Sir Song, do you want to pledge yourself to me?

Ah Fu took a deep breath and pleaded, "Miss Ji, please go and save my young master."

Seven hours earlier, Chen Yu had successfully reunited with Master Chen in Qingyun County. After some discussion, the two decided to expedite their journey, striving to return to the prefectural capital before midnight. They quickly counted their entourage and the carriage's cargo, and set off for the city.

Merchants who frequently travel through Qingyun County are all aware of the two bandit forces in this area. If they do not have enough guards accompanying them, carrying valuable goods through this place will undoubtedly put them in a dangerous situation.

As a businessman who frequently travels here, Mr. Chen is naturally well aware of this situation.

Their journey from Qingyun County back to the capital required passing through Wangyun Mountain, where the bandits of Jinfengzhai were entrenched. To ensure their safety, Master Chen had made numerous arrangements with Jinfengzhai. However, even with more than a dozen loaded carriages, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Mr. Chen had originally prepared over thirty guards for this trip, and he had also sent a letter home in advance, asking Chen Yu to bring over twenty more. The two forces combined, totaling over fifty guards, escorting a dozen or so carts of cargo.

Mr. Chen thought to himself that such a scene should be enough to deter those bandits who were ready to make a move.

Chen Yu gave up the horse he rode when he came and instead sat in a carriage with Master Chen.

The father and son had not seen each other for more than a month. Now sitting together, they naturally had a lot to talk about.

The two of them shared their recent experiences. Chen Yu was so excited that he described Ji Nuan's clothing show plan in detail to Master Chen and asked for his opinion. Master Chen responded positively and encouraged.

However, things in the world are unpredictable and often unexpected.

Just as they were immersed in the joy of their reunion and about to enter Wangyun Mountain, a group of bandits appeared around them silently like ghosts. Dozens of guards and followers were instantly surrounded, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense and solemn.

"Master, something terrible has happened. We are surrounded by bandits. What should we do now?" Outside the carriage, the guard's urgent voice interrupted the conversation between the father and son.

Mr. Chen felt a pang of nervousness when he heard this, but his years of business experience helped him calm down quickly.

He turned to Chen Yu and ordered, "You stay in the carriage and don't come out." After saying that, he prepared to lift the curtain and get out.

Seeing this, Chen Yu hurriedly grabbed Mr. Chen's arm and said anxiously: "Dad, you can't go out, let me go." How could he, as a son, hide himself and let his father face the danger in such a dangerous situation?

Master Chen waved his hand and said in a stern tone: "Sit back and stay here! It's so late now, and you're still causing me trouble!" After saying that, he resolutely lifted the curtain of the carriage and stood on it.

Facing the bandits before him, Master Chen said in a deep voice, "Are you all brothers from the Golden Wind Stronghold? We are the Chen family's merchant caravan from the prefectural capital, and we are acquaintances of your leader. I hope you will be kind enough to let us pass through."

The scarred man standing in front blocking the road burst into laughter upon hearing what Master Chen said, his voice filled with disdain and arrogance, "The Chen family's caravan in Fucheng? Hahaha, what a coincidence! We're going to rob you today!"

Upon hearing this, Master Chen's expression changed drastically. The business world was like a battlefield, and the Chen family had made many enemies over the years. He secretly wondered which rival had bribed these bandits to lie in wait, intending to hijack their caravan.

Master Chen pretended to be calm and tried to negotiate with Scarface, "Brother, is there any misunderstanding? I have a good relationship with your boss. Let's talk it out."

Scarface, however, refused to listen. He waved his hand and said coldly, "I don't care whether we are friends or not. I'm going to rob you today! Brothers, get started! Tie up all the people and take away all the goods!" He even laughed.

At his command, the bandits rushed forward.

Seeing the bandits approaching step by step with an attitude that refused to negotiate, Master Chen knew that it was no longer possible to negotiate peace.

He suddenly shouted, "In that case, guys, get your weapons!"

Following Master Chen's order, the guards' nerves were instantly stretched to the limit.

They all pulled out the knives that were tightly grasped in their hands. In an instant, the cold light was sharp, the shadows of the knives crossed, and the whole scene was filled with a murderous atmosphere.

"Brothers, go! Catch them, and I'm willing to pay a reward of 100,000 taels!" Scarface shouted loudly, his voice full of greed and encouragement.

Enticed by the huge bounty, the bandits rushed towards the caravan like crazy. The two groups immediately engaged in a melee, with shouts and screams mingling.

No one noticed that Chen Yu, under the cover of Master Chen, quietly raised his hand. With a sharp look in his eyes, he aimed at the scarred man, and with a flick of his finger, the short arrow shot out like lightning.

It was too late for Scarface to dodge when the arrow reached his face. He watched helplessly as the arrow pierced his left eye. He cried out in pain, "Ah, ah...it hurts so much!"

The little follower beside him realized that their second-in-command had been injured. For a moment, the bandits' offensive was halted.

Scarface's second-in-command covered his left eye, which was bleeding profusely, and roared in anger, "Catch them, catch them quickly! I'm going to skin that brat and pull out his tendons to relieve the hatred in my heart!"

The bandit henchman next to him immediately blew the whistle in his hand.

When the bandits hiding in the distant mountains heard the whistle, they responded one after another, holding their weapons high and rushing down the mountain shouting.

It was during this wave of bandit attacks that Ah Fu was unfortunately injured. He was hacked by a bandit behind him, blood gushing out, and then he was kicked into the bushes by the roadside. His body hit a rock hard, and he instantly lost consciousness and passed out.

As the number of bandits increased dramatically, the battle quickly became one-sided. Before long, the guards were dead or wounded, and their once tight formation was shattered. Without their guards, the Chen father and son were eventually tied up and taken captive by the bandits.

An hour later, Ah Fu woke up. He struggled to get back up the official road and found that the place where the fight had taken place was already deserted, with only the shocking pools of blood on the ground, as if telling of the tragedy that had just taken place.

He endured the excruciating pain and stood up. Fortunately, Chen Yu had given him all the money before leaving. He gritted his teeth, walked a distance, and used the money to buy a horse at a high price. After mounting the horse, he didn't dare to delay even a moment, and rushed to the capital with all his might.

Finally, at the last moment before the city gates closed, Ah Fu rushed back to the Chen family. He jumped off his horse, breathless, and hurriedly asked the gatekeeper for news about Master Chen and his men. Upon learning that Master Chen and Chen Yu had indeed not returned, his heart sank to the bottom.

He felt that at this moment, the hope of saving the young master and the master all lay on him, so he turned around and headed straight for Taohua Village without hesitation, with only one belief in his heart: Miss Ji would definitely be able to save the young master and the master.