“Girl, what exactly do you mean by ‘robbery’?” The little girl asked with a smile.
Zuo Xiaoxiao looked up at her, speechless.
“Could it be…” The little girl’s large eyes gleamed with amusement, “You want to rob me?”
Zuo Xiaoxiao immediately waved her hands, “How could I, how could I? I don’t have that kind of courage, hehe…”
The little girl walked over and circled around Zuo Xiaoxiao.
“Carrying a bag, holding a sanxian, unarmed, and a weak woman… You really don’t look like someone robbing…” The little girl slowly said, “But, what does ‘Don’t go, robbery’ mean then? Hmm?”
Zuo Xiaoxiao was startled at first, but then it hit her. That’s right, her robbery was completely impulsive. She didn’t even bring any weapons, and rushed down hurriedly with her luggage and sanxian on her back. This robbery attempt was a total failure. No wonder Li Zhenghai and the escorts didn’t take her seriously and didn’t even bother mentioning their weapons.
Understanding this, Zuo Xiaoxiao let out a sigh of relief. “Uh… No, I just meant to stop you… Uh…” She quickly made up a story, “There are people lying in ambush ahead, specifically robbing passersby, I was just giving you a warning…”
“Oh?” The little girl raised her eyebrows, smiling slyly.
“Are there really people lying in ambush ahead? Is this true?” Li Zhenghai frowned, asking.
“Absolutely!” Zuo Xiaoxiao forced herself to reply confidently, “I just came back from there! Hero, you all shouldn’t go down this path, take a detour!” She clasped her hands together in a polite gesture, “I’ve said all I needed to say, no need to thank me, well then, farewell~”
She finished and was about to make a run for it. But the little girl called out, “Miss, please wait.”
Zuo Xiaoxiao paused, her voice trembling, “Do you have any other instructions?”
“Xingfeng Escort Agency has been in the martial world for so many years, and no one has ever dared to attack our escort vehicles. Yet today, someone dares to set an ambush. I want to see who has such nerve.” The little girl chuckled, “This mountain road isn’t easy to navigate. Judging by how familiar you seem with the area, why don’t you lead the way so we can meet these daring people?”
“No need for that, really?” Zuo Xiaoxiao was stunned.
“Le’er is right…” Li Zhenghai said, “I too would like to witness this ‘ambush’.”
It’s said that even when one knows there are tigers on the mountain, they still head towards the tiger’s lair. Yet how could this tiger mountain compare to the dangerous situation Zuo Xiaoxiao was in now, unable to back down?
T/N “Knowing there are tigers on the mountain, one still heads towards the tiger’s lair” (明知山有虎，偏向虎山行) is used, which means knowingly facing danger or trouble despite being aware of it.
The sun had completely set, and the crescent moon had just risen, making the mountain road appear even more desolate.
Zuo Xiaoxiao raised her head, tears brimming in her eyes, silently lamenting to the crescent moon.
Master… It’s not easy being a bad guy…
An ambush
Zuo Xiaoxiao forced herself to lead, holding a lantern, and walked at the front of the escort team.
The mountain road felt eerie under the night sky, and the lantern’s light barely illuminated her feet. Zuo Xiaoxiao kept her head low and sighed every now and then. This place was so remote, there couldn’t possibly be anyone lying in ambush. Except for desperate people like her, who risk everything because they are starving, there wouldn’t be any robbers here. She had no idea how she was going to get out of this situation if they didn’t run into any bandits along the way.
Zuo Xiaoxiao carefully glanced back at the people behind her. Just a while ago, under the sunset, she had thought that this jewelled little girl looked cute with her fair and delicate features. But now, she could see the calculating cunning in those watery eyes. Though the girl wasn’t even of age yet, she was certainly not holding back when it came to making things difficult for people. What a sin… It was Zuo Xiaoxiao’s first time committing a crime. Why did she have to try and rob her of all people? And the worst part was, she didn’t even manage to rob anything…
The more Zuo Xiaoxiao thought about it, the sadder she became, and she stopped to wipe away her tears. When she stopped, the entire escort team behind her also stopped.
Zuo Xiaoxiao quickly turned around, her mouth half-opened, but before she could speak, several large rocks suddenly rolled down from both sides of the mountain road. One of them stopped just a foot away from Zuo Xiaoxiao.
“There’s an ambush!” Li Zhenghai shouted.
Upon hearing this, the escort team drew their weapons and prepared for battle.
Zuo Xiaoxiao was stunned. She slowly turned around, feeling a chill in her heart. If she had taken just a few more steps, she would have been crushed under one of those stones. She patted her chest and sighed with teary eyes.
