After resting, the two of them set off once more.
This time, they passed through the main road and arrived at the foot of the mountain.
By now, it was already afternoon.
Jiang Jiang found a relatively secluded spot and sat down to rest. "Stay here tonight. I have something to take care of, and I'll be back soon, got it?"
With that, she pulled out a remote alarm button. "If you run into danger, press this."
She attached the main unit of the alarm to herself. "That way I'll know and come back as fast as I can."
Xu Shengzhu clutched the button reluctantly. "If you're going to leave, fine, but leave your pack behind."
No matter where the water and food came from, it was all in there.
Without those supplies, she'd still have to take care of herself and her sister.
"Fine." Jiang Jiang even added a bit more water and food inside. "The pack stays. Satisfied now?"
Xu Shengzhu said nothing, but the look on his face was clearly one of silent protest.
Jiang Jiang turned over and closed her eyes to rest.
She needed to recover her strength quickly—there was a tough fight ahead tonight.
Soon, night fell.
In this unpolluted world, the stars shone brightly.
The moment Jiang Jiang rose, Xu Shengzhu, who had heard the movement, opened his big eyes as well. "Are you leaving now?"
"Yes." Jiang Jiang patted his little head and glanced at Xu Shengyan, who was gnawing on her hand in her sleep. "Take care of your sister."
"But… will you come back?" Xu Shengzhu hugged the pack tightly, looking pitiful.
Jiang Jiang's heart softened even more. "Don't worry, I'll definitely come back. Alright, I'm off now. You two stay right here—don't go out no matter what!"
With that, she strode quickly past the withered tree trunk and headed toward the mountaintop.
Halfway up, Jiang Jiang shed her cumbersome dress and changed into a set of athletic wear better suited for movement.
Then she pulled out a drone and sent it ahead to scout the path.
The distance wasn't far, so she could check the photos and footage transmitted in real time via Bluetooth.
After about half an hour of walking, a human figure appeared in the image.
Likely a guard at the bandits' hideout—the man had a blade strapped to his waist.
Jiang Jiang noted the route of his patrol, then picked a spot and drew out a stun gun.
On her tiptoes, she carefully circled behind the guard, and while he wasn't paying attention, she clamped a hand over his mouth and pressed the stun gun hard against his neck.
Zzzz!
After a crackle of electricity.
The guard crumpled limply to the ground, motionless.
Jiang Jiang dragged him into the bushes and brushed the dirt off her hands.
The feeling now was almost like being back in the apocalyptic world of her past life.
Jiang Jiang didn't linger and pressed deeper in.
There must have been a village on this mountain originally, with houses scattered in an orderly fashion.
Relying on her slim, light frame, Jiang Jiang slipped into a room without trouble.
No sooner had she entered than she heard voices outside.
"This batch of grain will last us a while—the boss says we're having meat tonight!"
"That Xu family really is loaded, being the richest household in town. Just the jerky on that ox cart alone could feed us for a month!"
"Come on, let's get the cook to make dinner. Eat up and sleep well—those women are fine-looking, enough to make your mouth water! Once the boss and his men have their fun, it'll be our turn!"
Jiang Jiang's face stayed expressionless. After confirming the two had left, she quietly followed them.
The cooking area was located in the center of the village, where middle-aged women were busy at work.
They looked numb, with rough, weathered skin. They were likely the original villagers, now under the control of the bandits, forced to help with the work.
Taking advantage of the moment when a few of them went out to pick vegetables, Jiang Jiang slipped into the back kitchen.
Two water vats sat there, both filled to the brim with water.
She pulled out a special knockout powder from her spatial dimension—the same kind Hope Base had used against zombies in her past life—and poured it into the vats.
This powder was potent; even zombies, who had lost all traits of the living, could be knocked out by it, let alone ordinary people.
After finishing this, Jiang Jiang found a safe spot and waited quietly.
A few cooks walked in, unsuspectingly scooping water to prepare the meal.
Soon, the aroma of food spread through the air.
They carried the large pots out to the open ground outside.
A group of mountain bandits gathered around, eating meat and drinking wine in big gulps.
"Damn, this is the life! I say, next time we should still target folks like the Xu family."
"One hit, and we can live comfortably for a whole month!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
Thud.
The speaker's head lolled to the side, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Second brother, you—" Another person fell.
Within moments, silence fell over the scene as the bandits lay sprawled in a heap, twisted every which way.
Jiang Jiang walked out, not sparing them a glance, and headed toward the surrounding rooms to search.
The Xu family's horses were still around and needed feed, so she simply slaughtered them all and turned them into dried meat.
She had never tasted horse meat before—taking it with her!
The carts looked ordinary, but they might come in handy later—taking them too!
Inside the rooms, crates were stacked together.
Jiang Jiang opened them for a quick look—all of them held some of the Xu family's valuables and miscellaneous items—taking them all!
Finally, after her relentless efforts, she managed to find the hollowed-out box tucked away in a corner.
Inside were papers—besides the deed of sale, there were land deeds too. The bandits probably couldn't read, which was why they'd left such valuable things lying here.
Jiang Jiang spotted her own deed of sale, marked with a tiny fingerprint that could affect her entire life!
She set the deed aside in a corner of her spatial dimension. As for everything else—taking it all!
She swept through like a plague of locusts, leaving nothing useful behind.
Creak.
Jiang Jiang pushed open the door before her and stepped inside.
The beam of her flashlight swept across the room, and there—lying in the corner—was a person!
In the empty room, a tall figure lay sprawled on the ground. Under the harsh light of the flashlight, a head of jet-black hair spread out like ink across the floor.
A dark robe with a crimson sash, its faint patterns shimmering in the light.
"Cough, cough…" The figure let out a light cough, low and hoarse.
"Still alive?" Jiang Jiang turned to leave.
"Wait…" The figure struggled to speak, his voice weak and feeble. "Don't go."
Don't go?
Was he joking?
Why would she stay and invite trouble?
In those five years of her past life, the first thing she learned was never to save people casually!
Jiang Jiang quickened her pace instead, nearly at the door.
The figure spoke again. "Save me. I have a jade pendant on me, worth a fortune. If you save me, it's yours!"
After saying all that in one breath, he coughed again.
Worth a fortune?
Hearing that, Jiang Jiang immediately turned back.
It was just a matter of saving a person anyway. If she saved him, she could take the jade pendant without guilt. If she couldn't, she'd just take it outright—no guilt either way.
Once a person was dead, what use were these worldly possessions?
Jiang Jiang crouched in front of the figure, looking at his abdomen. The blood had already congealed, barely visible against his dark robe.
Without a word, she tore open his clothes.
Zhang Xiujun was so startled by her actions that he nearly choked on his breath. A wave of intense pain swept over him as he struggled to raise his hand, grabbing Jiang Jiang's wrist. "Stop! How can you be so crude!"
"You're about to die, and you're still worried about this?" Jiang Jiang swatted his hand away. "Hurry up—once I've checked your wounds, I still have things to do!"
She had no idea if those two little dumplings down the mountain were getting anxious waiting for her.
Zhang Xiujun tried to say something, but the pain made him suck in a sharp breath, and he no longer had the strength to stop her.
Jiang Jiang took out alcohol from her Spatial Dimension, began disinfecting the wound, then sprinkled medicinal powder over it and wrapped it up.
After treating that spot, her gaze fell on Zhang Xiujun's thigh. She yanked up his robe in one swift motion.
Zhang Xiujun's face turned pale. "Stop!"