094 Forget friends after seeing sex
The ruffians lamented their ill-fated encounter with Shen Tang and Zhai Le countless times. Simultaneously, they celebrated not having thoroughly offended them, as they had narrowly escaped with their lives. Unaware of Shen Tang and Zhai Le's intentions, they begrudgingly obeyed orders to stay put. Dozens of them gathered together, occasionally swatting at blood-sucking mosquitoes or drifting into daydreams to pass the time...
After waiting for nearly an hour, the dreaded figure failed to return. Instead, they found him happily chatting with the enigmatic guards, eventually falling asleep in their vicinity. The ruffians exchanged glances, none daring to move until someone couldn't resist anymore: "Should we escape?"
The dreaded figure paid them no attention.
What a perfect opportunity to flee!
"What if we're caught escaping?"
"What else can we do? We must flee for our lives, find a place to hide, and hope they won't track us down." The ruffians doubted they would, believing that once the heat died down, they would be safe.
However, someone raised a practical concern.
"It's pitch black outside. How will we navigate down the mountain?"
Death by falling off the mountain might be preferable to some, but they feared encountering ravenous wolves or other beasts, slowly watching themselves being devoured alive.
The ruffians fell silent.
Upon hearing this, many ruffians who had prepared to flee quietly returned to their original positions, casting wary glances towards Shen Tang and Zhai Le, afraid their escape plans might be discovered, costing them their lives.
The mountain air was chilly, the night wind cold. The ruffians, disregarding each other's stench, huddled together for warmth and security. Many curled up, heads buried between their knees, and drifted off to sleep.
Then—
They were abruptly awoken by the ruffians assigned to keep watch.
"Stop sleeping, everyone! Something's happened!"
"Wake up, wake up quickly!"
"Wake up, there's trouble!"
"What kind of trouble?"
Bewildered, the ruffians who were shaken awake followed their companions' pointing fingers, only to see darkness ahead. They strained their eyes in the moonlight, barely making out some dark, moving shapes. Nerves taut, they whispered, "Wolves?"
"To hell with wolves!" a companion snapped irritably. "It's fire! The fire over there suddenly went out. Listen, can you hear it?"
Only then did they remember that direction was where the two dreaded figures had been staying. Weren't they on good terms with that strange caravan? Someone with better eyesight caught a glint of moonlight reflecting off something, followed by a dark figure collapsing in a pool of blood.
A few moments later, chilling screams echoed through the night.
The ruffians' legs turned to jelly as they cried, "Bandits are attacking!"
Were these bandits seeking revenge for their former leader's death, aware that he was killed and sending people to avenge him? Would they spare them?
Some ruffians immediately thought of fleeing down the mountain.
But their actions were slower than Shen Tang's voice. The dreaded figure emerged with a sword dripping with blood, stepping out from the darkness just as the clouds covering the moon dispersed, bathing her figure in bright moonlight, revealing her bloodstained form!
"What are you doing?" she asked coldly, her gaze sweeping over them.
The ruffians who were about to flee collapsed to their knees in fear.
Trembling, they begged for mercy.
Shen Tang flicked the blood off her sword indifferently.
"Follow me," she said calmly.
Reluctantly, the ruffians followed, some supporting each other while others struggled on their own, crawling and stumbling along.
The night wind carried the scent of blood through the forest, assaulting their senses.
As they approached the scene of the massacre, even the self-proclaimed fearless ruffians were struck with terror, their knees giving way as they knelt on the ground.
Bodies lay strewn across the ground, fatal wounds gaping from their necks, temples, or foreheads. Freshly spilled blood still warm, the soil soaked, thick and sticky with it.
Each footstep left a bloody imprint, as if it had rained here.
Shen Tang pursed her lips. "Go, bury the bodies."
The ruffians prepared to do so.
At that moment, Zhai Le approached, left hand holding a bow, right hand holding a torch, a brilliant smile still on his face. However, with blood still fresh on his face, anyone who saw him would find him terrifying.
"It's all taken care of, not a single survivor left."
These guards, except for the middle-aged man, who was of moderate ability, were barely touching the threshold of sensing the qi of heaven and earth, their muscles only slightly stronger than ordinary people's. Bullying the elderly and weak was no problem, but facing Shen Brother and him was a different story.
At first, Zhai Le thought Shen Tang would leave some survivors—kill a few to serve as a warning and recruit the rest. Who knew Shen Brother's hand was so quick, every move fatal, with no intention of sparing them at all.
Initially puzzled, Zhai Le quickly understood—these guards, tempted by wealth, had slaughtered their employer's family and, having some martial arts training, colluded together. Who knew what trouble they might cause in the future?
Better to kill them all and be done with it.
Little did the ruffians know, their faces had turned pale.
These two dreaded figures...
Were they the real bandits???
Having infiltrated the caravan for the sole purpose of finding an opportunity to strike, killing for money? The ruffians became more and more convinced of their speculations.
Shen Tang shouted, "What are you staring at? Go dig graves and move the bodies!"
The ruffians hurriedly said, "Y-yes, right away!"
They dared not look at the crates containing gold, silver, and jewels, instead burying their heads in their work. Zhai Le chuckled and lit a few torches to provide them with light. Meanwhile, Shen Tang walked straight to the large wooden crate that had caused the commotion earlier, raised her sword, and split open the brass lock hanging from it.
She kicked the lid open.
Inside, curled up, were people exposed to her gaze.
Zhai Le stepped forward, apparently aware that there were people hidden in the wooden crate. "These are the Lin family members, right? Surprisingly, there's still a survivor..."
The so-called Lin family members were now so frightened that their teeth chattered uncontrollably. They raised their heads, revealing eyes brimming with despair.
Zhai Le curiously approached for a closer look.
He exclaimed, "Wow, such a beautiful girl... Ah!"
Before he could finish speaking, he was slapped on the back of his head, his hands clutching his head in pain as he grumbled, "What was that for, Shen Brother?"
Shen Tang tapped the wooden crate with her sword.
"Stand back," she said tersely.
Zhai Le muttered, "How did I become the scapegoat? Can't I compliment a pretty face? Huh, why isn't she speaking? Is she dumbstruck in the crate, scared stiff by those guards?"
Shen Tang said nothing.
It's also possible that she was frightened into silence by the two of them.
Shen Tang crouched down, her gaze level with the girl sitting inside the wooden crate, and said, "It's safe here now. You can come out."
The girl in the crate was indeed a beauty, appearing to be only about eight or nine years old. Her hair was tied up in a double-looped style, adorned with pearls strung together on a rope, and she wore a slightly askew, delicate golden hairpin. She had a charming oval face, exquisite features, and round, lively eyes. However, her joyful demeanor was shattered by fear, making her look extremely pitiable.
Zhai Le crossed his arms, pursing his lips. "Why is it that when I approach, I'm labeled as a scapegoat, but when Shen Brother gets close, he's just showing concern?"
Could it be "letting friendship fall by the wayside for beauty"?
Shen Tang, without a word, swung her sword towards Zhai Le's feet. He exaggeratedly leaped back, his eyes full of accusation towards his friend, shouting, "Shen Youli, you scoundrel!"
ヾ(●●)滴~ children's card