Skinny Wu and Officer Ge broke out in a cold sweat, almost dropping to their knees.
They knew these people weren’t ordinary, and they didn’t dare act out in any way. They were terrified that their past misdeeds might come to light, and if these people sought to stand up for Yu Li, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
Officer Ge, having heard Tu Laoda address the young man as “Young Master Xuan” earlier, had already guessed his identity.
The surname Xuan was rare, and combined with the fact that these people came from the military, it wasn’t hard to think of the Xuan family of General Xuan. This young man must be a young master from the general’s household.
Such a noble figure was someone a mere constable like him could never hope to encounter, let alone offend.
He hadn’t expected Yu Li to know such an important person. No wonder her actions were so bold.
In the presence of a young master from the general’s household, the county magistrate of Shanping County was indeed insignificant—not to mention someone as lowly as Steward Cui.
Yu Li didn’t respond, whether because she was drunk or simply didn’t want to speak.
Tu Laoda asked again, “Li Niang, why did you bring these two along to eradicate bandits?”
He found it a bit odd and couldn’t help but wonder why she had chosen to bring these two along. Was it possible they had done something wrong? Could they have been trying to take advantage of her drunken state…?
Under his suspicious gaze, Officer Ge and Skinny Wu were nearly in tears.
They truly had no idea she was drunk. If they had known, they would have done everything in their power to dissuade her—even though they likely wouldn’t have succeeded—but at least they would have been mentally prepared.
As for whether they had done anything to her? That was impossible. If anything, it was she who had done something to them.
Yu Li said matter-of-factly, “I brought them to run errands.”
When eradicating bandits, it wasn’t just about defeating them; someone still needed to handle the aftermath.
Bringing these two along meant one could stay behind to guard the area and wait for others to arrive, while the other could return to report to the authorities and have them send people to deal with the situation.
Upon hearing this, Tu Laoda and Xuan Huaiqing couldn’t help but chuckle.
It seemed that even while drunk, she was still logical and methodical, completely unlike a drunken person.
Now aware that Yu Li was drunk, Tu Laoda felt somewhat uneasy. He turned to Xuan Huaiqing and said, “Young Master Xuan, please stay here and accompany Li Niang while I go check the stronghold.”
There were forty or fifty bandits here. With so many people gathered in the mountains, it was natural that they wouldn’t just sleep out in the open. They had built houses, and while they couldn’t compare to the ones in the city, they were better than the homes in the villages—likely constructed with forced labor from kidnapped villagers nearby.
After Xuan Huaiqing agreed, Tu Laoda turned to Yu Li and said, “Li Niang, don’t wander around here.”
Yu Li responded with an “Oh,” appearing very obedient.
Tu Laoda had a feeling she wasn’t actually drunk, but when he thought of what she had just done, he was convinced that she must be extremely drunk.
After Tu Laoda left, Yu Li indeed stayed obediently in place, not wandering or moving around, like a well-behaved child listening to an elder.
Xuan Huaiqing couldn’t help but glance at her again, finding the situation amusing.
Who would believe that someone capable of taking down so many bandits could be so obedient? Yet at this moment, she truly seemed harmless, with no trace of aggression.
He marveled at her drunken state.
Were drunk people always this compliant? She didn’t seem anything like a typical drunkard.
Of course, that thought quickly vanished when the guards finished tying up the bandits and came over to report their injuries.
“…Their hands and feet are broken. The bones aren’t too severely damaged, so with proper care, they should heal eventually.”
It would just take a few months, during which they wouldn’t be able to move—and certainly wouldn’t be able to escape.
Hearing this, Skinny Wu and Officer Ge couldn’t help but gasp, thinking to themselves that Boss Li truly lived up to her reputation for being ruthless. They were incredibly fortunate she hadn’t broken their limbs.
Wait, no. She had threatened to castrate them…
If they had dared to continue defying her, their fate would likely have been no better than these bandits’.
The guard making the report couldn’t help but glance toward Yu Li, who stood quietly nearby.
They didn’t share Skinny Wu and Officer Ge’s level of fear. Instead, they understood that what Yu Li did was the most effective way to prevent the bandits from escaping. After all, she was only one person. If the bandits had scattered and run in different directions, chasing them down would have been a troublesome task.
This was the best solution.
Still, they couldn’t figure out how she managed to do it—taking down all the bandits by herself without letting a single one escape.
Were the bandits not fully awake at the time?
If they had been awake and noticed someone attacking, they would surely have resisted or tried to flee.
Xuan Huaiqing, completely unconcerned about the bandits’ injuries, curiously asked Yu Li, “Miss Yu, didn’t they try to run?”
She had climbed the mountain alone to eradicate bandits. According to Skinny Wu and Officer Ge, she hadn’t prepared anything beforehand, not even a weapon. Surely, she didn’t poison the bandits to immobilize them, did she?
Yu Li blinked and replied, “Some did. I just made sure they couldn’t.”
Xuan Huaiqing didn’t quite understand what she meant.
Yu Li demonstrated again.
She picked up a fist-sized rock from the ground, crushed it into countless irregular shards with one squeeze, and then flung them forward.
A series of loud thuds echoed as the shards hit their targets, leaving small craters wherever they struck. Dust billowed into the air, the destructive power evident.
Everyone fell silent at the sight.
With that kind of strength and accuracy, it was clear that any bandits who tried to run wouldn’t get far.
Skinny Wu couldn’t help but recall their own experience outside the city when they had tried to rob her. Realizing she wasn’t easy to deal with, they had attempted to flee, only for their legs to be struck by flying stones, paralyzing them instantly and causing them to collapse to the ground.
