HomeSheng Shi Di FeiChapter 48: Adventure in the Bandit's Lair

Chapter 48: Adventure in the Bandit’s Lair

In a secluded alley of the capital, a carriage stood silently. The driver had long since disappeared, and at some point, the carriage had become surrounded. The leader, dressed in unremarkable gray clothing, had disheveled long hair covering half his face. His visible half appeared rigid and fierce. His single eye emanated a cold, venomous glare that made even the warm rays of the setting sun feel bone-chillingly cold against his figure.

“Come out!” The man’s voice rang out eerily. After a long silence with no movement from within the carriage, he grew impatient and sneered, “If you don’t come out, I’ll start shooting arrows. Master knows there are living people inside, so get out!”

Moments later, a pretty and delicate maid tremblingly lifted the curtain and slid down from the carriage. She helped another charming young lady support a pale-faced beauty down from the carriage. An arrow protruded from the beauty’s right shoulder, the area she covered with her left hand stained crimson. “Who… who are you people?”

The one-eyed man sneered, malice glinting in his fierce eye. “So this is Prince Ding’s future Princess? Mo Xiuyao, that cripple, has quite the luck—even with half a life left, he can still get such a beautiful woman to marry him!”

Qingluan stepped forward, shielding the two behind her. “You know our identities yet dare to be so disrespectful?”

The one-eyed man grinned maliciously. “Others may fear Mo Xiuyao, but I don’t. Besides… does anyone in the capital still fear him now?”

Ye Li looked directly at the man. “Do you bear a grudge against Prince Ding or the Xu and Ye families?”

The one-eyed man startled briefly before breaking into wild laughter. “Prince Ding’s woman? Interesting! I have no grudge against Mo Xiuyao or the Xu or Ye families. What of it?”

Ye Li said, “Then you’ve taken someone’s money to cause trouble? Whatever amount you’ve received, I’ll double it.”

“You?” The one-eyed man scrutinized Ye Li, seemingly assessing her credibility. “I received twenty thousand silver notes to take your life. Can you afford that?”

Ye Li nodded. “Release us, and I’ll give you forty thousand.”

“Why should I believe you?” The man’s single eye contracted sharply as he glared at Ye Li. For anyone, forty thousand silver was certainly an amount tempting enough to consider. The surrounding men’s eyes began to waver, though they dared not act without their leader’s word.

Ye Li spoke calmly, “If you don’t trust me, you can let my maid return to fetch the money. We’ll exchange simultaneously—money for freedom. Besides… I don’t think you intend to kill me. I only ask that you don’t harm us.”

The one-eyed man’s eye twitched violently as he stared at Ye Li. “You think I dare not kill you?”

“If you truly wanted to kill me, you would have riddled us with arrows already.”

“Fine! Prince Ding’s woman is indeed different! You! Go get the money. If anyone finds out, or if the silver notes aren’t at the designated location, prepare to collect your young mistress’s corpse.”

The indicated Qingyu shook her head vigorously. “I won’t go! Let Young Miss return while we stay.”

The one-eyed man sneered, “You think I’d trust the lives of two maids as collateral?”

Qingyu gritted her teeth. “My Young Miss is injured, and I know some medicine. Let Qingluan go.”

“The wound isn’t severe. If you hurry back before your Young Miss succumbs to her injury… Now go!”

“Qingyu, you go first,” Ye Li said softly.

Qingyu bit her lip and nodded heavily. “Qingluan, take good care of Young Miss.”

Qingluan nodded, moving to support Ye Li in Qingyu’s place. Watching Qingyu stumble away, the one-eyed man pointed to two of his men. “Follow that maid and bring back the silver notes. As for you… will you walk yourselves, or shall I have my men escort you?”

“We’ll walk ourselves.”

They had been kidnapped. Ye Li looked at the situation before her with some resignation. Of course, for bandits to kidnap a future princess from right under the Son of Heaven’s nose in the capital was quite an extraordinary feat. The group had moved with incredible speed, taking them a hundred li from the capital to a treacherous mountain peak. They were indeed bandits, as this was a bandit stronghold.

