Chen Jiao had already made up her mind—
She would cling to them like a leech.
Instead of answering directly, she posed a question of her own.
“We heard along the way that Minzhou is on the verge of war. Is this true?”
Xu Zhao paused in thought, then replied, “Minzhou is indeed unstable.”
Chen Jiao seized the opportunity to flatter him.
“A hero like you is far more just than the officials.”
Then, she spoke her carefully crafted lie:
“To tell the truth, we are from Guangyang Prefecture. The local authorities mistreated us, forcing us to flee.
“My mother is old and frail, and I—just a useless boy—have no way to protect her. We were hoping to seek refuge with relatives in Minzhou, but the journey is too dangerous. We will not survive.”
Xu Zhao remained silent, uninterested in meddling further.
But the blue-robed warrior beside him suddenly spoke.
“Minzhou is on the brink of war. If you go there now, you are walking to your deaths. Find another place.”
For the first time, Madam Xu gathered enough courage to speak up.
“Noble warrior, may I ask… where in this world is still safe?”
The short-tempered brute, now helping Xu Zhao adjust his armor, barked out a response.
“Go to Huizhou. It’s under the rule of the Prince of Huai’an. It’s much better than this place.”
The blue-robed warrior nodded in agreement.
“Prince Chen is kind to his people.”
The mention of the name ‘Chen’ made Madam Xu instinctively look at Chen Jiao.
But Chen Jiao was too preoccupied with securing their escape to notice her mother’s reaction.
Meanwhile, Madam Xu’s heart pounded.
She hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking,
“This Prince of Huai’an… is his name Chen En?”
The question came out of nowhere—
Chen Jiao whipped around, staring at her mother in confusion.
But before she could react, the hot-tempered warrior blurted out—
“Yes. Prince Chen’s name is indeed Chen En.”
A thunderclap seemed to shatter the sky.
The shock left Madam Xu speechless.
Her lips trembled, struggling to form words.
Chen Jiao, on the other hand, wasn’t as shaken.
She simply stood there, momentarily stunned.
What a coincidence.
Her so-called “cheap father” was also named Chen En?
Xu Zhao, keenly observant, noticed the change in Madam Xu’s expression.
He narrowed his eyes, studying her intently.
“Old woman, do you have something to say?”
Though Madam Xu wasn’t particularly clever in daily life, she never lost her nerve at critical moments.
They had just recommended Huizhou, which meant they weren’t enemies of Chen En.
Suppressing her inner excitement, she lowered herself into a kneeling position.
“I have an unreasonable request, but I beg you to grant it.”
Xu Zhao frowned deeply, increasingly suspicious of the two.
He remained silent.
Madam Xu continued, pressing her forehead to the dirt.
“Brave warriors, your skills are unparalleled. Would you be willing to escort us to the Prince of Huai’an’s estate in Huizhou? You shall be generously rewarded!”
Her words stunned everyone—
Including Chen Jiao.
She stared at her mother in shock, completely unprepared for this bold move.
Had her mother gone mad?!
Did she just try to falsely claim kinship with the Prince of Huai’an?!
Even Xu Zhao was caught off guard.
His eyes widened in disbelief, and he studied Madam Xu with sharp suspicion.
The blue-robed warrior, still processing what he’d just heard, pressed,
“Who exactly are you two to claim such ties to the Prince of Huai’an?”
Madam Xu turned back to Xu Zhao, bowing once more.
“Since you have already saved our lives, please carry this kindness to its end. Escorting the Buddha halfway is not as good as sending Him to the West.”
“Once we arrive in Huizhou and reunite with our kin, the Prince of Huai’an will reward you handsomely!”
She spoke with such unshakable conviction that for a moment, she almost sounded like she was truly connected to the Prince of Huai’an.
Xu Zhao’s suspicions deepened.
The four warriors exchanged uneasy glances.
Though Xu Zhao had no intention of meddling further, the nagging doubts in his chest unsettled him.
After a brief pause, he finally spoke.
“You claim to be closely related to the Prince of Huai’an—do you have proof?”
Madam Xu was quick-witted.
Earlier, she had guarded the golden lock like her life depended on it—
But now, she offered it up without hesitation.
Xu Zhao, having seen the lock in the hands of the Hu raiders, reached out to examine it.
It was exquisitely crafted, clearly meant for a noble child.
Intricate inscriptions were engraved into the gold:
“Chen Jiao, daughter of Chen En.”
Beneath it, a detailed birthdate.
As Xu Zhao studied the object, the storm in his mind intensified.
His expression darkened, and his gaze locked onto Chen Jiao like a predator eyeing prey.
“So, she is Chen En’s daughter, Chen Jiao?”
Madam Xu nodded solemnly, answering without hesitation.
“She is my daughter, born of my union with Chen En. We have disguised ourselves.”
Chen Jiao was caught completely off guard.
Her mother had just revealed everything?!
“Mother!” she blurted out, eyes wide with disbelief.
But Madam Xu was playing a far greater game.
She turned to her daughter and instructed firmly,
“My child, go wash your face.”
Chen Jiao stood frozen, unmoving.
Madam Xu grabbed her hand, dragging her to the well.
She soaked a cloth in cold water, scrubbing her daughter’s face clean, removing all traces of her disguise.
Once mother and daughter stood in their true forms, the four warriors’ expressions changed.
Madam Xu, in her thirties, looked worn and weary from hardship—
Yet traces of her youthful beauty still lingered.
And as for Chen Jiao—
The four men exchanged glances, their faces filled with an odd mix of realization and curiosity.
