Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 110
Chapter 110 - Killing for the First Time
Waking up once more, she found herself surrounded by pitch-black darkness.
Yun Chu instinctively felt around her side until her hands brushed against a small, soft body.
As her eyes grew accustomed to the dimness of the room and she began to make out vague silhouettes, she carefully examined the child from head to toe, confirming that he was completely uninjured before letting out a breath of relief.
She stood up and noticed a tiny barred window high up near the ceiling.
Scant starlight filtered through the wooden slats, faintly carrying the sounds of men speaking outside.
Scanning the cramped enclosure, she spotted an overturned wicker basket, which she promptly retrieved, flipped upright, and used as a stepping stool while steadying herself against the wall.
Peering through the window bars, she saw that they were deep in the mountains, surrounded by a few wooden shacks where seven or eight men were huddled around a roaring campfire—the very same gang they had encountered on the street earlier that day.
Out of the seven or eight men, five were nursing injuries and continuously heaping curses upon the Prince of Pingxi.
"We didn't go around murdering or setting fires in these mountains; we only occasionally shook down passing wealthy travelers to stock our larder. What right does he have to wipe us out in one fell swoop?"
"So many of our brothers died at the hands of the Prince of Pingxi. We must use the blood of the little Prince of Pingxi to pay tribute to our fallen brothers!"
"Don't act rashly!" barked a man who appeared to be their leader. "We took the massive risk of kidnapping the Young Prince, and we've already lost two brothers in the process—this isn't just about blowing off some steam. The Prince of Pingxi's campaign against bandits is far too aggressive, and countless bandit dens have already been uprooted. There's no way we can remain bandits from now on! The only reason I had the Young Prince brought here is to trade this precious little royal scion for a massive sum of silver. Once we split the bounty among us, we can all go our separate ways, find some quiet place to live like wealthy squires, and enjoy a life of ease—isn't that better?"
The seven or eight men immediately nodded in agreement.
Given a better choice, who would willingly live their life with their heads tucked into their belts?
Two burly men stood up. "Third Brother, we'll go hack off one of the Young Prince's arms and send it to the Prince of Pingxi's Manor. I'll wager the Prince will do exactly as we say."
The leader nodded and tossed a blade over to them. "Be careful not to take his life, or the rest of us will be buried along with him."
Catching the knife, the two thugs strode toward the wooden shack.
Yun Chu had merely been trying to survey the terrain, but those words struck her with such terror that she broke out in a cold sweat.
She scrambled down from the basket in a flurry, rushed over to the sleeping child, and shook him frantically. "Yu'er, wake up! Stop sleeping, Yu'er!"
The little fellow slowly blinked his eyes open, and the moment he laid eyes on Yun Chu, a bright smile spread across his face. "It's Mother! It feels so wonderful to open my eyes and see Mother right away. Huh, why is it so dark in here, and why isn't Mother lighting a lamp..."
Yun Chu had no leisure to correct his form of address. Seizing him by the arms, she hoisted him up, unfastened her own sash, and tied it securely around the boy's waist.
"Listen to me. I'm going to lift you up so you can crawl out through that window. The drop outside is high, but I'll hold onto the sash and lower you down slowly." As she spoke, she had already hoisted the child onto her back. "Once you touch the ground, don't run around blindly—hide inside that wooden shack facing southeast..."
That shack stood directly opposite the bandits' campfire; slipping in from the back side to hide embodied the notion that the most dangerous place was the safest place...
Before she could finish her instructions, heavy footsteps echoed right outside the door.
Trying to hoist Yu'er out of the window at this juncture was utterly out of the question; doing so would only cut off their very last avenue of escape.
With the utmost speed she could summon in her life, Yun Chu leaped down from the basket, kicked it violently into a corner, and shrank back against the opposite wall with the child clutched in her arms.
The lock was rattled, and the door was kicked open with a loud crash.
"Well, look who's awake!" one of the thugs sneered as he strode forward, grabbing Chu Hongyu by the shoulder and jerking the boy roughly toward him.
