Chapter 13: The Mountain Bandit Queen Strikes

“Enough, you’re not allowed to drink anymore!”

Xu Youshan wouldn’t let Jiang Lili and the others become gluttons who would eat themselves to death.

“Luo Er, bring the dishes to me!”

The young servant displayed Xu Zhifu’s collection of jade items one by one, using jade plates, bowls, and platters to serve the food. The extravagance was extreme; even the shabby temple seemed brighter due to the splendor.

The guards and the criminals couldn’t help but admire, their loud whispers making Xu Youshan feel quite pleased.

“You think the things used by the Marquis household are beyond me? I can use the same things!” Xu Youshan said as he walked in front of Jiang Lili and Xin Che. He pointed to a maid in pink beside him. “This is the doctor from my household, Wan Yu. My health is entirely dependent on her care.”

“Then I have doubts about this young lady’s medical skills,” Jiang Lili said seriously. “Because you really do look quite weak.”

“You—” Xu Youshan rubbed his temples. “I’ve figured it out. You’re not concerned about your mother-in-law. You’re just deliberately avoiding kneeling and wasting time here for the sake of your own face!”

The criminals started whispering among themselves.

“Miss Jiang has been married to the Marquis family for less than half a month. How could she possibly be concerned about her mother-in-law’s life?”

“Right, and now that Madam Yang is gone, Miss Jiang doesn’t need to serve her anymore. Less one burden.”

“I bet the rest of the Marquis’s family feels the same way. Look, no one’s come out to scold Miss Jiang.”

“That whole family is full of treacherous people. Otherwise, why would they resort to witchcraft and such crooked ways to plot rebellion? Yet they still pretend to have high morals on the journey!”

Others angrily denounced the Marquis family. Chen Fulan and Xin Cheng’s faces were turning red, but since Jiang Lili had instructed everyone to stay calm and delay for time while they were picking mushrooms, they could only clench their fists and hold back their anger.

Xu Youshan noticed that Xin Che and the others were very protective of Jiang Lili. Even in such circumstances, they hadn’t said a single bad word about her; in fact, it almost felt as though they were indulging her.

His gaze darkened, and he instructed the doctor to check the pulse of the people from the Marquis family to see if they had been poisoned.

After taking their pulses, the doctor shook her head at Xu Youshan.

Xu Youshan was stunned. These people were so lucky? Could one of them be an expert?

Had his own actions just made sure they ate the best food?

The more Xu Youshan thought about it, the angrier he became. Seeing the criminals still condemning Jiang Lili and the others, a plan formed in his mind.

“Look at that, these others have far more conscience than you all,” he said, turning to the group of criminals. “You are all men of justice, so since there’s no poison in the mushroom soup Miss Jiang made, you can all share it!”

“This little pot isn’t enough for everyone, so hurry up and get in line!”

As soon as Xu Youshan finished speaking, the criminals’ eyes lit up like hungry wolves. In the blink of an eye, they rushed toward Jiang Lili and her group from all directions.

Xu Youshan watched coldly. It was common for criminals to fight over food and even die in the process. It wasn’t his fault, was it?

Xin Che immediately moved to protect Jiang Lili, while Xin Cheng pulled Chen Fulan closer, and the four of them surrounded the Marquis and his wife, shielding them.

Such a situation could easily lead to a stampede, and the Marquis family had nowhere to run!

Just as it seemed like the six of them were about to be overwhelmed by the crowd—

Suddenly, a flaming piercing arrow descended from the sky!

The arrow whistled past the heads and clothes of two criminals, narrowly missing them, before it severed the rope holding the pot.

“Bang!”

The pot crashed to the ground, spilling most of the soup, while the criminals who had caught fire screamed and scattered!

“Fire! Fire!”

Many people screamed as they ran outside the temple to put out the fire, but in the midst of the rain, shadows appeared, surrounding the dilapidated temple tightly.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that a group of masked black-clad figures had formed a human wall, blocking any escape.