Escape had been impossible.
So, for these bandits, their fate was likely the same.
After binding all the bandits, the group searched the stronghold, gathering all the supplies they could find and piling them on the ground.
By the time they finished, dawn was near.
Skinny Wu and Officer Ge were utterly exhausted, collapsing onto the ground.
When Yu Li saw Tu Laoda return, she said, “I’m heading back.”
Now that the bandits had been dealt with, there was no reason for her to stay. The rest was up to them.
Tu Laoda agreed but, remembering that she was still drunk, felt uneasy. He asked, “Should I find someone to escort you back?”
Yu Li replied seriously, “No need, I can go back on my own.”
“How will you get back?” Tu Laoda asked again. “By the way, how did you all get here in the first place?”
Tu Laoda suddenly realized the problem.
Qingya Mountain wasn’t exactly close to Shanping County or Qingshi Village. Just walking here would take most of a day. How had they managed to come all this way?
Yesterday had been the Mid-Autumn Festival. Yu Li must have been at her husband’s home, celebrating with her family.
Surely she hadn’t skipped the holiday, gone out drinking, and then, in a drunken frenzy, dragged people here to eradicate bandits?
Skinny Wu and Officer Ge remained silent.
How did they get there?
They had been hauled over like cargo, carried as though they were nothing, several times nearly suffocating—just thinking about it brought tears to their eyes.
Yu Li said, “We ran.”
Tu Laoda: “…”
Not exactly a surprising answer. After all, horses weren’t easy to acquire, and she didn’t seem to need one. Besides, the two men she brought along didn’t look like they could afford a horse or mule either. It was clear they had no means of transportation.
After informing Tu Laoda, Yu Li turned and began descending the mountain.
Xuan Huaiqing called out to her, “Miss Yu, I’ll come find you in a couple of days.”
This trip to Qingya Mountain to eradicate bandits had given him the idea of visiting Shanping County. He wanted to personally thank Yu Li for saving his life. Since she worked at Zhang’s Butcher Shop in the county, it would be more convenient to find her there than in Qingshi Village.
As she left, Skinny Wu and Officer Ge followed her without hesitation.
Having learned from Officer Ge that Xuan Huaiqing and his group might be military personnel, Skinny Wu didn’t dare linger around them any longer.
As a drifter, it was best for him to leave as quickly as possible.
As for Officer Ge, while he was tempted to claim some credit for the bandit eradication, the possibility of Xuan Huaiqing being from the Xuan family deterred him.
He hadn’t expected such a deep connection between Xuan Huaiqing and Yu Li, especially with him intending to visit her later. The thought made him even more reluctant to stay.
Officer Ge suddenly felt fortunate that, after being beaten up by Yu Li, he had decided to pledge loyalty to her.
Even if Xuan Huaiqing learned that he had offended Yu Li because of Steward Cui, he probably wouldn’t be so angry as to take action against him.
—
On the way back, Yu Li quickly grew impatient with how slowly the two were walking and prepared to grab them by the back of their collars again.
Terrified of being choked, they quickly pleaded, “Boss Li, no need to carry us. We can walk back ourselves.”
With the bandits eradicated, the road was undoubtedly safe, and there was nothing to worry about.
Yu Li didn’t insist and walked ahead by herself.
By the time the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, she finally returned home.
The Fu family’s gate was locked, so she didn’t disturb anyone and simply climbed over the wall.
“Li Niang?”
Zhou Shi’s voice sounded from the kitchen doorway. Bathed in the faint light of dawn, she had spotted Yu Li climbing over the wall.
She was an early riser and had been worried about Yu Li ever since she left the previous evening. Unable to sleep, she had gotten up early to check on her.
Yu Li looked at her sluggishly and called, “Mother.”
Zhou Shi noticed her dazed expression and couldn’t tell if she was still drunk. Guessing that Yu Li had been out all night without sleeping, her heart ached with worry. She hurriedly urged her to go rest.
Yu Li obediently returned to her room.
The sound of the door opening startled Fu Wenxiao awake. Groggily, he called out, “Li Niang?”
The room was dim, and Yu Li moved in the darkness. She replied softly, “Yes.”
Fu Wenxiao’s mind cleared a bit more. Propping himself up, he asked, “Did you just get back? Are you tired?”
Yu Li responded with a soft “Mm,” and the rustling of movements filled the room.
Fu Wenxiao asked, “Li Niang, what are you doing?”
“Looking for clothes.”
Fu Wenxiao quickly realized she was changing her clothes. His face grew slightly warm, and he lowered his gaze slightly.
After changing, Yu Li opened the door and went out. She returned not long after, bringing with her a faint trace of dampness, and lay down on the bed.
Fu Wenxiao fought against his drowsiness to wait for her. When he sensed her lying down beside him, he reached out to gently touch her hair, scattered across the pillow, and asked, “Li Niang, where did you go?”
He hadn’t slept soundly, his rest uneasy with worry that she might encounter danger, leaving him in a half-asleep, half-awake state.
Yu Li replied, “To eradicate bandits.”
She closed her eyes, her voice heavy with exhaustion.
Fu Wenxiao was momentarily stunned at her answer. Noticing her weariness, he couldn’t bring himself to press further. In a soft voice, he said, “Li Niang, rest now.”
She murmured an indistinct reply and drifted off into a deep sleep.
Feeling her presence beside him, Fu Wenxiao’s heart settled, and he allowed himself to fall asleep as well.