Chapter 84 The Overconfident Bandits
Suddenly, a group of bandits appeared. The old man at the teahouse and the farmer hoeing the field halfway up the hill didn't react at all. Some of the farmers even bent down, picked up a large knife from the ground, and rushed down as well. Their movements were swift and practiced, clearly not the first time they had done this. The old man in the teahouse stopped pretending, pulled a long knife from under the counter, and his eyes turned fierce.
"Okay, no doubt about it, they're all in cahoots." Jiu Ya saw it clearly from inside the carriage and couldn't help but curl her lip. These days, even robberies are so organized and premeditated, they even know to arrange for people to disguise themselves as tea stall owners and farmers, they really go to great lengths.
Faced with the sudden appearance of this group of people, Li Yue quickly tightened the reins and brought the carriage to a stop. He was mainly worried that the horses might charge into the crowd, startle them, and overturn the carriage; losing a horse wouldn't be worth it. These two horses were carefully selected steeds, quite valuable.
The horse suddenly stopped, causing the carriage to lurch violently. The carriage shook so badly that the tea set on the table nearly fell to the ground.
Inside the swaying carriage, Jiu Ya stumbled and fell onto Rong Jiang. In such an unstable situation, the first instinct is to grab onto something to maintain balance, so Jiu Ya, following the principle of proximity, hugged Rong Jiang's waist. The skin was slender and soft to the touch, carrying a faint, cool fragrance.
Wow, that waist is so slender! Jiu Ya subconsciously exclaimed in her heart, then realized her rudeness and quickly tried to let go.
Jiu Ya moved too fast; Rong Jiang hadn't even reacted before she was embraced, her expression freezing. Her body stiffened slightly, then returned to normal, and she said softly, "A-Jiu, that's enough, the carriage has stopped." Her voice was still cold, but if you listened carefully, you could detect a subtle stiffness.
"Ah!" Jiu Ya quickly released her grip, sat up straight, and thought to herself, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die! Ahhhhh, does my daughter not like people getting so close to her?!" Jiu Ya covered her face with her sleeve, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Ahem, it was just inertia. The car stopped too suddenly!" Her ear tips were slightly red, her eyes darting around, and she dared not look directly at Rong Jiang.
Rong Jiang nodded, then silently moved aside, maintaining a certain distance from Comrade Jiu Ya. Her movement was natural and polite, as if she were merely adjusting her posture, but Jiu Ya still keenly sensed that subtle distance.
Jiuya quickly changed the subject, pointing outside the car and saying, "I was right, there are indeed bandits roaming around in these desolate mountains and forests." Her tone was exaggerated, trying to break the awkward atmosphere.
"They probably just saw that the carriage was decent enough and decided to rob it," Rong Jiang said calmly, her gaze sweeping over the bandits outside the carriage, a barely perceptible golden glint flashing in her eyes. In her eyes, these bandits did not exude a strong aura of bloodlust, indicating that they were not vicious criminals and should not have taken any lives.
Jiu Ya raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Then they've come to the wrong person. Ranran, I think we don't need to go down. Li Yue and Bai Yu can handle it." As she spoke, she leaned lazily against the cushion, looking like she was watching a good show.
If this were at the beginning of her transmigration, Jiu Ya would have been eager to rush out and see how ancient bandits operated. Now, well, it's nothing. Leading her subordinates to fight bandits herself? What a joke! This isn't like searching for a "murderer" in Changshao; it's a challenge in itself. A dignified Demon Lord actually beating up a bunch of mere bandits—my god, that doesn't sound very good. Jiu Ya silently complained to herself, casually picking up a pastry and taking a bite.
Rong Jiang lifted the carriage curtain and saw about a dozen bandits dressed in coarse cloth. Although their expressions were fierce, they did not look like wicked people. Their clothes were patched, their faces were dark, and their hands were rough. They looked like farmers who worked the land year-round, not professional bandits.
Rong Jiang said, "I see that those people are not wicked or evil; they are after money, not murder. Ajiu, tell Young Master Li Yue and Miss Bai Yu to show mercy and not to kill them." Her tone was calm, with a detached compassion.
Besides, these bandits haven't reached the end of their lives yet; they shouldn't die here. Rong Jiang added in her mind.
"Huh? Okay." Jiu Ya quickly nodded. Good heavens, she wasn't that ruthless when she went out. If she encountered robbers, she wouldn't send them all to their deaths. Although she was the Demon Lord, she wasn't a bloodthirsty person. Unless necessary, she wouldn't easily take people's lives.
Outside the carriage, the bandit leader waved, and the old man from the teahouse brought over a stool. He strutted down on the stool with one foot, shouting, "Hand over all your money! Otherwise, the knives in our hands aren't just for show!"
As he spoke, he kicked the stool, kicking up a cloud of dust. The action, which should have looked imposing, appeared somewhat comical due to the excessive force used.
Li Yue sneered. These bandits were really something. Of all the people they could rob, they had to fall into his hands. The anger that had been building up in the Changshao Public Hall finally had an outlet. He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking, and a bloodthirsty glint flashed in his eyes.
