Chapter 9

"What if he wakes up?" someone complained in a low voice.

"This guy is already half-dead. If it weren't for Mr. Pei's meddling, hah, he would have been dead long ago. What are you afraid of?" Another person sneered, "Besides, in the current situation, a lone soldier is even less valuable than a bird!"

Then, he lifted his foot and stomped hard on Lu Yao's shoulder, deliberately grinding it from side to side. The wound on Lu Yao's shoulder immediately burst open, and blood gushed out like a spring.

The person who stomped did not notice that the man he thought was about to die had already opened his eyes.

Lu Yao had been awake for a long time. His limbs were numb, and even a slight effort made him feel dizzy and his heart race. But he was not panicked. He knew that the fatal injuries on his body had been healed by some indescribable power. The current weakness was just a side effect of the mental shock he had experienced. He would recover with proper rest.

He narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the surroundings. This was an old thatched hut. The hut was backed by a rock wall and was drafty on three sides. It was cold and damp inside, with moss growing in various places. Only a pile of dry grass in the corner remained dry. His body, now kicked over, was lying face up, deeply embedded in the grass.

In the hut, besides Lu Yao, there were only two men in rough clothes.

The man who was stomping on Lu Yao's shoulder was a long-faced man. He used the force of his stomp to break a silk thread and removed Lu Yao's armor. He walked to the door, held the iron armor up to the sunlight, and praised it repeatedly: "Look, look!... This is top-quality sleeve armor, with overlapping fish-scale plates! This is the kind of armor only a general would wear!"

The man with the hoarse voice was a yellow-faced, thin man who seemed timid: "Brother Three, let's just forget it. Mr. Pei entrusted us to take care of the injured, not to do this. If we anger Mr. Pei, it will be embarrassing for Brother Su..."

Lu Yao thought for a moment. It turned out that a Mr. Pei had taken him in. He wondered where Xue Tong, He Yun, and the others had gone and if they were in danger. The Pei family was a prominent clan in Hedong, known for generations of nobility. Since a Pei family member was here, they should still be in Bingzhou, not far from the battlefields of Shangdang and Xiangyuan. But Bingzhou was in chaos, and it was strange that the Pei family member was not staying in his own fortress but had come to this war-torn place.

"Are you pretending to be stupid or are you really stupid?" The long-faced man spat. He poked his head out of the hut, looked around, and then turned back: "Do you still take Mr. Pei seriously? Let me tell you, Mr. Pei isn't coming back!"

"How can that be?" The thin man was stunned and asked in alarm: "Is Brother Su going to take action?"

The long-faced man said coldly: "With the current unrest, there are barbarians everywhere, and business is bad. Instead of going through the trouble of guiding the Pei family, it's better to kill them and divide their wealth. Besides, the Pei boy is so arrogant that Brother Su has long been annoyed with him."

"But... but... Mr. Pei's entourage seems to be quite skilled. They are not ordinary merchants. Brother Three, we can't act rashly..."

The long-faced man snorted: "In these times, who would travel from Luoyang to Bingzhou unless they were either fools or had powerful backing? Unfortunately, no matter how powerful their backing, it's useless here in the Taihang Mountains. Whether they live or die is up to us."

He slapped the door frame hard and said proudly: "Besides, Brother Su has taken a dozen skilled men. Look, even if those servants are skilled, can they be as ruthless as Brother Su? From Qingshi Valley to Peach Blossom Valley, that's where they will meet their end!"

The thin man smiled nervously: "Brother Three, Brother Su's reputation is well-known. Who doesn't know? Don't be angry, I'm just being cautious. I just feel..."

The long-faced man shouted impatiently: "What are you rambling about? This is Brother Su's territory. Who can we not deal with?... Damn, you look like a scared mouse. I'll tell you something else..."

He looked around cautiously, leaned close to the thin man, and whispered a few words. The thin man's face relaxed: "I see. Brother Su is truly brilliant!"

The long-faced man said smugly: "Of course. Well, once we take care of the Pei boy, we'll all get a fortune. When the time comes, I'll treat you to some fun down the mountain... Oh, and the Pei boy has a few women with him. I don't know what they look like, but their figures suggest they are beauties. Maybe... hehehe... even the Pei boy, though he's always moody, is quite handsome. If we can use him to vent our frustrations..."

The man's lecherous laughter indicated he was already thinking of something perverse.

What bad luck, to run into bandits in the Taihang Mountains. Lu Yao immediately identified these men.

The Taihang Mountains run north-south through the entire Bingzhou region. In the past, Cao Cao, while campaigning against Gao Gan, wrote a poem praising the mountains: "North to the Taihang Mountains, how majestic and towering. The winding path is so steep, the wheels of the cart are broken." The steepness of the mountains is evident.

In recent years, the barbarians and the imperial army have been fighting a seesaw battle in Bingzhou. The barbarians are indeed cruel and violent, but the discipline of the Jin army is not much better. Moreover, local officials impose excessive taxes, and many people, unable to bear it, have moved deep into the Taihang Mountains to live in seclusion. This seclusion is essentially a form of rebellion.

