Great Zhou: Emperor Wu, I need to check your taxes.

"Something... has happened?!"

Lin Yun looked at the firelight in the horse farm ahead and gritted his teeth in a low voice.

Originally, I just wanted to take advantage of the dark and windy night to tell that girl "part of the truth" about the accounts I had found, and see if I could fool her...

Oh no, I mean, I want to exchange it for some high-grade medicinal herbs.

After all, having just acquired so many herbs, getting some better medicines and rare treasures would make it easier to formulate and plan how to refine pills.

But to my surprise, I stumbled upon this spectacular show as soon as I arrived!

The once heavily guarded Ma Village, where not even a fly could get in, now had its gates wide open and flames raging.

Inside the village, seven or eight burly men wielding large knives could be vaguely seen, searching around like headless flies.

[Scanned by Tianyancha!]

[Audit Target: Roaming Mountain Bandits]

Credit Rating: D- (Extremely dangerous, habitual murderer and robber)

[Risk assessment: Extremely high; appears to be searching for an important target.]

"Quick, find her! That brat must still be at the manor! She couldn't have gone far with such bad injuries!"

"The boss said, we need to see him alive or dead! This is a big fish!"

The rough shouts of the bandits could be heard on the wind.

Lin Yun frowned, his mind filled with questions.

Where are those arrogant black-clad guards? Where is that sedan chair bearer who looks like a master of the imperial guards?

Where did they all go?

We just let this bunch of low-level bandits wipe out our hideout?!

Or... is this a setup by someone deliberately inviting trouble?

"That brat...could it be that woman?"

Lin Yun's heart tightened.

To leave or to save?

Reason told him that he shouldn't get involved in this mess.

Although these bandits don't seem to be highly skilled, they are all ruthless killers. With my mediocre skills, it wouldn't be worth it if I were to be caught off guard and suffer a setback.

But if I leave...

"Damn it!"

Lin Yun slammed his fist into the ground.

The Imperial Guard and the Court of Judicial Review surely know my whereabouts!

If the one inside really is of royal blood, and dies here tonight, then my coming here tonight will be a complete disaster, like mud falling into my pants – even if it wasn't shit, it'll still look like shit!

At that point, let alone his official position, it's uncertain whether he'll even be able to leave with a whole corpse!

"Fortune favors the bold! Let's take the risk!"

Lin Yun gritted his teeth, crouched low, and, using the firelight and shadows as cover, sneaked into the manor from the side.

He lacked the confidence to take on a group of people single-handedly, so his goal was very clear.

Find the person, and run with them!

The village was in complete disarray, with horses neighing in fright and running around in all directions.

Lin Yun avoided the bandits who were looting and quickly searched every corner where people might be hiding.

Although Tianyancha can scan inanimate objects, it is limited to the area in focus and cannot scan an entire building, which slows down the process.

"Um?"

However, as he passed a hay silo in the backyard, Lin Yun suddenly stopped.

Because he heard a deeply suppressed groan.

Lin Yun's eyes sharpened, and he quickly slipped into the hay silo.

The room was filled with dry straw, and the air reeked of blood.

By the light of the firelight filtering through the cracks, Lin Yun saw a trail of broken bloodstains on the ground, extending all the way to behind a huge haystack at the very back.

Lin Yun held her breath and tiptoed closer, clutching the "black hair" tightly in her hand.

"Who?!"

A low, terrified shout came from behind the haystack; though weak, it still carried a hint of arrogant confidence.

"It's me, Lin Yun."

Lin Yun lowered his voice.

"I'm here to save you."

Upon hearing the name, the breathing behind the haystack noticeably quickened, and then a dirty little head peeked out.

Although her face was covered in dust and blood, and her hair was disheveled, it still couldn't hide her exquisitely beautiful oval face.

However, those once bright and lively eyes were now filled with terror and pain, and tears still clung to their long eyelashes.

It looks like an injured little wildcat, both wary and pitiful.

It's almost certainly the "crazy girl" in the sedan chair that day.

[Tianyan Check - Scan]

[Audit Subject: Wu Yuanmin]

[Audit results: Princess Anle, daughter of Prince Wu Sansi of Liang.]

Risk assessment: Severe injury (excessive blood loss), extremely weak.

Upon seeing this line of text, Lin Yun, though somewhat prepared, still couldn't help but curse.

Sure enough it was her!

The daughter of the King of Liang!

The daughter of Wu Sansi, who wielded immense power and harbored hatred towards him, a descendant of a former official of the Tang Dynasty!

What kind of ridiculous, melodramatic fate is this?!

"Hey! What are you looking at! Get me out of here right now!"

Seeing Lin Yun in a daze, Wu Yuanmin gritted her teeth and stretched out an arm. Although her tone was fierce, her body was trembling uncontrollably.

Lin Yun sighed, disregarding the traditional boundaries between men and women, and stepped forward to support her.

As he reached out to help, his hand came into contact with a sticky liquid.

On Wu Yuanmin's left shoulder, a hideous slash ran diagonally from his shoulder to above his chest, the flesh torn and blood staining half of his body.

The once luxurious brocade robe was torn apart, revealing a pink undergarment and a patch of snow-white skin that was not yet fully grown, but was already beginning to take shape.

"hiss……"

Lin Yun gasped, quickly looked away, and tore off a piece of his own clothing to bandage her wound.

"Can you still walk?"

"Nonsense! If I could walk, why would I need you to save me?!" Wu Yuanmin cried out in pain, but she still relentlessly argued.

Helpless, Lin Yun could only bend down and pick her up horizontally.

The girl's body was light and soft, with a pleasant fragrance.

Unfortunately, the smell of blood was even stronger.

"Hurry up!"

Lin Yun pulled her closer to his arms, just as he was about to turn around and rush out.

"Bang!"

The door to the hay silo was kicked open!

"Over there! There's blood!"

Three bandits carrying large knives rushed in, grinning maliciously.

"I knew this brat was hiding here! Hehe, brothers, grab her!"

"It would be such a waste if such delicate skin died!"

"Damn it!"

Lin Yun cursed under his breath and quickly retreated behind the haystack while carrying Wu Yuanmin.

The footsteps grew closer, each step feeling like a blow to Lin Yun's heart.

Wu Yuanmin, who was in his arms, seemed to know that she was at a critical moment of life and death, and was so frightened that she wanted to scream.

"Don't make a sound!"

Lin Yun gave a low shout, and in the blink of an eye, he covered her mouth and nose with one hand, completely sealing them.

"Waaaaah!"

Wu Yuanmin suddenly couldn't breathe and instinctively began to struggle.

She kicked and thrashed in Lin Yun's arms, desperately pounding on his chest with her little hands.

In the chaos, a little foot unfortunately kicked Lin Yun right below the abdomen.

"Uh-huh!"

Lin Yun groaned, his whole body curling up like a shrimp, cold sweat instantly pouring down his face.

This hurt even more than the knife wound I saw earlier!

"You...you want to make me childless!"

Lin Yun winced in pain, only then realizing that he had been covering her too tightly, and quickly loosened the covers a little to allow her to breathe.