On a dark and windy night, Wang Er wiped away his tears as he trudged toward the Qingfeng Stronghold.
His numbed wounds, slathered with anesthetic, felt no pain, but his heart was as dead as ashes, as if he might drop dead the very next second.
Behind him, Lan Xi, dressed entirely in black, followed from a distance.
After an unknown amount of time, two figures suddenly dashed out from behind a rock. The light of their torches illuminated Wang Er's face, and the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated.
Wang Er stopped in his tracks and offered them a fawning smile.
"Brother Hu, Brother Mang, are you two guarding the mountain today?"
The man called Brother Hu looked Wang Er up and down. "You coming up the mountain at this hour, does the inn have new traveling merchants?"
Wang Er forced a couple of cheerful laughs.
He smiled and shook his head. "Not merchants, but a wealthy family from Jiangnan. They are all women, carrying ten carriages of luggage, and they will be passing through Longtou Mountain tomorrow."
Zhao Mang's eyes widened abruptly, his pupils flashing with pleasant surprise.
"How old are they? Are they pretty?"
Wang Er blinked in terror, his throat trembling as he spoke.
He nodded hastily and replied, "Beautiful. Young ladies around twenty years old, bringing along quite a few maids. You will absolutely love them when you see them."
Though he feared they wouldn't live long enough to enjoy it.
"Then what are we waiting for? Come on, let's go see the boss."
Zhao Mang reached out and patted Wang Er's shoulder. He swallowed hard, itching with unbearable anticipation, his mind already fantasizing about pinning a beauty beneath him tomorrow.
The mountain path was winding and entirely uphill. Afraid of being discovered, Lan Xi didn't dare get too close.
He only stopped his steps when he caught sight of the bandits at the second lookout point.
It was just as the County Princess had suspected. Not only was the road treacherous, but there was more than one lookout point. The enemy was highly vigilant.
Now, it all depended on whether Wang Er could successfully deceive the bandits of Qingfeng Stronghold.
Less than an hour later, the Qingfeng Stronghold, built halfway up the mountain, was brightly lit. The torches illuminated the inside of the stronghold, making it brighter than daytime.
Draped in a wolf pelt, the chieftain of Qingfeng Stronghold, Zhao Jiutou, sat in his python chair, his hands resting on the armrests, his eyes burning with a dark gleam.
"How many guards did they bring in total? How are their skills?"
Wang Er swallowed subconsciously, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Ten. I don't know about their skills, but they all carry swords."
Seeing this, Zhao Mang couldn't wait to step forward and say, "Boss, the brothers have been eating plain food all winter and have long wanted a taste of meat. Jiangnan is full of rich people. This is definitely going to be a big haul."
Zhao Jiutou puffed out his chest and waved his arm forcefully.
"Brothers, sharpen your blades. Tomorrow, we go big."
Knowing there were ten carriages of luggage and female relatives, the bandits were already itching for action.
Hearing that Zhao Jiutou was going to make a move, they all raised their fists and began to cheer: "Yeah!"
"Yeah!"
"Yeah!"
...
Blocked at the back of the crowd, Wang Er saw that the deed was done and nervously began to wipe away his sweat.
He prayed he wouldn't be found out; he still wanted to live.
Meanwhile, in an Earth God temple fifty miles away from Longtou Mountain, Gu Huaiyuan's son, Gu Jinghong, was leading his people to spend the night in the ruined temple.
Waking up in the middle of the night, unable to suppress his excitement, he walked outside and looked toward Longtou Mountain, secretly making a resolution in his heart.
This time, I must let my father see what I am capable of.
He stood there for a moment before returning to the room to continue sleeping.
Gu Baozhu was awakened by the rustling sound of the straw being pressed down. She opened her eyes just in time to see Gu Jinghong lying down.
Their eyes met, and after a moment's thought, Gu Jinghong sat back up.
"Little Aunt, how about I have someone escort you back tomorrow?"
Gu Baozhu rolled her eyes straight at him.
"If you dare send me back, I will make all of them leave. Let's see what you use to attack Qingfeng Stronghold then."
Gu Jinghong opened his mouth in frustration, but could only stare speechlessly at Gu Baozhu's back as she rolled over.
Half of the guards he brought to attack Qingfeng Stronghold were his, and the other half were his little aunt's. But if his little aunt gave the word, he really wouldn't be able to keep a single one of them.
Forget it. If she comes, she comes. Fortunately, his little aunt's martial arts skills were pretty good, so self-defense wouldn't be an issue.
At worst, he would just assign a few more people to protect her when the time came. Nothing should go wrong.
