Chapter 82: Intense Battle

After a good night’s sleep, Pear Blossom woke up to find Dong Yun still asleep.

Dong Yun’s bare shoulder rested against her embrace, making Pear Blossom feel as if she were dreaming. It all felt so unreal. Unable to resist, she pinched the palm of her hand, and the sharp pain confirmed that everything from last night had truly happened.

She truly wished she could live like this forever, holding her in her arms as they drifted to sleep and waking up entwined, spending every evening and morning together.

But for now, it wasn’t possible. The sky outside was already beginning to brighten, and it wouldn’t be long before that little one would come knocking loudly at the door. Moreover, she had things to take care of. Only once her sister’s matters were resolved could they find lasting peace.

Reluctantly, she pulled herself out of bed and began putting on the clothes that had been shed the night before, piece by piece.

She also dressed Dong Yun, who was still sound asleep, thoroughly worn out by last night’s activities.

However, her gaze fell on the bright red stain on the sheets, and her eyelids twitched. Thanks to having someone as “knowledgeable” as Murong Jin by her side, Pear Blossom naturally understood what a first night entailed.

Recalling the intimacy of last night, she now realized that something had indeed felt a little off when she entered. But at the time, Dong Yun had been overwhelmed with passion, and things were already quite lubricated, so the resistance wasn’t significant. Being a clumsy novice herself, she hadn’t thought much of it.

Now, in hindsight, it turned out to be her sister’s first time. Pear Blossom couldn’t help but feel regretful for not being more considerate, she had taken her three times in a row. Who knew if she had been in pain…

But… hadn’t her sister already had Fubao?

Suddenly, a foggy memory surfaced. Dong Yun had once mentioned that if Fubao wasn’t her biological child, would Pear Blossom still love and protect her as always?

So, it had all been foreshadowed.

She gently brushed her fingers against the woman’s cheek, her heart brimming with tenderness. Tucking the blanket snugly around her, she ensured everything in the room looked undisturbed before opening the door and releasing the lingering heat of the night.

As expected, not long after washing up, the little one came toddling in on her short legs, going “da-da-da” as she ran.

Seeing her mother still asleep, she started circling around Pear Blossom instead.

Pear Blossom simply made breakfast for the two of them. While Fubao ate outside, she slipped back into the room to kiss Dong Yun’s lips before leaving.

What she didn’t know was that, just as she stepped out the door, the beauty on the bed slowly opened her eyes, a clear gaze shining within.

Pear Blossom had told Dong Yun she would be gone for two days, but when it came to execution, two days were never enough.

During these days, she disguised herself as a merchant, repeatedly contacting Baoxi Village. By the previous day, she had already finalized negotiations with the village chief, deciding to purchase their fragrant wood.

The price she offered far exceeded that of other merchants, and she even paid a 20% deposit upfront. This made the villagers of Baoxi overjoyed, and they hurried to prepare their goods.

The next step was to lure the prey into the trap.

After carefully disguising herself, Pear Blossom prepared to head to a gambling den to “coincidentally” encounter Xiang Dalang.

Her plan was to spread the news of her large order in Baoxi Village through Xiang Dalang, thereby attracting the attention of bandits near Baihu Villa. She anticipated that the town Zhenfu Division (Security Division) would soon investigate Luo Rong’s situation in the village. By then, she could lead the bandits into the village, ensuring a clash between the two sides. Amidst the chaos, she would eliminate those lackeys, giving her sister some breathing room.

She could only hope that the villagers of Baoxi could withstand the turmoil of that night.

Pear Blossom had no choice. Even if it wasn’t her, given Baoxi’s location near Baihu Villa, it was only a matter of time before the village was raided by bandits. Instead of leaving the villagers to passively wait for disaster, it was better to take the initiative and exacerbate the conflict between the bandits and the town Zhenfu Division.

The Zhenfu Division was directly under the emperor’s command. If they tolerated such insolence without dispatching troops to suppress the bandits, it would severely damage their reputation.

On the other hand, if they did send troops, it would be a blessing for the local villagers. Otherwise, the people would struggle even more in the future, having to fend off the bandits alone.

At the gambling den, Xiang Dalang was known for being well-informed. When the disguised Pear Blossom, posing as a wealthy merchant, mentioned her plans to purchase fragrant wood from Baoxi Village, Xiang Dalang’s eyes widened in excitement.

Baihu Villa had five subordinate mountain strongholds, and in recent years, various factors had led to a sharp decline in income while expenses continued to rise. The last time, a significant amount of money was lost in a brothel in Jinyang County. Combined with the lack of income from the brothels, gambling dens, and shops in other regions, the manor was now financially strained.

