Chapter 53: Encounter

The wedding procession hurried along, and after a while, they had already reached the main road leading to Guo Village. Zhang Xiaolong looked at the sky and said, "It's still early, and we've already covered half the distance. I think we can make it back to Guo Village without any problems. Let's take a short break, and then we can push on with renewed energy."

In the procession, besides Zhang Xiaolong, Zhang Xiaohua, Liu Qian, and Liu Yuanyue, everyone else was walking. The sedan bearers, who had to carry people, were already exhausted. The musicians, carrying their heavy instruments, were also very tired. When they heard the word "rest," they immediately walked to the side of the road, sat down on the grass, and took out water from their gourds or leather bags to quench their thirst.

The sedan was carefully placed under a large tree by the roadside, and the bearers went off to rest. Zhang Xiaolong dismounted and walked to the sedan with Zhang Xiaohua. Zhang Xiaolong took two leather bags from the stirrup, gave one to Zhang Xiaohua to drink, and held the other in his hand. He walked to the sedan and said to the person inside, "Qianqian, are you thirsty? Do you want some water?"

Liu Qian didn't speak, but the bridesmaid, Liu Yuanyue, spoke first, "Sister probably isn't thirsty. She's still savoring the lotus flowers from earlier. How can you only think of your bride? I'm in the sedan too. Why don't you ask if I'm thirsty?"

Zhang Xiaolong had only met Liu Yuanyue a few times and knew from Liu Qian that she had a straightforward personality. He didn't mind her teasing and said, "She's the elder sister, and you're the younger sister. Of course, I should ask the elder first."

Liu Yuanyue replied, "Oh, I didn't expect you to be so clever, brother-in-law. I never noticed that before. Tsk, tsk, Sister's eyes are really sharp." Then, she pouted and asked softly, "Sister, do you want some water?"

Liu Qian, still covered by the red veil, said softly, "I'm not too thirsty, but I can drink a little to moisten my throat. If you're thirsty, you can drink first."

Liu Yuanyue said, "Alright, I'll drink first. I've been busy with your wedding since morning and haven't had a drop of water. I've also been talking a lot in your room, so I'm already very thirsty. I'll drink first, and then I'll give you some."

With that, Liu Yuanyue lifted the curtain of the sedan and stepped out.

Zhang Xiaolong was standing by the sedan and, seeing Liu Yuanyue come out, quickly handed her the leather bag of water.

At that moment, several horsemen came galloping from the direction of Luzhen. The three leading riders were on magnificent yellow horses. They looked very similar, with dark, weathered faces, squinting eyes, and lecherous expressions. They were about forty years old and dressed in bright colors. The four riders behind them were on ordinary large horses, and the riders varied in height and build but were all dressed in black and armed. Their eyes scanned the surroundings, seemingly very cautious.

These people saw Zhang Xiaolong and the others resting by the road from a distance but didn't pay much attention, glancing at them briefly as they passed. However, one of the three leading riders, who was just turning his head to crack his whip, saw Liu Yuanyue come out of the sedan, take the leather bag from Zhang Xiaolong, and give him a playful smile. Liu Yuanyue was naturally beautiful, with a round and delicate face and a charming demeanor. Today, as Liu Qian's bridesmaid, she was dressed even more beautifully. Zhang Xiaolong didn't find her smile unusual, but the rider's small eyes sparkled with lust, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Hmm." Then, he tightened the reins and gradually slowed his horse.

The two riders beside him noticed he had slowed down and turned back to ask, "Second Brother, what's wrong?"

The man said, "Elder Brother, we have a good opportunity here. Look at the woman by the sedan."

The eldest brother looked and couldn't help but smack his lips. "Tsk, tsk, she's not bad. Though not a national beauty, she's still a charming young lady."

The other rider added, "Elder Brother, you've been enjoying the pleasures of Luzhen for a few days. Your choice of words is quite apt."

The second brother said, "Elder Brother, you found a beautiful woman in Xinzhuang before the New Year, gained both wealth and beauty, and had a prosperous year. You even made her your chief wife, which made me envious. This girl from Luzhen is quite charming, but she's a courtesan and can't be kept long. I think this woman is nice. Why don't we take her to the mountain and make her my concubine?"

The eldest brother said, "That deal before the New Year was indeed profitable. I thought it was just about the jewels they found on the mountain, but the women in the family were unexpectedly beautiful. How could I let them go? However, Second Brother, we're not far from Luzhen, and this is an official road. Our actions might attract the attention of the authorities."

