The bandit lackeys had already drawn their bows to full tension. Sharp arrowheads gleamed with a chilling light in the cold wind.
All it would take was a single command from One-Eyed Dragon, and the battered exile convoy would be turned into a pincushion.
Seated on the cart, Zongzheng Zhan continued to play the fool on the surface.
But beneath that act, killing intent was already surging through him like a raging tide.
A sharp-edged leaf had somehow found its way between his fingers.
Powerful ancient martial energy circulated wildly at his fingertips.
He was absolutely confident that before those archers could release their arrows, he could use this single leaf to kill One-Eyed Dragon instantly.
Yet at that critical moment, when death seemed only a heartbeat away…
A warm, soft hand suddenly landed on the back of his.
Zongzheng Zhan’s body stiffened.
The violent energy gathering at his fingertips was forcibly suppressed.
Turning his head, he immediately resumed his frightened, foolish expression and looked at Sang Wanwan.
To his surprise, there wasn’t a trace of panic in her eyes.
Instead, they sparkled with excitement.
“The prey just delivered itself.”
She lowered her voice and muttered something only the two of them could hear.
The next second, Sang Wanwan’s eyes rolled mischievously.
Her inner actress instantly took over.
No one knew where she found it, but she suddenly pulled out a wrinkled old handkerchief and covered half her face.
Her straight back immediately slumped.
“Waaah! Hero, spare us! Please don’t shoot!”
Her wailing was so dramatic it could have won awards.
Her voice was pitiful and desperate, exactly like a helpless village woman frightened out of her wits.
The performance was so convincing it could move anyone to tears.
The sudden change caught One-Eyed Dragon completely off guard.
His raised saber froze in midair.
He stared blankly at Sang Wanwan, who was crying her eyes out atop the cart.
Wasn’t this woman calmly cracking sunflower seeds just moments ago?
How had she suddenly turned into a terrified quail?
From the half-naked cart-pulling brutes to this beautiful young woman, was everyone in this exile convoy mentally unstable?
“Stop crying! Shut your mouth!”
One-Eyed Dragon roared irritably, waving his massive saber.
“I’m here for money and women!”
“All the men die and become fertilizer! All the women go up the mountain to entertain my brothers!”
His lone eye swept greedily across Sang Wanwan’s graceful figure.
“You’re prettier than any fairy I’ve ever seen. Tonight, you’ll be my bandit bride!”
The surrounding bandits immediately burst into vulgar laughter.
Weapons clashed together, creating chilling metallic sounds.
Meanwhile, the women of the Prince’s Manor had nearly collapsed from despair.
Dowager Consort Shen felt warmth spread through her lower body.
She had been frightened badly enough to lose control of her bladder.
“Great King! We’ll go with you! We’ll do whatever you want!”
Still pretending to sob, Sang Wanwan peeked through the gap in her handkerchief while carefully observing One-Eyed Dragon’s reaction.
Then she pointed toward the rear of the convoy.
Several large wooden chests sat there beneath waterproof oilcloth covers.
“Great King, we’re just exiles sentenced to death. Our lives aren’t worth much!”
“But those boxes at the back contain the priceless treasures of Marquis Zhenguo’s Manor and the Ninth Prince’s Residence!”
Her voice carried irresistible temptation, as if she were describing an entire mountain of gold.
“Look at those wheel tracks. Each chest weighs over a thousand pounds!”
“They’re filled with gold bricks, imperial jade, and priceless treasures. Any single item inside is worth a fortune!”
The entire mountain pass seemed to fall silent.
Even the howling wind appeared to pause.
One-Eyed Dragon’s eye instantly lit up with greedy green light.
He whipped his head around and stared at the massive chests.
The wagon tracks were indeed deeply pressed into the ground.
Even the mule pulling them appeared exhausted and was breathing heavily.
Gulp.
He swallowed hard.
“As long as you spare our lives…”
Sang Wanwan continued weaving her lies.
“We’ll personally escort all the treasure to Blackwind Stronghold.”
“The wind is fierce out here. Moving these boxes must be such a hassle for your men.”
