Chapter 27: Ambushed on the Road, A Sudden Reversal

Thinking of this, Luo Xiang'er spoke even more gleefully, "That is truly wonderful. I believe that with this Beauty-Preserving Pill, Fourth Sister, your appearance will be even more dazzling. You will surely outshine every young lady of the noble families, and even that Leng Qing'er will not be worth mentioning."

At the mention of Leng Qing'er, anger flared in Luo Yuhuan's heart.

She was an existence even more detestable than Luo Qianfan, especially in her hypocrisy and deceit. Relying on a past incident, she had always held herself above Luo Yuhuan, acting one way to her face and another behind her back.

Luo Yuhuan’s expression grew colder. The other two fell silent, not daring to speak.

...

Meanwhile, in the dilapidated shack.

How could this Third Miss have become so terrifying?

Cai'er, no longer caring about which side she was supposed to be on, knelt down in a hurry to beg for mercy. Seeing this, the people around her followed suit and began to cry out.

"Oh? Begging for mercy already? Weren't you here to watch me make a fool of myself? What’s wrong? Are you afraid?"

"If the young ladies in the capital saw this, wouldn't they beat you to death upon your return?" Luo Qianfan looked at Cai'er with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Since you are so cowardly, stop running your mouth in the future. Remember to keep your tongue in check next time, or I cannot guarantee what I might do!" Luo Qianfan’s tone turned cold, carrying an unassailable hardness.

Cai'er dared not make a sound, and those behind her did not dare to raise their heads. The entire room felt as if it were immersed in a slaughterhouse.

Luo Qianfan was the king of this arena, looking down upon everyone with a cold, arrogant air. In her every gesture, she exuded a natural, regal dominance that commanded awe.

After resting for a few days, Luo Qianfan and her party set off for the Fengyue Kingdom, the place that awaited her.

During those days, Cai'er and the others had been trained to be very "obedient." They spoke little and avoided provoking Luo Qianfan, so they only met two or three times, and each encounter was brief.

They had no idea what Luo Qianfan was busy with. Luo Yi, at Luo Qianfan’s instruction, had also changed into women's clothing, though her gaze remained equally cold.

Cai'er and the others were slightly surprised to see this, but they dared not say much. Who knew what that devilish woman would do next? Their lives were what mattered most.

Because it was inconvenient to be too conspicuous on the return journey, Cai'er had them take the mountain road.

Luo Qianfan tacitly agreed.

It was all the same; the destination would not change.

The journey was bumpy, but they did not encounter any trouble.

Luo Qianfan was happy to be at ease.

But trouble does not always wait for an invitation.

"All of you, get down! Don't you see our boss is here? Hand over all your money!" A small figure stepped out, blocking the left side of Yan Mojue. With a somewhat youthful face, he spoke in a cold voice.

Luo Qianfan watched this scene through the gap in the carriage curtain.

The troublemakers claimed to be the minions of the mountain lord. Because this mountain was under their jurisdiction, everyone passing through had to pay a toll. They called it "officially sanctioned by the Fengyue Kingdom," but it was essentially robbery.

As for their "official certification," it was not entirely groundless; it was merely that the young nobles considered them too insignificant to bother wiping out.

They had never expected their existence to be framed as "official." If the people in the imperial palace knew, they would likely regret their laziness.

It was rare for someone to frame robbery so righteously, Luo Qianfan mused.

What kind of luck did she have to encounter such "divine" characters the moment she stepped out?

She only hoped those in the capital wouldn't be too disappointing! Little did she know, she had overestimated them. This trip to the Fengyue Kingdom would result in her getting entangled in their affairs instead of achieving anything else.

Luo Qianfan watched the little one, who looked at most fifteen or sixteen, wondering how he had ended up a bandit.

At this moment, a sharp female voice pulled Luo Qianfan from her distant thoughts.

"Look clearly, this is the carriage of the Prime Minister's residence! Sitting inside is the Third Miss, whom our master values the most. If you offend our Miss, the Prime Minister's residence will not let you off easily. You had better weigh the consequences!"

Cai'er pointed at Luo Qianfan’s carriage, acting exceptionally arrogant. She gestured inward and outward, as if certain these people would not dare to touch them.

Her intent was clear: look, look, the one inside is the real target. If you capture her, you can demand even more money.

Hearing Cai'er’s words, Luo Qianfan let out a cold snort.

It seemed Cai'er was truly clever, intentionally revealing her identity to the bandits to keep them from acting rashly.

Then, she would use her, the Prime Minister's daughter, to draw their fire. No matter the outcome, these small fries would at least be safe from losing their lives.

How brilliant!

Thinking of what would happen to Luo Qianfan once she was captured by these men, Cai'er revealed a joyful expression.

Finally, she could avenge the past few days! Once inside a bandit's den, it would be hard to leave. No matter what, the Third Miss's reputation would surely be ruined!

Cai'er trembled with excitement! As long as this was accomplished, becoming a head maid upon returning would be within reach.

The bandits on the opposite side did not disappoint Cai'er either. The large blades in their hands shifted, pointing toward Luo Qianfan’s position, threatening her to come out.

