At this moment on the official road, Yan Qing rode her horse with high spirits, feeling as free as a bird just released from its cage.
The horse's hooves splashed through puddles, sending up sprays of water.
By noon, having covered half the journey, she stopped in a small, deserted grove. After tethering her horse, she pulled out a necklace from her collar and softly called out:
"Sister Qi! It's time for you to descend!"
"Coming, coming!"
With a whoosh, Qi Huan suddenly appeared, carrying a self-heating hotpot, bottled water, instant noodles, and other food.
The two began to feast heartily, not forgetting to let the horse graze.
As it ate, the horse caught sight of its kind in the distance and neighed, as if boasting: it had grass to eat, while its poor fellows were still trudging along under the sun.
On the official road, a horse suddenly refused to move, remaining stubborn even after several lashes.
The coachman said to the fat woman beside him, "If you want the horse to run, you've got to let it graze. Why don't we take a break?"
Knowing his intentions, the fat woman cursed under her breath but finally agreed to his request.
They started walking towards Qi Huan.
Qi Huan quickly stored all the food back into her space.
Yan Qing, who had only eaten half her meal, suddenly found the food box in her hand vanishing. She blinked, chewing with chopsticks still raised, and swallowed the rice in her mouth.
"Sister Qi, I'm not full yet."
"Let's find another place to finish eating."
Qi Huan stood up and mounted her horse.
Then, from her high vantage point, she met the fat woman's greedy gaze.
"My, what a pretty young lady. All alone in this wilderness, just the two of you?"
The fat woman rubbed her hands together, her intentions clear.
She was fatter than the girl before her, surely stronger too.
And she had the coachman with her, a man who was certainly stronger than the chubby girl beside the pretty one.
Two against two, they had the upper hand.
The fat woman gave the coachman a meaningful look: This girl is quite a looker, with soft skin. She'll fetch a good price!
The coachman asked, "Madam Qian, what's wrong with your eyes?"
Madam Qian was exasperated. What a fool!
"Grab them!"
The coachman licked his lips lecherously. "Alright!"
As long as he didn't damage the "goods", Madam Qian wouldn't mind if he stole a few kisses or gropes.
So, he was happy to oblige.
The two of them fixed their eyes on Qi Huan, gradually closing in, trying to flank her from left and right to pull her off the horse.
The girl before them looked fair and delicate, surely easy to deal with.
At this moment, Qi Huan was waiting for Yan Qing to mount her horse. Suddenly hearing their words, she silently took out her hidden weapon bracelet and shot a numbing needle at each of the approaching pair.
Thud! Thud!
The two fell to the ground one after another.
Yan Qing, who had just rushed out with her fists raised, suddenly found her targets gone. She abruptly halted, looked down at the two unconscious figures, and asked Qi Huan:
"Sister Qi, they just tried to capture us, but now we've caught them instead. How should we deal with them?"
Because of Prince Zhong's death, Qi Huan had just lost 10,000 points. Although these two intended to capture them, they had no murderous intent. Dealing with them rashly would surely cost her more points.
But she didn't want to let them off easily either.
Their lack of harm was due to her ability, not the captors' kindness. Moreover, if let go, they might prey on other girls.
Qi Huan sat upright on her horse, hand on chin, pondering for a moment before addressing Yan Qing: "Do you know how to sever hand tendons?"
Since they were so fond of grabbing people, they should lose the strength to do so.
Yan Qing replied hesitantly, "Neither of my masters taught me that... But I can learn on the spot."
"I've helped Sister Tao Su debone chicken feet before. I'm sure I can do it, no problem, I'll give it a try!"
Yan Qing took out a dagger from her bundle and made a light cut on the fat woman's wrist. Blood immediately began to ooze out.
The fat woman woke up from the pain, cursing, "You little bitch, I'll sell you to a brothel!"
As she spoke, she struggled to get up, only to be knocked unconscious again.
Amidst the bloody mess of the wrist, Yan Qing couldn't distinguish which part was the hand tendon, so she just started poking around randomly.
At this moment, there came a sound of something hitting against the carriage wall.
