Chapter 255: Finding Song Que

Chapter 255: Finding Song Que

The sharp dagger immediately drew a line of blood on his neck.

The bandit leader became nervous and raised his hand to stop the other bandits from approaching.

"Everyone, stand still!"

He feared that if his men came closer, Qin Xiaoyao might be provoked and harm him.

Seeing this, the bandits hesitated and did not move forward.

But they all held their weapons, facing off against Qin Xiaoyao.

Soon, a man who seemed to be in charge stepped out from among the bandits.

"Release the general, or you'll die right here!" The newcomer looked rough and clearly dangerous.

Qin Xiaoyao, however, showed no fear and instead smiled grimly.

"Don't threaten me! Drop your weapons and step back from the dungeon, or—"

As he spoke, he pressed the dagger even closer to the bandit leader's neck.

Immediately, more blood flowed from the bandit leader's neck.

"Second Brother! Damn it, do as he says!" The bandit leader quickly tilted his head back to avoid being cut further, while shouting at the one in charge.

The second-in-command's face darkened.

"Step back," he ordered.

Then, with both hands extended, he led the bandits to take a step back.

"Let's talk. Whatever gold and silver you want, just say it. Release our general, and I'll let you go," he added, addressing Qin Xiaoyao.

A cold smile flickered across Qin Xiaoyao's eyes.

"I'm afraid I won't live long enough to spend it."

"Say it again—step back with your men from the dungeon. My patience is limited!"

Seeing Qin Xiaoyao about to act again, the bandit leader shouted in fear.

"Hurry up and step back! Second Brother, do you want to kill me and take my place?!"

Upon hearing this, the second-in-command's expression changed.

"Retreat!" He shouted.

Then, he finally led the bandits away.

Once everyone had left, Qin Xiaoyao felt slightly relieved.

The bandit leader cautiously tilted his head back again, trying to distance himself from the blade.

But as soon as he moved, Qin Xiaoyao pulled the dagger closer, stopping him.

"Don't move." Qin Xiaoyao growled these two words.

"Ah—okay, I won't move!"

"I'll cooperate fully. Please, don't—don't kill me!" The bandit leader, now terrified, had lost all his previous bravado.

Qin Xiaoyao sneered, feeling quite satisfied.

Having confirmed that he was in control of the situation, Qin Xiaoyao turned to look at Song Que in the cell.

"Husband, don't be afraid. I've come to save you." He then spoke aloud.

Hearing this, the bandit leader's expression changed.

What was going on?

This assassin was actually a woman? And she was the beauty's wife?

What kind of nonsense was this? Could a woman be so skilled?

Just as he was wondering, the bandit leader suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his head and collapsed.

Qin Xiaoyao released her grip, glanced at the bandit leader, and confirmed that he was knocked out before heading to the cell door.

With the dagger, she deftly picked the lock, and the door swung open.

Just as she was about to speak to Song Que, he had already risen and quickly approached, pulling her into a tight embrace.

The hug was strong and tight.

"It's too dangerous. You shouldn't have come," he said after a moment.

Qin Xiaoyao was taken aback, then smiled and patted Song Que's back.

"If something happened to you, how could I not come?" she replied.

Song Que then released her.

Looking at the woman before him, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.

"Taking me with you will make it hard for you to escape." He said immediately.

This was why he had been so excited when he saw her earlier but did not show any of it in front of those bandits outside.

His wife was highly skilled; without him as a burden, she might be able to fight her way out.

As for him, as long as the bandits didn’t know about his relationship with his wife, they probably wouldn’t harm him for now.

But his foolish wife had just exposed their relationship in front of the bandit leader.

Perhaps there was only one option left—

Thinking this, Song Que’s eyes turned cold as he looked at the bandit leader lying on the ground.

"Kill him," he said next.

Qin Xiaoyao followed Song Que’s gaze and looked at the bandit leader, thinking that her husband was resentful because of being imprisoned by him.

She reached out and tugged at Song Que, saying, "We’ll need him as a hostage later. We can kill him once we get out."

"I’ll find some clothes for you to wear first." With that, she walked toward the bandit leader.

Her husband was truly pitiful, having been frozen all night like this.

Once they got out, she would definitely stab the bandit leader a few more times to vent her anger.

Song Que glanced at the thick clothes the bandit leader was wearing. Though he felt a bit envious, he held back Qin Xiaoyao.

"Don’t worry about me. Just kill him and escape," he said.

Qin Xiaoyao was startled.

"Besides him, no one else knows about our relationship. They—shouldn’t kill me for now," Song Que quickly added.

Only then did Qin Xiaoyao understand what Song Que meant.

Her husband wanted her to leave him behind and escape alone.

"No way! That second-in-command bandit doesn’t seem like a good person. Even if he just suspects something, he won’t let you go."

"Besides, I came here to save you. How could I leave you behind?"

Song Que frowned.

He was about to continue persuading Qin Xiaoyao, but she interrupted him.

"Listen to me. Let’s stay in this dungeon and not go out," Qin Xiaoyao suddenly said, her eyes flickering.

"The imperial army is about to attack the stronghold; time won’t drag on for long."

"Once the army comes in, the bandits won’t have time to deal with us here."

"We can leave then!"

Her husband’s concern wasn’t unfounded.

If they went out, she would have to hold the bandit leader hostage while also taking care of her husband, which might be too much to handle.

For close-range attacks, she was confident she could deal with all the enemies coming near her.

But if they attacked from a distance with arrows, she feared she might not be able to protect her husband.

So, rather than risking it outside, it was better to stay in the dungeon.

With the bandit leader in their hands, the bandits shouldn’t dare to launch a reckless assault.

Even if the second-in-command rebelled, she could guard the entrance, making it difficult for them to break in.

Hmph, if she were the second-in-command, she would likely rebel too.

But instead of attacking the dungeon, she would focus on dealing with the imperial army outside and find an opportunity to retreat.

As for the bandit leader, with such dire circumstances upon him, who would even care?

Thinking this, Qin Xiaoyao made up her mind.

After hearing Qin Xiaoyao’s words, Song Que thought about it and agreed.

Earlier, he had been too worried about his wife and forgot about the army outside the city.

"Help me get some clothes," he then said, looking at the bandit leader.

In such cold weather, he had been frozen for most of the night and was already feeling dizzy.

"Okay!" Qin Xiaoyao quickly responded.