The seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth, covered head to face in fresh blood, looked both wretched and pitiful.

“Is Cousin injured?” Luo Sheng asked.

Sheng Sanlang shook his head: “I’m fine. Cousin, you… how did you know there weren’t many of them? Could there still be people hiding outside?”

Luo Sheng glanced outside the temple entrance.

The temple doors stood wide open. Outside was an endless curtain of rain—though it wasn’t even noon yet, everything was pitch black.

“If there were many of them, there would be no need to hide in the shadows to strike.”

Sheng Sanlang breathed a slight sigh of relief, but then heard Luo Sheng change her tone: “However, whether more people will come to pursue and kill us after these two failed, that’s hard to say.”

Sheng Sanlang couldn’t contain his angry frustration: “I never imagined the world had become so chaotic—mountain bandits one crop after another, like cutting leeks!”

How long ago had they encountered those mountain bandits who robbed their pork knuckles? Yet they’d already met another batch that was even more vicious.

When he was at home, he’d greatly envied those who could travel the four seas. He’d never imagined it meant risking one’s life.

Luo Sheng lowered her eyes, staring at the corpse lying not far away.

It was one of the two bandits—a young man with a crew cut and ordinary features.

Luo Sheng suddenly bowed slightly to Sheng Sanlang: “I’ve implicated Cousin.”

Sheng Sanlang hastily stepped aside: “Cousin, what kind of talk is this? It’s our family that didn’t consider things thoroughly. Had we known the outside world was this chaotic, we should have hired a team of escorts. What does this have to do with you?”

Luo Sheng shook her head: “It can’t be unrelated to me.”

Sheng Sanlang froze: “Cousin, what do you mean?”

Luo Sheng said in a deep voice: “These bandits we encountered this time should have been specifically targeting me.”

Sheng Sanlang was greatly shocked: “Why?”

Luo Sheng looked at the corpse prostrate on the ground again, her expression complex: “I don’t know why either.”

She’d already found things somewhat strange.

Though Jinsha was merely an ordinary county seat, the Jinling Prefecture that governed Jinsha should have Grand Commander Luo’s people stationed there. Even if these people didn’t keep daily watch over the Grand Commander’s twin children in Jinsha, they should at least pay some attention.

When she left the Sheng family to return to the capital, when those people received the news—even if they didn’t know she’d forged the Grand Commander’s letter and thus didn’t show themselves—logically they should have sent people to secretly protect her.

Taking it even further, if none of this happened, why would anyone pursue and kill Miss Luo?

Luo Sheng couldn’t figure it out for the moment, but she knew that reaching the capital smoothly would likely be extremely difficult.

This time the other party only had two people—what about next time?

She still had many things left undone and was extremely afraid of death.

Though extremely cherishing of her life, Luo Sheng’s expression remained composed: “Cousin, let’s work together to bury our people.”

Sheng Sanlang responded in a deep voice.

Their side had originally had four guards. Now only one survived—the other three had become cold corpses.

The torrential rain had made the earth soft. Several people worked together to dig three pits, allowing the three guards to rest in peace.

Luo Sheng stood before the slightly raised mounds of earth and said softly: “When I return to the capital, I’ll send people to retrieve your remains and send them to Jinsha, ensuring you return to your roots.”

Hearing this, Sheng Sanlang’s mood grew even heavier. He raised his hand wanting to pat Luo Sheng’s shoulder, but quietly lowered it again: “Cousin, your clothes are soaked through. Go back inside the temple.”

Several people returned to the temple.

That pile of firewood was still burning, and the bloody smell still hadn’t dispersed.

Sheng Sanlang glanced at the two corpses lying in place and hesitated: “Should we bury those two as well?”

Luo Sheng sat by the fire warming herself. Hearing this, she said coldly: “Don’t bury them. Just let them be exposed in the wilderness.”

Sheng Sanlang was stunned.

He’d actually been conflicted between burying or not burying them, but hadn’t expected Cousin Luo to be so decisive.

Hong Dou rubbed her waist and spat: “Bury them my foot! Miss, should your servant check if they’re carrying anything valuable?”

Those damned wicked people had kicked her so hard she still hurt—these kinds of bad people deserved to be stripped and thrown outside.

Sheng Sanlang couldn’t help but object: “Forget it. Stripping dead people’s clothes isn’t appropriate—”

“We should take a look.” Luo Sheng stood and walked over, bending down to lift the hem of a corpse’s clothing.

Sheng Sanlang’s expression twisted, and he said dryly: “Cousin, if you’re short of money, I have some—”

Hong Dou pursed her lips: “Our miss doesn’t like getting something for nothing.”

Watching Luo Sheng examine the corpse with focused attention, Sheng Sanlang’s lips trembled.

Please, please let Cousin Luo accept something for nothing!

Luo Sheng turned up an object and held it in her hand to examine closely.

“Miss, what is that?” Hong Dou stuffed the valuables she’d searched out into her pouch and came over to ask.

“An axe pendant made of peach wood.” Luo Sheng gazed at the peach wood axe in her hand, no more than three inches long, looking thoughtful.

Sheng Sanlang glanced at it: “There’s nothing unusual about that, is there? That peach wood axe doesn’t even have a single character on it.”

“Indeed, there’s nothing unusual.” Luo Sheng walked toward the other corpse and began carefully searching again.

Sheng Sanlang: “…”

Before long, Luo Sheng pulled another peach wood talisman from the second corpse’s bosom, also in the shape of an axe.

Two peach wood axes, identical in appearance, differing only slightly in their carved patterns.

Wearing safety talismans was fashionable among people of the time. These two peach wood axes didn’t have a single character on them—if people saw them normally, they’d only take them as ordinary safety talismans.

But in Luo Sheng’s view, finding peach wood axes on both corpses was somewhat strange.

Luo Sheng carefully put away both peach wood axes.

Seeing his cousin and the little maid finally stop frantically searching the corpses, Sheng Sanlang breathed a sigh of relief, but then his mood grew heavy again: “Cousin, you said those people were targeting you specifically. Will more bandits come chasing after us very soon?”

Outside, thunder rumbled continuously. The torrential rain could wash away nearly all traces.

Luo Sheng withdrew her gaze: “According to normal reasoning, they won’t come that quickly. These two had outstanding skills—completing their mission should have been no problem. For the other party to confirm these two failed will still require some time.”

Sheng Sanlang’s anxious heart temporarily settled: “So you’re saying we’re temporarily safe.”

“The pursuers will come sooner or later.” Luo Sheng said calmly.

Sheng Sanlang no longer knew whether to set his heart down or pick it up again. He could only pat his chest and declare: “Cousin, rest assured—if those bandits want to harm you, they’ll have to step over my corpse first!”

Luo Sheng fell silent, then said: “When we reach the next town, we can hire a team of escorts. We’ll calculate the time and route properly and avoid lingering in desolate wilderness areas in the future.”

Whether this could guarantee absolute safety, she couldn’t promise, but right now she couldn’t let the people following her lose their spirit first.

Sheng Sanlang blinked awkwardly: “Cousin is right.”

He’d been foolish—his cousin had plenty of money and could completely hire an entire escort agency. Why would she need him to be a corpse for people to step over?

The rain finally stopped. Because they’d lost three guards, Sheng Sanlang abandoned riding a horse and became the coachman. The group finally managed to reach the next town before nightfall.

The inn’s servant wasn’t surprised by their bedraggled state—encountering such heavy rain while traveling, it would be strange if they weren’t bedraggled.

“Honored guests, please come in. We have hot water prepared.”

Oh my, that delicate young lady being supported by her maid looked so fragile—hopefully she wouldn’t fall ill.