Chapter 23 Meeting
In Tianlang Village, Xie Jingyu saw the fireworks in the sky and knew that Qin Shangyu and his men had succeeded. He shouted, "Look, there's a signal coming down the mountain!"
Everyone was overjoyed and had no worries. They stopped hesitating and started killing the enemy. Soon, the bandit leader Zhao Fei and his gang were defeated and trapped in front of the meeting hall, where they were struggling to survive.
Ruan Qi's eyes were full of sinisterness. He quietly retreated from the stalemate and quickly rushed to the backyard, but saw the two younger brothers lying on the ground unconscious. There was no sign of Jiang Yuyan in the room!
"Ah!" He shouted and smashed the door to pieces with one punch.
At this time, the third leader Qi Wu was pierced through the chest by Xiao Yuanyan's sword and was killed on the spot. The bandits were so angry that no one escaped. They fought desperately without any rules. Ruan Qi turned around and saw this scene, and he also attacked Xiao Yuanyan with bloodshot eyes!
Xie Jingyu felt relieved at the moment and said, "Brother, I'm here to help you!" He and Xiao Yuanyan attacked Ruan Qi from the left and right.
Ruan Qi was overwhelmed, but he had first-rate martial arts skills, so he decisively stopped his moves, flashed like a snake, and retreated far to the outer wall of the courtyard, confronting them in an awkward and anxious manner.
Tianlang Village was outnumbered and the bandit leader Zhao Fei and others were captured.
Zhao Fei was tied up and lying on the ground. He shouted to Ruan Qi, "Go! They won't kill your sister-in-law and nephew. I'll leave it to you to take care of them from now on!"
Ruan Qi's face was pale, and he looked like a dead man in the night. He knew that the disaster in the mountain stronghold today was caused by him, so he said in pain: "Let my brother go. I kidnapped that woman. What does it have to do with my brothers? I will pay you with my life!"
Wei Yan walked out of the crowd and said, "I am the captain ordered to suppress the bandits. Do you think you can escape?" As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of archers aimed at Ruan Qi.
Ruan Qi was in a desperate situation and immediately stopped hesitating and wanted to leave. But at this moment he heard a voice that haunted him.
"Ayan!"
Seeing the woman who had just disappeared inexplicably in the room appear here, running hurriedly and staggering towards the man in the crowd, he stopped where he was.
Xiao Yuanyan dropped his sword, not caring about his miserable state, and hugged Jiang Yuyan. Lost and found again, everything that happened in the past ten days really pierced his heart!
Feeling her breath at this moment, he finally put his heart at ease. From now on, he will never leave her again!
Jiang Yuyan smelled the blood all over his body, sniffed in pain, and buried her head in Xiao Yuanyan's chest.
Wei Yan saw the person coming at this time. She was indeed stunningly beautiful, like a fairy from Yaochi, which was very shocking. No wonder the eldest son was so infatuated.
Xie Jingyu was also very happy. He approached her awkwardly and said, "Wanwan, it's all my fault. Fortunately, you are okay, otherwise Brother Xiao would have killed me to vent his anger..."
After more than ten days of working together, the two men deeply felt the other's affection for Jiang Yuyan. They were helpless but sympathetic to each other, and their hostility was reduced a lot.
Jiang Yuyan raised her eyes and glared at him, "I don't blame you!"
Upon seeing this, all the shadow guards sighed for their master, but they were also genuinely happy that Jiang Yuyan was rescued.
Ruan Qi looked at this tender scene, and his heart was filled with sorrow. After a moment of hesitation, two shadow guards grabbed him and held him in front of everyone.
The big Xue was called, and Ruan Qi stared at Jiang Yuyan gloomily, "Let me ask you a question."
Xiao Yuanyan raised his head and said, "You are not qualified."
Ruan Qi looked at her still wearing the mink fur coat he had given her, and felt both warm and sad in his heart. He raised his voice and said, "What does it have to do with you if I talk to Miss Jiang?!"
Xiao Yuanyan looked at him coldly, "You are a dying man, yet you are so shameless!"
