The Sorrowmender

Chapter 76 – Cold eyes stare at the bandits.

Xu Qingzhou tied up the horse and led Wuyou into the temple.

What greeted them was a scene of chaos: shattered blades littered the ground, and seven or eight burly men were tied to a toppled statue, their faces bruised and swollen.

Some were unconscious, others gritted their teeth in pain, and a few were barely clinging to life, gasping for breath.

Their expressions were beyond words.

Little Wuyou's eyes widened as she surveyed the scene, just as she had expected. She carefully patted her small chest.

"Good, no one's dead."

Though her voice was soft, Xiaobai caught it and earnestly said, "Wuyou, reasoning doesn't kill people."

These words left the conscious men on the verge of tears.

Reasoning? It was their first time seeing someone use fists to reason.

Moreover, without a word, those fists, like sandbags, came crashing down on them.

A tiny girl, who should have been weak, was as strong as an ox.

The beating was bewildering and left them dazed.

"Sister, you're hitting people, not reasoning," Wuyou retorted with a pout.

Xu Xiaobai glared, serious, "In warfare, as in the art of surprise, one must attack unexpectedly, swiftly as thunder, fiercely as a tiger. This is the strategy from the books, the art of war. If you don't believe me, ask Xu Qingzhou."

Wuyou was a bit confused. She didn't understand what her sister said, but because she didn't understand, it seemed reasonable.

Yet something felt off, so she looked at Xu Qingzhou in confusion.

"Master, is that true?"

Xu Qingzhou squinted his eyes and affirmed, "Yes, that's right. Eight enemies, one of us. The advantage is ours, so we must act decisively, overpower them, and make them submit."

He cast an approving glance at Xiaobai and continued, "Xiaobai has made great progress. Reading those books wasn't in vain; she has her own understanding, which is excellent."

Xu Xiaobai crossed her arms, tilted her head slightly, and smirked with pride.

"Of course."

Wuyou, naturally, looked at her sister with admiration. If Master said it was right, then her sister was amazing.

That's what she thought, anyway.

"Alright, let's prepare a meal. I'm hungry," Xu Qingzhou's gentle voice echoed in the drafty temple.

Little Wuyou nodded obediently.

"Okay, Wuyou will cook for Master."

Xu Qingzhou nodded, then waved his hand over the Storage Bag. Instantly, pots, pans, firewood, rice, oil, salt, meat, and vegetables appeared on the ground as if by magic.

At first glance, it seemed cluttered.

Upon closer inspection, everything was there.

The scene filled the eyes of the tied-up bandits with even more panic and fear.

To summon items like this, one must be at the Innate Stage.

So this scholarly man was actually a cultivator.

This realization filled them with even more dread—

"Unlucky, running into a cultivator. This scholar is even fiercer than that girl."

This was their truest feeling at the moment.

But they dared not speak, only avoiding eye contact and praying silently.

Xu Qingzhou and his companions paid no mind to their feelings and busied themselves.

When traveling, their roles were always clear.

Little Wuyou cooked, Xiaobai tended the fire.

And Xu Qingzhou, being quite important, was responsible for eating and cheering them on.

"Sister, let's set up the stove here."

"Alright, I'll do it." As she spoke, Xiaobai raised her hand, and with a swift motion, split a discarded stone bench in two.

Arranging it on the ground, a simple stove was quickly set up.

Then Wuyou got busy.

"Chop chop chop—"

The sound of chopping vegetables, breaking firewood, and the crackling of flames mingled with the chatter of the two little ones, creating a lively scene.

Amidst the noise, there was also a "woo woo" sound.

Xu Qingzhou had noticed this earlier.

The sound came from a scholar, a "poor" scholar.

Why call him that?

Because he wore a scholar's robe tinged with green, and a scholar's cap, but his clothes were patched with different colors.

He was thin, with a sallow complexion, and looked worn and sickly.

One glance and you could tell he was a destitute scholar.

Xu Qingzhou walked over and untied him.

The man, freed from his bonds, thanked him repeatedly.

"Thank you, hero, for saving me."

Xu Qingzhou waved it off, unconcerned, and found a convenient spot to sit, saying:

"It was nothing, no need to thank me."

The freed scholar carefully observed Xu Qingzhou and his companions, finding their combination a bit odd.

The ever-calm scholar, always with a book in hand.

The silver-haired little girl who could crush steel with her bare hands.

And the small figure cooking, wielding a ladle as tall as herself.

He knew these three were not ordinary.

Their speech and demeanor marked them as extraordinary.

He stood, bowing first to Wuyou and Xiaobai, then to Xu Qingzhou, and slowly said:

"Thank you, Young Master, for saving me today. I am Jian Xiaoshu, from Xicheng, a candidate heading to the capital for exams. May I ask your name?"

The poor scholar spoke with a steady breath and clear rhythm, embodying the spirit of a young Confucian.

Responding to his courtesy, Xu Qingzhou replied in kind.

"I am Xu Qingzhou."

He then pointed to Little Wuyou.

"She is Xu Wuyou."

And to the white-haired girl tending the fire.

"She is Xu Xiaobai."

Wuyou, busy cooking, gave a bright smile and nodded at Jian Xiaoshu.

The white-haired girl rolled her eyes, a hint of disdain on her lips, and continued stoking the fire.

"So it's Brother Xu. A pleasure to meet you!"

Xu Qingzhou smiled calmly, "Likewise, Brother Jian. Why not sit and chat?"

"Alright!"

"......"

Soon, Little Wuyou finished cooking, and they began to eat. As for Jian Xiaoshu, in the wild mountains and deep night, he had nowhere else to go.

So he shamelessly joined them for a meal.

With the first bite, he exclaimed at the flavor, and even after finishing, he wanted more.

Little Wuyou always beamed at his praise, her eyes squinting with delight.

Though young, not yet seven, her cooking was impressive.

Not as skilled as Wang Dong'er, but still quite good. For ordinary people, it was delicious, and for this young scholar, who likely hadn't tasted much fine food, it was a treat.

The aroma filled the air, even making the tied-up bandits' mouths water.

Though awake, they dared not speak or look at the white-haired girl.

After eating, it was time for business. Xu Qingzhou approached the men, brought over a stool, and sat down.

In the chill of the autumn night, his cold gaze fixed on the bandits.

"Let me ask you, do you wish to live or die?"

Though Xu Qingzhou's voice was calm and his demeanor scholarly, the light in his eyes was chilling, like a beast watching its prey.

A suffocating presence.

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"Live, we want to live—"

"Spare us, sir, we won't dare again."

"Yes, sir, it's our first time. Please let us go."

They seized the chance to plead for mercy.

Xu Qingzhou was a cultivator, as was the white-haired girl. They couldn't afford to provoke such people.

Seeing this, Xu Qingzhou's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction. He snapped his folding fan shut with a "pa" and pointed at them, saying:

"If you wish to live, answer my questions. If you answer correctly, you live—"

"If you answer incorrectly... heh—"

His words ended with a low chuckle, making them shiver.

"Ask away, sir, we'll answer whatever you ask."

"Yes, sir, please ask—"

Xu Qingzhou: "Alright, first question, in your bandit camp, is there a girl named Zhang Yue?"