I started out with seven husbands, and I worked hard to support my family while crying.

Chapter 444: A Strange County

The merchant ship had been sailing at sea for three days, and everyone looked exhausted.

Fang Xiaoxiao sat on the deck with Princess Li Wan'er, enjoying this moment of pleasure.

Thinking back to the waves I experienced yesterday still gives me lingering fear.

It's so good to be alive.

Just as they were marveling at this, Nimhar's anxious voice came from behind them.

"Madam Fang! Madam Fang! Come quickly! We've come to a small dock ahead, and there's a huge merchant ship next to it. Can you tell if this is the same ship you were on before?"

Seeing Nimhar panting heavily and running towards her, barely alive, Fang Xiaoxiao slowly got up.

Fang Xiaoxiao and Nimhar disembarked and set foot on the land of a small port town in Jiangnan Province. They were weary from their journey and headed straight for an inn in the town.

"Waiter, bring two superior rooms."

Fang Xiaoxiao said.

"Alright, sirs, this way please."

The waiter greeted us warmly.

After entering the room, Fang Xiaoxiao and Nimhar tidied up briefly and then decided to go out to inquire about the princess's whereabouts.

The streets of the county town were bustling with people.

Fang Xiaoxiao and Nimhar weaved through the crowd, asking around.

Have you seen a princess who has been kidnapped?

Fang Xiaoxiao asked an elderly woman selling vegetables.

The woman shook her head.

"Girl, I've never heard of any princess."

They asked several people in succession, but did not get any useful clues.

Just then, a group of people dressed in brightly colored clothes surrounded them.

"Oh, are you two looking for someone?"

"It was said by a man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks."

Fang Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up, and she quickly said...

"Yes, we are looking for a princess who has been kidnapped."

"Haha, you've come to the right person."

"That's what another man with a pockmarked face said."

A glimmer of hope ignited in Fang Xiao's heart.

"Really? You know the princess's whereabouts?"

The man with the pointed chin and monkey-like face lowered his voice and said, "We know, but we can't just give this information away for nothing."

Nimhar frowned: "How much silver do you want?"

The man with a pockmarked face held up five fingers: "Fifty taels."

Fang Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment, then took out some silver from her pocket: "Okay, as long as you can provide useful clues, this silver is yours."

After receiving the silver, the man with the pointed mouth and monkey-like face said, "Come with us."

Fang Xiaoxiao and Nimhar followed them to a secluded alley.

"Let's talk about it here," Fang Xiaoxiao said.

The man with the pointed snout and monkey-like face rolled his eyes and said, "The princess is in a dilapidated temple outside the city."

Fang Xiaoxiao was skeptical: "Really?"

"Of course it's true, why would I lie to you?" the man with a pockmarked face said.

Fang Xiaoxiao and Nimhar exchanged a glance and decided to go and take a look.

Just as they were about to leave, several more people rushed out of the alley and surrounded them.

"Hand over all your silver!" a burly man shouted.

Fang Xiaoxiao then realized that she had been scammed.

“You shameless bastards, how dare you deceive us!” Nimhar roared.

"Stop talking nonsense, don't even think about leaving without paying!" The burly man waved his fist.

Fang Xiaoxiao sneered: "Just you guys?"

After saying that, she flashed and quickly attacked, knocking the swindlers to the ground in a few moves.

"Oh, have mercy!" the swindlers begged.

Fang Xiaoxiao glared at them angrily: "Speak quickly, do you know the whereabouts of the princess?"

The scammers were so frightened that they quickly shook their heads: "We don't know, we don't know, we're just scamming people out of money."

Fang Xiaoxiao said angrily, "Don't let me see you again next time!"

After saying that, she and Nimhar turned and left the alley.

After all this, it gradually got dark.

“It seems we won’t be able to get any useful information in this county town,” Nimhar said.

Fang Xiaoxiao bit her lip: "Let's go to the surrounding villages and ask again tomorrow."

The two returned to the inn, their hearts heavy, but their determination to find the princess remained unwavering.

