"What are you thinking about?" Lin Wuyue asked when she saw him drifting off in thought. She frowned.
"If you have time to think, you have time to get up. Someone is coming."
At that, Bai Xichen immediately went on alert.
"H-how do you know t-they're out there?" he stammered. He had been deeply traumatized by the bandits before, and now that they had saved those people—there were even children in this camp, not to mention the two of them—
"What are we going to do?"
"I can feel them. Calm down. In the worst case, drag as many people as you can and run," Lin Wuyue said bluntly, grabbing the sword that had been resting beside her the whole time.
"Are you crazy?! I can't leave you here!" Bai Xichen said, on the verge of crying again. Lin Wuyue had been his savior—not only his, but also those people's. He couldn't abandon her here.
"Oh? Now you're worried about me?" Lin Wuyue scoffed. "I don't need your concern."
In the distance, crude and arrogant voices could be heard, along with laughter that could freeze the blood of any ordinary person—Bai Xichen included.
"Th-they really are here…"
"Silence. Take whoever you can and drag them away," Lin Wuyue said without turning her head. Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone left no room for argument.
"N-no, I can't do that. You have to come with me!"
"Bai Xichen, are you really asking for a beating? I'll buy time. You go. I'll catch up," she finally said, turning her head slightly. The deep frown on her face made it clear she was genuinely angry at the brat's behavior.
Bai Xichen wanted to cry, truly—but he didn't waste any more time. He turned around and began looking for ropes to tie up the people he could drag away.
I don't have time. I'll drag them as far away as possible and come back for that blind, bad-tempered brat… ahh, what a headache, he thought, even though he was deeply worried about Lin Wuyue.
He had only managed to tie up three children and two women. Just as he was about to leave through the back, he looked at Lin Wuyue.
"Please… don't die."
After saying that, he dragged them away with all the strength he didn't even know he possessed.
Lin Wuyue smiled.
An indescribable emotion surged within her—she was euphoric. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with excitement. A terrifying, almost sinister smile appeared on her face. If not for the bandages covering her eyes, they would have been visible—scarlet, mirroring the madness within her.
Blood…
She wanted to spill blood. A lot of blood.
The desire made her throat go dry. Her sword began to glow blood-red. Even though she hadn't fully mastered the demonic blood cultivation technique, her cultivation foundation was based on it—as if that technique had been created specifically for her.
She had trained her sword spirit for two years. Though she remembered thousands of techniques from her previous life, performing them with such a small body without external aid was nearly impossible—even for her.
Sensing its master's thirst for blood, the sword aura trembled with excitement. Red light began to illuminate the small area, and the air grew heavy… cold—unnaturally cold.
Lin Wuyue placed a hand on the scabbard to calm it and walked toward where the voices were still echoing loudly.
"Hahahaha! We really struck gold. When they said the White Dragon's disciple was traveling with civilians carrying medicine and money, I didn't believe it," said a fat man with a greasy face as he scratched his ear, as casually as if he were talking about the weather. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, his bearded double chin shaking. His nails were black, packed with flesh and grime.
Beside him, a shorter man wore a sycophantic smile and clasped his hands together.
"Boss, we'll keep growing like this. The bandit groups will finally recognize us as their subordinates," he said in an overly flattering tone, as if he were about to lick his boots.
"Hahahahaha! Good, very good. Let's keep moving and take whatever we can," the fat man said as he walked forward.
Around him, men with scarred faces and perverse smiles followed. There were fifteen to twenty of them.
The medium-height man was about to speak again when the fat man raised a hand, signaling them to stop. He grinned from ear to ear.
"Well, well… what do we have here?" he said, staring at a small figure that barely reached his hips. "A young master walking alone in this area at night? Tsk, tsk—how dangerous."
It was none other than Lin Wuyue.
Night had already fallen, and moonlight reflected off her figure. Even with her eyes bandaged, she was striking—if anything, it gave her an unusual charm. Her sword hung at her back, and her luxurious clothing made her look like a child from a noble family.
"Boss, this pretty little kid has a nice sword…" said a tall man at the back. Three swords were strapped to his back, and a hat made of bamboo strips sat on his head, making him look like a scarecrow.
The medium-height man leaned closer to the fat boss and whispered,
"Boss, look—his eyes are covered. He's blind. It's obvious at a glance. He must be from an important family. He's probably here because he heard about what happened to the White Dragon's disciple and wants to play the hero. Why don't we teach him a lesson and kidnap him? We'll force him to tell us which family he belongs to and take all his valuables."
Not just him—everyone began looking at Lin Wuyue with greed. Some with avarice, some with lust, others as if she were nothing more than dog food. No matter the gaze, all of them carried ill intent.
The fat man licked his lips vulgarly, his tongue moving in a disgusting way. His intentions were unmistakable. Drool almost dripped from his mouth like a starving dog staring at a feast.
"Calm down, everyone. He's a young master—we must treat him well," the fat man said with a grin, revealing yellow, filthy teeth.
"Young master, come with us. We'll give you a very… special treatment."