53 The One Who Will Lead the Way

Halfway to leaving, Nastasia remembered her appearance. Without the mask and wig, she couldn't safely walk about the town. So, after donning both, she once again, unhesitatingly, headed for the exit.

Finding the Jiang estate had not been easy. Although it was difficult, Nastasia had fun walking around the town with the wolves. There were both parts that were entertaining and nerve-wracking. Several times the wolves had snatched food, from both the hands of passerby and from edges of food stalls without bothering to sneak at all.

At first, Nastasia had been horrified and had tried to stop them, eliciting many strange stares from the people that passed by. It was from this, however, that she soon realized that aside for her and Paoxiao the wolves couldn't be seen.

Because of this, she no longer tried to stop them. It was funny when the person that had been snatched from frantically looked around trying to figure out what had happened. She felt bad too, but it wasn't like she could go up to each individual apologize and make amends for the wolves that they couldn't see.

She wasn't supposed to bring attention to herself and that would certainly make the townspeople think that she was a crazy person. This, however, made her reconsider taking the wolves into town in the future. At least until she could get them to understand that stealing food, even if they were hungry, was wrong.

It was after a while of searching that Nastasia realized when it came to directions Paoxiao did not know left from right. It became very clear that even if night were to fall, there was a very good chance they still wouldn't find themselves at the Jiang estate.

At the moment they were in a residential area of small houses with roofs that swooped upward at the ends. Though the colors of the houses varied, they had been made dull from years of being baked beneath the sun. Older women were either sitting around gossiping or watching their children play. Some were play fighting with swords, somewhere kicking a small dark colored ball, and some were playing with dolls.

Nearby to where they were there was a little boy leaning against a dull gray column. He couldn't have been older than thirteen. His dark brown hair was neatly combed and though his clothes looked more worn than the other children, he presented a neat and dignified picture.

He watched the other children as if it were beneath him to go out and join them.

Since he was the only one out there that seemed as if he had nothing to do, Nastasia decided that he would be the first she would ask. As she approached with Paoxiao the boy took notice of them, his dark eyes narrowing with vigilance.

Though it wasn't odd for unmarried women to hide their faces, the boy couldn't help but find her suspicious for wearing a mask. The black mask only covered the top portion of her face. That he could see the expression her lips made didn't make him feel any better. Facial expressions didn't always elude to a person's truth, he knew that fact quite well.

So as the pair drew closer, he rose his guard.

It had been decided that Paoxiao would do the talking. Although Nastasia's speech had improved greatly over the past month, her sentences still weren't entirely smooth. She could use the practice, but it would be faster to have Paoxiao ask the boy if he knew the way and to lead them.

"Little boy?" Being addressed, the boy didn't say anything. He just watched them warily as he waited for Paoxiao to continued. "Little boy, do you know where Commander Jiang's estate is located?"

Who didn't know where it was? Commander Jiang was a decorated officer with many merits beneath him, his most outstanding being that he single-highhandedly turned the tied in that major war with their neighboring countries more than a decade ago. To both curb his influence and to guard against his younger brother, the emperor had assigned him to this backwater town under the pretense of guarding it.

However, though this town was the closest to the eastern border, no one would dare tempt to invade it due to the presence of the Palace of the Four Gates. This was a tacit agreement between all five countries.

The real reason, to be whispered about, was that Commander Jiang had been stationed her to keep on eye on the emperor's imperial older brother, the Elemental Spirit Master; to supress him. Though it was whispered about, it wasn't far from the truth. That Jiang Yu Xue became one of Li Yu Rong's people as swiflty as he entered the town was not something anyone under the emperor's faction could have predicited.

Thus, in the following year, Minister Li along with General Bai had been made to accompany Commander Jiang in protecting Mencheng.

Even though a few years had passed since the commander had been moved here, the townspeople often traveled to the Jiang Estate hoping to catch a glimpse of people living within. Though most were young unmarried ladies hoping to sneak a peek of the unmarried Jiang Yu Xue's valiant figure and perhaps, in turn, catch his eye.

The children, however, knew the location of the estate for a different reason. The young miss of the Jiang family wasn't like other young nobles. She wasn't stuck up and would engage with the local kids as if they were on equal terms, inviting them inside the estate to play every now and again.

Though he never participated, he knew the location. The young boy looked at them as if trying to decide why they were looking for the Jiang estate. Though he never joined in when she came out to play, she was a nice girl and he rather liked her. He wouldn't lead trouble to her house.

"Why are you looking for the Jiang Estate?" He asked, his sharp tone and narrowed eyes carried suspicion.

Aware of the boy's guard against him, he said. "My master has business with the young miss Jiang." This next part was rather difficult to say and he had to force his mouth and brows not to twist with distaste. "While looking for the estate, we've seemed to have gotten ourselves lost." He always hated having to admit to being lost.

After a moments consideration, the boy nodded. The Jiang estate was filled with Commander Jiang's soldiers and the two before him didn't look to be very strong. If they attempted to do anything, the guards would be able to stop them. Consoled with this, he said. "Then I'll lead the way."

As they wandered about, Nastasia had taken a few gold pieces from the coin purse Paoxiao was holding for her. She had done it to buy food for Loki and Fenrir so that they would stop snatching a bite to eat here and there as they walked.

At the restaurant that had a lot of business, she had stuffed the wolves full. Though the bill amounted to three silvers, she gave the waiter a gold coin and only accepted a hundred silver pieces as change. The restaurant nearly full of patrons, but they would hardly afford to make change for a gold piece. They weren't a resturant of the capital.

As that was all she had to pay with she willingly accepted the amount.

Recalling when she had mistakenly given gold to the street vendor, Nastasia did not take out gold this time. Instead, she grabbed one of the silver pieces she had gotten and handed it to the young boy. With a smile, she said, "thank you."

Looking at her smiling face that seemed to bear no ill will, he accepted the coin; swiftly stowing it away. As he was doing her a service it was only right that this young miss should pay him, but even so, he felt bad about it. Originally, he was one that didn't need such sympathy.

However, his thoughts were wrong. The reason she hadn't given him the normal few copper fee wasn't that she was feeling sympathetic with his run-down appearance. Rather, eventhough she did not have a single copper to give, it wouldn't have mattered, as she still didn't understand entirely the value of things in this world.

"You're name?" Nastasia decided to stick to small and easy sentences so that she wouldn't give away the reality of her poor speaking ability.

The boy kept his dark eyes straight ahead as he led them along. A moment or two had passed since she spoke that Nastasia thought he wasn't going to answer. Being that he seemed to be a quiet and withdrawn boy, she didn't mind all that much. After he got used to their presence, she would just ask him again.

Surprisingly, after finishing that thought, a soft voice uttered; almost too quiet to hear.

"Yating... my name is Liu Yating."

This meeting would point the boy away from his fate to die on the streets and point him toward regaining everything that he'd lost.