"Because…"
A-Chai leaned in slowly, a sharp dagger pressing coldly against Wen Wan's throat.
The glint of steel reflected in her wide eyes, draining the color from her face.
"Because… those bandits aren't worthy of knowing this tomb exists!"
What happened next was completely outside Wen Wan's expectations.
The moment A-Chai finished speaking, several young men in the corner stood up in unison, each drawing weapons—short blades, daggers, and the like.
While still holding Wen Wan captive, A-Chai barked a command.
"Send the signal. Have the brothers storm in. Inside and out—we'll wipe out this bandit den in one strike!"
Ah. Wen Wan caught on quickly.
So this guy, A-Chai, was with the authorities?
Judging from the timing, he was likely an undercover agent, part of an official sting operation targeting the bandits.
And the moment they'd been dragged away as captives, the main force must've followed discreetly, waiting to strike.
Wen Wan regretted everything.
If she'd known this was the plan, she would've just waited quietly to be rescued. Why had she jumped the gun, volunteering plans and strategies—and getting herself into trouble?
"Um… Big brother, that part about a tomb under the temple? Total joke! I'm a law-abiding citizen, really. I admit, joking about that was in poor taste, but surely not punishable by death, right?"
She tried her best to backpedal, but A-Chai only looked at her with a faint, mocking smile.
"Joke or not, we'll know soon enough when we dig. Isn't that right…?"
What kind of awful man was this?Using her own words to mock her?
He should be sentenced to life, no parole!
As expected, when the authorities made their move, it was swift and merciless.
The sounds of battle—clanging weapons, shouted orders—lasted barely long enough to finish half a cup of tea. By the time the dust settled, the outcome was obvious: the official forces had claimed a crushing victory.
A-Chai held Wen Wan at the steps while listening to the status report.
"There were seventy-three bandits in total. Forty-six killed on the spot. Twenty-seven captured alive."
Dozens dead in just a short fight?
Wen Wan shivered. These bandits deserved what they got, sure—but in this era, human life was truly cheaper than dirt.
She shrank her neck instinctively.
Then came another series of commands from A-Chai:
"Ten men, handle the bodies. Twenty, escort the prisoners back for trial. Five, take the captives down the mountain."
Orders received, his men moved out in an orderly fashion.
Once both captives and bandits were cleared out, A-Chai immediately directed a team to start digging—right where Wen Wan had pointed earlier.
Wen Wan watched the other captives being helped into carriages, one by one escaping danger completely. She was filled with regret all over again.
"Big brother… I'm a captive too. I should also get a ride back in a nice carriage, right?"
A-Chai glanced at her with a smirk. "Heh. If there's no tomb under there, forget a carriage—you can ride my warhorse home."
"That's really not necessary…" she replied with an awkward smile, then quickly asked, "But what if there is a tomb?"
A-Chai's pale gray eyes darkened. "If there is… Didn't you say you'd help me strike it rich? Then you'd better help me dig out every last treasure. Right?"
Wen Wan: "…"
That offer was based on your face!Who knew you were actually a spider demon wrapped in a pretty shell, luring prey into a trap?
"Lust leads to death"—those ancient sayings were true after all.
Before long, a young man with a hoe came running over, breathless with excitement.
"Boss, we found it! There really is a tomb!"
Wen Wan's heart sank.
She was promptly escorted back to the side room.
Seven or eight soldiers pried open the thick stone slab, revealing a small, sealed tomb chamber beneath.
A-Chai's gaze sharpened. When he looked down at Wen Wan, the cold gleam in his eyes was even icier than his dagger.
"So it really is a side chamber. You've got some skills."
She wanted to claim it was just dumb luck—but there was no way someone like him would buy that.
Wen Wan pinched her fingers together in a tiny gesture. "Uhh… It's a secret family technique. I only know the tiniest bit."
A-Chai didn't comment, simply gave her a shove toward the tomb.
"You said this place is full of traps. Lead the way."
Wen Wan: "…"
With a dagger still pressed to her neck, she didn't exactly have a choice. This was the bitter fruit she'd planted herself—now she had to choke it down, tears and all.
She sighed as she walked, grumbling as she went. "Big brother, wealth is fleeting—especially treasure dug up from a tomb. It carries a kind of spiritual residue. Best case, you donate it to the country and earn some virtue points. But if you keep it for yourself…"
"Do you always talk this much nonsense?"
A-Chai suddenly cut her off.
Wen Wan tugged at the corner of her mouth and kept up the charade. "I mean, your forehead's a bit dark—you're giving off bad luck vibes. I'm just worried for you, that's all."
He wanted to mock her? Fine—two could play that game.
She rambled on with a straight face, while A-Chai gave her a sidelong glance, eyes glinting with amusement.
"If I were you," he said coolly, "knowing there are traps inside and that you'll need us to rescue you if anything goes wrong… I wouldn't waste time talking."
That… actually made a lot of sense.
Wen Wan shut up instantly, changing gears with impressive speed. Her face lit up with a sycophantic smile. "Big brother, I was wrong!"
"Heh." A-Chai sneered. "Spineless."
Wen Wan didn't flinch. "I'm a concubine. Even if I had backbone, the best I could be is a primary wife. What matters most is staying alive."
While they were talking, Wen Wan had already triggered the mechanism to the main chamber.
The stone door creaked open, revealing a glittering hoard of gold and jewels that dazzled the eye.
The young soldiers behind them gasped in awe. Even A-Chai, though silent, had a rare gleam of wonder in his eyes.
"So… I found the treasure room, right? I've completed the task, yeah?" Wen Wan asked quietly.
A-Chai didn't respond at first. He gave instructions for the team to start transporting the treasure. Then he bent down and picked up a jade pendant lying near the coffin.
He casually tossed it into Wen Wan's arms.
"Take it. Consider it your reward for leading the way."
With that, the dagger was finally withdrawn.
Wen Wan blinked, then finally realized what he meant.
In the tomb-raiding world, there was a superstition: never leave a tomb empty-handed. Going in and coming out with nothing was extremely inauspicious.
A-Chai might be young, but his knowledge ran deep.
"All right," he added. "If you're really just a civilian, I won't make things difficult for you. Once the treasure's cleared out, you'll come down the mountain with us."
Wen Wan finally processed the whole thing. So all his earlier threats… were just scare tactics?
She hadn't expected this borderland officer to have such cunning behind his face.
Still…
What a shame—he had no eye for quality!
Without betraying a hint of emotion, Wen Wan tucked the jade pendant safely into her robes. Outwardly calm, she was inwardly giddy with joy.
If this young officer knew what that casually tossed pendant was really worth, he'd probably regret it so hard he'd turn green.