Several bandits burst into the second-level cabin. A manservant steeled himself to resist, and one of the bandits cut his leg cleanly with a long saber — blood flew, and the cries of pain rang out without stop.

A bandit with his face hidden beneath a black cloth waved his long saber and laughed coldly: “Every one of you, get down and stay down — hands on your heads. Anyone who dares to move, I’ll take their life with one slash.”

The manservants had spent their days doing nothing but attending to their masters and had never encountered vicious men like these. All of them turned white as a sheet in fright, crouching down with their hands clasped to their heads, too terrified to move again.

The burly man leading the group took the remaining bandits and charged up to the third-level cabin.

The heavy, hurried sound of footsteps — like a death knell — rang out in everyone’s ears.

Ling Daye’s expression twisted and shifted through every shade; he could no longer maintain the slightest composure. Sun Shi and the others were so frightened they had begun to cry: “My lord, the bandits are coming up — what do we do now…”

“Father, let’s give them all our gold, silver, and jewelry. As long as they spare our lives!” Ling Ji said rapidly in a low voice.

At a time like this, survival was paramount. Money and wealth were merely worldly possessions — even if it all went to the bandits, it was of no consequence.

Ling Daye nodded, his expression grim. Remembering that no one could see his movements in the darkness, he added quietly: “Everyone hold on — I’ll try to negotiate with them for the moment…”

Before the words were even finished, the door was kicked violently several times. The wooden trunks blocking it rattled from the impact.

The thunderous booming sent a shudder through everyone in the room; their hearts were enveloped by the shadow of death.

“Open the door yourselves if you want to live!” Another thunderous kick shook the door, and a strange man’s voice carried through to every pair of ears: “Otherwise, don’t blame the blades and swords in our hands for showing no mercy.”

It was clear the bolt could not hold much longer.

Ling Ji steeled himself and called out loudly: “Stop! We’ll open the door ourselves!”

Madam Jiang was shaking from head to toe, choking out quietly: “My husband…”

Ling Ji had no time and no heart to calm Madam Jiang, and declared openly again: “Gentlemen who have come in the deep of night — you can only be after money. As long as no lives are taken, whatever amount of money you want, we agree to it all.”

His voice trembled slightly, lacking full strength. But given the circumstances, the fact that Ling Ji had dared to speak up at all already demonstrated remarkable courage.

The bandits outside seemed to exchange a few words in lowered tones, and then the kicking ceased.

A brief moment of quiet — yet it offered no sense of relief. It felt more like the stillness before a storm. Everyone present was afraid even to draw a full breath.

The bandits outside lit torches, and the light seeped in through the cracks around the door — but it could do nothing to drive away the darkness in everyone’s hearts.

“Open the door!”

Two short words, and everyone’s heart went ice cold.

Faced with this moment, the young and hot-blooded Ling Ji was in fact more courageous than Ling Daye, and called back at full voice: “Gentlemen, please wait just a moment — I am opening the door now. There are women inside. Do not enter, so as not to frighten them. I will come out and speak with you. Whatever you need, tell me directly.”

The second-in-command raised an eyebrow in surprise. This frail and scholarly-looking young nobleman actually had some degree of nerve.

A pity — because what he was after was precisely the women. Not money or valuables.

The lame man was about to shout something, but was silenced by a look from the second-in-command. Let them open the door themselves first!

From inside came the sound of wooden trunks being dragged.

In the innermost cabin, Ling Jingshu gripped Ling Xiao’s hand tightly, the dagger in her other hand, her whole body strung as taut as a fully drawn bow.

Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Just now, Sun Shi and the others’ weeping had drawn all the bandits’ attention to that room. Those bandits likely assumed that everyone had taken shelter in that one cabin, and had therefore not searched every room.

Every moment of delay bought one more moment of hope for survival.

Ling Xiao had clearly come to the same conclusion, and was deliberately slowing his movements — dragging and shuffling the wooden trunks at a crawl, taking his time about opening the door.

The second-in-command gave a cold laugh: “I’ll count to ten. If the door isn’t open by then, I’ll kill everyone. Starting now: six, seven, eight…”

Ling Ji suppressed the urge to curse and opened the bolt at the fastest speed he could manage — finishing just as the second-in-command reached ten.

Standing in the doorway were five bandits in total.

Tall and short, heavyset and lean — the one thing they all had in common was that every one of them wore a black night-stalking garment and a black face cloth, leaving only their eyes exposed — greedy and excited.

The man at the front revealed a pair of triangular eyes glinting with menace, and his gaze swept over Ling Ji’s person without the slightest restraint.

Fair complexion. Handsome features. Wearing a brocade robe. Every inch the refined and scholarly nobleman. At a glance, clearly someone raised in wealth and comfort.

Face completely drained of color. Holding himself together by sheer force of will — but in reality, not difficult to break at all.

Ling Ji forced his heart to steady, and said to the second-in-command: “May I ask what sum of money will satisfy the gentlemen and let us go free?”

The second-in-command grinned: “We don’t want silver!”

Not silver?

Ling Ji was taken aback, and everyone in the cabin was also shaken. If these bandits didn’t want silver, could they be assassins hired by an enemy to kill and silence them all?

The second-in-command very much enjoyed this feeling of holding all the strings. But this night’s operation had hit too many setbacks. The guards on deck had been unexpectedly difficult to deal with — he could not afford to drag things out any further. He needed to end this swiftly.

The second-in-command said quickly: “We don’t want your lives either! I am taking only two people with me. Remain quiet and calm, and you keep your lives. Don’t force us to kill and silence the rest.”

Hearing this, everyone not only did not breathe a sigh of relief — they were even more horrified than before.

They were going to take two people away… but who?

Ling Jingxian was consumed by terror and had already begun to wail aloud: “Father, Mother, save me, save me…”

Madam Jiang’s face had also gone deathly pale.

These bandits weren’t after money — so naturally what they wanted were young and beautiful women. Speaking of appearances, she as the sister-in-law was somewhat more distinguished-looking than her younger sister-in-law…

The sounds carried through to Ling Jingshu’s ears.

Ling Jingshu’s heart plunged in a sudden, sickening drop.

She abruptly recalled that strange and unsettling feeling at the docks of being watched without relent. It must have been then that she was targeted. These bandits’ goal was not Ling Jingxian. It was not Madam Jiang. It was her.

Ling Ji was both frantic and furious, and raged: “We’ll give you however much silver you want — don’t even think about taking anyone away…” Before he could finish, he let out a cry of agony.

One of the bandits swung a heavy kick and slammed it into Ling Ji’s chest.

Ling Ji was sent crashing to the ground, coughing up blood, unable to rise.

The second-in-command shoved the door open with force. The lame man followed, holding a torch, flooding the cabin with blazing light.

Ling Daye and Sun Shi were ash-faced with shock. Ling Jingxian screamed in horror; Madam Jiang’s whole body shook and trembled.

The second-in-command’s triangular eyes swept rapidly over both women’s faces, and his brow furrowed.

Neither of them was the one he was looking for!

She must be hiding in another cabin!

“Go search!” The second-in-command gave a swift order: “Search every cabin — find that pair of siblings.”