The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 473 Rules
Wu Mingxiao felt a surge of heat rush to the top of his head.

"But...why is it only a female warrior..."

Li Miao sneered.

"Because after looting their property, the men are no longer of any value to these bandits, while the women still are... so naturally, only the women are left."

"Also, as I told you before, this mountain stronghold uses a rare type of milk that's hard to find through ordinary means to hire that savage... Now you know where that milk comes from, right?"

"Furthermore, this mountain stronghold has clearly been trading with that savage more than once or twice. Where have the children born to these women gone? How many times have these women endured hardship over the years to maintain their trade with the savage—"

Wu Mingxiao suddenly shouted.

"Brother Li!"

"Stop... saying it..."

He almost wanted to vomit.

He didn't understand matters between men and women, but the filth involved was beyond his comprehension.

Those women who were held hostage by the bandits and were practically corpses except for still being able to breathe were, not long ago, chivalrous heroes who went up the mountain to eliminate evil!

How...how...

Is there no justice in this world?
Was everything the Vice Commissioner taught us completely false?

His thoughts were in turmoil, with only rage simmering within him. Looking at those thin, weak bandits who had just moments before evoked his pity, the murderous intent in his heart almost consumed his reason.

He instinctively gripped the knife handle and took a step forward.

The bandits holding hostages retreated in unison, their blades slashing down, tearing through the hostages' skin, and drops of blood dripped down the blades.

"Young hero, don't act rashly!"

"For every step you take, one person dies! For every step you take again, two die!"

"These women's lives are in your hands!"

Wu Mingxiao stopped, his anger growing even stronger.

"You, you!"

"brute!"

"Don't you feel any remorse? Aren't you afraid of being haunted by vengeful spirits? Aren't you afraid of the Imperial Guards coming to your door?"

He was filled with righteous indignation, and the bandits looked at each other in bewilderment—then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, feeling uneasy? How much silver can a conscience sell for?"

"Hahaha, a vengeful spirit seeking revenge? How many swords and blades can a vengeful spirit wield?"

"As for the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

One of the bandits, who seemed to be the leader, laughed loudly as he spoke.

"Yes, if the rules of the Songshan Moon Appreciation Banquet were still in place two years ago, we wouldn't have dared to expand the event too much, otherwise countless prestigious sects would have offered our heads as a reward!"

"But now, does the Embroidered Uniform Guard still care about us? Does it still have the money to buy our heads?"

"That commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard hasn't shown his face for two years. He's probably already dead in the capital. These days, heroes of the martial world are everywhere. Where are the rules of the imperial court and the Embroidered Uniform Guard? How can they possibly govern us good men!"

At this point, the bandit leader suddenly stopped smiling.

"Young hero, stop talking nonsense."

"Since you didn't step forward, you're being pragmatic. We're not really interested in fighting you to the death, so how about... we do some business?"

He gripped the woman's neck and shook her.

"That knife in your hand looks quite valuable. Do you have any other weapons on you?"

"In this way, a human life in exchange for a weapon. Honest and fair, what do you say?"

Wu Mingxiao roared angrily.

Do you think I'm stupid?!

The bandit leader shook his head.

"Of course not, we're just trying to protect ourselves."

"Throw your weapon over, and we'll hand the woman over to you. Once we have the hostage, we'll see how well you can bring her down the mountain. Isn't that fair?"

"If you want to keep one or two weapons for self-defense, it will only save you a few lives, and we can't stop you... But we will definitely kill the people you didn't take."

Seeing Wu Mingxiao's face turn increasingly red, the bandit leader's smile grew even more rampant.

He knew that Wu Mingxiao had taken the bait.

"So, young hero, how much do you want in exchange?" "We absolutely do not force anyone to buy or sell. How many people you can protect depends entirely on your skill and chivalrous heart. What do you say?"

"How much do you want?! Speak up! Are you mute?!"

Wu Mingxiao's hand gripping the knife hilt turned white.

How could he not know that these bandits were employing a calculated scheme, their aim being to seize his weapon and then use the opportunity to kill him? These female warriors must have faced the same choice as well.

Surrender your weapons, and your chances of survival are slim.

Refusing to surrender weapons is tantamount to sending these hostages to their deaths.

Every weapon left behind carries the weight of a life.

All I can say is that the leader of this mountain stronghold understands people's hearts very well, and he also understands these young heroes who are just starting out.

Confidence, justice, underestimation of the enemy, weakness.

This trial of the heart targets every weakness of the young swordsmen, and the hostages they hold are all young swordsmen trapped in this trial of the heart.

And Wu Mingxiao... also couldn't break the deadlock.

His anger won't change anything.

His swordsmanship couldn't even cleave his own heart.

Just as Wu Mingxiao was becoming increasingly angry and dejected, to the point that his internal energy was running wild and he was almost going into a state of demonic possession.

Suddenly, a soft laugh came from behind him.

"What, have you forgotten I'm here?"

A hand landed on his shoulder, pulled him behind him, and casually took the Japanese sword from his hand.

"Hey bro, can't you solve this problem?"

Li Miao walked to the front and stopped, tracing the blade with his fingers, not even glancing at the shouting bandits.

Wu Mingxiao said hoarsely from behind.

"Brother Li...I...can't untie it..."

"Is there really no justice in this world? Should good people just fall into the hands of these beasts...?"

Li Miao smiled and shook one finger.

"of course not."

"There's some truth to that, and good people shouldn't go unrewarded."

"But who told you that there are no barriers to being a good person? And who told you that truth falls from the sky?"

The bandit leader frowned.

He instinctively sensed that this tall, handsome man was not on the same level as the young man he had just described as almost going mad with martial arts... and not just in terms of martial arts.

"Your Mightiness--"

Bang!
Blood suddenly bloomed, and red and white substances splattered everywhere.

Li Miao calmly withdrew his finger and said.

"Too much nonsense, I'm tired of it."

"What did you just say? That there are no rules in the martial arts world these days?"

Li Miao strode forward.

The other bandits who were holding hostages reacted, their faces turning pale. They all ducked behind the hostages and pressed their blades even tighter.

"Stop, stop!"

"Further ahead—"

Bang!
Another head exploded.

The footsteps were light and slow, yet they seemed to tread on the hearts of all the bandits.

Along with this, Li Miao's whisper also rang out.

"No rules, no good or evil?"

"It's ok."

Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
A series of blood-red fireworks exploded.

"I will set the rules and distinguish between good and evil."

(End of this chapter)