Chapter 42 Survival After the Catastrophe

It was a small, dilapidated room with no other furniture; the floor was covered only with a layer of dark yellow straw.

What surprised Xie Mianmian the most was that there were eight girls sitting crowded up there. The child counted them several times and there were definitely eight.

Their hands and feet were tightly bound with hemp rope, making it impossible for them to move.

The girls were all taken aback when they saw a child suddenly pop his head out of the ground next to them, and several of them couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Hearing the noise from inside, the man guarding outside banged hard on the locked door with a stick, yelling, "What's all the noise about? Be quiet, all of you!"

The girls all shut their mouths, not daring to make a sound.

Xie Mianmian crawled out of the cave and whispered, "Don't be afraid, Mianmian will get you out of here."

They stared blankly at the child who had suddenly appeared there, somewhat at a loss.

When they were most exhausted and desperate, a child suddenly appeared from underground, saying he wanted to save them.

Is it a hallucination? A girl wondered.

Xie Mianmian walked behind the nearest girl, trying to untie the rope binding her hands, but it was too tight and the child couldn't get a grip.

She waved to the little mole that popped its head out and mouthed, "Come here quickly."

To their astonishment, a mole hopped and skipped along.

It extended its sharp claws and cut the rope in just a few strokes.

Seeing the shackles behind the girl loosen, Bai Yun's eyes widened; she was actually going to be saved.

When one of the girls saw that she had successfully freed herself from the rope, the others excitedly gathered around.

The little mole, like a ruthless killer, reaped the lives of the knots, while Xie Mianmian was responsible for keeping her head down and untangling the ropes.

When people get excited, they tend to make noises unconsciously.

Hearing rustling sounds inside, the person outside cursed and pulled out their key, about to open the door.

The girls quickly put their hands behind their backs, pretending nothing had happened, and then sat together in a circle, hiding the child behind them completely.

"Still arguing, huh? Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson."

The man was about to grab a woman and teach her a lesson.

The girl had just untied the rope; if the bandits discovered this, the child would be in danger.

"You bandits are utterly lawless! Release us at once!"

Bai Yun shouted loudly, intending to lure the bandits to her side, since she was still tied up and not afraid of being exposed.

"Fine, you're the one who loves to cause trouble, aren't you?" The man kicked Bai Yun several times, and feeling a sharp pain in her chest, Bai Yun fell to the ground.

Not satisfied with that, the bandit grabbed Bai Yun and tried to slap her.

Xie Mianmian wanted to rush out and stop them, but the girls held her down tightly. Some covered her mouth, and others grabbed her wrists.

They protected the children behind them very well.

"Enough!" a voice said impatiently from outside the door. "How are we going to make money if your face is ruined?"

"Hmph!" The bandit threw the woman in his hand to the ground. "If you make any more noise, I won't be so easy to talk to."

His fierce gaze swept over the remaining women before he left.

Bai Yun was left lying quietly on the spot, her eyes closed and her breathing rapid. Several women gathered around to check on her injuries.

After this ordeal, the girls dared not utter a single sound; they were filled with trepidation and remained silent as cicadas in winter.

As soon as the little mole cut the knot, the other girls quickly helped untie it. Their hands trembled slightly, but they carried out the task in an orderly manner.

Soon, everyone was free.

They followed in the footsteps of the little mole and Xie Mianmian, going down into the hole one after another.

Bai Yun was the last to leave; she was responsible for bringing up the rear.

As she stepped one foot into the hole.

The bandit's voice came from outside the door, "I have hostages. If you don't put down your weapons and surrender, I'll kill them all!"

A free-spirited and magnetic voice rang out, "If you put down your weapons, I might spare your lives."

Then came the clanging and banging of keys—the sound of bandits unlocking locks.

Startled, Bai Yun quickly crouched down.

"Whoosh!" An arrow struck the bandit, pinning him to the door frame, followed by the sounds of fighting between the officials and the bandits.

Bai Yun stopped listening and followed the girls away.

The little mole's hole was too small for the girls to pass through, so they had to use the tunnel that the clumsy thief had dug earlier.

They remained tense and continued their journey in silence.

As they rounded a bend, they collided head-on with the thief.

"My goodness! I've found a fairy!" the thief exclaimed excitedly as he looked at the women in front of him.

This foolish thief and his brother were the two who unearthed the thousand-year-old shipwreck. They were new to this bandit stronghold and were usually only responsible for underground tasks such as tomb raiding. They did not know that these women had been captured by their leader.

The girls in front gasped and quickly hid Xie Mianmian behind them.

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. Can you play with me?" The clumsy thief scratched his head, seemingly a little shy.

"Well, I've caught you! Did you dig up my house?" the little mole squeaked angrily.

Xie Mianmian whispered, "It's him..."

The girl next to him was so frightened that she quickly covered the child's mouth.

The foolish thief ignored the hopping little moles and chuckled as he crawled toward them.

"Squeak!" Sharp claws slashed fiercely at the thief.

"Ah!" he screamed, covered his face with his hands, and collapsed to the ground.

"I can't do it! My face hurts so much!"

The little mole jumped on him and continued to beat him.

One girl after another walked past him, but as they passed by, they would always throw a few punches at him.

The thief was in pain all over, groaning and moaning, after being hit countless times.

Finally, Bai Yun delivered the fatal blow, knocking the foolish thief unconscious.

Soon, they arrived at the pit where Xie Mianmian had fallen.

The girls peeked out and emerged one after another from the dark underground passage.

Outside, the spring sun shone warmly on them, a welcome sight after a long time. The girls breathed in the fresh, free air and couldn't help but hug each other, bursting into tears of joy.

They are finally free.

"Mianmian, thank you so much!"

The girls came to their senses and surrounded the child, expressing their gratitude.

Xie Mianmian smiled shyly, "It's nothing, it's what we should do."

Her third brother's affairs are her affairs, and besides, she wouldn't turn a blind eye to her arrested sisters.

I don't know who kissed the baby's tender little face first, but the other girls all crowded around.

Xie Mianmian was dazed by the kisses, so many, so many sweet and soft kisses.

In an instant, the child's eyes were filled with smiling faces, lips of various colors, all of which were extremely beautiful, and various pleasant-smelling incense.

While Xie Mianmian was feeling dizzy and disoriented, her dazed eyes caught sight of someone sitting on a horse not far away.