain. "I wish to see what kind of device this is that allows someone to act with such audacity."

"Yes, master. We will follow the wheel tracks immediately," the mounted subordinate replied, tightening his reins, turning his horse back the way they came, and cracking his whip hard.

Chasing directly now was futile, but the vehicle would have left distinct tire tracks. The tracks of the three-wheeler were unmistakably different from those of a carriage wheel.

Qin Qing didn't know someone was looking for her, and even if she had, she wouldn't have cared.

After speeding along at top speed for three hours, she pulled the three-wheeler over and let the two passengers dismount. "This is as far as I take you. You'll have to walk the rest of the way yourselves. Be careful when you bring people back to Sunset Woods."

"Thank you, Divine One," both said, bowing deeply.

"No need for such formality," Qin Qing waved her hand dismissively. Remembering something, she pulled a handful of scattered silver bits from her pocket. "Take this."

She had found this silver in her room's drawer last night. It seemed like during university, on a whim, she had bought some scattered silver online, but lost interest and left it forgotten in the drawer. Silver was cheap in modern times, just a few yuan per gram. This handful weighed about one hundred grams, roughly two liang by the current measurement system.

"Divine One..." they started hesitantly.

"Take it. It'll take you several days to walk back. Use this silver to buy more food so you won't go hungry on the journey," Qin Qing insisted, pressing the silver into their hands. "If there's any left over, buy some daily necessities. Whatever you think you need."

She spoke casually. Before they could express too much gratitude, she gripped the three-wheeler's handlebars, stashed it into her portable space, said, "I'm heading back," and vanished before their eyes.

Unseen by Qin Qing, the two left behind knelt on the ground facing the direction of Sunset Woods and performed a deep, respectful bow.

...

"Over here."

"Right here. The wheel tracks make their last impression here and then vanish."

"None further ahead?"

"I checked. The path ahead only shows footprints. No more wheel tracks like these. Strange. It's not near any village or lodging. How could it just disappear here?" The speaker led his horse in a circle, scanning the surroundings but finding no sign of habitation.

"The town of Westfield isn't far ahead."

"But the tracks vanish here. Did they carry it?"

"I'll go to Westfield. You scout the area. Report to the master when he arrives. We need a direction. If we find none... it will be our failure."

"But what if it's... divine matters?"

They exchanged a glance.

"If it is divine matters, the master will surely be even more interested in the other party's origin and destination."

"I'll go investigate immediately!"

...

"Hello? Hello? Why isn't the door open?"

Qin Qing took out her phone, saw the message displayed, and hurried to the shop. Sure enough, she immediately spotted someone standing at the entrance who had appeared at an unknown time.

"Quite leisurely? It's already past two in the afternoon."

"Stayed up late last night binge-watching a drama, slept in a bit," Qin Qing explained with a smile as she opened the door. "Didn't you take a break at noon?"

"All for customers like you," Xie Hengliang replied, picking up a pile of express parcels from the floor and placing them beside the cash register. "Hope for more patronage. With more customers like you, my delivery point can stay open longer."

"Is the delivery business doing okay?" Qin Qing asked, picking up a nearby cup and taking a sip of water. Driving for three hours without a drink had left her genuinely thirsty.

"So-so. Similar to your supermarket, barely clinging to life," Xie Hengliang said, taking photos and uploading them to the system. "Your parcels for today are all delivered. There's another batch this afternoon. If you have more, they might have to wait until tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Sure, that's fine," Qin Qing nodded. "I'm here anyway, no rush."

After their exchange, Qin Qing watched Xie Hengliang leave, then turned and knelt to open the newly arrived packages.

These were clothes and hair ties she had bought online a few days ago. Besides modern clothes, there were several sets of ancient-style clothing. She figured if she ever needed to visit an ancient town, she couldn't go dressed in casual t-shirts. That would surely cause unnecessary attention.

The supermarket already stocked daily necessities and snacks. If she needed to stockpile, she could go directly to suppliers. The supermarket didn't carry clothes, but she didn't plan to buy much yet. After all, the extreme weather was still a year away; she would find opportunities to buy clothes cheaply in bulk.

Thinking this, she pulled her phone from her pocket and glanced at it. She also bumped up her posted procurement request for near-expiry food and daily items. Her savings weren't substantial; buying cheap was essential.

...

"No one in Westfield saw that strange vehicle or a peculiarly dressed woman."

"I've searched the area around where the tracks vanished. There's definitely no one living there. It's as if the three people on that vehicle encountered something and vanished into thin air right there."

"Go back to Westfield. Order them to investigate everyone who entered the town today," the man commanded, his eyes showing clear emotion. "Since they stopped here, they are likely connected to Westfield. We stay in Westfield tonight. Summon everyone who entered the town today for questioning."

"Yes, Master."

...

"Should we stay the night at the next village?"

"Let's walk another two hours. I remember an abandoned village in that direction. We can just rest our eyes for a bit. The Divine One brought us so far today, we're not tired at all."

"Me neither. Let's walk further today, try to reach the people sooner."

As they spoke, they glanced at the darkening sky and continued walking along the official road. A journey that should have taken two or three days was covered in a little over an hour. Their food and water supplies were still full. They didn't even need to enter a town, just followed the small path.

The moonlight that night was excellent, illuminating the path clearly. Perhaps because the day's journey hadn't tired them, after walking for another hour and a half, they reached the village they had passed during their southward journey.

This village used to be inhabited. But likely due to poor weather in recent years, the land around it had become almost barren. Since the villagers relied on farming, unable to cultivate meant unable to survive, forcing them to relocate.

The village had been abandoned for a long time. It took some effort for the two to find a relatively intact dwelling. They slept in their clothes.

...

"Master, everyone summoned has been questioned. None match the person we seek."

"Besides those brought here, were there others?"

"Yes, seven or eight passed through Westfield. Some said they were going to relatives, others to join the army. After replenishing water and food in town, they left directly."

"Master, in this vast sea of people, those seven or eight who left will be hard to trace."

"In earlier times, with travel permits required, perhaps we could have traced them. But now..."

The world was in chaos, people scattered everywhere. Every faction wanted more followers. Not only did they not hinder movement, they actively facilitated it, hoping everyone could find a place to settle, afraid people would leave. The towns nearby were under the same faction. Major cities might still check people, but elsewhere, passage was unimpeded.

"Master, the Prefect's wedding... If we investigate too deeply, it might delay the auspicious timing."

"We depart first thing tomorrow morning," the man set down his cup. "Seventeen, Eighteen, you two stay behind and continue the investigation. The moment you spot anyone suspicious, apprehend them immediately."

"Yes, Master."