Another rider said, "Elder Brother, you're overthinking it. Although we're not far from Luzhen, this place is sparsely populated. The wedding party is just a few peasants, and they don't seem to be from the town. If we take them, it won't be the first time. We don't need to kill anyone. We'll leave our mark, and they won't dare report it to the authorities. We'll ride back to the mountain quickly, and even if the authorities find out, what can they do to us?"

The second brother said, "Third Brother, you're right. Elder Brother, let's do it."

The eldest brother looked around, still hesitating.

The third brother said, "Second Brother, the woman in front of the sedan is yours, and the bride inside is mine. I'll be the groom today. Hahaha."

The second brother said, "Hehe, I don't know if the bride is beautiful or not. I'm not interested. This girl is delicate and tender, and she suits me."

The third brother said, "Second Brother, you don't know. If the bride wasn't beautiful, why would she choose such a charming bridesmaid? I think the bride must be even more beautiful."

The second brother said, "Third Brother, you're clever, but if I hadn't turned back, how could you be the groom today? You have to drink three bowls of wine before entering the room tonight."

The third brother laughed slyly, "Sure, we'll share the room."

The three of them talked from a distance, occasionally glancing at the sedan, as if they had already made up their minds. The four riders beside them didn't speak, forming a circle around the three, as if it was a common occurrence.

Seeing the eldest brother still hesitating, the second brother said, "Elder Brother, what are you thinking? The brothers haven't had fresh women to serve them this year, unlike you, who added a beautiful woman to your bed."

The eldest brother, seeing the second brother's dissatisfaction and the third brother's eagerness, laughed and said, "Alright, the three wolves of Xicui Mountain fear no one. If the elder has meat, the younger ones can't just drink the soup. Let's do it today and give the brothers a treat."

With that, the three turned their horses and charged towards Zhang Xiaolong and the others, while the other four riders surrounded them.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua had finished drinking and handed the leather bag to his elder brother. His hearing was very sharp, and he immediately looked up when he heard the sound of hooves returning. Seeing the seven riders charging towards them, he became alert and quickly said to Zhang Xiaolong, "Elder Brother, be careful. The people who passed by earlier are back. Is something wrong?"

Zhang Xiaolong, who had been talking to Liu Qian and Liu Yuanyue, hadn't noticed the horses passing by. Hearing Zhang Xiaohua's warning, he immediately looked up and saw the lecherous gazes of the three wolves of Xicui Mountain. He thought, "Not good, why did we encounter such a situation again?"

He was about to tell Liu Yuanyue to hide in the sedan, but the horses were already charging towards them. Zhang Xiaolong frowned, pulled Liu Yuanyue behind him, and stood up, bowing and saying, "What can I do for you, brave sirs?"

The second brother of the three wolves, seeing Zhang Xiaolong bow, didn't respond and didn't slow his horse. He kicked Zhang Xiaolong in the chest with the momentum of the horse. Although Zhang Xiaolong wasn't trained in martial arts, he was young and agile. He quickly dodged, moving Liu Yuanyue out of the way. The kick hit his shoulder, and he let out a loud cry, flying sideways and landing far away on the roadside. Blood spurted from his mouth, and he fainted, the leather bag of water flying away and spilling on the ground.

Seeing his elder brother injured, Zhang Xiaohua was shocked and rushed over. The third brother of the three wolves rode towards him and raised his whip. Zhang Xiaohua, seeing the whip coming, tried to dodge and grab it, but his arms were still sore from the morning's archery. He couldn't muster the strength and watched helplessly as the whip hit his face. He turned his head to avoid it, and the whip landed on his shoulder. He cried out in pain, fell to the ground, and felt the burning sensation on his body, almost crying.

The second and third brothers, having succeeded, didn't stop but charged towards the others resting by the road, raising their whips to strike. The eldest brother rode to the sedan, stopped, and said to the four riders, "Help out and finish it quickly."

The four riders immediately drew their weapons and surrounded the others, shouting, "The people of Xicui Mountain are here. Unrelated people, leave quickly."

There were still some people on the road, and they were surprised to see the riders attacking. Some even stopped to watch, but upon hearing the warning, they scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing in all directions.

The wedding party, seeing the riders injure the groom and the bridesmaid, were very angry and wanted to stand up and fight back, but when they saw the riders were armed and were bandits from Xicui Mountain, they lost their courage. They shouted for their parents, dropped everything, and fled in all directions.

In a moment, the once bustling road was empty, with only Zhang Xiaolong lying on the ground, Zhang Xiaohua struggling to get up, Liu Yuanyue panicking, and the bandits from Xicui Mountain gloating over their success.

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End of Chapter 53