Perhaps because Ye Li was worth forty thousand silver, they weren’t thrown into a gloomy dungeon but rather confined to a simple cabin. Once the door was closed, Qingluan hurried to listen at the doorway for any movement outside before approaching Ye Li and whispering, “Young Miss, we’re so far from the capital. Will Qingyu be able to find us?”

Ye Li lowered the hand pressing her right shoulder and casually removed the arrow. The arrow had entered at an angle from the right chest but hadn’t injured her. The crimson stains on her clothes were merely rouge and medicine that Qingyu carried. “He never intended to let Qingyu return—he just couldn’t resist the forty thousand silver.”

Qingluan startled. “Young Miss means… they plan to kill us after getting the money?”

Ye Li nodded, smiling reassuringly at Qingluan. “Don’t worry, those two men are no match for Qingyu. She’ll be fine.”

The worry didn’t leave Qingluan’s face as she looked helplessly at her mistress. She wasn’t concerned about Qingyu—she was worried about how they would escape! The master had entrusted the young ladies to their care, yet now their Young Miss had been captured by bandits and they were helpless. How useless they were!

“There were too many of them. It’s not your fault,” Ye Li smiled. “Help me bandage the wound.”

Qingluan nodded, tearing a strip from her clean undergarment to dress Ye Li’s wound. As she worked, she asked, “Does Young Miss know who wants to harm us? Could it be Madam?”

Ye Li shook her head. “She’s short on money lately—it’s unlikely she could produce twenty thousand silver at once. Besides, it would be too easy to trace. Most importantly, they don’t intend to kill me, which means either they don’t fear her revenge, or they’re someone she could never suspect and thus couldn’t retaliate against. So, it’s probably not Wang Shi.”

Qingluan frowned. “But Young Miss hasn’t offended anyone.”

Ye Li fell silent in thought. They had kidnapped her but didn’t plan to kill her. So… once news of her abduction by bandits spread, her reputation would be ruined. The marriage…

“What?”

“Someone doesn’t want my marriage to Prince Ding to proceed smoothly,” Ye Li said quietly.

“Prince Li!” Qingluan said hatefully.

Ye Li shook her head. “Possible, but not necessarily. No matter how foolish Mo Jingli might be, he should know that if something happened to me, Mo Xiuyao would seek him out first.”

“Then… what should we do now? I can open the door, Young Miss can escape—”

Ye Li shook her head. “We’re at least a hundred li from the capital. If my guess is right and this is about my marriage to Prince Ding, news of my abduction probably spread as soon as I left the capital. While I alone might manage to leave this stronghold, returning now would be futile. Rather than that, staying might lead to some unexpected discoveries. Let’s rest for now and discuss this later.”

“Yes, Young Miss.”

Prince Ding’s Manor

“Your Highness!” The manor’s steward rushed in, his face anxious. Seeing Mo Xiuyao, he didn’t even pause to bow properly before hurriedly saying, “Your Highness, terrible news!”

Mo Xiuyao sharply raised his head. “What happened?”

“Just now, our people reported that rumors have suddenly spread outside, saying Third Miss Ye was taken by a rapist—” The steward’s words cut off abruptly at the piercing gaze directed at him. He shuddered, looking somewhat fearfully at the man seated in the wheelchair. “Your Highness…”

Mo Xiuyao closed his eyes briefly before snapping them open to ask, “What exactly happened?”

“This servant doesn’t know the details. Our people were out purchasing items for Your Highness’s wedding when they heard this news spreading everywhere. Sensing something amiss, they hurried back to report to me. I dared not delay and immediately—” Mo Xiuyao raised his hand to cut off his words. “Send people to the Minister’s mansion immediately to see if Ah Li has returned. Another group should trace Ah Li’s movements after leaving the palace, and check the palace situation!”

“Yes, this servant will go at once!” The steward didn’t dare linger, turning to leave and quickly disappearing down the corridor.

“Ah Jin, inform Feng San that regardless of the method, I don’t want to hear any more rumors in the capital.” In the silent study, Mo Xiuyao spoke softly, though the killing intent in his voice made one’s blood run cold.

“Yes.”

“Your Highness.” The recently departed steward reappeared at the doorway.

“What is it?”

“Young Master Xu just sent a message requesting Your Highness’s immediate presence at the Xu family’s private residence.”

Mo Xiuyao lowered his gaze. “I understand.”

