After renting a carriage, Mo Yu went to Ichiraku Ramen to bid farewell to Ichiraku.
Ichiraku gave him some advice, urging him to be careful and stay safe.
"Eat here before you go, I'll prepare something special for you today!"
"Alright, then I won't hold back."
Mo Yu replied.
Soon, three bowls of steaming hot ramen were brought out.
Mo Yu took them, broke apart his chopsticks, and called out, "Zhenyi, these two are for you. Come, let's eat together."
Ye Hui Zhenyi quickly said, "We're not hungry yet, we won't eat."
Just as she finished speaking, her stomach betrayed her with a loud grumble. Ye Hui Liuli's stomach also grumbled in response. Both of them lowered their heads, blushing in embarrassment.
Mo Yu chuckled inwardly, "Just treat it like I'm borrowing from you for now. When you have money later, just return it."
Zhenyi nodded, and the two of them eagerly sat down to eat.
Zhenyi maintained her graceful demeanor, taking small bites, but she didn't eat slowly.
On the other hand, Ye Hui Liuli, a child, didn't have such reservations. He devoured his food quickly, as if it was a race.
If the ramen weren't so hot, Mo Yu would've thought he might just grab the noodles with his hands.
It seemed like they hadn't had a good meal in a while, or else they wouldn't be so hungry.
"Burp~ Delicious!"
Mo Yu let out a loud burp, thoroughly satisfied.
Zhenyi blushed even more, looking at the empty bowl in front of her, with not even a drop of broth left. She quickly wiped Ye Hui Liuli's mouth to cover her awkwardness.
"Well, we should get going now, Ichiraku."
"Take care on the road!"
At the gate of Konoha, after showing their pass to the gatekeeper ninja, they were allowed to exit the village smoothly.
Standing outside Konoha, Mo Yu stretched lazily, feeling refreshed.
It had been six years since he crossed into this world, and this was his first time leaving Konoha.
Climbing onto the carriage, he tugged on the reins and said to Ye Hui Zhenyi and Ye Hui Liuli:
"Get on, Zhenyi, Liuli."
To save on the cost of hiring a coachman, Mo Yu decided to drive the carriage himself.
Once they were seated in the carriage, Mo Yu flicked the reins.
"Go!"
The carriage slowly started moving.
Not only was this Mo Yu's first time driving a carriage, but the knowledge had been instilled in him by the system, so he had no trouble at all.
He glanced back at the gradually shrinking gates of Konoha, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"I wonder how many fish I can catch with this bait? If they have the guts, let them come."
They departed around 9 AM.
Aside from a brief rest to eat some dry rations, they were on the move the rest of the time.
As night fell, with the moon shining brightly and stars sparse in the sky, the carriage stopped in front of a small forest.
"Let's rest here tonight."
Mo Yu set up a campfire, driving away the darkness and making the area feel much safer.
Ye Hui and her son got out of the carriage and sat around the campfire.
Mo Yu took out the dry rations, dividing them between the three of them, and ate his own portion with some cold water.
Afterward, Ye Hui Zhenyi stared at the flames, lost in thought. The poised, composed woman from earlier now seemed stripped of her facade, her face reflecting confusion and hesitation.
Ye Hui Liuli sat beside her, breaking the dry rations into small pieces, eating them like a snack. His eyes would glance secretly at Mo Yu, but whenever Mo Yu looked back, he quickly looked away, his face glowing red in the firelight.
The night was quiet, only the sound of burning wood could be heard, peaceful and serene.
"Mm?"
Mo Yu's expression shifted slightly, and he looked in a particular direction.
"Are they coming?"
Before long, footsteps could be heard, along with the voice of a rough man.
"We finally caught up, damn it, my legs are sore from running."
Ye Hui Liuli, like a frightened rabbit, instantly burrowed into his mother's arms.
Three figures walked out of the darkness, entering the light cast by the fire.
They were a trio: one tall, one short, and one fat, with the tall one being the one who had spoken earlier.
Mo Yu was about to speak, but someone else beat him to it.
"Why won't you just leave us alone? Are you really planning to kill us?" Ye Hui Zhenyi cried out in desperation, her voice filled with despair.
Mo Yu froze, and the trio of intruders were equally confused.
"Where did this filthy woman come from? Who the hell are you? You scared the crap out of me, making it sound like I was going to rape you or something."
The tall man cursed.
This time, it was Ye Hui Zhenyi who was confused.
"You... aren't you here to kill us?"
"Kill you? What are you talking about? We're looking for this kid."
The fat man pointed at Mo Yu.
The last one, the skinny man, spoke coldly, "Let's just kill them all. Better to keep things quiet."
Mo Yu's eyes flashed with understanding as he looked at Ye Hui Zhenyi and her son, his gaze shifting to one of scrutiny.
But now was not the time for questions.
"You two, go hide in the carriage. No matter what you hear, don't come out, understand?"
Setting aside their secrets for now, since they were his clients, it was still his responsibility to ensure their safety. Plus, these three were targeting him directly.
Mo Yu certainly didn't want his first mission to fail.
"Okay... okay."
Ye Hui Zhenyi was so embarrassed, she almost wanted to find a hole to hide in.
She hadn't expected such a misunderstanding. She quickly took Ye Hui Liuli and climbed into the carriage.
With them out of the way, Mo Yu clapped his hands and stood up.
"Looks like I've caught three dumb fish at once. That should be enough for a meal."
The tall man's eyes glinted viciously. "I don't know what nonsense you're spouting, but if three Chunin are chasing a mere Genin like you, I suppose you have some reason to be proud."
"Boss, stop talking nonsense with him. Just kill him and let's head back," the fat man said.
"Fine, who's going to do it?"
The tall man asked.
The fat man laughed. "Let the skinny one do it. Isn't he the one who enjoys torturing potential rookies? I saw that woman earlier, she wasn't bad looking. Before we kill her, why not have a bit of fun first? Heh heh heh."
The tall man grinned lewdly. "You can have the woman. The kid is mine."
The skinny man said nothing, but stepped forward, his gaze on Mo Yu filled with perverse excitement.
Mo Yu looked at the three men, listening to their threatening words. His expression was as calm as an ancient well, without a single ripple.
Mo Yu didn't bother asking pointless questions like who they were or why they were after him.
"System, promote me to Chunin now."
"Received."