The First Jasmine - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Adventures at the Bandits' Lair

In a remote, secluded alleyway within the capital, a horse carriage sat in complete silence. The coachman had long since vanished without a trace, and at some unknown point, the surrounding area had been entirely encircled by a group of people. The leader of the group was a man clad in nondescript grey clothing, his long, unkempt hair disheveled and covering half his face. The other half of his exposed countenance appeared rigid and grotesque. A malevolent, poisonous chill glinted within his solitary eye. Even though the late afternoon sun—which had not yet sunk beneath the west—continued to radiate a faint warmth, its light striking the man’s body only served to evoke a bone-deep, shadowy coldness.

"Come out!" the man’s voice echoed in an eerie, sinister tone. For a long duration, there was not a single trace of movement from within the carriage. Seemingly growing impatient from the wait, the man let out a cold laugh and stated, "If you do not emerge this instant, I shall order a volley of arrows. This master knows the occupants inside are not dead. Roll your way out here!"

A brief moment later, a young maid with clean, pleasing features tremblingly lifted the curtain and slid down from the carriage. She then joined another charming young maiden to carefully support a pale young lady with elegant, refined features as she stepped down. An arrow with fletching was impaled into the lower side of the young lady’s right shoulder, and the area pressed tightly beneath her left hand was already stained a deep, saturated crimson. "Who... who are you people?"

The one-eyed man let out a cold sneer, malicious light flickering within his grotesque solitary eye. "So this is the future Princess Consort of Prince Ding? That cripple Mo Xiuyao truly possesses remarkable luck. He only has half a life remaining to him, yet there is still such a beautiful woman willing to marry him!"

Qingluan shifted her body to stand in front, shielding the two individuals behind her. "Since you already recognize our identities, how dare you behave with such utter insolence?"

The one-eyed man smiled savagely. "Others may fear Mo Xiuyao, but I certainly do not. Furthermore... is there anyone left in the capital who still fears him?"

Ye Li looked directly at the man’s eyes. "Does Your Excellency harbor a grievance against Prince Ding, or do you hold a grudge against the Xu clan or the Ye family?"

The one-eyed man froze for a fraction of a second before quickly erupting into wild, unbridled laughter once more. "Prince Ding's woman? Fascinating! I hold no grievance against Mo Xiuyao, nor do I have any grudge against the Xu clan or the Ye family. What do you intend to do about it?" Ye Li stated, "Then it must be that you accepted benefits from someone else to come and cause trouble? Exactly how many benefits did you receive? I shall double the amount for you."

"You?" The one-eyed man stared at Ye Li, evaluating her as though assessing the credibility of her words. "I accepted a twenty-thousand-tael silver note from someone to take your life. Can you truly afford to pay me?"

Ye Li nodded. "If you release us, I shall grant you forty thousand taels."

"On what basis should I believe you?" The man’s solitary eye constricted violently, staring viciously at Ye Li. No matter who a person was, forty thousand taels of silver was an absolute certainty to be an amount sufficient to stir anyone's heart. The gazes of the surrounding men also began to waver, yet because the one-eyed man had not spoken, they dared not act rashly. Ye Li stated flatly, "If you do not believe me, you may allow my maid to return and retrieve the coin for you. We shall exchange the money for the individuals simultaneously, with neither side owing the other. Furthermore... I perceive that you had no intention of killing me from the beginning. I merely request that you refrain from harming us."

The corner of the one-eyed man’s eye twitched violently as he stared at Ye Li. "You think I dare not kill you?"

"If you genuinely desired to take my life, you could have simply ordered a chaotic volley of arrows to shoot us dead just now."

"Very well! Prince Ding's woman is indeed somewhat out of the ordinary! You! Return and fetch the money. If anyone else finds out, or if the silver notes are not seen at the designated location when the time comes, prepare to collect your young lady’s corpse."

Qingyu, who was being pointed at, shook her head fiercely and stated, "I refuse to leave! Allow the Miss to return; we shall remain behind."

