Walking along the forest path, flanked by tall, thick trees, the light was dim. Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo followed closely, and as long as they were careful, it wouldn't be easy for the people ahead to spot them.
Ahead, the women's cries grew more distinct. Just then, the procession in front suddenly halted. A scrawny bandit, impatient, blurted out,
"Big Brother, these women are crying and wailing. They're asking for it. If they want it, shall we have our fun first? Once we've had our fill, they'll quiet down and behave!"
"Yeah, Big Brother. We're going to let so many people enjoy them at the stronghold anyway. We might as well enjoy them while they're still clean. It's always like this, by the time it gets to us, they're half-dead."
A short, stout man said lewdly, accompanied by a slurping sound.
The one called "Big Brother" hesitated, silent for a moment.
"Big Brother, don't worry. As long as they're not dead and still usable, no one will say anything, right?"
"That's right, Monkey is right. As long as we're careful not to break them, they'll still be good for something!"
As these bandits conversed, they completely disregarded the women as human beings, treating them like tools and commodities.
Gu Qingcheng's blood boiled. Damn it, this was utterly inhuman, a bunch of beasts!
Anger surged within her!
As if by magic, Gu Qingcheng swiftly retrieved a bow and arrows from her storage and handed them to Mi Guo. She, too, nocked an arrow, ready to unleash slaughter.
The leader, unable to bear the bickering of his subordinates, said,
"Alright, alright. Pick the women you fancy. If you want them, hurry up, stop dawdling.
Fatty, you're always all talk and no action;
Monkey, you just want to take advantage. The two of you are a perfect combination. Hurry, don't mess this up for me."
"Hahahaha," a burst of cheerful laughter erupted from the crowd.
Fatty and Monkey didn't feel unhappy about being chided by their boss, because the thing that made them happiest had already been agreed to.
Since their boss was allowing them to satisfy their lusts first, they naturally wouldn't refuse.
Everyone sprang into action, each grabbing a woman they fancied and dragging her towards the nearby bushes.
The women screamed in terror, some crying,
"Big Brother, spare me! My family will pay silver to ransom me!"
"Nonsense, your family are just farmers. Can they afford twenty taels of silver?"
"Big Brother, please don't touch me, I'm still a maiden! *sob sob*!"
"Hahaha, a maiden is just perfect, that's exactly the fresh taste I want!"
With that, the stout man, full of himself, began to grope the woman. She let out a piercing scream and struggled desperately. The scene descended into chaos.
Such depravity was too much for Gu Qingcheng to bear. She fired three arrows in quick succession. The first struck Fatty, the second hit Monkey, and the third struck the leader.
Mi Guo also loosed arrows at the same time...
Both siblings possessed masterful archery skills, honed through long practice. Their arrows whistled through the air, mercilessly piercing the bandits' temples, necks, and chests...
Six bandits fell to the ground, screaming.
The seventh bandit, seeing his companions fall, was bewildered. He grabbed his saber, intending to kill.
Gu Qingcheng swiftly loosed an arrow, aiming for his chest.
He cried out, "Ah!" as the arrowhead pierced his chest and emerged from his back, carrying a piece of bloody internal organ.
He collapsed, screaming, and died.
Silence returned to their ears.
Then, the weeping of the captive women arose from the surroundings.
Gu Qingcheng suppressed her fury and stepped forward to check on the women.
The four women were in disarray. Some had their tops pulled halfway up, others had their skirts torn, revealing their thighs...
Gu Qingcheng, feeling compassion, said,
"Ladies, you are safe now. These bandits have all been dealt with by us."
Was that even necessary to say?
These women had witnessed everything and knew they had escaped from certain doom.
After the shock came overwhelming joy.
They were overjoyed and, tears streaming down their faces, quickly got up to tidy themselves. Then, they all knelt before Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo.
"Benefactors, your immense kindness will never be forgotten!"
Gu Qingcheng quickly helped them up and said,
"It's nothing. No need for thanks. We couldn't stand by and do nothing when we saw injustice! Please, go home quickly. Do you know the way?"
"We know the way," said an elder woman. "We are all from the same village. These bandits kidnapped us and then burned our village."
Gu Qingcheng frowned and asked, "Which village was it?"
"Linshui Village, nestled in a remote mountain hollow. It only has about ten households. That's why, despite their small numbers, they were so vicious. Our villagers were caught completely off guard and were slaughtered.
Most of the villagers were killed by them. Some villagers escaped. As they were leaving, I saw them set fire to the entire village! Those accursed wretches, they deserve to die!"
The woman's anger grew as she spoke, and her tears flowed uncontrollably.
Gu Qingcheng nodded and said, "You should go back and see what's left. If you truly have nowhere to go, head to Fenghuang Village in Zhanchun Town. Our village will take you in."
"Thank you, benefactors. My name is Lian Yu. May I know your honorable names?"
The woman quickly asked.
"My name is Gu Qingcheng. Just mention my name when you get to Fenghuang Village."
Gu Qingcheng knew that without shelter, they would surely perish, or be forced into servitude. Being women themselves, she felt pity.
Lian Yu, along with three other women from the village, bowed deeply to Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo three times.
Gu Qingcheng urged them to go home.
With their families on their minds, the women left in haste.
After they were gone, Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo began to clean up the bodies.
Mi Guo searched each of them, finding some jewelry and silver. Then, they tossed the bodies into the dense grass below.
Fortunately, the undergrowth in the forest was very thick. Once thrown in, the bodies were immediately covered, leaving no trace unless one searched below.
After taking the Strength Pills, both of them were immensely strong, and lifting a person was no effort. They cooperated like lifting chickens, one grabbing hands, the other feet. They walked to the roadside and unsteadily tossed the bodies out, into the grass.
Next, Gu Qingcheng used her shovel to scrape away the bloodstained soil by the roadside, shoveling it into the ditch. After much concealment, the two of them continued their journey, encountering no one else.
The system map indicated that they had finally arrived below Wushan Stronghold.
The entrance to Wushan Stronghold was also a pass, with sturdy walls built of stone. As night had fallen, the gate of the stronghold had already been closed.
Gu Qingcheng found herself in a dilemma: how to attack Wushan Stronghold?