Chapter 5 Burning Down the Bandit Stronghold: Who are you to Li Changling?

As soon as she left yesterday, Wang Yan sent someone to keep an eye on Dou Chongkang. Shen Minghuai really didn't intend for her to get involved in this matter. That night, she found the woman who had been ordered to go into the mountains and wanted to exchange her job for the same price. However, Awen said that Master Dou had only asked her to go to the clothing shop the next day and had not given any instructions about Yunyan Mountain.

When Wang Yan returned to the inn and saw the fine clothes and the letter, he finally understood: the unscrupulous merchant was worried that the bandits wouldn't be interested in the woman's appearance, so he still sought her out. The other man was just putting on a show for Shen Minghuai.

The following day at noon, Wang Yan followed the instructions on the paper to the backyard of a clothing shop. She changed into a loose-sleeved Song brocade dress and was about to board her carriage when Dou Chongkang's servant called her back and handed her a brocade pouch. Inside were two pills and a scroll of paper. On the back of the map, the writer had penned a slender, vigorous, and elegant Liu-style calligraphy.

"Can cure all poisons, carefully examine the waist."

He was kind to others, though. But did such a miraculous medicine truly exist that could cure all poisons? She had never heard her master's wife mention it. Wang Yan picked up the light-colored pill, examined it, and smelled it, finding it no different from ordinary pills. As she looked around, the carriage had already left the city.

Since entering Yunyan Mountain, it had been eerily quiet. Not only were there no bandits, but not even a single bird had been seen. Wang Yan ordered the horseman to drive faster, deliberately making it seem as if he was about to be robbed. They were almost out of Yunyan Mountain, but still no sign of bandits.

Just as Wang Yan was beginning to have doubts, he suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves approaching rapidly.

Perhaps because she had hidden a sword at her waist last time, which was reported to Chu Rushuang by the bandits, this time her upper body was bound tightly, especially her waist and abdomen, which were so tight that she could hardly breathe. Even when they arrived at the dungeon, they did not untie her.

"Didn't we say we shouldn't be arresting young women anymore? Why are you doing it again—"

Chu Rushuang was speechless upon seeing Wang Yan. She had thought Wang Yan's gold jewelry was already abundant enough, but this young lady went even further. Gold hairpins, gold bracelets, gold necklaces, and a gold-embroidered jacket and pleated skirt—it was as if she wanted to plaster every ounce of gold on her body. What was even more infuriating was that this veiled young lady completely suited it. The second son often mocked her for being extremely vulgar; if he saw her, who knew how much more contempt he would scoff.

"Sister, please let me go! My father has lots and lots of money; he'll give you as much as you want!"

Wang Yan quickly moved closer, her exposed eyes truly captivating, like a pool of gentle water that could draw one in without them even realizing it. Unfortunately, Chu Rushuang wasn't a man and wasn't swayed by her charms.

"Don't be impatient, little sister. I know your father will give me a lot of money, but you have to tell me first who your father is."

Dou Chongkang.

In the opposite cell, a surprised gaze was cast toward Wang Yan, and their eyes met at that moment.

"Dou Chongkang? You lied without even doing your research—"

"Dou Jinyu!"

Chu Rushuang was genuinely startled by Wang Yan's powerful shout. Naturally, Dou Jinyu himself was also taken aback.

"So you've got it! You seduced Qin Lang, and now you want to elope with him? Well, now Qin Lang will never be fooled by you again. He's mine!"

Wang Yan spoke so forcefully that her eyes reddened.

Chu Rushuang feigned comfort, saying, "Let's talk this out. Didn't you just say that you are Dou Chongkang's daughter? But as far as I know, he only has one daughter."

“Sister, you don’t know this, but I am the daughter of Father’s concubine. However, Father dotes on Mother and me. We were far away in the capital and did not know that Father already had a wife here. But after Dou Jinyu was born, she took away all of Father’s favor. She even tried to take Qin Lang from me…”

Upon hearing the words "outer chamber," Chu Rushuang couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.

"Sister, calm down. It's not worth getting upset over someone like that. You're much prettier than her. Your little lover must be blind."

