The people around were chattering among themselves as Lu Dachuan and his group arrived.

Shen Qingwan instructed them to help barricade the door.

The large cabinet was pushed against the entrance, and more heavy objects were stacked behind it.

Even the table propped against the window seemed insufficient, so everyone worked together to move all the heavy furniture they could find to reinforce the barricade.

Once everything was secured, Shen Qingwan went upstairs.

From her spatial storage, she retrieved a telescope and observed the city.

She saw that many civilians had suffered—this time, the bandits had come well-prepared.

They were looting house by house, taking valuables.

Those who cooperated were spared, but those who resisted were slaughtered.

Stepping out through the window, Shen Qingwan climbed onto the rooftop.

From there, she had a clearer view of the surroundings.

They had taken shelter in the western part of the city, where most of the residents were poor. However, it seemed the bandits had no intention of sparing even this area.

Shen Qingwan spotted a group of ten or so bandits carrying torches, heading straight for them.

She immediately crouched low, reducing her presence.

“Brothers, let’s check out this inn first. Damn it, we got assigned to this worthless area again. Even if we kill all these peasants, we won’t get much out of them,” grumbled a bearded man as he strode forward and kicked the inn’s door.

He had expected the door to fly open with a single kick, but it didn’t budge.

“Jin-ge, someone’s barricaded the door from inside. Looks like they knew we were coming and prepared in advance,” one of his men reported.

A lackey with a large blade stepped forward and hacked at the door a few times, but it remained unscathed.

“Damn it! Do they really think they can just hide away and we’ll leave them alone? Brothers, set it on fire! Let’s see if they’ll come out then!”

Inside, the people panicked upon hearing the bandits’ plan.

Shen Qingwan hadn’t expected them to be this ruthless, willing to burn down an entire building.

The shops in this area were built close together, meaning a fire would spread quickly.

The bearded man lit his torch, his face twisted with malice.

His men carried over a bundle of dry wood, ready to ignite it.

Shen Qingwan gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath. “You’re looking for death.”

Before they could start the fire, she swiftly drew her crossbow and shot an arrow straight into the bearded man’s chest.

Swish!

“Who’s there?!”

The bearded man’s eyes widened as he clutched his chest.

His gaze locked onto Shen Qingwan, who stood on the rooftop, her face masked to avoid future trouble. He collapsed with a heavy thud.

Swish! Swish!

More arrows followed, and before the remaining bandits could react, half of them were already dead.

Shen Qingwan leaped down from the rooftop and charged at the survivors.

At first, they were startled, but seeing that she was just a woman, they regained their confidence.

“Brothers, let’s take her down together!”

As they rushed toward her, Shen Qingwan’s dagger flickered in the dim light.

In an instant, she vanished from their sight.

Before they could react, fresh wounds appeared on their throats, and they collapsed, lifeless.

After dealing with the bandits, Shen Qingwan looted their stolen wealth and stored it in her spatial space. These ill-gotten gains would be better used for the people in the future.

Instead of returning to the inn immediately, she headed toward the government office.

She wanted to see what the city guards were doing.

With such chaos in the city, it was impossible that they hadn’t heard of the attack.

Yet, they had not taken action. Could it be that this was more than just a bandit raid?

Was this an inside job—collusion between the authorities and the bandits?

When she arrived at the government office, she found it eerily dark and silent, as if abandoned.

Even the usual guards at the entrance were missing.

Shen Qingwan sneered. “So I was right.”

But which faction did this corrupt governor belong to?

To be so bold as to hoard wealth like this?

Initially, she had planned to leave, but then she thought of something—such a corrupt official must have amassed countless riches by exploiting the people.

Instead of letting him and his backers enjoy it, why not redistribute the wealth herself?

With her mind made up, she infiltrated the government office.

As expected, the place was empty—everyone had been removed in advance.

Still, she remained cautious.

Locating the treasury, she found only two guards stationed outside.

A quick flick of her wrist sent two anesthetic needles flying, and they collapsed on the spot. Unfortunately, neither had the key to the treasury.

But that was no problem for her. Picking an ancient lock was child’s play.

Click.

The lock opened instantly.

Inside, the room gleamed with the light of night pearls, illuminating the treasure hoard.

Gold, silver, jewelry, calligraphy, antiques, and the finest silk fabrics filled the space from floor to ceiling.

The warehouse, spanning over a hundred square meters, was packed with riches.

Shen Qingwan didn’t waste time admiring the collection.

With a simple wave of her hand, everything disappeared into her spatial storage—including the glowing night pearls.

Having finished, she left the government office as silently as she had entered.

By morning, when the governor discovered the theft, he would likely assume it was the work of the bandits.

After all, who else would dare pull off such a heist?

Shen Qingwan almost couldn’t wait to watch them turn on each other.

As she made her way back, she noticed a group of guards escorting a carriage toward the city gate. From their hurried movements, it was clear they were trying to escape.

A mob of bandits chased after them, some even on horseback.

Shen Qingwan initially had no intention of getting involved—until she saw the emblem hanging from the carriage.

The Bai family crest.

The Bai family was essentially a walking treasury.

She had done business with them before and had a good impression of Steward Xu and Manager Bai.

Deciding to take a closer look, she followed the commotion.

By the time she arrived, the carriage had already been destroyed.

The guards who had protected it were now lifeless bodies on the ground.

Twenty to thirty bandits surrounded a slightly overweight middle-aged man, clearly interrogating him.

“Speak up! Where’s the money?”

The bandit leader glared at the man.

Though disheveled, the man remained calm.

He narrowed his eyes as he replied,

“My Bai family’s wealth is not for the taking. If I die here today, the Bai family will not let you off. Have you considered whether your backer can withstand our retaliation?”