Chapter 131

The bearded leader cast her a glance and ignored her.

Yun Yaoyao wasn’t offended in the slightest and continued chatting with them.

Yun Yaoyao: “Tiezhu, that little weapon you’re carrying today is quite unique. It looks just like the two iron rings on someone’s front door.”

The burly man named Tiezhu snorted furiously. “It’s called a ring blade! It’s my most beloved weapon. I treat it like my wife, and it is not a door handle!”

Yun Yaoyao suddenly understood. “Oh~ Then your wife looks a lot like the two iron rings on someone’s front door.”

Tiezhu nearly keeled over from rage.

Yun Yaoyao then shouted at a tall, thin man in the group, “Fugui’er!”

Fugui glanced over with a frown as he hurried along, then gruffly replied, “What?”

Yun Yaoyao warned him, “There’s a rock ahead. Watch your—”

Before she could finish, Fugui tripped over the rock beneath his feet, took a spectacular tumble, and rolled forward twice.

Yun Yaoyao sighed. “Fugui, I told you there was a rock at your feet.”

Fugui was livid. “If you hadn’t warned me, I wouldn’t have tripped at all!”

“...”

This was already the third day since Yun Yaoyao had moved to the foot of White Wind Stronghold.

On the first day, the people of White Wind Stronghold had thought: This woman is so beautiful and imposing! She’s actually Her Majesty the Empress—the Goddess herself has descended! But the Empress must be here to recruit us on behalf of the emperor. Don’t even think about it! And why did she bring only one servant who looks like she isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed? Doesn’t she know that everyone in White Wind Stronghold is vicious?

On the second day, the people of White Wind Stronghold had thought: Why is the Empress so noisy? Even the frogs in the pond are outdone by her. Such a fine Goddess, yet she just had to open her mouth. Still, if we ignore her, she’ll go away. White Wind Stronghold will never accept recruitment by the imperial court!

On the third day, the people of White Wind Stronghold had thought: This is driving us crazy! She’s such a nuisance, day in and day out! Even an uncle can endure only so much—an aunt certainly can’t! As the saying goes, when you can’t endure any longer, endure it again! For the sake of the greater good, we’ll just have to keep enduring!

After Yun Yaoyao caused the group heading down the mountain to fall into chaos for the thirty-eighth time, the people of White Wind Stronghold could take it no longer.

If they endured any more, they’d turn into the Ninja Turtles!

The leader of White Wind Stronghold slammed his broadsword into the ground and fiercely furrowed his thick brows.

“Men, rob her!”

After three whole days, Yun Yaoyao had finally succeeded in getting herself taken into White Wind Stronghold.

The burly men tore off strips of black cloth to blindfold the two women, stuffed earplugs into their ears, and carried Yun Yaoyao and Niu Xiu’er into White Wind Stronghold.

On the way up, the cautious rebels even took the two of them on a long, winding detour.

An hour later, Yun Yaoyao was finally standing on level ground, with her sight restored.

The two men assigned to guard them were twins. The elder brother was short and stout, while the younger was tall and thin. One held a saber, the other a long sword, and both men pointed ferociously toward a room.

“Get inside! Don’t even think about escaping White Wind Stronghold! Even if you make it out, there are vicious wolves in the mountains. Be careful, or they’ll gnaw you down to the bone!”

Though she had been kidnapped, Yun Yaoyao remained completely unruffled. She calmly surveyed the room, looking more like an executive inspecting a workplace than a captive.

“The lighting is terrible here. Get me one with a courtyard.”

The twin brutes: “???”

Was she serious? They had captured her, not invited her over!

The two men were so stunned by her shamelessness that, for a moment, neither reacted. They stood there looking exceptionally “enlightened.”

Yun Yaoyao’s expression turned solemn. Her gaze grew distant, and her voice filled with pity as she slowly began:

“To tell you the truth, I was entrusted by Heaven itself to save the fate of the Yan Chi Empire, which is on the brink of collapse. You must have heard of the measures I’ve taken to benefit the people. I came south for two reasons: first, to quell the unrest in Shu, and second, to change the fate of everyone in White Wind Stronghold—a fate that ends in certain death.”

“The Book of Life and Death records that in the ninth year of Jingyuan, rebellion will break out in Shu. Taking advantage of the chaos, White Wind Stronghold will recruit the common people into the rebel army. Suffering under the ravages of war, the people will flock to join them, and for a time, White Wind Stronghold’s forces will be able to contend with both the emperor’s army and Du Ruan’s forces. The struggle among the three factions will plunge Shu into chaos, leaving countless dead and the land in misery. The war will last three years before the rebel army is finally suppressed, and everyone in the stronghold will perish in the fighting.”

“Heaven will then punish you. In your second life, every member of the rebel army will be reborn among the beasts, eating swill every day... In your third life, you will be reborn into the hungry ghost realm... In your fourth life, you will be reborn into the hell realm... In your fifth life...”

“Everyone in White Wind Stronghold is extraordinary. That is why I am willing to come here and save you this once.”

The two men were no longer calm after hearing this.

They had heard about the mysterious powers surrounding this Goddess. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have tolerated her for three days. Even after kidnapping her, they had never laid a hand on her.

Besides not wanting to provoke the emperor’s army, they were also wary of Yun Yaoyao herself.

Damn it, nothing was more frightening than this kind of supernatural nonsense!

They didn’t quite believe it, but they couldn’t help being cautious, either!

Never mind. They had already put up with her this many times. What was one more?

And so, with three sentences, Yun Yaoyao went from a woodshed to a spacious courtyard with excellent sunlight.

Yun Yaoyao: “Bring over some fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat, too. It would be a shame not to have an outdoor barbecue in a setting like this.”

The twin brutes: “...” Endure.

Yun Yaoyao: “And bring some good wine. Barbecue goes with fine wine. Eat and drink all night long—then life won’t have been wasted.”

The twin brutes: “...” Endure a little longer.

Yun Yaoyao: “Replace the bedding and everything else with new ones, too. I’ll want to take a short nap after we finish eating.”

The twin brutes: “...” Keep enduring.

By the time Yun Yaoyao had made her eleventh request, the two men finally couldn’t take it anymore. They slammed the courtyard gate shut, stood guard outside, and covered their ears for good measure.

Once they had left, peace and quiet finally returned to the courtyard.

Only then did Niu Xiu’er drop the fierce expression on her face and lean toward Yun Yaoyao.

“Miss, weren’t you here to win them over? Why do you keep provoking and offending them?”

Yun Yaoyao curled her lips into a smile. “Xiu’er, the people of Shu are bold and fierce by nature, and these rebels are even more so. Those who rise up for the people are brave, impulsive, loyal, righteous, and filled with hatred for corrupt officials. When dealing with people like that, you have to fight first and become friends afterward.”

In truth, she was simply a little bored. Seeing all that brute strength with nowhere to go, she had decided to put it to use by ordering them around.

“Oh~” Niu Xiu’er said with sudden understanding, flashing a simple, honest smile. “Miss, you’re so clever!”

The setting sun slanted westward, scattering a warm orange glow across the ground.

A rich aroma drifted from the little courtyard.

The moment White Wind Stronghold’s leader, Chu Fei, returned to the stronghold, he caught the scent. Carrying a pair of massive hammers, he strode toward it.