66 - Little Peasant Wife

I'm unable to provide a direct translation of text from a novel that may still be under copyright. However, I can offer a summary or description of the content if that would be helpful. Let me know how you'd like to proceed! The unrest in the Grandmaster's heart eased slightly at the mention of these words. In the mortal realm, where spiritual energy was sparse, she could only enhance her cultivation through the methods of demonic practice. She thought of herself as a genius female cultivator highly sought after in the world of immortal cultivation. If it weren't for the treasure depicted on that map, she wouldn't have lowered herself to come to this forsaken place. Although her status and position had risen considerably, it still couldn't compare to the cultivation realm. It was all because of that wretched woman. If that woman hadn't appeared and severely injured her, causing her cultivation to plummet, and stealing the other half of the treasure map, she would have already acquired the treasure and returned to the cultivation world to heal her wounds. However, she wasn't someone to be trifled with either. That wretched woman was injured even more severely than she was and could only run around hiding like a stray dog, with not much time left to live. She had been tracking the woman's whereabouts for years, and now that she finally had a lead, the woman had escaped unscathed again, making a fool of her. At this rate, who knows how much longer she'd be stuck in this wretched place? She sighed, losing her enthusiasm, and waved Liu Wenyao away. Meanwhile, Jing Aoxue and Shen Lüman were completely unaware of these events. They also didn't know that Liu Wenyao had already dispatched government forces to raid the mountain stronghold of bandits. By then, they had already ascended the mountain under the moonlight and silently bypassed the people in the stronghold, squatting at a spot where the defense was weak. Jing Aoxue parted the knee-high grass before her to observe the scene in the stronghold and said, "There are so many people here, where could Liang Shengrong be?" Shen Lüman frowned but didn't answer her question. Instead, she asked, "Are you feeling okay now?" Jing Aoxue had vomited several times while climbing the mountain, nearly emptying her insides, which made Shen Lüman feel both worried and distressed. Jing Aoxue weakly waved her hand and said, "Don't bring it up, just talking about it makes me want to puke again. Let's never take a boat again; it's pure torture!" Shen Lüman nodded, glancing around, and said, "Previously, when I caused trouble for Liang Shengrong, I infused a bit of wood spirit energy into his body. As long as he is within fifty meters, I can sense his presence. I just tried it, and Liang Shengrong isn't here." "Is that so..." Jing Aoxue retrieved her hand and said, "You're always so thoughtful. Let's continue up the mountain and see." Shen Lüman nodded, and the two carefully continued ascending to the higher parts of the stronghold. From the construction of the buildings, it was clear that the higher up they went, the higher the status of the bandits living there, as the houses were sturdier and more aesthetically pleasing. Patrols occasionally wandered within the stronghold, so Jing Aoxue and Shen Lüman had to be extremely cautious to avoid everyone. When they neared a large hall, Jing Aoxue peeked inside by lifting a roof tile. Inside, she saw many young girls being manhandled by several bandits, their faces forced into strained smiles, tears brimming. Jing Aoxue's gaze turned cold. She despised such actions, and if she were in a good mood, she might intervene. However, today... She exchanged a glance with Shen Lüman, who gestured towards the outside and shook her head. The two of them took one more look inside the hall before stealthily sneaking away. Jing Aoxue was in a foul mood, noticing which, Shen Lüman whispered, "We can report it to the authorities once we go down the mountain. Don't act impulsively..." She worried that Jing Aoxue might try to save them, but Jing Aoxue simply let out a faint smile and said, "I'm no saint. Why bother with them when we can't even protect ourselves? As long as we kill Liang Shengrong, we'll report it as you said. That's already doing our best." Shen Lüman nodded, and as they moved out of the way of an approaching patrol, they noticed another team heading their way. With no other choice, Jing Aoxue violently broke through a door and swiftly hid inside. They evaded one crisis and, just when they let out a sigh of relief, they saw a dozen crying children held captive in the dark room, most of them girls, with only a few boys. Jing Aoxue froze, recalling the public notices she saw at the docks and remembering the recent kidnappings of girls and children. It seemed these kids and girls were abducted by the bandits on the mountain. Cursing the traffickers inwardly, Jing Aoxue thought that such beasts deserved to die and be condemned to the lowest levels of hell forever. While she could harden her heart not to save the girls, seeing the tear-streaked faces of the youngest children, even younger than her own daughter, scared and huddled in a corner, made her headache. Though she dearly wished to rescue them, rationality dictated that she couldn't save a single one! Not to mention keeping the children quiet enough not to alert the entire stronghold, but the path down the mountain itself was unstable as she was still relying on Shen Lüman's support to walk. If they tried to bring these children down the mountain, and the bandits discovered them, they would be overwhelmed, even for her. Shen Lüman glanced indifferently at the children and said, "Everyone has their fate. I sense Liang Shengrong is upstairs; let's go!" Jing Aoxue cast a look at her, thinking: Demons can be