The one-eyed man let out a cold laugh. "Do you truly believe I would think the lives of two maids are worth any coin?"

Qingyu bit her lip and said, "My young lady is injured, and I possess a basic knowledge of medicine. Allow Qingluan to return."

"The wound is not severe. If you move quickly enough, you will return before there is even time to treat your young lady’s injury. Begone!"

"Qingyu, you depart first," Ye Li spoke softly. Qingyu bit the corner of her lip, nodding heavily as she said, "Qingluan, take excellent care of the Miss."

Qingluan nodded, turning back to take Qingyu's place in supporting Ye Li. Watching Qingyu stumble her way out of the alleyway, the one-eyed man pointed toward two individuals beside him and commanded, "Follow that maid and bring the silver notes back. As for you two... shall you walk on your own, or shall I have my men invite you to move?"

"We shall walk on our own."

They had been kidnapped; Ye Li looked toward the situation before her eyes with a touch of helplessness. Naturally, for a band of bandits to successfully kidnap a future Princess Consort right from beneath the Emperor's nose in the capital was an absolute certainty to be an incredibly miraculous feat. Furthermore, the entourage shifted away from the capital at an exceptionally rapid speed, arriving at a precipitous mountain peak located a full hundred li outside the capital city. Clearly, they had indeed been kidnapped by bandits, for this was a bandit lair.

Perhaps because Ye Li was still worth forty thousand taels of silver notes, they were not thrown into a bleak, subterranean dungeon. Instead, they were locked within a somewhat crude, small timber room. The moment the door was shut, Qingluan hastily walked over to press her ear against the wooden panels, listening to the occurrences outside before stepping over to Ye Li’s side. She whispered, "Miss, we have traveled so far from the capital; can Qingyu truly find us?"

Ye Li lowered her left hand, which had been pressed against her right shoulder the entire time, and casually extracted the arrow from her body. The arrow had entered diagonally beneath her right shoulder blade, failing to inflict any true injury upon Ye Li whatsoever. The deep crimson bloodstain seeping through her clothing was nothing more than red rouge mixed with a vial of medicinal fluid Qingyu carried on her person. "He never intended to allow Qingyu to return to begin with; he simply cannot bear to part with that forty thousand taels of silver." Qingluan gasped in shock. "Is the Miss saying... they intend to kill us to silence witnesses once they receive the coin?" Ye Li nodded, offering a smile to comfort Qingluan. "Rest your heart. Those two men are not Qingyu's match. She will be perfectly fine." The heavy frown upon Qingluan’s face failed to dissipate even a fraction, and she cast a helpless glance at her young lady. How could she possibly be worried about Qingyu? She was distressed over how they were supposed to escape from this danger. The Master and the Eldest Young Master had entrusted the Miss’s safety to them, yet now that the Miss had been captured by bandits, they could only stand by without a single plan of action. They were truly too useless!

"There are simply too many of them; it is not your fault," Ye Li smiled gently. "Help me bind the wound."

Qingluan nodded, lowering her head to tear a strip of clean cloth from her inner sleeve to bind Ye Li’s shoulder. As she worked, she inquired, "Does the Miss know who wishes to harm us? Could it be the Madam?"

Ye Li shook her head and stated, "Her finances have been tight recently; it is highly improbable for her to suddenly produce twenty thousand taels to hire individuals to kidnap me. Furthermore, such an action would be exceptionally easy to trace back to her. Most importantly, the opposing party clearly has no intention of taking my life. This means either they do not fear my retaliation, or they are someone I would absolutely never suspect, leaving me with no method to retaliate whatsoever. Therefore, it ought not to be the Wang clan."

Qingluan knit her brows. "But the Miss has never offended anyone of such stature."

Ye Li fell into silent contemplation. Kidnapping her without intending to take her life... This meant that once the news of her abduction by bandits spread abroad, her reputation would be utterly ruined, along with her marriage.

"What?"

"Someone does not wish for the marriage between Prince Ding and me to proceed smoothly," Ye Li stated flatly.

"Prince Li!" Qingluan uttered with deep hatred.

