Chapter 22: Two Fatal Wounds

"Dammit, I thought there would be some loot to rake in, but it turns out to be nothing but a bunch of beggars!" someone among those arriving from the rear cursed and spat.

Old Mother Su mustered her courage and looked toward them.

A group of over a dozen men, all mounted on sturdy steeds and dressed in fitted attire, wearing heavy cloaks and fur-lined garments, illuminated the small clearing with the torches they each held.

What was most terrifying was the aura they exuded—sinister and cruel. Every single one of them reeked of blood! Some even had limp bodies of men and women slung across their horses, whether unconscious or dead, it was impossible to tell.

Old Mother Su’s face turned deathly pale, and her teeth chattered uncontrollably. They had run into horse bandits!

Old Father Su, along with Su Da and Su Er, were in no better condition, their hearts pounding in their throats.

They were just ordinary folk. Had it not been for this exile, they would have lived out their days in Da Huai Village, working from sunrise to sunset, until they died of old age.

They had never seen such a spectacle.

Bandits were the kind of people they had only heard mentioned in passing by others.

Now, facing such ruthless thugs head-on, all four of them felt their blood run cold.

The leader of the bandits urged his horse slowly up to the earthen stove, scanning the group from a height with a condescending gaze. He then drew the saber from his waist and leaned down to poke at the fire pit. The fish bones and scraps that had been hastily buried in the ashes were stirred up.

"Beggars who can afford to eat this much fish are beggars with some fat on them." The bandit gave a sinister, raspy laugh, his eyes—cold, ruthless, and triangular—devoid of any warmth. He straightened up and swung his heavy blade through the air. "There are people hiding in the back—women and children. Kill the young ones, take the women back to the Pleasure Pavilion, and throw the men into the camp to labor."

He issued his orders with complete indifference, devoid of any emotion.

These words fell upon the ears of the Su family, filling them with fear, hatred, and a crushing despair.

The spirit of Su Da and Su Er was ignited; driven by extreme rage, they snatched up dry tree branches from the ground and charged at the bandits. "You bastards, I'll fight you to the death!"

Old Mother Su and Old Father Su screamed with bloodshot eyes, "Da! Er!"

The bandit leader watched the men charging toward him and laughed wildly. "Seeking death! Brothers, kill them!"

A chorus of responses erupted from behind, accompanied by whistles. "Kill!"

The place that had been peaceful just a moment ago was instantly transformed into a slaughterhouse.

The bandits circled the fire on horseback, shouting and laughing, surrounding the Su family. They frequently kicked down those who rushed forward to fight, like cats toying with mice.

To them, killing was merely a game for amusement.

Behind the earthen mounds, the screams and cries of women and children rang out as the bandits dragged them into view.

At this sight, the Su family’s eyes felt ready to burst, their hearts heavy with helplessness and despair.

***

Tianbao was held tightly in the woman's arms, the grip so firm she could barely breathe.

Warm liquid dripped onto her face.

She reached up to touch it, then looked up—it was her mother's tears.

Mother was crying.

Grandpa and Grandma were crying, Father was crying, Second Uncle and Second Aunt were crying, and Auntie and her brothers were crying too.

Tianbao’s hands instantly clenched into fists, her dark eyes glowing with a reddish hue, like a spark igniting a prairie fire, instantly turning her eyes crimson.

"Ugh!"

With a dull grunt, a heavy weight hit the ground.

The wild laughter and whistling in the woods stopped abruptly.

The bandits watched in horror as their comrade beside them suddenly clutched his blood-spurting throat and fell from his horse, his eyes bulging. Before they could react to what had happened, their turn came next.

They followed their companion to the grave.

Over a dozen men died in an instant.

The torches they held dropped to the ground, the flames flickering and dancing, illuminating the faces of the dead who could not close their eyes in death.

The crying of the Su family also stopped at this moment. They looked at the scene before them in disbelief, unable to process it for a long time.

They had thought they were about to become ghosts under the blade, so how was it that these bandits were the ones dead instead?!

Liu Yuelan, He Daxiang, and Su Xiu'er—the three women—huddled together, breathing heavily and holding the three children tightly, grateful that they had not seen the bloody carnage; otherwise, it would have been a nightmare for the rest of their lives.

Su Da and Su Er had already rushed back to their wives and children, clutching them, still shaken from their brush with death.

"I do not know which hero has come to our rescue. Please reveal yourself; this old woman would kneel to thank you!" Old Mother Su and Old Father Su supported each other, scanning the wilderness.

Someone had saved them.

An entire family of eleven lives—such a great kindness could not go unthanked.

At the foot of the mountain in the night, the dead woods cast eerie shadows, and the wind howled.

A figure emerged from behind the tree shadows, leaping lightly, and landed before the Su family in an instant.

Dressed entirely in black, blending into the night, the figure was tall and lean, wearing a leather mask that revealed only a pair of eyes—cold, sharp, and keen.

***

"No need for thanks; I am merely following orders. My master remembered those fresh pears and ordered me to escort you across the Ancient Road of Yu Capital," the man in purple said, his voice low.

"It is that lady...? This... how can we ever repay such a great kindness?" The Su family looked at each other, feeling both grateful and at a loss.

The man in purple said sternly, "The lady is kind-hearted. She knows you are heading to Yongzhou and must pass through the Ancient Road of Yu Capital. This place is infested with fierce bandits and is full of hidden dangers; it is not a place to linger. The most urgent matter is to leave here first. Otherwise, if the remaining bandits come looking, I may not be able to protect your entire family."

"Da, Er, quickly! Pack the things, we are leaving at once!" Upon hearing this, Old Mother Su made her decision without a second thought.

Never mind the information revealed by the man in purple; just the sight of the corpses covering the ground meant they could not stay here any longer. Even if the adults weren't scared out of their wits, the children certainly would be.

Su Da and Su Er moved efficiently, throwing the pots, bowls, and cloth bags onto the cart before pulling it away.

Having gone through this ordeal, they were truly shaken.

They had never traveled far from home; how could they have known the Ancient Road of Yu Capital was so dangerous!

Throughout the journey, the family kept their eyes fixed ahead, none daring to look at the corpses lying on the ground. Just the thick, metallic scent of blood in the air was enough to make them gag repeatedly.

The torches on the ground grew dimmer, the light flickering and struggling to stay alive; the shifting light only made the scene appear more sinister and horrifying.

The man in purple glanced indifferently at the dead bandits, his gaze lingering on their throats for only a moment before moving on.

All the bandits had been struck by his hidden weapons, dying from pierced throats.

After the Su family had hurried away, another group of bandits arrived on their heels.

Looking at the field of corpses, they gritted their teeth, their murderous intent rising.

"Big Brother, not a single one survived! Everyone had their throats pierced by something! Who would dare to commit such a massacre on our turf!" a brawny man who had gone to inspect the wounds shouted in rage.

The bandit addressed as Big Brother had a dark, gloomy expression, his eyes clouded. "All killed in a single strike?"

"Yes... Wait! No!" The brawny man, whose gaze had fallen on the chest of the corpse in front of him, discovered something unusual. He reached out to pull open the dead man's clothing, his pupils constricting sharply. "There is also a wound on the chest! Right at the heart! The wound is extremely small; it’s hard to tell what kind of hidden weapon caused it—is it a needle? Big Brother, there are two fatal wounds!"

The light in the night was dim, and the dead were all wearing thick cotton coats, wrapped in cloaks and furs; thus, the wound at the heart would be impossible to notice without careful inspection.

And because the wounds were so small, the blood had congealed before it could seep out, making it even easier to deceive the eye.