At this moment, people dressed in black and masked jumped out from both sides of the mountain road. There were about twenty of them, all armed.
“Leave the escort car, and we will spare your lives!” one of the black-clothed men shouted.
Zuo Xiaoxiao was completely dumbfounded. An ambush? …In this remote place? There are still robbers here? What kind of world is this?
Behind her, Li Zhenghai cupped his fists and said, “Xingfeng Escort Agency is on duty. Which path do you belong to? Could you let us pass?”
The black-clothed men didn’t respond and attacked immediately.
Standing at the front, Zuo Xiaoxiao quickly dashed behind Li Zhenghai.
“Gr… great hero,” she trembled as she spoke, “Can I leave now?”
Li Zhenghai didn’t have time to answer her. He grabbed his long knife and rushed forward. As soon as the chief escort moved, the other fifteen escorts charged as well. The mountain road descended into chaos.
Zuo Xiaoxiao held her head and hid behind the escort car, wanting to cry but unable to.
The world of the Jianghu is dangerous. No wonder the master said: when watching a fight, you should stay far away. Swords and blades don’t have eyes. What if something happened to her… Bah, bah, bah… Anyway, when that happens, who would she ask for justice?
She cautiously stood up and carefully looked at the battle not far ahead. If she didn’t sneak away now, when would she? She bent over, stood up on tiptoe, and started to sneak away in small steps.
She hadn’t taken many steps when she suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at the escort car.
Tsk, in a situation like this, if she didn’t take advantage of the chaos to rob something, how could she even be considered a bad guy? She glanced at the escort guards and the black-clothed men. Both sides were locked in a fierce fight. It seemed that no one had time to care about her. She looked at the escort car beside her. In such a remote area, people had gone to such great lengths to set up an ambush and rob. There must be something special in this escort car. Seeing how the little girl was covered in jewels earlier, could it be that… there were gold and silver treasures inside this car too?
Zuo Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up instantly. Money~
She immediately dashed to the side of the escort car, eagerly starting to move the boxes. Suddenly, a gust of wind hit from behind. Zuo Xiaoxiao was startled and quickly turned around, but she had forgotten that she was still holding a box. The corner of the box struck the man who had come up behind her, knocking him to the ground.
“Uh…” Zuo Xiaoxiao stared at the masked man in black, now unconscious on the ground, speechless.
At that moment, another black-clothed man leapt toward her. Zuo Xiaoxiao took a few steps back, tightly hugging the box in her hands.
The man didn’t say a word, and he immediately attacked with a knife.
Xiaoxiao screamed and fled in panic. Seeing the cold, glinting blade slashing through the air near her, she bitterly complained to herself. If she had known things would turn out like this, she should’ve practised martial arts properly back then. Now, look, she couldn’t even dodge fast enough.
Suddenly, Zuo Xiaoxiao realised something. The reason she couldn’t move fast wasn’t because her martial arts skills were poor, but because of the box in her hands. Her life was in danger—what good was the money?! She gritted her teeth and tossed the box away.
The black-clothed man hadn’t expected this move and, in a hurry, slashed at the box with his knife.
The box, made of wood, couldn’t withstand such a blow. It shattered immediately, scattering wood fragments across the ground.
Zuo Xiaoxiao was stunned. The box was completely empty. No wonder, from the beginning of the fight, not a single guard was stationed near this escort car. It was an empty cart all along.
The man in black was also shocked. He glared at Zuo Xiaoxiao, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
“It’s none of my business!” Zuo Xiaoxiao shrieked.
The man in black wasn’t listening to anything Xiaoxiao said and continued his relentless attack with his knife.
Zuo Xiaoxiao shouted for help while dodging left and right around the escort car.
The man in black’s attacks were ruthless, and his blade was getting dangerously close. Zuo Xiaoxiao instinctively crouched down, hugging her head, and closed her eyes tightly.
However, nothing happened.
She cautiously stood up and saw that the blade of the man in black had embedded itself in the wood of the escort car, stuck and unable to move. God was helping her! Zuo Xiaoxiao immediately bolted.
Seeing this, the man in black abandoned his knife and chased after her barehanded. He reached out and grabbed the three-stringed instrument (三弦) on Zuo Xiaoxiao’s back.
Zuo Xiaoxiao was startled, but she quickly turned around, grabbed his wrist, and kicked his abdomen with her right foot.
The man in black hastily let go and dodged aside.