“Take everything, the people, the carts, the treasure. We’re willing to be your beasts of burden!”
She perfectly portrayed a terrified wealthy woman willing to surrender everything to survive.
The nearly naked assassin laborers collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
They were unarmed.
As long as they didn’t have to fight fully armed bandits, they’d happily pull carts all the way to the underworld if necessary.
Meanwhile, among the rocks nearby, Dowager Consort Shen and the elderly servants stared at Sang Wanwan as if she had gone insane.
“You crazy woman!”
Dowager Consort Shen trembled with rage.
“You’re actually volunteering to take us into a bandit nest?”
“If we fall into their hands, do you think we’ll survive?”
“I’d rather die out here than suffer humiliation from bandits! You’re dragging all of us to our deaths!”
The old servants joined in, beating their chests and crying.
“What a disaster!”
“How could our Prince’s Manor end up with such a cursed woman?”
“We should have smashed our heads against a wall back in the capital!”
Faced with their hysterical insults, Sang Wanwan didn’t even bother glancing their way.
She merely looked pitifully at One-Eyed Dragon and waited for the bait to be swallowed.
Mounted atop his horse, One-Eyed Dragon stroked his beard thoughtfully.
Originally, he’d intended to rob them here and leave immediately.
But those heavy chests looked incredibly troublesome to transport.
And this stunning beauty had willingly surrendered.
If he could bring her back to the stronghold and hold a grand banquet before taking her as his bride…
Wouldn’t that make him look even more impressive?
“Hahaha! Good!”
Greed completely clouded his judgment.
“You know what’s good for you, little beauty!”
He swung his saber onto his shoulder and burst into loud laughter.
“Men! Put away your weapons!”
“Escort every last one of them, carts included, safely back to Blackwind Stronghold!”
“Tonight we celebrate!”
“We open treasure chests and I enter the bridal chamber!”
The bandits erupted in cheers.
To them, this felt like a glorious victory.
Waving their weapons, they herded the exile convoy deeper into the mountains like a flock of sheep.
Walking among the prisoners, Zhao Tieniu wore a face full of despair.
It was over.
Completely over.
Big Sister was usually so clever.
How had she lost her mind today?
Once they entered a bandit stronghold, how could they possibly escape?
The women of the Prince’s Manor cried all the way.
Despair spread throughout the convoy like a plague.
They could already imagine the miserable fate awaiting them that night.
By now, they had probably cursed Sang Wanwan’s ancestors eighteen generations back.
However…
Within this atmosphere of hopelessness and mourning…
The large wagon carrying Sang Wanwan’s group felt like an entirely different world.
There wasn’t a trace of despair.
Only happiness.
“Wow! Mountains! Such huge mountains!”
Little Tuantuan leaned over the side of the cart, staring excitedly at the towering cliffs around them.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
To her, this felt more like a sightseeing trip than a march into danger.
She even held up her deadly purple spider and waved it at the escorting bandits.
The poor bandits jumped back in terror.
None of them wanted that poisonous creature anywhere near them.
Tuantuan snorted proudly.
Standing tall despite his small frame, he swung his wooden sword with impressive enthusiasm.
“Don’t worry, little sister!”
“When we reach the bandit camp, I’ll protect you and Ninth Uncle!”
“If they try to steal our meat, I’ll smash their heads open!”
As for Zongzheng Zhan, who continued pretending to be a fool…
He wore an innocent, carefree smile.
Scooting closer to Sang Wanwan, he blinked his beautiful peach blossom eyes.
“Wife, are we visiting someone’s house?”
“Will there be lots and lots of chicken drumsticks at the bandit camp?”
“Zhanzhan is hungry again.”
Watching the excited trio, even the bandits escorting them couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
Were these people marching into a notorious bandit stronghold…
Or attending a family gathering?
How could they possibly be this relaxed?
Sang Wanwan reached out and gently ruffled the hair of the two children and Zongzheng Zhan.
Lowering her head slightly, a strangely kind yet sinister smile appeared on her face.
“Don’t worry.”
“There won’t just be chicken drumsticks.”
“There’ll also be an entire treasury full of gold ingots.”