The Xu Family’s Private Residence

In the main courtyard, Qingyu collapsed weakly into a chair. Her left sleeve was torn, with crimson blood staining half of it. On the ground lay the two men the one-eyed leader had sent to follow her, both unconscious. Xu Hongyu sat gravely in the main seat, with Xu Hongyan and Xu Qingchen seated below him. Xu Qingze and others stood to the side, their expressions unsurprisingly grim.

“What about the rumors outside?” Xu Hongyu asked deeply.

Xu Hongyan replied, “They were deliberately spread. According to Qingyu, it took less than an hour from Ah Li’s abduction for the rumors to spread throughout the entire capital.”

“We’ve sent people to search secretly throughout the capital. However… I fear Ah Li is no longer in the city,” Xu Qingchen said, frowning.

“How could so many people kidnap two weak women right under the Son of Heaven’s nose? What are the capital’s guards doing?” Xu Qingfeng exploded in anger.

Xu Qingchen frowned. “We’ll discuss that later. Can’t these two be awakened?”

Qingyu said, “This servant used Chenxiang’s Stupor—they should wake in a quarter hour.” She had originally planned to lead these two men directly back to the Xu residence, but one had been unexpectedly alert and saw through her scheme. Enraged at being outsmarted, he’d tried to silence her permanently. She’d been forced to waste time and effort subduing them before she could notify the Young Master. She hadn’t expected news of her Young Miss’s abduction to spread throughout the capital in such a short time.

“Since they can’t be awakened, let this prince handle it.” A calm voice came from the doorway. Everyone turned to look—Mo Xiuyao sat in his wheelchair wearing plain clothes, his expression serene as he stared at the unconscious men on the ground. The silent Ah Jin pushed the wheelchair inside.

“Your Highness.” Everyone rose, but Mo Xiuyao raised his hand. “The urgent matter takes priority—let’s dispense with formalities. Ah Jin.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Ah Jin stepped forward, his right wrist flicking with a crack as a thin whip appeared in his hand. Small barbs along its length glinted coldly in the candlelight.

Crack! The whip struck viciously at the unconscious men on the ground. With a ripping sound, the barbs tore away cloth and flesh together. As the others watched in shock, Ah Jin mercilessly struck again.

Crack!

Crack!

After no more than five lashes, a groan of pain came from the ground as one man opened his eyes. He was greeted by the whip striking like a venomous snake.

“Ah!”

Crack!

“Ahh…”

“Spare me! Have mercy… Ah!”

Mo Xiuyao leaned back in his wheelchair, his expression calm. “Tell this prince, where are the people you captured?”

“No… I don’t know. Spare me, Your Highness… please spare me!”

Crack!

“Ah, it hurts… no, Your Highness, mercy. This lowly one truly doesn’t know…”

“This prince only wants to know the whereabouts of those you kidnapped. Tell me, and I’ll spare your life.” Looking down at the man on the ground, Mo Xiuyao’s gaze was perfectly steady. Under his stare, the man trembled uncontrollably, groaning, “This… this servant truly doesn’t know.”

Mo Xiuyao nodded. “This prince admires your fortitude. I hope it helps you survive.” He wheeled slowly toward the man on the ground, who endured the tearing pain while watching the approaching figure, a flash of wild joy in his eyes. The moment Mo Xiuyao came close, he suddenly leaped up and lunged at him. But the man in the wheelchair was faster—just as the attacker was about to reach him, he collapsed. Mo Xiuyao’s hands moved in a strange technique, rapidly striking various points on the man’s body. A series of sickening cracks followed, accompanied by horrific screams. The man who had pounced like a fierce tiger now lay like a crumpled rag beside the wheelchair.

Mo Xiuyao took the handkerchief Ah Jin offered and slowly wiped his right hand that had struck the man while turning to look at the other person on the ground. “Now, are you willing to tell this prince the answer?”

Everyone’s gaze fell on the crumpled form on the ground—truly just a heap now. The once tall and strong man was twisted at impossible angles, as if every bone in his body had vanished in an instant, lying limp and lifeless. But what was more chilling was that the man was still alive.

The youngest, Xu Qingyan, shuddered at the scene and inconspicuously moved behind Xu Qingfeng. Even staying close to Fourth Brother didn’t feel safe now—among the brothers, Third Brother’s martial arts were still the best.

