On the remote frontier of ancient Shu, in Yellow Bamboo Town.
When Qin Yi's consciousness resurfaced once more, what his cheek felt was the icy touch of tamped earth, along with the faint sound of conversation drifting in from not too far away.
"...damn it all, I don't get why the boss insisted on taking this job. Killing a little girl, and they sent this many people! What a load of boring crap."
"I heard from the boss that girl is pretty formidable."
"No matter how formidable, she's still just a kid. What's she gonna do, turn the world upside down?"
"That, I wouldn't know."
Following the sound, his blurry vision gradually sharpened, and he saw a man and a woman.
Firelight flickered as the two sat around a rickety square table propped up with stones, playing domino tiles in their hands. There were quite a few bits of crushed silver on the table, and two pudao sabers laid nearby.
The scarred man was burly, wearing coarse cloth garments.
The woman had short hair and a fitted outfit, her muscles faintly visible beneath her clothes, but she had her back to the corner, so he couldn't make out her face.His gaze lingered for a moment before shifting to survey the surroundings.
The room had no windows, only a door pieced together from crude wooden planks. Iron rings embedded in the earthen walls held oil torches, their flames tilting and swaying as they dragged the room's entire outline out of the darkness.
After staring at the raw timber support beams for a few breaths, Qin Yi roughly determined that this was an underground chamber.
Kidnapped...
Qin Yi thought, but felt no particular emotional fluctuation.
Ever since he had transmigrated as a child, a brain disease similar to Alzheimer's from his previous life had taken root in this body. Most of the time, he existed in a state of unconscious chaos, occasionally snapping awake for just a single day like this.
Having lived this way for so long, he had grown accustomed to a life where he might open his eyes and immediately drop dead.
His gaze wandered and he noticed that besides the two roaming bandits, there was another girl in the room, slightly older than him. She was also bound and lying in another corner, seemingly asleep.
He didn't recognize her.
But she was probably an abducted rich man's daughter.
Her goose-yellow dress was filthy, yet it couldn't hide the premium quality of its fabric.
The man and woman weren't looking at them, playing cards and talking business on the side.
The scarred burly man was clearly impatient by nature, restlessly bouncing his leg as he sat on the stool:
"Third Auntie, are we really heading into the mountains after this job? I hear it's been pretty unstable up there lately. Boss Li and Boss Zhou's crews went in and never came back out."
The short-haired woman glanced at him with irritation:
"First you complain it's boring, now you're scared of danger. Why are you being as fussy as a woman?"
"The hell you talking about!"
The scarred burly man got riled up by the mockery: "I'm worried about that big beast up there. You didn't go last time, but I caught a glimpse from afar. That thing's been eating people so much it's practically become a mountain lord!"
"Heh."
The short-haired woman smiled noncommittally, leisurely laying out her dominoes. Her fingertip lightly tapped across each tile, her tone carrying a slow, self-satisfied smugness:
"Supreme pair. I win again."
The scarred burly man looked at her hand, his face twitching. He slammed the square table hard with a muffled thud, the stones propping up the table legs nearly slipping out, and pointed at her as he cursed:
"Three hands you've dealt, two heavenly pairs, one supreme! Damn you, if you weren't cheating me with trick tiles, I'd take your surname!"
The short-haired woman chuckled without getting angry, her squinted eyes curving into two slits:
"A woman has her time of the month, you know. Pay up."
"Go to hell! You cheated and still want money? Give me back my stake!"
The scarred burly man said as he reached out with a rough, fan-sized palm, forcefully trying to rake in the silver bits on the table.
"Put it down."
The short-haired woman's voice suddenly turned icy cold, carrying a low, chilling edge that was no weaker than the burly man's. The playful creases on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by a bone-deep chill.
The scarred burly man looked up, his reddened eyes flashing with fierce brutality, refusing to yield an inch. His fingers had already found the handle of the pudao saber beside him as he cursed:
"I'll take it if I damn well—"
Before he could finish, he saw that the short-haired woman had already picked up a handheld crossbow, its bolt aimed straight at him, glinting coldly in the firelight:
"Put it down!"
