Meanwhile, Qin Ming had already rushed back to his home.
“Please don’t take our grain! This is all we have left!”
Fan Niang’s pleading voice came from inside the house.
“Stop!”
The moment he heard her voice, Qin Ming charged through the doorway.
He had always been a calm and level-headed man, but hearing his young wife’s desperate cries drove all other thoughts from his mind.
The room was a mess.
Two masked bandits were rummaging through the house, searching for valuables.
Another was trying to take the half sack of grain from Fan Niang’s arms.
Seeing Qin Ming appear, the bandit nearest the entrance immediately drew his blade and attacked.
Qin Ming reacted instinctively.
To his surprise, everything seemed to slow down around him.
The incoming strike was easy to read.
He sidestepped and countered with a powerful kick.
The masked man was knocked off balance and collapsed to the ground.
In his previous life, Qin Ming had worked as a martial arts instructor.
Although many people dismissed traditional martial arts as little more than performance routines, he still possessed solid practical fighting skills.
Combined with the remarkable physical abilities of his current body, he was far stronger than before.
The other two bandits froze in surprise before rushing forward together.
One of them was struck by an object Qin Ming had grabbed in the chaos, causing him to stumble backward.
The second bandit managed only a brief exchange before being forced back by Qin Ming’s swift movements.
Within moments, all three intruders had been subdued.
The commotion quickly attracted the attention of the other bandits outside.
“Fan Niang, don’t be afraid. Stay behind me. Forget about the grain for now!”
Even at this moment, Fan Niang still clung tightly to the sack she had obtained by giving up her mother’s keepsake.
After making sure the immediate danger had passed, Qin Ming tried to lead her away.
Unfortunately, as soon as they stepped outside, several mounted bandits arrived.
“Get him!”
At the command of their leader, the riders moved to surround him.
“You go back inside!”
Qin Ming pushed Fan Niang back into the house and shut the door.
Then he turned to face the approaching enemies.
If he wanted to end this quickly, he needed to deal with the leader first.
Without waiting, he charged forward.
The masked leader clearly hadn’t expected Qin Ming to attack so boldly.
A fierce confrontation broke out.
The leader displayed impressive combat skills, moving with speed and precision.
Several exchanges followed in rapid succession.
Qin Ming was forced to stay focused as he avoided one attack after another.
Meanwhile, the surrounding bandits hesitated to intervene directly, afraid of interfering with their own leader.
Two of them eventually dismounted and joined the fight.
Compared to the leader, however, they were much easier to handle.
Qin Ming quickly forced them back.
“You’ve got some skill.”
Realizing the situation was turning against them, the masked leader suddenly broke away and sprinted toward a nearby horse.
Qin Ming immediately gave chase.
Just as he was closing the distance, the leader spun around and activated a concealed weapon mounted on the wrist.
A small bolt shot toward him.
The warning came almost too late.
Acting entirely on instinct, Qin Ming bent backward with astonishing flexibility.
The projectile narrowly missed him, leaving only a shallow scrape near his forehead.
By then, the bandit leader had already mounted a horse.
For the first time since the battle began, the two were separated by several meters.
Their eyes met.
The leader’s gaze contained surprise and caution.
Qin Ming’s expression was equally cold.
“Retreat!”
The masked rider turned the horse and attempted to flee the village.
Ordinarily, Qin Ming would not have pursued a retreating opponent.
But after everything that had happened, he wasn’t willing to let the leader escape.
He removed the horn bow from his back.
Drawing it to its full strength, he took aim.
Whoosh!
The arrow streaked through the air.
A moment later, the fleeing horse lost its footing and collapsed.
The rider was thrown from the saddle.
Qin Ming immediately rushed forward.
When he reached the fallen figure, he discovered the bandit leader had been stunned by the fall.
As he secured the prisoner, part of the leader’s disguise came loose.
Only then did Qin Ming realize something completely unexpected.
The feared bandit leader was actually a woman.
The revelation caught him entirely off guard.
Throughout the battle, her movements had been fierce, decisive, and highly skilled.
Nothing had suggested otherwise.
Removing the face covering, he finally got a clear look at her.
She possessed delicate features, fair skin, and a striking appearance that contrasted sharply with her reputation.
Even unconscious, she carried an unmistakable presence.
Most notable was a small red beauty mark near the corner of her mouth, adding a unique charm to her features.
However, Qin Ming had no interest in admiring appearances at a time like this.
Concerned that she might escape once she woke up, he quickly tied her hands and feet with rope.
Only after securing her properly did he allow himself to relax.
The remaining bandits watched from a distance.
Seeing their leader captured, none of them dared approach recklessly.
A short while later, the woman began to regain consciousness.
The moment she realized her situation, a flash of irritation crossed her face.
Yet she quickly regained her composure.
“Village Head! Come help! I’ve caught one of the bandit leaders!”
Qin Ming spotted Qin Hui and several villagers hurrying down from the hillside and called out to them.
“Boy, untie me while you still have the chance.”
Instead of panicking, the female bandit smiled.
“Otherwise, you’ll soon regret it.”
“Save your threats. I’m taking you straight to the authorities.”
Qin Ming knew that many wanted criminals carried large rewards.
If he could turn her in, even after deductions by corrupt officials, the remaining reward would likely be enough to solve his military service problem.
“Qin Ming, you’ve done a great service!”
Qin Hui and several villagers finally arrived.
“Just doing what had to be done.”
Seeing familiar faces, Qin Ming stepped aside.
“You keep watch over her. I’m going home to check on Fan Niang.”
He had been worried about his wife the entire time.
But just as he turned to leave, two woodcutting knives suddenly blocked his path.
Qin Ming stopped in shock.
“What does this mean?”
“Untie the Heroine!”
At Qin Hui’s command, one of the villagers immediately stepped forward and removed the ropes from the woman’s wrists and ankles.
Then, to Qin Ming’s astonishment, Qin Hui dropped to his knees.
He bowed deeply before the female bandit leader.
“Please forgive us, Heroine. Everything that happened today was Qin Ming’s doing alone. The rest of the village had nothing to do with it. I hope you will judge the matter fairly…”