The smaller strongholds under it were even worse off, resorting to robbery just to get by. Sometimes, raiding a village didn’t even yield ten taels of silver. Now, with such a lucrative opportunity delivered right to their doorstep, how could Xiang Dalang not be thrilled? He immediately reported the wealthy merchant’s plans to the local gang leader.

The gang leader was overjoyed. “You’re quite the talent, spotting an opportunity like this. It wasn’t for nothing that I trusted you. Have our men stake out the area near Baoxi Village for the next few days. As soon as the merchant’s people arrive, call the brothers to raid the village.”

Xiang Dalang shamelessly added, “Fourth Boss, the merchant said his caravan would set out from Jili and reach Baoxi Village by nightfall. The remaining half of the payment will be made upon arrival. We should strike at night to catch them off guard and take the silver along with their goods.”

The boss laughed heartily. “Great! Let’s do as you suggest. I reckon the caravan is carrying more than just the payment for the wood. The extra will be our bonus.”

Everyone burst into laughter, as if the silver was already in their pockets.

The Northern Zhenfu Division’s agents entered the village on the day of Grain Rain. Long before they reached within ten miles of Baoxi Village, Pear Blossom had already been alerted by her informants.

These agents, acting as the emperor’s enforcers, always preferred to operate under the cover of darkness, as if that could conceal their unsavory deeds.

Before they crossed the ten-mile mark, Pear Blossom, now in disguise, casually strolled into the village.

The village chief, seeing the merchant arrive as promised, greeted her warmly, beaming as he bustled about to ensure everything was in order.

Pear Blossom pretended to inspect the goods thoroughly, nodded in satisfaction, and said, “The goods are fine. My people have already set out from Jili. They should arrive tonight or, at the latest, by tomorrow morning. The remaining payment will be made once they arrive. I’ll trouble you, Village Chief, to help receive them.”

The village chief quickly replied, “Of course, that’s only natural.”

Under the arrangement of the village chief, Pear Blossom settled into a farmer’s house for the night.

At midnight, the sound of horse hooves echoed as a group of about twenty people entered the village, carrying torches.

Meanwhile, the bandits who had been lying in wait in the mountains widened their eyes with excitement as they watched the scene. The deputy leader grinned at Xiang Dalang and said, “It seems your information was spot on. This time, we’re going to strike it rich.”

Xiang Dalang finally let out a sigh of relief and flattered him, “I wouldn’t dare delay Fourth Master’s plans.”

The deputy leader patted his shoulder and promised, “Once this is done, I’ll take you to see the boss.”

Xiang Dalang immediately knelt and kowtowed, exclaiming, “Thank you, Fourth Master! Thank you!”

The deputy leader waved his hand grandly and commanded the bandits to prepare. “Once those people dismount and enter the house, we’ll charge in. Remember, focus on the merchant convoy. The villagers are poor; don’t waste your blades on them. After taking care of the wealthy merchants and the convoy, we’ll grab a few women to bring back to the camp for fun!”

The bandits, upon hearing this, eagerly prepared themselves, their enthusiasm palpable.

Unbeknownst to them, Pear Blossom, lodging in a villager’s house, had heard everything clearly through her system. She had already changed into the same black nightwear as the bandits and was quietly waiting for the right moment.

With a signal, chaotic horse hooves and footsteps resounded as over two hundred bandits charged into the village, yelling and brandishing their weapons. Their target was the very house the convoy had entered earlier.

That house belonged to Luo Rong, a former royal guard.

At the same time, inside the house, Lu Jin, a deputy commander of the Beizhen Fusi, was questioning Luo Rong about his retirement. Luo Rong’s wife was also present to assist with identification.

Before they could finish their conversation, the sounds of shouting and running surrounded them.

Everyone in the house immediately became alert. A deputy officer rushed in to report, “Sir, it seems the mountain bandits have entered the village, and they’re all heading toward us.”

Lu Jin was shocked. Their mission was top secret, how could the bandits have known their identity? Moreover, daring to attack the Beizhen Fusi was sheer audacity!

A scream from outside cut through the air as a deputy officer fell to the ground, an arrow piercing his throat. The arrow was unremarkable but deadly, taking his life in an instant.

Lu Jin’s expression darkened. “Prepare to fight!”

Nearly twenty deputy officers sprang into action. As some of the most elite soldiers of the court, Lu Jin was confident they could fend off the mountain bandits.

Luo Rong, sensing danger, quickly hid his wife and child under the bed. Grabbing a woodcutting knife, he stood guard at the bedroom door, determined to protect his family.

The bandits soon reached Luo Rong’s house, engaging the officers in fierce combat. Some bandits took advantage of the chaos to loot other villagers, plunging the entire village into chaos.