"..."
The scarred burly man's bloodshot eyes instantly cleared.
After a moment of silence, he squeezed out a smile:
"Ha... come on... just joking. We've been brothers for years, no need for this... really no need."
The short-haired woman stared at him, firelight reflected in her squinted eyes as she curved them into a smile:
"Who's your brother? I'm a woman, so hand over the silver nicely. And the bonus for my supreme pair."
The scarred burly man's face cycled through red and green before he flicked a piece of crushed silver from his chest. The silver bounced twice on the tabletop before rolling into the pile.
He slumped heavily back into his chair, his voice muffled:
"That's all I've got. The rest I owe."
"Fine, we'll do it with compounding interest."
"I'll fucking—"
"Hm?"
The short-haired woman casually raised the crossbow, the tip of the bolt tracing a short arc through the air.
"Fine." The scarred burly man gritted his teeth and squeezed out a single word.
Seeing this, the short-haired woman returned the crossbow to the leather holster at her waist, her leisurely smile returning as she asked sweetly:
"Pockface, want to borrow some money to win it back?"
The scarred burly man's cheek twitched. He leaned heavily back into his chair and snapped:
"Win my ass! Tch... ah, forget that. Wasn't there a rumor that the big shot at the Immortal Guest Lodge wanted to take this kid's sister as a concubine? How does the boss dare move against her?"
The short-haired woman picked up a piece of silver, brought it to her mouth, and bit down, leaving tooth marks on the surface. After confirming its quality, she grinned contentedly. Instead of answering right away, she asked unhurriedly:
"You sure you're done playing? Then I'll pack up the money, yeah?"
By the rules of the underworld, the winner couldn't voluntarily leave the table.
The scarred burly man stared at the scattered bits of silver on the table, his throat feeling like something was stuck in it. He waved his hand in irritation.
The short-haired woman laughed as she gathered the silver bits one by one toward herself, explaining leisurely:
"That crazy girl refused. When she got wind of it, she burned her own face with fire. So that big shot seems to have decided not to protect her anymore."
The scarred burly man's thick brows knitted together in shock:
"That girl's that ruthless? But why?"
The short-haired woman shrugged: "How would I know? Plenty of people would kill to climb into that man's bed. I can't even get such a chance, and that girl turned it down. Hah."
Looks were the most convenient way to cross class lines. Even a bit of resource leaking through the cracks of the higher-ups' fingers could keep soldiers like them clothed and fed for life.
The scarred burly man thought for a moment, his brows relaxing then furrowing again. Suddenly, he turned back to look at Qin Yi, bound in the corner.
The corner was dark, the firelight only reaching the vague outline of the small figure curled into a ball.
He grinned and asked:
"It's not because of her little brother here, is it?"
"If she'd gone with that big shot, wouldn't their lives be way better than now?"
"Tch, true enough."
The scarred burly man nodded, stood up, walked over to Qin Yi, and looked down at him from above.
Qin Yi lay on the cold muddy ground, looking up from his ankles, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth:
"Ah... Ah..."
Most of the time, he was an idiot. But the identity of an idiot was sometimes his best protective coloring.
Like right now.
The scarred burly man's eyelid twitched. He raised his foot and kicked Qin Yi without mercy, sending his whole body curling up and slamming hard into the corner of the wall:
"Get the hell away from me, don't disgust your Uncle Ma."
"..."
After the kick, his irritation didn't dissipate. As if remembering something, he grinned wide and turned toward the other hostage in the room.
As he approached the girl, before he could even lean down, Third Auntie's voice, dropping in temperature, came from behind:
"If you don't want to be killed by the boss, Wang Ma, you'd better not touch this girl. Her family doesn't look simple."
"..."
Wang Ma looked back to see the short-haired woman eyeing him sideways, her fingertip gently rubbing a piece of silver. His fist clenched slightly, and he let out a forceful snort.
