Transmigrated as the Short-Lived White Moonlight, I Ended Up Happily Ever After With the Female Lead - Chapter 27

The Ambush

The sky gradually darkened, and the setting sun had already dipped below the western hills, leaving only a tiny corner of light still illuminating the earth.

Song Yi, injured, couldn’t run fast. She was trying her best to endure the pain and rush. Following close behind her were several white-robed attendants, all skilled and well-concealed, who silently trailed Song Yi towards the outskirts of the city.

It was now dusk. Many street vendors had finally finished their day’s hard work and were packing up to go home, some laughing and cheering, while those who hadn’t made much money were silently shouldering their burdens, ready to leave.

An old man selling candied hawthorns, his empty pole held high, was smiling as he was about to leave, but the owner of the steamed bun shop stopped him.

“Old Man Zhang, you sold everything today?” the owner asked with a smile, leaning against the pillar of his shop.

Old Man Zhang proudly showed the owner his empty carrying pole, the meaning self-evident.

“Come stay at our place tonight. Go back a little earlier tomorrow afternoon,” the shop owner said, stepping forward to help him with the pole.

Old Man Zhang was puzzled and protected his pole, preventing the owner from touching it. “Why should I stay in the city today? I have my son and daughter-in-law waiting for me at home.” Old Man Zhang felt the shop owner was acting strangely and planned to leave without further conversation.

The shop owner stomped his foot in urgency and pulled over the other vendors to persuade him: “You don’t know, with the New Year approaching, the mountain bandits specifically rob on the road. You earned so much silver today, wouldn’t it be a shame to give it all to those bandits!”

“That’s right, that’s right! None of us are planning to go back. Squeezing into a place for one night is better than losing everything to those bandits!”

The others chimed in, and Old Man Zhang suddenly understood. His home was just outside the city, and they had been raided by bandits before, but he hadn’t expected them to be robbing people on the road now.

“Alright! Then this old man will impose upon you!” Old Man Zhang stepped into the steamed bun shop, put down his pole, and thanked the owner.

By this time, the sky had turned completely dark, and faces were indistinguishable on the street. Song Yi had just managed to exit the city before the gates closed. Standing in front of the city gate, a man ran up from the opposite direction to report the situation, forcing Song Yi to stop and listen.

The man knelt before Song Yi as before and reported in a low voice: “Miss Ji’s carriage is not far ahead. The city guards here delayed Miss Ji for some time earlier. The road ahead is already ambushed by mountain bandits, I fear… it might be too late.”

Song Yi’s phoenix eyes narrowed upon hearing this, her long sword in hand as she looked towards the dense black forest ahead.

“Too late? I will not allow that possibility,” her voice was icy and resolute.

“Miss, Feng Zhi truly didn’t lie to you, it was indeed Miss Song who instructed this servant.”

Feng Zhi was tied up in the carriage by Ji Yan’an. The sounds of people talking outside gradually disappeared, and Feng Zhi knew they had left the city. Without Ji Tong’an nearby, she felt utterly panicked.

Ji Yan’an’s complexion was also very poor. She stared at Feng Zhi as if she wanted to drill a hole through her, and that look made Feng Zhi’s heart pound even more.

The carriage entered a seemingly endless forest. It was pitch black all around, not a single bird chirp could be heard, only the monotonous sound of horses’ hooves hitting the ground echoing in the woods. The sound was quite loud, giving the uneasy feeling that it might awaken something dangerous in the darkness.

Ji Yan’an had interrogated Feng Zhi for a long time, but she just wouldn’t tell the truth, stubbornly insisting that Song Yi was behind it.

The candlelight in the carriage was dim. Le Yan had prepared a hand warmer for Ji Yan’an, and a small stove was burning inside the carriage. A thin chimney led the smoke outside, making the whole environment warm and drowsy. However, Ji Yan’an’s jade-like hand pushed aside the curtain to look out. The dark, pressing sky made it hard for her to breathe, and a sense of uneasiness faintly settled in her heart.

” Le Yan, when will we reach Songzhou?” Ji Yan’an felt tired after only an afternoon in the carriage; the phrase ‘weary from the journey’ was certainly true.

Le Yan was adding firewood to the small stove. Hearing the question, she thought for a moment before replying: “Reporting to Miss, we need to change to a boat tomorrow at noon and travel by water for one day. We should arrive at Songzhou the afternoon after tomorrow.”

Although she spoke easily, it still gave Ji Yan’an a headache. Wouldn’t a round trip take half a month? How could they talk about rescuing Song Yi as quickly as possible? Just as she was about to ask if there was any way to speed things up, the carriage suddenly lurched. Ji Yan’an’s back slammed hard against the corner of the table, the pain making her face contort.

“What’s happening outside?” Ji Yan’an knew very well that the Ji Family coachman would not make a driving mistake; something must have happened outside.

Ji Yan’an waited in the carriage but received no reply. Anxious, she ignored Le Yan’s protests and pulled her along to step out of the carriage. As expected, many figures in black rushed out of the forest, blocking the carriage. A rough count suggested there were dozens of them, all holding large cleavers and looking menacing. Compared to them, the dozen or so thin, weak guards accompanying the Ji family looked somewhat insignificant.

After getting out of the carriage, she first looked around. Just as Ji Yan’an calmed down and was looking for the coachman, her eyes fell upon the coachman’s rolling head.

Blood was splattered all over the ground. Ji Yan’an’s eyes widened in disbelief. Looking around again, those ghost-like people stood there, and the one closest to her had blood dripping from the cleaver in his hand.

The guards surrounding the carriage, who were confronting the bandits, were all terrified and rushed to stand protectively around Ji Yan’an and Le Yan when they saw them alight.

The leading guard felt somewhat emboldened by Ji Yan’an’s presence and shouted, “Where do these ruffians come from? You dare to block the Ji family’s carriage?” The bandit holding the blood-stained cleaver laughed a few times upon hearing this. These thieves, who lived by the blade, were born to oppose the officials and the Son of Heaven; why would they ever fear anyone?

“What’s the Ji family? Even if the Emperor himself came, so what? It’s you I’m robbing!” The thief’s surname was Zheng. Because of his excellent cleaver skills, he was nicknamed “Zheng San Dao” (Zheng Three Knives), meaning he could kill with one strike, and three strikes would make his opponent wish for death.

Hearing his rampant words, Ji Yan’an forcefully suppressed her nausea and tried to negotiate with him: “Good Sir, what do you need to let us leave?”

Zheng San Dao discussed with his brothers for a moment, then stared lecherously at Le Yan. With an air of great benevolence, he told Ji Yan’an: “Knowing you are a young lady of a high family, I’ll let you go, but all your money and this little maid must be left behind. Otherwise, none of you will leave alive!” Le Yan trembled all over upon hearing this, tears instantly welling up. She tugged at Ji Yan’an’s sleeve and shook her head: “My life is worthless, Miss, please don’t hesitate. Take Feng Zhi and go find the Old Madam to rescue Miss Song first!”

The more Le Yan said this, the more Ji Yan’an refused. Seeing that Ji Yan’an wasn’t agreeing, she was so anxious that she almost walked towards the crowd of bandits herself.

Le Yan had no other intentions; sacrificing ten lives of her own for one life of her Miss was worth it, because Ji Yan’an was the star in her heart.

“Are you insane!?” Ji Yan’an quickly pulled her back.