After traveling without pause, Zhou Jin led three hundred elite soldiers day and night until they reached Baiqu County, where Jiulan Mountain was located.
“Prince Duan highness.”
The Magistrate of Baiqu County had brought people to welcome Zhou Jin on the official road early in the morning. Before Zhou Jin had even dismounted, he led everyone in bowing.
Zhou Jin tugged on the reins. The fine horse stamped its hooves several times in place before finally stopping in the middle of the road.
Zhou Jin leaped down from his horse. He wore a deep sea-blue long robe with subtle patterns over a white collar, and a jade pendant with red beads and green tassels hung from his waist. The tassels fluttered with his steady stride.
“Rise.” Zhou Jin disliked empty formalities; the bandit suppression was urgent.
The Magistrate of Baiqu County was forty years old. He wore official robes, had a long beard, and possessed a kindly appearance.
“Please tell me the details of the jiulan mountain bandits.”
When it came to important matters, Zhou Jin preferred hearing reports directly from his subordinates rather than reading documents.
Once the subject of the mountain bandits came up, the Magistrate of Baiqu County spoke at length, thoroughly familiar with every detail.
“The jiulan mountain bandits of Baiqu County have been a scourge for years, and their numbers have steadily grown. The desperado Xu Shaofei is the leader of the mountain bandits. His methods are exceedingly cruel.”
By the time he said this, the Magistrate of Baiqu County’s voice was trembling.
“Not long ago, those mountain bandits massacred Baixi Village. They disemboweled the men, gouged out their eyes, severed the tendons in their hands and feet, and hung them from wooden pillars.”
“After violating the young women, they brutally murdered them. The elderly, the weak, and the children were all killed with a single stroke.”
Seeing the Magistrate of Baiqu County react so strongly, Zhou Jin suddenly asked, “Magistrate, what connection do you have to Baixi Village?”
“This subordinate came from Baixi Village. Thirteen of my relatives died in that massacre.”
Officials were originally forbidden from serving as county magistrates in their own hometowns, but Baiqu County was a place where lives were lost; several previous county magistrates had already died there.
The Magistrate of Baiqu County had volunteered to come here and serve as county magistrate, never expecting the mountain bandits to retaliate and bring disaster upon his relatives.
“Do you have any intelligence on the mountain bandits?”
The Magistrate of Baiqu County waved his hand, and the attendant behind him immediately brought over the documents.
Zhou Jin picked up the documents and skimmed them. He quickly discovered that these mountain bandits were truly cunning.
Like crafty rabbits with three burrows, these mountain bandits had more than a dozen hideouts.
Bandit suppression was different from fighting a battle. The complicated terrain and precipitous landscape were extremely disadvantageous to them.
Xu Bao'er rode her little donkey toward Jiulan Mountain.
Only if Zhou Jin fell in love with her could Xu Bao'er complete the Many Children, Many Blessings objective.
Otherwise, given Zhou Jin’s attitude, getting him to touch her again would be nothing more than a pipe dream.
As Xu Bao'er, approaching Zhou Jin was harder than ascending to heaven. But Zhang San’s identity would work. After all, he did not know her true identity.
“Little donkey, you have to walk faster.”
“I have a feeling Zhou Jin will suffer a bloody disaster during this bandit suppression.”
“If I arrive too late, he might not survive.”
“Then I’ll become a little widow.”
The little donkey brayed twice, as though it understood Xu Bao'er’s words, and quickened its pace considerably.
“Such an obedient little thing.” Xu Bao'er patted the little donkey’s head while munching on an apple, looking carefree and pleased.
In the dense forest, figures flickered between the trees. When a breeze blew, the leaves rustled.
“This road was opened by me, and these trees were planted by me. If you want to pass, leave behind the toll.”
Seeing Xu Bao'er alone, the bandits who had been hiding in the forest all rushed out.
The man at their head was tall and broad, dressed in linen clothes. His savage face bore a black eyepatch, making it appear that he was a one-eyed man.
“Well, well, what a delicate young master.”
“Boss, I’ve never played with a man before.”
