Luo Sheng estimated the time was about right and used a small iron shovel to dig out the beggar’s pork elbows buried in the fire one after another.

Looking at the four pitch-black ugly things, Sheng Sanlang came closer. “Cousin, are they ready?”

“They’re ready.” Luo Sheng casually picked up a rock and smashed it against the mud shell.

Sheng Sanlang quickly snatched the rock away. “Cousin, let me handle this rough work.”

“Then I’ll trouble Cousin.”

Sheng Sanlang raised the rock and struck it against the mud shell with a crack. After just a few hits, he broke the shell open, revealing the beggar’s pork elbow wrapped in lotus leaves inside.

“So hot!” Sheng Sanlang drew in a breath. Scalded until he grimaced, he still persisted in peeling back a corner of the lotus leaf wrapping.

An extraordinary fragrance wafted out, overbearing and intense.

The exposed elbow had turned a dark red color glistening with oil. The skin was wrinkled and the meat glutinous—every inch of meat proclaimed two words: delicious!

Sheng Sanlang’s mouth directly began to water.

Cousin was right—this beggar’s pork elbow looked more delicious than dry, tough beggar’s chicken just from appearance alone!

The bandits in the grass also caught this extraordinary fragrance.

Luosai Huzi slapped the dark-faced youth. “The elbows are ready, we can go out! Xiao Qi, today you do the talking. Show them the威 prestige of our Black Wind Stronghold!”

“Big Brother, don’t worry!”

The dark-faced youth charged out wielding a machete, pointed his large blade at Sheng Sanlang and the others, and roared, “Hand over your elbows!”

Sheng Sanlang was stunned.

There were actually people who robbed elbows?

Luosai Huzi kicked the dark-faced youth’s backside. Not bothering to berate his brother for holding them back, he said with a fierce expression, “Hand over your gold, silver, and valuables, and we’ll spare your lives!”

The guards, their mouths dripping with oil from eating, picked up their weapons.

Sheng Sanlang frowned and stared at the group of bandits. “What exactly do you want?”

Earlier they said to hand over the elbows—had he heard wrong?

Before Luosai Huzi could speak, the dark-faced youth shouted, “We want both the elbows and the gold, silver, and valuables. Hurry up and hand them over to this young master!”

Sheng Sanlang’s face darkened.

Very good. He hadn’t heard wrong.

“Dream on!”

“So there’s nothing to discuss?” Luosai Huzi waved his hand. “Brothers, attack!”

The bandits charged over wielding their blades and were soon engaged in chaotic combat with the Sheng household guards. Because they had more people, they gradually gained the upper hand.

“Young Master Cousin, why are you standing to the side watching the excitement? Is it that you’re no good at martial arts?”

Sheng Sanlang immediately felt insulted by the little maid and said with a sour expression, “I’m protecting my cousin!”

Hong Dou looked toward Luo Sheng with an eager expression. “Miss, can this servant go help?”

Luo Sheng nodded. “Go ahead.”

Hong Dou cheered and charged over barehanded.

“Be careful—” Sheng Sanlang couldn’t help but shout.

How could she charge over empty-handed? Wasn’t this courting death?

Then he saw Hong Dou kick toward a bandit’s crotch, and while the man was bent over in pain, she snatched his large blade and hacked it into his backside.

Sheng Sanlang’s mouth fell open in shock as he slowly turned to look at Luo Sheng.

Luo Sheng’s expression was calm. “Cousin should go help too. They have more people—if this drags on, it won’t be good for us.”

“I need to stay and protect Cousin.”

“No need. I’m better at fighting than Hong Dou.”

Sheng Sanlang silently lifted his blade and charged into the melee.

With Hong Dou and Sheng Sanlang joining the fray one after another, although the bandits held the advantage of numbers, they gradually began to struggle.

“Xiao Qi, proceed according to plan!” Luosai Huzi, dealing with Hong Dou who was wielding her machete with great vigor, shouted at the top of his lungs.

