WCPR 42

Chapter 42 The Thunder God Descends to Earth

The farce-like scene finally came to an end after half an hour. Mr. Yi’s patience had reached its limit. He looked coldly at the people below, and after a brief silence, raised his voice to announce:

“This batch of goods is of good quality. Lai Laosan, Wu Lai…”
“Everyone will be rewarded!”

With a loud clang, the men behind Mr. Yi overturned a tall, pre-prepared chest, spilling out heaps of gleaming silver coins. The men of Wuyou Cave were all desperadoes; money, and lots of it, was the strongest catalyst for their greed. Xiao Sheng could clearly hear the sound of their breathing grow heavier around her. Such direct temptation only deepened the wild ambition in their hearts, driving them to serve once again as convenient tools. No—this time they’d fight even harder for it. This was how Wuyou Cave kept them under control.

But Xiao Sheng overheard a nearby bandit mutter in puzzlement:

“Why’s Mr. Yi being so generous today? A reward for everyone? That’s rare.”
“Who cares? Maybe he’s in a good mood. Doesn’t matter as long as we get paid.”
“True enough.”

While the others rushed greedily toward the small cavern where Mr. Yi stood, Xiao Sheng’s eyes flashed coldly. This was the moment she’d been waiting for.

As more and more men squeezed forward, Xiao Sheng hid among the crowd and pulled out several odd-looking metal pieces from her clothes, fitting them together into a slender rod.

Thankfully, the ceiling of the underground cavern wasn’t too high—otherwise, she wouldn’t have had the confidence to pierce through it in one strike.

That strange County Mistress had once told her that this thing—called a flare—would emit a blinding light through even the smallest crack. She needed to create a hole in the ceiling so that the Marquis could find her location.

The young women surrounding Xiao Sheng looked on in silent awe. Though they didn’t know this tall woman, they understood she was trying to save them. Quietly, they shifted to cover her better, even gesturing for the frightened children to stay silent. If they made a sound and alerted the traffickers sharing the loot, any chance of escape would vanish.

Pft!

The sound was faint. The bandits dividing the spoils in the smaller cavern ahead shouldn’t have heard it—but Mr. Yi, encircled by his noisy followers, suddenly tensed. His sharp eyes locked onto the seemingly harmless group of captives.

What was that sound?

Xiao Sheng didn’t stop. Hidden in the dim light, the black rod in her hand was barely visible unless one came very close.

Mr. Yi, cautious as ever, didn’t ignore the faint noise. Instead, he began striding in her direction.

Seeing this, Xiao Sheng held her breath. Taking a desperate gamble, she thrust upward with all her strength. A cool breeze streamed through the narrow crack she’d made, bringing a fleeting freshness to everyone below.

As Mr. Yi advanced, Xiao Sheng didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the flare, yanked the fuse, and tossed it up through the opening.

Thunk!

A faint tremor ran through the ground. A beam of white light spilled through the hole, landing directly on Xiao Sheng. Mr. Yi, sensing danger, frowned and barked an order to the bandits.

“A rat has snuck in. Bring them a—no, forget it. Kill all these lambs! Keeping them’s a risk anyway, especially that little brat…”

You can only blame your bad luck, he thought coldly. To be born as that man’s child—and still not know how to submit in court!

The bandits, jolted from their greed, turned back toward the women and children, their eyes glinting with malice. Killing was nothing new to them, and if the place was compromised—as Mr. Yi said—then their own lives were at stake. What were a few captive lives worth compared to theirs? They’d kill them all and bury the bodies right here—an ideal graveyard.

Seeing them move, Xiao Sheng knew she couldn’t protect hundreds of women and children alone, no matter her skill. Even if the Marquis and his men were coming, they’d need time to arrive.

Her decision was instant. She pulled a small metal jar from her chest, lit the long fuse with her tinder, and hurled it precisely into the cavern where Mr. Yi and his men stood.

She hadn’t placed much hope in it—it was so small that, even if it hit one or two men, it wouldn’t stop the rest. She’d already started pushing through the crowd, ready to buy time. But as she took her second step, a deafening roar erupted behind her.

For a moment, she heard nothing at all. Her ears rang, her vision went white with dazzling light—as though thunder from heaven had struck directly into the earth, tearing the cavern apart!

BOOM!

Outside, Qi Zheng and his men, who had seen the flare’s light moments before, were stunned by the thunderous explosion. For a heartbeat, they thought it was a lightning strike in broad daylight—but it was night, the sky clear and starry. Where could thunder come from?

Qi Zheng’s hand clenched tight on the reins. Even his seasoned warhorse, which had survived countless bloody battles, reared and neighed in terror—startled by what felt like the power of the heavens themselves.

The soldiers behind him were no better. In these times, anything that defied common sense was seen as divine intervention. Staring at the blazing light bursting from the ground, they all gasped in unison. Qi Zheng even heard his most trusted lieutenant whisper shakily:

“Heavens above… has the Thunder God himself descended to earth? How could there be lightning—underground, of all places?”

Before Qi Zheng could respond, a nimble figure flashed past him. Her posture on horseback was awkward, even clumsy—but her calm, composed back drew everyone’s eyes.