Chapter 48: Bandit Stronghold
In a shabby room, there was Ye Li and Qing Luan. One person sat on the bed and the other sat on a bench next to the bed. Both had their eyes closed, resting. Although her eyes were closed, Qing Luan’s face still showed the shame and restlessness from before. She snuck a glance at Ye Li, sitting on the bed, her back against the wall.
Qing Luan whispered: “Young Miss, you should lie down and rest for a while. Qing Luan will stand watch.”
Ye Li opened her eyes and stared at Qing Luan. She faintly smiled and said: “Now, we will rest for half an hour. This evening, you must find a way to leave this place.”
Qing Luan was startled. Her eyes widened as she stared at Ye Li. “How can that be? Even if someone is leaving, it should be Young Miss leaving first. Qing Luan knows that the Young Miss isn’t some weak maiden who doesn’t have the strength to truss up a chicken. Instead, Qing Luan will lure those people away. The Young Miss can take the opportunity to escape.”
Ye Li shook her head and said: “If you leave, nothing will happen to me. If they don’t see me, they’ll certainly kill you.”
“This isn’t going to work. I can’t leave the Young Miss here.” Qing Luan said gruffly.
Ye Li looked at her firmly. “After you’ve returned, you can find someone to rescue me. Looking at these people, they are clearly not afraid. I’m afraid this place won’t be easily found.”
Qing Luan’s thoughts were muddled and twisted. She gave a hesitant look at Ye Li. She felt that her Young Miss was quite reasonable. Still, she was very uneasy.
Ye Li smiled: “Don’t worry. I’m the Young Miss, right? Eldest Brother wants you all to listen to me. Are you defying my orders?”
“Young Miss…” Qing Luan fidgeted and can only stare straight at Ye Li.
Ye Li returned her look. She gently said: “Qing Luan, listen to me. Tonight, you must leave this place. Perhaps, after… you’ll run into some unexpected people.”
“Young Miss!” Startled, Qing Luan looked at Ye Li.
“Be good, don’t be afraid. This Young Miss will have her own methods of escape. You need to hurry and find help. Don’t you also want us to return home quickly?” Ye Li smiled. In the end, Qing Luan could only agree and nod.
“Thump!”
The door was kicked open from the outside. Qing Luan rushed in front of Ye Li, looking at the two people that barged in. “What do you people want to do?”
The one in front was big and carried a lustful look as his eyes trained on Ye Li; Qing Luan stood protectively in front of her. The man chuckled and said: “This is Ye family’s Third Young Miss? This year’s most talented maiden within the capital? Prince Ding’s fiance?”
At his side, there was a lackey. The lackey laughed along and added: “Second Boss is right. This is the Young Miss that the Big Boss brought back.”
The Second Boss rubbed his hands together with a wicked smile. He said: “What does big brother intend? Why did he imprison two ripened fruits in this place?”
The man was dazed as he remembered what the Big Boss instructed. He quickly reminded: “Second Boss, these two beauties can’t be touched.”
The Second Boss huffed and said: “Coming to my Ghost Cloud Peak, is there someone that I can’t touch?”
“This… Second Boss, this Young Miss can be worth a total of sixty thousand taels. The Big Boss has instructed, especially that Miss Ye, that she can’t be touched.”
“Sixty thousand?” The mouse eyes of the Second Boss brightened, showing a greedy light. His eyes traveled around Ye Li and strayed to Qing Luan. He chuckled and said: “Fine, I’ll give face to the sixty thousand. I’ll let this girl go. But that little girl must be in this Boss’s hands. Although not as good as the other one, compared to the ugly ones we have, she is much better.” Finished speaking, the man rushed to Qing Luan.
“Qing Luan! Move!”
Ye Li suddenly stood up. She quickly bypassed Qing Luan and the Second Boss that was charging at them. She directly knocked the sidekick out. Qing Luan did not delay, her small flexible body showed great strength as she punched the man’s abdomen. She slyly rolled behind him and lifted a hand to chop his neck. The tall, strong man immediately fell to the ground. There wasn’t even a bang as he fell. Behind, Ye Li quickly closed the door.
“Young Miss.”
Ye Li nodded in admiration. This little girl had good potential. “Alright, don’t delay. Do you remember the way down the mountain?”
