The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Wang Zhenhuan was immediately startled. He stepped out of the woods and stood by the roadside to observe. The sound of hooves grew closer and closer, and the noise was so dense that it was clear there was more than one horse.

He turned to Lin Qingyan and shouted, "Hurry up and pack your things! Run! Run into the mountains! Don't come out unless I call you! Get out of here!!!"

In the end, he almost roared. Lin Qingyan was not a woman who acted indiscriminately; on the contrary, she was not only reasonable but also very self-aware, knowing what to do at what time.

Self-awareness sounds simple, but most people fail to achieve it. True self-awareness means doing what is appropriate for one's status and position at the right time.

Being with such a person is often very comfortable because they won't cause you any trouble with their outrageous behavior. If this applies to a woman, she is the epitome of gentleness, consideration, and a virtuous wife and loving mother.

Wang Huanzhen was drawn to Lin Qingyan precisely because of this quality. Lin Qingyan, hearing his roar, wasn't angry. She quickly packed her luggage and turned to walk into the mountains.

Wang Huanzhen breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Lin Qingyan leave. Unexpectedly, Lin Qingyan suddenly turned around, looked at him with her watery eyes, and said in a firm tone.

"If we can't live together, then we'll die together!! If you don't come in three days, I'll find a cliff and kill myself!" With that, he ran into the forest without looking back.

Hearing Lin Qingyan's words, Wang Zhenhuan was filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, he was delighted that he hadn't misjudged her, but on the other hand, he was frustrated by his own incompetence, unable to even protect his own woman.

He took the water bag from his waist, extinguished the fire, and then turned and ran towards the other side of the road. Seeking advantage and avoiding harm is human nature, and Wang Zhenhuan was no exception.

Although this is Zizhou, the Jurchens have already moved south. The corpses we encountered along the way all prove this, so they certainly weren't Han Chinese.

Although Wang Zhenhuan was terrified, he remained calm, as he had anticipated this situation. After all, the path he and Lin Qingyan were walking was the same path that the Jin noblewoman had taken before.

Even if he didn't encounter the Jurchen soldiers, he was very likely to run into the girl's servant. Although Wang Zhenhuan only had a water bag on him, there was a large river on the other side of the official road.

This scene reminded him of the day his village was massacred, and the day he was chased. He crouched down along the riverbank, hoping to escape the darkness.

But man proposes, God disposes; how can two legs outrun four? Just now, when Wang Zhen ran out of the forest, the golden men saw him.

They shouted for Wang Zhenhuan to stop. But Wang Zhenhuan couldn't understand them; he charged forward relentlessly. Little did he know that his entire movement was being observed by the Jurchen soldiers behind him.

Just as he was hiding in the reeds, feeling uneasy, the sound of rapid hoofbeats stopped in front of the reeds where he was. Wang Zhenhuan felt a chill in his heart and lowered his body slightly.

The sound of dismounting rang out, followed immediately by the sound of a scimitar being drawn. This sound, like a death knell, sent a shiver down his spine. He simply rose and stepped out from the reeds.

The scene before him extinguished even his last thought of escaping. There were more than twenty riders on the official road ahead, dressed in clothes similar to those of the Jurchens he had seen before.

Moreover, they were all carrying scimitars and bows on their backs, and these bows and arrows were not the short bows used by scouts. They were at least half the length of an adult's body, and Wang Zhen was sweating profusely when he saw them.

To his surprise, there were two women among the Jin soldiers. As the Jin soldiers on horseback parted to the sides, one of the girls walked out from the crowd.

Wang Huanzhen's heart sank upon seeing her. This girl was none other than the Jurchen noblewoman he had met in the dilapidated temple before. He had even provoked her earlier.

"My life is over," the king thought sincerely. But to his surprise, the young woman rode up to him without speaking. Instead, she sat on her horse and looked him up and down.

She seemed a little puzzled, and the horse she was riding was the same tall, magnificent horse she had ridden earlier. Wang Zhenhuan, noticing her looking at him, quickly lowered his head and looked at the ground.

"Raise your head! Who are you? Why are you lingering here? Don't you know that Zizhou is now part of the Jin Dynasty?"

The girl's voice was clear and melodious, and Wang Zhenhuan immediately recognized her! Now he dared not look up even more, and he pinched his throat and said in a low voice, "I'm an orphan. Everyone in the village is dead, and my mother told me to go south to seek refuge with my uncle."

Upon hearing Wang Zhenhuan's hoarse voice, the girl frowned, seemingly puzzled. She said something to the soldier beside her, who then handed her a torch.

The girl dismounted, took the torch, and walked up to Wang Zhenhuan, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Seeing his somewhat familiar attire, she immediately formed a plan. She leaned to the side, lowering her head to get a clearer look at Wang Zhenhuan's face.

Wang Zhenhuan was terrified when he saw the girl's actions. He hurriedly turned around and fell on the riverbank with a cry of pain. He grabbed some black mud from the ground and smeared it haphazardly on his face.

Unexpectedly, his sudden action startled the surrounding Jurchen soldiers. Some drew their swords, while others nocked their bows and arrows. The cold, curved blades and arrowheads gleamed silver in the torchlight.

Wang Zhenhuan shuddered at the sight. He hurriedly waved his hand and shouted at the Jurchens, "Don't attack! I just lost my balance and fell down. It's nothing, it's nothing!!"

Wang Zhenhuan had already prepared himself for a fight to the death with these Jin people, but he didn't expect them to not make a move. Moreover, judging from the appearance of these Jin soldiers, they all obeyed the girl's orders.

This coincided with his earlier speculation; the girl before him was no ordinary person. Hearing his broken dialect, the girl suddenly laughed and whispered a few words to the Jin soldier beside her.

The Jin soldier tore off the rope and water bag from his waist and walked towards Wang Zhenhuan. Wang Zhenhuan watched his actions, completely bewildered. However, he was certain that he had at least survived.

Otherwise, the Jurchen soldier wouldn't have been carrying a rope. And just as he guessed, the Jurchen soldier walked up to him and tied his hands behind his back.

Wang Zhen didn't resist; he figured it would be pointless anyway, since he was just a teenager. However, the golden man's next move completely stunned him.

The burly, bearded Jurchen soldier actually opened his water bag and started washing his face!