Ye Li shook her head. "It is possible, but not a certainty. No matter how foolish Mo Jingli may be, he ought to understand that if something were to happen to me, Mo Xiuyao would be the absolute first to seek him out."

"Then... what should we do now?" Qingluan pushed the door slightly. "Allow the Miss to take the opportunity to escape."

Ye Li shook her head. "This location is at minimum a hundred li from the capital. If matters are truly as I speculate regarding my marriage to Prince Ding, I am afraid the news of my abduction has already spread the moment I departed the capital gates. If it were merely myself wishing to depart this lair, it might not be difficult, but even if I return right now, it would likely be of no utility to the situation. In that case, it is far better to remain behind; perhaps there will be some unexpected discoveries. Let us rest for a moment and discuss it later tonight."

"Understood, Miss."

The Prince Ding Manor

"Your Highness!" The head steward of the manor rushed inside with a face full of anxiety. Beholding Mo Xiuyao, he failed to even offer a proper greeting before speaking hastily, "Your Highness, a severe matter has occurred."

Mo Xiuyao snapped his head up. "What has occurred?"

"The men below just came to report. For some unknown reason, rumors have suddenly erupted outside claiming that Third Miss Ye has been abducted by a flower-plucking thief—" The sudden, piercing gaze from the wheelchair caused the steward’s words to cease abruptly. The steward could not resist shivering, looking somewhat tremblingly at the man seated rigidly within the wheelchair. "Your Highness..."

Mo Xiuyao closed his eyes briefly before snapping them open, demanding, "Exactly what happened?"

"This subordinate also does not comprehend what happened. The men below departed the manor to procure items required for Your Highness’s grand wedding when they heard this news being spread everywhere outside. Sensing something was amiss, they immediately returned to report to this subordinate. This subordinate dared not delay, thus..." Mo Xiuyao raised his hand to cut off his words, commanding, "Immediately dispatch men to the Minister of Revenue's manor to see if Ah Li has returned. Another group must immediately trace Ah Li’s movements after she departed the palace gates, along with the situation inside the palace!"

"Understood, this subordinate shall depart immediately!" The steward dared not linger even a fraction of a second, turning and vanishing down the corridor with extreme speed.

"Ah Jin, inform Feng San. Regardless of the method utilized, this Prince does not wish to hear a single rumor remaining within the capital city," within the silent study, Mo Xiuyao spoke flatly, yet the absolute aura of slaughter within his voice could not resist causing a shudder down one's spine.

"Understood."

"Your Highness," the steward who had just departed reappeared at the entrance.

"What is it?"

"Eldest Young Master Xu has just dispatched someone to deliver an invitation, requesting Your Highness to immediately proceed to the Xu estate's villa for a discussion."

Mo Xiuyao lowered his eyes. "This Prince understands."

The Xu Estate's Villa

Within the main courtyard, Qingyu sat feebly within a chair, a tear sliced through the fabric of her left sleeve, with deep crimson bloodstains dyeing half the fabric. The two men dispatched by the one-eyed man to follow her lay unconscious upon the floor. Xu Hongyu sat upon the head seat with a grim expression, while Xu Hongyan and Xu Qingchen sat below him. Xu Qingze and the others stood to the side, their expressions without exception being exceptionally unsightly. "How are the rumors outside progressing?" Xu Hongyu inquired in a deep tone.

Xu Hongyan replied, "Someone is deliberately broadcasting them. According to Qingyu's account, less than a single hour passed between Li'er’s abduction and the eruption of the rumors, yet it has already spread across the entire capital city."

"Men have been dispatched to search surreptitiously across all quadrants of the capital. It is merely... I am afraid Li'er is already no longer within the capital city," Xu Qingchen knit his brows and stated.

"Right beneath the Emperor's nose, they actually allowed so many individuals to jointly abduct two weak women. What on earth are the capital guards doing?!" Xu Qingfeng’s fury erupted.

Xu Qingchen knit his brows. "We shall discuss that matter a bit later. Can these two individuals not be awoken?"