The previously unconscious man began to tremble. “Mercy… mercy… Your Highness, please…”

“Where are the people you kidnapped?” Mo Xiuyao asked.

“Not in the capital. Boss… Boss left the capital as soon as we caught them…”

“Where did they go?”

“Wuwu… I don’t know. The boss said our stronghold wasn’t safe, and said this would be our last job before moving somewhere else. I… I’ve never been there…” The large man sobbed pitifully.

“Then tell me where you were originally.”

“Outside the capital… sixty li at Black Cloud Peak. Wuwu… Your Highness, please spare me…”

“Hand them over to Feng San, see what else can be learned. Prepare immediately—this prince is leaving the city.”

“Yes.” Ah Jin put away his whip and picked up both men with one hand, walking out. Despite his slim, young frame, he carried the two men twice his size without any apparent effort, striding away swiftly.

In the simple room, Ye Li and Qingluan rested with their eyes closed, one lying on the bed, the other sitting on a stool beside it. Though her eyes were closed, Qingluan’s face still showed shame and unease. Secretly opening her eyes to glance at Ye Li resting against the wall by the bed, Qingluan said softly, “Young Miss, please lie down and rest. Qingluan will keep watch.”

Ye Li opened her eyes to look at her, smiling faintly. “Rest for another half hour. Tonight, you must find a way to leave this place.”

Qingluan’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s impossible. If anyone leaves, it should be Young Miss first. Qingluan knows Young Miss isn’t a helpless woman—let Qingluan draw away those people, Young Miss can surely break out on your own.”

Ye Li shook her head. “If you leave, I’ll be fine. But if I disappear, they’ll certainly kill you.”

“That doesn’t matter—I can’t leave Young Miss alone,” Qingluan said stubbornly.

Ye Li looked at her firmly. “Once you return, you can bring people to rescue me. Given how confident they seem, this place must be difficult to find.” Qingluan’s mind was in chaos as she hesitated, looking at Ye Li. Though following her mistress’s instructions seemed right, she couldn’t shake her unease.

Ye Li smiled. “Don’t worry, I am the Young Miss, aren’t I? Big Brother ordered you all to listen to me—do you mean to disobey my command?”

“Young Miss…” Qingluan stood helplessly, able only to look at Ye Li with tears in her eyes.

Ye Li gazed at her, speaking gently. “Be good, Qingluan. You must leave tonight. Perhaps… after that… you’ll meet some unexpected people.”

“Young Miss!” Qingluan looked at Ye Li in terror.

“Don’t be afraid, dear. Your Miss has ways to escape on her own. Hurry down the mountain for help—don’t you want us to get home soon?” Ye Li smiled persuasively, and Qingluan finally nodded gravely.

Bang!

The room’s door was kicked open from outside. Qingluan leaped quickly from the bed to shield Ye Li, watching warily as two burly men burst in. “What do you want?”

The first man’s clouded eyes held a lecherous look as he stared at Ye Li behind Qingluan. “So this is the Ye family’s Third Miss? This year’s top talented lady of the capital, Prince Ding’s fiancée?”

The man beside him was a minor thug, laughing along. “Second Chief is right. This is the lady the Head Chief brought back.”

The Second Chief rubbed his hands together, leering. “What’s Big Brother thinking? Why keep such fresh beauties locked up here?”

The thug started, remembering their leader’s instructions, and hurriedly said, “Second Chief, these beauties can’t be touched.”

Second Chief snorted. “Who’s untouchable once they’re in my Ghost Cloud Mountain?”

“This… this lady is worth sixty thousand silver. Head Chief ordered specifically that Miss Ye absolutely cannot be harmed.”

“Sixty thousand?” Second Chief’s rat-like eyes lit up with greed. His gaze swept over Ye Li again before settling on Qingluan. He grinned, “Fine, for sixty thousand’s sake, I’ll leave her be. Then this maid belongs to me. Though not as pretty as that one, she’s far better than the ugly ones in our stronghold.” He lunged at Qingluan.

“Qingluan, strike!”