Despite being outnumbered, the officers were highly trained and well-equipped, holding their ground against the two hundred bandits. The officers’ disciplined defense slowly turned the tide in their favor.

But the situation shifted again as a mysterious figure entered the fray.

Pear Blossom, her face masked, moved stealthily in the shadows. Her sharp eyes locked onto targets, and three arrows flew in quick succession, each finding its mark. The bandits, on the verge of defeat, found their momentum restored.

The battle raged on, the scene a gruesome tableau of blood and chaos. The deputy leader, now covered in blood, yelled at Xiang Dalang, “What kind of merchants are these? They’re demons! Out of two hundred men, we’re down to less than fifty. What’s going on? Did you mishear the information?”

Xiang Dalang, trembling and terrified, stammered, “I didn’t hear wrong! The merchant said—”

Before he could finish, the remaining officers attacked again. The deputy leader, seeing no way out, gritted his teeth and led his men into the fray.

Bodies fell one after another, the ground soaked in blood. The air reeked of iron and death, thick enough to make one gag.

The bandits who had been raiding the villagers realized the battle had turned and abandoned their loot to regroup.

Lu Jin, the most formidable among the officers, fought valiantly but was struck in the thigh by a hidden arrow. Now injured, he relied on his men to retreat into the house while continuing to fight.

The deputy leader, seeing their leader wounded, laughed maniacally. “Heaven is on my side!” He ordered his men to break down the door, charging in with a feral grin.

No one could have predicted that the Beizhen Fusi, usually unbeatable, would suffer such a devastating loss in an unremarkable village. All twenty officers perished.

In the aftermath, the deputy leader stood amidst the carnage, laughing and crying. “Heavens! I led two hundred men, and now I’m the only one left! How am I supposed to explain this?”

In desperation, he began looting the officers’ belongings. He dared not return to the camp; the punishment for failure would be death. His only hope was to take what he could and flee.

The clothes on these people were made of such fine fabric, just one piece would cost several taels of silver. They must have more valuable items on them.

Thinking this, his hands instinctively began to search, until he grabbed something gold and shiny. His heart instantly leapt with joy, and he called out, “Gold—”

However, when he saw the inscription on it, he was so scared that he collapsed to the ground.

The plaque clearly displayed four glaring characters—Beizhen Fusi!

Heavens, what kind of situation was this?

Before he could shout, a sharp pain suddenly pierced his abdomen. Looking down, he saw the not-quite-dead lieutenant twisting a dagger in his hand, stirring his intestines.

He stared wide-eyed at the lieutenant in front of him. Blood flowed from his mouth, and his eyes were filled with fear and resentment. Soon, his body collapsed backward, and he lost all signs of life.

Among the pile of corpses, a bandit pretending to be dead saw this scene and was greatly shocked. He pushed away the bandit pressing on him and struggled to crawl up, trying to escape this bloody slaughterhouse. However, he was not prepared for a loud shout from behind. A stick struck his head with great force.

“You bold thief, you dare to kill even an official from Beizhen Fusi? You’re simply asking for trouble!”

With a single strike, Luo Rong knocked the man unconscious and quickly bound him with rope.

Then he shouted loudly for the villagers, and as the sounds of killing gradually ceased, the villagers, mustering their courage, came out but were immediately frightened out of their wits by the sight of the corpses scattered on the ground.

The village chief quickly reacted and ordered the villagers to count the casualties. It turned out that apart from a few villagers who had been injured, no one had died.

It was truly a stroke of luck amidst the misfortune.

Upon learning that one of the dead was from the emperor’s family, the villagers trembled in fear. Luo Rong, having seen much in his time, turned to the village chief and said, “Uncle Zhang, this looks like a personal grudge between the bandits and the Beizhen Fusi. Please have the villagers sort the bodies by their clothing. I will head to the yamen immediately and have them send people to handle it.”

Reassured with a plan, the village chief settled down and began organizing the villagers.

At that moment, he recalled the young merchant who had come to buy materials, and hurriedly asked the farmer whose house he was staying at about his whereabouts. The male head of the household replied, “When the bandits came into the village, that young master was so scared he wet his pants. He said he didn’t want the deposit or the goods anymore, and swore it was too terrifying. He couldn’t risk his life for a few hundred taels of silver.”

He concealed the fact that the young merchant had actually given him a ten-tael reward.

Upon hearing this, the village chief furrowed his brow, but fortunately, they had already received a two-percent deposit and the goods were still there. They could simply find another merchant to sell them.

There were no major losses, and in fact, they had earned a considerable deposit.

So, he decided not to worry about it, and focused on resolving the immediate situation.