Qingyu stated, "This maid administered the 'Sinking Incense Intoxication' drug; they ought to awaken in another fifteen minutes." She had originally intended to lure these two individuals directly back to the Xu estate, yet she hadn't anticipated that one of them would be exceptionally vigilant and perceive her intentions. In a fit of humiliated rage, he had attempted to kill her to silence her. She had been forced to exert a fair amount of effort and waste a substantial amount of time to knock them unconscious before she could finally notify the Eldest Young Master. She hadn't anticipated that within such a brief duration, the news of the Miss’s abduction would actually blanket the capital.

"Since they cannot be awoken, allow this Prince to handle it," a flat voice echoed from the entrance. Everyone turned their heads to look. Mo Xiuyao was clad in plain clothing, his expression serene as he sat within his wheelchair, staring at the two unconscious individuals upon the floor. Behind him, the silent Ah Jin pushed the wheelchair inside.

"Your Highness," everyone rose. Mo Xiuyao raised his hand. "The proper matters are of greater weight; let us dispense with the hollow etiquettes. Ah Jin."

"Understood, Your Highness." Ah Jin stepped forward, his right wrist flicking with a crisp crack through the air as a slender, long whip appeared within his grasp. The tip of the whip was lined with tiny barbs that glinted with an icy chill beneath the candlelight.

Crack! The long whip lashed viciously down upon the unfeeling flesh upon the floor. With a sharp tearing sound, the barbs tore away a strip of fabric along with skin and flesh. Amidst the stunned silence of the crowd, Ah Jin unleashed another lash without a shred of mercy. Crack!

Crack!

Before even five lashes had landed, a groan of intense pain echoed from the floor as one of the men snapped his eyes open. What welcomed him was a long whip descending directly toward his face like a venomous serpent. "Ah!"

Crack!

"Ah! Ah..."

"Mercy! Spare me! Spare my life... Ah!"

 

Mo Xiuyao leaned against his wheelchair, his expression entirely serene. "Tell this Prince, where are the individuals you captured?"

"No... I do not know. Your Highness, spare my life... Your Highness, spare my life!"

Crack!

"Ah, the pain... Stop, Your Highness, spare my life. This small one genuinely does not know..."

"This Prince currently only wishes to ascertain the whereabouts of the individuals you kidnapped. Speak it aloud, and this Prince shall grant you your life." Looking down upon the individual upon the floor, Mo Xiuyao’s gaze was entirely devoid of ripples. Yet the individual subjected to his gaze could not resist shuddering violently, moaning out, "This small one... this small one genuinely does not know." Mo Xiuyao nodded. "This Prince admires your fortitude. I hope your fortitude can also allow you to remain alive." Moving his wheelchair slowly to stand beside the man upon the floor, the individual endured the tearing agony across his body to stare at the person drawing increasingly closer, a flash of wild joy flickering within his eyes. The instant Mo Xiuyao drew near him, he suddenly leapt upward and lunged toward him. Yet the individual seated within the wheelchair was clearly far faster; the man tumbled limply to the floor the exact instant before touching him. Then, Mo Xiuyao was seen utilizing an incredibly bizarre technique to rapidly strike various acupoints across the man’s body. This was followed by a series of hair-raising crack-crack sounds accompanied by an incomparably wretched shriek of agony. The individual who had previously lunged forward like a fierce tiger now lay collapsed beside the wheelchair like a pile of shredded rags. Mo Xiuyao accepted a handkerchief offered by Ah Jin, slowly wiping his right hand which had just struck the man’s body, before tilting his head to look at the remaining individual upon the floor. "Now, are you willing to grant this Prince an answer?"

Everyone's gaze fell upon the pile of shredded rags upon the floor—it truly was a pile in every literal sense. The large man, who could originally be considered tall and robust, was contorted and shrunk into a mass at a thoroughly bizarre angle. It was as though every bone within his body had vanished entirely in an instant, leaving him limply and lifelessly balled upon the floor. Yet what caused an even deeper chill down one's spine was that this individual was still alive.