Jiang Yuyan was stunned and hesitated for a moment. Looking at the blood-soaked place and seeing Ruan Qi's desperate and desolate eyes, she walked forward with gritted teeth.
"You say." The tone was calm, just like when they were in the village a few days ago.
Ruan Qi lost his temper and murmured, "It was my fault to kidnap you, but I don't regret it. I was very happy during this period. Didn't I treat you well?"
Ruan Qi's face was pale, and his lips trembled slightly. "I have been alone since I was a child, and I just wanted someone to be with me... I never thought about getting married until I met you..."
Ruan Qi's delicate face was filled with pain. The expressions of the people present changed, and everyone who heard it was touched.
Xiao Yuanyan, Xie Jingyu, and Qin Shangyu hated this thief to the core at first, but now they can't help but sigh. Aren't they the same?
Jiang Yuyan looked at him with mixed feelings. After all, he was just a kid in his early twenties, and he was only going to college in modern times. It was really not easy for a man in this world.
She pondered, "Would you fall in love with the person who kidnapped you?"
“.……….”
After a long silence, Ruan Qi lowered his head dejectedly and said, "Kill me if you want!"
Jiang Yuyan couldn't bear it, but she couldn't say anything.
The officers and soldiers rushed into the backyard and invited all the women and children out. Wei Yan decided that the women who had families to go back to would be sent back by the officers and soldiers. Those who had no relatives would be sent to the government school and wait for the opportunity to find a new husband. As for the children, those over ten years old, except for the girls, would be punished as government slaves, and those under ten years old would be sent to the imperial orphanage.
After hearing the arrangement method, the woman walking in front looked up and said: "I don't agree!" Her tone was firm and her aura was stern.
When Xiao Yuanyan heard the voice, he looked up suddenly, his eyes widened, "Sister?!"
The woman also looked back, with some disbelief, "You are... Ayan?"
Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Wei Yan was also surprised and quickly stepped forward to take a look. "You, you are really a young lady!"
It turned out that this woman was Xiao Yuanyan's elder sister Xiao Yuanyuan.
Xiao Yuanyuan also recognized Wei Yan and nodded, "Yes!"
Xiao Yuanyan took two or three steps forward and held Xiao Yuanyuan's hand. "It turns out that my sister was abducted by these bandits. No wonder I couldn't find you in Qishan!!"
Xiao Yuanyuan was so excited that she burst into tears, but out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Qi Wu lying in a pool of blood, and Zhao Fei who was tied up tightly.
She was in a daze with tears in her eyes, and slowly loosened her hand around Xiao Yuanyan.
Zhao Fei looked at her, somewhat hesitant to speak.
Xiao Yuanyuan took a breath, showed a sad smile, and said to Wei Yan: "Wei Yan, now I should call you Wei Xiaowei. The brothers in Tianlang Village were born in poverty. Some were abandoned by their relatives because they were born men, and some were rejected by their wives. They took refuge here for a way to survive. Although they are mountain bandits, they only robbed wealthy businessmen and rarely killed people. As for the captured women, they did not treat them badly except for not letting them go down the mountain. Can you please show mercy and spare their lives?"
Wei Yan said in embarrassment: "Miss, the country has its own laws and the family has its own rules. Not to mention that they robbed money, even if they abducted women to the mountains, they would be sentenced to death."
Xiao Yuanyuan said: "There were 378 people in Tianlang Village, but now there are only a few dozen left. It can be considered as atonement, so let them live!"
Xiao Yuanyuan pleaded for mercy, and Wei Yan had no choice but to respond: These bandit leaders will not survive anyway, as for the remaining minions, I will plead with General Zeng to use them as labor and spare their lives. "
Xiao Yuanyuan bowed and said, "In that case, thank you very much, Captain Wei!"
Wei Yan quickly returned the greeting, "Miss, you are embarrassing me!"
Xiao Yuanyuan walked up to Zhao Fei and put her face against his. The man's turbid tears rolled down onto the skin where their skin was connected, bringing up a dampness.
