Chapter Thirty-Three: Jade Maiden

Yuniang was a girl with a pitiful background. Her father had died in battle in his early years as a soldier, her mother lay bedridden with a serious illness, and she had a young brother to care for. The entire burden of the household had fallen upon her delicate shoulders.

When she was taken by the two bandits moments ago, she felt as though all hope in life had been extinguished. She knew all too well the fate of those who fell into the hands of bandits. Lamenting her own misfortune, she thought of her bedridden mother and young brother at home, and her heart was torn asunder, utterly desolate.

Yet fate smiled upon her—she encountered Qi Jun, who rescued her just as she was about to step into the abyss, pulling her back into the light.

Overwhelmed by emotion, she lost control; the grievances and terror in her heart, mingled with excitement and joy, could no longer be suppressed. At the sight of Qi Jun, she threw herself into his arms and wept bitterly.

Qi Jun, intent on venting his fury by shooting the bandits, had not expected that his actions would melt Yuniang’s heart. He stood there, at a loss, hands awkwardly raised, glancing down at the sobbing girl, then at County Officer Feng and the other county soldiers. From their amused expressions, he realized they had misunderstood his relationship with Yuniang.

Gradually, Yuniang’s sobs subsided, her emotions settled, and she became aware of her impropriety.

“I… I’m sorry, I only recognize you…” Yuniang hurriedly retreated a few steps, choking back tears as she knelt, “Yuniang thanks you, young master, for saving my life…”

Qi Jun quickly reached out to help her up. Based on what he’d seen in television dramas, he feared she might utter something like “I can only repay you by offering myself,” so he sought to steady her emotions first, regardless of her intentions.

County Officer Feng, seeing the situation was under control, ordered Captain Sun to assemble the troops and set up camp in the village.

By now, the village was deserted, so there was no need to persuade the villagers to vacate homes for their rest.

Returning to the familiar village after just one day felt as though an eternity had passed. Not a single familiar face was seen, filling Qi Jun’s heart with sorrow.

He silently hoped the threat of bandits could soon be eliminated, restoring the village’s vitality, so all could live and work in peace, and prosperity would return.

Captain Sun arranged for County Officer Feng to have the best available house, assigned several soldiers to care for the wounded, and let the others choose rooms to rest.

Qi Jun frowned at these arrangements, knowing they seriously dispersed the soldiers’ strength, making it impossible for them to quickly assemble in case of emergency. Worse yet, no sentries were posted at vantage points or at the village entrance.

Fortunately, the bandits in the village had been wiped out, so tonight should be quiet. Qi Jun knew that even if he pointed out these flaws to Captain Sun, the advice would likely be ignored, and County Officer Feng was already asleep and not to be disturbed. He could only sigh and return to his own quarters.

He sighed heavily, convinced that the county soldiers of Anqiang were hopeless both in combat and in setting up camp. They had no real battlefield experience. Such troops could only bully civilians, and might not even prevail against bandits.

The more Qi Jun learned about them, the more disappointed he became. To improve their fighting prowess, they would either need a complete overhaul or be tempered in battle.

Yuniang followed him closely. Even though Qi Jun repeatedly assured her that no bandits would return to the village, she still shook her head fearfully, refusing to go home alone. Helpless, Qi Jun escorted her all the way to her doorstep, only leaving after she bowed and thanked him again.

Back in the small cabin on the hillside, Qi Jun was surprised to find that his younger brother, Qi Feng, had not left with the other villagers.

He walked quietly to the bedside, and by the faint moonlight could see traces of tears on Qi Feng’s cheeks. The tousled hair and dark circles under his eyes hinted he had not slept all night.

In modern times, such a state would probably mean he’d spent the night at an internet café, and the tears would be over losing a game. But now, Qi Jun was deeply moved, knowing how much his foolish brother worried about him.

Sensing movement by the bed, Qi Feng half-opened his eyes to look at Qi Jun, scratched his back, and tried to drift off again. But a few seconds later, his mind jolted awake. He suddenly sat up, staring at Qi Jun in disbelief, rubbing his eyes.

“Brother, when did you…”

“Just now.”

“Are you leaving again?”

“No. This time, I came to avenge our parents and fellow villagers.”

Qi Jun smiled, reached out to ruffle his brother’s hair, tears glistening in his eyes.

“What happened to your face? Have you been crying again?”

“Mm… I haven’t eaten in two days, my stomach hurts…”

“And those dark circles?”

“I couldn’t sleep because I was hungry…”

Qi Jun was dumbfounded. He had imagined his brother weeping all night out of worry, unable to sleep, moved by brotherly affection.

So it was just hunger…

Qi Jun looked at Qi Feng in silent exasperation, then managed a helpless smile. He pulled two vegetable buns from his pocket and tossed them over. Captain Sun had given him these buns during their march, and Qi Jun had saved them for his brother.

Qi Feng, having gone two days without food, lit up at the sight of the buns and devoured one ravenously.

“Slow down, are you reincarnated as a starving ghost?” Qi Jun patted his brother’s back, worried he might choke, and persisted, “I went to prison to save people—weren’t you worried about your brother at all?”

“Of course I was worried! If you were gone, I’d starve to death…” Qi Feng finished a bun, licking his fingers and grabbing the next.

“You little ingrate!” Qi Jun poked Qi Feng’s forehead, watching him chew with relish, and finally felt a sense of relief.

The next morning, a loud bugle sounded at the foot of the mountain. Hearing it, Qi Jun knew the county soldiers were gathering, so he quickly got up, dressed, washed his face, and hurried down.

“Brother, wait for me!” Qi Feng was roused by the bugle, and seeing his brother ready to leave, he scrambled out of bed.

“Go back to sleep—why follow me?” Qi Jun glanced at him with annoyance at the doorway.

“I want to fight the bandits with you!” Qi Feng straightened his posture, looking at Qi Jun with solemn resolve. “Revenge isn’t yours alone! We’re brothers—the vengeance for our parents is ours together!”

Qi Jun had never seen his brother so serious. He realized he could not deny his brother the right to avenge their parents, nor could he suppress a passionate heart.

After a moment’s thought, he nodded to Qi Feng.

When the bugle sounded again, Qi Jun and Qi Feng hurried to join the assembled county soldiers at the foot of the mountain.

Qi Jun introduced his brother to County Officer Feng, then fetched a crossbow from the armory and handed it to Qi Feng.

“If you want to go to battle, you must prove your worth.” Qi Jun handed him a bag of bolts and pointed to a small tree a hundred paces off. “Use this crossbow to shoot that tree. Let the arrows show me whether you’re fit for the battlefield.”

Qi Feng glanced at his brother confidently, took the crossbow and bolts, and strode off. County Officer Feng watched the brothers, a smile of approval on his lips.

Meanwhile, the villagers who had spent the night hiding in the mountains returned. As they approached the village entrance and saw the assembled county soldiers, they hesitated, fearfully stopping and gazing at them with anxiety.

“Sir, what is all this…” Liu Kui, supporting the clan elder, stepped out from the crowd. Faced with so many county soldiers, the villagers instinctively felt a surge of fear and nervousness.