Then, he overheard Jiu Ya and Rong Jiang's conversation.
Li Yue: ...Give them a good beating, okay? His lips twitched slightly as he suppressed his fighting spirit. He couldn't disobey the Lord's orders, but surely he could teach these arrogant bandits a lesson?
Jiu Ya poked half her head out of the carriage and earnestly instructed, "Li Yue, be careful not to go too far. Leave someone else's life!"
Why bother with Li Yue? It's obvious. It's not a big deal. Li Yue could easily have Bai Yu do it; he could just do it himself. Jiu Ya had a lot of confidence in Li Yue's skills; he was more than capable of dealing with these bandits.
“Yes, Miss.” Li Yue handed the reins to Bai Yu and jumped off the carriage with a swift movement. “Bai Yu, I’ll take care of it.” His tone was calm, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.
He jumped off the carriage, cracked his knuckles, and then said contemptuously to the bandit leader, "Robbery? Open your eyes and see, you think you can rob my young lady? You're really overestimating yourself!" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling murderous aura, causing the bandits opposite him to involuntarily take a step back.
The bandit leader sized Li Yue up and down. His tall, thin frame suggested he wasn't particularly strong, and he said disdainfully, "You think you can fight us brothers with that little body? Don't be so timid you'll be on the ground before the fight even starts! Hahahaha!"
The bandit leader let out a wanton laugh. The other bandits also laughed loudly, trying to overwhelm him with their sheer force of words.
"The boss is right!"
"With this kid's small frame, can he withstand a blow from the boss?"
"Anyone can say harsh words!"
"Kid, I advise you to hand over all your money and we'll let you go. Otherwise, there are three girls in this carriage, aren't there? There are quite a few brothers on the mountain who haven't gotten married yet!"
"Yeah yeah!"
Seeing the bandits speak so recklessly, even daring to make advances towards Miss Rong and Young Lady Rong, Li Yue's face darkened, and he roared, "You're courting death!"
The bandit leader hadn't expected Li Yue to suddenly charge at him. Seeing the fist coming straight at him, he hurriedly blocked it with his broadsword. However, the fist seemed to carry a powerful aura, causing his hand to go numb. Then, with a "crack," his finely crafted steel broadsword shattered into pieces. Fragments scattered everywhere, gleaming with a blinding cold light in the sunlight.
The bandit leader's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "What kind of monster are you?" His rough voice was now filled with fear and trembling. Who in their right mind could break a knife with a single punch? Was this even human?
"This isn't human at all. The one before you is a demon. You can't judge him by common sense." A cold smile curled at the corner of Li Yue's lips, but his movements didn't falter in the slightest.
Li Yue's fist came hurtling towards the bandit leader's face, striking him squarely in the nose. The bandit leader felt a sharp pain in his nose, followed by a burning sensation, and warm liquid welled up from his nasal cavity. Li Yue punched him in the eye, leaving a large, bruised dark circle, and then kicked him in the stomach. The bandit leader fell backward to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The other bandits were dumbfounded at the sight, but they couldn't abandon their leader who had been beaten so badly! They exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and charged forward, brandishing their broadswords.
A dozen or so bandits rushed up, brandishing their broadswords, ready to fight Li Yue to the death. "You actually dare to hit the boss! Kid! Do you want to die?!" Their voices trembled, clearly frightened by Li Yue's skills, but for the sake of loyalty, they still gritted their teeth and charged forward.
A dozen broadswords slashed at Li Yue, but he didn't dodge. Instead, he kicked the bandit leader a few times. His movements were as fast as a ghost, weaving freely through the flashing blades. Each strike accurately hit the bandits' vital points, yet he skillfully avoided fatal blows.
As the bandits charged, they accidentally kicked their leader. In the chaos of battle, the chances of friendly fire are sometimes quite high. The bandit leader, lying on the ground, took a few more kicks, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He wanted nothing more than to yell, "Get away from me when you're fighting! Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll trample me to death!"
"Ouch!" The bandit leader glared at the brat who had kicked him. "You bastards! You little brats! Don't kick me while you're fighting!"
The young bandit who accidentally kicked the bandit leader blushed. "Boss! I didn't mean to!" he hurriedly explained, but Li Yue punched him in the chin, sending him flying.
"You little brats! Help me up!" the gang leader roared, feeling as if his bones were falling apart. "I'm afraid you'll trample me to death in a minute!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The little bandit quickly broke free from Li Yue's attack and scrambled over to help the chief up. His movements were so flustered that he almost pulled the chief down again.
Then they discovered that everyone else had been beaten to the ground, and beaten even worse. The bandits lay sprawled on the ground, groaning, their faces bruised and swollen, their cries of agony echoing. Their weapons lay scattered, gleaming mournfully in the sunlight.
The leader looked around blankly. Apart from the little brat supporting him and himself, only Li Yue was standing; everyone else was lying down. Li Yue stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering, not even exhaling, as if he had just casually swatted a few flies.
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