Chapter 26: Miao Er, I’m Here

With tears welling in her eyes, Hemiao bit her lower lip as she glanced at the seven burly men around them, all armed. Even if Ah Xun returned, even if he could shoot or catch fish with a branch, there was no way he could take on so many armed bandits… 

Moreover, if Ah Xun fought against them fiercely, it might lead to even greater consequences—losing his life in the attempt to save her. 

Hemiao felt a sense of helplessness wash over her. She thought about how her uncle and aunt only had Hecang Xiang as their child, while she was all alone and had no ties. If something were to happen, perhaps it would be better to join her parents in the afterlife early. 

Closing her eyes, she opened them again and locked her determined gaze on the bandits, saying calmly, “Let my sister go, and I’ll go with you.” 

As soon as she finished speaking, several dull thuds echoed as the four or five bandits nearest to them suddenly fell to the ground, groaning.

In the next instant, a figure flashed in like lightning.

“Who?” The leader turned around, and upon spotting a man that had unexpectedly appeared behind him, he raised his voice to command, “Get him!” 

Following the order, the remaining bandits, including those who had just been knocked down, struggled to their feet, brandishing their weapons against the man. 

Ah Xun moved swiftly, evading the first bandit’s slash with a spin, then grasping his wrist and snatching the weapon away. With a powerful throw, he slammed the bandit to the ground. 

Using the weapon with precision, Ah Xun was quick on his feet, dodging and countering one bandit after another. In no time, he had rendered several bandits battered and bruised, making them incapable of further combat. 

“Who are you?” The leader, shaken by the man’s skills and ferocity, quivered as he spoke. “Hero! Hero! The girl is yours! We’re leaving now!” 

Ah Xun’s eyes glinted coldly, filled with a deadly intent. He spat out a few low, menacing words, “You’re looking for death.”

As soon as he finished, he lunged towards the bandit leader, swiftly twisting his hand, and with a sharp crack, the leader’s neck contorted at an unnatural angle. He fell to the ground, lifeless.

“Ah!!! Ah!!!” Hecang Xiang screamed in terror, recoiling from the dead body that dropped beside her. She scrambled backward, crying, “He’s dead! What should we do? He’s dead!!!”

He Shun sat there in shock, mouth agape, paralyzed. 

Hemiao trembled, covering her mouth with her hands, tears brimming in her eyes, looking utterly lost. 

Bai Shu, who had been peeking during the fight, was now too terrified to pretend to be unconscious any longer. There were two other bandits who had been killed by Ah Xun, and those that remained were either urinating in fear or fainting from terror. Ah Xun initially contemplated eliminating them all, but noticing Hemiao’s fright, he decided to give her a break. He turned to the surviving bandits and simply said, “Scram.” 

The remaining bandits paused for a moment, then fled in panic, helping each other escape, leaving the leader’s corpse behind. 

Ah Xun remained calm. He first knelt down, checking the breath of the fallen bandits to confirm they were dead. Then he dragged their bodies away and disposed of them in a nearby thicket before returning to the temple to approach the extremely frightened Hemiao. He scooped her up into his arms. 

“Uncle Shun, let’s get out of here.” 

“Oh… okay…” He Shun, pale-faced, stood up and helped Hecang Xiang, who was still weak from the shock, to her feet. Bai Shu, soft in the legs, followed them out, crawling behind. 

Ah Xun found a shady spot under a tree to set Hemiao down, where the others sat nearby. 

Seeing the young girl’s stunned expression, Ah Xun felt a pang of pity. He thought about how, if he hadn’t rushed back in time, Hemiao might have been taken away by those bandits, filling him with regret and heartache. 

“Miao Er, it’s okay, I’m here,” Ah Xun reassured her. If there hadn’t been so many people around, he would have pulled her tighter into his embrace to comfort her. 

Hearing the deep, warm voice of the man saying “I’m here” was like taking a calming potion for Hemiao. The tension she had been holding in slowly relaxed. 

She sniffled, looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes, and then remembered He Shun had been slapped. Turning to him, she said, “Uncle, your face…” 

“Ah, it’s nothing. Just need a bit of medicine, and I’ll be fine tomorrow. Girls, Ah Xun, are you hurt?” 

The three girls, minus the initial fright, were completely unscathed. 

Hemiao glanced over at Ah Xun, noting his face, neck, and hands, which showed no injuries. Although his clothes were smeared with blood, it appeared to be that of the bandits, so she still asked with concern, “Ah Xun, are you okay? Does your previous injury hurt? Are you hurt anywhere?” 

“Miao Er, I’m fine,” Ah Xun smiled at her and then handed out water for everyone to drink. 

After drinking a bit to calm their nerves, He Shun wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “Ah Xun, thank goodness you came back in time. If anything had happened to the girls, I could just forget about living! What a terrible day it has been….” 

Hemiao went over to comfort Hecang Xiang. The two girls, still shaken, embraced and began to cry together. 

After a quarter of an hour had passed, the initial fear began to dissipate, allowing them to think more rationally. 

Hemiao noticed Bai Shu sitting quietly to the side, hugging her knees and pondering the situation. 

Why had those bandits grabbed Bai Shu? 

Once they reached the temple, why did the leader exclaim, “Two little beauties”? 

Hemiao was filled with suspicion. 

But there was no time to delve too deeply. After all, anyone who encountered a robbery would instinctively call for friends to help. 

Although Hemiao felt suspicious, there was no way to openly confront Bai Shu about it. After all, without solid evidence, it wasn’t fair to place all the blame on her. So, she held back her questions. 

Hecang Xiang, still a bit scared, muttered, “What should we do? You killed someone! Will the authorities come after you?” 

An eerie silence fell over the air, and He Shun spoke with a grave tone, his voice slightly hoarse, “They likely are bandits, and the authorities would want to capture them as well.” 

Even though this was his speculation, he sought to be cautious. “This matter stays between our five. None of us can speak of it, understood?” 

“Mm.” The others replied in unison.