I had already activated my ability on him, adding an invisible threefold resistance to each of his movements. Still, in my untrained body, I could hardly endure the force of his elbow jabs.
Gritting my teeth, I retaliated with a fierce blow to Big Guy's groin. Finally, he couldn't take it; his face turned red as he doubled over, kicking wildly.
We wrestled and rolled in the grass like two hogs in a mud pit, the only sounds being the dull thuds of our bodies slamming together and the occasional low grunts from Big Guy.
It felt like an eternity of deadlock, but just when I was on the brink of exhaustion, Big Guy's resistance began to fade.
Seizing my chance, I flipped onto his back, pressing down with all my weight, hammering my right fist mercilessly into his temple. After a dozen solid punches, he finally stopped moving.
I didn't relax, though. I kept my arm locked around his throat, landing punch after punch on his forehead, only stopping when dark blood began to seep from his ears.
Tentatively, I loosened my grip and watched him.
When Big Guy didn't stir, I staggered to my feet, panting. I grabbed a handful of his hair to tilt his head back for a better look—'yes, he is dead.'
The sun had nearly set by now, casting a blood-red glow over the forest as shadows crept over us. Big Guy lay at my feet, eyes open in death, and not far away lay Monkey, his head smashed in from my ambush. The woman I'd rescued was still slumped on the ground, watching me in stunned silence.
Sweat poured down my back as I clutched my left side, wincing from the bruises as I limped over to her. Trying to sound gentle, I asked, "Miss, are you alright?"
'Damn, Big Guy's strikes were no joke—do I have an internal bleeding?'
The woman in green managed a polite smile and replied, "I'm alright. Really, thank you." Only then did I realize her clothing was disheveled. Her torn dress barely covered her chest, and creamy skin peeked out from beneath the tatters, revealing long, toned legs all the way up to her thighs.
She was beautiful, with a flushed, delicate face and a helpless, vulnerable look that made the scene feel oddly... picturesque.
Fortunately, the tension from our recent life-or-death struggle was so intense that the first thought in my head was, 'Her skin's incredible. How does she manage that in ancient times?'
"Miss, were you poisoned or injured? Do you need help covering up?" I asked, doing my best to act the gentleman as I held up a hand to block my view of her exposed skin.
She blushed and bit her lip, seeming embarrassed yet calm as she answered, "I was affected by the thieves' incense—a soul-binding fragrance. I can't move for now. Could you…?"
I stepped forward, nodding. "I'll be careful not to offend, but I'm not familiar with women's attire. If I touch somewhere I shouldn't, please understand it's unintentional."
She clenched her jaw and nodded. "Just… hurry, please."
I didn't want to linger either. If more bandits came, we'd be done for.
Kneeling beside her, I draped her robe over her chest, readjusting her torn blouse to cover her.
Despite my efforts, there were brief moments when my fingers brushed against her silky skin, each contact making me painfully aware of her softness and warmth.
Her face remained flushed, but the wary look in her eyes softened slightly as she watched my careful movements.
When I was done, I took a quick scan of our surroundings under the dying sunlight, then crouched beside her again. "Miss, can you move? We need to leave as soon as possible."
With a sigh, she shook her head. "The soul fragrance is strong; I'll need two hours of meditation to expel it." Her eyes hardened as she glanced around. "Most of the bandits should have returned to Bluewind Mountain by now, but if these two stay missing, they'll send more to search."
She looked at me then, her gaze earnest and pleading. "Can you… carry me out of here? Please? If they find me, I'd rather die than… be caught again."
Under normal circumstances, there was no way I'd risk my life for anyone, let alone a beautiful woman who could complicate things. But my conscience wouldn't let me abandon her. What Big Guy had said earlier made my blood run cold—"for those who don't react." The meaning was obvious, and imagining the fate awaiting a woman like her in a bandit's lair...
I met her eyes with a solemn nod. "I can't promise safety, but I won't abandon you to death."
Relief softened her face, and she whispered, "Thank you... thank you."
I glanced at the corpses. Under different circumstances, I might have searched them for anything useful, but I didn't want to leave any trace. Besides, who knew what tracking techniques the bandits might have up their sleeves?
This isn't Earth, after all; with martial arts and other abilities in play, I couldn't assume the same limits on technology or methods.
With that, I slung my bag over my shoulder, knelt down, and lifted the woman gently into a piggyback.