Qing Luan thought about it and nodded. Although the bandits covered their eyes, they didn’t notice that Qing Luan was someone trained in martial arts. Her hearing was also not like an ordinary person’s. Though she couldn’t completely remember, she had a vague outline.
Ye Li said: “I bet that this stronghold was just built. Whether it is security or defense, it would not be too thorough. You must be careful. Go.”
“Young Miss, be careful.”
Ye Li nodded and repeatedly guaranteed her safety as she sent Qing Luan away. She looked back at the two people still lying on the ground. She leaned over and pulled out a needle from her hair. Not even blinking, she stabbed a few of the acupuncture points on their bodies. Then, she returned to sit on the bed. She closed her eyes and rested.
Ye Li calmly sat on the bed. She used her ears to concentrate on what was happening outside. At night, the stronghold was quiet. It was clear that Qing Luan had not been discovered by others. Ye Li breathed a sigh of relief. The Lightness Foot Work that could follow Gentleman Feng Yue is quite dependable. As long as she was not discovered within half an hour, wasn’t it enough for Qing Luan to escape Ghost Cloud Peak?
“Bang!” The door was once again kicked open. The door was unable to take the force and swayed violently.
The one-eyed man rushed in first. He saw the people on the ground and Ye Li sitting safely on the bed. In a surprise maneuver, he did not get mad and just waved his hand, signaling people to bring out the two unconscious men on the ground.
“It would seem that I have underestimated you? Where’s the little girl?” The one-eyed man intently stared at Ye Li as he asked.
Ye Li sighed helplessly in her thoughts. They were discovered early. She hoped that Qing Luan could safely descend the mountain. “Can’t you see? She fled.”
The one eye looked skeptical. He scowled and stared: “Why didn’t you go with her? Did she betray her master and escape on her own? Just a little girl, yet she can quietly leave a bandit stronghold. That’s really surprising.”
Ye Li stared at him. “A group of bandits, yet they can actually kidnap two people from a crowded place like it was empty. I am also very surprised.”
The one-eyed man huffed lightly and whispered: “The men I sent to follow your other little servant has still not returned. Can you guess what happened to them?”
Ye Li shook her head and gave him a bleak look.
“It seems like this little servant girl is also an expert. Maybe, she is already off the mountain and getting reinforcements. Do you think that you need to do something to preserve your life before the reinforcements arrive?” The one-eyed man stared at the girl before him.
Ye Li helplessly stroked her injured shoulder that had been bandaged meticulously. She said, “Perhaps you should consider taking a sum of money from me and fleeing. I think that your two men hadn’t returned because they had malicious thoughts towards my little servant. You already know my servent is an expert. You should know that in other aspects, it would not be too bad. Therefore, our transaction can still continue.”
“It seems that Miss Ye likes to use money to solve her problems?” The one-eyed man mocked.
Ye Li shook her head. “Aren’t you just making it difficult for me because you lost money to someone else? Since the other person doesn’t want my life, then I bet that your purpose has already been reached. I believe that before tomorrow, the entire capital will know that the Ye family’s Third Young Miss was kidnapped by bandits. But for me? I only need to spend a little bit of money to divert harm to myself. You wouldn’t go against the deal you made with the other person. What’s wrong with killing two birds with one stone?”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“People have told me that problems that could be solved with money are not problems. This time, I will not delay. As long as I can escape, I will immediately give you the money. I can even pay a deposit first.” Ye Li smiled.
“What if I don’t agree?” The one-eyed man blinked.
Ye Li coldly said, “If I die, Ye family, Xu family, and Prince Ding’s Manor will use all of their power to go after you. If I’m still alive, I’ll consider using my fortune, including my dowry and Prince Ding’s Manor’s fortune, as a reward for killing you. I don’t want your life. As long as someone can strike you once, I will give a thousand taels. Take a guess, how many people will take it?”
The one-eyed man’s mouth twitched. “Malicious. I didn’t expect Ye family’s Third Young Miss to be so vicious. But this is on the condition that you can even find me.”
Ye Li’s smile widened, “Someone from Tian Yi Pavillion owes me a life.”
