Chapter 97: We’re Going to Rescue Yu Luo
Hearing this, Zhang Yuan quickly nodded in agreement, eager to please.
He had no blood ties to Yu Luo, so aside from admiring her sacrifice, he didn’t feel much sorrow.
Meanwhile, Ye Jiamei and Yu Haojie were forcefully dragged away from the circle of archers by the rest of the group. Only when they were far from the valley did the archers finally vanish on the spot.
“Haojie, what should we do? I don’t even know if Yu Luo really has the ability to escape from that bandit lair alone. Those bandits looked far more dangerous than the previous ones. Why did Yu Luo take such a risk? I still can’t figure out why. She’s usually the one who hates me meddling the most. What on earth is she and that system of hers planning this time?”
The group had been walking for half an hour before finally stopping to rest. Ye Jiamei, who had been crying the entire way, was on the verge of breaking down. She desperately wanted to go back, but the system’s voice kept echoing in her mind, warning her to stay away and insisting that returning would only put Yu Luo in more danger.
“Maybe Yu Luo was afraid that with so many people, we wouldn’t be able to escape. As much as I’m worried, I have some faith in that system of hers,” Yu Haojie said, trying to reassure himself.
“Faith or not, that’s a bandit lair!” Ye Jiamei clutched his hand tightly, her voice cracking.
As the couple huddled in a corner away from the others, anxious and tearful, Yu Zhengqing suddenly approached with a grave expression.
“Second Brother, don’t worry. I’ll take Xiaoran and go back to rescue Yu Luo. We will definitely bring her back,” Yu Zhengqing declared firmly.
The couple looked at him in surprise, their eyes wide.
They had always assumed Yu Zhengqing’s attempts to mend relations were just an act, a way to make use of their abilities. But hearing his words now, they couldn’t help but reevaluate his intentions.
“Are you sure you can do it? Those bandits seemed to be well-trained fighters. I may be strong, but without any lightness skills, all I can do is fight head-on…”
“Don’t worry, Second Brother. You stay behind and protect the others. If you can’t use lightness skills, it’ll be difficult to escape quickly if something goes wrong. I’ll take Xiaoran and talk to Zhang Yuan about it. If we bring too many people, it’ll only alert the bandits.
“For now, let’s keep moving forward. The farther we get, the safer everyone will be in case something goes wrong during the rescue. At least you’ll all be out of immediate danger.”
Hearing this, the couple nodded, a mix of relief and gratitude showing in their eyes.
“Right! I have some anesthetic powder. It’s not as potent as knockout gas, but if you cover someone’s mouth and nose with it, they’ll pass out quickly. I’ll make a few packets right now. You can take them with you—they might help,” Ye Jiamei said hurriedly, desperate to contribute something.
Even though she trusted the system, she couldn’t just sit by and do nothing. Anything that could increase the chances of rescuing Yu Luo was worth it.
“Absolutely not! I won’t allow it!”
Just as Yu Zhengqing found Zhang Yuan and mentioned the rescue plan, Zhang Yuan’s wife, Tao Fanghua, immediately stood up to oppose it, her tone firm and unyielding.
Seeing her stance, Yu Zhengqing’s expression darkened with disappointment. But he still held onto a sliver of hope, looking to Zhang Yuan for support.
Zhang Yuan was one of the best fighters among them, second only to Yu Xiaoran. If he refused to go, it would greatly reduce their chances of rescuing Yu Luo.
“Zhang Yuan, what do you say? Don’t forget that the only reason we got out safely is because of Yu Luo’s sacrifice,” Yu Zhengqing urged.
“She volunteered for that! We didn’t force her!” Tao Fanghua shot back, her tone cold and unfeeling, leaving no room for negotiation.
“I wasn’t asking you, Tao Fanghua! I was asking Zhang Yuan!” Yu Zhengqing snapped, his temper finally flaring. His voice rose, startling everyone around.
Even Zhang Yuan, usually the more decisive type, was suddenly as timid as a turtle, not saying a word.
“Zhang Yuan, I’ll ask you one last time—are you coming or not?” Yu Zhengqing demanded, his patience completely worn thin.
The unexpected outburst left everyone holding their breath, not daring to make a sound.
“I… I’ll go. My skills might not be as good as Zhang Yuan’s, but I can still take on a few bandits. My archery is pretty accurate,” came a hesitant but determined voice.
“I’ll go too,” said another.
To everyone’s shock, it wasn’t Zhang Yuan who spoke, but a young man from the Bai family and a distant relative from the Liu family.
“I can go too. I may not be much help in a fight, but I’ve been hunting since I was a kid. I can use a bow. If I can’t go into the lair, I can at least hide outside and shoot arrows to cover you,” the young man from the Bai family added.
Even Zhang Yuan looked surprised. Before anyone could recover, an old man from the Yu family’s third branch also stood up.
“Zhengqing, I’ll go too. I might be an old man, but my archery’s still sharp. I can hit a target from two hundred paces,” the elder said firmly.
Then, to everyone’s astonishment, even Yu Qiang, a fifty-year-old who had aged considerably during the journey, stepped forward.
“I’ll go too!” he declared.
“We’ll go too!”
Seeing the unexpected show of unity, Zhang Yuan was dumbfounded. Even the usually self-serving and cowardly members of the Yu family were volunteering.
“You’re not going anywhere!”
Just as Yu Shanhe stepped forward, his father, Yu Liang, yanked him back, pushing him to the ground.
“What could you possibly do? Your uncles can shoot arrows, but you’ll just be in the way!”
“But, Father! Even if I can’t fight, I can wait in the shadows. If anyone gets hurt, at least I can help carry them back!” Yu Shanhe argued, eyes red with frustration.
