On the official road, four high-headed big horses galloped from a distance, their hooves kicking up the accumulated snow, making it seem like they were moving through the fog.
All astride the horses were four burly men. These men were shouting raucously, spurring their horses on until they arrived at the carriage. Instead of passing by Cai Wei’s carriage, they surrounded it.
"Stop, you cheeky woman in the carriage, come out!"
A man with side whiskers tugged his horse, shouted hoarsely, and brandished a shiny foot-long sword towards the carriage.
The coachman, who had never encountered such a scene, was immediately frozen with fear. He stammered tearfully to the occupant of the carriage, "Miss, Madam, who have you offended? Please, give me your blessings to let go of my carriage. I have the old and the young at home who all depend on me for their living!"
Cai Wei, having heard this, calmly stepped down from the carriage, threw a coin at the coachman, and said in a soft voice, "You may go!"
The coachman, scared out of his wits, was relieved. He accepted the money and whipped his horse, disappearing in a cloud of dust.
"Hey, you cheeky woman has guts! Aren’t you afraid of us brothers?" The men dismounted and circled around Cai Wei.
"Are you Lü Junchen’s men?"
Cai Wei laughed coldly, standing leisurely amidst the afterglow of the setting sun, her clear eyes emanating a hint of coldness.
A bald man didn’t contradict her. "Well, seeing as how you’ll be dead anyway, I might as well tell you. We are dispatched by Madam Lü to take your life. I’m afraid you won’t be able to leave this road today, miss."
"Miss, if you wish to live, there’s a broken temple not far away. Come with us brothers to worship there. If you serve us brothers well, perhaps...huh huh!" A man with a yellow face lasciviously leered at Cai Wei, laughed, and rubbed his chin, waiting to see her panicked and tearful state.
Unfortunately, he was left disappointed.
The maiden standing among them exhibited no fear on her face, but rather a mysterious smile. She glanced around herself.
The whiskered man, not understanding her, laughed wildly, "Cutie, there’s no need to look around. In these desolate outskirts, people hardly pass by. Even if anyone does come, with us brothers here, they wouldn’t dare to rescue you."
"That’s right, lie back and wait for us brothers to be pleasured, then we’ll let you die a quick death!"
The groups of men used obscene language and swarmed towards Cai Wei, impatient for their turn.
Cai Wei stood quietly amidst the lewd gazes of the men, motionless and unfazed. Her eyes held a mocking light. However, when the men grew closer, a trace of dark amusement spread across her calm face. With a sudden move, she stood up, flicked her sleeve, and a powdery substance shot forth. With two slight thuds, two men sank to the ground like mud.
The two remaining men were stunned. In their moment of shock, Cai Wei had already turned around, tossing the powdery mist towards them. Both men gasped and instinctively raised their arms to shield themselves. In this brief moment, a red-beaked green parrot swooped down from somewhere and scratched at the face of the man who previously spoke obscenely.
The yellow-faced man screamed miserably, cupping his face as he rolled onto the ground, startling a flock of birds resting in the forest at the roadside.
The parrot, despite its small size, exerted a surprising amount of force. In one swift attack, it clawed at the man from the jaw to the forehead, tearing open his skin and flesh, exposing his white bones. One of his eyes was punctured, rendering it unidentifiable.
"You have long since lost your face, so where does the ’your face’ come from?" Cai Wei stood steady, her sarcastic laughter echoing around her.