The youngest, Xu Qingyan, could not resist shivering at the scene before his eyes, surreptitiously shifting his body to hide behind Xu Qingfeng. Following his fourth brother provided no sense of security whatsoever now; among their brothers, it was still their third brother whose martial arts were the finest.

The individual who had remained unconscious began to tremble violently. "Spare... spare my life... Your Highness, spare my life..."

"Where are the individuals you kidnapped?" Mo Xiuyao inquired.

"They are not within the capital. Boss... Boss left the capital gates the exact instant he captured the individuals..."

"Where did he go?"

"Sob... I genuinely do not know. Boss said our lair was no longer secure, and that we would relocate after completing this final job. I... I have never been there..." A tall, robust man was actually weeping from sheer terror, appearing thoroughly wretched.

"Then speak of where your original lair was located."

"Outside the capital gates... sixty li away, Black Cloud Peak. Sob... Your Highness, spare my life..."

"Hand them over to Feng San; see if there are any remaining matters to be extracted. Prepare immediately; this Prince intends to depart the city."

"Understood." Ah Jin retracted his long whip, lifting one individual in each hand as he walked outside. The youth’s slender, lean frame lifted two robust men twice his size without displaying even a hint of exertion, walking outside with steps as swift as flight.

Within the crude chamber, Ye Li and Qingluan—one resting upon the timber frame and the other seated upon a stool beside it—were resting their spirits with closed eyes. Despite her closed eyes, an expression of shame and anxiety remained fixed upon Qingluan’s countenance. Surreptitiously opening her eyes to sneak a glance at Ye Li, who was resting against the timber wall, Qingluan spoke softly, "Miss, you ought to lie down and rest for a moment. Qingluan shall keep watch." Ye Li opened her eyes to look at her, offering a shallow smile. "We shall rest for another half-hour. Tonight, you must find a method to depart this location." Qingluan’s eyes instantly widened in astonishment. "How can that be permitted? If anyone is to depart, it ought to be the Miss first. Qingluan knows the Miss is not a weak young lady completely lacking the strength to lift a hand. Qingluan shall draw those individuals away on the Miss's behalf; the Miss will absolutely be capable of breaking out on her own."

Ye Li shook her head and stated, "If you depart, nothing shall happen to me. Yet if they fail to see you, they will absolutely take your life."

"That is still impermissible. I cannot abandon the Miss alone," Qingluan stated with stubborn determination.

Ye Li looked at her with absolute firmness. "Once you return, you can find individuals to come and rescue me. Observing their completely unperturbed manner, I am afraid the location we are currently at is not easy to locate." Qingluan’s mind was an absolute chaotic mess, and she looked toward Ye Li with hesitation. While it seemed following the Miss’s commands was the correct selection, for some unknown reason, she simply felt insecure. Ye Li spoke with an amicable smile, "There is no need to worry. I am the Miss, am I not? Eldest Brother commanded you all to obey my words; could it be you wish to defy my commands?"

"Miss..." Qingluan was entirely at a loss for words, capable only of looking toward Ye Li with tear-filled eyes.

Ye Li looked at her, speaking softly, "Qingluan, be good. Tonight, you must absolutely depart this location. Perhaps, afterward... you shall encounter some unexpected individuals."

"Miss!" Qingluan looked toward Ye Li in sheer terror.

"Be good, do not fear. This Miss possesses a method to extricate myself on my own. Hurry down the mountain to seek rescue; you also wish for us to return home sooner, do you not?" Ye Li smiled as she coaxed her. Qingluan finally nodded her head with a thoroughly solemn expression.

Bang!

The main door of the chamber was kicked open from the outside. Qingluan leapt up from the timber frame with extreme speed, blocking the path in front of Ye Li as she glared vigilantly at the two burly men who had suddenly burst inside. "What do you think you are doing?!"

The lead man’s turbid gaze carried an explicitly lustful intent as he stared at Ye Li, who was shielded behind Qingluan. He laughed, "So this is that Third Miss Ye? This year's top talented woman of the capital, Prince Ding's betrothed?"