Third Auntie smiled at the sight and pointed at Qin Yi:
"If you're really that pent up, you can take it out on that brat. Nobody's protecting him. Alive or dead, nobody cares."
Qin Yi: "..."
"Screw you."
The scarred man's expression turned ugly. His eyes rolled for a moment, then he let out a long breath and asked:
"Third Auntie, can we keep this kid's sister alive for a bit?"
The short-haired woman instantly understood what he meant and sneered:
"Not going to Willow Lane today?"
"Ain't all my money lost to you?"
At that, the scarred burly man's already gloomy face turned even darker. As if finally finding an outlet for his anger, he walked back to Qin Yi and kicked him viciously again.
As he kicked, he cursed:
"Damn it! If I hadn't had to watch you little brat, how would I have lost at gambling?! Huh?! Son of a bitch!!"
Qin Yi's hands were bound behind his back, so he could only arch his knees up to protect his chest and abdomen, trying his best to dodge each kick that might damage his organs.
After a dozen or so breaths,
the scarred burly man seemed to find it boring. He spat out a thick glob of phlegm:
"Good-for-nothing piece of crap. In a bit, I'll put on a show right in front of you with your sister. Too bad you're an idiot, or that would've been entertaining."
The short-haired woman gathered every last silver bit on the table into a pouch, pulled the drawstring tight, and curved her red lips into a satisfied smile as she replied casually:
"That crazy girl already ruined her face. If we can capture her alive, and you don't mind, the boss probably won't object. We have to kill her in the end anyway."
Staring at her bulging money pouch, the scarred burly man's eyes gleamed with greed. But thinking of her crossbow quickly killed the thought. He snorted coldly and headed for the door.
The short-haired woman called out to stop him:
"Where are you going?"
The scarred burly man grabbed the pudao from the table, twirling it in his hand without looking back:
"It's getting dark. I'm going to find us some food. Don't tell me you can't even watch over one idiot!"
The short-haired woman chuckled and tossed the pouch in her hand toward his back before flicking out a piece of silver:
"Get me a portion too. I'll pay you triple."
"You mother—"
The scarred burly man's steps faltered. He caught the silver, the veins on his neck bulging, but he held back. Money was money, only a fool would refuse it. He barked out one word:
"Fine!"
Bang.
The crude wooden door was slammed shut with force, the whole chamber vibrating with the impact. The torches flickered violently from the gust of air.
The chamber fell quiet in an instant,
leaving only the faint crackling of burning torches and the creaking of the short-haired woman rocking her wooden chair.
Qin Yi remained lying in place, motionless.
He was thinking.
Kidnappings always had demands, but this kidnapping didn't seem to be about money or goods. It was about killing his sister. So whether they succeeded or failed, these two had no reason to let him live.
Which meant he had to do something to change the situation.
Huff...
He let out a soft breath.
Encountering trouble, then escaping it - he had experienced this template many times. The only question was whether he should talk things out with the short-haired woman, or simply resort to violence to break the deadlock.
After a moment's consideration, Qin Yi chose the latter.
Direct violence.
The short-haired woman clearly loved money, but he couldn't prove in a short time that he could bring her enough wealth.
Killing her with direct violence carried less risk than talking.
Qin Yi pressed his back against the cold, damp tamped-earth wall and slowly slid a sharp piece of iron out from the sole of his shoe.
To ensure he could survive even during periods of unconsciousness, Qin Yi had prepared multiple layers of insurance in advance.
The sister he'd picked up was the first layer. The younger brother who had gone missing recently was the second. If he woke up in his current wooden house, he would have even more protective measures.
The iron piece hidden in his shoe was his last layer of insurance, and because of his young, frail body, it was also the weakest. But dealing with this woman, it should be just barely enough.
Based on the strange knowledge remaining in his mind from his previous life, this group of roaming bandits was severely unprofessional.
No one delivering meals, no pat-downs of hostages, gambling while on watch duty, no regular checks on hostage conditions, daring to leave a single person to guard prisoners...