She leaned against me, her long, toned legs hooking around my waist. Her soft chest pressed against my back, but the urgency of our situation left me little room for stray thoughts. She looped her arms around my neck, whispering in my ear, "Let's get away and find a hidden spot. By nightfall, I should have purged the poison, and we'll be able to move more freely."
"Got it. Since you know martial arts, help me keep an ear out for any sounds around us." Lowering my stance, I began moving us carefully through the forest, leaving the bodies behind.
Our luck seemed to hold as night fell fully. We'd reached a spot dense with grass and shrubs, and I set her down gently against a tree.
I scouted the area by the silvery moonlight, rearranging the foliage around us to conceal our presence, before returning to her side.
"This should be safe for now," I said, settling beside her. "But if Bluewind Mountain sends trackers, we won't last long. You should focus on expelling the poison, and I'll stand watch."
"Are you thirsty? I've got some water here."
After I helped her take a few sips, she leaned back, closed her eyes, and entered into meditation.
I, meanwhile, waited and kept my senses sharp, gnawing on a cold, hard biscuit in the dark. The night was clear and tranquil, the starlight dazzling overhead—a stark contrast to our grim predicament.
I fought back my weariness, forcing myself to listen to the chirping insects, attuned to any sounds that didn't belong.
Finally, after what felt like ages, the woman stirred. She coughed softly, opened her eyes, and rose to her feet. I couldn't contain my relief. "Miss, are you alright?"
She looked pale but resolute, a fierce spark in her eyes. "Yes. I'm still weak, but if any more brutes like those two show up, I'll take them down."
She clenched her fists, gritting her teeth with a cold fury.
Seeing her so determined put me at ease, 'with her skills, we'd have a better shot at surviving'.
I also felt a pang of sympathy for her—surviving an attack like that would leave scars, no matter one's strength.
With a gentle smile, she softened her gaze and said, "I don't know your name yet. I owe you my life, and when we get out of this, I'll make sure to repay you. My name is Xue Jin Qiao. May I ask yours?"
I hesitated, debating whether to give my real name or a fake one. In the end, I decided to be honest—'she'd seen me at the inn and might already recognize me.'
"My name is Han Liang, a servant at the Tongfu Inn in Tongcheng. I met your group at the inn three days ago; do you remember?"
The name Han Er felt a bit underwhelming, so I'd given myself a slight upgrade. Xue Jin Qiao's eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah, so it was you. No wonder you looked familiar. So, you were the one Chen mentioned—the person following the caravan?"
I laughed and nodded. "That would be me. I spoke with Steward Hu the night before you left. I wanted to head to Yuecheng as well, so I asked if I could tag along. For security reasons, he refused, so I just quietly followed from a distance."
A shadow crossed her face as she whispered, "Uncle Hu… he didn't make it. So, you're going to Yuecheng too. Should we return to Tongcheng, or try for Yuecheng?"
I thought for a moment before answering, "I've got some theories, but let me run them by you. First, the bandits of Bluewind Mountain seemed focused on capturing people. I watched them pursue the caravan, ignoring goods and coin, only after lives. That's unusual for bandits."
"Secondly, when I tailed those two bandits, I overheard them talking about you," I continued, my voice lowering. "They said they were supposed to capture you and deliver you alive to someone they called'—the Master."
She frowned, her eyes showing a flicker of recognition. I pressed on, sensing her growing unease. "If I'm not mistaken, 'Master' is a title within certain sects—a rank for high-ranking practitioners or teachers. But I've never heard of anyone like that residing on Bluewind Mountain. So why would someone like that be involved with these bandits?"
Xue Jin Qiao's gaze turned even more serious as I moved to my third point.
"Lastly, those two bandits mentioned that this 'Master' had already examined over thirty women they'd captured, 'testing' them, as they put it. They didn't go into detail, but the way they spoke... it made my skin crawl. Thirty girls, taken just like that. And yet, the authorities seem to have no idea this is happening?"
My voice carried a frustrated edge. "Even worse, out of those thirty, only three met his so-called 'requirements.' The bandits themselves didn't seem to know what those requirements were, but… I think we both know this doesn't bode well."
Xue Jin Qiao's eyebrows knitted tighter, her expression hardening as she absorbed my words. I could see the conflict in her eyes—anger mingling with fear, a reflection of the danger she'd narrowly escaped.
I took a breath, weighing my next words. "From what I gathered, they only mentioned one specific requirement…"