These few simple and ordinary words scared them half to death!

Looking up, just a fleeting glance, and my legs went weak. I cried out in my heart, "What a miserable life!"

These are bad times; there's no peace anywhere!

They had a smooth and carefree journey, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were having a great time. They thought their luck would continue, but alas, it didn't work out!

This might be easy to handle in normal circumstances, but it's not the case with those people in front of me!

Those are bandits who might turn on you and kill or rob you at any moment!

They thought they could avoid it by taking a detour, but they didn't expect that they still couldn't escape it!

Alas, perhaps this is truly my destiny!

Seeing the pale-faced, terrified, and trembling crowd ahead, the bearded men burst into laughter, looking extremely smug and satisfied.

That's the right reaction!

That's the effect they wanted to see—fun and exhilarating!

I experienced the sense of superiority, of being a master of my own destiny!

Even bandits have dignity!

Su Nanxi tilted her head slightly, observed the situation on the scene without making a sound, and finally turned her gaze back to the man in the lead.

He felt contempt in his heart, but his ugly smile, with his full beard, looked like he was seeing a furry ball opening its mouth!

The people behind him laughed too, but they didn't know what they were laughing at or what was so funny. It looked a bit like a clown jumping around!

There's nothing particularly special about this place; it's just an ordinary little hillside. If I had to point out something unique about it, it would probably be that there's a bend in the road ahead and a steep cliff or precipice not far away!

Su Nanxi couldn't understand why the bandits chose this place to attack; wasn't the previous mountain path more suitable?

The bandit laughed heartily, thoroughly enjoying himself. After a few moments of laughter, he finally managed to suppress his excitement and spoke his mind, clearing up Su Nanxi's doubts.

"Hahaha! You didn't expect that, did you? Everyone thought we'd stay in the same old spot, so many people refused to go that way and changed their route. But guess what? Haha, I changed my route too! How about that? Surprised? Unexpected?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces turned even paler. They had been tricked, and even their thoughts had been anticipated. This feeling was terrifying!

"I knew you'd come this way! I've been studying this for days, and this is how I came up with this brilliant plan. It was right! I'm so smart! You guys are so lucky to be among the first to arrive! Hahaha!"

The villagers didn't find it funny at all; they wondered if this person had something wrong with his head.

He doesn't seem very smart. I don't know how he became the leader. Could there be some kind of manipulation involved?

"Those people in front were all in twos and threes, and the stuff they carried was cleaner than my face. Bah! They made me get nothing and wait for nothing! Today, the people who bring money have finally arrived. You have all these bags and carts, hmm, great! I like it! In a little while, you all handed over everything on your own. I'm in a good mood today, so I won't use my knife!"

The villagers looked at each other, they all understood. As long as they handed over the items, they could pass safely, but if they didn't, it might be bloodshed that would end everything!

Looking at what they were carrying, I felt extremely reluctant to part with it. This was all their possessions, and they had saved up for a long time to achieve this!

The thought of handing it over to them was like a knife to their hearts; once they handed it over, they would have nothing left!

They have nothing. How will they survive?

They were far worse off than other deserters!

However, if they don't pay, they worry that the bandits will get angry and cause a bloodbath, and they won't survive either!

It's tough!

What's wrong with this world? Why is it so hard to survive?

Since we're going to die anyway, we might as well take a gamble!

But when they looked up and saw those large swords gleaming coldly in the sunlight, they had already shrunk back and become much weaker before the battle even began.

They included both the old and the young, and none of them had learned any martial arts. How could they possibly be a match for those reckless thugs who had spent their lives drinking blood?

A sense of desolation and despair welled up in my heart.

If things go wrong, we might end up childless and our family line will die out!

The Mo couple were also very scared. They went through all the possibilities they could think of, and it would be a lie to say they weren't terrified!

Their whole family is here!

The eldest daughter-in-law is pregnant, and the baby in her belly hasn't even had a chance to see the world yet!

These thieves are really too much!

If you're so capable, why don't you rob the rich and powerful?

They were just ordinary people, peasants, and even if they had stockpiled goods, it was very limited!

Moreover, most of them are worthless, just some dried goods from farmers!

Aren't the gold and silver jewelry of wealthy people appealing?

You must be out of your mind!

And she's laughing so happily!

The rest of the Mo family looked at Su Nanxi and Mo Qinghe. They had no other choice but to place their hopes on these two.

Hopefully things will turn around!

For them, things are not the most important thing; people's safety is!

Money can be earned back later, but if something happens to a person, the family may fall apart!

They wanted to listen to the bandits and hand over the goods voluntarily, but their understanding made them hesitate. Who knew whether these people were of good character or not!

What if they hand it over but are not let go?

What can we do against the mountain bandits?

What a contradiction!

Su Nanxi remained silent, her mind racing as she tried to find the best solution.

This was the first time she had ever encountered bandits!

It would be a lie to say she wasn't panicking, but she wasn't actually that panicked either.

She wasn't panicking about herself, but about the others!

She was able to escape unscathed, but others couldn't!

Fu Mingchuan leaned closer and they discussed things in a low voice.

Su Nanxi asked some questions about the mountain bandits, and Fu Mingchuan answered all the questions he could.

In fact, he didn't know much, because there were such mountain bandits in various places, it just depended on the size of their groups. When they encountered bad luck, these mountain bandits developed rapidly. After their size grew, they attracted the attention of local authorities and the imperial court, seriously threatening people's livelihoods and the regime. People would be sent to subdue or wipe them out.

The times change so fast that many messages don't have time to get out, so it's not surprising that people don't know about them!

This place didn't exist before, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist now!

Nowadays, bandits are very shrewd in order to survive, making them even more unpredictable.

"Don't look so dejected, cheer up! Alright, I'm too lazy to waste my time here with you guys, let's finish this and go home! Stop grumbling, nothing I say will work! Just move everything over here! That's it!"

The man in the lead suddenly dropped his playful grin and instantly became serious, looking ferocious and terrifying!

This is his true face!

This face-changing speed is as fast as a face mask!

abnormal!

"Don't just stand there! Get moving! What are you doing there!"