Chapter 287 – Princess of the Prairie Rules the World – Suspicion and the Real Culprit (12)
Tuoba Jingyao used the cliff face to accelerate his descent, the only sound in his ears the howling wind.
“Tang Tang.” He finally caught the boy in his arms.
“Ah Yao…”
The sensation of free fall made the little squirrel feel utterly unsafe. Until Tuoba Jingyao caught him, he had clung tightly to the lamb.
As they plummeted, the two of them held each other tightly.
And according to the sacred law of male leads never dying easily—whenever someone falls off a cliff, there’s always a river or trees waiting below.
Sure enough, there was a rushing river at the bottom of the cliff.
But it was late autumn, and the water was ice-cold. Falling from a height of a hundred meters, even if you hit water, the outcome would still be fatal—or at best, crippling.
As Tuoba Jingyao fell with Bai Tang in his arms, the system’s safety protocol suddenly activated.
A transparent bubble enveloped them, slowing their fall significantly.
Even the lamb beside them lay inside its own bubble, looking around in dazed wonder.
The bubble glided across the surface of the river and gently deposited them on the shore.
The previously fallen cattle and sheep were all there, completely unharmed, calmly waiting by the bank. When Bai Tang came ashore, they immediately surrounded him, baa-ing and mooing in concern.
“Don’t worry, Host. Not a single animal was lost,” said Xiao A, suddenly speaking up.
Qiu’er added proudly, “Don’t be sad, Tang Tang—we caught all the livestock, Xiao A and I!”
Then, as if remembering something, his tone suddenly turned sharp with anger.
“But it makes me so mad—we only just realized this whole thing was orchestrated by that damn Long Qian!”
Just like Bai Tang, they had assumed that reassigning Long Qian would be enough.
They hadn’t expected him to find a new opportunity to strike.
In the end, it was Tang Tang who ended up taking the fall for the female lead.
Tuoba Jingyao anxiously checked Bai Tang from head to toe. “Tang Tang, are you alright? Did you hit anything? Are you hurt anywhere…?”
Bai Tang shook his head. “No, I’m fine. But Ah Yao, why did you jump after me? That was so dangerous~”
“What did you promise me earlier? Why did you go to the outer edge…” Just thinking about the moment Bai Tang fell made Tuoba Jingyao’s heart race wildly.
His mind had gone completely blank at the time—there had been only one thought: to catch Bai Tang.
“Just now… that bubble—was that your ability?” Tuoba Jingyao had a strong feeling that their safe landing had everything to do with Bai Tang.
In so many worlds, his squirrel identity had already been exposed. One more world wouldn’t make much difference. Telling Ah Yao should be fine, right?
Bai Tang silently communicated with his two systems. Qiu’er felt it wasn’t necessary to actively reveal the truth to the male lead, while Xiao A didn’t mind either way.
After all, Tuoba Jingyao’s feelings for Bai Tang were unmatched—he would never betray him no matter what. Still, Qiu’er remained cautious: Bai Tang could tell him, but he didn’t have to.
It was too strange a situation not to offer some explanation, but Bai Tang couldn’t outright mention the system. So, he said to Tuoba Jingyao, “It’s… a kind of special ability.”
Tuoba Jingyao could sense Bai Tang’s hesitation. He reached out and gently ruffled the boy’s hair. “It’s alright. If it’s hard to explain, you don’t have to. But—this ability—don’t show it in front of anyone else, okay?”
In ancient times, people revered spirits and gods. Anything beyond normal comprehension was often seen as supernatural. Immortals were rare, and strange occurrences were more likely to be interpreted as the work of demons or ghosts.
Tuoba Jingyao didn’t want Bai Tang to be put in danger because of this, so he spoke seriously.
“I understand~” Bai Tang broke into a smile. He knew it—Ah-Yao was the best. He would always trust him unconditionally.
The cattle and sheep had all gathered around. Bai Tang patted this one and stroked that one. No matter how he looked at them, they were all adorable. It was such a relief—not a single one was missing.
Tuoba Jingyao picked up a stick and began sketching something on the ground.
