### Chapter 6: The Undercover is Actually a Romantic Plot (3)
==============================
Hiding in the trees while following Shiyuan out of the mountain stronghold, Lin Nan was deep in thought on how to boost his affection for her.
How about… a classic hero saving the damsel in distress?
I mean, it’s not far from the stronghold, and considering the Little Recipient’s speed, it wouldn’t be hard to set up the perfect crime scene without him noticing.
Sure, it’s a bit cliché, but hey, if this trope keeps popping up in various stories, it must have some kind of effectiveness, right?
After all, when someone’s in a dangerous situation and feels utterly hopeless, if they get saved, they might mix up gratitude and love, significantly increasing the other party’s chances.
Plus, with the Little Recipient wandering around completely defenseless, there’s bound to be someone eyeing his good looks.
With how chaotic the world of martial arts is, it would be downright impossible for bandits to ignore a lonely traveler!
Just as Lin Nan was hiding in the woods, contemplating how to send a message to Fatty to arrange for a robbery on the way, a dozen bandit-looking guys suddenly leaped out of the bushes, surrounding the Little Recipient.
Oh no, the worries I had have come true!
Someone’s jumped the g*n on my plan!
Lin Nan took a hard look at her remaining 10 Luck Points, along with her title as a level 28 Outer Door Disciple of the Demon Sect, and she doubted that if she jumped out now, she might not only fail to rescue the Little Recipient but also end up losing her own life.
This world’s leveling system really sucks; can’t we get some self-improvement or training channels to get stronger?
The Little Recipient, scared out of his wits, plopped down on the ground and scooted back. “Everyone, let’s talk this out, no need to bring out the knives.”
“Hey kid, you’re from the stronghold, right? Spill the beans—where’s the Martial Arts Alliance Leader’s son locked up by that Female Demon Leader?”
The Little Recipient was like, “…”
“Come on, tell us, pretty boy! If you don’t, we’ll just sell you to a brothel to be a companion!”
“I… I am Shiyuan, the son of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader!” the Little Recipient squeaked.
The bandits exchanged glances, fell silent for a moment, then burst out laughing.
“You little punk, who do you think you’re fooling? The stronghold was buzzing all night with news of the Demon Leader and Young Master Shiyuan getting married. If you were really him, would she let her husband leave the next morning? Do you think we’re three-year-olds?”
Lin Nan couldn’t help but nod along; their analysis was spot on, even she was convinced.
The Little Recipient looked like he was about to cry, realizing that if he kept insisting he was Shiyuan, it would only earn these guys’ ire.
“I… I’m just a nobody, a small fry! Just let me go!”
The bandit leader scrutinized the Little Recipient, “Then tell us, what’s the deal with you leaving the stronghold alone?”
The Little Recipient stammered, “I just figured there’s no future in being a bandit, so I wanted to head somewhere else and try my luck.”
“Ha! Exactly! What’s so good about being a bandit? Just sitting around in one spot, while you… have a bit of wit. Why not join our Giant Wave Gang? Rivers and lakes are our playground!”
“Um… I think I’ll pass. I’d rather try my luck with the Martial Arts Alliance.”
“Ha! So you look down on the Giant Wave Gang, huh? What’s the Martial Arts Alliance anyway? Other than giving orders to the various sects, what else can they do? Whether they listen or not is their business!”
“Then why are you looking for Young Master Shiyuan?” the Little Recipient pointed out their contradictory statements.
The Giant Wave Gang leader said, “Well, no harm in telling you. The Martial Arts Alliance has a bounty out. Whoever rescues Young Master Shiyuan won’t just get a thousand taels of gold but also a rare sword manual. We don’t lack money, but getting that sword manual would be a huge gain.”
“Well, I won’t bother you then. Good luck finding Young Master Shiyuan!” said the Little Recipient.
The leader shook his golden ringed kn*fe, grinning, “Oh, I forgot to mention what the Giant Wave Gang does. We never take a loss in our trades. Since fate brought us together, no one’s leaving!”
Before the Little Recipient could react, several gang members surrounded him, even putting a weapon to his neck.
“I… I’ll go with you… just don’t hurt me.”
The Little Recipient immediately wilted.
“This kid could easily fetch five hundred taels; even if we don’t find Shiyuan, at least we’ll make a tidy profit,” the leader chuckled.
All the gang members laughed, knowing that a pretty boy like him would be highly sought after in the big city. Five hundred taels was already the leader being generous!
Though Lin Nan wasn’t too confident in her fighting skills, her tracking abilities were at least decent.
Since the Little Recipient was taken by the Giant Wave Gang, she followed closely behind, miraculously avoiding detection.
About five to six miles from the stronghold was a little town called Lehua Town. Originally small, as the stronghold grew, more soldiers would come and spend some leisure time, making the town more prosperous and lively.
After all, the stronghold’s primary business wasn’t production but rather raiding. Once they found something good, they’d need to sell it, and traveling merchants acted as their buyers. The proximity to the thieves’ den naturally made this area flourish for a reason.
At this moment, various martial artists gathered in Lehua Town. The narrow roads were crowded with people in different gang uniforms scurrying to and fro.
Occasionally, rival gangs would clash, leading to impromptu fights, making the spectators even more thrilled—hoping the martial artists would beat each other to a pulp for added entertainment.
The Giant Wave Gang swaggered through; although the Little Recipient lagged at the back, two gang members kept watch over him, ensuring their cash cow didn’t get lost.
Lin Nan was hoping for a scene where the Giant Wave Gang would fight with someone else, allowing her to profit from the chaos, but instead, after a few twists and turns, they plopped down at a tea house for a break.
Glancing at the sun, Lin Nan realized it was close to noon; no wonder they stopped—they were hungry!
“Hey, hey, hey… have you heard? Last night, the infamous assassin organization, bl**d Cloak Building, stormed the Demon Sect’s stronghold, and the result…”
“And the result is what? Hurry up and spill!”
“Tsk tsk, if bl**d Cloak Building got involved, you know the stronghold ain’t no match for them. We might’ve wasted our trip!”
“Where’d you hear that? I just saw the stronghold send someone out to buy supplies; you can’t be serious!”
The guy who spread the rumor changed his tune, “I got solid intel straight from the bl**d Cloak Building! Those who believe, support your brother; those who don’t, exit to the left—no hard feelings.”