Qi Huan rode her horse over, and from a distance, casually broke off a thin tree branch. She cautiously lifted the carriage curtain with it.
Inside, the carriage was packed full with ten young girls.
Their hands and feet were bound with hemp rope, their mouths stuffed with dirty cloth. Most had been drugged and were unconscious.
Only one girl was awake, her eyes wide open, struggling continuously.
Qi Huan leaned in and reached out to pull the cloth from her mouth. "Have you been kidnapped?"
Chun Zhi nodded hurriedly, her panicked eyes filled with pleading. "Please save me."
"Alright."
Qi Huan called Yan Qing over to untie the girls in the carriage and wake them all up.
As the girls awoke, they began to sob quietly.
A few huddled in the corners of the carriage, their eyes as frightened as startled deer.
Although they had been rescued, those beasts...
The disgusting hands and tongues, slithering like poisonous snakes - the experiences of the past two days would be a nightmare they couldn't shake off.
They buried their faces in their hands and wept bitterly.
Amidst the sorrowful cries, Qi Huan lowered her eyes, then raised them again, saying firmly:
"You are all good girls. The traffickers are the ones at fault."
Her sincere and gentle gaze was like a warm sunbeam, dispelling the darkness in the girls' hearts, offering them a bit of solace in this bleak world.
The feeling of shame gradually transformed into hatred for the traffickers.
Chun Zhi looked at the two traffickers on the ground, who were waking up in pain, and asked angrily, "Can I kick them?"
"You can."
"Look, they're already lying flat. They must be quite willing."
The traffickers: We just can't get up because of the pain.
Qi Huan turned her horse around, looking towards the distant official road, letting the young girls vent their anger.
Half an hour later, one of the girls cried out in shock, "They're... they're not breathing..."
They had killed someone together.
Qi Huan turned her head at the sound, while addressing the System: "I didn't kill them, you can't deduct my points. They got what they deserved."
The System accepted her explanation.
It still relied on the host's points to upgrade, and within its authority, it would give the host the greatest leniency.
However, it was puzzled: "Host, if you had sent them to the officials, the law would have sentenced them to death anyway. Why did you allow these girls to take the law into their own hands?"
"To send them to the officials would require witnesses. In this era of strict etiquette, making these girls testify would be tantamount to pushing them to their deaths."
"Moreover, the hatred in their hearts needs an outlet. I hope that we've saved not only their lives but also their hearts."
Qi Huan dismounted and pondered for a moment before speaking, "Human trafficking deserves death and more."
"You are all brave, good girls. You've not only avenged yourselves but also brought justice for all the women they've harmed before."
"This matter must be buried deep in everyone's hearts. It's our shared secret."
Qi Huan deliberately emphasized the word "shared," warning them that everyone's fate was intertwined—they were all in this together.
Since they had encountered this situation, she would do everything within her power to help these poor girls.
Because they were all vibrant and innocent lives.
"Qing, drive the carriage to take them back to the city and settle them in an inn for now."
"After returning, contact Yan Qing and the others. Pretend to be their relatives and send them home."
As long as their families weren't foolish, they wouldn't expose this lie but would instead cooperate to protect their daughters' reputations.
However, to guard against some particularly ignorant parents, Qi Huan added to Yan Qing, "When sending them home, pay attention to their parents' attitudes. If absolutely necessary, we can buy their freedom."
She would be opening a shop in the future and could use the help.
For her, it was a simple gesture, but for these girls, it could change their entire lives.
"Qing, it's getting late. Hurry and take them back."
"Sister Qi, what about you?"
"I'll take care of the bodies."
Upon hearing this, a round-faced young girl with bright eyes said, "I'll stay and help you! I know how to dig holes—I've helped my father dig manure pits before."
Chun Zhi also chimed in, "I'm used to farm work. I can dig holes quickly!"
Yan Qing, not to be outdone, added, "I'm strong. I can dig even faster!"
The girls all chattered in agreement, "There are many of us. Together, we'll be even quicker!"
Qi Huan glanced at the sun and told them, "No need. I'm the fastest!"
