Shu He's gaze fell upon the dilapidated main door, a rising wave of anxiety gripping her heart. Just then, a shout pierced the air, drawing all the bandits toward the master bedroom.
"There's still someone inside! It's a little girl!"
The bandit leader barked an order to the men inside, "Quick, grab that kid!"
Shu He rushed to intervene, but the bandit leader's long saber swung at her once again.
The leader was clearly a veteran of the battlefield; not only was he immensely strong, but his moves were far more disciplined than the others. Pinned down by his attacks, she kept her eyes fixed on the bedroom. Seeing a bandit running toward Xiao Yi'er, she instantly hurled the only dagger she had, striking the bandit dead center in the back of the head with pinpoint accuracy.
Awakened by the commotion and racked with pain, Xiao Yi'er felt entirely unsafe and instinctively crawled out of bed.
"Mother... Mother..."
The tiny child could barely stand on her own two feet, stumbling and falling with every step.
"Xiao Yi'er, hide!"
Hearing Xiao Yi'er's cries, Shu He felt her heart leap into her throat. Another figure was closing in on the bedroom; Shu He moved in a flash, kicking the man flying. At the same time, another attacker lunged from the side, forcing her to parry. With the bandit leader taking the lead and three others supporting him, the remaining five bandits tightly pinned Shu He down. Meanwhile, the last bandit darted into the room and snatched Xiao Yi'er up by her clothes.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
"Mother! Mother, where are you?"
Abruptly grabbed by a strange man, Xiao Yi'er lost her mind with terror, struggling and screaming.
"Stop right there!" The bandit dangled Xiao Yi'er by her collar with one hand while clamping his other hand around her neck, using her as a hostage to force Shu He to surrender.
Sure enough, the moment she saw Xiao Yi'er captured, Shu He's blood seemed to turn to ice, and she completely lost control of her body.
"Yi'er!"
Her calm, indifferent face twisted in panic and terror, terrified lest the man carelessly snuff out Xiao Yi'er's life.
Hearing Shu He's voice, Xiao Yi'er wept louder, "Mother! Mother!"
Terrified as she was, she never once uttered the word "scared," doing nothing but calling out for her mother.
"Yi'er, don't be afraid! Mother is right here!"
Shu He tried to rush to Xiao Yi'er, but the moment she moved her foot, the cold blade of a saber flashed right against her throat. She looked coldly at the bandit; even without a word, the bandit leader could read her meaning loud and clear.
She was saying: *"If my child comes to the slightest harm, every single one of you will pay with your lives!"*
"Threatening me, are you?" Well aware of how terrifying this woman was, the bandit leader immediately ordered, "Kill them all!"
Shu He was not afraid of dying, but Xiao Yi'er was still so small; she didn't deserve to die!
She regretted it!
She regretted revealing herself so rashly. She should have quietly slaughtered every last one of them! She had completely forgotten that this body was no longer the Shu He from her previous world! This frail and feeble vessel couldn't even unleash half her true strength!
"Xiao Yi'er!"
Seeing a flash of cold steel as a ruthless blade slashed toward Xiao Yi'er, her breath caught entirely!
*Clang!*
Two crisp sounds of clashing steel rang out, and the saber poised before Xiao Yi'er dropped to the ground.
The next second, a dark figure shifted like a phantom right in front of the bandit. With a single punch, he snapped the bandit's neck. The child fell, but the newcomer caught her steadily and sheltered her in his arms.
In the sudden chaos, the bandit leader immediately slashed his saber at Shu He. Another stone flew in from the west, striking the bandit leader squarely on the wrist.
It was the exact pressure point that paralyzed the arm, causing all control to be lost upon the slightest touch. The bandit leader's saber instantly slipped from his grip, and Shu He caught it.
Her eyes seemed possessed by a god of death, staring at him with cold mercilessness. Before he could even beg for mercy, her blade had already sheared off his head.
The remaining bandits around her were frozen in shock at the sight. Was this even a woman? This was clearly the Grim Reaper crawling straight out of hell!
Yet Shu He gave them no time to recover; with a sweep of her saber, she cut them all down.
When she finally dropped the blade, the corpses hit the ground with a chorus of thuds.