The teasing smile on the one-eyed man froze. In the only eye shown, the evil light dispersed, leaving only a sharp edge. Although the face was still terrible, it made people feel a bit more powerful and noble.
“Really Mo Xiu Yao’s woman. Really different from other women.”
Ye Li faintly smiled, “Just protecting my life. Maybe you can show me your true face? To be honest, I don’t really like talking to someone wearing a mask.”
The one-eyed man stared at her with surprise. “You can see? I’ve always considered my skills to be able to switch real and fake.”
Ye Li said: “It’s probably because I’m sensitive to these kinds of things. I think there are differences between a human skin mask and real skin, right?”
The one-eyed man hatefully rubbed his face. “The time is too tight. Hurriedly made a defective product. Since you know someone wants to ruin your reputation, also know the person’s conditions?”
Ye Li looked at him. “I’m listening.”
The one-eyed man walked to one side and sat. He stared at Ye Li; eyes showed teasing intent. “The other person requested… to ruin your chastity. In particular….ruin…you.”
Ye Li’s eyes chilled. “A woman.”
The one-eyed man was startled and raised his brows.
Ye Li frowned and continued, “Only women like to deal with other women in such a vicious way.”
The one-eyed man shrugged: “I will never tell you who it is. Aren’t you afraid?”
Ye Li turned and stared at him. After a thought, she said, “You don’t plan to follow through, isn’t that right?”
The man nodded and laughed. “I have to admit that Mo Xiu Yao has discerning eyes. At least it’s better than that idiot Mo Jing Li. I really didn’t have this plan. After all, I don’t plan to anger Mo Xiu Yao for just a few tens of thousands of teals.”
“You know Mo Xiu Yao.” Ye Li pointed out.
The one-eyed man also did not deny it. He stood up and said: “Now, we can go. Ye family’s Third Young Miss, we should go fetch the money that’s rightfully mine. I’ll send you home later. What do you think? I guess that after one or two hours, Mo Xiu Yao will arrive. It’s not safe here.”
Ye Li calmly stood up and followed him. She asked: “What about the people in this hideout of yours?”
The man turned around and gave Ye Li a distorted smile. “Do you really think that I’m the Big Boss of the bandits here? Don’t worry, even if I’m not the Big Bandit Boss, the bandits here are definitely of the same group. No evil they wouldn’t do. Landing in the hands of Mo Xiu Yao, it can be considered that they’re unlucky.”
“Did you kill the one-eyed Bandit Boss?” Ye Li followed the man through a few rugged houses. Along the way, they passed bandits on patrol. The bandits immediately paid respects to the one-eyed man. Seeing Ye Li walking behind the Big Boss, they exchanged wretched and lustful smiles. “The guards here are not very good. It’s no wonder that Qing Luan didn’t alert anyone.”
“Looks like you even understand this? It’s really not good. If not for my help, these idiots will be caught before they leave the capital.” The one-eyed man answered. “That greedy person is in his room, sleeping and snoring. Actually want to monopolize the money. Until now, this Lord has always made money for himself. These people shouldn’t think of taking one coin. Wait for Mo Xiu Yao to come and these people can take the blame. What do you think of this idea?”
Ye Li indifferently nodded. She appraised the road ahead, “We are leaving from here?”
The man nodded. “Rest assured. As long as I get the money, I will send you back to Ye Manor without a hair missing.” He raised a hand, intending to push a secret compartment. But, a strange sound came up from below the mountain. Ye Li was quiet and didn’t comment. The one-eyed man’s face changed drastically. He cursed: “Damn! How did he come so quickly?” The man immediately gave up his original path and pulled Ye Li to run in another direction.
“Not using the secret path?”
The man said: “The secret isn’t safe; moreover, too far. Might be blocked.” Listening to the sound coming closer; yet, the hideout didn’t have the slightest movement. Obviously, everyone that came was an expert. The group of incompetent bandits failed to even see a trace. The man rushed to the back of the mountain. “There is a road at the back of the mountain. Although it is risky, it’ll bring us to a secluded valley. Mo Xiu Yao won’t be able to find us quickly.”
“But I…” Ye Li wanted to say something.
“Rest assured. My Lightness Foot Work isn’t bad. Even with you, I can go down there.”
“But I want to repay the debt!” Ye Li laughed.
