Chapter 86 Heading to the Next Stop
"A golden age?" The bandit leader scratched his head, looking puzzled, as if he had heard something out of a fantasy. The bandits behind him also looked at each other, whispering among themselves, their faces filled with confusion and doubt.
"Isn't a peaceful and prosperous life a sign of a golden age?" Jiu Ya retorted. This kind of world was definitely not an era for bandits to rule from the mountains, especially not for such a disorganized rabble. It wasn't to belittle them, but judging from their equipment, calling them a rabble was entirely apt. She even saw a boy, about half a child, whose trousers were too short and whose straw sandals were almost worn through.
"Our ancestors said that when we moved here, there was a war going on outside! Especially in the city, it was very chaotic!" the chief said confidently. "They said that as soon as you entered the city, you were likely to be conscripted or robbed by the marauding soldiers!"
“Yes, that’s why we rarely go anywhere else,” the bandit supporting the leader chimed in, a look of deep agreement on his face. “My grandfather escaped from the city back then, and he said the scene was terrifying!”
Jiuya was completely bewildered. "Is this why you've never gone out? Are you living as bandits in the mountains?"
Good heavens! Do these bandits think they live in a paradise? Haven't they picked up any secrets from the people they've been robbing all these years? Surely passing merchants and travelers talk about world affairs?
The head of the village nodded affirmatively, "Our village is self-sufficient and rarely needs to go down the mountain. When we do go down the mountain occasionally... uh, to 'do business,' we try to avoid interacting with too many people."
Jiu Ya rubbed her forehead, feeling utterly powerless. "What kind of war can last for more than ten years?" She finally understood that these people were truly isolated from the world, their access to information was terrifyingly limited.
"But there have been constant wars, big and small, between various countries for hundreds of years!" the chief retorted righteously. "The teachings of our ancestors can't be wrong!"
Jiuya blinked, seriously considering the situation in the human world several decades ago. Because the demon realm didn't care about the human world, Jiuya rarely paid attention to human affairs while in the demon realm. However, during her time in the human world, she had come to understand that nearly a hundred years ago, the human world's political landscape resembled that of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Later, the most powerful country annexed the others, achieving a unified empire. A decade or two later, the old emperor who had unified the world passed away. His sons engaged in internal strife and couldn't suppress other rebellious forces. One of these forces overthrew the previous dynasty and established the current unified empire.
Jiuya used to be quite good at history, but when she learned about this amazing dynastic change, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Is this emperor who unified the country the First Emperor? He unified all the countries, but he also had a good-for-nothing son who caused the empire to perish after only two generations."
If she had come to the human world earlier, wouldn't she have been able to witness the magnificence of the First Emperor?
However, what's missed is missed, and Jiu Ya was in tears. She even secretly wondered if the officials of the underworld would have to be extra careful when facing this emperor?
Jiu Ya even considered going to the Underworld after she confronted Rong Jiang; maybe she could see such a big shot there. Should she ask for an autograph? Wouldn't it be a bit beneath the Demon Lord to be a fan?
"There is only one country in the world now, and that is the Great Yin. It is no longer like a hundred years ago when there were many countries." Jiu Ya explained earnestly, "The new dynasty has been established for more than 20 years. Now the country is at peace. As long as you are willing to work, you can earn a living anywhere. You can put down your swords and ask around in the nearby cities or villages. The nearest city to you is Changshao. The prefect there is a good official who encourages land reclamation and the taxes are light." These were all the idle chatter she had heard along the way.
After saying that, she ignored the bandit leader who was still in shock and deep thought, and turned to Li Yue, saying, "Let them suffer a little pain, let's go!" She glanced at the bandits who were standing crookedly and added, "Leave them some medicine, they look pitiful."
"Yes, Miss!" Li Yue replied with his head bowed, took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket, and casually tossed it to the nearest bandit. "For external use, to treat bruises and sprains." The bandit caught it in a fluster and stared at him blankly.
Jiuya turned and walked towards the carriage, then lightly leaped into it.
Li Yue then casually punched the bandits who were lying sprawled out a few more times—the force was just right, enough to make them wince in pain without actually breaking any bones—before quickly returning to his post and raising his small whip.
The carriage carrying the formidable figure sped away, kicking up dust that blew all over the bandits' faces.
The bandits stared dumbfounded at the carriage, now just a shadow. They were gone? Not only did they spare their lives and not take them to the authorities, but they even... gave them medicine for their wounds?
The bandit supporting the chief was astonished and shouted into his ear, "Chief, they just left? And they even gave us medicine?"
The leader was deep in thought, pondering Jiu Ya's words, when he was abruptly awakened by the voice. He couldn't help but give the little brat a sharp rap on the head. "You little brat, what are you yelling for?! Are you afraid I'll go deaf?" he said irritably, rubbing his ears which were ringing from the noise.
"Boss, I meant they're gone." The little brat rubbed his head, looking very aggrieved.
"I'm not blind, so what?" The leader was about to twist the other man's ear. "Go help the brothers! Distribute the medicine!" He struggled to his feet and limped over to help the bandits who had fallen to the ground.
The old man, who had been trembling under the table in the tea stall, also ran out of the tea stall, helped everyone up, and asked in a trembling voice, "...Gone? Really gone?"
The dozen or so bandits exchanged glances, then all looked at the small white porcelain bottle in their leader's hand, and then at him. "Boss," one of the older bandits said, "we don't know if what that girl said is true. If the fighting really stops, we brothers can go down the mountain and make a decent living. Staying down here all day is really tough. Besides… life is definitely getting harder and harder." He sighed. The mountain's produce was limited, and the "travel money" they could rob was dwindling; the old, young, and women in the village were living in poverty.
“That girl was just passing by; she had no reason to lie to us.” The leader thought it over carefully. “The war is over; that’s a good thing…” He glanced around at his brothers who had suffered alongside him in poverty and hardship, each with bruised and swollen faces, but their eyes held a different kind of light. “Brothers, let’s go back to the stronghold first. Once our wounds have healed, we’ll pack enough rations and go to the nearby town to inquire! If it’s truly a peaceful and prosperous time…” He paused, his voice rising a few decibels, “then we’re not going to do this nerve-wracking business anymore!”
"The chief is right!" the bandits echoed.
Although these people were bandits and had never attended a proper school, they understood that what they were doing was not honorable. If they were born in a prosperous era, who would be willing to do such things? Who wouldn't want to live with their head held high?
Inside the carriage, Rong Jiang saw Jiu Ya return and raised her eyebrows with a smile, saying, "Ah Jiu is kind-hearted; she even gave them guidance." She noticed that Jiu Ya not only provided a possible path but also took note of their lack of supplies and left behind medicine for their wounds. This meticulous kindness was not feigned.
Rong Jiang smiled meaningfully. Her initial purpose in following Jiu Ya was to observe whether this Demon Lord intended to take any action against the human world. However, after spending these days together, she felt more and more that Jiu Ya was indeed kind and gentle, and even... had a certain recognition and care for the human world that was inconsistent with his status as the supreme ruler of the demon world.
Most demons don't care much about human lives. If they were robbed like this, they would kill them on the spot, because they would think that a mere ant dared to provoke them, the noble demons.
Jiu Ya's style of doing things was completely different. She would even persuade the bandits to give up their business of robbing and looting. This was not only for the sake of the bandits, but also for the sake of the people passing through the area.
Because over time, once the bandits are no longer satisfied with just plundering property, going further will only harm themselves and others.
"Just something I mentioned casually." Jiu Ya laughed, leaning against the carriage wall and stretching her limbs. "I wonder what the situation will be like when we get to that Xiaoyang Village. That bandit leader said it's quite xenophobic!" She lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. "I hope nothing else goes wrong. I just want to have a nice hot meal in peace."
Rong Jiang disagreed, saying that the term "xenophobic" came from bandits and could not be interpreted using common sense.
Rong Jiang said, "We can't be sure about xenophobia. If a group of bandits went there, they would definitely be xenophobic. If we want to rest, why can't we use the sky as our blanket and the ground as our mat? Besides, we have a carriage."
Actually, it's not them who need rest, it's the horses. Don't be fooled by their claims of needing to eat and rest; it's because they're disguised as humans. Otherwise, who would strictly adhere to such non-essential activities as eating and sleeping? Jiu Ya is doing it because she craves human food and comfort, Rong Jiang is doing it to blend into the environment for better observation, and Li Yue and Bai Yu are simply following their masters out of habit.
These four horses are actually faster than horses; they can go without eating, drinking, or sleeping, but horses cannot. The two horses pulling the cart are just ordinary steeds; after a morning of running, they are already somewhat tired and need rest and food.
Jiuya thought for a moment and agreed, "Absolutely." She stroked her chin. "Anyway, we still have some rations. We can find a place with water to let the horses rest. As for that Xiaoyang Village... we'll see how things go. It would be best if we could get in, but it doesn't matter if we can't." She was quite open-minded, mainly because she was confident.
The carriage continued on its way, its wheels making a rhythmic sound as they rolled over the road, gradually leaving the small hill and the group of bewildered yet hopeful bandits behind.
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