Dead, completely dead.
Staring at the bodies on the ground, Shen Ying took a deep breath and turned back toward the direction she had come from.
Along the way, she had been leaving marks, so as long as she followed these signs, she could easily find her way back.
The night was deep and heavy with dew, the surrounding area shrouded in total darkness, and the howls of wild beasts echoed from time to time.
At every sound, Shen Ying felt the hair on her body stand on end, and her skin broke out in goosebumps.
I’m not afraid. People are far more terrifying than ghosts. I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid… She kept repeating these words over and over to bolster her courage.
She had only walked a short distance when voices suddenly drifted over from far away.
What is going on? Do you smell the stench of blood?
I smell it too. Hurry over and take a look. Could it be that one of our brothers has been injured, or that someone has come to report information to the authorities?
The sound of footsteps drew closer and closer.
Shen Ying instinctively hid in the thick grass, not daring to make the slightest sound.
As she watched the men hurry toward the location of the bodies, her heart rose to her throat. Glancing quickly around, she spotted the entrance to a cave and scrambled inside in a panic.
This won’t do. What if those men discover this cave?
She held her dagger in one hand and the pouch of medicinal powder in the other, listening intently to the sounds coming from outside.
Something has happened. Aren’t these the men who were operating inside the county town? They’ve been killed. Could it be that someone is planning to attack our stronghold? Hurry back and report this to the leader.
Are you a complete fool? What good will it do if just the two of us return to report this? We should catch the person responsible immediately. Look, their blood is still warm. Whoever did this can’t have gotten very far on their own. Let’s capture them and bring them back.
This is terrible.
They intended to hunt her down.
Shen Ying was overwhelmed with tension, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Before long, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside once more.
Gradually, the noise came closer and closer, until it was almost upon her.
The wind rustled through the leaves, blending with the sound of footsteps. Shen Ying slowly began to move deeper into the cave.
From outside, fragments of conversation drifted in.
Find that person quickly, and we will have performed a great service. If the leader is pleased, he will reward us with women to enjoy. Search thoroughly and leave no stone unturned.
I understand, brother. Don’t worry, we will definitely find them today. And even if we can’t find them directly, we can always smoke them out into the open.
Well now, that’s a clever idea. We can send up a signal to alert our people in the town, have them block all the entrances to the secret passages, and then we’ll set a fire here. The smoke will fill the passage and suffocate anyone hiding there who might try to pass on information.
The two men spoke in perfect coordination, clearly having already settled on their plan. They stopped searching for her and instead gathered dry grass and branches, making their way toward the entrance of the secret passage.
Their footsteps faded into the distance.
Only after confirming that they had gone far away did Shen Ying step out of the cave. She lifted her head to look ahead, and her eyes widened in shock.
Those men really intended to fill the secret passage with thick smoke.
The air inside the passage was stagnant and did not circulate. If smoke was driven inside, she would likely have no way to return to the town tonight.
And then there was also the matter of the signal flare.
As she watched the men light the fire and prepare to send up the flare, Shen Ying tightened her grip on her dagger, ready to rush out and fight them with everything she had. Just at that moment, the situation changed completely.
A small figure darted out from within the secret passage at lightning speed.
Immediately afterward, this slight, agile figure moved like lightning itself, dagger in hand, striking with the ruthless precision of a deadly assassin and slitting the throats of both men in one swift motion.
Bright red blood sprayed through the air, covering the small figure from head to toe.
When the figure turned to face her, Shen Ying felt as though her heart had stopped beating for a moment, before letting out a long sigh of relief. How did you get here?
Seeing Shen Ying, Chunya was overcome with joy and rushed over to her. Sister Ying, I have finally found you! It’s a good thing I made friends with several beggars over the past few days.
Shen Ying took out her handkerchief and wiped the blood from Chunya’s face. Didn’t I tell you to wait for me at the small courtyard?
