Chapter 83: Harvest
In no time, dozens of archers were completely wiped out. After all, even though archers could shoot arrows quickly, they still needed time to draw the next one — a speed that couldn’t match the rapid firing of the crossbows.
Once the archers were eliminated, the remaining bandits, armed only with broadswords, had no choice but to charge forward for close combat!
It was at this moment that Yu Haojie realized that this cave had no exit — it was merely a resting place for the bandits!
Exit or not, every single bandit had to die. Leaving any alive might lead them to join forces with other bandits in the mountains for a frenzied revenge attack!
Just when they thought they could easily finish off the remaining five hundred bandits, several agile figures suddenly darted out from the enemy lines, charging straight at them!
The speed was so fast that Yu Haojie didn’t even have time to react. After all, with a bandit’s corpse serving as a shield in front of him, his line of sight was somewhat obstructed.
Just as a sharp sword was about to pierce Yu Haojie’s forehead, Yu Zhengqing sprang forward, stepping on Yu Haojie’s shoulder to deliver a swift strike, intercepting the enemy’s blade!
The ear-piercing clash of metal rang through the passage, startling Yu Haojie back to his senses. He swallowed hard, certain that if not for Yu Zhengqing’s timely intervention, that sword would have pierced his skull!
He was saved by Yu Zhengqing? Ha! If the original soul of this body were watching from the heavens, what would he have thought?
Watching Yu Zhengqing fend off eight enemies alone, Zhang Yuan handed his crossbow to Ye Jiamei without hesitation, picked up a broadsword, and joined the battle!
Yu Luo’s family of three stood about seven or eight meters away, hesitant about whether to join in. But seeing the speed at which the bandits were attacking, they were utterly stunned!
A swipe, a stab, a sweeping kick — each move was swift as lightning. Such techniques they had only seen in TV dramas back in their previous world.
Now they finally understood why these bandits were so brazen — those few skilled fighters were indeed formidable. With them around, ordinary guards would hardly pose a threat.
“Where’s my father!”
Suddenly, Yu Xiaoxuan’s voice rang out sharply from behind. The trio turned around to see him rushing over with his brother and the Zhang family members, each wielding a weapon.
Luckily, the womenfolk had obediently stayed in the cave and hadn’t ventured out.
“Up ahead! There are some experts among the bandits fighting your father and Zhang Yuan. If you can fight, hurry and help!”
Hearing this, Yu Haojie quickly briefed them on the situation.
Upon learning the news, Yu Shaoran, his brother, and the Zhang family men grabbed their weapons and charged forward.
With the passage blocked by them, Yu Luo’s family could hardly get in to deal with the remaining bandits.
Apart from Yu Haojie’s considerable strength, none of them were equipped for close combat. Sneak attacks were one thing, but engaging head-on with those expert fighters would be a death wish!
Judging by the skills of those bandits, they could easily be sliced in half before even raising their crossbows!
Seeing these skilled fighters in action, Yu Luo made up her mind — she had to complete more tasks and level up herself and her parents as soon as possible!
In this ancient world, a crossbow alone was far from enough. Real martial skills were essential!
Otherwise, a simple movement skill from a skilled enemy could close the distance in a flash, and she’d be dead before she could even aim her crossbow!
[Ding! System-friendly reminder: Head towards the cave where the men are held. There is a passage that leads to a storeroom filled with the bandits’ supplies. However, it’s sealed with a stone door that requires a hidden mechanism to open. Host, go quickly! The system’s chances of helping you find the mechanism are quite high.]
Yu Luo, “!!!”
This system was indeed biased. Sometimes it issued absurd tasks, but when it decided to help, it was genuinely reliable.
“Mom, follow me! Dad, stay here and hold the line. Here are some crossbows for you — give them to the others if needed. There’s a storeroom with supplies nearby; I’ll go collect them.”
Yu Haojie took the crossbows from Yu Luo, dazedly nodding. Though he wanted to go with her, he decided to stay upon seeing the crossbows in his hands.
If the system had informed Yu Luo about the storeroom, then it must be safe. Still, Yu Haojie reminded the two to be cautious.
As they reached the passage, Yu Luo lit a torch and carefully led Ye Jiamei forward.
[Ding! The system has located the mechanism. At the end of the passage, on the left wall, there’s an indentation. Press it hard, and the stone door should open. There are no traps inside — the bandits probably never expected to be wiped out like this. Go on in, it’s safe.]
Hearing this, Yu Luo was both excited and nervous!
Ye Jiamei, standing behind her, gripped the crossbow tightly, keeping a vigilant eye on the rear, fearing a surprise attack.
Following the system’s instructions, Yu Luo quickly found the indentation, pressed it hard, and the stone door rumbled open!
Inside, the torchlight couldn’t even illuminate the whole space!
But seeing the rows of chests filled with gold and silver, Yu Luo didn’t hesitate — she stowed everything into her system space.
Aside from valuables, the storeroom was also filled with food supplies. Yu Luo didn’t bother checking; she just took it all.
For a moment, Yu Luo hesitated, considering leaving some supplies for the Zhang, Bai, and Liu families. Just then, the system’s voice chimed in her mind:
[Host, leave some basic supplies for them.]
“Alright, I was already thinking about it. After all, there are so many children and women.”
In less than a quarter of an hour, Yu Luo had cleared out the hundred-square-meter storeroom, leaving behind a thousand catties of grain, some quilts, clothes, and salt. Then, the two quickly retreated.
Seeing the open stone door, Yu Luo hesitated, then decided to leave it open to make the supplies easier to find.
As they rushed back, they saw that Yu Zhengqing and the others had already returned to the main cave, which spanned over a thousand square meters.
Seeing the mother and daughter return, Yu Shaoran couldn’t help but ask curiously:
“Where did you two go? Were there more enemies over there?”
“No, we couldn’t help much here, so we went looking for an exit. By the way! We found the storeroom with supplies. When we leave, we can grab some.”
Yu Luo’s face didn’t even flush as she lied smoothly!