Zuo Xiaoxiao hugged the three-stringed instrument tightly to her chest, her expression showing a hint of anger. But the next moment, she shrank back, saying, “Hero, I really have nothing to do with those people… Please don’t kill me…”
The man in black looked confused, but he didn’t dwell on it and attacked once again.
Zuo Xiaoxiao parried his moves and dashed to the side of the escort car.
“Hero, we can talk!” Zuo Xiaoxiao hurriedly pleaded.
The man in black was a bit surprised but still turned back to attack.
Zuo Xiaoxiao jumped onto the escort car and kicked a box toward him.
The man in black easily dodged the box and was about to jump onto the car when suddenly, a cold blade pierced into his left shoulder. He quickly retreated a few steps, looking at the knife in shock. It was clearly his own sword, which had earlier gotten stuck in the wooden board of the escort car.
“Uh…kicked the wrong way…” Zuo Xiaoxiao awkwardly muttered, her foot still hanging in the air.
The man in black glared at her, but he couldn’t act out because of the pain from his wound.
By now, Xingfeng Escort Agency had fully taken control of the situation. The twenty or so men in black were either dead or injured, no longer posing a threat.
Seeing this, the man in black turned and left, disappearing into the night.
Zuo Xiaoxiao put her foot down, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and let out a sigh of relief.
“Miss, are you okay?” Li Zhenghai, holding a knife, approached the escort car and asked.
Zuo Xiaoxiao climbed down from the car, shaking her head repeatedly, “I’m fine, I’m fine.”
Suddenly, Li Zhenghai cupped his hands in a gesture of thanks and said, “Thank you, Miss.”
Zuo Xiaoxiao, with her sanxian now on her back, looked at him in confusion.
“If it weren’t for your guidance, we would’ve fallen victim to a rockfall ambush.” Li Zhenghai glanced at the unconscious men in black on the ground. “Your righteous assistance is greatly appreciated. I, Li, am deeply grateful.”
Zuo Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment. God knows, she had only stopped by mistake. There was no advice or guidance involved. And as for righteousness, she had merely failed to take advantage of the situation. But in this case, telling the truth wouldn’t do her any good…
Forcing herself to remain calm, she clasped her fists and said, “Hero, there’s no need for politeness. It’s what I should do… So, can I leave now?” As soon as she finished speaking and was about to lift her foot to leave, someone called out again.
“Girl.” The young girl, adorned with jewels, approached, her expression still full of playfulness.
Zuo Xiaoxiao immediately had a bad feeling. Whatever this girl said, it was bound to lead to trouble.
“I saw everything you did earlier. You truly are kind-hearted and full of chivalry,” the girl smiled. “Though I’m young, I know the importance of repaying kindness. It’s late now, and we’re in the middle of nowhere. How could I let you leave alone? Why don’t you come with us? Once we reach the town, I can arrange a banquet to thank you.”
“Le’er makes sense. You don’t have to refuse, girl,” Li Zhenghai added with a smile.
Xiaoxiao looked at the young girl and felt a chill down her spine. Had she really seen everything? That would include her moving the boxes and attempting to take advantage of the situation. If that’s the case, then inviting her to travel together definitely wouldn’t end well… This girl was not easy to deal with.
“By the way, my name is Shi Le’er. I wonder what your name is, sister?” The girl smiled, her face looking innocent.
“Me? Nothing worth mentioning,” Zuo Xiaoxiao replied.
“What? Does sister dislike me?” Shi Le’er frowned slightly.
“No, no,” Zuo Xiaoxiao quickly shook her head.
“So, what is your name, sister?” Shi Le’er asked again with a smile.
Zuo Xiaoxiao glanced at Shi Le’er, then at Li Zhenghai, and after a moment of thought, she sighed helplessly and said, “Zuo Xiaoxiao.”
“Zuo?” Shi Le’er lowered her eyes in thought.
Xiaoxiao sighed. Though her master and she wandered the martial world, they were not part of any sect or school, and had never done anything remarkable. They were just small, unknown figures. She figured that even if Shi Le’er tried hard to recall, there would be nothing significant to think of.
“Then can I call you Sister Xiaoxiao?” Shi Le’er raised her head with a smile.
“Sure, whatever you say goes,” Zuo Xiaoxiao nodded readily.
“Where is Sister Xiaoxiao’s ancestral home? Who else is in your family?” Shi Le’er took her hand and continued to ask.
“I have no fixed place to live, and there’s no one at home,” Zuo Xiaoxiao replied.
“Sister Xiaoxiao’s skills are extraordinary. May I ask which school you’ve learned from?” Shi Le’er kept questioning.
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(づ˶•༝•˶)づ𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒
