章 5: Chapter 5: The Future Bandit's Lady (II)_1
Chapter 5
Inside the earthen hut, a wax candle flickered casting a warm glow over a woman dressed in red sitting on the earthen bed. The playful candlelight enhanced the rosy hue of her cheeks. With a delicate nose and a face as smooth as jade, her hair fell like a waterfall down to her shoulders.
A feeling surged in Cheng Dalei's heart — what a peaceful woman. Only in such an ancient era could such a pristine woman exist. There she sat, her clear gaze pure and serene, like water or ice. It evoked a sense of self-disgust in him, as well as a sense of greed.
A wicked thought suddenly protruded in Cheng Dalei's heart: she is mine, mine. No one in the Mountain Fortress could stop him. Everyone had already tacitly agreed that this woman was his Bandit's Lady. In this earthen house, on this earthen bed, he was free to do whatever he pleased with her.
As this thought crossed his mind, Cheng Dalei suddenly felt restless. Without limitations, morals and principles tended to degenerate rapidly. In his previous life, he had never done anything evil. But as soon as he entered this unrestrained environment, evil thoughts began sprouting uncontrollably.
Ding! Noble Youth, having harbored kind intentions has triggered the "Bestowing Bandit's Lady" second-stage mission: touch Su Ying's heart through non-violent means.
What? Cheng Dalei widened his eyes, "When did I harbor kind intentions? Please get it right. Morality has always been a weapon to criticize others, not a tool to restrain oneself."
Ding! A true man aspires to conquer the world and to win a woman's heart. Noble Youth, do your best.
Ding your grandpa! What are you playing at with this cute pose, stupid system? I've had enough of these utterly adolescent lines.
This reminder made Cheng Dalei realize that too much indulgence in sorrow is not the way, and being overly emotional is always a kind of sickness.
However, since the system made such a demand, it seemed like using force was out of the question. He took a deep breath and put on what he thought was his most dashing and handsome expression.
Scamming is not violent!
"The night is long, making sleep evasive. I thought I was the only who couldn't sleep, and yet it seems that Su Ying also shares the same fate?"
Su Ying opened her eyes wide, "My family owns the Four Seas Merchant Company in Falling Leaves City. If you're willing to let me go, you can have gold or goods. I also bear another title—the future wife of the city lord of Black Stone City. You must understand the consequences of hurting me."
Falling Leaves City was the closest city to Frog Ridge, aside from Black Stone City. Su Ying swiftly revealed her value to Cheng Dalei, not only offering bait but also threatening consequences.
"It's a misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding." Cheng Dalei frantically tried to salvage his image, "Miss Su Ying, you must think I'm just another mountain bandit. But this time, I have a grievance to settle with the city lord of Black Stone City. After this ordeal is over, I promise to return you safely."
"It's false," Su Ying calmly replied. "I've always had the ability to tell when someone is lying. I see nothing but greed and lust in your eyes, you're no different from any other man. I just want to tell you, don't harm me; we can negotiate everything else."
Cheng Dalei was at a loss for words. It was often said that beauty lacked brains. Could this girl be an exception? He focused his attention on Su Ying, scrutinizing her details.
Name: Su Ying (Ordinary Merchant from a Merchant Family)
Age: 17
Skills: None
Hidden Attribute: Keen Observation.
So it's because of her Keen Observation attribute that she can discern lies? Cheng Dalei was quite dismayed, it seemed he couldn't even scam her.
Cheng Dalei decided to make one last effort. "Miss Su Ying, I know that in your eyes, I am nothing more than a crude thief. But who would choose to become a bandit if they could live tranquilly? Long ago, I too was a boy with dreams."
"Dreams, a boy?" Su Ying looked puzzled, finding it hard to connect these words with Cheng Dalei.
Cheng Dalei controlled his facial muscles and breathing, deciding to put on his most earnest performance. He paced back and forth in the room, sometimes waving his arms passionately, other times heaving deep sighs of despair.
"... These hands of mine have once held the Sage Book, grasped the Qingfeng Sword, aspired to master martial and literary arts, and to compete with the imperial family. I once questioned why not with sword in hand, conquer all under fifty states. As I traveled far and wide, I saw common folks suffering like animals while the elites lived like predatory beasts. Disillusioned with the sages, I questioned why the world was like this. Then, I had a dream, to save the people from suffering, to rescue the masses from hanging by a thread. I had a dream, to shatter the old world and rebuild a new universe. I had a dream, to ensure a home for everyone, a field for every farmer... "
Finally, Cheng Dalei extended his hand towards Su Ying, gazing at her with intense emotion.
"Now, all I want these hands to do is to hold a girl's hand. Miss Su Ying, are you willing to join me in realizing this dream?"
"It's false." Su Ying blinked her large eyes and continued, "Even though your words are false, I can feel that you don't want to hurt me. I don't know why."
With a helpless slap to his forehead, Cheng Dalei wondered where he went wrong. Was his acting not convincing enough or did he lay it on too thickly?
Why don't I want to hurt you? I can't answer that question. Let's turn the microphone over to the system.
"You can ask me for anything, as long as you don't hurt me." — Su Ying
Cheng Dalei sat down across from Su Ying, finally speaking his only sincere words since entering the room.
"Could you tell me about the outside world?"
Without personal experience, Cheng Dalei found it impossible to imagine the level of information isolation in this world. Rumors were likely the only channel for information dissemination. Even a short distance away was like being completely in the dark. Some people had never ventured outside their village their whole lives, remaining ignorant even through times of regime changes.
Anyone willing to spend over a decade travelling through various states would be worthy of the phrase 'well traveled'.
His current location was in an empire known as Great Wu. Beyond this, Cheng Dalei knew absolutely nothing about the world.
He was desperately in need of information about this world - what people ate, wore, the books they read, what they used for entertainment, their culture, religions... Cheng Dalei knew that seemingly trivial things were incredibly important.
In this era of information isolation, traveling merchants held much more knowledge. The person in front of him now was a merchant's daughter.
This opportunity was invaluable.
After a long conversation, Cheng Dalei left the room and found a random place in the fortress to rest.
Su Ying sat alone in the room, the red candle illuminating her hand. She dipped her finger in water and wrote two lines on the wooden table.
"Why not carry a sword, conquer all under fifty states"
Confused, Su Ying stared earnestly at the two lines: What is a sword? It must be a very sharp weapon. Where are the states? The empire only owns thirteen states, so where did fifty states come from...
The more Su Ying thought about it, the more puzzled she felt, and began to mumble to herself.
"His words are clearly false, but they are beautifully spoken. They really didn't seem to originate from a mountain bandit's mouth..."
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