Xue Niang drew her dagger, and Chen Dong, with wide-open eyes, fell to the ground, dead.
"Damn, you're pretty ruthless. Excellent, you'll be a perfect match for Big Brother!"
Knowing she was no match, Xue Niang turned to flee back into the courtyard. However, she couldn't see her footing clearly and tripped over Chen Dong's leg, falling to the ground.
The bandit had already blocked her path. "Run? What are you running for? Being my Big Brother's woman is your good fortune. If you're not sensible, I'll give you to the brothers to serve a dozen men!"
The bandit reeked, making Xue Niang feel nauseous.
"Xiao Shan—" Xue Niang cried out.
A whistling sound cut through the air. A knife flew past, and the hand of the bandit in front of her suddenly stopped, his head severed from his body.
"Who!?"
The bandits behind them turned back in panic, only to have their throats slit and fall heavily to the ground, their torches rolling far away.
Xue Niang scrambled up and lunged towards the silhouette. "A Shan! You scared me to death!"
The body beneath her stiffened. The scent was wrong, and the build was wrong. Xue Niang startled, thinking it was another bandit. Before she could retreat, her arm was grabbed and pulled back, drawing her into a familiar embrace.
"What are you hugging me for!"
A deep voice, laced with urgent anger, said, "I told you not to come out, but you wouldn't listen!"
Ah, this was Xiao Shan.
Then who was that just now?
With Xiao Shan here, she wasn't afraid at all.
Xue Niang turned her head and saw the person kneeling on the ground before Xiao Shan.
Xiao Shan's hand slapped her backside heavily. He was furious. How dangerous it had been just now. If no one had saved her, who knew what would have happened. And now, she was acting like nothing happened, still looking, looking at what!
She couldn't even recognize her own man, how stupid!
He was spanking her outside! Even if it was too dark to see, it was still unacceptable. You stinking man, so rude! Xue Niang glared at him.
"Hurry inside. I'll patrol and see if there are any remaining bandits," Xiao Shan said sternly, issuing a severe warning. "If you dare to come out again, I'll beat your backside until it's broken."
She came out because she was worried about him. She was so angry, you stinking man.
"You stay outside and guard," Xiao Shan ordered the figure on the ground.
"Yes, Brother Xiao..."
Who exactly was this? Xue Niang grew more confused. Seeing that she still wasn't leaving, Xiao Shan, in his anger, bent down as if to pick her up.
"Wait, wait," Xue Niang hurriedly stopped him.
She picked up a torch and walked over to Su Peilan, who was trying to hide herself.
"You, what do you want to do, monster, demon, don't kill me, you..."
"I'm not a monster," Xue Niang said, staring into her eyes.
Su Peilan felt as if a vortex had appeared in those eyes, unfathomably deep. "Not a monster," she echoed.
"Chen Dong was killed by bandits, wasn't he?"
"Yes, Chen Dong is dead, killed by bandits. That's great, he's dead, no one will hit me anymore." Su Peilan giggled foolishly, a little strangely.
Xue Niang returned to Xiao Shan's side, huffed at him, turned, and went back inside, bolting the door from the inside.
Anyway, the stinking man could climb over the wall.
Xiao Shan watched Su Peilan for a while longer. Seeing her expression calm and her previous panic gone, she got up and walked towards her own home.
He was lost in thought.
Xue Niang went back, fetched water, and meticulously washed the dagger clean. She changed into her dirty clothes and then lazily sprawled on the tiger skin, waiting for Xiao Shan.
Another half hour passed before Xiao Shan returned.
He was covered in blood. Upon returning, he stripped off his clothes completely and washed himself again.
"A total of 34 bandits. More than ten villagers were injured, and three died, including Chen Dong. However, the village chief was seriously wounded."
He was beaten while protecting two children. This old village chief was truly worthy of the villagers.
These bandits were defeated soldiers who had deserted and had been preying on civilians. Their leader had some brains and had dispersed them throughout the village, which was why it took him some time.
Fortunately, she was unharmed.
"You must not be reckless in the future."
"They lied to me, saying you were in trouble, that's why I went out," Xue Niang retorted, unconvinced.
"Even if I were dead, you shouldn't have rushed. When people rush, they lose their reason. If you had thought for a moment, you would have known to peek through the door crack."
"Then tomorrow, if someone says I'm dead, will you first think it through before checking its authenticity?"
Xiao Shan glared at her, falling silent.
That little mouth was so infuriating.
"Did you kill Chen Dong?"
"Mm, A Shan~"
Xue Niang sidled up to Xiao Shan, drawing out her words as she called him sweetly, her two sparkling eyes fixed on him. "A Shan, how old are you this year?"
"Twenty-seven," Xiao Shan replied honestly.
"How many women have you kissed?"
"One."
"Who?"
"A presumptuous, foolish princess."
Xue Niang shook her head, her mind feeling a little heavy. Seeing Xiao Shan roll his eyes with disdain, she knew she hadn't managed to bewitch him at all.
"Why doesn't it work on you?" Her spirit was concentrated to the extreme. It shouldn't be like this.
She had made Su Peilan obey with little effort just now.
"I've undergone countless training. With your little skill, you think you can hypnotize me? If you weren't my wife, I'd send you back and make you vomit blood, believe it or not?"
Xue Niang was extremely dejected. She had felt quite powerful just a moment ago...
She wasn't playing with him anymore. It was tiring... time to sleep.
She held her aching waist and lay down on the comfortable tiger skin.
Xiao Shan slipped into the covers, pulled her close, and began to settle the score, his large hand rubbing her soft waist. "I was so angry just now, not looking properly and hugging someone else."
"Then who exactly was I hugging!"
"Lu Qingsong, Hua Po Po's son. He was also part of my army. During the battle with the Xiongnu, his entire unit was wiped out. He was saved and nursed back to health for two months. However, his unit was gone, and he couldn't go back. He was afraid of being treated as a deserter and didn't dare to return. Finally, he missed Hua Po Po so much that he secretly came back."
"Then, then, in the future..."
"Don't worry, I've cleared his name with the yamen. After he supports Hua Po Po until her dying day, I'll have him join the Ghost King Sect."
Xue Niang always repaid kindness. Upon hearing this arrangement, Xue Niang hugged Xiao Shan's neck and kissed him.
"My A Shan, what you've done is exactly to my liking."
Xiao Shan let out a heavy "hmph." "You hugged someone else just now and didn't notice the difference?"
"So tired, I want to sleep..."
"I said, sleep after you tell me. If I hadn't pulled you, would you have just hugged him and not let go?"
"No!"
Xue Niang replied perfunctorily. She was truly exhausted tonight and wanted to sleep.
"Explain it to me clearly. What did it feel like hugging him? Did you really not realize it wasn't me?" Xiao Shan relentlessly questioned, even prying her eyelids open with two fingers, unwilling to give up.
Oh, she was truly annoyed by him.
"The moment I hugged him, I knew it wasn't you. He's thinner than you, and his scent is different. I'm not an idiot."
"Really? What scent? Do I have a scent?"
"Yes, you have a woody scent. It's my favorite. Are we done? Let me sleep. You used too much force just now, my head hurts..."
"Alright, sleep!"
Xiao Shan kissed her forehead heavily, then embraced her contentedly and fell asleep.