Chapter 48: Bandit Stronghold
In a shabby room, there was Ye Li and Qing Luan. One person sat on the bed and the other sat on a bench next to the bed. Both had their eyes closed, resting. Although her eyes were closed, Qing Luan’s face still showed the shame and restlessness from before. She snuck a glance at Ye Li, sitting on the bed, her back against the wall.
Qing Luan whispered: “Young Miss, you should lie down and rest for a while. Qing Luan will stand watch.”
Ye Li opened her eyes and stared at Qing Luan. She faintly smiled and said: “Now, we will rest for half an hour. This evening, you must find a way to leave this place.”
Qing Luan was startled. Her eyes widened as she stared at Ye Li. “How can that be? Even if someone is leaving, it should be Young Miss leaving first. Qing Luan knows that the Young Miss isn’t some weak maiden who doesn’t have the strength to truss up a chicken. Instead, Qing Luan will lure those people away. The Young Miss can take the opportunity to escape.”
Ye Li shook her head and said: “If you leave, nothing will happen to me. If they don’t see me, they’ll certainly kill you.”
“This isn’t going to work. I can’t leave the Young Miss here.” Qing Luan said gruffly.
Ye Li looked at her firmly. “After you’ve returned, you can find someone to rescue me. Looking at these people, they are clearly not afraid. I’m afraid this place won’t be easily found.”
Qing Luan’s thoughts were muddled and twisted. She gave a hesitant look at Ye Li. She felt that her Young Miss was quite reasonable. Still, she was very uneasy.
Ye Li smiled: “Don’t worry. I’m the Young Miss, right? Eldest Brother wants you all to listen to me. Are you defying my orders?”
“Young Miss…” Qing Luan fidgeted and can only stare straight at Ye Li.
Ye Li returned her look. She gently said: “Qing Luan, listen to me. Tonight, you must leave this place. Perhaps, after… you’ll run into some unexpected people.”
“Young Miss!” Startled, Qing Luan looked at Ye Li.
“Be good, don’t be afraid. This Young Miss will have her own methods of escape. You need to hurry and find help. Don’t you also want us to return home quickly?” Ye Li smiled. In the end, Qing Luan could only agree and nod.
“Thump!”
The door was kicked open from the outside. Qing Luan rushed in front of Ye Li, looking at the two people that barged in. “What do you people want to do?”
The one in front was big and carried a lustful look as his eyes trained on Ye Li; Qing Luan stood protectively in front of her. The man chuckled and said: “This is Ye family’s Third Young Miss? This year’s most talented maiden within the capital? Prince Ding’s fiance?”
At his side, there was a lackey. The lackey laughed along and added: “Second Boss is right. This is the Young Miss that the Big Boss brought back.”
The Second Boss rubbed his hands together with a wicked smile. He said: “What does big brother intend? Why did he imprison two ripened fruits in this place?”
The man was dazed as he remembered what the Big Boss instructed. He quickly reminded: “Second Boss, these two beauties can’t be touched.”
The Second Boss huffed and said: “Coming to my Ghost Cloud Peak, is there someone that I can’t touch?”
“This… Second Boss, this Young Miss can be worth a total of sixty thousand taels. The Big Boss has instructed, especially that Miss Ye, that she can’t be touched.”
“Sixty thousand?” The mouse eyes of the Second Boss brightened, showing a greedy light. His eyes traveled around Ye Li and strayed to Qing Luan. He chuckled and said: “Fine, I’ll give face to the sixty thousand. I’ll let this girl go. But that little girl must be in this Boss’s hands. Although not as good as the other one, compared to the ugly ones we have, she is much better.” Finished speaking, the man rushed to Qing Luan.
“Qing Luan! Move!”
Ye Li suddenly stood up. She quickly bypassed Qing Luan and the Second Boss that was charging at them. She directly knocked the sidekick out. Qing Luan did not delay, her small flexible body showed great strength as she punched the man’s abdomen. She slyly rolled behind him and lifted a hand to chop his neck. The tall, strong man immediately fell to the ground. There wasn’t even a bang as he fell. Behind, Ye Li quickly closed the door.
“Young Miss.”
Ye Li nodded in admiration. This little girl had good potential. “Alright, don’t delay. Do you remember the way down the mountain?”