Nan Qi: "..."
This woman really wasn't just "a little" fierce!
Fortunately, Nan Qi had shielded Xiao Yi'er in his arms so she wouldn't see the carnage, otherwise, who knew how long it would take for the child's fragile mind to heal from such trauma?
Nan Qi stood before the wheelchair. Xiao Yi'er quietly raised her head from Nan Qi's shoulder, looked at the "big brother" sitting in the wheelchair, and blinked her big, bright eyes as she asked, "Big brother, are you an immortal from the heavens? Have you come to save me and my mother?"
Nan Qi gave a slight start, turned his head, and realized the little girl was actually talking to the Master behind him.
Wait a minute, wasn't he the one who saved her? Why was she thanking the Master instead?
Baili Moqing looked at the little girl. Her soft, sweet voice was like a puff of cotton—pure and tender—stirring a slight ripple in his perpetually frozen heart.
At that moment, Shu He hurried over to Nan Qi. She took Xiao Yi'er into her arms and, before she even had time to check her condition, felt Xiao Yi'er happily tugging at her clothes. "Mother! The immortal big brother has come to save us!"
*Immortal big brother?*
Shu He froze as a wave of memories flooded her mind—the comforting words she used to tell Xiao Yi'er during those three years when she had lost her memory.
Back then, they were already being abused by Mother Chen's family, beaten and cursed at every turn, leaving Xiao Yi'er shaking with fever from sheer terror. Whenever that happened, Shu He would soothe her to sleep every night by saying, "Yi'er, don't be afraid. Before long, an immortal will descend from the heavens to save Yi'er and Mother from this sea of suffering! When that time comes, we won't have to endure this hardship ever again!"
In her innocent ignorance, Xiao Yi'er would often ask, "Really?"
At that time, the amnesiac Shu He had the mentality of a mere child, her mind muddled and hazy. All she could remember was a handsome youth holding a long spear, riding a fine steed, and taking her to gallop unrestrained across the world!
She had carved this image so deeply into her bones that even through the loss of her memory and sanity, it remained unbreakable...
Having heard those words so often, the innocent little girl had actually come to believe them!
"Mother, look, the immortal big brother!" Xiao Yi'er poked her head out from Shu He's arms, her eyes sparkling and lively, like fish swimming happily in a clear stream.
Shu He's gaze landed on the man in white sitting in the wheelchair. His fox-fur cloak was covered in snow, his hat dusted with white; he practically melted into the snowy background, so much so that a casual glance might have missed his presence entirely.
At that exact moment, the man raised his head.
*"It's him!"*
As their eyes met, Shu He instinctively withdrew her gaze and lowered her head, an attitude that bore a hint of a guilty conscience.
A flicker of suspicion crossed Baili Moqing's brow as he finally recognized her.
When he left Yuancheng that afternoon, he had seen her outside the carriage. At the time, he had found those eyes vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place where he had seen them.
"You recognize me?" Seeing her unusual demeanor, a sharp edge appeared on his face. If his identity had been exposed, he might not be able to let this woman live.
Shu He looked over in surprise. An aura of danger radiated from his body, his entire being emanating a freezing chill as if he were ready to silence her.
He... didn't recognize her?
Of course.
With her current appearance, where was there even a shred of resemblance to who she was four years ago?
Besides, she had only ever seen him twice: the first time when she was twelve, and the second time at that banquet four years ago.
Back then, her face had been covered in acne. To hide her ugliness, she had smeared thick layers of powder on her face; even her own biological father probably couldn't recognize the two versions of her, let alone him.
Shu He steadied her mindset and hugged Xiao Yi'er a little tighter. "I've seen you. This afternoon at the city gate, you were inside the carriage, and I was outside."
Baili Moqing watched her calm expression, feeling that something was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what. Just then, a cold gust of wind swept the heavy stench of blood across the courtyard. He frowned uncomfortably. "The killing intent here is too strong; it's no place for a child. Nan Qi, let's head back."
Nan Qi's eyes widened. Did he hear that right? Was the Master implying that this woman and the little girl should come with them?
Yet wasn't the Master someone who utterly despised having women anywhere near his sight?