Ye Li sprang up, quickly circling past Qingluan and the lunging Second Chief to knock out the thug standing behind. Qingluan didn’t hesitate—her seemingly delicate frame showed surprising strength as she punched the man’s abdomen, then nimbly flipped behind him to strike the back of his neck. The tall, strong man immediately collapsed without a sound. Behind her, Ye Li had already swiftly closed the door.

“Young Miss.”

Ye Li nodded approvingly. “Little one, you show promise. Alright, don’t delay. Do you remember the path down the mountain?” Qingluan thought back briefly and nodded. Though the bandits had blindfolded them on the way up, they’d overlooked that Qingluan was trained in martial arts and had exceptional hearing. While she couldn’t remember everything perfectly, she recalled the general direction.

Ye Li said, “I suspect this stronghold is newly built—neither its mechanisms nor defenses will be very strong. Just be careful. Now go.”

“Young Miss, be careful.”

Ye Li nodded, repeatedly assuring her safety. Only after Qingluan left did she turn to look at the two men still lying on the ground. She bent down, pulled the hairpin from her head, and pricked several inconspicuous acupoints on their bodies before returning to sit on the bed and rest.

Ye Li sat quietly on the bed, but her ears focused intently on the sounds outside. The mountain stronghold was silent at night—clearly, Qingluan hadn’t been discovered. Ye Li felt slightly relieved; surely someone whose qinggong was good enough to track the Young Master of the Wind and Moon should be trustworthy? As long as she wasn’t discovered within half an hour, that would be enough time for Qingluan to leave this Ghost Cloud or whatever cloud mountain.

Bang! The crude door was kicked open again from outside, the door panel swaying precariously from the force.

The one-eyed man rushed in first. Seeing the men on the ground and Ye Li sitting calmly on the bed, he paused but surprisingly didn’t anger. Instead, he waved several men in to carry away the unconscious figures.

“It seems I underestimated you. Where’s that maid?” The one-eyed man stared at Ye Li.

Ye Li sighed inwardly—discovered too soon. She could only hope Qingluan would make it safely down the mountain. “As you can see, she escaped.”

The grotesque single eye narrowed suspiciously. “Why didn’t you leave with her? Or did that maid abandon her mistress and flee? For a maid to escape the stronghold so silently is quite remarkable.”

Ye Li looked at him. “A group of bandits managing to kidnap two people from right under the Son of Heaven’s nose as if walking through space—I find that remarkable too.”

The one-eyed man snorted lightly. “The men I sent to follow your maid for the money haven’t returned yet. Care to guess what happened to them?”

Ye Li shook her head, feigning confusion.

“It seems that maid of yours is quite skilled. Perhaps she’s already gone down the mountain for help. What do you think you need to do to keep your life until help arrives?” The one-eyed man glared viciously at the calm young woman before him.

Ye Li helplessly touched her carefully bandaged shoulder. “Perhaps you could consider taking some money from me and fleeing far away. I believe your two men haven’t returned because they tried to take advantage of my maid. Since you know one of my maids is skilled, you should realize the other won’t be much different. So, our transaction could continue.”

“It seems Miss Ye likes solving problems with money?” the one-eyed man mocked.

Ye Li shook her head. “Didn’t you take someone else’s money to trouble me? Since they didn’t want my life, I believe you’ve achieved your goal. I trust by tomorrow the entire capital will be spreading rumors about Third Miss Ye being kidnapped by bandits. I’m just spending some money to avoid any real harm, and you won’t be breaking your deal with them. It benefits both sides—what’s wrong with that?”

“Sounds quite reasonable.”

“Someone once told me that problems that can be solved with money aren’t problems. I won’t default this time. As soon as I’m free, I’ll pay you, and I can even give a deposit now,” Ye Li smiled.

“What if I refuse?” The one-eyed man narrowed his eyes.

Ye Li replied calmly, “If I die, the Ye family, Xu family, and Prince Ding’s manor will use all their power to hunt you down. If I live, I’ll consider using my entire fortune, possibly including the Xu family’s dowry and Prince Ding’s betrothal gifts, as a bounty for your head. I don’t want your life—I’ll give a thousand silver for each cut on you. Guess how many people would take that offer?”

The one-eyed man’s mouth twitched. “Very vicious. Assuming you can find me.”