The individual following beside him was clearly a minor lackey, accompanying him with a sycophantic smile. "The Second Chief's words are entirely correct. This is precisely the young lady brought back by the Chief."

That Second Chief rubbed his hands together, letting out a sinister laugh. "What exactly does Big Brother mean by this? Leaving two such fresh, exquisite beauties locked up here for what utility?"

The lackey froze, recalling the explicit matters his boss had instructed, and hastily stated, "Second Chief, these two beauties absolutely cannot be touched."

The Second Chief let out a snort and stated, "Once inside my Ghost Cloud Mountain, is there anyone this Chief cannot touch?!"

"This... this young lady is worth a total of sixty thousand taels of silver. The Chief explicitly instructed—especially regarding that Miss Ye—that she must absolutely not be touched under any circumstance."

"Sixty thousand taels?" The Second Chief’s rat-like eyes lit up, flashing with greedy light. His gaze swept across Ye Li’s body once more before returning to rest upon Qingluan. He laughed, "Very well, for the sake of sixty thousand taels, I shall spare her for now. Then this maid shall belong to this Chief. Though her looks cannot compare to that one, she is far superior to those ugly hags within the lair." As he spoke, he lunged straight toward Qingluan’s body.

"Qingluan, strike!"

Ye Li bolted upright, bypassing Qingluan with extreme speed to lunge directly at the Second Chief, striking the minor lackey standing behind him unconscious in a single fluid motion. Qingluan did not delay either; her seemingly petite frame actually possessed immense strength. A single punch struck the opponent's abdomen, followed by a nimble flip that allowed her to land securely behind him. She raised her hand to chop down upon the back of his neck, and the tall, robust man immediately collapsed limply to the floor without uttering even a single groan. Behind her, Ye Li had already shut the timber door with extreme speed.

"Miss."

Ye Li nodded with appreciation. "This little maid’s potential is quite remarkable. Excellent, let us not delay. Do you recall the path down the mountain?" Qingluan recalled it roughly in her mind and nodded her head. Although those bandits had blindfolded their eyes while ascending the mountain, they had overlooked that Qingluan was a martial artist possessing an extraordinary sense of hearing. Though she could not recall it completely, she ought to still remember the general directions. Ye Li stated, "I speculate this lair is newly established; neither its mechanisms nor its defenses will be overly strong. Look out for yourself. Depart."

"Miss, look out for yourself."

Ye Li nodded, reassuring her of her own safety multiple times. Only after sending Qingluan off did she turn back to look at the two individuals still lying horizontally upon the floor. Bending her body, she extracted a hairpin from her hair, piercing it into a few inconspicuous acupoints across their bodies before returning to sit upon the timber frame to rest her spirit with closed eyes.

Ye Li sat quietly upon the frame, her ears entirely focused on listening to the occurrences outside. The mountain lair during the night was entirely serene; clearly, Qingluan had not been discovered by anyone. Ye Li also let out a subtle sigh of relief in her heart. A lightness technique capable of successfully tracking Master Fengyue ought to be trustworthy, correct? As long as she wasn't discovered within a half-hour, a half-hour was entirely sufficient to allow Qingluan to depart this type of Ghost Cloud or Returning Cloud Mountain.

Bang! The crude timber door was once again kicked open from the outside, the panels beginning to sway with great strain under the immense force.

The one-eyed man rushed inside first. Beholding the individuals upon the floor along with Ye Li sitting serenely upon the frame, he froze for a fraction of a second. Yet unexpectedly, he failed to erupt into a fury, instead waving his hand to summon a few men to carry the individuals upon the floor outside.

"It seems I still underestimated you? Where is that maid?" the one-eyed man inquired as he stared at Ye Li.

Ye Li let out a helpless sigh in her heart. She had been discovered ahead of schedule; she could only hope Qingluan could descend the mountain safely. "Have you not witnessed it for yourself? She has escaped." The somewhat grotesque solitary eye narrowed with suspicion, staring at her as he stated, "Why did you not depart together with her? Or did that maid abandon her master to flee on her own? For a mere maid to actually be capable of escaping the lair without a single sound is truly astonishing."

