The mountain was incredibly steep, easy to defend and difficult to attack, so a band of bandits gathered there, making a living by robbing and killing.
At this moment, someone had already reported to the mountain that a group of fat sheep had descended. The chieftain of the mountain stronghold immediately assembled his men, led by the second-in-command, to go down the mountain and capture these fat sheep.
As Yun Xiao and her group arrived at the foot of Ghost Head Mountain, they heard a rustle from halfway up the mountain, the sound of the mountain gate being lifted. Shouts erupted, and a dense mass of people charged out.
Shangguan Lin waved his hand, deploying dozens of men into formation. Yun Xiao sat regally in the carriage, her fingers plucking, and the Ruan Liang Qin appeared in her hand.
She had brought the Ruan Liang Qin with her on this excursion from the palace. Her magical zither music had reached a divine level, but due to its immense destructive power, she rarely used it.
However, the journey was fraught with peril, and the Skeleton Blood Pirates were notoriously insidious and cunning. To avoid unnecessary casualties, she had brought the Ruan Liang Qin, not expecting to have to use it at such a juncture.
At the foot of the mountain, facing a crowd of over a hundred people, the man at the head had a ferocious face. A diagonal scar ran from his upper eyelid to his chin, exuding an insatiable bloodlust.
Compared to the scar on Mu Li's face, this was like comparing heaven and earth. Mu Li's scar made him appear cool and righteous, while this man's scar only evoked a sense of eerie terror.
As soon as the man opened his mouth, a string of curses poured out: "Damn it, they really are fat sheep!"
Their eyes fell upon the convoy of carriages behind Shangguan Lin. Judging by the weight of the carriages, the cargo on board was likely substantial.
Shangguan Lin, clad in a black robe with gold embroidered trim, possessed a resolute and handsome countenance. He sat majestically on his horse, his bearing proud and unrestrained.
The golden light of the setting sun bathed him, and a killing intent flared in his cold eyes. Behind him, dozens of men were lined up, their bodies exuding a palpable aura of murderous intent, awaiting a single command from the person in the carriage to strike down their enemies.
Just then, a melodious zither melody flowed from within the carriage. Meteor and Chase the Moon, knowing the zither's power to enthrall the mind, immediately turned and instructed, "Control your breaths."
Everyone understood that this was demonic music. They steadied their minds, focusing their gaze on the ground, suppressing any trace of aggression.
Meanwhile, the bandits at the edge of the forest were still roaring with laughter: "They still have the leisure to play the zither! Come on, kill them, seize their wealth! Leave none of them alive."
As the leader's voice fell, his subordinates responded.
Though they answered, their legs felt weak, and they stumbled. At this moment, the melodious zither music suddenly shifted, becoming sharp and fierce like a thousand galloping horses, or like the clash of thunderous drums and resounding metal. Each note was heavy, piercing the sky, striking directly at the heart.
The bandits suddenly turned on each other, hacking and slashing at their own comrades. Their eyes were bloodshot and vacant, completely devoid of self-control. Even the leader involuntarily became enraged, throwing down his sabre and severing the arm of the person beside him.
For a time, the mountain path was filled with the sounds of slaughter, severed limbs flying through the air, and blood splashing like water, staining the tips of the sabres, the verdant grass, and imbuing the twilight with a bloody aura.
Shangguan Lin and the dozens of men beside him stiffened in shock. Even though they were usually ruthless, faced with such overwhelming killing intent and uncontrollable slaughter, their hair stood on end.
In just a few moments, a profound silence fell upon the surroundings. Not a sound could be heard. Looking down at the foot of the verdant mountainside, the ground was littered with corpses, their deaths horrific, not a single body remaining intact.
At this moment, the zither music from the carriage abruptly ceased, and a cold, enchanting voice rang out.
"Let's go."
"Yes, Master."
Everyone responded in unison, urging their horses forward, their whips cracking. They rode as if they saw nothing, trampling over the corpses piled high like a small mountain, their faces impassive as they continued towards the Qingyun Mountain Range.
Inside the carriage, a faint smile graced Yun Xiao's face as she spoke casually.
"Baby, don't blame Mommy for being heartless. Mommy just wants to help your father."
She gently stroked her belly. Although she was nearly two months pregnant and the baby had not yet taken shape, nor had there been any fetal movement, she felt as if a vibrant life already resided within her.
After passing Ghost Head Mountain, darkness had fallen. This area was a sprawl of mountains, and any dwellings were hidden deep within the mountains. They could not find any households, so they had to camp in the mountains that night.
Yun Xiao had not minded such things before, but now that she had a baby, she considered everything more carefully.
The night was silent, the moon hanging in the middle of the sky, as if suspended from the treetops. The cold moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled, hazy shadows on the ground. They were still some distance from the Qingyun Mountain Range.
The area consisted of small hills, so there were unlikely to be any large animals. Tonight, everyone would rest by the forest edge, and nothing untoward should happen.
Everyone dismounted, and some lit torches, retrieving dry provisions for everyone to eat.
Yun Xiao also alighted from the carriage, sitting on a raised rock. She looked up at the moon, suddenly feeling a pang of longing for Mu Rong, imagining that he too must be thinking of her at this very moment. The distance made the longing so intense.
No one spoke; the silence was profound, broken only by the sounds of eating and drinking.
Suddenly, a faint sound reached their ears. Yun Xiao and Shangguan Lin's expressions immediately darkened. Everyone ceased their actions, their gazes snapping towards the depths of the dense forest, the source of the sound.
Through the lush green leaves, a white shadow suddenly floated past.
It seemed like a ghost, but these individuals were all martial artists and knew it was a person, and moreover, a woman.
As everyone watched in bewilderment, laughter echoed from the forest, clear and melodious, like the chime of bells in an empty valley, reverberating continuously. After the laughter subsided, a voice with a hint of childishness rang out: "Everyone, hands up! I'm here to rob you."
Bandits robbing them? Would this group let them off? Yet, when this woman announced her intention to rob, everyone sitting below burst into laughter and continued to eat without changing their expression, as if they had heard nothing.
They wondered who this girl, swinging her legs from a tree branch, could be, daring to stay up past midnight and roam the forest, openly declaring her intention to rob.
The person in the tree, seeing that no one below paid her any attention, appeared somewhat taken aback. She touched her head and asked with confusion:
"Why didn't it work? Is it because I'm too good-looking, and my presence isn't imposing enough? Or did I use the wrong method? Perhaps my words weren't harsh enough."
While finding fault, she gracefully descended from the tree, placing one foot on a large rock. She twirled a whip in her hands, trying her best to appear fierce, and spoke coldly.
"Everyone, hands up! I'm here to rob you."
Still, no one paid her any mind. They calmly stood up, packing their belongings, grooming their horses, and feeding them, but no one acknowledged her.
The girl was stunned, unsure of what she had done wrong. She reined in her whip and walked over, approaching Shangguan Lin with a fawning expression. "Brother, may I ask, did I say something wrong? Why aren't you afraid?"
The moment she spoke, Yun Xiao could no longer contain herself and let out a snort of laughter. In the darkness of the night, dozens of people began to laugh.
This girl was simply too amusing. Someone came to rob them, and she had to ask where she went wrong. Goodness, running into someone like this in the dead of night was truly entertaining. The tense and suppressed mood of everyone inexplicably lifted.
Yun Xiao, smiling, beckoned. "You, come here. I'll tell you what you said wrong."