The surrounding bandits also chuckled wryly: "Silly girl, where did you hear this rumor?"
"We have never received any disaster relief food!"
Lin Qixia was slightly taken aback when she heard their words. "What did you say?"
The responses from these people at this moment were clearly not what she had expected.
The man continued, "Robbing and plundering is something we have no choice but to do. We must take back the things in your carriage this time."
"Yes, otherwise some of us would starve to death."
"Girl, I advise you to hand over the things obediently."
These people still didn't intend to give up and gradually surrounded Lin Qixia.
Thinking that they were just two young kids, and with their numbers, they could easily handle it.
Therefore, even though Lin Qixia killed someone, they were not afraid.
Lin Qixia was still reeling from the shock of what they had just said.
Has the disaster relief grain not been distributed yet?
Were the things she heard from people in Lichong County just rumors?
She couldn't help but feel disappointed; she'd had a vague feeling that something was wrong before, and sure enough...
Things can't be that simple.
As these people drew closer to her, Lin Qixia forced a smile and said, "There's no need for this, everyone. I..."
Before she could finish speaking, Huo Yanqing appeared beside her. "Stop wasting your breath on them!"
Lin Qixia noticed that the people around her were getting closer and closer, and Huo Yanqing was surrounded by a murderous aura.
Realizing the situation was dire, Lin Qixia shouted, "Everyone, I can give you some food, but I advise you to stop now, or else..."
Before she could finish speaking, the leader gave the order: "All of you, get up there!"
It's too late.
Soon, the sound of weapons clashing rang out. Huo Yanqing stood in front of her, his knife flashing rapidly.
"Damn it!" Lin Qixia cursed angrily.
After a moment, she stopped Huo Yanqing and turned to run towards the carriage.
"Giddy up!" In a moment of urgency, Lin Qixia steered the carriage toward the crowd.
The crowd surrounding Huo Yanqing was dispersed by her.
"Come up!" she called to Huo Yanqing.
Soon, Huo Yanqing jumped onto the carriage, and they fought their way out.
Even after no one was chasing them, Lin Qixia continued to drive the carriage at breakneck speed.
"Alright," Huo Yanqing reminded her.
"Drive—"
Lin Qixia tried to stop the carriage by pulling on the reins, but she couldn't stop it at all.
Only then did she realize that she had no idea how to drive a carriage, and that she had acted on impulse.
Huo Yanqing also noticed this, and he jumped onto his horse. It took him a while to slow the horse down, and Lin Qixia finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Once the horse came to a complete stop, we had descended the mountain and could see the lights of Xiahe Village in the distance.
"It's alright now." Huo Yanqing dismounted, sat in front of the carriage, and turned to her.
But when he saw Lin Qixia's current appearance, he was stunned.
The girl stared ahead with red eyes, and large tears fell down her cheeks.
Then she simply burst into tears.
"Waaaaah, I killed people—I killed so many people—so many people are dead!"
She had remained remarkably calm during previous crises, but at this moment her emotions completely collapsed.
Although it was Huo Yanqing who started it, it was ultimately because of her.
If she hadn't misjudged and mishandled the situation, none of those people would have died.
Many of them did not deserve to die.
Countless other possibilities flashed through her mind. What if she tried a different approach to the negotiations? Perhaps those people could have survived?
It was all because I was too reckless and arrogant.
Overwhelmed by guilt, Lin Qixia sobbed uncontrollably, her heart aching from the crying.
This scene left Huo Yanqing stunned.
He had never seen Lin Qixia like this before. After a long while, he stammered, "Just now—I didn't kill her."
The air suddenly became quiet.
"What?"
Lin Qixia was so shocked by Huo Yanqing's sudden words that she hiccuped and turned to look at him.
Huo Yanqing: "You said we couldn't kill people, so I didn't kill them just now."
"I only hurt them, so they'll only suffer minor injuries at most."
"Very good!"
The next second, Lin Qixia, confirming that he wasn't joking, suddenly hugged him tightly.
She trusted him because she had seen him use a knife before; his technique was skillful and he seemed to have a good grasp of the situation.
Huo Yanqing's pupils dilated slightly, and he was so shocked that he froze completely, unable to move.
After a while, Lin Qixia came to her senses and let go of him somewhat embarrassedly. "Thank you, thank you for not killing them."
Otherwise, Lin Qixia felt that she had committed a great sin.
I couldn't get over it for a long time afterward.
Huo Yanqing remained frozen in place, the faint fragrance of the girl still lingering in his nostrils.
"Let's go back," Lin Qixia's voice rang out again beside them.
Huo Yanqing then lowered his head and hummed softly, "Alright."
Afterwards, he drove the carriage, with Lin Qixia sitting beside him. She had changed from her previous breakdown, but her mood was still very low. She remained quiet the whole way and did not speak.
The two returned home late at night.
When I got home, the lights in the Lin family's courtyard were still on.
He Zhilan ran out to greet Xia'er as the carriage stopped at the door, "Xia'er, you're finally back—"
Her voice stopped abruptly when she saw them.
Lin Qixia jumped off the carriage, reached out and stroked the horse's body, saying to her, "Not bad, right? I spent over two hundred coins to buy this horse. It will be much more convenient to go to the town or the county seat from now on."
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