Qing Luan thought about it and nodded. Although the bandits covered their eyes, they didn’t notice that Qing Luan was someone trained in martial arts. Her hearing was also not like an ordinary person’s. Though she couldn’t completely remember, she had a vague outline.
Ye Li said: “I bet that this stronghold was just built. Whether it is security or defense, it would not be too thorough. You must be careful. Go.”
“Young Miss, be careful.”
Ye Li nodded and repeatedly guaranteed her safety as she sent Qing Luan away. She looked back at the two people still lying on the ground. She leaned over and pulled out a needle from her hair. Not even blinking, she stabbed a few of the acupuncture points on their bodies. Then, she returned to sit on the bed. She closed her eyes and rested.
Ye Li calmly sat on the bed. She used her ears to concentrate on what was happening outside. At night, the stronghold was quiet. It was clear that Qing Luan had not been discovered by others. Ye Li breathed a sigh of relief. The Lightness Foot Work that could follow Gentleman Feng Yue is quite dependable. As long as she was not discovered within half an hour, wasn’t it enough for Qing Luan to escape Ghost Cloud Peak?
“Bang!” The door was once again kicked open. The door was unable to take the force and swayed violently.
The one-eyed man rushed in first. He saw the people on the ground and Ye Li sitting safely on the bed. In a surprise maneuver, he did not get mad and just waved his hand, signaling people to bring out the two unconscious men on the ground.
“It would seem that I have underestimated you? Where’s the little girl?” The one-eyed man intently stared at Ye Li as he asked.
Ye Li sighed helplessly in her thoughts. They were discovered early. She hoped that Qing Luan could safely descend the mountain. “Can’t you see? She fled.”
The one eye looked skeptical. He scowled and stared: “Why didn’t you go with her? Did she betray her master and escape on her own? Just a little girl, yet she can quietly leave a bandit stronghold. That’s really surprising.”
Ye Li stared at him. “A group of bandits, yet they can actually kidnap two people from a crowded place like it was empty. I am also very surprised.”
The one-eyed man huffed lightly and whispered: “The men I sent to follow your other little servant has still not returned. Can you guess what happened to them?”
Ye Li shook her head and gave him a bleak look.
“It seems like this little servant girl is also an expert. Maybe, she is already off the mountain and getting reinforcements. Do you think that you need to do something to preserve your life before the reinforcements arrive?” The one-eyed man stared at the girl before him.
Ye Li helplessly stroked her injured shoulder that had been bandaged meticulously. She said, “Perhaps you should consider taking a sum of money from me and fleeing. I think that your two men hadn’t returned because they had malicious thoughts towards my little servant. You already know my servent is an expert. You should know that in other aspects, it would not be too bad. Therefore, our transaction can still continue.”
“It seems that Miss Ye likes to use money to solve her problems?” The one-eyed man mocked.
Ye Li shook her head. “Aren’t you just making it difficult for me because you lost money to someone else? Since the other person doesn’t want my life, then I bet that your purpose has already been reached. I believe that before tomorrow, the entire capital will know that the Ye family’s Third Young Miss was kidnapped by bandits. But for me? I only need to spend a little bit of money to divert harm to myself. You wouldn’t go against the deal you made with the other person. What’s wrong with killing two birds with one stone?”
“Sounds reasonable.”
“People have told me that problems that could be solved with money are not problems. This time, I will not delay. As long as I can escape, I will immediately give you the money. I can even pay a deposit first.” Ye Li smiled.
“What if I don’t agree?” The one-eyed man blinked.
Ye Li coldly said, “If I die, Ye family, Xu family, and Prince Ding’s Manor will use all of their power to go after you. If I’m still alive, I’ll consider using my fortune, including my dowry and Prince Ding’s Manor’s fortune, as a reward for killing you. I don’t want your life. As long as someone can strike you once, I will give a thousand taels. Take a guess, how many people will take it?”
The one-eyed man’s mouth twitched. “Malicious. I didn’t expect Ye family’s Third Young Miss to be so vicious. But this is on the condition that you can even find me.”
Ye Li’s smile widened, “Someone from Tian Yi Pavillion owes me a life.”
