Ashes to Crown

Chapter 105: Chapter 64: Road Bandits

The Border County was vast and sparsely populated. Aside from a few prosperous checkpoint counties, the rest of the region was desolate from years of war.

A caravan of merchants and horses hurried along the road.

Three carts of goods were surrounded by more than twenty Escort Masters, all fully equipped with swords, spears, bows, and arrows.

”Faster,” the lead Escort Master urged. ”Or we won’t make it to the city by nightfall.”

The merchant in the caravan was young and had a somewhat casual air. ”If we don’t make it to the city, we can just camp in the wild. It’s not like I was coddled at home. I can handle hardship. I’ve traveled the southern and northern routes; sleeping out in the open is nothing new to me.”

The Escort Master gave a wry smile. ”Young Master Sun, you can camp out anywhere in the heart of the Central Plains and be fine. But you can’t do that here in the Border County. It’s crawling with bandits. Without the protection of a city, it’s very dangerous.”

The merchant sat up straight. ”Really? I thought they said the wars in the Border County ended long ago and that it was safe now.”

”It’s true the wars are over, but this land is poor and treacherous, and bandits run rampant,” the Escort Master said.

The merchant recalled the cities he’d passed through before. ”But what about all those government soldiers? Don’t they arrest bandits?”

”Oh, they do,” the Escort Master said, cracking his whip to urge the horses on. ”But they can’t catch them all. Besides, the soldiers are meant to defend against Western Liang. They’re not willing to waste manpower on chasing bandits.”

The merchant grunted in understanding, a thoughtful and slightly more nervous expression on his face. ”Well, let’s hurry up then.”

The group shouted, urging their horses and carts into a gallop. But just as they crested a hill, a group of riders appeared before them, brandishing large sabers and letting out strange, cackling laughs.

”Looks like our lucky day—”

”It’s been a long time since we had this many people pass through our road.”

”Kind travelers passing by, how about sparing a few coins?”

Seeing this group and hearing their bizarre laughs and jeers, the faces of the Escort Masters and the merchant paled.

”Fall back! Fall back!” the lead Escort Master said urgently, directing the others into a defensive formation.

The young merchant still held out some hope. ”They want money, so let’s give them money! I’ve run into bandits before. Giving them money is all it takes.”

The Escort Master shouted, ”Young Master Sun, the bandits here aren’t so reasonable! They’ll take your money, and your life too! They’ll strip you naked and eat your flesh!”

’These aren’t bandits, they’re beasts.’ The young merchant’s face went deathly pale, his earlier composure completely gone.

”Leave the goods! Leave the goods!” he yelled, scrambling to run back.

The bandits were already closing in with strange cries. Arrows fired from the Escort Masters’ powerful bows knocked a few bandits from their horses, but the horde didn’t slow in the slightest. They even trampled their fallen comrades without a second thought.

’They really are inhuman beasts.’

Despair filled the Escort Masters’ eyes. It looked like they wouldn’t make it out of this alive.

As he fled under guard, the young master was struck in the shoulder by a flying rock—’these bandits even use rocks as weapons!’—and with a loud cry, he tumbled from his horse.

He covered his head and rolled several times, narrowly avoiding the horses’ hooves.

More screams and the thuds of bodies falling from horses filled his ears.

’It’s over, it’s all over.’ The young merchant curled up on the ground. ’I made this trip specifically to fight for the family inheritance, but I never thought I’d die here. Even if the inheritance becomes mine, what’s the use? A dead man can’t enjoy it—’

Tears streamed from the young merchant’s eyes. He could vaguely see a large saber swinging down at his head—

But just then, the sound of more hoofbeats, even more chaotic, approached, accompanied by a buzzing sound that cut through the air.

With a THUD, the saber slid past the young merchant’s shoulder and hit the ground. The bandit on the horse also fell, kicking up a cloud of dust. Through the haze, the merchant could see the bandit’s savage eyes, his throat pierced by an arrow.

’What’s happening?’

Having narrowly escaped death, the young merchant lay trembling on the ground and looked back.

’Are the government soldiers here?’

”Which blind official is this?” a bandit cursed resentfully. ”I’ve paid them plenty of money!”