Seeing this group pushing their young mistress to the forefront, Luo Yi was furious. If not for her young mistress’s warning to remain calm, she feared she would have impulsively beaten them all to a pulp and thrown them into a barren desert to fend for themselves.

A moment later, Luo Qianfan stepped lightly, leaping nimbly from the carriage. She glanced at the panic-stricken Cai'er and pursed her lips into a faint, mocking smile, but she did not speak immediately.

Luo Qianfan looked at the group of teenage robbers with an amused smile.

This was unexpected; she hadn't thought anyone would dare to rob her.

Observing the group staring at her, Luo Qianfan did not panic. Instead, she stepped forward with composed grace, a smile on her lips.

"Are you talking about me?" Luo Qianfan said, shocking them all.

The crowd looked stunned.

What the hell? How could they bring themselves to lay a hand on such a cute little girl?

Cai'er also gasped in surprise. How had the Third Miss changed so much? She was so fierce before, so why was she so "fragile" now?

Extraordinarily "fragile"!

For some reason, that was the only word that came to Cai'er's mind.

Was this still the great devil who had shaken the Fengyue Kingdom?

Luo Yi stood calmly to the side, her eyes filled with doting affection. The young mistress was playing the "damsel in distress" again.

Luo Qianfan took another large step forward, stopping just one pace away from the leader. It was a deliberate distance that would go unnoticed by the unobservant.

"Big brother, was it you who called for me just now?" Luo Qianfan pouted, her eyes filled with a smile. She looked up at Yan Mojue with an innocent, naive face, repeating her earlier question while her small, restless hands tugged at his clothing.

The crowd was stunned again! Yan Mojue’s mouth hung open in an 'O' shape.

Big brother?

Luo Qianfan called him big brother?

In truth, there wasn't much of an age gap between them; it was just that the former Luo Qianfan had been poorly fed and nourished, making her look thinner than her peers.

But, "big brother"—she had just said it! Even his own younger sister had never called him that!

Yan Mojue froze, a trace of helplessness crossing his eyes. He thought to himself that as a grown man, bullying a little girl like this seemed a bit excessive.

If this were to get out, who knew what outsiders would say?

But they had agreed to pull off a big job when they started. He had only been playing the bandit boss for two days and hadn't achieved anything. His honor and glory depended on this; he couldn't let his brothers look down on him.

Yan Mojue was caught in a dilemma.

"Big brother, big brother, why do you look so unhappy? Did little Fanfan upset you?" Luo Qianfan added fuel to the fire.

If they wanted to rob her, they would have to play the game properly!

Luo Qianfan’s small figure reflected in Yan Mojue’s eyes, making his heart ache.

"You are called little Fanfan?" Yan Mojue lowered his gaze, his eyes capturing the enlarged image of her face, causing his heart to flutter.

The girl before him was undeniably beautiful: clear eyes, cherry lips, arched brows, and a smile at the corner of her mouth that seemed bottomless.

Luo Qianfan’s sharp eyes flashed with brilliance.

"My mother used to call me that, but later..." Luo Qianfan stammered, her sparkling eyes welling up with tears, making her look heart-wrenching.

"Look at you all, how are you handling this? I told you we are here to rob the rich and help the poor, so how could you stop a child?"

Sorry, brothers, I have to wrong you this time. Who told this child to be so cute? It’s truly impossible to be cruel to her.

The minion looked at his boss with grievance, unable to voice his frustration.

He then strode over to Cai'er and the others, clenching his fists, his cold eyes staring menacingly at Cai'er with hidden fury.

If he hadn't lost his memory, it seemed this woman had been the one directing their attention toward Luo Qianfan the whole time. They had only wanted to get some money to spend, but the money was gone, and he had been scolded by the boss. It was all because of this treacherous, hateful woman.

The minion naturally did not give Cai'er and the others a kind look.

He vented his anger on them fiercely and took the opportunity to swipe some money.

He hadn't expected these people, who looked so oily and slick, to actually have so much wealth on them. It seemed they didn't spend their money on good deeds.

Seeing how thin and frail the girl was, she must have been bullied by these people daily. He proceeded to give them a thorough tongue-lashing.

The so-called "attacking the body and the heart"—the young mistress had likely mastered it to thirty percent efficiency.

The reversal of the situation took less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Before Cai'er could recover from her excitement, she was inexplicably beaten to a pulp by the minion, and even the money she carried was wiped clean.

Cai'er felt her heart bleeding!

On the other side, Yan Mojue and Luo Qianfan stared at each other. The girl’s dark eyes, like starlight, collided with Yan Mojue’s pupils, looking for all the world like an innocent, adorable child.

Both had their own thoughts.

Just as Yan Mojue intended to reach out and pat Luo Qianfan’s round little head, the sound of hoofbeats slowly approached.

In the sunset, a carriage of extreme luxury and ostentation drove toward them. The friction of the hooves against the ground made a hissing sound that sent a chill through those who heard it.

The driver, Guifang, squinted his eyes. His cold gaze swept over Luo Qianfan and Yan Mojue. He suddenly stood up and said in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Master, it seems there is trouble ahead."