"If you like it, have some more. I'll check on things. We'll be leaving soon." Su Jin returned to the driver's seat.
He picked up the phone by the windshield and reviewed the earlier recording.
Watching what was happening outside while playing the video at increased speed, he picked up his watch again and began counting.
Du Wenyan watched Su Jin's back with a complicated expression.
What a mysterious man.
He had so many questions, but this was no time to ask them.
He couldn't tell whether meeting Su Jin was a blessing or a curse.
....
Half an hour later, the sky was beginning to brighten.
Su Jin pressed his watch one last time, excitement rising in his chest.
The final person sent out to search had returned.
Now was their chance to escape.
"Hold on, both of you. Don't panic!"
Du Wenyan immediately steadied Yunlian and looked down at the floor.
A faint tremor ran through what had been a steady floor.
Then the scenery outside the window began to move.
The siblings pressed close to the window, staring out with wide eyes.
After a turn, the RV drove straight ahead, and the scenery slipped away behind them faster and faster.
The vibration beneath their feet grew more noticeable.
"Brother, the house is moving," Yunlian said fearfully. "Why is it running on its own?"
Gripping the armrest, Du Wenyan forced himself to sound calm. "It's all right. Don't be afraid. Brother Wu is pulling it from the front."
The RV crossed open country, keeping its distance from the official road.
Su Jin concentrated on driving.
The Steward had thought things through more thoroughly than he had.
They couldn't take the road. There were too many people, and their imperfect optical camouflage would be easy to spot, especially with experts in the area.
The tire tracks would also attract attention. Untouched wilderness was safer.
Perhaps because of the Demon Spring's eruptions, the cities here were built in mountainous areas.
Suyuan's royal capital, in particular, was surrounded by mountains and easy to defend. There were few routes through them.
Without the modifications to the RV, roads like these would have wrecked it within days.
After driving a kilometer, Su Jin called, "Brother Du! Come here a moment!"
Du Wenyan hurried forward and leaned over the side of the driver's seat. "What is it?"
"Nothing. We're safe for now, but we can't keep driving like this. We need to plan our route. You know this area, right? Our lives depend on it. If you're lying to me again, we'll all be finished."
"I didn't lie about that. I know the area, I swear!"
"Sit up front and direct me. Find somewhere safe for us to stop briefly and work out what to do next."
Du Wenyan glanced back to make sure Yunlian was seated, then squeezed into the passenger seat.
....
An hour later, they were far from the official road.
Green hills and clear streams surrounded them, and the ground grew increasingly rocky.
After another ten minutes or so, they reached a quiet stretch of riverbank.
The RV finally stopped among the trees.
"Where are we?" Su Jin asked, looking around.
"This place has no name," Du Wenyan said, "but Luxi Ferry is about five li from here. Scholars and nobles like to go there for outings. This spot isn't nearly as scenic, so hardly anyone comes."
"Then how do you know about it?"
"Spending so much time with those nobles gets tiring. I like wandering on my own. It's quiet here, and no one bothers us. I often brought Yunlian."
"Good. We'll stop here for now. Come on out." Su Jin opened the door.
He stretched and surveyed the area.
Thick trees surrounded them, putting his mind somewhat at ease.
It was a good spot. They could stay a while.
There was plenty more trouble ahead to plan for, and the nearby river would let them replenish their water supplies.
Once he had checked the surroundings, Su Jin pulled out the folding table on the RV's side and set up three stools.
Seeing Du Wenyan staring at him from the passenger seat, he said, "Come down already. What are you looking at me for?"
The RV's soundproofing was still on. Du Wenyan's mouth moved soundlessly inside, and subtitles appeared.
[I can't get out. How do I open this?]
"Old habits are going to be the death of me..." Su Jin went over and opened the passenger door.
He had assumed, without thinking, that Du Wenyan would know how to open a car door.
It was hard to shake habits formed over a lifetime. The prohibition on alcohol had already caught him out once.
Du Wenyan jumped down as soon as the door opened.
He turned and recoiled at the nearly invisible RV. "What... what's happened to this house? Why is it transparent?"
"Don't make a fuss yet. Let's get all our questions out of the way at once. Bring your sister out, too."
Du Wenyan collected himself, reached back inside, and carried Yunlian out through the passenger door.
Su Jin sat at the table, where he had laid out paper, a pen, and some cherries from his storage space.
He had brought plenty of fruit from home in his ring.
He ate a cherry, then spat its pit onto the table.
The siblings sat down uneasily. Du Wenyan asked, "Brother Wu, isn't it dangerous to sit out here? We're safer inside. Couldn't we talk there?"
"Too much blocks our view in there. We can keep watch better out here." Su Jin pointed at the cherry pit. "Let me see what your sister can do. She can make plants grow, right? Can she do anything with this seed?"
Yunlian looked to Du Wenyan.
He nodded. "Go on. Show Brother Wu."
Yunlian took a deep breath and focused on the cherry pit.
Her small brow furrowed. With a soft crack, the pit split, and a green shoot emerged.
Before Su Jin's astonished eyes, the shoot grew rapidly to more than ten centimeters tall... and then withered and died.
Yunlian turned pale and breathed a little harder.
"Why did it die?" Su Jin asked, blinking.
"If it were planted in soil, it would grow normally, and controlling it wouldn't take so much out of her," Du Wenyan said. "I've used her ability to grow rare flowers and plants to win favor with the nobles."
"Can she only affect one plant at a time?" Su Jin asked.
Du Wenyan shook his head. "No. She can affect an entire field, but it grows much more slowly."
"Has her ability always been like this, or does it keep getting stronger?"
"It gets stronger. As far as I can tell, it depends on how much she practices and uses it. When she was little, she could only affect a flowerpot." Du Wenyan looked up at him. "Brother Wu, tell me honestly. Do you think my sister's ability is an ill omen?"
"Of course not." Su Jin met his gaze. "It's an incredible blessing. Used well, her ability could save countless lives. It could even save the whole world!"
Du Wenyan said bitterly, "If everyone thought like you, she and I wouldn't be living like this."
"Problems can be solved. And I promise, you and your sister will soon be living a very different life."
As soon as Su Jin said it, he realized how that sounded. His mouth twitched, and he clamped it shut.
Shit. He really needed to think before he spoke. What kind of dark joke was that?