After a while, he stood up and waved to Bai Tang, who was still playing with the animals not far away.
Bai Tang ran over, slightly out of breath. “Ah-Yao~”
Tuoba Jingyao took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “It’s time to go.”
He pointed to the route map he had drawn on the ground. “If we keep moving forward, circle around this river, and cross that small mountain… we can reunite with the rest of the tribe.”
The route sounded simple enough—no complicated forks—but executing it wouldn’t be easy, especially with nearly ten cattle and sheep in tow.
After listening to the long and exhausting-sounding plan, Bai Tang suggested, “Can’t we just use the bubble to carry us there?”
However, his suggestion was firmly rejected by Tuoba Jingyao.
There is gain in every loss—perhaps this was the real reason behind the boy’s frail body. Tuoba Jingyao was unwilling to trade even a sliver of Bai Tang’s lifespan for a bit of convenience.
“It doesn’t matter. Even if I’m not there, the tribe will still reach the destination. There will always be someone to lead them,” Tuoba Jingyao said.
As the tribe’s chief, he had no shortage of personal guards, each one highly capable. He had full confidence in their ability to take charge.
“Alright then~” Bai Tang didn’t insist. After all, whatever Ah Yao decided always had its reasons.
Because of the cold, they were both wearing thick layers. Tuoba Jingyao took off his own cloak, folded it, and used it as a makeshift saddle for the ox. He helped Bai Tang up first, then climbed on behind him.
With Bai Tang leading the way, the rest of the cattle and sheep followed obediently.
They moved slowly, unhurried, not the least bit anxious.
Not because they didn’t want to move faster—but picking up the pace would mean harsher winds. Tuoba Jingyao didn’t want Bai Tang to catch a chill.
“Ah Yao, are you cold? You can wear my cloak if you want.”
Tuoba Jingyao had taken off his own cloak, but Bai Tang hadn’t removed a single piece of clothing.
Bai Tang nestled in Tuoba Jingyao’s arms. He was warm—but what about Ah Yao?!
“I’m not cold. You stay wrapped up, Tang Tang. Don’t get sick, or you’ll have to drink that bitter medicine,” Tuoba Jingyao warned, using the traditional herbal medicine Bai Tang hated most as leverage.
Sure enough, that stopped Bai Tang from undoing the cloak.
“…Alright then~” the boy replied in a soft, childlike voice. He leaned back a little, closing the space between them even more.
This way, Ah Yao should be warmer too.
The two of them steadily made their way toward their destination, unhurried and calm.
…
Back on the mountain with the main group.
With both the chief and the chief’s consort fallen from the cliff, it felt as though the tribe had lost its head.
Fortunately, Tuoba Jingyao’s personal guards reacted swiftly and were able to bring the chaos under control.
Rong Ningjing’s face was covered in tears. If only she had been able to grab hold of Bai Tang, he might not have fallen. Then Tuoba Jingyao wouldn’t have jumped after him either. Falling from such a height—not even the most powerful of immortals could survive that.
“Let’s move out. We continue the journey and aim to descend the mountain by tonight.” With Tuoba Jingyao gone, his trusted aide stepped up to take his place and led the people forward.
The tribespeople were filled with sorrow, and the atmosphere was heavy with grief.
The group moved on in silence, with the occasional sound of quiet sobbing drifting through the ranks.
At the back of the caravan, Long Qian was consumed by fear.
His plan had been flawless. He had intended to eliminate Rong Ningjing—but why was it Bai Tang and Tuoba Jingyao who ended up falling?
If it had only been Bai Tang, perhaps it wouldn’t have mattered. He hadn’t been around long, and the tribespeople weren’t deeply attached to him yet. But Tuoba Jingyao—that was an entirely different matter.
He was the chief.
Although he’d only been in the position for a year, under his leadership, the tribe’s life had improved significantly—twice as good as in years past. Young though he was, Tuoba Jingyao had earned the love and respect of the people.
If it had been anyone else, there might not have been a thorough investigation. But with the chief involved, there was no doubt the matter would be looked into. Even though Tuoba Jingyao had jumped down of his own accord in front of everyone, the people would still demand answers.
