Rebirth: Traveling To Ancient Times As A Companion Reading Chapter 3

Terror

The distance from the Prince’s Mansion to the city gate was not short.

It took nearly two hours for the person and the cat to make the journey on foot.

“The wind in this Capital City is truly fierce!”

White snowflakes began to flutter from the sky again. Carried by the north wind whistling through the streets of the Capital City, they swirled everywhere like handfuls of white rice grains being pelted at passersby, leaving nowhere to hide.

Driven to desperation by the wind and snow, Qiao Yi could only lift Heipa in front of his face, attempting to use the black cat’s small body as a meager shield.

“Meow!”

Heipa was naturally unwilling. He squirmed and struggled in Qiao Yi’s hands like a slippery loach, trying to escape his clutches.

Qiao Yi’s hands were so frozen he lacked strength; in a moment of inattention, his grip slipped, and Heipa actually managed to leap down.

“Hey!”

After leaving Qiao Yi, Heipa proved clever, bolting straight toward the city gate not far away.

Qiao Yi had no choice but to jog after him. “You little ingrate! I carried you for so long, and you won’t even help block a little wind and snow for me.”

“Meow!”

Heipa didn’t even look back.

Because he was rushing to catch Heipa, Qiao Yi only had time to glance twice at a carriage parked by the city gate.

The carriage was entirely black, and even the horses were fierce steeds with pure black manes. It created a sharp visual contrast against the surrounding white snow, looking somewhat oppressive. What kind of family would use such a carriage?

Although Qiao Yi found it strange, he didn’t think much of it. There were so many wealthy families in the Capital City; perhaps it was just someone’s peculiar taste.

Finally catching up to Heipa, Qiao Yi panted slightly as he scooped the cat up, pinching the scruff of his neck. “Ungrateful! No more dried fish for you next time.”

“Meow.”

Several soldiers responsible for inspecting those leaving the city were standing nearby. Qiao Yi stepped forward, intending to register and head out.

He thought it would be a simple matter, but to his surprise, the gatekeepers questioned and searched him for a long time without letting him go.

When he felt one of the guards glancing at him surreptitiously again, Qiao Yi reached his limit. With a smile on his face, he asked in a humble tone, “Sirs, is there any other problem? This humble one is in a hurry to leave the city to visit a gravely ill relative.”

“There are no problems, per se, but today is special. You must go to the gatehouse over there and let the supervisor take a closer look. If there are no issues, you will naturally be allowed to leave.”

Qiao Yi held his breath, feeling a surge of irritation, but he suppressed it.

This was ancient times, not the modern world. The men opposite him were soldiers with weapons; he couldn’t afford to provoke them.

The gatehouse was not far from the city gate. Qiao Yi followed a guard inside while holding Heipa.

Upon opening the door, he saw a supervisor sitting behind a desk, carefully examining something.

As Qiao Yi stepped inside, he was momentarily stunned by a pungent odor that hit his nose.

Heipa’s sense of smell was even more acute; the moment the door opened, he slipped from Qiao Yi’s arms, impossible to catch.

Wondering where the smell came from, Qiao Yi looked around carefully, only to see a charcoal brazier burning in the center of the room. The scent likely wafted from there.

He didn’t know what kind of charcoal was being burned, but it emitted a strange odor that filled the small gatehouse.

“Your name is Qiao Yi?” the supervisor asked.

Qiao Yi nodded. “Yes.”

The supervisor repeated the questions the guards had asked at the gate, and Qiao Yi patiently answered them all once more.

“These are indeed fine, but…” The supervisor looked at Qiao Yi and asked again, “Are you certain you want to leave the city today?”

Qiao Yi replied, “I am certain.”

“Have you settled all your affairs at home? Does your family know you are leaving? And do they agree?”

Qiao Yi didn’t understand why this man was fixated on his family and household affairs, but he answered without hesitation, “Of course.”

Not knowing why the man was dwelling on his family, Qiao Yi decided to spin a few more lies to speed up his departure.

“I’m leaving the city specifically to find my family. I am from Jiangzhou and only came to the Capital City to visit relatives. Naturally, I must return early after the visit. When I left, my relatives were aware. You see…”

Before Qiao Yi could finish, a voice came from behind him, instantly shattering all his thoughts.

“I was unaware anyone had ever granted you permission to leave.”

The words were as cold and venomous as a viper, making anyone who heard them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

Qiao Yi froze in place, unable to move, looking like an ice sculpture.

The guards behind him and the supervisor in front all rose to salute the newcomer. “Prince Ronghua.”

Sensing the atmosphere, they all tactfully withdrew. Only two people remained standing in the gatehouse, one in front of the other.