Upon hearing this, Meng Zhelan's expression changed drastically, and she nearly dropped her baggage.
He quickly steadied himself, his gaze sharp as he looked at Hongying, and asked, "When was it discovered? Were any clues left behind?"
Hongying shook her head anxiously, her eyes slightly red: "Last night I left to brew medicine, and when I came back, she was nowhere to be seen. The window was wide open, and I guess she jumped out of the window. I chased her to the outskirts of the city, but I couldn't find any trace of her."
Sweetie, listening from the side, was terrified, her worry evident in her eyes: "Will Miss Xi be alright? What should we do?"
After a moment's thought, Hongying made up her mind. "Let's go outside the city!"
Sweetie hired a horse-drawn carriage and prepared food and hot water.
After a night of travel, Meng Zhelan and Tiantian were indeed exhausted and fell asleep after eating a little something.
Following Hongying's instructions, the coachman drove the carriage out of the city.
The Xuanming Gate is located fifty miles outside Nanzhou City.
As the year drew to a close, seeing that the imperial court had relaxed its vigilance, the bandits on the southern border began to stir.
The surrounding villages and passing merchants were shrouded in gloom.
The cold wind was biting, and the occasional bark of a dog broke the silence of the blue sky, only adding to the unease.
Village elder Li sat under the eaves, his brow furrowed, his pipe making a "plop plop" sound from time to time.
He gazed at the mountains ahead, his heart heavy with worry.
Most of the able-bodied men and women in the village have gone out to make a living, leaving behind mostly the elderly, women, and children. If bandits were to attack, they would likely be unable to resist.
"We have to think of a way to prevent our fellow villagers from suffering in vain."
Old Li pondered to himself, then stood up, put on his heavy cotton coat, and decided to go to the neighboring village to find Old Zhao, who was said to have served in the army, to discuss countermeasures.
Before he could even step out the door, he heard someone banging a gong and shouting, "The bandits are coming! The bandits are coming!"
What? Old Li's heart skipped a beat, and he almost dropped his pipe.
He quickly came to his senses and shouted, "Folks, quickly find a place to hide!"
Old Li shouted loudly as he strode towards an open area in the village, preparing to gather the elderly and children who were still able to move around.
They never expected the bandits to arrive so quickly. In the blink of an eye, a group of disheveled figures holding knives and guns could be vaguely seen at the village entrance. Amidst the flying dust, they looked particularly ferocious.
These bandits all had fierce expressions, and their eyes gleamed with greed and cruelty.
Their figures gradually became clearer, and they approached the villagers, brandishing gleaming weapons.
Just when everyone thought they were doomed, a young man wielding a long sword suddenly appeared.
His figure was lithe and agile, the tip of his sword gleaming brightly in the sunlight, like a divine weapon descending from the heavens.
Without uttering a word, he charged straight at the bandits, his sword flashing like a tapestry, each strike precise and deadly.
The bandits were thrown into disarray, their previously fierce faces now showing shock and fear.
The young man swung his longsword, creating a sharp gust of wind, and instantly severed the broadsword in the hand of a bandit.
Then, with a sudden spin, the sword tip pierced straight through his chest.
Another bandit fell to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.
The simple and honest villagers had never seen such a scene before.
They were all terrified, their faces turned pale, their legs went weak, and some even collapsed to the ground.
However, the village chief remained relatively calm.
He knew that panicking wouldn't solve the problem, so he made a quick decision.
He pointed to a young, strong villager who was quick on his feet and said, "Go report this to the authorities!"
The villager whose name was called nodded and immediately turned and ran towards the government office.
The village chief then directed the other villagers to flee up the mountain.
The bandit leader was a fugitive wanted by the imperial court, and he had several lives on his hands!
He glared menacingly at the young man, brandishing a large knife as if he wanted to devour him alive.
"Who are you, and why are you meddling in this?" the bandit leader spat out viciously, his tone full of threat and disdain.
Li Xi ignored him.
At this moment, she was surrounded by the stench of blood.
His eyes turned bloodshot, like those of a ferocious beast, radiating endless killing intent and bloodlust.
The strong smell of blood stimulated her nerves like a drug, making her increasingly excited and even causing her to lose her mind.
Suddenly, she moved with astonishing speed, as if she had become a blur.
Before the bandit leader could swing his broadsword, he felt a chill on his neck.
A thin line of bright red blood quietly appeared, then gushed out. It stained his clothes and splashed onto Li Xi's face, adding a touch of eeriness to her appearance.
The surrounding bandits were all startled at the sight and retreated several steps, their weapons trembling so badly they almost slipped from their hands.
They had never seen anyone exuding such terrifying pressure.
They turned to run away, but Li Xi did not give them a chance to escape.
Blood splattered, staining the desolate land red, and the air was filled with the heavy smell of rust and an aura of fear.
A cold wind howled, and the grass and trees withered. Bloodstained corpses littered the ground.
Li Xi stood quietly amidst the haphazardly laid-out corpses, carrying the gleaming sword.
Her eyes were like burning flames, crimson and fiery, as if they wanted to burn everything in front of her to ashes.
Her heart kept screaming, "Not enough! Not enough!"
His body trembled slightly, and the sword in his hand also made a slight trembling sound.
The air around her seemed to be infected by her emotions, becoming heavy and oppressive.
The wind blew silently by, carrying a bloody scent, but it could not quell the anger in her heart.
At this moment, her eyes were bloodshot, radiating a ferocious aura, like a bloodthirsty demon, madly craving the release of blood.
At that moment, she suddenly found herself in a fierce struggle.
It seemed that two forces were waging a thrilling battle within her body, vying for control of this body.
Her face was contorted, sometimes revealing a fierce expression, sometimes returning to normal, but soon she was seized by an evil aura.
This unpredictable change is chilling, as if one can see two different personalities fiercely clashing within her.
At the same time, her hands were clenched into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, blood dripping from her fingertips, yet she felt no pain.
In this life-or-death struggle, her brain was also severely impacted.
Her thoughts became chaotic, and fragments of memories flooded her mind, intertwining with the scene before her, making it difficult for her to distinguish between reality and illusion.
She felt as if she were in a giant vortex, unable to break free, and could only let that dark force drag her into the abyss.
The sound of horses' hooves broke the silence, but Li Xi remained standing there, undisturbed.
"Xiao Xi, Xiao Xi," Meng Zhelan called anxiously, her voice trembling.
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