"Fear is useless. One can only be a fish on the chopping block when caught in such a plight; our fate is not in our hands but in theirs. Let it be and fulfill the wishes of mother and daughter."
"Damn it! You really are taking this well. So you're saying it doesn't matter who sleeps with your wife and daughter?"
"My family has suffered a terrible misfortune, a terrible misfortune indeed! As long as they are human, I can only turn a blind eye."
"So, does that mean I can too?"
"Immortal, please do as you please."
"Cen Zhen, Chang Qing, consider me your friend from now on!"
Li Ping'an watched Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing handle the situation with such resignation and immediately regretted it:
"Master, if I had known it would be like this, I should have taken the carriage in front earlier!"
"..."
Zixia still sat with her eyes closed in meditation, seeming like an old monk in deep concentration, deaf to the world.
Outside the carriage, the shameless conversation between the Second-in-command, Third-in-command, and the wife and daughter of Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing was unbearable to listen to.
The Second-in-command placed his hand on the bottom of Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing's daughter:
"You little tart, are you sure you can handle it?"
Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing's daughter toyed with the Second-in-command's beard:
"I can handle it, I can handle it."
After saying that, she even squeezed her shaking chest intentionally.
The Second-in-command laughed lewdly:
"We have fifty brothers here, are you really sure you and your mother can handle it?"
Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing's daughter leaned on the Second-in-command's shoulder coquettishly:
"Great King, we really can handle it, and here's my mother to help."
Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing's wife also spoke pleasingly:
"As long as you noble heroes spare my husband and let the caravan through, my daughter and I will stay and serve you in the stronghold as long as you need."
Though Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing's wife was in her early forties, she looked well for her age, dressed impeccably, with a slender figure, and well-maintained—she exuded a charm of her own, still quite appealing.
"Hahaha! Full of spunk, aren't they!"
A group of thugs stared at Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing's wife and daughter, laughing lasciviously, and they, on the contrary, seemed to enjoy the attention and became even more enthusiastic.
To their surprise, such shameless and lowly women existed in this world, and even more so, a mother and daughter—it was truly extraordinary.
The Third-in-command glanced back and forth at Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing's wife and daughter and blinked several times:
"Second-in-command, why do I feel these two women are as shameless as the prostitutes we've robbed before?"
Zixia, who had been sitting with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes on hearing this and cast a meaningful look at Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing, then closed them again.
The Second-in-command, licking his tongue, chuckled lewdly:
"If they were prostitutes, that would be even better, no need for our brothers to teach them by hand!"
"Hahaha!"
The bandits all laughed uproariously.
With just a few words, Cen Zhen and Cen Chang Qing's wife and daughter had the Second-in-command, the Third-in-command, and all the brothers in high spirits. Seeing the right moment, they immediately asked in return:
"Then, would you great kings consider letting my father and the caravan pass?"
"Do you think we can be fooled that easily? If we let you go, what would we have left, just the north wind to drink? To be frank, we want both people and money!"
Second-in-command and Third-in-command let out a shameless laugh, pushed aside Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing's wife and daughter, who were caught in an indecent flirtation, and walked towards the second carriage.
This time, Li Ping'an too sensed something odd about the Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing family and refrained from speaking hastily.
"It seems we can't avoid it. This old one will go deal with these villains first. If they continue to pester us relentlessly, I hope you two Immortals will lend your timely support!"
Having said that, with an anxious heart, Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing got off the carriage and bowed respectfully to the second-in-command and third-in-command:
"Cen Zhen and Changqing, a mere commoner from Wuxing Mountain County, greets the two great lords and all the brothers!"
Third-in-command gave Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing a scrutinizing look from head to toe and instantly began to fiddle with his sideburns:
"Turns out it's just an old fart, what a letdown."
Second-in-command placed an axe against Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing's neck and threatened:
"I've been roaming Wuxing Mountain for years, yet I've never heard of any Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing. Given your gold and jade finery, come clean, how much valuable stuff do you have in your carriage?"
Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing quickly pulled out a silver note worth five hundred taels and stuffed it into the hand of the second-in-command, saying with an ingratiating smile:
"This old man has some spare change at home. I am a local tycoon of Wuxing Mountain County, but I didn't bring much this time, just these. Consider it a drink for the brothers. I hope you can make it convenient for us to pass and let us go down the mountain."
Second-in-command snatched the silver note from Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing's hand and stuffed it into his bosom, then said, tilting his head doubtfully:
"You old liar, your mouth is full of lies. Just looking at what your family wears, I know you're not ordinary rich folk. To send off someone with five hundred taels, splurging so generously, you must be extremely wealthy!"
"Great lord, you wrong me, all that we wear and carry is just for show..."
Third-in-command raised his axe and ordered the thugs standing in front of him:
"Boys, bring everything in the carriage down, regardless of its worth, leave nothing!"
"Yes, second-in-command."
This command made Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing and his wife and daughters extremely anxious. They wanted to stop it, but being under someone else's roof, they had no choice but to bow their heads. Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing even gestured with his eyes to Protector Wang, signaling him not to take any action yet.
Four thugs first carried out a box from the first carriage, which contained some common clothing for women. Then they went into the second carriage to get stuff and noticed Li Ping'an, who had turned his back so as not to show his face, and Zixia, who was sitting with her eyes closed in meditation.
"Damn, is there someone else here?! Scared the hell out of me!"
"Old Nine, get the stuff first!"
The four thugs, as if they hadn't seen Li Ping'an and Zixia, struggled to carry out another box and opened it in front of everyone.
The moment the box was opened, the dazzling silver inside reflected the sunlight, shimmering brightly and immediately drawing everyone's greedy gaze.
"Second-in-command, we've struck it rich this time!"
Third-in-command quickly approached the box, grabbed a handful of snowflake pattern silver, and raised it high, unable to contain his excitement:
"Damn it, there's even gold beneath the silver! We're rich! We are so damn rich!"
Second-in-command, though greedy and lecherous, was still somewhat shrewd. He sternly glared at Cen Zhen and Cen Changqing who was wiping sweat from his bowed head and interrogated:
"I really underestimated you, you old trickster! You said you're from Wuxing Mountain County, but it's not a rich county, and there are few wealthy ones, all of whom I've met. So who are you, really?"
"If the second-in-command hadn't been so meticulous, we almost let an old fart like you slip by without a hitch. Spit it out, come clean!"
Third-in-command pressed on with the questions as well.
But just then, one of the thugs who had been moving the goods suddenly interjected:
"Second-in-command, third-in-command, don't be in such a rush to question this old fellow; there are still two more people inside the carriage!"
"What people?"
The second-in-command and third-in-command asked in unison.
"One man, with his back turned and holding a staff, we can't see his face, seems like a thug."