The teasing smile on the one-eyed man froze. In the only eye shown, the evil light dispersed, leaving only a sharp edge. Although the face was still terrible, it made people feel a bit more powerful and noble.
“Really Mo Xiu Yao’s woman. Really different from other women.”
Ye Li faintly smiled, “Just protecting my life. Maybe you can show me your true face? To be honest, I don’t really like talking to someone wearing a mask.”
The one-eyed man stared at her with surprise. “You can see? I’ve always considered my skills to be able to switch real and fake.”
Ye Li said: “It’s probably because I’m sensitive to these kinds of things. I think there are differences between a human skin mask and real skin, right?”
The one-eyed man hatefully rubbed his face. “The time is too tight. Hurriedly made a defective product. Since you know someone wants to ruin your reputation, also know the person’s conditions?”
Ye Li looked at him. “I’m listening.”
The one-eyed man walked to one side and sat. He stared at Ye Li; eyes showed teasing intent. “The other person requested… to ruin your chastity. In particular….ruin…you.”
Ye Li’s eyes chilled. “A woman.”
The one-eyed man was startled and raised his brows.
Ye Li frowned and continued, “Only women like to deal with other women in such a vicious way.”
The one-eyed man shrugged: “I will never tell you who it is. Aren’t you afraid?”
Ye Li turned and stared at him. After a thought, she said, “You don’t plan to follow through, isn’t that right?”
The man nodded and laughed. “I have to admit that Mo Xiu Yao has discerning eyes. At least it’s better than that idiot Mo Jing Li. I really didn’t have this plan. After all, I don’t plan to anger Mo Xiu Yao for just a few tens of thousands of teals.”
“You know Mo Xiu Yao.” Ye Li pointed out.
The one-eyed man also did not deny it. He stood up and said: “Now, we can go. Ye family’s Third Young Miss, we should go fetch the money that’s rightfully mine. I’ll send you home later. What do you think? I guess that after one or two hours, Mo Xiu Yao will arrive. It’s not safe here.”
Ye Li calmly stood up and followed him. She asked: “What about the people in this hideout of yours?”
The man turned around and gave Ye Li a distorted smile. “Do you really think that I’m the Big Boss of the bandits here? Don’t worry, even if I’m not the Big Bandit Boss, the bandits here are definitely of the same group. No evil they wouldn’t do. Landing in the hands of Mo Xiu Yao, it can be considered that they’re unlucky.”
“Did you kill the one-eyed Bandit Boss?” Ye Li followed the man through a few rugged houses. Along the way, they passed bandits on patrol. The bandits immediately paid respects to the one-eyed man. Seeing Ye Li walking behind the Big Boss, they exchanged wretched and lustful smiles. “The guards here are not very good. It’s no wonder that Qing Luan didn’t alert anyone.”
“Looks like you even understand this? It’s really not good. If not for my help, these idiots will be caught before they leave the capital.” The one-eyed man answered. “That greedy person is in his room, sleeping and snoring. Actually want to monopolize the money. Until now, this Lord has always made money for himself. These people shouldn’t think of taking one coin. Wait for Mo Xiu Yao to come and these people can take the blame. What do you think of this idea?”
Ye Li indifferently nodded. She appraised the road ahead, “We are leaving from here?”
The man nodded. “Rest assured. As long as I get the money, I will send you back to Ye Manor without a hair missing.” He raised a hand, intending to push a secret compartment. But, a strange sound came up from below the mountain. Ye Li was quiet and didn’t comment. The one-eyed man’s face changed drastically. He cursed: “Damn! How did he come so quickly?” The man immediately gave up his original path and pulled Ye Li to run in another direction.
“Not using the secret path?”
The man said: “The secret isn’t safe; moreover, too far. Might be blocked.” Listening to the sound coming closer; yet, the hideout didn’t have the slightest movement. Obviously, everyone that came was an expert. The group of incompetent bandits failed to even see a trace. The man rushed to the back of the mountain. “There is a road at the back of the mountain. Although it is risky, it’ll bring us to a secluded valley. Mo Xiu Yao won’t be able to find us quickly.”
“But I…” Ye Li wanted to say something.
“Rest assured. My Lightness Foot Work isn’t bad. Even with you, I can go down there.”
“But I want to repay the debt!” Ye Li laughed.