Ye Li looked toward him. "For a band of bandits to actually be capable of kidnapping two individuals right from beneath the Emperor's nose as though traversing an unpopulated region, I am also deeply astonished."

The one-eyed man let out a light snort and stated, "The men I dispatched to follow your maid to retrieve the coin have still not returned to this point. Can you guess what has occurred to them?"

Ye Li shook her head, putting on a bewildered countenance.

"It seems that maid of yours is an expert; perhaps she has already descended the mountain to seek reinforcements. Exactly what do you believe you require to do to preserve your life before the reinforcements arrive?" the one-eyed man stared viciously at the serene maiden before his eyes. Ye Li raised her hand with a touch of helplessness to stroke her carefully bound shoulder, stating, "Perhaps you could consider accepting a sum of money from me and fleeing to a distant land. I believe the reason your two subordinates failed to return is because they intended to commit improper acts against my maid. Since you already know this maid of yours is an expert, you ought to also be capable of deducing that the other one is not too poor either. Therefore, our transaction can actually still continue."

"It seems Miss Ye thoroughly enjoys utilizing money to resolve problems?" the one-eyed man mocked.

Ye Li shook her head. "Has Your Excellency not precisely accepted someone else's money to cause difficulties for me? Since the opposing party also had no intention of purchasing my life, I believe Your Excellency's objective has already been achieved. I trust that before tomorrow arrives, rumors of Third Miss Ye’s abduction by bandits will blanket the entire capital city. As for myself, I am merely spending a bit of money to ensure I do not suffer any substantial harm, and you will also not violate your transaction with the opposing party. A single action yields two benefits; why should it be impermissible?"

"That sounds as though it possesses quite a bit of reason."

"Someone once informed me that any problem capable of being resolved with money is fundamentally not a problem. This time, I shall absolutely not default on the debt. The exact instant I extricate myself, I shall grant you the coin, and I can even pay a deposit first," Ye Li smiled.

"What if I refuse to agree?" the one-eyed man narrowed his eye and asked.

Ye Li stated serenely, "If I perish, the Ye family, the Xu clan, and the Prince Ding Manor will exert all their strength to encircle and eliminate you. If I remain alive, I shall consider utilizing my entire wealth—perhaps including the Xu clan's bridal dowry and the Prince Ding Manor's betrothal gifts—as a bounty to issue a hunt against you across the entire world. I shall not demand your life; for every single blade strike delivered upon you that I can witness, I shall grant one thousand taels. Can you guess exactly how many individuals will accept the contract?"

The corner of the one-eyed man’s mouth twitched for a fraction of a second. "Exceedingly malicious. The premise is that you must be capable of locating me."

Ye Li’s smile grew increasingly tranquil. "A certain individual from Tianyi Pavilion owes me a life."

The mocking smile upon the one-eyed man’s countenance finally froze completely, and the original viciousness within his solitary eye gradually dissipated, erupting instead into a sharp, piercing brilliance. Though he still possessed that terrifying face, it instantly caused one to perceive a trace of the aura belonging to a high-ranking individual.

"As expected of Mo Xiuyao's woman; you are indeed extraordinary."

Ye Li let out a flat, bitter smile. "Merely preserving my life. Perhaps Your Excellency is willing to reveal your true countenance? To speak honestly, I do not thoroughly enjoy speaking to individuals wearing masks." The one-eyed man stared at her with a touch of surprise. "You can discern it? I believed my disguise technique was already capable of substituting the false for the genuine." Ye Li stated, "I am likely somewhat sensitive regarding these matters. I believe a human-skin mask and genuine skin still possess a few distinctions, do they not?"

The one-eyed man rubbed his own face with disdain. "The duration was too rushed—a defective product completed in extreme haste. Since you already know someone intends to ruin your reputation, do you know exactly what demands the opposing party raised?" Ye Li looked toward him. "I am willing to hear the details."