But I was worried about you. Elder Brother Wei and Tudou are taking care of the child, so I decided to come out and gather information. But as soon as I started asking questions, I learned that you had left with a group of bandits…
Chunya did not hold anything back and told Shen Ying every detail of what had happened.
Hearing the whole story, Shen Ying became even more convinced that Chunya was an extraordinary and talented person.
Despite her young age, she possessed sharp and logical thinking skills, knew exactly how to gather information effectively, and most importantly, she was bold yet cautious, and had the courage to strike when necessary.
Just moments ago, she had clearly arrived at the cave entrance quite some time earlier, yet she had waited patiently for the perfect moment to act, eliminating both men at once.
We can discuss everything else later. Let’s return to the town first.
Shen Ying picked up the signal flare and held it in her hand. Take this as well, it might prove useful in the future.
The two of them were just about to make their way back through the secret passage when voices once again came echoing from within.
They exchanged a quick look.
Chunya reacted with incredible speed, grabbing Shen Ying and pulling her behind a large tree. Using her young, slender body, she helped Shen Ying climb up into the branches.
She then moved as nimbly as a little monkey, scrambling up into a different tree nearby.
The moment they had settled into their hiding places, several figures appeared at the entrance of the passage.
This is really rotten luck. People from the capital have arrived, so we can’t carry out any robberies. We’re running out of supplies and will soon have nothing left to eat… A rough, deep voice rang out, only to stop abruptly.
The speaker immediately became alert, standing perfectly still and scanning the surrounding area. He took a deep breath through his nose. I smell blood.
Shen Ying and Chunya, who had both sustained minor injuries, felt their faces turn pale with fear.
Everything had happened so quickly earlier that they had only dragged the bodies a short distance away and had not taken any further steps to conceal or dispose of them.
A light breeze blew through the air, carrying the faint scent of blood, which the men had clearly detected.
One by one, the men stepped out from the passage entrance. Following the trail of the scent, they soon discovered the bodies lying on the ground.
What is the meaning of this? How did these men end up dead here? Could our secret passages have been discovered?
What are we going to do now…
As they spoke, a faint, sweet fragrance drifted toward them.
This is bad, there’s poison in the air!
Unfortunately, their realization came too late. No sooner had the words left his mouth than their bodies went limp and heavy, and they collapsed onto the ground one after another.
Chunya leaped down from the tree, her small body moving with lightning speed. Dagger in hand, she struck down each of them with a single, precise blow.
Shen Ying could only stand there in stunned silence.
Was this girl really raised in a simple village, with absolutely no training as an assassin?
The way she wielded her weapon and struck down her enemies was far too skilled and efficient.
She climbed down from the tree somewhat clumsily. Search them to see if they are carrying any special tokens or identification badges, and gather up all their valuables and money.
Even small amounts of wealth are worth collecting.
Having done this once before, Shen Ying had now become quite accustomed to searching the bodies of the dead for their belongings, carrying out the task with practiced ease.
These men were clearly far wealthier than the previous group. In addition to silver coins, they also carried banknotes worth considerable sums.
Chunya gathered everything neatly and placed all the items directly into Shen Ying’s hands. Sister Ying, all of this is for you.
Shen Ying glanced at the collection of valuables and could not help but let out a soft laugh. You really are a good and obedient girl. But some of these things have been earned by your own efforts, and you are entitled to keep them. You can set them aside and use them to buy whatever you may need in the future.
She took the items that Chunya had gathered and returned a portion of them to her.
Chunya tried to refuse, but Shen Ying gave her a sharp, meaningful look. If you regard me as your mistress and leader, then you must do as I say. Now come along, we need to continue our journey. We should try to get back before the sun rises, otherwise the others will be worried about us.
The two of them made their way back to the entrance of the secret passage. Chunya walked ahead to lead the way and check for dangers. Shen Ying bent down and was just about to crawl into the passage when a sudden chill ran down her back.
It really is you.