Chapter 221

Suddenly regained freedom.

Gu Xixi feigned panic, staggering a few steps, and Qin Dasao and the others hurried forward to hold her up.

"Xixi, are you alright?!"

"Xixi, you're not hurt, are you?!"

Gu Xixi turned her head and saw more than ten pairs of concerned eyes.

Besides Qin Dasao, Zhou Dasao, and the others who were already nearby, looking further back, almost all the women in the village had gathered here, everyone gazing at Gu Xixi with smiles mixed with tears.

Among them were a few women who had previously spread rumors about Gu Xixi; now they were all excited to the point of almost crying.

"Gu Xixi, it's great that you didn't die!"

"Xixi, I was wrong to blame you before; you truly have the village's best interests at heart."

"Good lass, even to protect our village, you didn't need to be so stiff just now; you could have yielded a couple of sentences to beg for mercy, preserving your life is what matters."

……

Qin Dasao secretly patted Gu Xixi on the back, 'You scared me to death just now; if you're alright, hurry and let everyone know.'

Gu Xixi came to her senses, smiling brightly, 'I'm fine, not injured at all; thank you all for worrying.'

At this moment, Lao Qian and the others had already tied up the bandit chief.

Of course, they hadn't forgotten to kick him a few times to vent their anger.

Having lost their leader, the bandits who had been charging toward the village entrance obediently stopped, raised their hands as instructed, and waited for the villagers to come and tie them up one by one.

Lao Qian first inquired about Gu Xixi's condition, confirmed she was unharmed, then squatted down again, preparing to continue dealing with the bandit chief.

Just as he lifted the man, he noticed numerous suspicious points.

"Strange, how did he get these wounds all over his arms, legs, and face? They look like slices from a blade—thin, long, and neatly aligned."

"The problem is, just now everyone was watching, and aside from Gu Xixi, no one approached the bandit chief."

"How did he suddenly end up covered in blood, all bloody and bruised?"

Lao Qian and Lao Zhou looked at Gu Xixi in unison.

Gu Xixi widened her eyes innocently, waving her hands vigorously, 'It wasn't me; I didn't see what happened.'

"Anyway, he just suddenly collapsed."

She spoke with righteous confidence, because what she said was completely true.

Who let those Shadow Guards hide so concealed and strike so fast that it's indeed hard to see what happened.

Lao Qian and the others saw that Gu Xixi's action was merely an instinctive reaction.

They only needed to think a moment to realize that a weak woman who had just been held hostage had no chance to fight back.

An old woman interjected, 'In my view, this is the heavens showing their power, letting evildoers meet instant retribution!'

Many villagers nodded in agreement with that view.

Although Lao Qian wasn't that superstitious, he found no sharp weapons on the ground, only a few blood-stained holly leaves, presumably where the bandit chief's blood had dripped.

There were still many matters to settle ahead; Lao Qian had no choice but to set aside his doubts, full of suspicion.

He ordered, 'It's still early today; later, a few people will come with me to escort them to the County Office.'

"Those responsible for patrol duty, keep returning to your posts and make several careful rounds, see if any thieves have slipped past our eyes into the village!"

Zhou Haode (the husband of Zhou Dasao, aka Lao Zhou) gripped his face, intending to drag the bandit chief away; he gave the rope a tug, but the bandit's feet didn't budge, and with a thud he collapsed heavily to the ground.

Seeing this, Lao Qian flared up, 'They've been caught, yet they still want to resist? Are they being shameless?!'

The bandit chief remained face-down, motionless like a corpse.

Lao Qian, angry, lifted his foot to kick.

Zhou Haode, however, said, 'Village Chief, wait.'

Lao Qian looked up, 'Old Zhou, this person just held Xixi, my niece, hostage and wanted to loot our village—his crimes are enormous; now he still wants to act shameless; there's no need to be courteous with such a person!'

Zhou Haode lowered his head, staring at the bandit chief's occiput, 'Like this, not moving at all, aren't you afraid of suffocating yourself?'

"This person… perhaps isn't unwilling to leave, but really unable to move."

"Ah?!" Lao Qian exclaimed, looking toward the ground.

At that moment, Master Liu, wearing a scholar's long robe, came running over, holding a rusted hoe he didn't know where he got, stumbling and swaying.

"Where are the bandits?!"

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Someone reminded, 'Mr. Liu, the bandits have already all been captured.'

Master Liu froze, his face full of shame, 'It's all my fault for being too slow; by the time I found a hoe, I was late.'

The more he spoke, the more anguished he felt.

"I'm really good for nothing; everyone's catching bandits, but I couldn't contribute anything to the village!"

The villagers, who respect the schoolteacher, hurriedly chimed in to advise:

"Mr. Liu, please don't think that way; as a scholar, you're not supposed to engage in such fighting and killing."

"Exactly; you came to the village to teach the children to read, so it's our duty to protect you."

"Master Liu, you weren't frightened, were you?"

……

Master Liu's eyes reddened with gratitude, 'Our village is full of good people, good people indeed.'

Gu Xixi watched this scene, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Well, here comes someone who can act even better than her.

If Master Liu ever stops teaching, he could set up a stall in the city to tell stories and maybe make a fortune.

Just now, when Gu Xixi was being held hostage, she noticed Shadow Guards hidden in a treetop far away.

At that time, the He family's Shadow Guards were following He Jinglan as they guarded Gu Xixi's home.

Those people outside could only have been dispatched by Master Liu.

And Master Liu only showed up after everything had settled, which is too much of a coincidence.

He was probably hiding nearby, and only when he saw Gu Xixi safe did he pretend to have just arrived.

After Lao Qian finished worrying about Master Liu, he then remembered the bandit chief still lying on the ground.

He turned the bandit chief over and saw that the guy's face was suffused purple from holding his breath, his mouth gaping as he gulped air.

Lao Qian wondered, "Really can't move?"

Gu Xixi calmly turned and joined the women's chatter.

Anyway, she had already said she didn't know anything.

I don't know who killed the bandit chief.

I don't know the bandit chief was pricked in the leg by a ring hidden with narcotic medicine.

I don't know the bandit chief's whole body went numb from nerve paralysis, leaving only breathing and eye movement.

I don't know when these symptoms will ease.

After all, the drug's effects vary by person; some might suffer nerve damage, and even if cured they'd limp and drool…

No choice; she didn't want to risk injury, so she could only take extra precautions.

The key to preserving one's life must be held in one's own hands to feel truly at ease…

That afternoon, the bandits who had stormed Huachi Du Cun were all taken to the Qing Tian County Office.

In the dark cell, the bandit chief was dazed and swaying in his sleep.

Suddenly, a basin of bone‑chilling water was poured over his head.

He jerked awake, opened his eyes, and found himself actually outside, able to see the star‑filled sky just by looking up.

Yet he couldn't feel happy, because his hands and feet were bound to a wooden frame.

Before him stood a man of extraordinary beauty who inexplicably made one feel a chill.

The man held a long sword, seemingly idly lifting the bandit chief's right hand, "You choked her neck—was it this hand, or… this one?"

Although it was a question, the poor bandit chief had no chance to answer.

He let out an anguished scream, blood pouring from his wrist…