But now, Xu Lei had other ideas.
Previously, he had been thinking of stirring up trouble to test Hui Ming.
Unfortunately, all his attempts had failed.
This, however, might just be an opportunity.
If these two caused trouble, Xu Lei's goal would be achieved.
If they didn't, well, he would have done a good deed.
And he'd even make a little silver on the side.
It was a win-win situation.
"So Brother Xu is also heading to the Prefecture City."
The handsome young man exclaimed with delight, "We're going to the Prefecture City too! What a coincidence!
I wonder if Brother Xu would mind taking us all the way there?
Having to buy another carriage before getting back on the road is such a hassle!"
"This is indeed a coincidence," the middle-aged female guard with the sword said, also a bit surprised.
"Young Master." Zhang Xiaomai's beautiful eyes looked toward Xu Lei, her gaze silently conveying a hint of worry.
After all, these were strangers offering a high price to hitch a ride on an unfamiliar stretch of road. Hearing that Xu Lei's group was going to the Prefecture City, they just so happened to be going to the same place.
It was all a little suspicious.
"I can add another five silver taels." Seeing Xu Lei's silence, the handsome youth immediately spoke up. He pulled out another five silver taels, his tone tinged with confidence.
After all, Xu Lei had only agreed to let them ride along after he had offered a reward of ten silver taels.
"Of course I don't mind. Since we're heading the same way and the carriage isn't small, let's travel together."
Xu Lei smiled. "Xiaoai, take Young Master Wei's silver."
Zhang Xiaomai pursed her lips, her beautiful eyes darting about.
She didn't understand. Xu Lei clearly wasn't a man short on money; he had, after all, spent one hundred silver taels to buy her in one go.
He also spent freely on food and drink in the city, always stayed in the best inns, and had bought a rather expensive carriage for their journey.
Yet now, he was repeatedly taking risks for the sake of money. Still, she didn't say anything more.
She was, after all, a poor girl raised in a feudal society.
She was well aware that her current status was that of a maidservant.
It wasn't a maidservant's place to question such matters.
"Yes, Young Master." Zhang Xiaomai replied, then rose to accept the silver taels.
"Hm?" As Zhang Xiaomai took the silver, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of surprise. This Young Master Wei's hands were even smaller and more delicate than her own.
"Hm?" Xu Lei also found himself momentarily stunned.
Young Master Wei's hands were indeed excessively delicate.
'This guy... in the eyes of those with a taste for other men, wouldn't he be considered the finest prize?' Xu Lei thought to himself.
Of course, neither Xu Lei nor Zhang Xiaomai had much of a reaction.
After all, while the historical-style clothing concealed their figures, making it hard to distinguish between male and female, this Young Master Wei had a clearly visible Adam's apple, a distinctively male feature.
「Another day passed in the blink of an eye.」
Xu Lei and Young Master Wei's party had traveled together for a full day.
To Xu Lei's disappointment, however, the two of them hadn't caused any trouble at all.
It seemed they were genuinely just two poor travelers hitching a ride after their carriage broke down.
He still had no way to test the depths of Hui Ming's abilities.
Since he couldn't pin his hopes on them, Xu Lei began to wonder if there was another way to test Hui Ming.
Just as Xu Lei was thinking this, the carriage was passing along a road through a mountain valley.
WHOOSH.
Suddenly, a large group of masked, sword-wielding figures burst out from both sides.
There were even quite a few archers among them.
It happened in a flash.
They were caught completely off guard.
The bandits immediately surrounded Xu Lei's carriage.
"Cooperate, and we, the Tiger Mountain Gang, will only take your valuables—not your virtue, not your lives!"
Then, a middle-aged man from the group added, "But if you dare to resist, we'll take your valuables, your virtue, AND your lives!"
They were bandits!
Xu Lei was startled.
It was the first time he had ever encountered bandits in this world.
In the past decade or so, Xu Lei had often left the mountain to wander through the many cities around Longyuan Temple.
But he had never once run into bandits.
When he had inquired for information earlier, no one had mentioned any bandits in this area.
However, Xu Lei quickly figured out why.
The Court was corrupt. Many common people couldn't survive, so they fled into the mountains to become outlaws.
The appearance of bandits was a sign that the prelude to the Da Yu Dynasty's collapse had begun.
After all, in previous years, the Da Yu Dynasty's control over bandits had been relatively strict.
Officials were not permitted to secretly support bandits to increase their own power.
But now, they had appeared anyway.
This naturally meant that the Court's control was beginning to weaken.
Moreover, these bandits actually claimed they only wanted valuables and wouldn't rape or kill, which suggested they still had a sliver of conscience.
They had likely only turned to banditry a short time ago.
Normally, Xu Lei would have backed down immediately.
Even though he had over nine thousand lives left, he couldn't just waste them recklessly.
But right now, he wanted to test Hui Ming's abilities.
'Could this be an opportunity?' Xu Lei wondered.
Unfortunately, this group of bandits didn't seem particularly vicious.
Hui Ming might not necessarily make a move.
Just as Xu Lei was thinking this,
"My good sirs, let's talk this over, let's talk this over! Money, jewels, jade, silver notes—whatever we have, you can take it all."
Hui Ming had already started speaking. "Just as long as you don't harm any of us. Here are our silver notes, they're all here!"
And with that, he directly pulled out the silver notes he was carrying.
"Good, very sensible!"
The middle-aged man stepped forward with his sword, snatched the silver notes, and barked, "What about the rest of you? Hand over all your valuables!"
After all, the Martial Arts of this world did not involve anything Extraordinary.
Therefore, even though Xu Lei had years of Martial Arts Training, he could only back down when faced with a group of large men armed with swords and Bow and Arrows.
Xu Lei could indeed take on several opponents at once now.
But that was only if they weren't equipped like this.
"What's that you're wearing on your neck? Hand it over!" Just then, before Xu Lei could even react, a bandit suddenly pointed at the handsome Young Master Wei's neck.
He rushed forward and, with a single motion, yanked a Jade Pendant necklace from Young Master Wei's neck.
The middle-aged female guard gripped the longsword beneath her, but surrounded by so many men with drawn bows, she didn't dare to strike back.
"You... don't," Young Master Wei said in a panic, but lacking the Power, he could only watch as the bandit tore the Jade Pendant away.
He could only hastily pull up his collar to cover his neck.
'How is that possible?' At that instant, Xu Lei was sitting directly opposite Young Master Wei. He clearly saw that the moment the Jade Pendant was torn away, Young Master Wei's Adam's apple seemed to vanish.
Moreover, the tone of the two words Young Master Wei had just uttered seemed to have instantly become much more delicate and feminine.
A storm raged in Xu Lei's mind:
'Did I see that wrong?
How can a person's Adam's apple just suddenly disappear?
He's just a man with effeminate features, right?
But just now, his Adam's apple really did seem to vanish!
And ever since, he's been holding his collar up to cover his neck.
That's it. He... no, it must be *she*... is actually a woman!!!'
Then Xu Lei's head snapped around to look at the Jade Pendant in the bandit's hand:
'So what exactly is this Jade Pendant?'