Listening to the conversation outside, Lin Zhiyue realized tonight was their only chance to escape.
Once they were taken back to the bandits’ stronghold, escaping again would become far more difficult.
Lin Yan knew his daughter could retrieve items from her space, so undoing the ropes would not be a problem.
The hard part was dealing with the three bandits outside.
Father and daughter exchanged a glance in perfect understanding before simultaneously looking toward the tightly bound young man lying on the floor.
The young man felt baffled by the strange father-daughter pair staring at him. He snorted lightly and turned his head away.
Lin Yan wanted to say something, but feared alerting the men outside, so he silently closed his mouth.
They could only wait.
Outside, the three bandits divided up the night watch and arranged their shifts.
Time passed little by little.
The later it grew, the more nervous Lin Zhiyue became.
The surroundings were deathly silent.
Through the carriage curtain, she could see a fire burning nearby. Beside it, one bandit slept with his head resting on a bundle while another used a saddle as a pillow.
As for the one standing watch, she could not see where he was—perhaps directly in front of the carriage.
Lin Zhiyue pulled a dagger from the space and carefully began sawing through the ropes.
Pei Heng turned his head sharply, astonishment filling his eyes as he stared at her hands.
The rope had already snapped apart.
This child actually had a dagger hidden on her?
Even if there was a dagger, shouldn’t it have been hidden on the adult man instead?
This little girl looked only six or seven years old.
The moment she freed herself, Lin Zhiyue immediately turned to help her father.
As soon as his ropes were removed, Lin Yan hurriedly pulled out the water pouch from inside his robes.
Thankfully, because they constantly needed water while traveling, he had not stored it inside the space.
Father and daughter quickly drank several mouthfuls, restoring both their energy and easing their hunger.
The bound young man on the floor stared at the bizarre pair in utter shock.
“Um… together?” Lin Yan whispered softly toward the youth.
Pei Heng instantly understood what he meant and nodded.
Lin Yan took the dagger and cut through the young man’s ropes as well.
Then he looked toward the other bound man lying nearby, seeming to ponder where to start.
At that moment, Pei Heng noticed the dagger in Lin Yan’s hand.
It was small, exquisite, lightweight-looking, and surprisingly sharp for cutting rope.
What material was it made from?
Soon, the other man’s ropes were loosened as well.
Remembering what the youth had said earlier, Lin Zhiyue guessed they probably had little strength left.
Poisoned perhaps?
After hesitating repeatedly, she finally pulled out the water pouch again.
She could not afford to gamble.
If things failed, the young master was clearly a ransom hostage—his life would likely be spared for money.
But she and her father were different.
They held no value at all.
If something went wrong, they could be killed without hesitation.
“Do you… want some spring water? Um… it’s pretty refreshing and helps wake you up.”
Lin Zhiyue spoke as vaguely as possible.
Even Lin Yan looked uneasy.
But in this emergency, there were no better options.
The other man took the pouch without hesitation and drank directly.
He had already been terribly thirsty.
“This water—”
He stared fixedly at the pouch as though trying to bore a hole through it.
Strength instantly flooded back into his body.
Before he could ask further, Lin Yan hurriedly explained,
“We found it accidentally in the mountains. It seems… somewhat unusual.”
“Somewhat unusual?” the man exclaimed quietly.
“This is far beyond unusual! Quick, Young Master, drink some too.”
Pei Heng studied their expressions and immediately understood the water possessed extraordinary effects.
Taking the pouch, he raised an eyebrow toward the other man.
The man instantly turned and opened a hidden compartment from the carriage’s inner frame.
From inside, he retrieved a teacup and handed it respectfully to Pei Heng.
Judging from their familiarity, this carriage clearly belonged to the young master.
After drinking, Pei Heng silently felt the changes within his body.
The water truly was extraordinary.
Returning the pouch to Lin Yan, he thought to himself that this father and daughter pair were far from ordinary as well.
The four of them adjusted themselves and waited another quarter hour.
Pei Heng carefully lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to look outside.
The two bandits by the fire had already fallen asleep.
