Chapter 72: Seeking Shelter in a Bandit’s Lair

When this matter was brought up, the young man’s brows furrowed, yet he did not argue with the child. “My men have scouted this place; it’s a bandit den. They lure travelers in under the guise of offering lodging, then rob them under cover of night.”

Chu Junhan seemed to feel her leg go numb, so she switched the one she was crossing, adopting a manner of exaggerated maturity. “I see Little Haihai has plenty of guards behind him. Why would you need me?”

The young man suppressed his disgust, forcing a smile. “Junhan, don’t be impatient. Let me explain slowly.”

“Hey, hey, hey, who are you calling ‘little brother’? How old are you?” Chu Junhan stood up, dissatisfied, and slapped the table. She understood the young man before her had something to ask of her and wanted to gauge how important his request was.

Sure enough, the young man was only momentarily taken aback, but not angered. “I am just over eighteen this year. Calling you ‘little brother’ isn’t too much, is it?”

Chu Junhan crossed her arms, her small nose snorting. “Where I come from, it’s always the younger ones who play big brother. By my rules, you’re number two.”

Tang Chen, standing behind, was sweating profusely. Since when had his little master become so unreasonable?

The young man smiled awkwardly, not refuting her. Though she seemed a mere child, he still needed to work with her.

Chu Junhan sat down, arms crossed, wearing an infuriating expression. “Second brother, speak. What business do you have with your big brother?”

Not angered? Not angered—so this deal could be negotiated.

The young man cleared his throat, signaling those behind him to leave. Tang Chen patted Chu Junhan’s shoulder and wisely exited as well, closing the door behind him.

The room dimmed instantly, leaving only the two opposite each other, the silence thick and mysterious.

Chu Junhan shrank her neck, feigning timidity, trying her best to appear as a frightened child. “Second brother, what’s all this about?”

“I told you earlier, this is a bandit den. Travelers passing through are robbed, and the people are gathered and held in one place.”

“How outrageous! Second brother, continue.” The little girl stood up, slapped the table, then sat down again in a huff.

Canghai’s thin lips twitched, then he composed himself, squinting at the odd child before him. Why was the plot unfolding differently than he’d imagined? Shouldn’t the child be indignant, eager to rescue the captives, and then he could seamlessly reveal his own goal, hiding it behind a noble cause?

“Second brother, go on!” The child crossed her legs, looking furious, though whether she was truly angry was hard to discern.

The young man continued, “Those people have been rescued by me, and the bandit leader is secretly imprisoned. The other bandits still don’t know their leader is missing.”

Chu Junhan frowned. She genuinely couldn’t understand—if the people were rescued and the leader captured, shouldn’t the young man have no further requests?

Canghai noticed the child’s confusion and gave a faint smile. “That man holds a fragment of the treasure map, but no matter what, he refuses to reveal its location.”

A fragment of the treasure map? The coveted prize of the world, appearing in the hands of a mere bandit? This concerned the fate of a nation.

Chu Junhan’s eyes lit up, shining like a lurking beast in the dim room. She lowered her voice. “Second brother, aren’t you afraid I’ll just take it?”

Canghai was calm and unruffled. “If big brother wants it, once we find the fragment, you may have it. Why take it by force? Though the fragment is precious, in the hands of someone insignificant like me, it’s little more than a scrap of paper.”