The attack from behind made the bandits pause their slaughter, but their faces showed no fear. Instead, they looked ferocious, as if ready to fight the soldiers.

But when they turned, they saw no armor or banners. It was just a group of people dressed even more lavishly than the merchant’s caravan—men and women, old and young, adorned with gold and silver, with fragrant carriages and fine horses. If not for the weapons in their hands, they would have looked exactly like a wealthy family on an outing.

’Who are these people?’

’They’re so dazzling.’

’Are they planning to right wrongs and help the people just because they have a few bodyguards who know kung fu?’

”Who are you?” the bandit leader shouted mockingly, his eyes gleaming. ”Perfect timing! The boys from Pingchuan Gully are cleaning house. Come on and offer your lives to us grandpas!”

This area was their territory. Anyone who heard their name would back off; even the government soldiers had to show them some respect.

But these people didn’t retreat. Their leader was a young woman in a floral dress, wearing a conical hat with a flowing white veil. The veil fluttered up, revealing a charming and lovely face.

A charming and lovely young woman, who just happened to be holding a bow.

”What a coincidence. The folks from Qingya Village are on their way to the market,” she called out with a sweet smile. ”Anyone who blocks our path will have to die.”

’Qingya Village?’

’That doesn’t sound like any proper place.’ And hearing her words—’going to the market, and anyone in the way has to die?’ The young merchant, still huddled on the ground, felt his face turn pale again.

The previously ferocious bandits also turned deathly white.

”Qingya Village?” they cried out. Looking again at the young woman in the lead, they exclaimed, ”It’s Mu Mianhong!”

’What is a Mu Mianhong?’ the young merchant wondered blankly. The thought had barely crossed his mind when he heard a chorus of shouts: ”Mu Mianhong!” ”Mu Mianhong is here!” ”It’s Mu Mianhong!”

Along with the cries, the once-vicious bandits scattered and fled like stray dogs.

And the group of men, women, old, and young became the new hunters. They let out battle cries. Some drew bows and loosed arrows. And others—the merchant, still curled up on the ground with his head in his hands, peeked through the gap in his arms and saw a child of about ten. The child was standing on horseback, raising a boomerang. With a WHOOSH, it flew out, and a fleeing bandit instantly dropped to the ground, motionless.

The child let out a clear, high-pitched cheer for their successful hit.

The merchant understood. ’These are bandits too! This is a case of dog-eat-dog!’ The tears that had stopped began to flow again. ’There are just too many bandits in the Border County—’

The sounds of hooves, shouts, weapons whistling through the air, and men screaming were incessant. The merchant kept his head down and screamed along with them. But strangely, no hooves trampled him, and no blades or arrows pierced his head—

Gradually, the sounds faded into the distance.

The merchant raised his head in disbelief. The previous bandits were now all dead bodies scattered on the ground. Far down the road, the figures of that group of men, women, old, and young were faintly visible in a swirl of dust.

’What just happened?’

”Young Master Sun.” The Escort Masters ran over to help him up.

The merchant was helped to his feet and looked around. ”Is it over?”

”It’s over,” one of the Escort Masters said. ”Those bandits were driven off, and those other bandits have gone far away too.”

’That sounds strange. Wasn’t it a dog-eat-dog fight? Why did they stop halfway through?’ The young merchant was confused, but escaping with his life was a good thing no matter what.

”Quick, let’s get moving,” he said urgently.

After a quick check, they found the goods were all there. Three Escort Masters were dead and more than ten were injured. This was already an excellent outcome. The group didn’t even have time for grief. They loaded the dead onto the carts and gave the wounded simple bandages.

”Young Master Sun, look,” an Escort Master said.

The merchant, who had climbed onto a cart, looked over. He saw the Escort Master pick up a flower from the blood-stained dirt—

”A cotton flower,” the merchant, being well-traveled and knowledgeable, recognized it at once. But when he reached out and took it, he discovered it wasn’t a real flower, but one made of silk.

He thought of what the bandits had shouted.

”Mu Mianhong,” the merchant murmured, looking at the silk flower, then toward the distance.

The dust had already settled, and the figures were gone.

”Is that the girl’s name?”