Chapter 20: A Bountiful Harvest

Lin Luoluo entered the space and, following Bai Ling’s instructions, cast the spell. A symbol flashed on the foreheads of the bandits, disappearing after a moment.

“Did it work?” Lin Luoluo asked.

“It worked,” Bai Ling replied.

“Master, try sensing it,” Bai Ling urged.

Lin Luoluo closed her eyes and focused, feeling a faint connection. However, this link was one-sided, with Lin Luoluo holding control over the bandits.

“Go live in the mountains over there. As for what you’ll do, listen to Bai Ling’s arrangements. Go!” Lin Luoluo ordered.

“Yes, Master,” they responded, and quickly headed toward the mountains.

“My good Bai Ling, they’re in your hands now. I’ll go outside and handle things,” Lin Luoluo said.

“Understood, Master. I’ll be good~” Bai Ling’s fox head rubbed affectionately against Lin Luoluo.

Back outside, Lin’s group was still busy.

Half an hour later, they finished their work.

Lin Luoluo took a fire talisman from her space and threw it out. A burst of flames shot high, but fearing it might set the forest alight, she quickly followed with a barrier talisman.

Once the bodies were reduced to ashes, she used a cleansing talisman, and the air was instantly freshened.

Lin and the others stood, amazed by the clean and transformed scene, where there were no traces of the previous carnage. They couldn’t help but marvel at how fantastical this world was.

Lin Luoluo also sighed, impressed by how useful the items from her space were.

“Let’s go inside and take a look!” she said.

The group entered the mountain stronghold. Lin Da stayed by Lin Luoluo’s side, while the others scattered to search.

A faint sound came from one of the rooms.

“Who’s there? Come out!” Lin Da shouted.

After a moment of silence, when they thought they had misheard, the door creaked open.

A dozen bandits walked out, trembling, and immediately knelt before Lin Luoluo.

“Please, great hero, spare us! We were forced to stay here. We haven’t done anything wrong,” they begged.

“How can you prove you haven’t done anything wrong?” Lin Luoluo asked coldly, giving them a sharp look.

The bandits exchanged nervous glances, unsure how to answer. When they were captured, their belongings and identification had been taken away.

“Well… we can’t prove it. Please do as you see fit,” one of them said.

A young man, handsome with a scholarly air, spoke up firmly, not willing to beg for his life.

“Master, they truly don’t seem to have the scent of evil on them. The ones we dealt with earlier reeked of malevolence,” Bai Ling interjected.

Lin Luoluo raised an eyebrow, thinking, Evil people have a smell?

“Of course, you can’t smell it, but I, as a pure spirit, can detect all evil,” Bai Ling proudly replied.

Wow—my little Lingling is really amazing.

“Naturally,” Bai Ling said, puffing up with pride.

But what if you run into really powerful evil? Can you handle it?

“Well… not yet,” Bai Ling admitted, looking downcast.

Lin Luoluo rolled her eyes inwardly.

“I’ll trust you for now. Tell me everything you know,” she ordered.

The bandits looked relieved.

“Great hero, there are many women locked up behind the stronghold. The others… they…” The young man couldn’t finish, his face filled with shame and anger at the despicable deeds, feeling guilty for his helplessness.

An honest, middle-aged man frowned and thought for a moment, then said, “I believe there is a secret chamber in the main hall. When I was cleaning, I noticed the floor tiles under the big boss’s chair were hollow.”

As soon as he finished, Lin Luoluo’s eyes lit up.

Looks like this trip won’t be in vain. I came to deal with the bandits, but this treasure is just an added bonus, heh heh…

“Lin Da, go with them and release the women. I’ll check the main hall,” she ordered before walking away.

“You, get up and lead the way. The rest stay here,” she added.

Lin Da walked over to the young man, tapping his shoulder with the sword hilt and speaking sternly.

The young man jumped, terrified, but forced himself to suppress his fear of death. He stood up and led the way.

Once they left, a younger boy quietly suggested, “Shopkeeper, maybe we should run.”

The middle-aged man shook his head. “We can’t escape. Just wait. They don’t seem like ruthless killers.”

The middle-aged man, although looking simple and honest, was actually a shrewd businessman, very perceptive despite his exterior.

Lin Luoluo arrived at the main hall and knocked on the floor tiles, finding they were indeed hollow.

She searched around for a mechanism and after some time found none. Suddenly, her gaze landed on a painting on the wall. She lifted it and discovered a loose tile behind it. She pressed it down.

“Boom!” The ground slowly split open, revealing a long staircase. Lin Luoluo took a night pearl from her space and descended, following the stairs to a brightly lit chamber at the end.

“Hehe~ Haha! Jackpot, so many chests!” Lin Luoluo laughed as she eagerly grabbed one chest after another, grinning like a fool.

Inside were small yellow fish, silver ingots, jewelry, silks, paintings, antiques, and jade—treasures of all kinds.

I’ll collect these for now. When things settle down, I’ll share some with them.

After thoroughly scavenging the secret room, Lin Luoluo left.

When she emerged, Lin Da and the others were already waiting outside.

“Master, these are the things we found in the various rooms,” Lin Da reported.

Lin Luoluo glanced over the items, which were quite impressive. She hadn’t expected such wealth from the bandits. Aside from the treasure vault, they had managed to loot a good amount. Clearly, these bandits had been robbing merchants.

“I’ll take these jade items for now. The rest, you can divide among yourselves,” she said, stashing a portion of jade into her space.

Lin Da and the others knew that their master had probably gathered even more than they had, so they didn’t hesitate and quickly divided the spoils.

After everything was packed, they headed toward the exit of the stronghold. As they approached the gate, they saw a large group of people waiting.

“Great hero, you’re out,” the middle-aged man said as he stepped forward.

“Why are you still here?” Lin Luoluo asked, surprised that they hadn’t left yet.

“We…” The middle-aged man hesitated.

They want to leave, but some don’t know where to go, and others don’t have enough money.

“Let’s leave the mountain first. It’s getting late,” Lin Luoluo said, suddenly understanding.

She realized they were indirectly asking her for silver.

The silver I just got isn’t even warm yet, and they’re already expecting me to hand some of it over. My heart hurts.

“The mountain road is tricky. Lin Da, you and I will go ahead. Everyone else, stay behind and be careful. Let’s move quickly. The night can be dangerous.”

“Yes, Master!”

“You men, look after the women,” she added, addressing the bandits—no, the former bandits.

“Yes, Great Hero! We’ll make sure not to slow anyone down. Brothers, help keep the women safe,” the middle-aged man responded.

The group quickly formed into pairs, with men walking alongside the women.