He then proceeded to roll up the child's sleeves with brisk efficiency.
The other ruffian drew his saber, spitting a glob of saliva onto the lethal edge.
No matter how composed Chu Hongyu was, he was still a mere four-year-old child, and terror finally broke through as he burst into tears.
"Young Prince, don't blame us." The thug patted the boy's arm, seemingly contemplating the cleanest spot to sever the limb. "Trading one of your arms for a lifetime of wealth and glory for us brothers—it's a fair bargain."
"No, stop!" Yun Chu lunged forward, throwing her arms around the child as tears welled in her eyes. "Take my arm instead—use mine..."
"You're a fiercely loyal maid, aren't you!" One of the thugs grabbed Yun Chu by the collar. "Though your attire doesn't look much like a servant's..."
"Can't you tell? This is a young married woman! I've never seen such a gorgeous young beauty in my life! She must be the Prince of Pingxi's woman!" The other brute broke into a lecherous laugh. "Look at that—the woman's sash is already undone. She was probably waiting for us brothers to lavish her with some fun!"
Since Yun Chu had used her sash to tie off Chu Hongyu's waist, her outer garments hung loosely about her frame, revealing the faint, slender curves of her waist beneath the folds.
Cowering with hunched shoulders, she wept pitifully and sobbed, "I can serve you both... I beg of you, just let the Young Prince go..."
Exchanging glances, both brutes felt their desires instantly stirred.
Having been hounded relentlessly by the Prince of Pingxi's forces and fleeing day and night for weeks on end, they had long been starved of the pleasures of a woman.
A woman as breathtaking as this, and to top it off, belonging to the Prince of Pingxi himself—anyone would harbor such wicked thoughts...
Turning their heads to confirm that their leader, Third Brother, was still engrossed in eating and drinking by the fire, they quietly hurried over to shut the door, yanked the child aside, and dragged Yun Chu down onto the straw mat.
Offering no resistance, Yun Chu allowed them to lunge forward together.
Her gaze locked onto Chu Hongyu, their eyes meeting in a silent exchange before they nodded simultaneously.
In the next instant, a short, gleaming dagger materialized in Chu Hongyu's hand—a blade Yun Chu had given him for self-defense and slipped into the child's keeping earlier.
As for herself, she wrenched a sharp hairpin from her hair.
Lifting her hand, she drove the hairpin viciously into the neck of the thug pinning her shoulder.
Splat!
Warm blood sprayed across her face, and the brute collapsed to the floor without even managing a dying groan.
Stunned in disbelief, the second thug lashed out with a kick, striking Yun Chu squarely in the side. "Wretch, how dare you try to ambush our bro—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp, piercing pain flared in his lower back. Whirling around in shock, he saw the child he had just tossed aside driving a blade directly into his waistline.
A mere child lacked the physical strength to inflict a fatal wound, but enraged beyond measure, the thug abandoned Yun Chu and lunged to grab Chu Hongyu instead.
Executing a nimble roll, Yun Chu snatched up the long saber the ruffian had dropped onto the dirt floor and brought it crashing down with all her might upon the man's head.
Thud.
The brute crashed heavily to the ground.
This was the first time Yun Chu had ever taken a life.
Panting heavily, she discarded the saber with trembling fingers and spoke in a strained voice: "Yu'er... hurry, let me lift you up..."
Trembling so violently that his teeth chattered, Chu Hongyu fought to steady himself. Scrambling onto Yun Chu's back, he successfully hoisted himself up to the window ledge. "Mother, don't be afraid—I'll find a way to save you..."
Putting on a stern face, Yun Chu whispered fiercely, "Just go hide and don't stir up trouble! Protecting yourself is what matters most; I have my own way out, now hurry down!"
Sniffling back his tears, the boy grabbed hold of the hanging sash, inched his way down foot by foot, and finally dropped safely to the earth below.
Casting one last worried glance back at Yun Chu, he broke into a sprint and dashed away in the direction she had instructed.
Yun Chu let out a long breath.
Dropping down from the window sill, her mind raced as she pondered how to effect her own escape.