Heroic Wife Reborn - Chapters 168 onwards

Chapter 170

"Big Brother!" the former pirates screamed and rushed forward to save their leader.

Yu Xiaoxiao stepped on Grandmaster's shoulders, her deerskin boot pressing close to his throat. The former pirates suddenly froze, unsure of what to do.

From the treetop, Second Young Master Gu, who had been still, suddenly sprang to life and shouted to Yu Xiaoxiao, "Strangle that scoundrel!"

"Alright," Yu Xiaoxiao replied casually, "Second Brother, I'll avenge you."

Xiao Wei, observing the situation, felt he might never be able to look at the second young master the same way again. The princess avenging him like this...

Grandmaster looked up at Yu Xiaoxiao and asked, "Are you Gu Xingyan's sister?"

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded, "Yes."

Grandmaster trembled, realizing who she was. "You're Princess Linglong."

"That's right," Yu Xiaoxiao confirmed. "Now, tell me what's going on here."

Grandmaster felt like coughing up blood. He had heard that Princess Linglong was a skilled fighter, but to this extent? Was this even fair?

The deputy, who had recognized the princess earlier, stepped forward and said, "Princess, this is all a misunderstanding."

Yu Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes, her tone growing harsher. "You call kidnapping a misunderstanding?"

Xiao Wei chimed in, "You kidnapped the Seventh Prince and the second young master. You're all dead."

Grandmaster felt a glimmer of hope. At least they hadn't followed the palace master's orders to kill. "Princess," he pleaded, "this wasn't a kidnapping. I sent a letter to Gu Mansion."

The deputy added, "Yes, and that letter was handed to the princess by me personally."

Yu Xiaoxiao frowned. "You said the letter was for my grandfather!" She paused, then continued, "Wait, are you saying you were trying to bribe the Gu family?"

Grandmaster and the deputy felt a chill run down their spines. Had they made a fatal mistake by trying to bribe Marshal Gu?

"Attack," Yu Xiaoxiao ordered Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei, "We need to kill these people."

"Ah!" A startled cry came from Yu Ziyi, who had woken up in Xiao Wei's arms.

The cry caught everyone's attention. When they looked, they saw the Seventh Prince clapping his hands and laughing.

"Attack," Yu Xiaoxiao repeated, "Even the little prince agrees."

"Oh," Yu Ziyi cheered, applauding.

The mountains echoed with Yu Ziyi's cheerful cries, while the adults remained silent. In the future, who would dare say that the Seventh Prince and Princess Linglong weren't of the same blood?

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at the defeated deputy and didn't know what to make of the situation. The little prince was only a year old, yet he didn't flinch as he watched his sister prepare to kill. Such a ruthless child would be invincible if he grew up this way.

Suddenly, the sound of hooves echoed through the mountains.

Grandmaster heard the approaching horses and realized there were at least thirty riders. His voice trembled as he stammered, "How... how is this possible?" The path leading to the mountains was treacherous, with nine twists and turns and several hidden passages. Without someone familiar with the terrain leading the way, no outsiders could possibly reach this place. Sure, the princess and her group were skilled, but thirty people at once? This was a nightmare!

Yu Xiaoxiao had been ready to kick Grandmaster in the neck, but his sudden outburst caught her attention. She asked, "What's impossible?"

Grandmaster, still trembling, said, "How could outsiders find this place?"

Yu Xiaoxiao answered nonchalantly, "The deputy gave me a map."

Grandmaster felt like his heart had been shredded. He remembered the deputy and Erwei telling him that the people sent from Gu Estate were trustworthy. But now, it seemed that they had been betrayed!

The deputy, on the verge of tears, looked at Yu Xiaoxiao and begged, "Princess, please listen to me."

"Explain?" Yu Xiaoxiao retorted. "You didn't even give me money to buy pork head meat! You sent a letter to Gu Estate, calling them fat rabbits, but I didn't see a single rabbit! You lied to me!"

Wasn't that a bit harsh?

Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei exchanged glances, wondering how their princess could be so fixated on such trivial matters.

Yu Xiaoxiao turned back to the deputy and demanded, "Where are the rabbits?"

The deputy stammered, "I-I'll take you to catch them."

"And what about my pork head?"

"We... ate it."

Yu Xiaoxiao looked down at Grandmaster and asked, "Who ate it?" Originally, she didn't care about the rabbits or the deputy. But now that her pork head was gone, and they had also captured her second brother and the little prince, how could Princess Linglong not care?

Grandmaster shook his head frantically, instinctively knowing that if the princess found out he had eaten the pork head, his life would be over.

"Who ate it?" Yu Xiaoxiao repeated.

The former pirates all shut their mouths. Admitting to eating the pork head at this point would be suicide.

Meanwhile, Li Yuanle had reached the foot of the mountain, looking up at the chaotic scene before him. He asked Gu Xinglang, "Qinghui, can you tell me what's going on?"

Gu Xinglang, sitting in the carriage with a stiff expression, didn't know how to respond. His wife and a group of people were standing together, covered in blood and injuries. There was a man with a bloody face lying on the ground, a dead bear nearby, and two small black bear cubs—one under a tree and two more in the tree. The scene was impossible to explain. The distance between the tree and Gu Xinglang was too far, so he didn't immediately recognize his second brother.

"Do we attack or not?" one of the brothers asked Gu Xinglang.

"Let's go see what's happening," Gu Xinglang replied.

The group moved forward.

"Princess," Xiao Wei whispered to Yu Xiaoxiao as they approached, "The Royal Son-in-Law is here."

"Little Gu!" Yu Xiaoxiao waved enthusiastically at Gu Xinglang.

The two brothers turned to see who was approaching. While Gu Xinglang didn't recognize them, Li Yuanle was unmistakable—even if he was burned to ashes, they'd recognize him.

General Li rode his horse closer, glanced at the two masters, and sneered, "We meet again. Xiong Xiong, are you still alive?"

The deputy, ready to face his fate, raised his head high, determined to meet his end with dignity.

Yu Xiaoxiao, however, looked at Li Yuanle and asked, "Little Bro Li, are you also looking for a bear?" She pointed to the big and small bears nearby, thinking that if he wanted bear paws, she already had some.

Li Yuanle, momentarily forgetting his frustration with the nickname "Little Bro Li" dismounted and walked toward Yu Xiaoxiao. Seeing her standing on the buried Grandmaster, he suddenly stopped caring about the nickname and instead looked at Grandmaster with a laugh. "Xiong Xiong, you're not dead yet, just buried?"