To Hold One’s Joy

hapter 39-1: Thick-Skinned

Behind the nearby trees, a man dressed in scarlet silently observed the unfolding scene with profound eyes. The guard by his side did not dare to ask any questions, but his heart was filled with doubts. Master was not one to easily engage with others, especially women. Yet, Master seemed somewhat different every time he encountered Miss Luo.

The first encounter took place amidst the bustling streets of the Capital. His Master possessed extraordinary martial arts skills, but surprisingly, his belt was swiftly taken off by a young girl who only practiced flashy techniques.

At that time, he watched from the sidelines as Miss Luo pulled Master's belt. Surprisingly, Master did not evade her grasp, causing him to hesitate for a brief moment about whether to intervene or not. And then...it was too late.

The second encounter occurred just two days ago at a roadside tea shed. His Master had simply been passing by but chose to approach the tea shed upon spotting Miss Luo. And now, as the third encounter unfolded, their Master had been staring at Miss Luo for quite some time.

The guard stretched his neck and observed the girl in plain clothes calmly intimidating the group of bandits to hand over their money and valuables. A daring speculation started to form in his mind: Could it be that Master is interested in Miss Luo?

But that couldn't be right. Miss Luo is undeniably beautiful, but surely Master isn't that shallow. Then why does he keep staring at her instead of leaving? The guard found himself once again immersed in deep doubts.

Meanwhile, Luo Sheng cast a cold gaze at the bandits. They were frustrated, resentful, and reluctant to part with their valuable possessions as they supported each other and retreated. Once the spoils were gathered, she instructed Hongdou to assess the loot.

After examining the items, Hongdou curled her lips and remarked, "They're a bunch of penniless ghosts. The combined value of their belongings is not even worth a hundred taels of silver."

Sheng Sanlang smacked his lips as he listened. One hundred taels of silver was a lot. His monthly allowance is only five taels!

Luo Sheng approached their guards, observing the eight guards who were either standing or sitting, all displaying various injuries.

"How many were injured?" Luo Sheng inquired. Sheng Sanlang, who followed her, pointed toward the two guards sitting on the ground and replied, "Two of them are seriously injured, three others have sustained minor injuries, and the remaining three are unharmed. The blood on their bodies is from the bandits."

Recalling the intense fight, Sheng Sanlang couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. "Luckily, no one was killed. The situation could have turned dire if the fight had continued." This favorable outcome was thanks to Biaomei.

A sense of guilt washed over him for his previous judgments of Luo Sheng. Biaomei is so capable; what's so bad about taking off a man's belt?

"Hongdou, distribute the money. Those who are seriously injured will receive thirty taels, those with minor injuries will receive ten taels, and those who are uninjured will receive three taels," Luo Sheng instructed.

Hongdou, well-practiced in distributing money, neatly divided the seized money according to Luo Sheng's instructions.

Upon receiving his allocation of thirty taels of silver, the guard who had suffered severe injuries was almost moved to tears. "Thank you for the reward, Miss," he expressed gratefully. Their lives had long been bound to the service of the Sheng Family, and it was their duty to escort Miss Luo to the Capital. They had never anticipated receiving such a generous sum for their injuries.

Luo Sheng spoke gently, "Although your injuries are currently under control, it wouldn't be suitable for you to continue traveling. Here's what we'll do: you all stay in the nearest town to recuperate. I will leave two additional guards to take care of you three. Once you have recovered, you can directly return to Jinsha County."

"How can we do that?" the two guards protested in unison. Sheng Sanlang glared at them sternly. "Don't argue and follow Biaomei's arrangements," he reprimanded. Only then did the guards fall silent.

Sheng Sanlang flashed a broad smile at Luo Sheng. "Biaomei, let's have a meal before we continue our journey. We need to be well-fed and energized. Especially this large pot of bone soup shouldn't go to waste. The injured guards also can replenish their bodies by drinking it."

Luo Sheng nodded slightly.

Sheng Sanlang let out a sigh of relief and quickly picked up a pork knuckle, expressing his distress. "This pork knuckle was opened earlier; it's probably cold now."

"Biaoge, you can start with the ones that haven't been cracked yet," Luo Sheng suggested. After the ordeal they had just experienced, her appetite had diminished, so she took a bowl of bone soup that Hongdou handed over and sipped it slowly.

The soup had simmered to a creamy white color, emanating a delightful aroma.

Sheng Sanlang alternated between taking a bite of the knuckle and sipping the bone soup. Bite, sip, bite, sip...