Before the words could even fall, Gou Dan led the bandits to seize people. Before their grasping hands could touch Zhao Jiaqi, a sharp sword weaved a few bright flowers, not only breaking their knives but also slicing their backsides, exposing white bone, flesh and blood spilling out, a terrifying sight.
Compared to the horror of the wounds, their howling echoes in the forest were truly chilling.
Zhao Jiaqi covered her ears, her brows furrowed, her lips pursed in displeasure. Even the sound of a pig being slaughtered in the village was more pleasant to her.
"If you shout again, I'll cut off your necks!"
What was meant as a light remark, however, struck Gou Dan and the others into silence. They clutched their injured hands and retreated behind Ma Wu, tears welling up as they looked at her in stunned disbelief.
Gou Dan: "Boss, it's a very womanly woman. Be careful, the guard next to her is not to be trifled with. I didn't even see how he moved before we were injured."
Did he need to say that?
She wasn't blind either. The movements were swift and decisive, without a flicker of an eye as she injured them, her face as cold as ice.
To Ma Wu, it felt as if this person was a ghost crawling out of hell!
A martial arts master!
Zhao Jiaqi only knew that these guards knew martial arts, but she had never witnessed it. Today, seeing it, she hadn't expected their hands to be so swift, disabling the bandits' hands in just a few moves.
Hmm, she'd learn a few moves from them later; it would be useful for scaring people, much better than just shouting.
Zhao Jiaqi looked at Ma Wu and taunted him, "Ma Wu... I think you're practically a good-for-nothing. The 'Lord Feng' of Phoenix Mountain, you actually dare to call yourself that? I'm embarrassed for you!"
Zhao Jiaqi's words made Ma Wu tremble, his lips quivering. The ferocity in his eyes intensified.
Gazing at their small group, Ma Wu calculated. His side had over thirty men, while they were only a few. It was like five or six people attacking one. Even if one of them knew martial arts, it wouldn't prevent them from abducting a mere woman.
"All of you, attack! I want that woman alive, the rest can be dealt with however you please! Whoever captures her will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver and a night with the most beautiful courtesan in Lingnan City."
Good heavens, capturing a woman meant money, and sleeping with a beauty too. This was a good deal.
Their eyes lit up, and they all fixed their gaze on Zhao Jiaqi, trembling with excitement. Their feet seemed to be on hot iron, hopping back and forth as they prepared to charge.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Jiaqi smiled and directly offered a better deal: "As long as you capture Ma Wu, it will be calculated per head. Each person will receive a thousand taels of silver. Whoever brings me Ma Wu's head will receive ten thousand taels of silver, plus a courtesan to be your wife, and a three-courtyard mansion in Lingnan City. I, Qi Niang, have nothing else but foolishly lots of money!"
Ten thousand taels of silver and a three-courtyard mansion. The bandits were at a loss, looking at each other.
They wanted the silver, women to warm their beds, and a house to sleep in. As long as they killed the leader, all of this would be theirs. They wouldn't have to be bandits anymore; they could take some silver, start a small business, and live a comfortable life.
Their thoughts varied, and their hesitant movements showed it.
Those aligned with Ma Wu quickly moved closer to him, while those intending to attack him kept sizing up their opponents, pondering their chances of victory.
Seeing this, Zhao Jiaqi added more incentive: "Successful contenders, in addition to all this, will receive a five-hundred-mu estate from me. From then on, you can earn money just by lying at home. Even landlords don't live as comfortably as you will. And all you need to do is kill one person. How profitable is that!"
Wang Xinchun, the guard left to protect Zhao Jiaqi, couldn't help but twitch his eyelids upon hearing these divisive words. If this succeeded, her ladyship would be able to dismantle the enemy's internal strength without a single soldier.
There was only one head, and only the one who obtained it would receive these rewards. But by then, who would be the lucky one?
Ma Wu's mind was far sharper than his subordinates'. He immediately roared at them, "Don't listen to this woman's words! She has ill intentions. She's trying to sow discord among us so that we'll fight amongst ourselves, and they can reap the benefits!"
Zhao Jiaqi crossed her arms. That was indeed the intention, this man wasn't foolish.
"Chun Fen, take out a 5,000 tael silver note as a deposit. Let them see if this is real. I, Qi Niang, am also a part of this world. Without these promises, how can we continue to do business? Everyone, rest assured, those who don't kill Ma Wu can follow me. I guarantee you'll have delicious food and drinks, wear silk, and have beauties accompanying you. My gold mines and jade mines are countless, and I'm not short of a little silver for you!"
This was like injecting a shot of excitement into the hearts of those bandits who had already harbored treacherous thoughts.
From the crowd, someone shouted: "As long as we kill Ma Wu, we can become landlords and live like lords. So why hesitate? Everyone, kill him! Even if we have to split this silver, we'll each get a lot."
Bandits who gambled their lives for silver were indeed fierce characters.
Wang Xinchun protected Zhao Jiaqi, stepping back a few paces. He watched coldly as they began to fight. The situation was brutal, and within moments, blood appeared on their bodies.
The clash of swords and sabers attracted the guards hunting in the mountains and Fan Zehao. The two groups ran back, only to see the masked men fighting amongst themselves. His wife sat in the imperial carriage, propping her chin, watching them fight, occasionally offering a pointer.
Let alone Fan Zehao, even Shi He, who arrived later, was bewildered. He couldn't care about anything else; protecting the Emperor and Empress was their duty.
The few of them guarded the two masters, then looked at the group. Shi He quietly asked Wang Xinchun, "What's going on? Did they run into a gang fight?"
Wang Xinchun cast a sidelong glance at him, coldly saying, "They came to rob us of our wealth, our women, and our people. But our lady's sweet talk turned it into an internal conflict!"
Shi He was petrified, staring in disbelief at the Empress, who was watching the show. Her mouth was more effective than swords and sabers, capable of killing without shedding blood!
Shi He nudged Wang Xinchun and whispered, "In the future, don't anger our lady. Otherwise, we'll probably end up the same way!"
He offered a kind reminder, only to be met with a pair of huge eye-rolls from Wang Xinchun. He wasn't an idiot; who would dare provoke the Empress? Not to mention whether the Emperor would let him off, could Princess Yu Meng, as cunning as a monkey, let him off?
After a fierce fight, Ma Wu's faction emerged victorious. However, it was regrettable that fewer than ten of them remained, and each was injured. The remaining twenty-odd men lay on the ground, dead or crippled. Those still breathing could barely lift their swords, their breaths shallow and intermittent.
Seeing this, Shi He became energized. Leading the guards, he subdued the remaining men in a few moments and threw them at the Emperor's feet.
"Your Majesty, these men came to commit indecent acts. How shall we deal with them!" Shi He cupped his hands and reported to Fan Zehao.
He had, however, conveniently ignored the part about robbing them of wealth and people. He had no good feelings towards bandits.
But indecent acts were also their objective, so Shi He was not reporting false intelligence, merely omitting the last two points.
Yet, this one point he did not omit was enough to ignite Fan Zehao's killing intent. They dared to try and assault his wife's chastity? Their audacity knew no bounds.
His face turned ashen, his eyes glared as if wanting to devour someone, and the veins on his hands bulged. He was truly furious.