Zhao Kuo immediately asked, “Which mountain camp do you belong to? Are you the leader or just a follower? How many bandits are in your camp? And how many bandit leaders are there around here?”  

They had been wondering about which hill to take and which camp to hit ever since they arrived in Yongzhou. They thought they’d have to gather information on their own, but now they had it handed to them.  

But when the man answered, Zhao Kuo couldn’t believe what he heard.  

“Actually, we’re not bandits,” the man said. “We’re just regular villagers.”  

Zhao Kuo: ?  

Zhao Kuo slowly raised an eyebrow.  

Sure, people in the harsh border areas were known to be tough, but this tough? Regular civilians robbing people? It didn’t seem right.  

Zhao Kuo held back his urge to make fun of the man and asked again, “Next question?”  

Seeing Zhao Kuo’s bad mood, the strong man quickly answered, “There’s only one bandit camp within the five counties around here. It’s called Black Wind Camp, and there are hundreds of people there. They’re all fierce fighters who kill without hesitation, and no one dares mess with them.”  

As the man talked, his voice started shaking. Zhao Kuo raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are you scared?”  

Pointing at the machete stuck in the ground, Zhao Kuo said, “Your knife is sharp, and there’s blood on it. How can someone who’s seen blood be scared?”  

The strong man looked embarrassed and admitted, “Well… it’s pig blood.”  

Zhao Kuo: “…”  

So your machete for killing pigs is really just for that?

Seeing Zhao Kuo stay silent, the strong man, worried Zhao Kuo might kill someone at any moment, cautiously asked, “Did what I say help you, hero?”

However, Zhao Kuo didn’t answer. He seemed to be deep in thought. Then, the big man heard a gentle female voice ask, “What about you? As an ordinary person, why did you start robbing people on the road?”

The speaker was Ying Yue, sitting in the carriage with the curtain lifted.

Perhaps it was because she was so beautiful and seemed weak and harmless.

After hearing Ying Yue’s question, the strong man relaxed a little but still quickly replied, “Sister…”

Before he could finish, Zhao Kuo, snapping out of his thoughts, harshly interrupted, “Who are you calling sister?”

“Oh no, Fairy Lady,” he immediately corrected himself, driven by fear, “Fairy Lady, please understand! We really aren’t bad people. We’re not blocking the road with bad intentions. If your carriage keeps going, you’ll definitely run into the murderous bandits from Black Wind Village!”

Zhao Kuo sneered, “So, by robbing us, you’re actually doing us a favor?”

He sarcastically added, “Should I kneel and thank you for your kindness?”

The leader didn’t reply immediately, but one of the thinner men quickly responded, “But we’re just ordinary folks. We’re risking our lives offending those vicious bandits to warn newcomers not to get too close to Black Wind Village. Isn’t it fair to accept some money for saving lives? This is business!”

These words made Ying Yue think: *Specious arguments.*

“Business is based on mutual agreement, but you’re forcing people,” she said softly. “Robbery is robbery. If you’ve done it, why bother finding a noble excuse?”

“But I’m an ordinary person, and I have no right to judge you. That’s your own business.” With a glance at Bai Qi, standing next to the carriage—only half-visible through the curtain—she continued, “Let’s talk about the present matter. We’re only concerned about how you’ve wronged us today. Now, take us to this Black Wind Village. After you lead the way, we’ll forget about this.”

As soon as Ying Yue finished speaking, the men’s faces turned pale, and they all started talking.

“Fairy Lady, please spare us! Taking us to Black Wind Village is like sending us to our deaths!”

“Yes, those people are vicious! If outsiders go there, they won’t leave alive!”

Seeing these grown men scared just to lead the way made Bai Qi frown slightly.

Then, with a sudden thump, Zhao Kuo saw the strong man, who had led the group earlier, kneeling towards Ying Yue. “I’ll take you, Fairy Lady.”

“We’ve met a master today, and we admit defeat. I’m willing to accept punishment, but please let my brothers go. I’m the leader; they were just following me.”

“Brother!” The men shouted in unison.

Zhao Kuo, standing under the carriage, couldn’t hold back. “Come on! Do you really need to make it seem like a life-or-death situation just to lead the way? We’re not killing him; he’ll be fine afterward.” It disgusted him to hear these grown men crying.

The leader smiled bitterly and said, “You might think we’re cowards, but what my brother said isn’t an exaggeration. No one comes back from Black Wind Village.”

“The leader of Black Wind Village deals with the Hu people outside the border and… eats people!”

As soon as the strong man finished, Bai Qi and Zhao Kuo both visibly tensed.