Chapter 12 Bluestone Town

Even if the leader was wearing a conical hat and a black cloth covering his face, Song Lingyi could still recognize him as the bandit leader.

Looking up, the sky was dark blue and the morning mist covered the distant mountains. The girl hiding in the bushes held her breath and did not dare to go out for a while.

At the same time, a group of people coming from the direction of Qingshi Town passed by the bandits wearing black hats and galloping on horseback.

The leader was wearing brocade clothes and carrying a sword. He was about 50 years old and tall. Even though he was exhausted from the journey, it could not hide his handsome appearance and bright and elegant demeanor.

"Cousin, these people are coming here aggressively. They don't look like good people."

The young man in brocade clothes gave him a cold look and said, "Don't forget the purpose of our trip. Don't meddle in other people's affairs."

The two teams were moving further and further apart.

After an unknown amount of time, the girl lying in the bushes fell drowsy. Suddenly, she heard the sound of horse hooves approaching, which scared her and she jumped.

Looking up and taking a closer look, I saw that these people were riding tall horses. The man in the lead was wearing brocade clothes and carrying a sword. He had a gentle temperament and should be the son of an official or a wealthy family.

Song Lingyi pondered for a moment.

It is difficult to move forward without money, not to mention that she has lost her baggage and horse. The road ahead will be difficult, so she might as well take a gamble and ask these people for help.

After calming down a little, Song Lingyi crawled out from the bushes, rushed to the group of people, and waved her hand to stop them.

The young man in brocade clothes held the reins in his hand, sat upright on the horse, and cast a quiet gaze on the delicate lotus-colored figure.

In the cool air of late spring, our eyes met, one was quiet, the other was startled.

"Who is blocking the road?" the person next to him shouted sternly.

Song Lingyi came back to her senses, trotted forward, and looked up at the young man in brocade clothes.

"I am from Ruyang. On my way home, I encountered robbers and my family was persecuted. I was lucky enough to escape, but I had to abandon my money to save my life. I beg you to be merciful and lend me some money to return home."

Afraid that the man would refuse, she thanked him first: "Sir, your kindness is so great, I will never forget it. If there is a chance in the future, I will definitely repay you with a token of gratitude!"

The man lowered his eyes and looked at the girl with messy black hair. Her fair cheeks were stained with a little dust and mud, but the black eyes that were fixed on him were full of light, so delicate and pitiful.

"The robbers...are they the same people who just passed by?"

The person who was speaking was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features and delicate eyebrows. He wore a headband on his forehead. If Song Lingyi saw correctly, there was a ruby ​​in the middle of the headband with auspicious cloud patterns!

The young man in brocade clothes' eyes darkened.

"Are you from Ruyang?"

Song Lingyi had made up her identity as a Ruyang native, probably out of guilt. She didn't dare look at him any longer, her long eyelashes drooping as she nodded gently, "Well, please have mercy on me, sir."

The young man in brocade clothes looked indifferent and remained silent.

The young man next to him pursed his lips and said, "Cousin, we have to hurry on and can't waste time."

The girl tilted her head to glance at the boy, took a deep breath, and said in a choked voice, "Sir, I just need some money. I won't bother you."

The young man curled his lips. His cousin was the calmest and most ruthless person. This girl had asked the wrong person for help.

These people all followed the lead of the Young Master in Brocade Clothes. As long as he didn't speak, no one else dared to help.

The girl's heart sank and her lips tightened.

She didn't expect that this man, who looked bright and handsome, had such a cold heart and remained unmoved by her pleas.

While I was thinking, something fell down.

She subconsciously caught it and weighed it; it was very heavy.

"The silver here is enough for you to return to Ruyang." The young man in brocade clothes said in a calm voice.

Song Lingyi was shocked. She estimated by the feel of her hand that there were at least eighty taels of silver in the cloth bag, which was more than enough for her to rent a carriage to Kyoto.

With such generosity, her previous assumptions about men seemed narrow-minded.

Song Lingyi lowered her eyes and bowed to the man, "Thank you, sir!"

"The journey to Ruyang is long and steep, so you should be careful. Money should be used properly, and you should not trust others easily."

After saying this, the young man in brocade clothes instructed the people behind him, "Give her a horse."

"yes."

The girl took the reins and her heart was touched.

During the months of wandering, she had seen a lot of ugliness in human nature, and this man was truly one of the rare upright gentlemen in the world.

The girl drooped her eyelashes and said, "Thank you for your reminder, sir. I wish you a safe and smooth journey."

The sky was getting light and the morning mist was thick.

Song Lingyi looked at the people and horses gradually disappearing at the end of the mountain road, and her mood was extremely complicated.

After two breaths of silence, she gripped the reins tightly, jumped on the horse, and took a long detour towards Qingshi Town.

The young man glanced back, curled his lips and muttered, "Cousin, you don't like to meddle in other people's business, why did you give her so much money all at once?"

In the dim light of early morning, the young man in brocade clothes rode his horse slowly, his thick eyebrows frowning silently.

"Besides, my cousin is from a noble family in Ruyang. The girl's accent is wrong. She must be lying..."

"Lian He."

The young man in brocade clothes interrupted the young man's chatter, "The situation is turbulent, and everyone has difficult times. It's normal for the girl to be cautious when she is alone outside."

Lian He pursed his lips.

"Then there's no need to give her so much money. Cousin, you're not afraid that she'll use the money to do something bad."

The young man in brocade clothes remained silent. The pair of shimmering black eyes appeared in his mind, and his thin lips curled slightly: "She won't."

…

The first ray of sunlight in the early morning passed over the mountain, and Song Lingyi, who was exhausted from the journey, finally arrived at Qingshi Town.

The market was bustling with people coming and going in an endless stream, driving mules and riding horses.

The girl rode her horse at a leisurely pace, glancing around to make sure the bandits hadn't followed. Amidst the bustling market, she felt the night's fears were over, and a sense of security filled her heart.

Passing by a bulletin board, the girl who was about to walk over stepped back, her dark eyes fixed on the portrait on the wall.

This dynasty was not like the 21st century, where people could take photos and their faces were clear. The portraits on the wall were only outlined in ink and were obviously very simple, but Song Lingyi recognized at a glance that the people in the portraits were the bandit leader and Xuanfeng.

The words next to the portrait read: Provide clues to his whereabouts and you will receive a reward of 100 taels!

"One hundred taels?!" Song Lingyi was dumbfounded.

A bandit leader is actually worth a hundred taels? Or gold?! If she provides clues to the authorities, wouldn't she make a fortune?

As soon as the little thought came up, it was rejected by the girl.

Forget it. The people in the stronghold are stronger than each other. If the government fails to wipe them out, they will end up getting themselves into trouble.

As I was thinking, my stomach rumbled.

Song Lingyi covered her stomach in embarrassment.

After running away all night and not eating anything, I was already starving.

With her wallet full, the girl finally dared to splurge. Not only did she go to a restaurant to spend money, she also ordered all the restaurant's signature dishes.

Perhaps because she was very hungry, the girl's eating speed slowed down after she finished two bowls of beef noodles.

The freshly baked steamed buns are hot and fragrant, and they are juicy when you take a bite.

"Two more trays of siomai!"