Chapter 21: Wait a moment, you’ve got the wrong person! I am not Dongfang Jibai.

Western Ping Commandery.

Located on the northwestern frontier, this place is a crucial military stronghold guarding the border.

Yellow sand filled the air, bleak and desolate.

The fierce wind swept fine sand from outside the city all the way inside, stinging their faces painfully.

Ji Ci was wrapped tightly in a thick cloak provided by Dongfang Jibai, with only her bright, clear eyes exposed, curiously taking in the unfamiliar city.

"This place is not as prosperous as the capital; I’m sorry to have brought you here," Dongfang Jibai said, gripping her cool little hand with a low voice.

Ji Ci looked up at the city walls.

The walls were made of rammed earth, worn uneven and pitted by wind and sun.

A few withered wild grasses stubbornly sprouted through the cracks, trembling in the wind.

The scene reminded Ji Ci of a line of poetry:

“Under the barbarian sky, the geese have all flown away, the remaining cold sand chokes the evening tide.”

They walked deeper into the city. The paint on the gate had long since peeled away, and the iron nails were rusted.

The streets were narrow and uneven; the yellow earth roads bore deep ruts from carts, stirring up choking dust with every step.

Ji Ci pressed her lips together; she had never seen such a scene before.

Even during the end times, she had not witnessed such barren land.

And yet, they had not even reached the true borderlands.

Silently, she clenched her fists, determined—agriculture must be developed, so the people here would no longer suffer hunger and cold.

Seeing her serious expression, Dongfang Jibai thought she was frightened by the desolation.

He gently held her hand and whispered, "Though this place is poor, it is free from the turmoil of war. The only issue is the lack of water; life here is hard for the people."

Ji Ci lifted her gaze, eyes burning with determination. "Dongfang Jibai, you can change this place, can’t you?"

In her expectant eyes, Dongfang Jibai nodded.

This was a promise—both to Ji Ci and to the people of this land.

The two walked on in silence. Ji Ci thought about the things in her space that were useless here.

She whispered a few words to Dongfang Jibai.

“Go ahead, don’t wander off.”

Ji Ci summoned a nearby stray dog. Having long worked as a beast whisperer, communicating with dogs was effortless for her.

“Is there a charity hall here?” Ji Ci asked.

Among the strays was one with a scarred face that looked fierce, yet it was the first to lead Ji Ci to the charity hall.

Outside the charity hall, Ji Ci placed all the secondhand goods sent from the Fourth Prince’s mansion inside.

Including a used chamber pot.

She also brought in plenty of grain, enough to feed the poor at the charity hall for some time.

After finishing, she wasn’t sure if her merit had grown, but the Fourth Prince’s merit was boundless.

The grain soaked in the spiritual spring inside her space yielded twice the usual harvest.

But it was still far from the production of the modern world.

Ji Ci instructed the system to watch over her grain, harvesting when ripe, and after soaking in spiritual spring water, to plant again.

By genetically modifying it five or six times, the grain’s yield would basically reach modern levels.

Dongfang Jibai waited for Ji Ci in a teahouse.

After doing her good deeds, Ji Ci looked much more spirited.

What Ji Ci did not know was that with supplies suddenly arriving at the charity hall, merchants believed the place was blessed by divine protection and eagerly donated funds, hoping for prosperity.

Unintentionally, she had done another good deed.

“Dongfang Jibai, let’s go shopping,” Ji Ci said, pulling his arm and sweeping through nearby shops, buying everything in sight.

Dongfang Jibai didn’t get the folding bed he yearned for but instead bought a large carved bed measuring three meters by two.

Ji Ci eyed him suspiciously. How were they to bring back such a big bed?

Had this man discovered something?

Ji Ci narrowed her eyes, watching him warily.

Dongfang Jibai rubbed his nose. “I’m going to buy you a few pairs of shoes.”

This bought Ji Ci time to store the items in her space.

She watched his retreating figure, sensing he was feeling guilty.

Her mind wasn’t as complicated as his; she quickly stored the goods.

When they met again, Ji Ci told him the bed was too large to take and she had returned it.

Dongfang Jibai simply nodded without comment.

But the smile in his eyes grew more pronounced.

He also bought Ji Ci plenty of food.

On the way back, Ji Ci happily bounced along, holding candied hawthorns, occasionally whispering to Dongfang Jibai.

His eyes shone with amusement, doting on her.

In the distance, three men dressed in black watched them like vipers eyeing prey.

“The princess said the general traveled without a woman. Where did this woman come from?”

“Boss, judging by Dongfang Jibai’s look, his poison seems to have been cured.”

“Let’s go. This time, we’ll take half his life. If Yanmen Pass falls, His Majesty will execute the entire Dongfang family.”

Just as Ji Ci brought a candied hawthorn to her lips, a sharp sound pierced the air!

“Snap!”

The bamboo skewer broke; the sugar-coated hawthorn rolled off, covered in yellow sand.

Ji Ci’s eyes widened; she slowly turned her head to look behind.

Three masked men advanced, brandishing knives, radiating murderous intent.

Wasn’t the assassination meant for Dongfang Jibai?

Why attack her?

“Wait, you’ve got the wrong person! I’m not Dongfang Jibai!”

Ji Ci held out her hand, trying to stop them.

The leader sneered, “Kill you, and he’ll go mad!”

“Blame the right person! Are you crazy?” Ji Ci crossed her arms and shouted.

Dongfang Jibai stood calmly behind her, a smile playing on his lips as he watched Ji Ci’s fiery outburst.

The black-clad men wasted no words; with a palm strike, Ji Ci didn’t dodge but stepped back, breaking out of their encirclement.

She then folded her arms and stood at a distance, watching Dongfang Jibai take the blows.

Her mission was to help Dongfang Jibai evade the assassination attempts; as long as he survived, it was enough.

Seeing Ji Ci’s indifferent stance, Dongfang Jibai felt both helpless and amused.

After evading three attackers’ moves, Dongfang Jibai drew the soft sword at his waist.

The sword gleamed coldly as it was unsheathed.

Ji Ci’s eyes flickered; so this was the weapon he concealed at his waist.

The black-clad men attacked fiercely, but Dongfang Jibai moved with ease, blood spraying wherever his blade struck.

The three worked in perfect coordination, forming a triangular formation that trapped Dongfang Jibai in the center.

Ji Ci no longer watched idly; green light flickered from her hand. If Dongfang Jibai fell, she would dispatch the attackers with a single move.

The clash of metal rang sharply through the air.

The black-clad men were skilled fighters, every strike ruthless, evenly matched with Dongfang Jibai.

Suddenly, a flash of cold light—one of the attackers hurled a hidden weapon at Dongfang Jibai.

“Watch out!” Ji Ci instinctively stepped forward.

Thinking she would be struck, Dongfang Jibai hesitated for a moment. The gleaming projectile came straight for his face!

He dodged sideways; the weapon embedded deeply in his shoulder. He staggered back two steps.

“Tch, that went wrong.”

Ji Ci’s eyes darkened. She shifted on her toes and flashed forward like a ghost, delivering a fierce whip kick to the attacker’s chest.

The black-clad man grunted and flew backward, kicking up a cloud of yellow sand.

Dongfang Jibai no longer lingered in the fight; his sword strikes grew sharp and ruthless.

With a flash of cold light, the last attacker clutched his neck and collapsed with a heavy thud.

Ji Ci rushed over in three quick steps, yanking open Dongfang Jibai’s robe to reveal his strong chest.

The wound was already turning purple and black around the edges.