After some discussion, Fang Xiaoxiao and Nimhar decided to split up to increase the efficiency of their search for the princess. Nimhar led his Western Region subordinates to continue searching for the princess in the city, while Fang Xiaoxiao went to the outskirts of the city with Li Wan'er to search.

On a country road in the suburbs, Fang Xiaoxiao and Li Wan'er were walking hurriedly. Suddenly, a commotion arose ahead.

"Help!" came a girl's cry for help.

Fang Xiao's heart tightened, and she quickened her pace to run forward. She saw three thugs surrounding a frail girl, whose face was filled with terror and tears welled up in her eyes.

"What are you doing! Let her go!" Fang Xiaoxiao shouted angrily.

The three bandits turned around and saw Fang Xiaoxiao and Li Wan'er. One of the bandits, whose face was full of scars, laughed disdainfully, "Oh, two more meddlesome women."

Another tall, thin thug grinned lewdly and said, "He's quite good-looking. Why don't you come and have some fun with us?"

Fang Xiaoxiao's eyes were icy as she said, "How dare you commit such an evil deed in broad daylight? Aren't you afraid of the law?"

The leader of the thugs laughed loudly: "The law? In this desolate wilderness, I am the law!"

As he spoke, he reached out to grab Fang Xiaoxiao.

Fang Xiaoxiao dodged to the side and, with a quick backhand grab, twisted the bandit's arm behind his back.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" the bandit cried out in pain.

Upon seeing this, the other two bandits immediately pounced on them.

Fang Xiaoxiao was fearless and nimbly moved among the bandits. In just a few moves, she beat two of them black and blue, leaving them lying on the ground groaning.

Li Wan'er watched nervously from the side, gripping a wooden stick tightly in her hand, ready to help at any moment.

Seeing that things were going badly, the leader of the bandits tried to escape. Fang Xiaoxiao kicked him to the ground.

"Still trying to run?" Fang Xiaoxiao walked up to the bandits and glared angrily.

The bandits were so frightened that they begged for mercy: "Heroine, spare my life! Heroine, spare my life!"

Fang Xiaoxiao said sternly, "Will you dare to do evil again in the future?"

The bandit shook his head frantically, saying, "I won't dare again, I'll never dare again."

Fang Xiaoxiao let the bandit go and turned to comfort the girl: "Girl, are you alright?"

The girl, still shaken, sobbed, "Thank you so much for saving me, heroine."

Fang Xiaoxiao asked, "Miss, why are you here all alone?"

The girl said, "I'm from a nearby village. I came out to collect herbs, but I didn't expect to run into these bad guys."

Fang Xiaoxiao said, "It's not safe here, you should go home right away."

The girl nodded, thanked her profusely, and left.

Li Wan'er stepped forward and said, "Xiao Xiao, let's hurry and go find the princess too."

Fang Xiaoxiao responded, and the two continued walking along the path.

As she walked, Fang Xiaoxiao noticed a dilapidated temple ahead.

"Perhaps the princess is inside," Fang Xiaoxiao said.

They cautiously entered the temple, which was filled with an old and worn atmosphere.

"Princess, Princess, are you there?" Fang Xiaoxiao called softly.

However, their voices echoed through the temple, but there was no response.

Just as they were about to leave, Fang Xiaoxiao suddenly noticed a handkerchief on the ground with a unique pattern embroidered on it.

“This looks like something belonging to the princess!” Li Wan’er said.

Fang Xiaoxiao carefully examined the handkerchief and said, "It seems the princess has been here before. Let's look for more clues around here."

The two searched carefully around the temple and finally found some messy footprints under a large tree.

“Following these footprints, we might find the princess,” Fang Xiaoxiao said.

They followed the footprints, walking further and further until they unknowingly entered a dense forest.

The woods were eerie and terrifying, with strange bird calls echoing from time to time.

Li Wan'er was a little scared and grabbed Fang Xiaoxiao's arm tightly: "Xiaoxiao, I'm a little scared."

Fang Xiaoxiao comforted her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew and the leaves rustled.

"Who goes there?" Fang Xiaoxiao asked alertly.

A dark figure flashed past them.

"Chase!" Fang Xiaoxiao grabbed Li Wan'er and chased after the dark figure.