All right, little girl. You said you have nowhere to go, right? We have found a fine place for you, one where you will eat the finest food and drink the best wine, and never want for anything for the rest of your life.
Once they had emerged from the secret passage and found themselves in a place where no other people were around, the four beggars finally showed their true colors.
Shen Ying drew her body inward and stepped back repeatedly, tears glistening in her eyes. What do you intend to do?
Her eyes had now adjusted to the light, and as she looked around, she realized they had reached the middle of a mountain slope.
Towering ancient trees rose high into the sky all around them, making it impossible to tell which direction they were facing.
More importantly, the distant sound of howling wolves drifted through the air.
They were deep within a vast, remote mountain forest.
As this realization settled in, the corners of Shen Ying’s mouth lifted upward almost imperceptibly.
Stop your pointless chatter. Now that you have fallen into our hands, you had better do exactly as you are told. Otherwise, we will send you straight back right now and let your young mistress beat you to death.
Please do not send me back. I will go with you. I only beg you to spare my life.
Shen Ying trembled all over, putting on an appearance of utter terror, yet beneath the sleeve of her clothing, her hand had already closed tightly around a small pouch filled with medicinal powder.
These grown men clearly did not consider Shen Ying, a lone and seemingly defenseless woman, to be any sort of threat. They looked her up and down with lecherous eyes, regarding her as nothing more than prey they had captured.
This woman is wearing a veil, so we cannot see clearly what she looks like, but her figure is quite pleasing, and she has such large, beautiful eyes. Our leader is certain to take a liking to her.
That goes without saying. Our leader has stated that whatever he tires of using, he will give to us as a reward. In short, just wait patiently, and there will be plenty of opportunities coming your way. Now come along, we must make our way up the mountain quickly, for night is nearly upon us.
They were completely certain that Shen Ying would not dare to try and escape, so they strode forward without looking back.
Shen Ying followed behind them with small, hurried steps, stumbling and fumbling along the path, putting on a show of being both clumsy and extremely cautious.
Before long, they had traveled a considerable distance further.
Night fell, and the light all around grew dim and faint.
Ah!
Shen Ying pretended to trip over something beneath her feet, and with a loud thud, she fell flat onto the ground.
The men walking ahead turned back to look, their faces filled with impatience.
Are you completely useless? You cannot even walk along a simple path without falling over. Get back on your feet this instant. If you delay our important business any longer, I will make sure you pay with your life.
Shen Ying remained lying motionless on the ground. She turned her head to look at them, tears welling up in her eyes.
Beneath the pale light of the moon, the sight of a beautiful woman on the verge of tears stirred feelings of pity and tenderness in anyone who saw her, especially given Shen Ying’s eyes, which were naturally captivating and full of allure.
Having lived within the imperial palace for many years, she knew exactly which expressions and gazes could most easily draw a person’s attention and stir their hearts.
A beautiful woman in tears was enough to make anyone feel protective toward her, and this was all the more true when her eyes carried a distinct look of invitation and charm.
The expressions on the faces of these men, who had only moments ago been shouting harsh words and insults, shifted dramatically as they looked upon her.
Even the bravest heroes have been known to fall victim to the charms of a beautiful woman, let alone these crude and lustful men.
They rubbed their hands together eagerly.
The beauty has fallen and is unable to walk on her own. Perhaps we should carry her on our backs, or hold her in our arms?
The customs and rules of this time were extremely strict, and it was believed that boys and girls should not sit together once they reached the age of seven. If a woman was touched or held in the arms of a man who was not her husband or family member, she would be judged to have lost her virtue and honor, and would be punished by being thrown into the river inside a bamboo cage to drown.
The fact that these men were already speaking of holding her in their arms made it clear that their intentions were anything but honorable.
Shen Ying feigned a look of shyness and embarrassment, wiping the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief. How could that possibly be appropriate? I have always eaten meat and fine food every day while working in the household, and I am quite heavy.
What does that matter? I possess more than enough strength to carry you.
Let me go first. Brother, you are the oldest among us, and I would not want you to tire yourself out. I will take care of this.
What is the rush, you young fool? It should be me who goes first. It has been a very long time since I have been close to a woman.
A single glance and smile from her could captivate countless hearts, making all the most celebrated beauties of the land seem dull and unremarkable in comparison.
Though Shen Ying still wore her veil, the look in her eyes was undeniably alluring and seductive.
The men began to rush forward, each trying to be the first to reach Shen Ying and take her into his arms. Without realizing it, they began to push and shove one another, moving steadily closer and closer to where she stood.
