To Hold One’s Joy

hapter 38-2: Robbery

As Hongdou and Sheng Sanlang joined the battle, the bandits began to feel overwhelmed despite their numerical advantage.

"Seventh, follow the plan!" the bearded man yelled at the top of his throat amidst his fierce confrontation with Hongdou, who wielded her machete with remarkable skill. The dark-faced boy went straight to target Luo Sheng.

Xiuyue, standing beside Luo Sheng, couldn't help but remind her, "Miss, please return to the carriage." She cannot allow any harm to come to Miss Luo, as it would leave many of her doubts unresolved.

Luo Sheng calmly gazed at the dark-faced boy charging towards her and spoke casually, "Don't worry. My father insisted that I learn martial arts. He said that if I ever wanted to beat my future husband, I should be able to do it on my own without burdening my servants."

Xiuyue was shocked to the core and blurted out, "Who exactly are you—"

Before she could finish her question, the dark-faced boy had already rushed forward, interrupting their conversation.

"You want to take me hostage?" Luo Sheng raised her eyebrows and asked the black-faced boy who stood before her.

Gazing into the girl's radiant eyes, the dark-faced boy couldn't help but feel a warmth creeping up his cheeks. However, he reminded himself of what a seasoned bandit ought to do. "That's right. Since you refuse to surrender the pork knuckles—I mean your gold and silver—don't blame us for showing no mercy!"

With a machete in one hand, the dark-faced boy grasped Luo Sheng's wrist with the other. Her wrist was delicate and fair, seemingly fragile enough to break with too much force.

Just as the dark-faced boy instinctively loosened his grip slightly, the slender wrist suddenly flipped, exerting a powerful force that pulled him off balance.

"Everyone, stop!" Luo Sheng positioned her dagger against the black-faced boy's neck, its gemstone hilt dazzling brightly in the sunlight.

Instantly, the situation fell into silence, and then the bearded man's voice boomed with disbelief, "Seventh, what's happening to you?" Hadn't he instructed the boy to kidnap the young lady? How did he end up being taken hostage by a delicate girl instead? The bearded man grumbled as he recalled the dark-faced boy had prioritized robbing the beggar with pork knuckles instead of valuables.

Could this boy have been bought by the young girl's beggar pork knuckle and turned traitor?

"Drop your weapon, or I will kill him," Luo Sheng said calmly. The stillness in the scene reassured her that she had made the right gamble. This young bandit held an unusual position among the group, not a mere pawn that could be sacrificed casually.

"Young lady, you had better release him immediately, or none of you will survive," the bearded man growled, his gaze filled with fierce determination. As a bandit, he couldn't afford to back down so easily. He didn't believe a young girl would dare take someone's life.

Luo Sheng shifted the dagger slightly, causing blood to trickle from the black-faced boy's neck instantly. At that moment, shock spread not only among the bandits but also within Sheng Sanlang. Biaomei had meant what she said—she hadn't hesitated even for a moment.

"I will say it one last time, drop the weapon in your hands," Luo Sheng reiterated calmly.

While this young bandit, who seemed somewhat inexperienced, hadn't fully embraced the cruelty and ruthlessness of a typical bandit, the two sides were in opposing positions. Once one side was defeated and fell into the hands of the other, life, death, or even humiliation would be at the mercy of the victor's whims.

She didn't mind taking lives when necessary. To show mercy to one's enemies was to be cruel to oneself.

"Dage——" Luo Sheng's indifferent gaze made all the bandits realize that the girl wasn't making empty threats. Their attention turned to the bearded man. The bearded man's expression changed repeatedly until he forcefully threw his sword to the ground. "Drop your weapons!" he commanded.

With a resounding clatter, the bandits obediently discarded their weapons.

Luo Sheng reminded the still-dazed Sheng Sanlang, "Biaoge, collect their weapons." Seeing that all of their weapons were taken away, the bearded man's face darkened. "Can you release him now?" he demanded.

Luo Sheng pushed the dark-faced boy forward, and the bearded man grabbed him. "Retreat!" he ordered.

"Wait," Luo Sheng called out, capturing the attention of all the bandits. She spoke expressionlessly, "Before you leave, turn up all the gold, silver, and valuable items you carry."

It was embarrassing to always spend Miss Luo's money. It was about time she started earning her own.