Chapter 196

Du Ruo and Zheng Shi are walking out of the house laughing and talking. Hearing this, the smiles on the mother and daughter's faces instantly freeze.

Du Ruo hurriedly steps forward and asks, "What big event?"

Wang Bujiu looks at Jiang Li, and Jiang Li nods at him.

"It's like this..." Wang Bujiu recounts the ins and outs of the matter at a very fast speed.

Speaking of this, one must mention the neighboring Lingbi Xian.

Lingbi Xian and Wutou Xian are neighbors, separated by the Yugui Shan, which stretches for more than ten miles. Half of it belongs to Lingbi Xian, and the other half is on the Wutou Xian side.

There is a temple on the mountain, and a few monks live in the temple.

Except for occasionally going down the mountain to buy daily necessities, the monks spend the rest of their time eating vegetarian food, chanting Buddha, and contemplating life.

Originally everything was fine, but half a month ago, a group of refugees appeared from nowhere and ran into Yugui Shan.

Those refugees numbered in the hundreds, and who knows if they were starved crazy, but the first thing they did upon going up the mountain—

Was to cook and eat those few monks!

Not only that, they also set up checkpoints at the foot of the mountain; anyone passing by couldn't escape.

The men were either killed or eaten; the women were dragged up the mountain and ravaged in turns for amusement.

Some with strong characters bit their tongues and committed suicide on the spot to preserve their purity.

Even so, those beasts still wouldn't let them go, stripping their corpses naked and hanging them on the edge of the cliff, saying they were waiting for them to air-dry to make cured meat for the winter...

"Ugh!" Zheng Shi covers her mouth and nearly vomits.

It is simply too cruel. Are they still human? They are worse than beasts!

Although Du Ruo has seen some of the world, she can't help but turn pale. "Something so intolerable to heaven and earth, is there no one to manage it?"

"How could there be no one?" Wang Bujiu says, "Li Xianling and Magistrate Lin of Lingbi Xian immediately sent people to the prefecture city for reinforcements after learning the news."

Those refugees number in the hundreds. Relying on the constables and Ya Men runners of the two counties, they only add up to a little over a hundred people, and the other side has hostages, so they are not easy to deal with.

They can only ask the Prefect to mobilize government troops to suppress the bandits.

Jiang Li's brows are tightly furrowed.

He had also heard about the Yugui Shan matter a few days ago.

It's just that the magistrate was pinning his hopes on the higher-ups and didn't give him an order, so he couldn't act without authorization.

"What did the prefecture city say?" Jiang Li asks.

"Prefect Su reacted quite quickly and immediately dispatched a thousand elite soldiers."

Wang Bujiu can't help but roll his eyes. "The soldiers are good soldiers, but unfortunately, the leader is a piece of trash! Who knows how he commanded? A thousand people went up the mountain, and only four hundred or so survived to come down. That piece of trash was even scared into incontinence; it's simply a disgrace!"

Speaking of this, he suddenly remembers something and adds another sentence.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, that piece of trash is the son of Prince Ji, which is the cousin of the Thirteenth Prince, and he seems to have some nepotistic relationship with Prefect Su. It is said that he was conferred the title of Benevolent and Brave Colonel."

Bullshit Benevolent and Brave Colonel, he's more like a Cowardly Colonel.

Jiang Li has no interest in that person. "Then Brother Wang came to find me because..."

"Following the magistrate's order, to have you go suppress the bandits."

Wang Bujiu crosses his arms and leans against the osmanthus tree in the middle of the courtyard, a mocking sneer curling at the corner of his mouth. "That bullshit colonel lost the battle and is still desperate for face, saying he was just careless for a moment. Then he set his sights on us constables, saying we all have a foundation in martial arts and it would be best to follow them up the mountain, that more people mean more strength, and so on."

It sounds nice, but in fact, it's just to let them scout the path in front so that piece of trash can pick up the cheap gains in the back.

This can avoid further casualties and save him from having a hard time reporting back.

"Did Li Xianling agree?" Du Ruo interjects.

