Chapter 263: Feeling Like My Brains Are Getting Scrambled

Riding a horse and traveling by carriage can be a hobby, a job, or a tourist experience, but they should never be a daily routine.

Xiao Li regretted her decision the moment she left.

She had decided where she was going, figured out what she needed to do, arranged all political matters, selected her personnel, prepared the necessary funds, and planned the route.

But... there were no good roads, and no decent means of transportation.

What a miscalculation!

For those who had never experienced technology, like the people of this era, a carriage or a horse was the absolute peak of travel luxury.

But for Xiao Li, it was nothing short of torture.

No matter how fine a carriage was, it couldn’t compare to a car. No matter how fast a steed, could it outrun an airplane?

Especially the roads. The city streets were paved with green bricks, but the moment you passed through the gates, it was all dirt paths.

The farther they traveled, the more potholes they encountered.

After spending too long in the carriage, her back was sore, her muscles ached, and she felt dizzy and nauseous.

After riding a horse for too long, she couldn’t even keep her legs together, and she waddled like a frog when she walked.

’Another day, another reason to want to leave this world.’

’Whoever enjoys the ’hardship’ of transmigration can have it. I, for one, couldn’t stand a single bit of it.’

And when she remembered that this journey would take over half a month, Xiao Li’s temper flared.

’That bastard Xu Nianqing. Who does he think he is, to be worth my suffering through a thousand-mile journey just to kill him?’

But waiting around for someone else to come and kill her wasn’t her style. Besides, who knew how long she would have to wait?

Right now, what she hated most was waiting.

So, she had no choice but to endure this torment.

Xiao Li spent most of her time lying in the carriage, and after a while, she felt like her brain was being scrambled.

Her companions, however, were completely different. Every single one of them was perfectly accustomed to it.

"Chi Yan!"

Xiao Li called out, and Chi Yan trotted up from behind, snorting a greeting.

Xiao Li leaped from the carriage onto the horse’s back. She’d been sitting for too long and needed to get some fresh air, otherwise her bones would rust over.

They were now in the middle of nowhere, the kind of place with no village ahead and no inn behind.

"Giddy-up!"

Xiao Li urged her horse forward to ride alongside Rong Qing. "How much longer until the next post station?"

Rong Qing replied, "About half an hour."

Rong Qing had traveled back and forth between the border and the Capital City several times, so they were relying on him entirely for navigating and planning the route.

After speaking, Rong Qing glanced toward Xiao Li, only to find her looking right at him. He immediately grew a little flustered. "Your Majesty, why are you looking at me like that?"

"It’s nothing."

Xiao Li was just suddenly reminded of the nightmare she’d had. The image of Xu Nianqing holding Rong Qing’s severed head had been haunting her, and seeing him alive and well now brought her a sense of relief.

The same went for Lou Yan and Song Junzhan.

She might not indulge in romance, but that didn’t mean she was a heartless block of ice. They followed her and died for her—seeing such a scene once was more than enough.

"Help! Help...!"

Shrill cries for help and the sounds of a fight suddenly erupted from up ahead. Xiao Li flicked the reins. "Let’s go see."

The group quickly rounded a bend to find a dozen or so bandits surrounding a carriage. Four or five guards lay dead, and only a single carriage driver was left, fighting for his life. The young noble lady and her maidservant had been dragged from the carriage. The maid was slung over someone’s shoulder, apparently unconscious.

The young lady was being manhandled by two bandits, screaming desperately.

Xiao Li shouted, "Yang Jun!"

"At once!"

Yang Jun drew his blade. "Ten men, with me."

Ten men on horseback galloped over and immediately engaged the bandits in a fierce slaughter.

Yang Jun and his men’s martial arts couldn’t compare to Rong Qing’s or Lou Yan’s, but against these bandits, they were on a completely different level.

They weaved through the trees on horseback, felling one man with every slash of their blades.

The last five bandits fell to their knees and kowtowed, their courage broken. Tears and snot streamed down their faces.

"Spare us! We’ll never do it again, spare us...!"

Yang Jun had them tied up and interrogated them before coming over to report.

"Your Majesty, they’re bandits from Giant Python Mountain. They make a living robbing travelers—stealing money and women, murder and plunder."

Xiao Li raised her hand. "Leave one alive to guide us. Kill the rest."

There was no need to spare the lives of these bloodthirsty, irredeemable bandits.

Yang Jun understood that Xiao Li intended to wipe out the bandits’ den completely. He nodded. "Understood."

Their squad wasn’t large—counting Rong Qing and Yang Jun, the guard detail was thirty men. The bandits totaled just over fifty, and with seventeen of them now dead, they could handle the rest.

Yang Jun killed the others, then arranged for ten men to take the surviving bandit up the mountain to scout the path. He also had his men drag the corpses into a nearby ditch to avoid frightening any passersby.

While these arrangements were being carried out in an orderly fashion, the young lady’s maidservant was revived. She scrambled over to comfort her mistress.

The coachman was seriously injured, but a guard bandaged his wounds with medicine, managing to save his life.

Xiao Li had no intention of going over to offer comforting words. They were just strangers who had crossed paths; saving their lives was enough.

The young woman, however, glanced at Yang Jun several times. Perhaps frightened by the way he had just cut down several men, she hesitated for a moment before finally choosing to walk toward Xiao Li’s group.

Her gaze swept over the group and finally landed on Rong Qing. "My name is Qiao Lanzhi. Thank you for saving my life, good sir."

Rong Qing glanced at Xiao Li before replying, "It was nothing. You should leave quickly."

Qiao Lanzhi’s face was pale, and she seemed troubled. "As you can see, sir, my guards are dead, and my coachman is gravely injured. The three of us can’t possibly travel alone. I don’t know where you’re headed, but... could you possibly escort us for a part of the way?"

Her maidservant quickly added, "My mistress is the daughter of the governor of Luoxia City, just ahead. If you can escort her home, the governor will certainly reward you generously."

Xiao Li asked, "Is it on our way?"

Rong Qing shook his head. "It’s not. If we detour to Luoxia City, it will delay us by at least half a day."

Xiao Li didn’t want to add any time to her journey, but she could easily imagine what would happen if she abandoned two young women who didn’t know martial arts out here.

"Bring them along for now. When we get to the post station, have someone notify the governor."

Rong Qing said, "As you command."

After hearing the exchange, the mistress and her servant looked at Xiao Li. Even a fool would now understand that the one in charge of this group was this remarkably beautiful woman.

Ziyue rode up, eager for action. "Big Sister, are we going to wipe out the bandits now?"

Xiao Li nodded. "Yes. We’ll head up the mountain together in a bit."

Ziyue immediately offered, "The mountain path will be difficult. I can use my Qinggong to carry you up, Big Sister."

Xiao Li was speechless.

’Why am I actually a little tempted by that?’

Seeing Qiao Lanzhi still staring expectantly at Xiao Li, Hong Yue quickly came forward. "You’re Miss Qiao, correct? You can come over here and rest for a bit."

Qiao Lanzhi took a couple of steps and looked up at Xiao Li. "Miss, are you going to fight the bandits?"

Xiao Li grunted in affirmation.

Qiao Lanzhi frowned in disapproval. "Their den is full of men, and they’ve been entrenched on Giant Python Mountain for years. They’re not so easy to kill. Maybe you should just leave quickly."

Xiao Li raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I thought you were going to suggest having your father send men to fight them."

Qiao Lanzhi’s expression soured, and she was instantly left speechless.

It looked like there was a story there, but Xiao Li had no interest in other people’s family drama.