A very free-spirited ragtag crew.
Using the iron piece to saw through the hemp ropes at his wrists and ankles until they were hanging by threads, Qin Yi began thinking about how to lure the short-haired woman over without her guard up. But just as the thought flashed through his mind, the short-haired woman sitting at the square table suddenly moved.
Third Auntie tucked the pouch of silver into her bosom and took the initiative to walk toward Qin Yi.
Her footsteps stopped in front of him. Her clothes rustled as she bent down and squatted. Then Qin Yi felt a hand land on his head, grabbing his hair.
The pain of hair being yanked and the tugging force made Qin Yi lift his head. His dull gaze drifted toward the woman, meeting her eyes, and he finally got a clear look at her face.
Not pretty. Actually somewhat ugly. But she carried a peculiar aura - very cold, radiating a sharp, ruthless killing intent.
No wonder that scarred burly man was afraid of her.
While Qin Yi sized her up, the short-haired woman was also examining him, from his brows and eyes down to his lips, then from his lips to his neck. A look of interest curled at her mouth as she reached out and patted Qin Yi's cheek:
"I was wondering earlier why there was so much charcoal ash on such a fine face. You really are handsome. Good thing that Wang Pockface didn't beat you up. I'll train you a bit and make you a breeding stud. Once I've had my fill of fun, I'll sell you off... there should be plenty of wealthy ladies in the county who'd want you. Heh~ maybe some of the gentlemen would like you even more. But we won't be sharing that money with those soldiers."
With that, she prepared to stand up, planning to find a sack to stuff the brat into and hide him away in the chamber. When Wang Ma came back, she'd just say she'd killed him.
And at that very moment,
"Tsk."
The slight sound of a tongue clicking was extremely noticeable in the silent chamber, masking the faint snap of hemp rope breaking.
Third Auntie froze at the sound, instinctively searching for its source, but her gaze ultimately landed on the boy in front of her.
Their eyes met.
No murkiness. No dullness.
Those were a pair of calm, deep, abyssal eyes.
What... is this?
A flood of confusion surged up, but Third Auntie's brain didn't have time to process any of it...
Because cold light had already rippled rapidly in the flickering firelight.
Shik!
A slight chill at the side of her neck.
That chill was precise and brief, like cutting through something soft. The sensation of warm liquid spraying from her neck was utterly nauseating.
Without a single thought, her body's instinct made the choice for her.
Almost in the next instant, her arm erupted with tremendous force, flinging Qin Yi's hair-holding hand to the side!
The world spun before his eyes!
Bang!
Qin Yi's body was sent flying several meters, his back slamming into the tamped-earth wall before hitting the ground hard.
Bits of wall plaster flaked off, landing on his shoulders and in his hair. Pain shot through every part of his body, and an itch rising in his throat made Qin Yi cough lightly a few times uncontrollably.
Ignoring the pain radiating from his body, the moment Qin Yi hit the ground he immediately rolled sideways, cutting through the hemp rope at his ankles in the process before getting to his feet.
After slightly stretching his stiff body, Qin Yi's gaze fell on the short-haired woman on the other side.
She had reacted fast. The moment she was attacked, she'd fought back and even drawn the short dagger at her waist. But it was clearly the wrong choice.
She should have gone for her crossbow.
That way, she might have had a chance to trade one for one.
Qin Yi relaxed his tense body and casually brushed the dust off his clothes.
And in that gap,
the short-haired woman had already fallen to her knees, desperately gripping her slit throat with both hands, trying to plug the gushing blood, trying to hold onto her fading life. But it was all futile.
Blood
continued to spray and seep through the gaps between her fingers.
The wound in her carotid artery sent blood pumping out, flooding back into her windpipe, surging up into her mouth. The short-haired woman mumbled words Qin Yi couldn't understand:
"You... ugh... gah... gurgle... cough... ah..."
Qin Yi walked toward her unhurriedly.
