Chapter 4 Bandits “You are.”

Chapter 4: Bandits "You are."

Zhong Yao's father was a sixth-rank official, not a particularly high post, but he was already the most successful one in the Zhong clan.

Their family came from humble origins, with their ancestral home in a small village in Jiangbo Prefecture. Zhong Yao had been back there once when she was five or six.

That place got a lot of rain, and everyone in the village, men and women, young and old, knew how to catch and clean fish. Often, aunties would sit by the riverbank gutting fish.

When she was little and mischievous, Zhong Yao always gathered around to watch. What left the deepest impression was how those fish, even with their guts completely scooped out, could still flop and twitch, frighteningly so.

Just like the vicious dog, still twitching incessantly in the cave at this moment.

And like she herself would, sooner or later.

She was definitely going to die, because she could tell that these three bandits in front of her now were different from the previous ones.

They were more cautious, deliberately keeping their distance from Xie Chi; and more cunning, having come up with a way to test him.

Xie Chi had already taken the bait.

Sure enough, when the Third-in-command threw another piece of clothing, Xie Chi's gaze shifted, and the sharp blade in his hand slashed towards it. The three bandits' eyes lit up, swiftly surrounding him with their knives drawn.

Zhong Yao was so scared she closed her eyes!

The moment her eyes shut, the scene from the inn flashed before her.

The stinking, vicious dog with a mouthful of fresh blood; the waiter wailing on the ground; the shopkeeper bitten into a bloody, mangled mess; and the splintered door panel stained with blood...

Zhong Yao began to tremble. She couldn't stand to think about it any longer and frantically opened her eyes, just in time to see a garment fluttering down not far directly ahead. The short Third-in-command nimbly withdrew from the fight and came over to pick it up.

Even while bending down, he didn't forget to keep his eyes on Xie Chi, sighing, "Young master, you're drugged, blind as a bat, yet your skills are still so agile. No wonder you caught our Chief's eye. It's a pity that to invite you as a guest, we've already lost a good ten men here and there. We really can't afford to lose any more."

He spoke with great sincerity, yet completely avoided mentioning the method of invitation. Moreover, from the sound of it, he intended to silence them permanently.

The Third-in-command turned around holding the garment, then added as if regretfully, "It's a shame the young master wouldn't reveal his name. Otherwise, someday we would surely pay our respects to your esteemed father..."

Before he could finish, a rush of air came from behind.

The Third-in-command's attention was entirely on Xie Chi. By the time he sensed the danger, it was too late. He got clobbered on the back of the head.

This was the first time in Zhong Yao's life she had ever hurt someone—playful pushes or punches didn't count.

Her aim was poor, and her speed lacking. After somehow managing to land the first hit, her hand trembled uncontrollably. By the time she frantically tried for a second strike, the Third-in-command had already turned around, grabbed her wrist, and hurled her aside, sending Zhong Yao crashing violently against the stone wall.

The stone wall was hard, and the impact made her whole body ache.

Zhong Yao forced down her fear, thinking of the blind man amidst her dizziness.

He was completely wrong. It wasn't true that hitting someone hard would take them down. Now, not only was the other party fine, but he was also furious and would surely skin her alive and feed her to the wolves.

"Bitch!" the Third-in-command cursed angrily as he reached her, about to strike Zhong Yao, when a scream rang out.

Xie Chi had reacted faster. Taking advantage of his opponent's distraction, he accurately pinpointed the bandit's location based on sound, swept his blade horizontally, and instantly cut one down.

He had been trapped initially due to the trio's coordination. Now that the situation was broken, his moves became even more precise and swift. By the time the Third-in-command realized, it was too late. He made a split-second decision to take Zhong Yao as a hostage, but the moment his hand reached out, accompanied by her scream, a blood-stained broadsword cut through the air and thudded into the ground right in front of her.

The blade swayed, thrumming with killing intent.

The Third-in-command was nearly stabbed.

That was Xie Chi's blade.

Realizing Xie Chi now had no weapon, he immediately changed his target.

But again, he was too late.

Xie Chi sidestepped to avoid the blade swung by the other bandit, seized his wrist, and twisted. The bandit cried out in pain, his broadsword slipping from his grasp in an instant, snatched by Xie Chi and used to finish him off.

Now only the Third-in-command remained among the bandits, yet he showed no panic at all, smiling as he said, "Young master, your skills are impressive, but I wonder how much longer you can hold on."

As if confirming his suspicion, Xie Chi's body swayed slightly.

But Xie Chi wasn't panicked either. He extended his thumb to wipe the blood splattered on his face, then crooked a finger towards Zhong Yao's blurry figure. When she stumbled to his side, he chuckled softly and said, "Haven't you noticed something wrong?"

