The border commandery was vast and sparsely populated. Apart from a few checkpoints and prosperous commandery cities, other areas were desolate from years of warfare.

A caravan of merchants hurried along the road.

Three carts of goods were surrounded by over twenty escort guards, fully equipped with swords, spears, bows, and arrows.

“Go faster.” The lead escort urged. “Otherwise we won’t reach the city before dark.”

The young merchant in the group spoke with casual ease. “If we can’t reach the city, we’ll just camp outdoors. I’m not pampered at home. I can endure hardship. I’ve traveled both southern and northern routes. Sleeping rough is commonplace for me.”

The escort smiled bitterly. “Young Master Sun, camping outdoors in the central plains is one thing, but not in this commandery. Bandits run rampant here. Without the protection of city walls, it’s very dangerous.”

The merchant sat up straight. “Really? Didn’t they say the border commandery has had no warfare for a long time and is very safe?”

“It’s true there’s no warfare, but this place has treacherous terrain and bandits are everywhere.” The escort said.

The merchant recalled the cities he had passed through earlier. “What about all those soldiers? Don’t they capture the bandits?”

“They do.” The escort cracked his whip to urge the horses forward. “But they can’t catch them all. Besides, the soldiers are meant to defend against Xi Liang. They’re unwilling to use their forces on capturing bandits.”

The merchant made a sound of understanding, looking thoughtful, his expression becoming slightly tense. “Then, let’s hurry along.”

The group shouted and urged the horses to pull the carts at full speed. But when they reached a hill, a group of mounted men appeared ahead, waving large sabers and letting out strange laughter.

“Good luck today—”

“It’s been a long time since so many people passed through on our route.”

“Kind-hearted travelers, spare some money, won’t you?”

Seeing this group and hearing the strange laughter and shouts, the faces of the escorts and merchants all changed.

“Retreat, retreat.” The lead escort said urgently, leading the escorts to form a defensive formation.

The young merchant still held some hope. “They want money, give them money—I’ve encountered bandits before. Giving money is enough.”

The escort shouted, “Young Master Sun, the bandits here aren’t so reasonable. They want money, but they also want lives. They’ll strip your clothes and eat human flesh.”

These weren’t simply bandits—they were beasts. The young merchant’s face turned deathly pale, losing his earlier composure.

“Drop the goods, drop the goods.” He shouted as he hurriedly ran backward.

The bandits were already shouting strangely and surrounding them. Strong arrows shot by the escorts’ bows made several bandits fall from their horses, but the group of bandits showed no hesitation, even trampling their fallen companions without care.

Truly inhuman beasts.

Despair appeared in the escorts’ eyes. It seemed this time there would be more misfortune than fortune.

The young master being escorted in flight was struck on the shoulder by a flying stone—these bandits’ weapons even included stones. He cried out and fell from his horse—

He held his head and rolled repeatedly, avoiding the horse’s hooves.

Around his ears were more screams and people falling from horses.

It’s over, it’s over. The merchant young master curled up on the ground. He had deliberately taken this trip to compete for the family property, never imagining he would lose his life here. Even if the family property became his, what use would it be? As a dead man, he couldn’t enjoy it—

Tears flowed from the merchant young master’s eyes. He could vaguely see a large saber chopping down from above—

But at that moment, even more chaotic hoof beats and whooshing sounds through the air arrived.

With a bang, the saber slid past the merchant young master’s shoulder and fell to the ground. The bandit on the horse also fell, splashing up dust. Through the dust, one could see the bandit’s fierce eyes with an arrow piercing through his throat.

What was happening?

The merchant young master, narrowly escaping death, lay trembling on the ground and looked back.

Had soldiers arrived?

“Which blind soldiers are these?” The bandits cursed hatefully. “We’ve paid enough money to them.”

The attack from behind made the bandits in the melee pause their slaughter, but their faces showed no fear. Rather, they looked fierce, ready to battle with the soldiers.

