"Madam."
"Madam."
"Madam, no."
Qin Junyao stood at the carriage door, looking at the bench leg below, who was trembling and could barely stand, yet still clutched his weapon tightly. She saw Bian Dan's forehead beaded with sweat and his lips pale. She saw Liu Yu, whose neck was being choked, shaking his head at her.
And the soldiers who were crawling around the carriage to protect her, Qin Junyao's grip on her dagger tightened.
She shouted to her own people, "None of you move," then to the one called Big Brother, she said again, "Tell your men to let them go."
The bandit leader kicked away the bench leg, spat on the ground, and walked to the carriage. He looked up at Qin Junyao, "Hmph, quite feisty. Put down your knife first, and I'll release them."
Qin Junyao was completely unfazed by the bandit leader's fierce gaze. "If you want to successfully get what you're after from your employer, you'd best release them obediently, lest you lose everything."
The bandit leader scratched his head and spun around. This woman was strange.
How did she know?
The bandit leader turned back to face Qin Junyao. "You know what we want?"
"Gold, grain, women, land, and status."
"Hiss~~" The bandit leader's hairs stood on end.
She was indeed strange.
"Hahaha, hahahaha, good, good, release them."
"Woman, come down and go with me."
"Madam, you can't go with him, Madam!" The bench leg, enduring the abdominal pain, used his sword to prop himself up. He wanted to stop Qin Junyao.
Qin Junyao listened to the various shouts from the roadside, all saying things like 'Madam cannot go with him, I can still fight.' Unmoved by such words, she directly got off the carriage and followed the bandit leader.
She had a means of self-preservation. She wanted to stall for as much time as possible. As long as there was enough time, Liu Yu could restore Bench Leg and the others to normal.
Then she would only have to wait to be rescued.
Liu Yu, who had been released, ran near Qin Junyao and was intercepted. "Take me too, Madam is pregnant."
"Liu Yu, do what you need to do," Qin Junyao looked back at the carriage, then, holding her dagger, strode away with the bandit leader.
With Qin Junyao in enemy hands, Bench Leg and the others dared not act rashly. They could only watch their Madam walk away to save them, each of them hitting the ground in pain.
Liu Yu wiped away tears and climbed back into the carriage. Inside, besides a pile of medicine bags, there were several large barrels of water.
***
Qin Junyao followed the bandit leader for a quarter of an hour before reaching their hiding place for the carriages.
"Oh, still holding the dagger?" The bandit leader looked at Qin Junyao, who was still steadily holding her dagger, with some surprise. This woman truly had resilience.
"When you confirm you won't double back, I'll put down my dagger," Qin Junyao said, sidestepping an attempt to knock her out from behind.
"Try that trick again, and this dagger in my hand will really slit your throat."
"Alright," the bandit leader extended his thumb. This was the most formidable pregnant woman he had ever seen. No wonder that person would use so many things to exchange for her.
Getting onto the other party's carriage, Qin Junyao sat in the corner, closing her eyes to focus and listen to the sounds.
As soon as the carriage started, Qin Junyao's eyes snapped open and she looked at the bandit leader. "Where did your men go?"
"Damn it," the bandit leader punched the carriage wall. This was uncanny.
He shouted outside, calling his men back, then glared at Qin Junyao.
Qin Junyao closed her eyes, carefully discerning the sound of hooves. She didn't know if everyone had returned, but if at least Liu Yu returned, they would be a little safer.
The carriage traveled for another two quarters of an hour. Qin Junyao's arm had become stiff and painful, yet she still closed her eyes with a blank expression.
The bandit leader tried to snatch the dagger from Qin Junyao's hand, but every time he made a move, Qin Junyao detected it.
Now, a thin red line had appeared on Qin Junyao's neck, which made the bandit leader hesitant to act.
"The General's wife is indeed different. Aren't you tired?"
Qin Junyao slowly opened her eyes. "Knowing who I am, you still dare to abduct me? Aren't you afraid my man will return and flatten your mountain stronghold?" Sudan Novel Network
The bandit leader crossed his legs, looking unconcerned. "Distant water can't quench near thirst. By the time your man returns, we'll have changed our names and left this godforsaken place."
"Do you really believe I can be exchanged for so many benefits?"
"If not, we all die together," the bandit leader glanced out the carriage. "If I can't get back, someone will notify your man who abducted you. It wouldn't be bad to have the Little Killing God avenge us."
The carriage galloped for another two quarters of an hour and reached an intersection where they switched carriages.
Qin Junyao noticed there were a total of ten identical carriages, and the drivers of each carriage had the same build and attire.
The bandit leader walked up to Qin Junyao. "Hey! There are his men here, your dagger can't threaten me. Put it down."
Qin Junyao looked around, enduring the pain, and lowered her right hand holding the dagger. Someone stepped forward to collect her dagger, and she cooperated, giving it to them. She had many such daggers in her spatial dimension.
"Madam Zhao, take this medicine and suffer a little less," a middle-aged man with a honest appearance opened a small box and handed it to Qin Junyao.
Qin Junyao looked at the box and asked, "What medicine?"
"Medicine that will let Madam Zhao sleep soundly. Madam Zhao, don't worry, this medicine is harmless to you and the child in your belly."
Qin Junyao looked at the middle-aged man, picked up the pill with her left hand, and popped it into her mouth. To the surprise of the middle-aged man and the bandit leader, she swallowed the pill. In reality, she had stored the pill in her spatial dimension.
"Quick, quick, someone help her!" The middle-aged man hadn't expected Qin Junyao to swallow the pill so readily and repeatedly called for help.
Qin Junyao saw several nannies rush to her side to help her. Her consciousness sank into her spatial dimension, and she sat on the bed in the bedroom within the space.
She had decorated the bedroom of her small courtyard in the space to be particularly cozy, with various gauze curtains fluttering, paintings, vases, and small ornaments.
Sitting on the bed, through the window, she could see the various flowers planted in the courtyard blooming beautifully, a vibrant scene.
However, Qin Junyao now had no energy to admire them. She sat on the bed, sensing the movements outside.
Several nannies carried her into a carriage. The interior of the carriage was covered with thick cushions and leather.
The nannies placed her down and even propped a pillow under her.
To confirm she was truly asleep, one of the nannies took a silver needle and pricked her finger.
Qin Junyao sat on the bed, breathing. She had done the right thing. As long as she was on this bed within her spatial dimension, any external stimuli would not forcibly wake her.
Only when she actively left the bed would her consciousness return to her body.
It wasn't until dark that the carriage stopped in front of a derelict house.
Qin Junyao was carried and placed onto the heated brick bed in a room. Everyone went out, locked the door, and there was no more sound.
After half an hour, Qin Junyao opened her eyes. She lay still, listening carefully to the sounds outside and observing the situation inside.
She heard the people outside seemingly eating. She touched her constantly rumbling stomach and took a bun from her spatial dimension to her mouth.
My child, hold on a little longer. When Mama finds out who abducted us, we'll hide in the spatial dimension and not come out.