The Third-in-command frowned, hesitated for a moment, and said, "The knockout drug you're under was specially formulated by our village's physician. Its effects should last at least twelve hours. You shouldn't have much strength left now."

"That's not what I meant." Xie Chi smiled, tilting his head slightly towards the cave entrance as if listening for something.

The Third-in-command was slightly taken aback, then quieted his breath to listen carefully.

Zhong Yao hid behind Xie Chi, her body aching, mind in chaos, dazedly straining to listen as well.

She heard the sound of wind, rain, the chaotic rustling of branches and leaves, and insect chirps. Beyond that, nothing else.

The Third-in-command heard the same. However, when he carefully recalled the process of searching the wilderness for the two of them, his expression suddenly changed.

Gripping his knife tightly, he scrutinized Xie Chi thoughtfully for a moment before his expression relaxed. He said, "Young master, you are both brave and resourceful. I am no match for you. However, we have suffered many losses on this trip. Surely you must let me take something back to vent my anger?"

Xie Chi: "What do you want?"

The Third-in-command raised his knife and pointed behind Xie Chi, saying, "Her."

Zhong Yao's face instantly turned pale. Trembling, she took a step back, putting some distance between herself and Xie Chi.

Xie Chi glanced back out of the corner of his eye, catching her movement, and said, "The Third-in-command makes a reasonable point. She and I are neither relatives nor friends. There's no need for me to risk my life protecting her."

Zhong Yao took another trembling step back.

Xie Chi sneered and added, "Besides, this girl is good for nothing but crying. What use would I have keeping her?"

Zhong Yao retreated again.

Xie Chi continued, "In the Third-in-command's hands, it would be different. At the very least, with her delicate skin and tender flesh, she should be quite suitable for feeding to the wolves."

Zhong Yao: "..."

She sobbed a few times, her face deathly pale, and shuffled her feet to return to Xie Chi's side.

Xie Chi let out a merciless, mocking laugh, then lifted his chin slightly and said calmly, "I'd very much like to hand her over to you, but I can't."

Having been toyed with, the Third-in-command swept a venomous gaze over him and Zhong Yao, making Zhong Yao feel he might raise his knife and strike at any moment.

But as if he had some concern, he ultimately compromised, saying, "If the young master refuses, what can I do? So be it then. I hope when we meet again someday, our conversation can be more pleasant."

With that, he slowly began to step back, warily circling around Xie Chi and Zhong Yao. He didn't even glance at his gasping comrade on the ground before turning and swiftly leaving the cave.

Even after his figure had completely disappeared, Zhong Yao still felt as if in a dream, unable to believe the danger had been resolved just like that.

Still in a daze, with a *clang*, the tall man before her dropped the broadsword from his hand, and he himself staggered, nearly falling.

Zhong Yao instinctively moved to prop him up.

Xie Chi was completely spent. He lowered his gaze to look at her, then allowed himself to relax completely.

The man's body sank against her like a dead weight. Zhong Yao, still shaky with lingering fear, her legs like jelly and her body clammy with cold sweat, was crushed by the sudden burden. With an "Oof!" they both tumbled awkwardly to the ground.

"..." Xie Chi's face darkened. "Are you an idiot?"

Zhong Yao finally found her voice. She sniffled and replied in a shaky tone, "I am."

Then, in a thin, reedy voice, she asked rhetorically, "Are you a pig?"

"You are," she answered herself.

Xie Chi glared at her, too tired to engage in a war of words. He commanded, "Help me up."

Zhong Yao let out a soft huff, rolled up her sleeves to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, then pushed hard against Xie Chi, who was lying across her legs. After struggling to free her feet, she went to help him up.

Once she had him on his feet, she realized he truly had no strength left at all. He leaned against her like a corpse, pliant in her hands—the posture was far too intimate for Zhong Yao's comfort, but now was not the time to dwell on that.

With great difficulty, Zhong Yao propped him into a sitting position. She wanted to ask him what that bit of theater was with the Third-in-command earlier—what had made him let them go—but before she could speak, a new order came: "Go check those two bodies. Make sure they're really dead."

Zhong Yao's face stiffened. Trembling, she went to drag the large blade from the ground.

The two men were covered in blood and showed no signs of movement. They were likely dead.

Zhong Yao had never dealt with corpses before. She didn't want to go, but if they were only pretending, she and Xie Chi would be in danger.

Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to move. But before she could even drag the blade, two piercing barks echoed from outside the cave.

Zhong Yao instinctively turned her head. Against the light, she saw two swift black shadows lunging toward them. Instantly, cold sweat drenched her entire body.

She understood now. The Third-in-command had never intended to let them go. He was simply unsure how much of Xie Chi's strength had returned and didn't want to risk a direct fight himself.

These two vicious dogs were here to finish them off for him.