“Hahaha, today we can let everyone have a try.”
The mountain bandits exchanged glances, followed by a burst of lecherous laughter.
“What connection do you have with the jiulan mountain bandits?”
Xu Bao'er had not expected to see the insignia of the jiulan mountain bandits so far from Jiulan Mountain.
A black eagle totem. Quite distinctive.
The bandit leader restrained his laughter and scrutinized Xu Bao'er cautiously.
“Who are you? How do you recognize the insignia of the jiulan mountain bandits?”
Xu Bao'er jumped off the little donkey and waved the fan in her hand. She tossed away the apple, and the little donkey immediately went to munch on it from the ground.
“I’m just a passerby. Who in the world hasn’t heard of the illustrious jiulan mountain bandits?”
“Hahaha, that’s right.”
The bandit leader thought Xu Bao'er was praising him and became terribly smug. What an idiot.
Interesting. Seeing the jiulan mountain bandits here meant matters were far more serious than they appeared.
It showed that the jiulan mountain bandits were not merely a local force. There was certainly a more powerful force supporting them from behind the scenes.
“Seize him!”
“We’ll take turns playing with him.”
What a beauty. The bandit leader wished he could knock Xu Bao'er unconscious and carry her straight to the bandit stronghold.
The bandits charged at Xu Bao'er. With a wave of her fan, its handle instantly transformed into a precious sword.
Xu Bao'er had once been a master weaponsmith of the highest caliber. Even after changing worlds, she had not lost her craftsmanship.
Cold light flashed in all directions. Xu Bao'er swung her personal sword and turned lightly. The white camellia garment embroidered with silver thread fluttered in the wind like a swarm of white butterflies.
Because of the disparity in physique and strength, Xu Bao'er always spoke little when fighting, killing her opponents with a single stroke.
Her throat-slitting movements were as smooth as flowing clouds and running water. They were so beautiful that they did not look like murder, but rather carving.
One bandit sensed that something was wrong and turned to flee.
But how could Xu Bao'er let him escape? Showing mercy to an enemy was cruelty to oneself.
She lightly tapped the ground with her white boots and flew forward in a few steps. With a leap, she landed before the bandit and swung her sword backward.
Blood spurted from his throat, and she casually claimed his life.
The bandit leader was so frightened that he nearly wet himself. He had never imagined that the white-robed youth before him would be such a ruthless character.
When she killed, a smile touched her lips. Her face was like Guanyin, but her heart was like an evil spirit.
“Why are you running? Weren’t you going to seize me? Come on.”
The blood on the sword slid down the blade, splattering into tiny droplets of blood.
Come on, my foot. He wasn’t suicidal.
The bandit leader turned and ran in terror, his face twisted as though he had seen a ghost.
Everyone else had been killed, leaving only him. How could he still dare to offer up his head on one’s shoulders?
A blade suddenly came from behind. The bandit leader turned his face aside, but the blade sliced across his cheek, drawing beads of blood.
His legs went weak, and the bandit leader collapsed to the ground.
Having narrowly escaped death, the bandit leader looked toward Xu Bao'er. Seeing that she no longer held a weapon, an evil thought unexpectedly arose in his heart.
He raised his knife and fiercely hacked at Xu Bao'er.
Today, he would take this person’s head on one’s shoulders and avenge his brothers.
His opponent’s knife was fast, but Xu Bao'er dodged calmly, as though she were teasing a cat or playing with a dog.
The bandit leader narrowed his eyes in anger, and his strikes grew even more vicious.
Xu Bao'er grew tired of playing. With a wave of her hand, bewitching incense scattered across the bandit leader’s face.
Only a moment later, the bandit leader’s entire body went limp on the ground, with only his eyes remaining open.
“Heh, you’ve been hit by my Bone-Softening Powder. Behaving now, are you?”
“If I didn’t need to keep one of you alive, I wouldn’t have let you live this long.”
Xu Bao'er took a dog leash from her bundle and fastened it around the bandit leader’s neck, nearly making him die of anger.
“Don’t be angry. It suits you quite well.”