The mountains were high, the waters long, and the trees lush and green.
Li Qi carried a large backpack, feeling the weight of his money bag with a pang of regret.
From nine hundred and ninety-two coins, he now had only two hundred and thirty-one left.
And what did he get in return? This large backpack.
It contained many items.
The backpack itself wasn't cheap.
Waterproof cowhide paper, durable rice cakes, some dried salted meat.
A large canvas that could be folded into a big bundle to carry things in the wild, rolled up as a handy short rope, and used as a blanket—it was also wear-resistant and fireproof.
Two woodcutter's knives, a small sharpening stone, for emergencies at least they had sharp tools, useful for cutting vines or chopping firewood.
Some fire starters, two flint stones—no need to explain, for starting fires; usually using flint, but in emergencies, the easily ignited fire starters could be used.
There was also trauma medicine, insect repellent, and other essential medicines for survival in the wild.
A piece of hemp cloth, some small knives, a spatula, iron heads for farming tools—all brought to sell in villages along the way to make some extra money.
He was poor, so earning any bit helped.
Apart from these, there were many small miscellaneous items not worth mentioning.
In summary, Li Qi made ample preparations for the upcoming journey.
Moreover, he spent a hefty sum of sixty coins to buy Shen Shuibei new clothes.
Her previous outfit, with its gauze scarf and lace white dress, matched well with Young Master Wu, but walking with him, she looked like an easy target for robbery.
So, he bought her a simple hemp dress. Now, she looked just like a charming village girl.
Though perhaps too charming—where would ordinary villagers raise such a beauty?
Ordinary rural women, even if naturally beautiful, needed to work and manage household affairs.
No matter how beautiful one is born, daily chores like washing clothes, cooking, pounding rice, and chopping wood would turn them into typical farmwives—broad-shouldered, rough-skinned, and not very attractive.
But honestly, people of Li Qi's class needed precisely such wives.
Because they were familiar with all kinds of tasks, efficient, physically strong, less prone to illness, capable of doing farmwork or helping their husbands with heavy labor, making them indispensable for household livelihoods.
If one kept a delicate, petite, and pampered beauty at home, even if she didn't cause trouble, her inability to do housework alone would overwhelm the family.
They couldn't afford it.
If she were willing to share her husband's burdens, after working for a couple of years, she would end up like other farmwives—broad-shouldered and no longer beautiful.
Therefore, even dressed in hemp clothes, Shen Shuibei still stood out as someone extraordinary.
But none of that mattered now. After all, Li Qi felt he wasn't an ordinary person either and could handle it, as long as she didn't stand out too much.
Walking on the road, Li Qi glanced at Shen Shuibei, who walked lightly with no luggage, carefree as if on an outing.
This reminded him of their conversation when they set off.
Back then, Li Qi asked, "Miss Shen, how do you determine the direction? Where is Luo Fu Niangniang?"
"By intuition~ I've been with Niangniang since childhood. As soon as I open my eyes, I know where she is. Just follow my intuition, and we'll find her!" Shen Shuibei confidently said, holding her little fist.
Honestly, Li Qi found it highly unreliable.
But there was no choice; this was a world filled with supernatural beings, so it might actually work.
Thus, a journey with neither a clear destination nor a planned itinerary began.
The two walked together, Li Qi carrying the large backpack with all their belongings, while Shen Shuibei carried nothing, wearing new clothes, empty-handed, walking forward.
At first, Li Qi doubted her approach.
But after two days, he realized she really didn't need luggage.
Shen Shuibei remained spotless, even in the wilderness, never dirty, sweating, or smelling bad. Even if she fell and got covered in dust, it would naturally fall off her skin without sticking.
Moreover, she didn't need to eat!
Yes, according to her, she was a special being, not an ordinary spirit, so she didn't need regular food, only consuming wind and dew, absorbing different types of qi.
As such, she didn't need to excrete, sweat, or even breathe unless she wanted to, though breathing was merely a means of feeding for her.
No need for baths, no sweating, always clean, always beautiful.
This... a perfect anime girl?
So convenient?
In summary, traveling with her involved no logistical pressure. She walked independently and moved quickly.
Good, very good.
For three days, the two trekked through the wilderness.
One day at noon, Li Qi needed to rest, prepare lunch, replenish energy, and take a break.
Shen Shuibei understood, knowing not everyone could stay energetic without eating or bathing like her, so she patiently waited by his side.
After three days of travel, they were no longer strangers, though Shen Shuibei rarely spoke unless Li Qi initiated conversation to pass the time. Now, as Li Qi went to fetch water and cook, she remained silent, looking into the distance.
She hadn't lied to Li Qi; she truly didn't know where Lady was, but the little rabbit could vaguely sense Lady's location.
However, despite walking for three days, she felt they hadn't closed the distance much.
This meant the distance they covered was insignificant compared to the total distance to Lady.
She hadn't told Li Qi this because she feared he'd refuse to continue searching if he knew.
Because hiking was very tough for him, unlike her.
They had covered over two hundred miles in three days, but finding Lady might require walking tens of thousands of miles.
Without Lady moving, it might take a year or more.
"Sigh..." she sighed. At this pace, it would take a long time.
If only they had a horse.
Unfortunately, Li Qi was too poor to afford one, costing twenty to thirty gold pieces. Though Shen Shuibei thought it wasn't expensive, Li Qi certainly couldn't afford it.
While thinking this, she suddenly stood up.
Ahead... there was the sound of a horse neighing?