Chapter 13: The Strong Prevail

"Young Miss, please stay inside and do not act rashly. Leave these people to me." Zhuyitou stepped forward, duty-bound and unyielding. His expression was arrogant; he didn't even consider this rabble, who lacked any trace of profound energy, worth his notice.

"Very well." Ling Ruoxi nodded slightly.

"Mother, Baby wants to go out and watch the fight." Ling Xiaobai had long been itching to join in. The peace throughout their journey had caused the demonic instincts within him to stir. Now that he had finally encountered such a rare event, he had to join in the fun.

"Go ahead." Ling Ruoxi waved her hand, granting Ling Xiaobai’s wish to be a spectator. He slipped out of the carriage like a streak of smoke, sat on the deck, hands on his hips, and watched the one-sided beating.

"Zhuyitou, go for it! Look to your left—oops, right, right! Punch him in the eye!"

His cheering caused the sense of superiority in Zhuyitou’s heart to erupt once more. He didn't even need to use his profound energy; relying solely on his physical combat skills, he knocked the bandits to the ground in an instant. They screamed in pain, rolling on the ground. He elegantly clapped his hands, lifted his chin arrogantly, and tried his best to strike a majestic and imposing pose.

"Xiaobai, go clean up," Ling Ruoxi commanded with a stern expression. Ling Xiaobai immediately gave a military salute: "Yes, Mother."

He nimbly jumped off the deck, rubbing his hands together with a wicked grin. He trotted over to the bandits and began rummaging through the pockets of the immobilized enemies with his chubby little hands, eventually collecting nearly fifty taels of silver.

"Tch, this little bit of money isn't even enough to fill the gaps in my teeth," Ling Xiaobai said with disdain. "Hey, where is all the money you’ve robbed? Speak up! Otherwise, I’ll bite you to death!"

The bandits dared not make a sound, not taking Ling Xiaobai’s threat seriously. The bandit who had initially blocked the carriage slowly stood up from the ground, clutching his chest where his ribs had been kicked in. A dagger suddenly slid from his sleeve into his palm.

*Opportunity!*

The blade, striking through the air, refracted a cold, white light under the sun. Zhuyitou’s expression changed abruptly, and just as he was about to intervene, he was stunned by what he saw. Ling Xiaobai’s short legs twisted slightly on the ground, his body precisely dodging the blade that had been swung down from above. His foot kicked upward, hitting the mark perfectly—right on the bandit's injured chest.

"Ah!" The bandit saw stars from the pain and stumbled back several steps before barely managing to stand steady.

Ling Xiaobai elegantly lowered his foot and feigned self-reproach: "Oh, are you alright? I didn't mean to do that."

The bandit was in too much pain to speak. Looking at his injured companions on the ground, his heart bled. He had assumed they were just a fat sheep—some official or merchant family traveling in secret—but he hadn't expected the other party to possess such formidable combat power.

His legs trembled, and he looked at Ling Xiaobai as if he were staring at a god of death.

"Hey, hey, hey, I’m talking to you." Ling Xiaobai was very dissatisfied that his rare moment of kindness was being ignored. He muttered gloomily, "Forget it. Since you gave me money, I’ll be magnanimous and not hold it against you. Hurry up and tell me, where is all the silver you’ve robbed hidden?"

He grabbed the bandit by the collar and asked, baring his teeth, his eyes glowing with a greedy light.

"Ling Xiaobai, finish them off quickly," Ling Ruoxi frowned and commanded loudly. They could not afford to delay their journey.

"But Mother, Baby wants to go loot their silver. They must have gotten a lot of money from robbing people here," Ling Xiaobai said resentfully. How could he pass up money delivered to his doorstep? He could already see the mountains of gold and silver hidden in whatever Black Wind Stronghold they came from.

*Whoosh.* A hurricane erupted from the carriage. A white, graceful figure flew out like lightning. A cold, silver light flashed, kissing the bandit's neck, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

"Let's go." Ling Ruoxi retracted her dagger without even glancing at the thief who had lost his life on the ground. She picked up Ling Xiaobai and returned to the carriage, leaving behind a field of corpses lying alone in a pool of blood.

"Mother, why did you kill them?" Ling Xiaobai asked while counting the silver in his hands.

Hearing that innocent voice, a chill crept up Zhuyitou’s spine. How exactly was the Young Miss raising her son? A five-year-old child, yet he felt no fear at such a bloody scene. A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead, and the arrogance in his heart transformed into a faint sense of awe.

Six years had passed, and the Young Miss had truly changed too much. One could no longer find a trace of her former cowardice and incompetence.

Could a cowardly person kill bandits without blinking?

That ruthless posture and those merciless moves all spoke of her cruel and cold-blooded methods.

"Is the head on your shoulders just for decoration? Use your own brain to think." Ling Ruoxi closed her eyes, offering no explanation. She would not preach grand principles; she would only use the most direct methods to teach her son the rule of this world—the strong are respected!