Chapter 2

Looking at the Li family child who was staring at him with a dazed expression, the old man took a few steps back, becoming even more wary.

He had seen this expression before on the face of the widow Liu. Thinking back to a few days ago, the widow Liu in the eastern part of the village had also woken up not knowing who she was, sitting in the courtyard and laughing foolishly all day. Whenever someone approached her, she would immediately scream and start grabbing and biting people...

Later, officials came and said that the widow Liu had gone mad, chaining her up at home and warning the villagers to keep a close watch. If she escaped and hurt someone, they would be held responsible.

Seeing the old man's expression change in an instant, Li Yi turned his head and saw two burly men running over.

Without hesitation, Li Yi—after a brief moment of shock—began to run!

He was joking, right? He had heard clearly that the old man said he had some kind of "madness"... If he were caught, he might be considered possessed by an evil spirit and tied to a post to be burned...

Li Yi, who had already died once, cherished his life more than anyone. At this moment, he undoubtedly burst into his fastest speed ever.

Behind him, the old man and the two burly men stared in shock at Li Yi as he disappeared in a cloud of dust, their jaws almost dropping.

No one had expected that the Li family child, who was so weak that he needed to rest after walking just a few steps, could run so fast!

"It seems that those who have gone mad really can't be judged by normal standards..." The old man stroked his long beard and sighed.

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Worried about being caught by the two burly men and burned as a madman, Li Yi ran until he could no longer see the village, and no one was chasing him. Only then did he sit down on the ground.

He panted heavily, feeling as if his whole body was about to collapse.

After such an all-out sprint, he had almost exhausted all his strength. If the two burly men caught up now, Li Yi wouldn't even have the strength to stand up and run.

There was no need to confirm anything; Li Yi was almost certain that he had been transported to another world.

Although he didn't know what era or place he was in, it was better than being burned alive under a bookshelf. At least he was still alive.

After sitting on the ground and recovering a bit of his strength, Li Yi began to worry.

He couldn't go back to that house. Not only was there nothing left inside—just four walls, a table, and a bed, with no food—but if he returned, the whole village might be waiting at the entrance with torches to welcome him—then he would be executed again.

The only difference would be where he was burned.

But if he didn't go back—where would he sleep at night?

Li Yi, who had just arrived in this world, first needed to solve the problem of survival.

Rumble...

Just then, Li Yi suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet shake.

"What's happening? Is it an earthquake?"

Li Yi felt bitter. He had almost been burned alive upon arrival, and now he was facing an earthquake. What had he done in his previous life to deserve this?

But soon, Li Yi realized it wasn't an earthquake.

At the horizon, a torrent of dust and smoke rolled towards him, stopping a few steps in front of him, leaving him in shock.

"Cough! Cough!"

Li Yi, caught off guard, inhaled a large amount of PM2.5, choking until tears streamed down his face.

Finally regaining his composure, he was about to curse when he looked up and his expression froze.

On a tall horse, a stunningly beautiful woman in white martial attire was looking down at him.

Her eyebrows, like distant mountains, were slightly furrowed, as if in deep thought. Looking at her incredibly delicate face, Li Yi felt his throat go dry. Before he could speak, the woman nodded slightly, a satisfied look on her face. She glanced at him indifferently and waved her hand lightly, "Tie him up!"

In Li Yi's stunned gaze, the fierce bandits behind the woman dismounted and swarmed over him...

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"Hehe, he's a scholar..."

"His looks are quite handsome, fitting for our chieftain!"

"I'd say the second miss has good taste..."

"Shut up, all of you!"

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Li Yi's hands were tied behind his back, lying across the horse. He, who had always gotten motion sickness on buses in his previous life, clearly hadn't adapted to this era's mode of transportation. He was jolted around, his consciousness gradually fading, while the rough laughter of the men echoed in his ears. Later, he vaguely heard a sharp command, and the voices disappeared. Li Yi lost consciousness completely.

When he woke up again, the first thing he saw was a pink silk canopy. Li Yi rolled out of bed, looking around cautiously.

The carved bed frame, the faintly fragrant quilt, and the pink, girly canopy outside, with simple wooden furniture—tables, chairs, cabinets...

Bandits!

The fragments of memory in his mind made Li Yi's face change. He looked around and, finding no one else in the room, felt slightly relieved.

Could it have been a dream?

A侥幸 thought suddenly popped into Li Yi's mind.

The next moment, Li Yi realized that this thought itself was a dream...

Because—pain!

Li Yi's face contorted as he clutched his abdomen, the burning sensation from inside his clothes making him gasp. He cursed inwardly. Those rough guys, no doubt, had caused this while he was lying on the horse.

He didn't know who had invented such layered clothing, but it took him a long time to untie it. When he looked down, his abdomen was indeed red.

At this moment, Li Yi didn't have the heart to curse the bandits. He had to face his current situation.

It seemed he had been captured by the bandits and taken somewhere. While lying on the horse, he had vaguely heard them talking about a "chieftain" and "marriage"...

After letting his imagination run wild, Li Yi's expression suddenly turned extremely fearful.

Marriage!

Looking down again, Li Yi realized he was no longer wearing the clothes from the morning. At some point, he had been changed into a red robe, with a large red flower on his chest, looking incredibly festive...

If you added the hat with... pheasant feathers? Peacock feathers? Whatever they were, it was a perfect match for a groom in an ancient drama!

In his remaining consciousness, he seemed to have been supported somewhere, kneeling and bowing...

As these fragmented images flashed through his mind, Li Yi's face turned pale.

He had been kidnapped to be the bandit's wife?

No, the bandit's husband!