Gripped by anxiety, Long Qian followed the group, his distracted expression prompting repeated reminders from the people behind him.
“Long Qian, what are you thinking about? Watch your step,” a man warned.
“Y-yes, I will… I’ll be careful…” Long Qian forced a weak smile.
The man mistook Long Qian’s odd behavior as being frightened by the earlier incident. Right now, everyone was on edge—no one wanted to end up like Bai Tang, falling off the cliff because of a moment’s carelessness.
Fear was natural. The man himself was afraid too—but unlike Long Qian, he wasn’t letting his nerves take over. If anything, this was the time to be even more careful.
The migration team stretched out long, and because everyone was overly cautious about their footing, it took them from daylight into night to make any significant progress.
They stopped to rest on a relatively flat part of the downhill trail, and continued at dawn. It wasn’t until around noon the next day that they finally made it to the bottom of the mountain.
Through the entire journey, not a single person or animal fell off the cliff. That alone was a blessing amidst misfortune.
But during those two days and one night, while Rong Ningjing was tending to the tribe’s cattle and sheep, she began to notice… something suspicious.
The drugged cattle and sheep began vomiting and having diarrhea during the night’s rest. Worried, Rong Ningjing went to check on them—only to be stopped by Long Qian.
Of course, Long Qian didn’t outright forbid her from looking; that would have been too suspicious.
Instead, he stepped in as the tribe’s healer and took over the care of all the livestock himself, gently urging Rong Ningjing to go get some rest.
His thoughtful gesture toward a young woman earned him favor with most of the onlookers. Even Rong Ningjing’s parents pulled her aside, encouraging her to rest. But as she lay down, her mind couldn’t let go of the unease. She couldn’t truly feel at peace until she checked with her own eyes.
If anything really happened to the cattle and sheep—animals that Bai Tang had risked his life to save—she would never forgive herself.
Quietly, she tiptoed back to the livestock area, only to witness Long Qian feeding them something.
In the dim light of night, she couldn’t see very clearly. But his actions startled her. Still, afraid that she might be jumping to conclusions, she waited until Long Qian had left before approaching.
Leading one of the animals to open its mouth, she was immediately hit by a strong medicinal scent.
The discovery sent a chill through her heart.
Perhaps Bai Tang’s fall from the cliff wasn’t an accident caused by disoriented animals after all.
The thought terrified her.
Why would Long Qian do something like this? Bai Tang had no feud with him. Maybe Long Qian had intended to harm someone else, and Bai Tang had simply gotten caught in the crossfire.
After all, no one had expected Bai Tang, who had been riding with the chief, to suddenly end up at the back of the group.
Rong Ningjing kept her suspicions to herself. It was all just conjecture—she had no proof, and accusing him directly wasn’t an option.
Still, she remained cautious. She secretly marked the animals that smelled of medicine.
Over the next few days, she noticed that Long Qian continued to feed only the marked animals. The medicinal scent was very faint—barely detectable unless one opened the animals’ mouths and got very close.
She used a piece of cloth to collect some saliva from one of the sheep, and when Long Qian wasn’t around, she brought it to consult Master Xin.
Master Xin said, “This is the scent of Wheelgrass. It helps with dizziness and clears heat and toxins. It’s a gentle herb, though—you usually need three to five doses before it really takes effect. Where did you get this, girl? Could it be that this mountain has Wheelgrass growing? If so, you’d better harvest more. Herbs don’t grow easily in this season…”
Rong Ningjing had previously borrowed some herb identification books from Master Xin. In the modern world, she had relied mostly on Western medicine and pharmaceutical treatments, but in ancient times, there was no such luxury. Everything depended on herbal remedies, so she had committed herself to learning from scratch.
After hearing his explanation, she forced a smile at Master Xin. Long Qian was his most senior disciple, and she truly didn’t know whether she should tell him.
Author’s note:
The female lead in this world is pretty smart too.
The weekend is almost here—and so is the Qingming Festival! That means a holiday!
Maybe I can post a bonus chapter? (Just kidding… probably not) 😭