Chapter 64
Chapter 64
Humans yearned for freedom and envied birds their power of flight, so they invented all manner of machines capable of taking to the sky.
Airplanes, hot-air balloons, gliders, spacecraft.
And, for example–
A flying Shengsheng Zhou.
She no longer knew how long she had been airborne. At some point, the damned thing covering her head had fallen away.
In truth, she almost wished it had stayed. At least the bloody thing blocked the wind.
No one could blame Shengsheng for swearing. She was beyond exhausted.
Heaven knew how far that accursed thief had run. She was flying lower and lower, practically out of fuel, yet she had not seen so much as half a ghost.
*Shengsheng, I think there’s someone ahead.*
Shengsheng had already closed her eyes in preparation for a nap. At A-Pang’s voice, they snapped open.
Sure enough, in the middle of the wilderness, a furtive figure had appeared ahead.
There you are, sweetheart. Finally caught you.
An evil grin utterly unsuited to her apparent age spread across her face as she fixed her gaze on his back.
* * *
San Zhang was a celebrated thief of the jianghu.
With his ordinary face and ordinary name, he seemed born to blend into the scenery. People instinctively overlooked him.
Once he recognized this special quality, he became a thief.
As expected, he had never once been caught.
This success earned him a name throughout the jianghu: the Thousand-Faced Man.
No one knew what he truly looked like. They assumed he possessed a thousand faces and gave him the title accordingly.
This time, his target had been the imperial palace of Zhen.
San’s greatest strength as a thief was knowing his limits. He never stole from powerful officials or nobles. He specialized in victims of low status.
His latest venture had earned him a fortune.
San was gleefully deciding which pleasure house would receive his patronage that evening when he felt a burning gaze fixed upon his back.
Professional habit had made him exquisitely sensitive to attention.
He spun around without hesitation, but before he could make out what he was seeing, a pretty and charming little girl appeared behind him without warning.
Her hair was disheveled, but her clothes were lavish. She was plainly the daughter of a wealthy household.
Without wondering how she had appeared in this deserted place, San offered a smile. “Little girl, are you lost? Would you like Uncle to take you home?”
Shengsheng smiled sweetly. “Yes. Thank you, Uncle.”
San reached out to pick her up.
The next instant, the girl bent over and rammed her head straight at him.
Unconcerned, San extended one hand to push her away.
Before he could touch her, he abruptly found himself shooting backward at an impossible speed.
Agony tore through his stomach. By the time he understood what had happened, his body had struck a boulder. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
What the meowing hell?
That was San’s final thought before darkness took him.
Shengsheng stood where she was and smiled with pure, innocent delight. “You know, this Iron Head really is useful.”
A-Pang was silent.
They knew nothing. Do not ask them.
When San woke, his head felt ready to split and his stomach screamed in pain. More pressingly, he discovered that he had been bound from shoulders to ankles.
The rope was, in fact, made from his own clothing.
The night breeze was certainly refreshing.
San stared into the void.
“You’re awake?”
Shengsheng sat nearby with an enormous bundle in her arms, smiling with honeyed sweetness.
San found the bundle oddly familiar. Had it not been strapped to his own back only minutes ago?
Noticing his gaze, Shengsheng patted the bundle in her arms.
San Zhang hastily spoke. “Little girl… No, Great Immortal, I offer all of that to you. Would you please release this humble one?”
Shengsheng raised an eyebrow at the title, then replied naturally, “How could I do that? Out here in the wilderness, I finally found a living person. If I let you go, what will this great immortal eat tonight?”
San’s eyes bulged. Then they rolled back, and he fainted again.
Shengsheng even caught the pungent smell of urine.
She stared at him.
He really could not take a scare.
She was such an adorable little girl. Of course she did not eat people!
* * *
“B-Boss, there’s a den ahead called Blackwind Stronghold. Those bandits kill without blinking. Are we sure we want to go this way?”
An ordinary-looking man–so ordinary he was practically invisible–bent respectfully toward the little girl walking ahead of him. An enormous bundle was strapped to his back.
The sight of a rugged man calling a small child “Boss” was admittedly absurd.
Shengsheng considered his question. “You’re saying there’s a bandit den ahead?”
The thoroughly “tamed” San nodded frantically.
Excellent. She had finally understood him. That road was not fit for human travel.
Then Shengsheng slowly turned her head, and a smile spread across her face.
“They must be filthy rich.”
San fell silent.
He should have died back there when he had the chance.
What sin had he committed in his previous life to suffer such trials in this one?
Shengsheng had already calculated everything.
Back at the palace, that sickly Xunlan Liu was half-dead, so they would not be returning to Zhu Kingdom anytime soon.
With their return delayed, the plot had ground to a halt. Shengsheng had finally escaped the palace and exchanged for such a useful jianghu ability. Not using it would be a terrible waste.
Besides, her child form was the perfect disguise. She had no reason to fear exposing her identity. Who could possibly guess she was a palace maid from another kingdom?
Admittedly, the one-month time limit was a drawback.
She ought to seize this opportunity to save up an escape fund. Rich beauties in ancient times were always expected to marry. Who knew what sort of family she would be reborn into?
If they tried to force her into marriage, she could use this fortune to flee early, find a hidden paradise like Ai Liu and her husband, and live happily as a wealthy young lady.
Beautiful Shengsheng, you truly are a genius.
The distant mountain looked even more tempting now.
How did she gaze at it?
As though she were beholding the God of Wealth himself.
* * *
“Chief, a country bumpkin and a child came to the foot of the mountain. They say they want to join us.”
The Blackwind bandit addressed a man seated above, fondling a beauty in his arms.
The man waved impatiently. “Kill them.”
The bandit acknowledged the order and headed downhill.
Terrified, San glanced at the perfectly composed Shengsheng and could not help admiring her.
She was so young, yet possessed such extraordinary bearing. What immortal household had managed to raise a daughter cursed with this much audacity?
The bandit who had gone to deliver the answer descended with a huge saber.
Quick-witted as ever, San immediately hid behind Shengsheng.
The bandit sneered at his cowardice. A grown man hiding behind a nursing infant at the first hint of trouble–what a disgrace.
With that thought, he brought the blade down on Shengsheng.
Then–
The saber shattered.
The bandit stared.
He did not understand, but he was profoundly shocked.