To these people, the command was like a heavenly decree. No one paid attention to the corpses on the ground anymore, and they hurriedly fled out of the forest.
However, this time they were wiser; no one wanted to fall behind and instead gathered together as they left.
It was only after they had gone far away that Zhao Ya emerged from behind a tree, shaking his head.
He initially thought about taking advantage of the chaos to kill a few more people, but it seemed there was no more opportunity.
However, this was also good. Those who were terrified wouldn’t dare linger in the forest anymore.
Once tonight passed, he could take Song Peiwan back to Wuxiang City by tomorrow morning.
Zhao Ya searched through the corpses of the two unlucky ones and found a few gold leaves on Deng Gui, and nothing else.
But Zhao Ya was not surprised, because this was the norm.
After all, those who could join Cyan Bamboo Ridge as bandits were not ordinary; spending money freely and enjoying life was basic.
As for cultivation techniques and secret manuals, such things were not even worth dreaming about for ordinary Jianghu people.
Zhao Ya turned and disappeared into the darkness. When he returned to the cave, snow had begun to fall outside.
Zhao Ya, covered in frost and snow, with steam rising from his head, was drinking heated wine.
The maid Xiaoman carefully brushed the frost and snow off Zhao Ya, while Song Peiwan watched him with curiosity.
"You said the people from Cyan Bamboo Ridge have retreated?"
"Yes, they’ve all retreated. We’re safe now."
With that, Zhao Ya drank the rest of the wine, the warm liquid sliding down his esophagus into his stomach, making him feel comfortable and sleepy.
Song Peiwan was a bit surprised.
She didn’t know what had happened outside that made the bandits from Cyan Bamboo Ridge, who were relentlessly pursuing them, suddenly retreat willingly.
But whatever happened, it must be related to this young man.
"You all go to sleep. I’ll keep watch. Judging by the weather, this snow might fall all night. If the road isn’t completely blocked by snow by tomorrow morning, we’ll set off back to Wuxiang City." Zhao Ya said.
Song Peiwan did not insist.
At this moment, all she could do was to follow Zhao Ya’s orders, so she obediently led Xiaoman to sleep in the depths of the cave.
Zhao Ya guarded the entrance, occasionally observing what was happening outside.
The cave entrance was quite ingeniously designed; the cold wind couldn’t blow in from outside, but one could see the outside scenery from within.
Although it was unlikely for people from Cyan Bamboo Ridge to return, the forest was filled with dangers, so Zhao Ya remained vigilant.
Taking this time, he took out the Golden Body Technique and began to study it.
"First nourish the skin with Qi Blood, and then use external force to strike, allowing the Qi Blood to penetrate inside and out, gradually changing the state of the skin..."
Zhao Ya summarized while reading. This was considered the introductory secret of the Golden Body Technique.
Though it sounded simple, how to strike and what method maximizes the activation of Qi Blood was the main mystery.
The Golden Body Technique recorded this aspect in great detail.
Unknowingly, Zhao Ya became engrossed in it.
The sky gradually brightened, and Song Peiwan woke up early, then came to the entrance of the cave, only to see Zhao Ya deeply studying something, which filled her heart with admiration.
No wonder he had reached such a level at such a young age; his diligence far exceeded that of ordinary people.
She cleared her throat softly, then moved to the fire.
Zhao Ya had already put away the Golden Body Technique and was pondering various considerations in his mind.
So when he heard the soft cough, he merely lifted his head slightly.
"Awake so early?"
"Yes, I couldn’t sleep."
Saying this, Song Peiwan sat by the fire, looking at the scenery outside the cave.
"Has the snow stopped?"
"Yes, it stopped about half an hour ago."
"Can we leave today?"
"Probably, this snowfall isn’t heavy."
After a few casual conversations, silence fell again in the cave.
Zhao Ya genuinely didn’t know what to say. Apart from Zui’Er, he hadn’t really spoken much to other women.
Song Peiwan didn’t know how to speak.
She was too curious about this young man but was afraid her direct questions would be too abrupt.
After all, in Jianghu, digging into others’ secrets was a taboo.
After a long time, Song Peiwan finally said, "When did you set up this cave?"
"When I had free time at the Escort Agency, I’d hunt in the mountains. This cave was arranged then as a temporary resting place."
"This time... thank you!" Song Peiwan hesitated for a moment, then decided to say this.
At these words, Zhao Ya chuckled, "No need for that. I’m paid by your family, so naturally, I must do tasks for you, not to mention... I have a grudge with Cyan Bamboo Ridge too."
The matter of the Changlong Escort Agency wasn’t a secret, and Song Peiwan had heard about it, so she fell into silence again.
By now, it was already bright outside, and Xiaoman had woken up. The three of them used the cave’s supplies to make a simple breakfast and left the cave after eating.
As soon as they stepped outside, Song Peiwan and her maid shivered.
Compared to the warm cave, the outside temperature was too low.
Zhao Ya didn’t feel anything.
Compared to last night, the current temperature felt warm, at least the wind had stopped.
Looking around, the mountains and forests were covered in white, the earth was a vast expanse of white, evoking a refreshing sense of delight.
Zhao Ya took a deep breath of the fresh, crisp air, recognized the direction, and said, "Let’s go!"
The three of them trudged through the snow.
Meanwhile, chaos reigned within the Song Family.
The Great Buddha Temple had been burned down, everyone had been slaughtered by bandits from Cyan Bamboo Ridge, and the eldest daughter’s whereabouts were unknown.
These several pieces of news were like bombs, leaving everyone in the Song Family alarmed and uneasy.
Patriarch Song Linqing, upon hearing the news, smashed three teacups out of anger, and then prepared to gather people to question the Hong Family, but was firmly stopped by a few clan uncles.
In their words, no one knew what was going on. What if the Hong Family wasn’t responsible?
Even if they were to confront the Hong Family head-on, it wasn’t the time; at least they should wait until they had coordinated with the Yang Family so the two families could join forces against the Hong Family.
Otherwise, going now would only add insult to injury.
Song Linqing, though very unwilling, knew their words were true.
He just couldn’t get over this hurdle in his heart.
He and Song Peiwan were siblings, and now his sister’s life was uncertain, likely fallen into bandit hands suffering humiliation. How could he be at ease?
But the reality was hard to resist.
No matter how unwilling, he could only endure, sending people to scout for news everywhere.
Tan Ziwang was naturally aware of this news, and this old man, who had weathered countless storms, fell silent.
Tan Dong was anxious to the point of tears.
"Dad, what should we do now, say something!"
"Enough, Second Brother, don’t add to the mess. Father’s feeling bad enough!" Tan Bin sighed.
"How can I not be worried? You know Brother Zhao was in this escort, now his life is uncertain. If something happens, how can I face Zui’Er?" Tan Dong wept sorrowfully.
At this moment, a soft but determined voice came from outside.
"Uncle Tan, what happened to Ya, can you tell me?"