But turning their heads, they saw no armor or military banners—only a group of people dressed even more magnificently than this merchant caravan. There were men and women, old and young, wearing gold and silver ornaments, with fragrant carriages and fine horses. If not for the weapons in their hands, they would have appeared completely like wealthy families traveling.

What kind of people were these?

They looked truly magnificent and heart-stirring.

Could they be relying on a few skilled bodyguards to right wrongs and eliminate evil for the people?

“Who are you?” The bandit chief’s eyes gleamed as he shouted mockingly. “How fortunate! The lords of Pingchuan Ravine are collecting goods. Quickly come offer your lives to your grandfathers.”

This area was their territory. Upon hearing their name, everyone retreated, even the soldiers had to give them some face.

But these people didn’t retreat. At the front was even a young girl wearing a floral cloth dress with a white gauze veil flowing from her hat. As the white gauze flew up, it revealed a pretty and adorable face.

But this pretty and adorable girl held a bow in her hands.

“What a coincidence, the folks from Qingya Stronghold are going to market.” She called out with a smile. “Anyone blocking the road must die.”

Qingya Stronghold?

This name alone suggested no respectable place. And listening to her words—going to market, and anyone blocking must die? The merchant young master curled up on the ground turned deathly pale again.

The originally fierce bandits also turned deathly pale.

“Qingya Stronghold?” They shouted, looking again at the girl at the front. “It’s Mu Mianhong!”

What was Mu Mianhong? The merchant young master thought blankly. The thought had barely flashed when he heard a chorus of shouts: “Mu Mianhong!” “Mu Mianhong is here!” “It’s Mu Mianhong!”

Accompanying the shouts, the originally fierce bandits fled in all directions like homeless dogs.

Meanwhile, that group of men, women, old and young became the new hunters. They let out whooping calls. Some drew bows and shot arrows, while others—the merchant with his head covered and curled on the ground saw through the gap in his arms a child about ten years old. That child stood on horseback, raising a flying dart in his hand. With a whoosh, it flew out, and a fleeing bandit instantly fell to the ground and didn’t move.

The child let out a crisp, childish whoop for his successful strike.

The merchant understood—these were also bandits. He had encountered bandits preying on bandits! The tears that had stopped began flowing again. There really were too many bandits in the border commandery—

Around him were the sounds of hoofbeats, shouting, weapons cutting through air, and people’s screams. The merchant held his head and kept crying out, but strangely, no hooves trampled him and no blades or arrows pierced his head—

Gradually the sounds all moved away.

The merchant raised his head somewhat incredulously. The earlier bandits had all become corpses scattered on the ground. In the distance on the main road, through the dust being kicked up, one could vaguely see the figures of that group of men, women, old and young.

What was going on?

“Young Master Sun.” The escorts ran over to help him up.

The merchant was helped to his feet and looked around. “Is it over?”

“It’s over.” An escort said. “Those bandits were driven off, and those other bandits have also gone far away.”

It sounded strange. Wasn’t this bandits preying on bandits? Why did they stop halfway? The merchant young master didn’t understand, but narrowly escaping death was always a good thing.

“Quick, let’s get moving.” He said urgently.

After checking, the goods were all there. Three escorts had died and over ten were wounded. This was already an excellent outcome. The group had no time even for grief. They loaded the dead onto carts and bandaged the wounded simply.

“Young Master Sun, look at this.” An escort said.

The merchant sitting on the cart looked over and saw the escort pick up a flower from the blood and dust on the ground—

“Cotton flower.” The well-traveled merchant immediately recognized it, but taking it in hand, he discovered this wasn’t a real flower but a silk flower.

He thought of what those bandits had shouted.

“Mu Mianhong.” The merchant murmured, looking at the silk flower, then toward the distance.

The dust had already settled, and the figures were no longer visible.

“Is that the young girl’s name?”