It was a young, delicate face, yet its bone structure was strikingly defined.
Her thin skin clung tightly to her sharp features, leaving no excess flesh, accentuating her distinctive facial structure.
A few light freckles were scattered across her nose and cheeks, and instead of the usual gentle femininity, her brows and gaze carried a sharp, heroic air.
Her dark, deep-set eyes concealed an unyielding stubbornness, while her firmly pressed lips exuded a guarded vigilance.
Everything about her radiated resilience and defiance, giving off the illusion of an unbreakable spirit.
She was not conventionally beautiful, yet her features were exceptionally striking and memorable—unlike ordinary women, she possessed a bold, unwavering determination.
Xu Zhao studied her face, his emotions complicated.
The blue-robed warrior frowned.
“Chief, we cannot decide this matter on our own.”
The ill-tempered brute added, “Master Cui is waiting for us in Minzhou. Bringing along two women will only cause trouble.”
Xu Zhao weighed his options, then suddenly asked,
“You claim to be relatives of the Prince of Huai’an. Do you have any other proof?”
Madam Xu rushed to answer,
“I remember Chen En has a red birthmark behind his ear and another on his chest. He also has a scar on his thigh from an old blade wound.”
She rambled on, recounting past details about Chen En, her words spilling out like a flood.
Xu Zhao listened with growing suspicion.
It was too much of a coincidence.
He couldn’t tell whether it was truth or deception.
But at this point, he had no choice but to take it seriously.
The golden lock, Chen Jiao’s resemblance, the birthmark behind the ear—
All pointed directly to the Prince of Huai’an.
Although bringing them along would be troublesome, Xu Zhao ultimately decided to take the mother and daughter with them.
Chen Jiao felt both shocked and elated.
She wanted to ask her mother what was really going on, but Madam Xu kept her expression unreadable, revealing nothing.
Sensing it was best not to attract further suspicion, Chen Jiao kept quiet.
Instead of sending them directly to Huizhou, Xu Zhao chose to first bring them to Minzhou—
It was safer to let his superior, Cui Jue, verify their identities.
Mother and daughter looked utterly impoverished.
Along the journey to Minzhou, Xu Zhao had someone purchase supplies for them—
Clothing, toiletries, and essentials for women.
Dressed in fine garments, Madam Xu transformed completely.
She powdered her face, shaped her brows, and applied bright rouge to her lips,
Turning herself into the picture of an aristocratic lady.
As the saying goes, “A person relies on clothes just as a horse relies on its saddle.”
With their new appearances, they no longer resembled the fugitives they once were.
Riding in a carriage, they traveled day and night, reaching Minzhou in just six days.
Worried that the journey had been too exhausting for them, the group paused in Suian, Minzhou, for a night’s rest.
For days, mother and daughter had traveled closely with Xu Zhao and his men, never having a moment to themselves.
Now that they finally had privacy, Chen Jiao couldn’t hold back her burning question any longer.
“Mother, what if the Prince of Huai’an isn’t my father?”
She had expected Madam Xu to reassure her, to swear with confidence—
But instead, her mother’s next words left her utterly speechless.
“He definitely isn’t your father.”
Chen Jiao: “???”
Chen Jiao: “!!!”
Her mind went blank.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Madam Xu ignored her daughter’s shocked expression and casually explained,
“Your father, that Chen guy, has nothing to do with the imperial family.”
Chen Jiao: “…”
Madam Xu’s face turned serious.
“We are blessed. Even Heaven couldn’t bear to see us suffer, so it sent us a noble benefactor.”
Chen Jiao almost cried.
Her face twisted in disbelief.
“So… you were fooling Xu Zhao?!”
Madam Xu, completely unbothered, answered matter-of-factly,
“You saw our situation yourself. With just the two of us, we would never have escaped Tongzhou.”
“At first, I wasn’t hopeful, but when I realized the Prince of Huai’an shared your father’s exact name, I seized the opportunity.”
Chen Jiao clamped her mouth shut, unsure how to process this revelation.
Madam Xu, completely unfazed, shrugged off her daughter’s reaction and continued,
“The world is vast, and there are countless people with the same name.”
“Your father is indeed named Chen En—
“The golden lock proves that much.
“But whether he is the Prince of Huai’an? I have never seen him, so a misunderstanding is only natural.”
“Regardless, we have already escaped Tongzhou. Whatever happens next, we will deal with it as it comes.”
Chen Jiao buried her face in her hands, overwhelmed.
“Mother, this is madness!”
Madam Xu quickly shushed her.
“Keep your voice down!”
Chen Jiao’s anxiety skyrocketed.
“Who is Xu Zhao?! If he finds out you tricked him, we won’t survive the next few days!”
But, for once, Madam Xu was calmer than her daughter.
She waved a hand dismissively.
“You’re overthinking it. Worst case, we find a chance to escape.”
“If we can’t escape, we simply claim it was a misunderstanding.”
“It’s just a mix-up with names. We’ll have a way to survive.”
Chen Jiao was completely at a loss.
She stared at her mother in utter disbelief.
Daring to bluff her way into the Prince of Huai’an’s estate—
Her mother was truly one-of-a-kind!
The two women locked eyes, staring at each other in silence.
At this point, there was no turning back.
They had no choice but to take it one step at a time.
But the real problem was—
Xu Zhao was taking them to see Cui Jue.
Cui Jue—an advisor to the Prince of Huai’an.
The second-in-command of Huizhou.
A man feared as the “Living King of Hell.”