421: Chapter 331 421: Chapter 331 These bandits had been severely injured, but fortunately, they took some healing medicine.
Although their internal injuries had somewhat healed, their external wounds had not yet fully recovered.
Being pelted with mud while they were in this condition filled their hearts with rage, yet with their hands and feet bound, they could not vent their anger!
All these men had trained in martial arts, and some had even begun the path of cultivation; they knew spells, and a mere hemp rope could not restrain them from breaking free.
They were not afraid of the governmental authorities, but rather, the people who captured them were still above in the sky.
Stealthily glancing at the sky with their eyes, they realized those people were still there.
Humiliated, they had no choice but to endure.
Inside, they seethed with anger.
Damned mortals, if one day they managed to escape, they would kill them all!
Their fury did not show on their faces, smeared with mud, which made them appear expressionless.
At that moment, someone discovered a cow dung, and another found dog feces!
Usually, these were considered fertilizers, and the person who spotted the bandits being bound and captured also noticed the cattle herders with their cows watching nearby.
As the masters came out to see what was happening, their dogs followed, and after some time, they would defecate randomly.
At that instant, while people were excited, they normally would not waste what they considered fertilizer but would pick it up and take it to the fields for the crops.
But now, in their excitement, they didn’t care.
Grabbing iron shovels, they started flinging the dog feces and cow dung at the bandits.
Their aim was surprisingly accurate, hitting the bandits’ mouths with the feces, adding dog and cow dung to the already mud-caked faces.
Others watching the spectacle began laughing and jumping as they saw dog feces and cow dung thrown on the bandits, speaking carelessly:
“Hahaha…
They must be hungry to eat dog feces and cow dung.
These bandits deserve nothing better; it’s their punishment!”
The bandits, dyed with shame and ridiculed, could do nothing but shake their heads to toss off the dog feces and cow dung.
They were unable to use any of their spells.
Even those with combat power were helpless, initially planning resistance but gradually realizing that they had been dosed with a degrading pill.
They had taken an antidote, which spared them serious trouble, but their injured bodies were still severely weakened.
The official families, witnessing how the once-victimized peasants could be so fierce, felt a bit scared.
Thank goodness they were not the bandits, or else they would never be able to shake the notorious reputation of eating feces for a lifetime!
Along the way, what would have been a short distance by carriage, now felt much longer while escorting so many people.
The journey was slow with onlookers and interruptions.
This experience stirred emotions, realizing that the common people could be so troublesome when roused!
Luckily, they had not united against them before, taking them on one by one, which intimidated the rest and deterred them from rebelling!
“Senior Brother, can we trust these people not to revert to their old ways once we leave?”
Ding Ling was actually a woman from an ordinary family, who knew the difficulties of common life, especially in a place plagued by bandits and exploitative governmental authorities, where life was truly hard!
The concerns Ding Ling harbored were shared by everyone.
Lai Jianlin had considered these issues as well.
His plan was to leave one or two people behind to monitor the situation after they left.
“If we remove these useless governmental officials from their positions and kill all the bandits, then no dangerous situations will arise.”
Liu Jiaojiao, who had always been protected by her parents, had never faced such humiliation.
She despised the bandits to the core!
If it weren’t for her parents and Luo Yaxuan holding her back from killing the bandits, she would have sought revenge the moment she was rescued!
She had never suffered such indignity before.
A proud daughter of the heavens, she had been tied up like an animal, facing a forced marriage to an old bandit.
If not for her senior brother’s timely rescue, her life might have been ruined!
Her hatred for the bandits was bone-deep, just as her anger at the officials for treating the people so badly!
At this moment, Liu Jiaojiao’s naïve heart finally came to understand the complex nature of the outside world.
At this moment, she could finally understand the painstaking efforts of her parents.
If they were all ensnared, what unthinkable consequences would she face if she were alone in the world!
The gentle expression on Luo Yaxuan’s face had failed many times today because of his junior sister and his master’s family.
He knew that even if the outside world was full of malice, if he didn’t become strong, a cultivator would be in danger no matter where they were!
He said to his junior sister, who was losing her temper:
“Junior sister, leave the matters that follow to us senior brothers.
Don’t think too much.
There are many complexities in the Martial World that you do not know about.
Although we want to protect you, you must also become strong on your own!”
“Senior brother, I understand.
I will never be lazy again!”
Liu Jiaojiao was previously just angry, but facing her senior brother, she felt somewhat inferior.
She used to think that she was worthy of her senior brother, but now, facing him, she no longer felt deserving!
Perhaps this experience has made her grow a bit, but growth comes with a price.
She had to wear a wedding dress meant for another to meet her senior brother.
Before, she would act coquettishly towards her senior brother and share with him the grievances she faced this time.
After meeting another woman, Ding Ling, she found that unlike her infatuation with Luo Yaxuan, Ding Ling, who was superior due to her parents, made her feel even less worthy, not just in terms of Combat Power, but maybe she lacked the woman’s strength.
The overprotection from her parents was clearly double-edged!
Fortunately, this woman was not the one her senior brother loved; his heart belonged to another man!
Seeing that some other women still had poison in their bodies, her feelings of inferiority were somewhat alleviated.
“It’s a bit of a pity.
Why didn’t I take some of the money from those bandits earlier?
After all, that money would have been confiscated, and it might have ended up in the pockets of some officials.
What a pity!”
Mo Wen, who also came from a common background and was up in the sky, felt elated seeing the villagers so happy at the bandits’ capture that she had forgotten about her lack of money.
Now, thinking about it, she somewhat regretted it!
Out of so many people, he was the poorest.
He wondered if it was because he was too honest or too simple-minded; he was always very poor.
Although his fellow martial and cultivation brothers didn’t know of his poverty,
everyone else had so many resources, and only he needed a woman to pay for him.
Actually, he didn’t wish for it to be this way—who doesn’t want to save face?
When faced with hunger, however, face had to be put aside!
“Pfft…”
The women who were rescued felt that this senior brother was very humorous.
Why hadn’t they noticed his humor before?
They had seen Mo Wen before, but because he was always unkempt, Bian Shasha looked down on him, and so did they, who were around her.
They only paid attention to him because Lai Jianlin had appeared a few times by his side and also during the time they competed in spells with Ding Ling.
They had seen him during that competition as well!
Initially, their focus was all on Lai Jianlin, automatically neglecting Mo Wen!
Now they found this man very humorous.
As girls with many suitors, aside from wanting to cultivate for Longevity and eternal youth, they also wanted to be happy and have more resources.
Their aspirations as female cultivators were similar to those of young ladies from wealthy families, to marry into a good family with a husband who was caring and attentive.
Next to outstanding men like Luo Yaxuan and Lai Jianlin, it might be that the insignificant Mo Wen’s voice would not catch a girl’s attention!
Just like the several followers brought by these two gentlemen, they were very charismatic young men!
These men were far more outstanding than Mo Wen, coming from elite families of the Official Families.
It wasn’t that they didn’t talk much, but rather their pride stopped them from wanting to speak in front of these people, appearing cold and unapproachable!
Mo Wen was different, very casual.
At this moment, his words made these women feel good about him.
The women poisoned did not think Lai Jianlin would take a fancy to them, with Ding Ling around and all attention clearly not on them.
Even though they were poisoned, they didn’t receive much care!
It seemed they were only saved incidentally.
Indeed, if not for Bi Renchuan’s appeal for help, they might have died of poison or been taken as wives by the thieves or died resisting.
They had just escaped the clutches of the bandits, only to sadly fall into another den of wolves!