The night was dark and deep. On the deserted Qing Yong Mountain, only a few bonfires flickered, casting light.
In the pitch-black darkness, a figure, like a ghost, slipped in from behind the mountain stronghold, silently searching for something within it.
With the night as cover, no one noticed his trace, even though he was alone.
Suddenly, a sound came from ahead. The figure sidestepped into the shadows, his breathing completely stilled.
"The Chief truly has an eye for beauty. He returns to the stronghold, and a great beauty just walks right into his lap."
"That woman is so beautiful. I've kidnapped so many women up this mountain, and I've never seen anyone as lovely as her!"
"What's there to be envious of? The Chief has always treated us well. Hasn't he always just given them to us after he's had his fill? Just wait, that woman will surely be ours to enjoy sooner or later!"
"Hehehe, you're right. Just thinking about it makes me excited!"
Two bandits chatted as they walked, completely unaware that in the shadows a few steps away, someone was listening to their entire conversation.
After the two men passed, the figure in the shadows emerged.
His appearance was disheveled, his clothes torn in several places and covered in scrapes. And on that unremarkable face was the visage of "Shen Wei."
Qin Moyuan watched the direction the two bandits had left, his expression tense.
Without any reason, he had a premonition that the woman they spoke of was A Shu!
Qin Moyuan didn't hesitate, directly changing direction and heading towards the Chief's residence.
...
Inside the main house of Qing Yong Mountain.
The Chief leaned forward, once again lifting Li Yue Shu's chin and smiling in a way that sent shivers down one's spine. "Your lover is truly a coward. A beauty like you is wasted on him. Why not come with me? I guarantee you'll eat well and live lavishly!"
As he spoke, he slowly lowered his head, about to kiss her.
Li Yue Shu didn't move, appearing to accept his words, behaving very meekly.
Just as the Chief's face drew near, Li Yue Shu suddenly raised her hand, a gleaming scalpel thrusting directly towards his neck.
At such close range, Li Yue Shu was confident of a fatal blow.
But the next moment, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
The Chief looked at her with a smile. "Do you think I would be without any precautions, having someone who can sneak into my Qing Yong Mountain alone?"
Li Yue Shu was indeed surprised, but she immediately lifted her leg and kicked out, her movements fast and fierce.
The Chief's reaction was not slow either. He released her hand and retreated, dodging the kick.
Li Yue Shu, now free, didn't hesitate. She lunged forward, the gleaming scalpel aimed at vital points, each strike deadly.
The Chief had initially been amused, but after his arm was grazed by the inconspicuous small blade, he finally adopted a serious expression.
He looked at Li Yue Shu with scrutiny. "Who taught you martial arts?"
This woman clearly had no internal energy, yet her movements were cunning and strange, each strike aimed at vital points, obviously professionally trained.
But he had never seen such moves before.
Li Yue Shu looked at the person before her warily. "Want to know? Ask the King of Hell!"
As soon as she spoke, she lunged forward again.
At this moment, Li Yue Shu could no longer adhere to her principle of not wanting to kill. Her mind was filled with Zhou Chen's words.
Those innocent children, and Qin Moyuan...
In this moment, Li Yue Shu only wanted to kill the beast in front of her and vent all the anger she had held back all day.
The Chief also felt her intense killing intent, putting away his carelessness and striking with more force.
As Zhou Chen had said, this bandit leader's martial arts were indeed formidable. Li Yue Shu gradually began to fall at a disadvantage.
When she was in Tong Mu County before, she had sparred with Xing He a few times. She could clearly feel that the Chief's martial arts were no less than Xing He's.
Li Yue Shu's heart stirred. With a back kick, she created distance, and in her hand, she had retrieved a gun from her space.
The Chief looked up and saw the object in her hand.
He had never seen such a strange thing before, but instinctively, he sensed danger.
Without any hesitation, he lunged at Li Yue Shu and slapped out with his palm the moment she raised her hand.
All of this, though complex, happened in the blink of an eye.
Li Yue Shu was fast, but before she could aim, she was struck by the Chief's palm.
The gun slipped from her grasp and rolled onto the ground. Li Yue Shu's entire palm went numb.
She instinctively turned her head and saw the man rushing towards her with a fierce palm strike.
The distance was too close; Li Yue Shu couldn't dodge in time and could only protect her vital points.
But the next moment, a dull thud rang out.
Li Yue Shu waited for a long time but felt no pain.
Confused, she turned her head and saw a familiar figure standing behind her, looking at her intently, while the Chief had already collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
Looking at the man before her, covered in wounds and in a sorry state, Li Yue Shu felt a pang of pain in her heart.
She opened her mouth to say something, but after a long pause, she blurted out, "You... you're still alive."
Qin Moyuan: "..."
Realizing what she had said, Li Yue Shu felt a bit embarrassed and quickly changed the subject. "Didn't you say you'd be back by dawn last night? Why are you still in the stronghold?"
Qin Moyuan pursed his lips, his expression somewhat serious. "Qing Yong Mountain's defenses are more stringent than I imagined. I was discovered before I even reached the mountain."
He didn't mention what he had encountered, only looking at the person in front of him with a worried expression. "A Shu, are you alright?"
Li Yue Shu shook her head, picked up the gun from the ground, and put it into her space. "Let's go find A Yu first."
Qin Moyuan examined her carefully, and only when he was sure she was unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"Qing Yong Mountain is vast. I searched many places but found no trace of A Yu," Qin Moyuan said, his brows furrowed. He looked at the unconscious person on the ground. "I'm afraid only he knows where the children are being held."
Li Yue Shu also followed his gaze.
Originally, she had wanted to get information from the Chief, but she hadn't expected his martial arts to be so high and his vigilance so strong. She hadn't managed to ask anything yet.
Li Yue Shu pondered for a moment and suddenly thought of Zhou Chen's words.
Besides this Chief, there were others who knew where the children were being held.
Li Yue Shu had an idea. "Set fire to the stronghold. Those people will naturally lead us to them."
For these bandits, the children were their greatest treasure, and they would definitely not abandon them.
Qin Moyuan immediately understood her meaning and nodded. "I'll take you out first."
As he spoke, he put his arm around Li Yue Shu's waist.
To avoid attracting attention, he had come down from the roof. To leave silently, he could only go via the roof.
Li Yue Shu couldn't use Qinggong, nor did she refuse his help.
But as Qin Moyuan drew closer, a pungent smell of blood suddenly assailed her nostrils.
Li Yue Shu's heart tightened. She turned to look at the person beside her.
With such a strong smell of blood, he couldn't possibly have sustained a minor injury.
Li Yue Shu wanted to say something, but Qin Moyuan had already led her out of the room. "There are many people in the stronghold. Let's split up and cause chaos in Qing Yong Mountain as quickly as possible."
After speaking, he hurried off in one direction.
He clearly understood what Li Yue Shu wanted to say, but the most important thing now was to rescue A Yu.
Li Yue Shu gazed deeply at his retreating back, then turned and headed in another direction.
But she did not go to set fire.