The concubine is a man, and the illegitimate son of a divine physician has a spatial ability.

Shen Lu paused for a moment, picked up the water pouch beside him, and drank it down in a hearty manner. The water overflowed from his lips, ran down his tanned neck, and finally disappeared into his black clothes.

After finishing his water, Shen Lu continued, "So, when I was very young, I entered the Four Symbols Sect of the Yin Mansion and began to learn many skills. With more and more missions, it was common to die on the line. In order to make things easier for myself, I would carry some essential items with me at all times."

Yin Zijing sat to the side, watching the food bubbling on the fire. She couldn't help but swallow. Hearing Shen Lu's question, she asked curiously, "What is the Four Symbols Sect? Does the Yin family have such a department?"

While stirring the food with a wooden spoon, Shen Lu patiently explained, "Although the Sixth Miss comes from the Yin family of Jiangnan, she is, after all, a lady of the inner quarters and a young lady in her boudoir. It is normal that she does not know this."

The Yin family is one of the four major clans of the Great Sheng Dynasty, standing strong for centuries. Before the establishment of the Great Sheng Dynasty, the Yin family of Jiangnan, the Liu family of Hedong, the Sheng family of Shangjing, and the Zhang family of Luoyang were the most powerful. After years of war, the four families united to establish the Great Sheng Dynasty, which can be said to have been founded by the alliance of these four families.

When Emperor Gaozu ascended the throne, he promised the other three families that the title of marquis would be hereditary. Even if one failed the imperial examination, the hereditary marquis title would ensure the prosperity of the Yin family for generations to come.

In order to maintain the relationship between the four major families, they usually consolidated it through marriage.

In the later years of his reign, Emperor Gaozu intended to weaken the power of the other three powerful clans in order to consolidate his imperial authority. However, the power of the three clans was too great, and the attempt to reduce their power failed. In order to appease the other three clans, he promised them that they could privately maintain their own retainers and soldiers, thus establishing the Four Symbols Gate.

The Four Symbols Sect is divided into four parts: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. The Azure Dragon part is responsible for intelligence gathering; the White Tiger part is responsible for security within the manor; the Vermilion Bird part is skilled in using poisons and developing various esoteric arts; and the Black Tortoise part is responsible for assassinations. The four parts are collectively known as the Yin Manor's Guards. The servants, on the other hand, come from the Black Tortoise part.

Within the Four Symbols Sect, each unit has a fixed number of 300 people, a rule established by the founding emperor. However, over the years, none of the three major families have adhered to this rule; they have privately maintained their own soldiers and concealed their population, needless to say.

Upon hearing Shen Lu's words, Yin Zijin asked in surprise, "Is the Yin family of Jiangnan so powerful?"

Shen Lu nodded and said, "Yes, Sixth Miss. The power of the Yin family is indeed that great. I am fortunate to have been educated by the Yin family and to be able to read and write, so I am quite familiar with the Yin family."

Yin Zijin smiled wryly and said, "I know less about the Yin family and this Great Sheng Dynasty than you, Shen Lu, do!"

Seeing that Yin Zijin was very upset, Shen Lu quickly comforted her, "Miss is still young. When you learn to read and write, you will know these things. The reason you don't know is because we servants don't usually appear in public. We are like shadows, not worthy of being in the public eye, let alone the noble masters in the inner quarters."

Even the White Tiger Division, the guards and protectors of the Yin family, generally don't enter the inner courtyard. Unless there's an urgent matter…”

As Shen Lu explained, he brought down the cooked pancakes and handed them to Yin Zijing: "Please have some, Miss! These things are simple, but they can fill your stomach."

I had originally planned to hunt some wild game for the young lady, but she is too young, and I was worried about leaving her alone in the cave. So I've decided against it. Please make do with what you have for now.

Yin Zijing nodded, but as soon as she picked up the iron bowl, she was burned. She quickly put it down, tugged at her ear with her reddened fingers, and cried out, "It's so hot!"

Seeing Yin Zijing's fingers red from the burn, Shen Lu saw a different expression on her face for the first time. Shen Lu picked up the iron bowl on the ground, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to make sure it wasn't too hot, and then held it to Yin Zijing's lips, smiling as he said, "Miss, eat it! It's not hot anymore."

Yin Zijin quickly waved her hand and said, "No need to feed me, I can do it myself, I have hands."

Shen Lu shook his head and said, "It is a servant's duty to serve his master."

Seeing a hint of warmth in Shen Lu's cold, numb eyes, Yin Zijing couldn't bear to refuse any longer and opened her mouth to eat. After eating about half a bowl, Yin Zijing waved her hand and said, "I can't eat anymore, I'm full."

Shen Lu nodded, then spread a layer of dry grass in front of the fire, covered it with a black cloth, and helped Yin Zijin sit down. Shen Lu said, "Miss, you've had a long day, please rest! Don't be afraid, Miss, this servant will watch over you."

Yin Zijing nodded and lay down. It was her first time sleeping in a cave, and she should have tossed and turned, but somehow she fell into a deep sleep. The fire burning beside her kept her from feeling cold.

Seeing that Yin Zijing had fallen asleep, Shen Lu picked up the food he had just eaten and began to eat. After finishing, Shen Lu sat on the rock next to Yin Zijing, propped up his long sword, and pretended to doze off.

The entire cave fell silent instantly, with only the crackling sound of burning wood audible.

The next day, as the sun rose high in the sky, sunlight streamed into the cave and fell upon Yin Zijing, adding a touch of disheveled, frail beauty to her appearance.

Shen Lu walked over and called softly, "Miss, get up. We should go."

No matter how he called, Shen Lu couldn't wake Yin Zijing. He panicked and rushed over, kneeling on the ground. Looking at Yin Zijing's flushed face, he touched her forehead and immediately became anxious: "She's burning up..."

Shen Lu hurriedly walked out of the cave and looked at the endless weeds and towering trees. Even the horses had died from exhaustion. Looking at the signal fire in his hand, he could only hope that the person on the other side could see it and come to his aid.

Shen Lu quickly released the firework he was using to send a message. With a loud bang, the beautiful firework exploded in the air. Shen Lu hoped the Yin family could see it, but if they were too far away, they definitely wouldn't be able to see it.

Shen Lu returned to the cave and packed his things. He then picked up the limp Yin Zijing and carried her out of the cave. Shen Lu knew he couldn't just sit in the cave and wait to die; if anything happened to the Sixth Miss, he would also be doomed. Besides, he didn't want anything to happen to the Sixth Miss.

Therefore, Shen Lu couldn't care less about anything else at this moment. He carried Yin Zijin to the stream, filled his water bag with water, and then walked back along the path he had come from.

Based on his years of experience on missions, his ability to find his way has improved a lot. Although he stumbled and encountered dangers along the way, he kept making his way back.