Chapter 26 Ambush

After about a cup of tea, the door opened again.

The old man had a smile on his face as he welcomed the group into the village.

The manor was spacious, with servants arranged in rows of two or three. The courtyard was filled with flowers and trees, with a running canal leading to a pond with a wooden bridge over it. Corridors on both sides led directly to the front hall.

The carriages and cargo were parked in the courtyard, and the old man led over thirty people toward the main hall. Amidst the raging storm, the servants in the courtyard stopped to examine the group of outsiders, their expressions varied.

The sky was dark, and a flash of lightning struck, illuminating half the sky.

Song Lingyi was startled and subconsciously moved closer to the bandit leader.

Xiao Mingyi lowered his eyes, slowly raised his big hand, and just as he was about to put it on the girl's shoulder, he heard a burst of strong laughter coming from the hall.

Her hand froze in mid-air for a moment, and then the girl walked into the hall.

"My last name is Chai."

"I heard from the butler that you are a merchant caravan. I wonder where you are coming from?"

The person who spoke was a fat, big-eared middle-aged man, dressed in gorgeous clothes and wearing a golden crown. It was obvious at first glance that he was the owner of the farm.

"We came from Huaizhou City and went to Lizhou." Xuanfeng replied.

Lizhou is adjacent to Kyoto, so saying this will not arouse suspicion.

Chai Yuanwai nodded and looked at the group of people inconspicuously. When his gaze swept across Xiao Mingyi, his eyes were filled with strange excitement. "This young man is very handsome. Is he married?"

Xiao Mingyi narrowed his black eyes slightly.

His intuition told him that the middle-aged man in front of him was too attentive and something was wrong.

"My surname is Shen, and my family is in the antique business. As for marriage..."

He glanced at Song Lingyi and said calmly, "Not married yet, but already has a fiancée."

Chai Yuanwai understood and laughed heartily: "What a pity! I have a daughter who is of marriageable age, but she is very picky. It is rare to see such a handsome young man, and I would like to introduce him to her..."

Song Lingyi glanced at Mr. Chai and wondered what kind of look this man had.

Good looks aside, inner qualities are what matter most. The bandit leader has a fierce heart and a ruthless appearance. Marrying your daughter to him is like pushing someone into a pit of fire!

"You have all come from far away, and you probably haven't eaten yet, right? I will ask the kitchen to prepare a few tables of banquet to welcome you all." Mr. Chai smiled with narrowed eyes.

feast?

Song Lingyi's black eyes suddenly lit up.

After traveling for so many days, I have either eaten porridge and side dishes or dry food. It is rare to have a big meal, so of course I am excited!

"I am very grateful to Mr. Chai for letting us stay for one night. There is no need for a banquet." Xiao Mingyi said lightly.

"What?!"

Song Lingyi's jaw dropped and she stared at the bandit leader in disbelief.

You refuse food even though it's available to you. Is there something wrong with your brain?

Xiao Mingyi remained calm, grabbed the girl's collar, stepped over the threshold, and carried her to the corridor like a chicken.

The old man led the way, and a group of people followed behind.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier. The flowers and trees in the courtyard were bent by the rain, and the water in the stone vat overflowed.

Xiao Mingyi glanced down at the girl's puffy face and said calmly, "When you're out, it's safest to eat the dry food you prepare yourself."

Song Lingyi turned her head away and ignored him.

"This one, please."

The old man's voice suddenly rang out, pointing to the wing room on the right side of the courtyard. "The young lady will stay in this room, and the others will stay in the other courtyard. There are limited guest rooms, so I'm sorry to ask you to squeeze in."

"You're too polite. We don't have that many nitpicks."

After Wang Chong finished speaking, he winked at the bandit leader and said, "Boss, you can just stay in the same room with Miss Ali."

This morning, the boss had a deep set of teeth marks on his neck, a testament to the intensity of the battle last night. Back in Danyang County, the brothers often discussed the city's most prostitutes, but the boss always remained indifferent and dismissive, avoiding any brothels. I never thought that once someone abstains from sex, they'll be like a wolf that's been hungry all winter.

Xiao Mingyi frowned slightly.

"No need."

This girl was restless in her sleep, so there was no need for him to make herself suffer.

Song Lingyi raised her eyes. For some reason, she felt that the bandit leader seemed to dislike her.

It must be an illusion, right?

…

Until nightfall, the heavy rain showed no signs of stopping.

The guest bedroom, which was decorated in a simple style, was lit with candles and the surroundings were quiet.

After a simple wash, Song Lingyi collapsed on the bed, letting out a long sigh.

What a soft bed! It would be even better if we could have a banquet.

While I was lost in thought, the candle in the room suddenly went out, there was a loud bang in the sky, and lightning illuminated the entire room.

The person on the bed sat up suddenly and looked around cautiously. Perhaps because she was in an unfamiliar environment, she was usually not afraid of lightning and thunder, but today she felt particularly uneasy.

The rain was pattering and the room was dark.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew open a window beside the bed, and cold wind rushed in. The sound of the wind rustled in her ears, and Song Lingyi couldn't help but shiver.

She wrapped herself in the quilt, got out of bed and closed the window. She glanced at the corridor outside and saw three figures sneaking around the corner. Looking across, she saw long black shadows flashing by and heading towards the yard where the bandits lived.

Oh no!

Black eats black!

Song Lingyi's heart sank and she quickly closed the window.

In a panic, she picked up the wooden basin and hid behind the door, intending to wait for the thief to come in and then take the opportunity to escape.

After a while, the door latch was gently pried open from the outside.

Song Lingyi held her breath, not daring to make a sound, and silently planned the best route to escape from here.

Crunch——

The door opened.

Three dark shadows walked lightly into the room and headed towards the bed.

The girl hiding behind the door waited for the opportunity. Seeing that the three people had walked around the round table, she slowly bent her waist and tiptoed out the door.

At this moment, a loud thunder struck, and the room was as bright as day.

The three of them suddenly turned around and stared at the girl at the door.

“…”It’s over!

The atmosphere froze for a moment.

Before the three of them could make a move, she smashed the wooden basin in her hand hard and then ran out.

“Help!”

The corridor was dimly lit and the wind and rain were raging.

In panic, Song Lingyi had already forgotten the planned escape route and just kept running forward.

The three people behind him were chasing him relentlessly, their steps steady and nimble, the tips of their swords reflecting a cold light.

Just as Song Lingyi was about to pass through the gate of the second courtyard, one of them threw a long knife and slashed it straight at her back.

At the critical moment, Song Lingyi accidentally stepped on the hem of her skirt and fell to the ground.

The long knife flew over his head.

At the end of the corridor, a tall black shadow suddenly appeared. With a swing of his long legs, he kicked a long knife into the courtyard. The sharp blade even split the flowers and trees in half.

Song Lingyi felt pain and slowly propped up her upper body. After seeing who was coming, she was surprised and happy.

"Fifth Master!"

The three of them were obviously stunned.

Xiao Mingyi held a long sword in his hand, a few drops of blood splashed on his handsome face, and the sleeves of his robe were also stained dark, but his eyes like black pools did not show any ripples, staring at the three people opposite as if looking at dead objects.

"Come here," he said.

Song Lingyi did not hesitate, endured the pain and stood up, running towards him quickly.