The roof tiles of the temple were also removed, and black shadows entered one after another.

“Assassins!”

The young servant shouted in alarm!

Xu Youshan’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly moved behind his bodyguards.

Xin Che frowned. Assassins? Were they after him? He pulled Jiang Lili closer.

The atmosphere became extremely tense, and no one dared to speak!

The human wall in the rain parted, and a woman in green stepped forward, with a tall man in white holding an umbrella for her.

“This mountain was opened by me, and this tree was planted by me.”

The woman in green walked through the rain, her head slightly tilted, her sharp phoenix eyes revealing an intense, piercing gaze from under her conical hat. “You want to rest here, did you ask for my permission?”

Wang Zifu’s heart sank. They had finally encountered the mountain bandits!

Jiang Lili, hearing that voice, couldn’t help but laugh bitterly while rubbing her forehead, feeling a helpless sense of familiarity, like running into an old acquaintance who was showing off.

Guan Yue had finally arrived!

Who would have guessed that this formidable female leader, who radiated such authority, had once been the girl who hid under the desk eating spicy strips during class?

Wang Zifu grinned, with some pain in his heart as he took out half a bag of gold leaves. “This leader, we are a group of exiles from the capital. Could you show us some leniency?”

“No.” Guan Yue shook her head. “Take everyone away, search their bodies!”

With a wave of her hand, the black-clad mountain bandits surged into the temple and wrapped sacks around everyone inside.

Meanwhile, Xu Youshan’s bodyguard seized the opportunity to perform light martial arts and attempted to carry Xu Youshan to escape from the roof!

Guan Yue noticed and signaled with her eyes. The masked man in white by her side threw a flying knife, hitting the bodyguard’s vital spot with deadly accuracy!

Xin Che, seeing the skill of the white-clad man, was momentarily stunned, his gaze locking onto him.

The bodyguard and Xu Youshan fell heavily to the ground, choking on a mouthful of dust.

Xu Youshan, furious, shouted, “I am Xu Youshan, son of the Magistrate of Yanzhou. How dare a mere nobody bind me?”

“And what if I bind you?” Guan Yue replied coldly. “My words are the law!”

“Take them away!”

Guan Yue then tiptoed and patted the head of the white-clad man who had just acted, saying, “Good job, husband!”

Her gesture was much like petting a large golden retriever.

Jiang Lili was stunned. Could this be the so-called bandit husband Guan Yue had mentioned? He was so skilled and yet so obedient to her.

Impressive, Sister Yue! No wonder she studied Marxist theory—she must have educated her bandit husband well.

While Jiang Lili was still in shock, she didn’t notice that Xin Che beside her was equally dumbfounded.

As the people in the temple were each tied up in sacks and taken away, the temple gradually grew empty.

Guan Yue was quite pleased with her grand entrance. After indulging in the thrill of showing off her authority, she finally remembered she had come to rescue a poor, helpless soul.

She strode over to Jiang Lili, and out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the stunningly handsome man beside her, exuding a remarkable air.

Oh? This must be the handsome, strong, and miserable young prince Jiang Lili had mentioned.

Guan Yue suddenly had a mischievous glint in her eyes. She stepped forward and lifted Jiang Lili’s chin with her finger. “This little beauty is absolutely stunning. My idiot second brother is in need of a wife, so I’ll take her for him!”

Jiang Lili was left speechless. She was covered in dust, nearly looking like a zombie from how thin she had become. How could Guan Yue say such a thing?

“How dare you!”

Xin Che’s voice was filled with killing intent, his eyes fierce. The glare startled Guan Yue, causing her to shrink her hand slightly.

She cleared her throat a few times, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

“Take this ungrateful man away!”

Guan Yue said arrogantly, placing her hands on her hips. “Everyone except this girl I’m interested in, take them all away!”

As soon as her words finished, the white-clad man beside her stepped forward and immediately began to restrain Xin Che.

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