They needed to bring enough food.
Wen Bai went to the kitchen. System001 now had sufficient permissions and activated the spatial storage function.
System001 swept up all the food in the kitchen – including raw meat and vegetables – as well as drinking water.
Under System001's guidance, Wen Bai quickly located where the bandits stored their wealth.
He hadn't expected the place to be in Han Hu's room, inside the wardrobe.
Han Hu's room contained only an extremely rudimentary bed, a square table, and two stools. The only other item was a wardrobe that took up one entire wall.
A large padlock hung from the wardrobe, practically screaming "guilty conscience."
System001, the master of locks.
With a "clang," the heavy lock fell to the ground.
Wen Bai tiptoed and slowly backed away as he opened the enormous wardrobe.
The next moment, he was nearly blinded by the light.
Who would keep gold bars in a wardrobe? And a whole wardrobe full of them!
Still, since he was here, he might as well take it.
Wen Bai said expressionlessly, "Take it."
System001 understood instantly: "Understood, Host."
In the next moment, apart from their original silver notes and loose silver that Wen Bai held in his hands and tucked into his collar, everything else was swept up and packed away by System001, leaving not a single coin behind.
The kitchen was at the back of the compound, the carriage was on the far left, and the feast was to be held at the main entrance of the compound's central building.
Wen Bai walked out of Han Hu's room with a lump in his chest. He saw Mo Xingchen still ferociously scratching and clawing at Han Hu, while Wen Jue offered pointers from the side.
He even heard Wen Jue say, "The way you're doing it will only leave bruises that heal in a few days. It's useless."
Mo Xingchen, indignant, retorted in a small voice, "Then you do it!"
Wen Bai glanced at the person on the ground from a distance, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Then, Wen Bai returned to the kitchen, picked up a large cleaver with great effort, and brought it to the courtyard. He walked to Han Hu's side.
Without hesitation, Wen Bai raised the cleaver with both hands and swung it down decisively towards the area above Han Hu's neck.
Mo Xingchen was terrified. He reached out his small hand desperately to stop him, his voice a hushed whisper, "Wen Bai! Ahhhh..."
Wen Bai turned to Mo Xingchen with a confused look, "He'll definitely catch up to us when he wakes up tomorrow. Do you want to be his son and stay here?"
Mo Xingchen's small hand did not loosen its grip. His eyes widened as he said, "Mother said that killing people doesn't bring good fortune in the next life."
His small chest heaved, his heart pounding.
Actually, Mother said: Bad people don't bring good fortune in the next life.
Although he didn't understand what "good fortune" was, anything associated with "fortune" must be good, and children definitely want good things.
Wen Bai was perplexed.
Mo Xingchen seemed to recall something and began to explain haltingly, "It's... it's killing people... if you kill too many people, you won't get it!"
Wen Jue, standing nearby, voiced his confusion, "But they robbed us and captured us. Don't they deserve to die? Have you forgotten? You were almost sold."
Mo Xingchen stammered, unable to refute. He couldn't find his words.
Wen Bai, however, expressionlessly dropped the cleaver he had struggled to lift with his small hands and turned to leave.
He couldn't afford to be disliked by the male lead. It would be too troublesome.
Wen Bai ignored them and walked directly to the carriage, climbing onto the shaft with difficulty.
He lifted the carriage curtain and discovered that there was already some food inside.
However, based on their daily consumption for the three of them, it was far from enough.
The bandits had only moved their money and food out of the carriage. They hadn't taken any of the children's belongings down, which saved Wen Bai the trouble of searching for them.
Wen Bai instructed System001 to take out enough meat dishes for two days and store them properly, along with plenty of fruits and non-perishable dry rations.
Of course, there were also the water canteens filled with drinking water and three small bowls obtained from the kitchen.
Wen Bai felt a little more satisfied seeing the well-stocked provisions.
He went to the center of the courtyard and saw Wen Jue still playing with Han Hu, who had narrowly escaped death and was now breathing unevenly, though no longer snoring.
Mo Xingchen stood there, staring blankly.
Wen Bai waved, "Let's go."
Wen Jue flinched upon hearing this, immediately dropped what he was holding, which landed on the ground with a light "clang."
He stood up like a well-behaved child and ran to Wen Bai's side.
Mo Xingchen, after walking over, quietly moved a little further away from Wen Jue.
Mo Xingchen shed tears in his heart. They were indeed brothers; both of them made him feel terrified.
Wen Bai didn't notice that on Han Hu's face, now lying on the ground, a rather crude turtle had been carved with a knife.
The cuts varied in depth, with blood seeping from the edges of the wounds.
These injuries would leave scars even after healing.
-
Mo Xingchen and Wen Jue climbed into the carriage one after another.
First, there was Mo Xingchen's surprised gasp of delight, followed by Wen Jue entering and staring blankly at the items in the carriage.
These provisions were clearly far more than what he had asked the bandits to move earlier.
So, his brother had been busy moving things while they were playing.
Wen Bai expressionlessly said to the horse outside the carriage, "Horse, let's go."
System001 cooperatively urged the horse forward.
As the carriage reached the mountain road outside the mountain stronghold's gate, they rounded a bend.
Wen Jue suddenly spoke, "Brother."
Wen Bai looked over.
Wen Jue then continued, his dark, bright eyes open, "I want to go to the outhouse."
Mo Xingchen couldn't help but grumble in dissatisfaction, "Why didn't you go with me when I called you just now?"
He had been so scared going by himself.
Mo Xingchen tugged at his sleeve, unhappy.
If he hadn't been afraid of wetting himself and being laughed at, he wouldn't have gone at all.
Wen Jue ignored him and said, "Brother, you wait for me here. I can go back by myself."
The carriage was stopped.
Mo Xingchen lowered his head, fearing that a single glance at Wen Jue would make him be asked to go along. He was very unwilling now.
Moreover, he didn't dare to be alone with Wen Jue.
Mo Xingchen lowered his head and started to offer suggestions, "Wen Jue, why don't you just pee by the side of the road? No one will see you here, except us. No one will know."
Wen Jue's small body was not yet as tall as the carriage. He ignored Mo Xingchen and lifted the carriage curtain to get out.
Mo Xingchen poked his head out of the carriage window to take a look.
Wen Jue was indeed going back. It seemed he had held it in, just like himself.
He didn't lower the carriage curtain. He took a couple of breaths of the night mountain air before turning his face, only to unexpectedly meet Wen Bai's gaze.
In the darkness of the night, moonlight streamed through the window.
Wen Bai's fair, tender, and delicate little face was identical to Wen Jue's.
However, despite looking the same, Mo Xingchen could distinguish between Wen Bai and Wen Jue, because Wen Bai's eyes were colder.
As their gazes met, Mo Xingchen's hairs stood on end. He suddenly remembered that Wen Bai was actually the more terrifying one.