"He didn't agree at first, but later, who knows what that piece of trash used to threaten him, and he agreed." Li Xianling's face was as black as a pot of coal.

Since it's like this, there's no other way.

Jiang Li nods. "Alright, wait a moment, I'll pack up and set off immediately."

Zheng Shi's face turns pale instantly, and she opens her mouth hurriedly. "Son-in-law, you..."

Jiang Li knows what she wants to say and smiles. "Don't worry, Mother-in-law, I will come back alive."

"That's right, Auntie, Little Brother Jiang has great skills, he won't have any trouble." Wang Bujiu also comforts her from the side.

How can Zheng Shi be at ease?

So many government soldiers have died, which shows how powerful those beasts are. If Jiang Li has any mishaps...

Ah, pfft, pfft, pfft, it won't happen, it won't happen!

Zheng Shi knows she can't stop him, and she can't stop him, so she can only give a few detailed instructions with red eyes, then pushes her daughter.

Du Ruo follows Jiang Li into the room and deftly packs his luggage.

Jiang Li hugs her from behind, his chest vibrating. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Du Ruo smiles. "Say what?"

"You little heartless one." Jiang Li huffs. "Mother-in-law knows how to worry about me, but you, as a wife, look like you aren't in a hurry at all."

Du Ruo turns around, wraps her arms around his sturdy waist, and looks up at him. "Why should I be in a hurry? Anyway, if you dare to die, I dare to remarry. I mean what I say."

Jiang Li: "..."

Good fellow, she's even thought of a backup plan.

Want to remarry another man? Don't even think about it in this lifetime!

He is so angry that he tightens his arms, wishing he could rub this tormenting little woman into his own body, his narrowed eyes carrying a clear threat.

"You dare!"

"Just watch if I dare or not."

Du Ruo does not show weakness.

The two stare at each other, neither willing to back down first, until Wang Bujiu's loud voice sounds outside the door. "Little brother, it's getting late, time to set off!"

Only then does Jiang Li release the bristling little wife in his arms.

He sighs and brushes the strand of hair scattered on her cheek behind her ear. "Alright, I know, I won't give you a chance to remarry, don't worry."

Du Ruo gives a soft "mm."

After thinking about it, she exchanges an emergency kit from the system and hands it to Jiang Li.

"Inside are detox pills, hemostatic medicine, bone-knitting paste, and a bag of poison that can cause unconsciousness. Use them as you see fit."

Jiang Li takes it and puts it in his bundle. "Alright."

Du Ruo reminds him: "These are only for external injuries. If you lose an arm or a leg, or get your throat slit or chest stabbed, even a Great Luo Immortal couldn't save you."

Jiang Li is between laughter and tears. "... I know, wife, I'm not stupid."

Outside the door, Wang Bujiu urges again, so Jiang Li has to hurriedly plant a kiss on Du Ruo's forehead, then turns and opens the door to walk out.

The two men board the carriage, and Du Ruo and Zheng Shi see them off to the gate of the courtyard.

The carriage soon disappears at the end of the village road.

The mother and daughter still stand there blankly, feeling lost.

After a long while, Du Ruo finally recovers first and begins to comfort Zheng Shi. "Mother, don't worry, Husband's martial arts are very good. He even saved the Thirteenth Prince before. Those refugees can't possibly be more powerful than assassins, right?"

Zheng Shi walks inside, her face still full of worry. "That's what you say, but when I think of those beasts' methods, I..."

Those people are heartless; who knows what kind of underhanded tricks they will use.

The more she thinks, the more her heart aches, so Zheng Shi hurriedly bows to the west. "Bodhisattva bless, great luck and great prosperity."

After bowing, she still feels it's not sincere enough, so she says to her daughter: "How about this, Aman, tomorrow happens to be the day we go to Ling'an Temple to pray for peace for my son-in-law."

Furthermore, she had promised the Bodhisattva before that she would go to the temple to offer incense and fulfill her vow.

Du Ruo nods and agrees.

Holding the Buddha's feet temporarily is better than doing nothing, even if it's just to set Zheng Shi's mind at ease.