The one-eyed man walked to the side to sit down, his eye displaying a teasing light as he stared at Ye Li. "The opposing party demanded... that your chastity be ruined. Take note, they genuinely intended to... ut-ter-ly de-stroy you."

Ye Li’s gaze turned icy cold. "It is a woman."

The one-eyed man arched his brows in astonishment. Ye Li knit her brows and stated, "Only a woman thoroughly enjoys utilizing such a malicious tactic to deal with another woman."

The one-eyed man shrugged his shoulders and stated, "I shall absolutely never inform you who the opposing party is. Are you not fearful?"

Ye Li looked at him with a solemn expression, pondering for a moment before stating, "You do not intend to execute that action, do you?"

The man nodded, erupting into a hearty laugh. "I must admit, Mo Xiuyao truly possesses discerning eyes—at minimum far superior to that idiot Mo Jingli. I indeed held no such intention. After all, I have no desire to truly infuriate Mo Xiuyao for the sake of a few ten thousand taels of silver."

 

"You know Mo Xiuyao," Ye Li pointed out.

The one-eyed man did not deny it either, standing up as he stated, "We can depart now. Third Miss Ye, let us proceed to retrieve the money I deserve, and then escort you home. What do you think of the arrangement? I estimate that within another hour or two, Mo Xiuyao ought to arrive; this location is not secure." Ye Li rose to follow him without a shred of concern, inquiring, "What shall happen to the individuals within this lair of yours?" The one-eyed man turned his head to offer her a distorted smile. "Surely you did not believe I am truly a bandit chief? Rest your heart; though I am not a bandit chief, the individuals within this lair are absolutely an unadulterated collection of bandits who stop at no evil. Falling into Mo Xiuyao's hands can merely count as their misfortune."

"The original one-eyed chief was likely slain by you, correct?" Ye Li followed the man as they traversed through the crude timber structures. Along the path, they occasionally encountered patrolling bandits who offered greetings to the one-eyed man, and upon beholding Ye Li following behind him, they jointly displayed a tacit, vulgar smile. The defenses here were truly poor; no wonder Qingluan had failed to disturb a single individual within the lair.

"You actually comprehend this as well? It is indeed thoroughly poor; if it weren't for my assistance, relying on these idiots would have caused them to be captured before even departing the capital gates," the one-eyed man replied. "That greedy fellow is currently sleeping soundly within his chamber. To actually desire to monopolize the entire bounty—this master has always earned coin entirely on his own, leaving others with no coin to earn. When Mo Xiuyao arrives, it is precisely perfect to utilize him as a scapegoat. What do you think of this idea?"

Ye Li nodded without concern, evaluating the path ahead which grew increasingly isolated. "Are we departing from this direction?"

The man nodded. "Rest your heart; as long as I obtain the money, I shall absolutely return you to the Ye family completely unscathed." Just as he was about to raise his hand to manipulate a mechanism, some unusual sounds echoed from far down the mountain. Ye Li remained unperturbed, yet the one-eyed man’s expression changed instantly as he hissed a low curse, "Dammit! How could he possibly arrive with such extreme speed?!" Upon finishing his words, he immediately abandoned the original path, pulling Ye Li to bolt wildly toward another direction.

"Are we not taking the secret passage?"

The man stated, "Taking the secret passage is not secure, and it is far too winding. It is highly probable we would be cornered directly." Listening to the sounds drawing increasingly close from a distance, yet observing that the lair itself still displayed not a single trace of movement, it was evident that the arriving individuals were all absolute experts, and that disorderly crowd within the lair had failed to discover even a glimpse of their shadows. The man pulled Ye Li to bolt toward the rear mountain. "There remains another path along the rear mountain; though it is a bit precipitous, it can lead directly toward a valley. Within a brief duration, Mo Xiuyao will absolutely be incapable of locating it."

"However, I..." Ye Li stated.

"Rest your heart, my lightness technique is quite remarkable. Bringing you along will still allow us to descend."

"However, I intend to default on the debt!" Ye Li laughed.