Meanwhile, Lin Yan gently nudged aside the heavy curtain covering the carriage entrance with his foot.
Directly ahead, the bandit standing guard leaned against a tree, his head drooping sleepily.
“Lend me your dagger.”
Pei Heng extended a hand toward Lin Zhiyue.
His fingers were pale and elegant, the joints sharply defined.
Lin Zhiyue quickly handed it over.
Pei Heng tested the dagger’s balance before giving the other man a glance.
The man nodded and silently shifted toward the carriage entrance.
Then Pei Heng lifted the curtain fully, gripping the dagger tightly in his right hand.
After observing briefly—
His arm suddenly snapped forward.
The dagger shot through the air.
It plunged directly into the sleeping bandit’s heart.
At the exact same instant, the other man charged the guard.
Before the bandit could even react, he collapsed soundlessly.
The remaining bandit jolted awake.
But by the time he understood what was happening, it was already too late.
He sprang up, grabbed the broadsword beside him, and rushed toward the horses tied nearby.
After slashing through the reins, he prepared to mount—
Only to be kicked violently off balance by the man.
The two instantly clashed together.
Watching the fight, Lin Zhiyue’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.
This man truly was an expert.
Within only a few exchanges, the bandit was subdued and pinned beneath the man’s foot.
Facing the carriage, he called out,
“Young Master, should we interrogate him?”
“Kill him,” Pei Heng replied coldly from inside.
Lin Zhiyue’s eyes sparkled.
A real martial arts hero!
The man swung his blade and finished the bandit in one strike.
Blood sprayed outward.
Lin Yan hurriedly covered his daughter’s eyes.
The previous two kills had been silent and clean, without bloody scenes. Someone unaware might have thought the men had merely fainted.
But this one was different.
Lin Zhiyue gently pulled her father’s hand away.
“Dad, I’m okay. You don’t need to worry.”
Ever since transmigrating here, she had already begun mentally preparing herself for bloody scenes.
Especially the night the villagers were attacked—
Though she had not witnessed it personally, hearing the screams and slaughter behind them had forced her to build psychological defenses.
Back in the modern world, she had never been some naïve little girl.
On the contrary, she had grown up enduring cold treatment and witnessing the harshness of life.
Father and daughter climbed out of the carriage together and instinctively stretched their stiff bodies, sighing in relief.
If they had sat there any longer, their bones would have fallen apart.
The young master stepped down from the carriage as well, and the man immediately moved protectively behind him.
Seeing this, Lin Yan quickly stepped forward and cupped his hands respectfully.
“Many thanks to you both for saving us. If not for you two, this father and son truly wouldn’t have known how to escape.”
“No need,” Pei Heng replied indifferently.
“We merely saved each other.”
The youth’s personality was rather cold, leaving Lin Yan unsure how to continue the conversation.
…
For a moment, neither side spoke.
The atmosphere grew awkward.
Lin Zhiyue cleared her throat and looked innocently at the guard.
“Hero, your martial arts are amazing! You defeated them in only a few moves!”
As she spoke, she excitedly waved her little hands around.
The man glanced toward his young master. Seeing no sign to stay silent, he finally replied,
“I dare not claim the title of hero. My name is Pei Guang, First-Class Guard serving at my young master’s side.”
He sounded especially proud while deliberately emphasizing the words “First-Class.”
“Pfft—Pei Guang?”
This time Lin Zhiyue truly failed to hold back her laughter.
Pei Guang shot her an annoyed glare.
This child really was not cute at all.
Lin Yan quickly pulled his daughter back.
“My apologies, my apologies, Young Master Pei. Country children know no manners. Please forgive her.”
“Hey! Don’t call me that!”
Pei Guang immediately corrected loudly while even taking two steps backward.
“Young Master Pei is my master! Don’t get me killed!”
Then, after hesitating awkwardly, he added,
“Y-You can just call me Brother Pei instead.”
Ah…
Her father really had it hard.
Too little courtesy was wrong, but too much courtesy was wrong too.
Lin Zhiyue silently complained to herself.