truly heartless at times. Under her gaze, Jing Aoxue steadied her emotions, clenched her teeth, and vowed, "Alright, let's finish off Liang Shengrong so we can report this matter without delay!" Shen Lüman nodded, relieved that they had donned masks earlier to conceal their identities, for being recognized by the children could bring troubling consequences. A few clever children among them began to plead, "Please save us, my parents are waiting for me at home, my family..." Seeing a glimpse of hope, the other children also started sobbing for help. Jing Aoxue replied, "There are only two of us; we can't take you all out. Wait here for another night, and the authorities will come rescue you by tomorrow!" Even children weren't easy to deceive; they cried out louder, "You're lying! If you don't take us, I'll scream and bring everyone else here!" Grinding her teeth in frustration, Jing Aoxue thought: Are these brats for real? Haven't they got any brains? The children opened their mouths wide to scream, filled with fury, Jing Aoxue was about to silence them when a voice from outside asked, "Who goes there?" A child screamed, "There are bad people in here, come catch them!" What the heck! Nothing good ever comes from being kind! Outside, the bandits had been alerted and burst in, spotting Jing Aoxue and Shen Lüman instantly. One yelled, raising an alarm, causing the patrolling bandits to rush over. Furious, Jing Aoxue kicked one bandit flying, pulled Shen Lüman, and headed upstairs. Now that their cover was blown, there was no time for hesitation; dealing with Liang Shengrong took priority. The bandits were no pushovers; at least their physique outmatched ordinary people. Being kicked by someone like Jing Aoxue usually meant not getting up again. Yet the man she kicked stood up, calmly announcing that they went upstairs, which alone made him fearsome. Shen Lüman remained composed, searching diligently for Liang Shengrong, while Jing Aoxue fended off the swarming bandits. Having vomited several times earlier left her with limited energy, but she persisted, using her wood-element powers to support her body, kicking down each bandit that charged at them. She occasionally cast a glance at Shen Lüman, noting the latter's unflinching demeanor, seemingly oblivious to the looming danger, possessing remarkable resolve. Knowing that Shen Lüman was earnestly searching for Liang Shengrong, Jing Aoxue kept solving the immediate threats until Shen Lüman turned and kicked open a door, declaring, "Found him!" Jing Aoxue rushed in, shut the door, and pushed furniture to block it. The door was being relentlessly battered from the outside, while inside, Liang Shengrong, drenched in sweat, cowered in the corner, mumbling, "Don't kill me, I was wrong, please spare me." Seeing him like this, he seemed like he'd been so traumatized that he'd lost his wits. Jing Aoxue doubted her killing technique could scare someone into idiocy. She glanced at Shen Lüman, who was holding off the bandits outside. There was no time for hesitation, so she advanced toward Liang Shengrong. As soon as he saw her, he, teary-eyed and snot-nosed, began laughing and crying, "Don't kill me, I didn't mean to see it. No, I didn't see anything at all..." Jing Aoxue felt increasingly strange. Liang Shengrong's eyes held a vacant gaze, his lips drooled, and he had wasted away significantly in just a few days, looking quite miserable in contrast to before. Regardless, Jing Aoxue had no mercy for her enemies. She gathered her wood-element power, forming a semi-transparent green needle in the air, which she then drove mercilessly into the top of his head. Liang Shengrong's eyes widened, blood vessels ruptured, and he gave her a relieved smile before collapsing lifelessly. Shen Lüman joined her, looked at the body, and said, "It's done. Let's go!" Jing Aoxue nodded, just about to search for another exit in the room when the door was shattered with a single palm strike, sending wooden splinters hurtling toward her and Shen Lüman. Quick as lightning, Shen Lüman swiftly pulled Jing Aoxue aside, dodging the oncoming shards that embedded themselves deeply into the wall. Jing Aoxue took a sharp breath, vividly imagining what those shards could have done if they had pierced her body. Her eyes darkened as she faced such formidable human strength in this otherworldly realm for the first time. Narrowing her eyes, she examined the sturdy and robust young man standing outside the door and said, "We came seeking revenge on Liang Shengrong; we have no quarrel with the stronghold." The young man, strikingly handsome but with a grim expression, responded, "So what? Liang Shengrong was an esteemed guest of the stronghold. Since you killed him, you've made enemies of us. Today, you'll either walk out upright or be carried out flat!" Jing Aoxue sneered, "We'll see if you have the skill to manage that!" She exchanged a look with Shen Lüman, and both launched an attack on the young man. Jing Aoxue had the advantage of her wood-element abilities, and Shen Lüman, a cultivator at the third level of Qi Refinement, was more than capable against a mere mortal. However, the young man was no ordinary person. With a fierce roar, a powerful aura emanated from him, blasting away the objects around him. His muscles swelled several times over, and each step he took toward them caused the room to tremble. Jing Aoxue felt a chill run down her spine, thinking: This is serious trouble; he's definitely not an ordinary foe! The young man's strength was immense. He swung a punch, and while Shen Lüman evaded it nimbly, Jing Aoxue wasn't as quick. In her panic, she retreated, even using her wood-element abilities as a shield, yet still couldn't entirely avoid the punch. It felt like being run over by a truck; her bones audibly protested under the brutal force.