Dou Jinyu remained silent on the other side, giving Wang Yan ample room to maneuver.

"Qin Lang must have been deceived by her; she's always good at playing the victim!"

Chu Rushuang scratched her head, pretending to think, "How about this, have your father send some more gold, and I'll help you reunite with Qin Lang."

Wang Yan finally snapped out of her anger. "Is this true?! Sister, can you really help me find Qin Lang?"

Chu Rushuang coaxed and lied, assuring him, "I can't, but the second brother can. He has spies everywhere. You just need to describe your lover's features to him, and he'll definitely be able to find him for you."

It's that lecherous bastard again. It seems Chu Rushuang's refusal to release him is also his doing. Wang Yan feigned delight, yet remained wary. "Where's Dou Jinyu? She's not going to come with me to seek the Second Young Master's help, is she?"

"Of course not, it's just my sister."

That being said, the next moment, Chu Rushuang brought up Dou Jinyu.

Wang Yan hurriedly grabbed the iron rod, only to find her hands covered in iron filings. Suppressing her disgust, she held it loosely, asking, "What do you mean by this, sister?"

"Sister, don't be anxious. Her presence here will not only disturb your mood but also ruin your search for your lover. So let's throw her into the mountains and forests to feed the wolves."

Dou Jinyu snorted coldly, "I'd rather be fed to wolves than submit to that beast."

Chu Rushuang stroked her face, "If you had followed the second brother, you would have suffered a lot with that mouth of yours. You're only a little pretty, yet you dare to be so arrogant. You should thank me properly. If I hadn't kept you for two days, would your good sister have had the opportunity to go in your place? In this way, I haven't lost my principles."

The ear-piercing laughter filled the cell, and Dou Jinyu covered her ears. She inadvertently glanced at the gold ring around Wang Yan's neck and realized that it was the same one she used to wear! There was also the gold-embroidered apricot blossom patterned jacket, which was also her favorite to wear.

Dou Jinyu then realized that the woman opposite her was entrusted by her father to exchange for her life.

"You dare talk about principles? She wasn't taking you to find some lover at all; she was clearly trying to sell you to that beast!"

Chu Rushuang pinched her face hard, "Shut up! Throw her to West Mountain immediately!"

"Wait a minute!"

Wang Yan's lips curled into a sinister smile. "As far as I know, the West Mountain slope is steep and difficult to traverse. If she were to accidentally slip and fall, wouldn't that be too easy for her? Why not throw her onto the daylily slope? Those petty thieves have certainly never seen such a beauty before. Why not let them teach her a lesson and show her the wickedness of this world?"

Chu Rushuang grew increasingly fond of Wang Yan; though young, he was quite shrewd. Ultimately, considering the hundred taels of gold that Dou Chongkang had sent, she spared Dou Jinyu's life.

She frowned at Wang Yan, wanting to say something more, but her mouth was gagged and she was taken away.

The bandits really did dump her on the daylily slope. If it were daytime, she would surely have found her way down the mountain. But now that it was getting dark and she was still tied up, she was afraid of the local bandits...

Suddenly, footsteps approached, and Dou Jinyu hurriedly turned around and ran in another direction. In her haste, she lost her balance and fell to the ground, whereupon a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders.

"Yu'er!"

Dou Jinyu slowly turned around, tears welling up in her eyes. Dou Chongkang quickly tore off the burlap, untied the ropes, and embraced his daughter tightly on the grass.

"Father..."

A barrage of questions shattered the tender moment of father and daughter's reunion.

Where is Lady Wang?

Dou Jinyu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and only then did she see clearly that there was a young man in front of her, who was about twenty years old, and who did not smile and had a serious expression.

Dou Chongkang pretended to be stupid and said, "What Lady Wang? That Wen intentionally stayed behind to block the bandits so that Yu'er could leave first. She is skilled in martial arts and will definitely be able to escape."

Shen Minghuai had a stern face and was very displeased. "It seems that Master Dou did not take my words to heart."

Dou Jinyu didn't have time to figure out the reason and quickly said to Shen Minghuai, "She's going to be sold to the second-in-command in my place! Go and save her!"