Ye Li’s smile grew more serene. “Someone at the Tianyi Pavilion owes me a life debt.”

The mocking smile finally froze completely on the one-eyed man’s face. The original malice in his single eye gradually dissolved into sharp brilliance. Though his appearance remained frightening, he suddenly emanated an air of authority.

“Indeed worthy of being Mo Xiuyao’s woman—truly extraordinary.”

Ye Li gave a faint, bitter smile. “Just trying to stay alive. Perhaps you’d be willing to show your true face? Honestly, I don’t much like talking to people wearing masks.”

The one-eyed man stared at her in surprise. “You could tell? I thought my disguise was perfect.”

Ye Li said, “I suppose I’m particularly sensitive to such things. I think there’s still some difference between a human skin mask and real skin, isn’t there?”

The one-eyed man disgustedly rubbed his face. “Time was too short. It’s a rushed, defective product. Since you know someone wants to ruin your reputation, do you know exactly what they demanded?”

Ye Li looked at him. “Please enlighten me.”

The one-eyed man sat down nearby, watching her with amusement. “They demanded… to ruin your virtue. Note, they meant to… ruin… you.”

Ye Li’s eyes turned cold. “It’s a woman.”

The one-eyed man raised his eyebrows in surprise. Ye Li frowned. “Only women like using such vicious methods against other women.”

The one-eyed man shrugged. “I absolutely won’t tell you who it is. Aren’t you afraid?”

Ye Li looked at him seriously, thinking before saying, “You don’t plan to do it, do you?”

The man nodded, laughing loudly. “I have to admit, Mo Xiuyao truly has good judgment. At least he’s far better than that idiot Mo Jingli. I indeed had no such intention. After all, I’m not planning to truly enrage Mo Xiuyao for just a few tens of thousands of silver.”

“You know Mo Xiuyao,” Ye Li pointed out.

The one-eyed man didn’t deny it. Standing up, he said, “Now we can leave. Third Miss Ye, shall we go get the money I’m owed, then I’ll send you home? How does that sound? I estimate in another hour or two, Mo Xiuyao will arrive—it’s not safe here.”

Ye Li rose indifferently to follow him, asking, “What about your people in the stronghold?”

The one-eyed man turned back with a twisted smile. “You didn’t think I was a bandit chief, did you? Don’t worry, though I’m not their leader, every single person here is a thoroughly evil bandit. It’s their bad luck if they fall into Mo Xiuyao’s hands.”

“You didn’t kill the original one-eyed chief, did you?” Ye Li followed the man through the crude buildings. Occasionally they passed patrolling bandits who bowed to the one-eyed man and gave knowing, lewd grins at seeing Ye Li behind him. “The guards here are quite poor—no wonder Qingluan didn’t alert anyone in the stronghold.”

“You even understand this? They are indeed poor. If not for my help, these idiots would’ve been caught before even leaving the capital,” the one-eyed man replied. “That greedy fellow is sound asleep in his room right now. He wanted to keep all the reward money for himself. I always earn my own money and prevent others from earning any. When Mo Xiuyao arrives, he’ll make a perfect scapegoat. What do you think of this plan?”

Ye Li nodded indifferently, examining the increasingly remote path ahead. “We’re leaving this way?”

The man nodded. “Don’t worry, once I get the money, I’ll return you to the Ye family without a hair harmed.” Just as he was about to activate a mechanism, strange sounds came from far down the mountain. Ye Li remained composed, but the one-eyed man’s expression immediately changed. He cursed under his breath, “Damn! How could he arrive so quickly?” He immediately abandoned his original route and pulled Ye Li into a mad dash in another direction.

“We’re not taking the secret passage?”

The man said, “The secret passage isn’t safe, and it’s too circuitous. We might get caught right in the middle.” The sounds gradually drew closer, yet the stronghold remained completely quiet. The arrivals were all experts—the motley crew in the stronghold hadn’t even detected their presence. The man pulled Ye Li toward the back mountain. “There’s another path behind the mountain. Though it’s a bit treacherous, it leads directly to a valley. Mo Xiuyao definitely won’t find us for a while.”

“But I…” Ye Li said.

“Don’t worry, my qinggong is quite good. I can still get down carrying you.”

“But I want to default!” Ye Li laughed.

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