A severed carotid artery could sustain at most half a minute of consciousness. By the time Qin Yi reached her, the short dagger in the woman's hand had already slipped from her weak grip. Only her wide, staring eyes remained fixed on him.
Qin Yi didn't look at her.
He wiped the blood off the sharp iron piece with his clothes, tucked it back into his shoe, then bent down to pick up the short dagger she'd dropped, twirling it deftly between his fingers.
This wasn't his first time killing.
The world outside was chaotic. If you didn't kill, you'd be killed.
Third Auntie's bloodshot eyes bulged wide, the venom in them gradually replaced by fear. One hand clutching her neck, the other reaching for Qin Yi. But by now, all her strength was gone. The imagined fist-blow with a burst of force turned into a feeble grasp, merely leaving a few bloody fingernail marks on Qin Yi's tattered hemp garment.
After a moment's thought, Qin Yi reached out his small hand and took hold of hers. His muscles pulled at the corners of his mouth, stretching into a smile:
"Auntie, don't be afraid. Once you're dead, it won't hurt anymore."
Third Auntie: "..."
The little girl: "..."
With that, Qin Yi drove the short dagger into the short-haired woman's eye socket.
The crisis was temporarily resolved.
Taking a deep breath, the itch in his throat made Qin Yi cough lightly a couple more times, and he noticed speckles of blood in his palm.
This was why he didn't want to take risks.
That fierce woman who licked blood off her blade was nothing like the soft adult shut-ins of his previous life's peaceful era. Even with her carotid artery pierced, she could still counterattack and give him internal injuries.
But it probably wasn't too serious.
Casually pushing the corpse to the ground, Qin Yi swept his gaze across the chamber.
He wasn't planning to escape.
Running couldn't solve any problems.
His biggest insurance, his elder sister, was in an unknown state of life or death. If he couldn't eliminate this group of roaming bandits while he was conscious, then once his brain disease flared up again, he'd be dead anyway.
He needed more intelligence.
The size of the bandit crew, the identity of the mastermind behind it, and the reason that mastermind wanted his sister dead. All of that information currently only existed in one source: that scarred burly man.
Qin Yi needed to prepare an environment where he could interrogate him.
Silence. The rustling of searching.
This chamber was clearly the bandits' hideout. Some burlap sacks and wooden crates were piled in the corner. Opening them, Qin Yi found quite a bit of smuggled spices, tobacco, and leather goods.
Whoa... they had a side business.
He searched out all the usable items and laid them on the ground. Most came from the short-haired woman's corpse.
A pouch of crushed silver.
A short dagger.
A handheld crossbow.
Thirteen spare bolts in a deerskin quiver.
The pudao saber Qin Yi couldn't use. Designed for continuous hacking and slashing, its blade was too heavy for his frail physique to swing.
If he survived, he could take it to a blacksmith and have it melted down to add some tools to the household.
Bending down to pick up the crossbow, Qin Yi examined it for a moment.
The craftsmanship was quite fine. It even had a winch for loading, and the words "Jinghong Year Eight" were engraved on the stock.
An official crossbow?
Qin Yi glanced at the woman's corpse.
He'd found the reason this ragtag crew could survive in Nianci Mountain. The woman must have been a "houseman" kept by some wealthy gentry in the town or county.
So this attack was probably planned by his sister's enemies?
His thoughts wandered for a moment before Qin Yi tried operating the winch. The crossbow's draw weight was considerable, and with his strength it was somewhat difficult, but he could crank it.
Step by step, he retreated to the wooden door. Qin Yi turned back and aimed at the woman lying face-down on the ground.
Not to finish her off, but to test the accuracy.
The string released, and the bolt sank into flesh in an instant.
Confirming the sights were accurate, Qin Yi casually scattered the pouch of silver on the ground in front of the door, then walked toward the short-haired woman's corpse, short dagger in hand, and began setting up the environment he needed...
The little girl: "..."
When the environment was set up, Qin Yi's gaze finally fell on the other "living creature" in the chamber. He walked toward her, stepping across the pools of blood on the ground.
The little girl: "..."