Power Up, Artist Yang!

It was only a matter of time.

They ran and ran and ran, but for what purpose? It was like the time that they were running away from the servants of the Yang Villa. The difference was that while the servants were ordinary people, and that there were twists and turns in the alleyways of the city to throw them off, the ones currently chasing Yujia and Yufeng were bandits, trained to have strong physical endurance. They were also running through a forest, in the terrain and landscape that mountain bandits knew well. The two of them had no upper ground.

So, it was just a matter of time.

Yufeng comprehended this as well. While the bandits were still a bit of a distance away, she came to a stop. Yujia saw Yufeng pull out the dagger from earlier again, which was previously sheathed on her belt. 

Upon realizing that Yufeng intended to fight this large group of bandits all by herself, Yujia quickly cried out, "You're sending yourself to death's door."

"What else can I do?" Yufeng tightened her grip around the handle of the blade. "It's either we keep running until we fall and have no energy to fight the bandits, or fight them right now."

Her eyebrows knitted. "It's two versus ten. We can't win this." She didn't know how skilled Yufeng was, but the reality of facing off against ten people was too terrifying to consider.

"What do you suggest, then?" Yufeng snapped.

They were turned away from the bandits. Yujia glanced over her shoulder. The bandits had almost reached them. Now that she stopped to look at them, they had their blades strapped over their shoulders, but didn't appear to be holding or swinging them.

"Put the knife away before they see. From the looks of things, they don't intend to kill us. We let them capture us. Save the dagger for an upperhand later," she quickly told Yufeng.

Yufeng paused for a brief second before deciding that Yujia had a point. In a flash, she stuffed the knife back into her pocket. 

They turned around. The bandits had arrived, circling them.

"Not running anymore?" one of them, with a streak of blood across his face, remarked.

Yujia's hands tightened into fists at her side, but she slowly relaxed them. She forced herself to look at the bandit straight in his eyes, wiping all signs of fear from her expression. Putting on a calm smile, she replied, ""What use is there in running? You were bound to catch up sooner or later."

The one who spoke earlier seemed taken aback that she spoke with such composure. He paused for a moment, exchanged glances with one of his fellow bandits, then gestured his head backward in a sharp jerk. "You two are going to go back with us."

"Sure." Yujia nodded her head. "Lead the way."

The bandit froze again, observing her for a second. He then stepped forward, moving closer to her. Yujia instinctively wanted to back away, but she stopped herself. With a slow and deep breath, she stood still as he leaned forward, reaching out with his grime-covered hand. His fingers clenched around her chin and yanked it closer. His face was so close that she could smell the blood on his face. 

Taking a slow, long look, he then sneered, "A looker, ay? Our king will like you."

Yujia kept the same expression on her face, unchanging.

"This is the first time I've seen a girl like you," he snorted, "They usually be all screamin' and kickin'. But all the easier for us." With a wave of his hand, he commanded, "Brothers, let's go. Escort our valuable guests back to camp."

The bandits who were circling her and Yufeng moved forward, grabbing their arms. Yujia paused, not moving. She looked to the left at the bandit who was gripping her arm, casually telling him with her eyebrows raised, "Do you mind? We can walk on our own." 

"You have to—" he began to reply.

However, the bandit standing at the front that commanded them waved his hand dismissively, interrupting, "If they want to walk by themselves, let them. Just keep an eye out and don't let them run!" 

Roughly, the bandit dropped his hold on her arm. The one "escorting" Yufeng did the same. 

As they began their trek back to the roads and presumably the camp, Yujia looked over at Yufeng. Yufeng seemed to be quietly observing the bandits, so Yujia looked back at the path ahead of her. 

…

Eventually, they walked back to the main road. 

As they reached there, Yujia had a good look at the destruction the bandits' pillaging had caused. The carriages were toppled over. Some of them were yanked open, c.h.e.s.ts of belongings carried out and stacked upon each other. Bodies of servants and drivers had fallen to the ground, a bloody mess.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!_11701767605489305/bandits-capture-the-artist_52439461266514306">#!_11701767605489305/bandits-capture-the-artist_52439461266514306</a> for visiting.

Yujia's hands slowly flew down to a pocket on the inner side of her outer robes. She placed her hands over it, checking to see if the belongings were still in there. She could feel two pieces of jade, and at that, her heart calmed by just a little.

Ever since the time that she almost lost the seal stamps Zixu gifted her on the boat, she kept them both in a pocket in her robes. They were safer there. And now, she was glad she made that decision.

Her eyes traveled a little further, seeing a group of young men being rounded up by the bandits. As she stared at that crowd, she recognized the faces of her senior and junior brothers. She saw Rong Yuan and Jiang Muyun amongst them. Her eyes met with Ye Yunhe's. 

His eyes widened when he saw her, and though he parted his mouth, he took a slow look at the group of bandits that surrounded her. Then, he held himself back from yelling out any words. He gave her a silent nod. She gave him a nod back.

They acknowledged to each other that they were safe, right at this moment. In fact, the rest of her fellow disciples all appeared, for the most part, unharmed.

This made Yujia let out another breath of relief. Yet still, she could not help but feel sick to the stomach when she saw all the dead bodies on the ground.

Seeing a dead body in real life wasn't like seeing it in a film. It was raw. Brutal. Messier. And much more— so much more— sickening.

She forced herself to speak, asking the bandit leading the group, "What are you going to do to the others over there?" She gestured with her head at her fellow disciples.

The bandit looked over, then answered, "They all seem young and healthy. We'll probably put them to work; maybe hold a few hostage if they come from decent families."

Yujia's fingernails dug into her palm as she informed, "They are all from respectable families. If you keep them safe for ransom, you will definitely win a good price."

"Is that so?" The bandit turned back to look at her. "And how do you know? Who are they to you? One of them your husband?"

"No," she replied plainly, "merely friends that I was traveling with."

"Friends, eh?" He swung the blade on his shoulder down, dragging it in the grass behind him. Yujia noticed the rusted blood stained on it. "And are you of any young miss, young lady of some big family?" He eyed her up and down, observing her robes.

"If I was, would that make any difference for what you plan to do with me?" she responded to his question with another question.

"Nah." He shook his head and laughed. Yujia had a good look at his crooked, yellowing teeth. "We haven't found any pretty girls like you in a while now. Our king will be pleased with our find this time. We won't be letting you go back to some family, even with the ransom paid." 

Yujia blinked, then smiled. "Alright, then."

Seeing her calm response to his words, the bandit almost appeared a bit unnerved. It was as if he wanted to see her struggling and crying. He bit his thumb and said, "You know, you're a strange one."

"Is that so?" She kept that smile. "You did say that cooperative ones make it easier for you, didn't you?" 

"But none as… cooperative as you." He shook his head, then barked, "Whatever. Back to the camp."

As soon as he turned away, Yujia let out another breath, wiping her palms against the side of her robes. This was the hardest act that she had to put on yet, but she hoped that this plan— a plan that she had thought of at the split second where she told Yufeng to hide her blade— worked.