The dark-faced youth headed straight for Luo Sheng.

Xiu Yue, standing beside Luo Sheng, couldn’t help but remind her, “Miss, you should go back to the carriage.”

She couldn’t watch Miss Luo come to harm—if that happened, many doubts would never be resolved.

Luo Sheng’s gaze was calm as she watched the dark-faced youth charging toward her, her tone casual. “No need to worry. My father supervised my martial arts practice, saying that this way, when I want to beat my future husband, I can do it myself and save the servants the trouble.”

Xiu Yue’s whole body trembled as she blurted out, “Who exactly are you—”

She didn’t finish the rest of her words because the dark-faced youth had already rushed close.

“You want to take me hostage?” Luo Sheng lowered her brows and asked the dark-faced youth who had charged before her.

Meeting the girl’s bright, shining eyes, the dark-faced youth’s face couldn’t help but heat up, yet he firmly remembered what a qualified bandit should do.

“That’s right. Since you’re unwilling to hand over the elb—unwilling to hand over the gold, silver, and valuables, don’t blame us for being merciless!”

The dark-faced youth held his blade horizontally with one hand and reached to grab Luo Sheng with the other.

The girl’s wrist was slender and pale, as if it could break with too much force.

Just as the dark-faced youth subconsciously withdrew some of his strength, that slender wrist suddenly twisted, and a great force pulled him over.

“Everyone stop!” A dagger lay across the dark-faced youth’s neck, the gemstone at the handle sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight.

The scene instantly quieted, then Luosai Huzi’s incredulous roar rang out. “Xiao Qi, what’s going on with you?”

Hadn’t he told this kid to take the young lady hostage? How had he instead been taken hostage by a delicate young lady?

Thinking again about how the dark-faced youth had been obsessed with putting the beggar’s pork elbow they made first in the robbery, Luosai Huzi couldn’t help but wonder.

Could this kid have been bought off by the young lady’s beggar’s pork elbow and become a mole?

“Drop your weapons, or I’ll kill him.” Luo Sheng said indifferently.

The quieted scene let her know she had bet correctly—this young bandit held an unusual position among the bandits, at least not someone to be casually sacrificed as a pawn.

“Little lady, you’d better release him immediately, or none of you will leave alive.” Luosai Huzi stared fiercely at Luo Sheng.

As a bandit, how could he easily submit? He didn’t believe a young lady would dare to kill.

Luo Sheng moved the dagger, and the dark-faced youth’s neck instantly welled with fresh blood.

At this moment, not only the bandits were shocked, but also Sheng Sanlang.

When Cousin said she’d act, she just acted—without any hesitation at all?

“I’ll say it one last time. Drop your weapons.”

Although this young bandit who was clearly a novice hadn’t yet become as ruthless and cruel as a hardened criminal, they stood on opposite sides. Once their side was defeated and fell into the enemy’s hands, whether they lived or died or were even humiliated would depend entirely on the enemy’s whim.

When necessary, she didn’t mind killing. Being merciful to the enemy was being cruel to one’s own side.

“Big Brother—” Luo Sheng’s indifferent gaze made the bandits realize this young lady wasn’t joking, and they all looked toward Luosai Huzi.

Luosai Huzi’s expression changed constantly. Finally, he forcefully threw his blade to the ground. “Everyone put down your blades!”

With a series of clangs, the bandits threw their weapons to the ground.

Luo Sheng reminded the still-dazed Sheng Sanlang, “Cousin, collect their weapons.”

Seeing all the weapons being collected by the other side, Luosai Huzi’s face darkened. “Can you release him now?”

Luo Sheng pushed the dark-faced youth out.

Luosai Huzi grabbed the dark-faced youth and shouted, “Retreat!”

“Wait.” Luo Sheng called out. Seeing the bandits all look over, she said expressionlessly, “Leave all the gold, silver, and valuables you’re carrying before you go.”

Constantly spending Miss Luo’s remaining savings wasn’t very appropriate—she should also find ways to increase income.