While they were still in the bamboo forest, Cuiliu had harbored this doubt, and after much internal struggle, she finally voiced it.
Xu Yuan lowered her gaze, her heartache deepening. Her voice dropped as she said, "When I went inside, the room had been filled with knockout smoke. The reason he didn't make a peep was because he inhaled that smoke."
"What?!" Cuiliu's hands tightened on the reins, causing them to jerk. "The little young master was born only two days ago! Knockout smoke is something even a normal adult can barely resist, let alone such a tiny infant! These people are truly devoid of a conscience!"
Indignant, Cuiliu asked anxiously, "Madam, is the little young master now..."
"For now he has merely fallen into a deep sleep, but there is no telling when he might wake up. It could be shortly, or it could be the next day or two—it all depends on when the medicine's effects wear off." Xu Yuan lowered the carriage curtain, her tone grave. "Hurry the horses."
Before setting out, aside from bringing her homemade Soft Tendon Powder, she had also packed an acupuncture pouch containing six silver needles.
Cuiliu's anger was not unfounded; these people were indeed utterly depraved! Since the baby was still so young, using acupuncture would not only have little effect, but could also pose a series of dangers.
Thinking of this, Xu Yuan hugged the infant a little tighter, murmuring in a low voice, "My child, you must be all right..."
Just then, a violent jolt caused Xu Yuan's body to lunge forward involuntarily. Frowning, she heard Cuiliu's panicked voice from outside: "Madam, we seem to have run into trouble."
Xu Yuan's heart tightened. Could Shen Yunan have realized something was amiss and pursued them by carriage? She lifted a corner of the curtain to investigate, only to see a blockade set up not far ahead of the carriage. Three burly men holding sharp blades were blocking the path.
To avoid running into Shen Yunan, she had specifically instructed Cuiliu to take a secondary path. Just as they were on the verge of entering the capital, they had encountered bandits raising trouble here.
A man's boorish laughter rang out: "Boss, you were truly right to have us set up a blockade here—we've actually made an unexpected haul!"
The speaker was a corpulent man who was currently rubbing his chin and leering at Cuiliu outside the carriage.
"Oh? There's another one inside the carriage!" Seeing the corner of the curtain lifted, the man grew even more excited.
"Madam, stay inside the carriage with the little young master; this servant will deal with these three scoundrels!" Cuiliu leaped down from the carriage, drew her concealed blade, and lunged at one of them.
Xu Yuan watched with a pounding heart. Although Cuiliu knew martial arts, there were three opponents, and they outnumbered her.
Right! She still had the unused Soft Tendon Powder. But because she was holding the baby, her movements were severely restricted.
"Cuiliu, use this on them!" Xu Yuan tossed the vial containing the Soft Tendon Powder toward Cuiliu.
Cuiliu leaped forward, caught the vial securely, and shouted, "Madam, take care of yourself!"
"The three of us are truly in luck today—the one inside the carriage is even prettier than this one!" The closest man caught a glimpse of Xu Yuan's face the moment she leaned her upper body out, his voice dripping with lust.
"Boss, Second Brother, you guys handle them for now, let me go meet this little beauty!" That man closed in on Xu Yuan.
Facing the approaching man, Xu Yuan frowned. She had already given the Soft Tendon Powder to Cuiliu, and the man drawing near was several times more robust than she was. Whether in physical build or strength, she was no match for him.
"Madam!" Cuiliu hadn't expected anyone to target Xu Yuan, and panic instantly flared in her chest. Yet she was pinned down from both front and back, leaving her no room for even a second of distraction.
A thought struck Cuiliu. Remembering the purpose of the vial, she immediately hurled it toward the other men. Accompanied by the sound of the vial shattering on the ground, the powder inside drifted into the air. Cuiliu quickly covered her nose and mouth, while the other two men had no time to react; after inhaling the Soft Tendon Powder, they collapsed limply to the ground.
Inside the carriage, as Xu Yuan watched the burly ruffian approach, she laid the baby gently on the carriage bed and drew a silver needle from her acupuncture pouch. The master who had taught her medicine once said that silver needles could not only save lives, but could also be used for self-defense in a crisis.
The ruffian's hand had already brushed the edge of the carriage, and he was about to tear down the curtain and force his way inside. Xu Yuan's heart clenched tight—even if it meant perishing together, she would protect her child!
Steadied in mind, she waited only for the ruffian to lift the curtain so she could drive the silver needle fiercely into his vulnerable spot. However, before she could make a move, the ruffian let out a sudden cry of agony.
Could Cuiliu have returned? Puzzled, Xu Yuan looked out to see a man dressed in black, holding a long sword, kick the ruffian to the ground.
Cuiliu, having hurried over, was also stunned by the scene before her. This man's martial arts skills were formidable!
"Madam, are you alright? And the little young master..." Cuiliu sprinted to Xu Yuan's side.
"The baby and I are both fine." Just as Xu Yuan finished answering, she saw the man in black turn back toward them.
Xu Yuan's heart leaped into her throat once more. A man capable of kicking down a ruffian of that size single-handedly must possess extraordinary martial arts. She and Cuiliu might not be a match for him.
However, the man in black stopped at a distance from the carriage, cupped his fists, and said, "Do not be afraid, ladies. My master and I were just passing through on our way back to the capital when we heard a commotion and came to help."
Seeing that the man spoke with sincerity and his demeanor carried no malice, Xu Yuan finally relaxed slightly and stepped down from the carriage.
"Many thanks for the young master's assistance."
"It was merely a small effort. Madam, this place is sparsely populated, bandits frequently roam about, and it is hardly safe. You would do best to leave as soon as possible," the man in black said gently.
Xu Yuan nodded and bowed to him. However, as she turned around, the acupuncture pouch tucked into her sleeve accidentally slipped and fell to the ground.
"This is..." Seeing Xu Yuan bend down to pick it up, the man in black hesitated, then probed cautiously, "Madam, since you carry an acupuncture pouch, could it be that you know medicine?"
"I know a little," Xu Yuan replied.
"That's wonderful!" The man in black took two steps forward, but suddenly stopped for fear of startling her. "Madam, since you understand medicine, might I ask you to come and save my master, considering that we just helped you out?"
"No!" Before Xu Yuan could answer, Cuiliu spoke up almost instantly. "Madam, although this man did save us, we know nothing of his background. You cannot agree to this!"
Realizing he had been presumptuous, a trace of disappointment flashed in the man in black's eyes. He cupped his fists in apology and said, "This young lady is right. It was forward of me."
"Wait." Just as the man in black was about to leave, Xu Yuan, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. "I can go with you."