Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 436: Roadblock

"Why are you here?" Qin Yao asked with confusion.

Liu Ji promptly stepped forward to help her with the horse, taking the opportunity to look her up and down.

She was as well as ever, her face glowing, not to mention the expensive-looking bow and arrow now resting on her shoulder.

Liu Ji quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Yesterday, he heard Liu Zhong, who had returned from the county city, say that the county government brought back fifteen bandit corpses, and his heart tightened.

Upon hearing that this matter seemed to be related to the case involving the brothel Beauty Pan in town, Liu Ji was even more anxious.

There was no need for him to have a hunch; he could be sure that these fifteen so-called bandit corpses were definitely related to the vicious woman in his family.

One against fifteen! Song Zhang, you’re simply not human!

Of course, Liu Ji didn’t dare show any of these feelings, he would not let the vicious woman know that he was worried about her being dead.

No, he just wanted to live off her his whole life!

"Didn’t you hear there’s going to be a trial for Beauty Pan today? Everyone has come to see the spectacle, so I came along to see it and gain some knowledge."

Liu Ji explained with a flattering smile to Qin Yao, "I’m also waiting to go home with you, my lady."

Qin Yao scoffed, "You’re about to attend the provincial exams, why aren’t you at home studying with your teacher, and instead running to the county city to see the excitement?"

Liu Ji cried injustice, hurriedly took off the book box from his back, and pulled out the examination papers inside, with a huge government stamp on them.

"Pa-pa" he executed in front of Qin Yao’s eyes with a smug face, "Not to hide from my lady, I was actually in the county city handling the examination papers, watching the excitement was just incidental."

Qin Yao thought, should I endure?

No, can’t endure at all!

She raised her hand and gave that smug handsome face a light slap. Liu Ji was startled and let out a loud cry, dodging quickly.

Smacked him on the ear, protected his handsome face, but it made his ear hurt like a fire.

Liu Ji was desperate, afraid of being noticed by the pedestrians around, covering his mouth, and wailing silently.

After taking that slap, he behaved much better, no longer acting silly in front of Qin Yao, carried the book box, leading Old Huang, pitifully saying:

"Old Huang, oh Old Huang, how did you get injured like this? Did someone bully you, tell the big boss, I’ll beat them to death for you!"

Qin Yao turned around and answered for Old Huang, saying coldly, "Already dead."

Liu Ji raised his eyebrows in horror, urged Old Huang to go faster, and caught up to Qin Yao, asking curiously:

"My lady, those fifteen bandits didn’t hurt you, did they? I don’t see your knife..."

Qin Yao gave him a wicked smile, "Do you think if they had the skills, they’d still be lying in the county government’s morgue now?"

His vividly expressive face greatly amused her, and Qin Yao whispered mischievously, "As for that knife... It broke when I chopped someone."

"But don’t worry!" she patted his arm, "Song Zhang will replace it for me."

She lifted her chin, bragging about her new gear.

Liu Ji woodenly muttered "Oh", clearly frightened, awkwardly agreeing with her, "Those people’s bones are hard, didn’t tire your hands, did they?"

Saying so, he patted Old Huang’s rump to let it walk on its own, then started to massage Qin Yao’s shoulders and arms with diligence and care.

Qin Yao looked up at the magnificent evening glow in the sky, narrowed her eyes comfortably, slowed her pace, feeling happy.

But at this rate, they wouldn’t reach home until midnight.

Qin Yao felt the massage was enough, indicated for Liu Ji to stop, curved her finger into her mouth to blow a whistle, and the moment Old Huang heard, it immediately galloped up energetically, lowering its head obediently in front of its master.

Qin Yao instructed Liu Ji, "Mount the horse."

Liu Ji responded brightly, imagining in a moment the image of the two of them sharing a ride, galloping under the sunset, his mouth uncontrollably grinning.

However, just as he was about to mount the horse, a figure suddenly dashed like the wind to stand before the couple.

"Thud!" a person knelt before Qin Yao, raised his head to reveal half a face covered in scars.

Liu Ji’s eyes widened instantly, startled, hiding behind Qin Yao, clutching her shoulders with both hands, shouting, "A ghost!"

Qin Yao sighed tiredly, turning her palm to pat Liu Ji, indicating for him to open his eyes and look clearly, it was obviously a person.

Her palm just happened to slap on his side waist.

Hmm? Surprising good texture, just the right firmness, secretly practiced?

Qin Yao glanced back at him. The trembling figure, scared out of his wits, was unaware of her pinching him, even after doing it again.

She raised her brows and withdrew her hand, feeling a little unsatisfied.

However, as her gaze returned to the person kneeling before her, her eyes instantly turned cold.

"Yin Le, what are you doing?"

Stopping on the path, Yin Le raised her hands high, bowing deeply, "Please take me as your apprentice! From now on, I’ll treat you as my parents, serve diligently, and take care of you for life!"

The woman’s sincere tone carried a natural sweetness, Liu Ji’s ears perked up, he looked up with surprise, the scars especially apparent, frightened, he buried his head behind Qin Yao again, sternly mentally shouting: Back, back!

Qin Yao understood Yin Le’s intention, and found it somewhat ridiculous.

"What can I teach you?" She admitted she didn’t have skills worthy of apprenticeship.

"Do you have nowhere to go and want to find a place to stay?" Qin Yao tentatively asked.

Earlier, Song Zhang had taken her to see the rescued women, but she didn’t think Yin Le’s situation was similar to theirs.

At least she was strong internally, tough on herself, village gossip couldn’t harm her.

She could return to Xinghua Village or leave Kaiyang County to live anew in a place where no one knew of her past.

Yin Le’s answer, however, surprised Qin Yao.

Her eyes full of resolve, she replied, "Beauty Pan is just a pawn; the one who truly killed Shaoyao is Zhao Ta, who left the inscription. I don’t know who he is, and the Lord County Magistrate won’t tell me, but I can investigate it myself and personally avenge Sister Shaoyao!"

Qin Yao’s temples throbbed; Yin Le’s words, in her ears, sounded naively headache-inducing.

"What will you use to avenge?"

"That’s why I want you to take me as an apprentice, teach me martial arts!" Yin Le gazed at Qin Yao eagerly, this was the best plan she could conceive.

Qin Yao asked her, "You don’t even know who your opponent is. What if he’s already a half-buried old man? By the time you’ve learned martial arts, he’s already buried; what revenge will you take then?"

"Moreover, I won’t teach my apprentice to become an assassin driven by hatred and impulse."

"Rise, go back."

Qin Yao pulled Liu Ji from behind her, lifted him onto the horse, mounted it herself, and urged Old Huang to leave.