These bandits gather in the mountains, fortify their camps, and rely on their familiarity with the complex terrain of the Taihang Mountains to avoid capture. Often, travelers and merchants need their help to cross the mountains. By paying them, they can travel along the rarely used mountain paths, avoiding heavy taxes. The "Mr. Pei" mentioned by the two men is one such traveler.

In fact, the money the travelers pay to hire the bandits to guide them is also a form of protection money. These bandits are used to opposing the government. Besides guiding, they often engage in other criminal activities. The bandits in front of him were like this, first taking the Pei family's money and then planning to kill and rob them.

In times of chaos, human life is cheap, and such incidents are not uncommon. Every year, month, and day, countless people die for no reason. But... but... if this happens to me, who has just woken up and is defenseless, it would be a disaster.

As Lu Yao was thinking this, the two bandits turned their gaze toward him.

The long-faced man glanced at the pile of grass where Lu Yao lay, suddenly remembering something: "Hey, Xiao Qi, you haven't shed blood since you came to the mountains, right? This guy is already half-dead. Just give him a quick stab, and you'll have done a good deed."

Hearing this, even though Lu Yao was usually calm, he couldn't help but curse in his heart: If you think I'm going to die soon, why are you in such a hurry, you bastards? Damn it! Am I going to die at the hands of these rats after traveling through time? Just... just give me a little more time! He tried to muster every bit of strength, but the intense weakness persisted, and he couldn't even move or speak.

The thin man was also hesitating. He was a recent escapee from the lowlands, and his companions had assigned him to do the killing. This was common among bandits; once you shed blood, there's no turning back.

He thought for a moment, then looked at his companion. The long-faced man's face was expressionless but exuded a murderous aura. He gritted his teeth and said: "Brother Three, I, Xiao Qi, am not a coward!"

The thin man drew his waist knife and approached Lu Yao.

Lu Yao looked at him coldly. In the dim light, his eyes seemed especially bright.

The thin man hesitated, involuntarily stepping back and looking at his companion: "Brother Three, he... he's awake!" The thin man was smart; when the long-faced man praised Lu Yao's armor, he realized that Lu Yao was not an ordinary injured soldier but possibly an officer. For a bandit who had been forced to join the mountains, the idea of killing a government officer face-to-face was psychologically daunting.

"Xiao Qi, once you're in the Taihang Mountains, don't take the government seriously. Today, even if the Son of Heaven were here, you would have to kill him!" The long-faced man frowned and said menacingly.

The thin man's face changed. He could see the long-faced man's hand on the hilt of his knife. He knew how ruthless Brother Three was and had no doubt that if he refused, Brother Three would immediately draw his knife and kill him first, then the dying government officer.

"Alright!" He took a deep breath and pointed the tip of his knife at Lu Yao's chest.

The thin man did not get to stab as he intended.

Because just as he was about to stab, a crossbow bolt hit his neck.

The thin man's eyes bulged like a dead fish, and he made a gurgling sound before falling to the ground.

The long-faced man leaped up in shock, reaching for his knife.

But as he leaped, another crossbow bolt hit him in the forehead. The force was so great that it pierced his skull and pinned him to the hut's pillar.

The long-faced man twitched a few times and then stopped moving.

Footsteps sounded outside the hut, and several more people entered.

The leader was tall, over seven feet, and walked with a sword in one hand, calm and composed, exuding a heroic air. His face was youthful, with a broad forehead, arched eyebrows, a nose like a hanging gourd, and skin as white as snow. His eyes were proud and had a touch of unusual charm.

Behind him were two strong men, clearly bodyguards. They followed the young man closely, alert. The one on the left had a cold expression and held a knife, with blood dripping from the blade, indicating he had already killed several people outside. The one on the right held a powerful crossbow, from which the two bolts had just been fired. The crossbow was finely crafted, with silver inlaid on the sights, a valuable and high-quality military weapon.

The young man stepped in and saw the two bandits dead, frowning: "Wei Xuan, you were too ruthless. Didn't I tell you to leave one alive?"

The man called Wei Xuan, who held the crossbow, had a somber face and only slightly bowed his head.

The bodyguards circled the hut, saw no enemies, and were about to leave.

"Wait."

The young man came to Lu Yao's side and squatted down. He looked down at Lu Yao's face and smiled: "You're still alive? You have good luck."

The young man was close, and a fragrance like orchids and musk filled the air, invigorating Lu Yao's spirit. This young man must be the Mr. Pei the bandits mentioned. The young nobles of the time often liked to use perfumes and powders, but for this young man to be so particular in the wilderness, he must be from a top-tier noble family.

Lu Yao felt a bit relieved, and his strength had recovered somewhat, allowing him to move a little. He struggled to nod and said softly: "Thank you..."

Lu Yao had tried to speak loudly, but his voice was still very weak. He was frustrated, fearing he had been impolite.

"No need to be polite," the young man said, not minding. He nodded slightly and then stood up and called out: "Get someone to treat his wounds quickly. We need to take him with us."

"Master, this man's background is unknown..." Wei Xuan hesitated.

The young man frowned: "Why do you need to say so much? Take him with us; I have questions to ask."

"Yes!"