As the distance between them grew ever smaller, Shen Ying’s heart began to beat wildly, as if it were about to burst right out of her chest at any moment.
The last time she had taken a life, it had been a one‑on‑one confrontation, and the person she had faced had also been a woman.
Now, she was dealing with four large, strong men.
Her hand beneath her sleeve slowly tightened into a fist, and her palm turned cold with nervousness and determination.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
For a moment, it truly felt as though her heart might leap out of her body entirely.
Time passed slowly, and as the men continued to push and jostle one another, they drew closer and closer to her position.
As the hand of one of the men reached out toward her, Shen Ying knew the moment had come.
Moving with lightning speed while the men were still fighting among themselves, Shen Ying suddenly rose to her feet and hurled the contents of the medicinal powder pouch straight toward them.
A light breeze blew through the air, carrying a faint, sweet scent that drifted in all directions.
In an instant, the large and powerfully built men collapsed to the ground one after another with heavy thuds.
They now lay there like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, their bodies completely limp and powerless, unable even to lift themselves from the ground.
You worthless little wretch, what have you done to us?
Who are you? Which group of outlaws do you belong to? Our leader is a man of immense power and skill. Release us at once, or you will pay for this with your life.
Though these men were bold and reckless, even after being brought down they still had the nerve to shout insults and threats.
Shen Ying looked down upon them from where she stood, and without hesitation, she kicked one of them hard.
Stop your senseless shouting. You wicked and vile creatures, you have harmed and destroyed the lives of countless innocent people, and yet you still dare to make such noise and threats here.
The world had fallen into chaos, and bandits and outlaws roamed the land freely, doing as they pleased.
When she had first arrived in this county town, she had learned that the surrounding mountains were occupied by several separate groups of bandits.
They burned homes, killed innocent people, robbed travelers, and committed every imaginable crime and act of cruelty.
What made matters even worse was that local officials and wealthy merchants often worked together in secret, leaving the ordinary people to bear all the suffering and hardship.
Even wealthy merchants who wished to travel through the mountain passes were forced to pay heavy protection money, or else they would lose all their possessions at best, and their lives at worst.
The medicinal powder Shen Ying had used was extremely potent and effective, leaving the men lying there motionless like dead fish, completely unable to move a single muscle. She crouched down beside them and began to tear off their clothing in a rough and forceful manner.
A great clattering sound echoed through the air as copper coins, gold pieces, and silver ingots spilled out across the ground.
Mixed among these valuables were also many precious jewels and gemstones.
You little good‑for‑nothing, how dare you steal our belongings! Return everything to us immediately, or we will cut you into a thousand pieces.
A creature like you deserves to be sold to the lowest and most wretched brothels in the land. Just wait and see, we will never let you get away with this.
As they watched their wealth and possessions being taken away from them, their voices rang out with endless curses and threats.
Shen Ying looked at them coldly, paying no attention whatsoever to their words. You truly will stop at nothing to get what you want.
These men made their living robbing and plundering as bandits, yet they also turned to theft and other petty crimes whenever the opportunity arose.
This was the reality of criminals turning against and robbing one another.
Without the slightest hesitation, she took possession of every single coin and valuable item they had carried.
I will give you one chance now. If you provide me with important and useful information, I may yet spare your lives. If not, you will die here today.
Seeing that they were still preparing to shout more insults and threats, Shen Ying took out a sharp dagger from her clothing, picked up a nearby tree branch, and with a single swift motion, brought the blade down upon it. The branch was cut cleanly in two with a sharp snapping sound.
This dagger was so sharp and well‑crafted that it could slice through iron as easily as cutting through mud or paper.
Beneath the light of the moon, its surface glinted with a cold, dangerous gleam.
Looking at the broken pieces of branch lying on the ground, the men finally began to feel true fear.
What exactly do you want from us?
I want nothing more than to ask you how many other secret passages there are in this area, and how one may leave this county town, or even make their way down from this mountain entirely.
A quarter of an hour later.
Having received the answers she had sought, Shen Ying no longer hesitated or held back. She raised her hand and struck with the dagger once more.
Ah! Ah! Ah!
Screams of pain and terror rose one after another, echoing through the darkness of the night.
In the blink of an eye, four heads rolled across the ground, their eyes still wide open, as if they could not accept the fate that had befallen them.
Covered in blood, Shen Ying trembled as she gripped the dagger tightly in her hand. She opened her mouth wide and took deep, rapid breaths. You have brought this punishment upon yourselves. You deserved to die.
She continued to whisper these words over and over again, trying to calm herself and drive away the fear that had begun to rise within her.