The heat had become unbearable.
If you looked carefully, you could even see the hot air moving, wavering like invisible flames above the ground.
The water in the well was decreasing rapidly. No matter how carefully people tried to use it, the level kept dropping every day.
Despite all the effort the villagers had put in, it was said that nearly half of the crops had already failed.
Some families' wells had completely dried up.
The food prices, which had finally started to fall earlier, were now rising again.
Inside the house, Han Fei was quietly packing the things they were going to take with them. His movements were slow and careful, but his expression remained calm.
Mother Han, however, seemed more and more uneasy.
As the situation outside worsened day by day, she began to regret her decision a little. But everything had already been prepared. There was no way to change things now.
Bo Xi had already subtly informed the Village Chief about their departure. Whether the woman chose to take her advice or not, Bo Xi no longer cared. She had already done what she could.
Outside, the escorts stood quietly in the shade beside the carriages.
Although they were dressed in ordinary clothes, the swords at their waists still gleamed faintly in the sunlight. They were not wearing armor yet, but once they left the village, they would change into it.
Bo Xi had already begun to notice small groups of disaster victims appearing in the distance.
They really had to leave soon.
It took quite a while to load all the things into the carriage. Since Bo Xi knew she couldn't hide everything, she openly placed half of her silver into a wooden chest and had it carried into the carriage as well.
The carriage itself was spacious and luxurious. The inside was lined with soft fabrics and thick cotton, making it much more comfortable, especially for someone who was pregnant.
Han Fei and Han Wei were already sitting inside.
No one except Bo Xi knew what Han Fei and Han Wei talked but Han Wei divorced his wife.
Father Han and Mother Han wanted to stop him but he was determined.
Thankfully, the constraints faced by men in the Tianhong dynasty were a bit less.
Han Wei was going with Han Fei and Bo Xi.
He was holding his son.
Mother Han and Father Han hadn't talked with him since thinking he had let down their family's reputation.
Father Han even wanted to beat him but was stopped by Bo Xi.
Before leaving, Han Fei quietly said his goodbyes.
"Mother, Father… we will be leaving now," Bo Xi said calmly, standing beside the carriage.
"Be careful on the way," Father Han replied, his voice slightly choked as he wiped the corners of his eyes.
Mother Han did not speak. She only nodded, her expression heavy with unspoken emotions.
Before this, Bo Xi had already handed over the deed to the house and land to Father Han. To her, that amount of wealth was nothing. And deep down, she knew… she might never return.
Han Village, after all, was located in a relatively prosperous area. Most families still had some food stored, so the disaster had not yet shown its full cruelty here.
But beyond this place… things were very different.
The village Bo Xi had originally come from had been extremely poor. There, even surviving without starving had been considered fortunate.
Father Han, Mother Han, and Han Li had not yet truly faced what this disaster could become.
Bo Xi stepped into the carriage and sat down.
There were five carriages in total. The escorts rode on horseback, except for the drivers. They were dressed in leather armor, light but sturdy, ready to equip their full armor when needed.
Outside, Han Fei leaned slightly forward and waved.
He kept watching until his parents and siblings became smaller and smaller in the distance… until they finally disappeared from sight.
Only then did he slowly withdraw his gaze.
As the caravan left the village and passed through the city gates, Han Fei let out a quiet breath. A faint, complicated smile appeared on his face.
Inside the carriage, Han Fei and Han Wei sat opposite Bo Xi.
Unlike Han Fei, whose emotions were soft and restrained, Han Wei kept looking outside the entire time. His expression was heavy.
He didn't know what the future held.
He felt worry… fear… and a deep sense of uncertainty.
But when he lowered his gaze to look at his child in his arms, his expression slowly firmed.
No matter what, he had to keep going.
Bo Xi, meanwhile, was observing everything outside carefully.
In times of disaster, when most people were struggling just to survive, a well-organized caravan like theirs, guarded and fully equipped, was a rare and striking sight.
Whispers could already be heard from a distance.
People wondered who they were… where they were going… and whether they could rely on them.
After leaving the city, the atmosphere changed.
The escorts began to put on their metal armor one by one. The faint clinking sound of iron filled the air as weapons were unsheathed and adjusted.
The message was clear.
Anyone who came close would think twice.
After a moment, Bo Xi pushed open the carriage door and stepped out.
Under the blazing sun, she calmly put on her own armor.
It was a deep purple, polished to a faint shine. Under the sunlight, it gleamed sharply, both beautiful and imposing.
Standing there among the guards, her presence alone was enough to silence any hidden intentions.
The journey ahead… would not be peaceful.
Bo Xi rode at the very front of the caravan, her gaze fixed on the road ahead.
She wanted to personally observe the conditions along the way.
The guards followed closely behind her, maintaining formation, their expressions alert.
The temperature was unbearably high.
The sun hung overhead like a burning weight, pressing down on everything beneath it. Even the air felt dry and sharp, as if it could scorch the lungs with every breath.
At midday, they had to stop and rest in whatever shade they could find.
Even sitting still on horseback, Bo Xi could feel sweat forming along her back, dampening her clothes beneath the armor.
Compared to her, the other guards were in worse condition.
Sweat soaked through their garments, dripping from their chins and temples. From time to time, they would quickly take a sip of water.
No one spoke much.
The heat alone was enough to drain their energy.
Chaos was slowly brewing.
War loomed at the borders, and natural disasters had already begun to destroy livelihoods. Together, they were pushing people toward desperation.
And desperate people… were far more dangerous than any trained enemy.
The armor they wore, meant to protect them, now felt like a burden. The metal absorbed the sun's heat, making it even harder to endure.
But no one removed it. Bo Xi decided to make an arrangement of shifts between guards.
For the moment, they were still traveling along a relatively smooth road.
But Bo Xi knew this wouldn't last long.
Soon, they would reach rougher terrain, narrow paths, broken ground, and uneven routes that would slow the caravan down significantly.
And when their speed slowed…
Their danger would only increase.
Bo Xi tightened her grip on the reins slightly, her eyes sharpening.
The real journey was only just beginning.