Shen Minghuai's expression suddenly changed, his eyes filled with coldness. "When?"

Dou Jinyu shivered. "Tonight... tonight... the bandit leader will come to take someone away."

Shen Minghuai glared at Dou Chongkang, "She is the daughter of Minister Wang."

Dou Chongkang suddenly raised his eyes, falling silent as a cicada in winter. Just then, Yin Shicheng rushed in to report that everything was ready.

When Ying Ming led a group of constables and guards into the village, most of the bandits who had put up a fight fell down in the blink of an eye, curled up on the ground with their stomachs aching as if being stabbed. The little thief who had not drunk any water was quickly subdued, but Wang Yan and Chu Rushuang were nowhere to be seen.

Chu Rushuang had already left the back mountain with Wang Yan, followed by several of her trusted confidants. Halfway there, they happened to run into Di Huaqiu, who had come to take someone away.

"This young lady is much prettier than the one you fancy. She's sweet-talking and charming. I'll give her to you! You just need to take us in, and when I make a comeback, I'll definitely treat you well."

Dihua Qiu couldn't help but mock, "Third Sister, you're too careless. When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer. It doesn't matter if your stronghold is lost, but what if I'm implicated by you?"

"Enough nonsense! Give me a straight answer, are you going to accept it or not!" Chu Rushuang brandished her knife, but Di Huaqiu gently pushed it aside.

"I need to inspect the goods first."

Ever since Wang Yan was released from prison, he had been grinding the rope with a stone, his palms sweating profusely. However, the rope was incredibly resilient and wouldn't break despite prolonged grinding. Chu Rushuang approached step by step, and just as her hands were about to lift the veil, the straw rope snapped.

Wang Yan swiftly drew his soft sword from between his legs, catching Chu Rushuang off guard and forcing her to retreat several miles.

"Interesting, move aside!"

Di Huaqiu leaped up and attacked her. This person also wielded a sword, lacking skill but possessing immense strength. Having not eaten or drunk anything all day, Wang Yan quickly found herself struggling against such an opponent, forced to dodge skillfully and remaining quite passive. Unexpectedly, Chu Rushuang joined him in encirclement, her anger blazing, seemingly seeking revenge for the burning of the granary last time.

"Alright, it's you again! I didn't even notice, you little rascal, prepare to die!"

Dodging Di Huaqiu's sword, Chu Rushuang's blade followed immediately with a straight slash, but a sword that seemed to fly out of nowhere struck it down, allowing Wang Yan to escape unscathed. Hua Xin dealt with Di Huaqiu much more easily, and with the cooperation of Ying Ming and a few guards, the disadvantage quickly turned into an advantage.

Wang Yan walked up to Shen Minghuai, who was watching the battle from behind, wanting to explain things clearly. However, he felt that this place was not appropriate. After hesitating for a long time, he grabbed Shen Minghuai's sleeve and forcibly brought him back to the village.

"You saved me just now, so the matter of knocking me unconscious last time is now forgotten. Please tell Jiang Wan that as long as she doesn't go near Li Changling again, I won't kill her."

Shen Minghuai frowned slightly, two questions in his mind. He asked first, "What is your relationship with Li Changling?"

"Didn't I tell you? I am his apprentice."

Wang Yan swung his sword and smashed the pottery jars one by one, the oil flowing like a burst dam, reaching every corner of the bandit camp. He then casually tied up a bundle of firewood and was about to walk towards the stove when Shen Minghuai grabbed his wrist.

“The country has its laws, and their crimes will be determined by the government. You cannot act so recklessly.”

If the authorities wanted to convict someone, they would have done so long ago. Brother is right, theft is theft, what difference does it make between rich and poor? Besides, Dou Jinyu is by no means the first woman to be sent to Di Huaqiu. For such a despicable act, it would be best to burn it all down!

“You didn’t put poison in the water; the will to live will overcome the pain of abdominal cramps.”

Wang Yan decisively threw the bundle of straw on the ground, and flames engulfed the straw, quickly consuming most of the bandit camp.