Xiao Yuanyuan held back the pain and said, "Boss, our fate in this life ends here. You can go with peace of mind. We will be husband and wife in the next life."
Zhao Fei's heart ached, "Madam, please take care of our two children."
Xiao Yuanyuan nodded, turned to Wei Yan and said, "I can't control others, but I want to take my children away and raise them myself."
Two little boys, one about five or six years old and the other three or four years old, followed Xiao Yuanyuan in a daze.
Xiao Yuanyan felt sad and said quickly, "Sister, come with us. I'm getting married soon. I'll take care of you and my nephews in the future!"
Xiao Yuanyuan shook her head, "Ayan, you killed my husband." She looked in the direction of Qi Wu, "I don't blame you, but we are not destined to be together as siblings."
Xiao Yuanyan was stunned, his eyes filled with pain, he wanted to speak but couldn't.
"Ayan, you found a great wife. Congratulations!" Xiao Yuanyuan smiled and led the two boys out. "I will teach them a lesson and will never seek revenge on you. Don't worry."
When Zhao Fei saw Xiao Yuanyuan and the others leaving, he laughed and said, "Brother-in-law, I won't bother you to escort me!" After saying that, he slammed his head into the knife edge of the officer next to him. Blood gushed out of his neck and he died instantly.
Ruan Qi cried out in grief: "Brother!!"
Jiang Yuyan turned her head suddenly, her heart pounding wildly.
Ruan Qi's grief-stricken look frightened Jiang Yuyan. She hesitated for a moment and said with difficulty: "I...I forgive him. His crime is not punishable by death. As long as he stays away from me in the future, can I..."
What can she do? As Wei Yan said, a country has its own laws and a family has its own rules. She shouldn't be a person who disrupts the law, and she couldn't open her mouth when she saw these people who had put in so much effort to save her.
It’s just like Xiao Yuanyuan said, this group of people are not bad at heart. Too many people have died today, and as a modern person she really can’t accept it.
Xie Jingyu jumped out first, "Wanwan, do you still want to plead for him?"
"I...I..." Jiang Yuyan's eyes were wet. She lowered her head and remained silent for a moment, then took off her mink coat, walked forward, and put it on Ruan Qi.
Jiang Yuyan sighed deeply and said softly, "I want to repay you for giving me the clothes, but I'm afraid I can't. I just hope that you won't be born in such an era in your next life, and that there will be people who like you and treat you well."
Ruan Qi looked at her with red eyes, and suddenly he shouted loudly, his internal strength surged, and he broke free from the acupoints in an instant.
Everyone was shocked and hurriedly pulled Jiang Yuyan back, only to see Ruan Qi slapping him on the top of his head.
"The clothes...are for you..." After saying that, he fell in a pool of blood.
"Ruan Qi!" Jiang Yuyan exclaimed, and then tears fell from her eyes. According to the law, he deserved the punishment. Jiang Yuyan knew it in her heart. But when she thought about how he had treated her tenderly and carefully that day, she couldn't face such a death for a while.
Xiao Yuanyan patted her back gently to comfort her.
At daybreak, Wei Yan led a group of bandits back to the camp. After a night of hard work, everyone was very tired. Xiao Yuanyan thanked him repeatedly and stood up to see him off.
Jiang Yuyan stayed and asked Xie Jingyu's shadow guards for help to bury the dead properly.
She didn't keep the mink coat after all. It was too cold in the mountains, and maybe the mink coat would keep him warm.
Jiang Yuyan stood in front of Ruan Qi's tomb for a long time. Xie Jingyu returned to his former romantic self.
"Why would you worry about this bandit kidnapping you?"
Jiang Yuyan said: "When a person dies, it's like a light goes out. All the things of the past will vanish into thin air. I'm not sad. It's just that there's only so much that the living can do for them. If I can let their souls rest in peace, I'll have a clear conscience."
Time flies in the mountains. At this time, Jiang Yuyan was wrapped in a cloak and held in Xiao Yuanyan's arms as they walked down the mountain in the morning light. Her heart was filled with peace of mind.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
