Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 10

On one side were the mountain bandits, and on the other side was the hostage.

 

What should have been a tense scenario didn’t happen. With a belly full of frustration, Lu Tang finished her dinner and was escorted by Song Qingzhan to a small wooden house.

 

“Young Master Lu, please bear with us for a few days. Once our matters here are settled, we will send you down the mountain immediately.” Inside the room, Song Qingzhan poured hot water from the teapot into a cup, pushing it towards her with his index finger. “I apologize.”

 

Lu Tang wasn’t foolish enough to ask what matters they were handling. Instead, she said, “Brother Zhan, could you help me find out about my sister’s wedding?”

 

Song Qingzhan smiled. “Sure, I’ll get you the news tomorrow.”

 

“Thank you, Brother Zhan.” Lu Tang smiled at Song Qingzhan, revealing a few small white teeth. Emboldened by his gentle attitude, she added, “Could you also send a message to my mother? I’m afraid she might be worried about me.”

 

Song Qingzhan looked at Lu Tang for a moment before suddenly laughing. “Young Master Lu, are you not afraid? We are bandits, and you are our hostage.”

 

Lu Tang licked her lips. “Being afraid won’t help. It’s not like being scared of your leader will make him let me go.”

 

Outside, Qin Mo, overhearing this: Speechless?

 

With one long leg, he kicked the door open, leaning against the doorframe, “Why waste time talking with him? Let’s go!”

 

Lu Tang glared at Qin Mo.

 

Qin Mo raised an eyebrow, exuding bandit swagger. “Behave yourself! Or else we’ll tie you up and throw you into the cellar!”

 

Lu Tang: …

 

I surrender!

 

Rolling her eyes internally, she turned to look at Song Qingzhan.

 

Song Qingzhan said, “Sending a message to your mother might be inconvenient. Besides, even if we send one, she might not believe it. Young Master Lu, please be patient for a few days.”

 

With that, Song Qingzhan left with Qin Mo.

 

Maybe it was because of Song Qingzhan’s gentle attitude, or perhaps the embarrassing incident earlier had diluted her fear of being kidnapped. Now, Lu Tang didn’t feel very scared.

 

The small wooden house looked simple, but the bedding on the makeshift bed was new. Without undressing, Lu Tang kicked off her shoes and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling beams.

 

She wondered how that fool Liang Cheng was doing. She’d find a chance to ask Brother Shan about him tomorrow.

 

[Host, want to chat for a bit?]

 

The system’s sudden voice made Lu Tang feel it had no good intentions.

 

“No, I’m sleepy.”

 

[You’re lying! Your brain is as active as bungee jumping right now. How can you be sleepy!]

 

Lu Tang sat up abruptly, her face full of resentment. “It’s all your fault. If you hadn’t pushed me to hurry the marriage, I wouldn’t have been kidnapped!”

 

[You’re lying. Even if I hadn’t pushed you, your mother would still have arranged for someone to pretend to be bandits!]

 

That was indeed true.

 

Normally sharp-tongued, Lu Tang couldn’t find a retort. Frustrated, she kicked her legs and lay back down.

 

After a moment, Lu Tang said, “Why are they being so nice to me? Is there some hidden secret?”

 

In typical transmigration novels, the heroine usually had some extraordinary background.

 

It felt like if she wasn’t a princess or a marquis’s daughter, it wouldn’t fit the transmigration genre.

 

Sensing Lu Tang’s thoughts, the system coldly said, [Keep dreaming. You’re just a commoner. Stop fantasizing about grand things!]

 

“Then why are they being so nice to me and not guarding me closely? Aren’t they afraid I’ll sneak away while they’re sleeping?”

 

[They trust your brain won’t come up with a way!]

 

Lu Tang: !

 

She sat up again. “I think you are the one who swallowed my farts! Maybe they’re being nice to me because I have some other use!”

 

[Because you can make people happy! In that case, you are indeed useful!]

 

“Maybe it’s because I know all the local dialects, and they think I’m a talent?”

 

[Heh.]

 

Lu Tang: …

 

Just as she was about to retort, there was a knock on the door.

 

“Young Master Lu, are you asleep?”

 

It was Song Qingzhan’s voice.

 

Lu Tang quickly responded, “No, Brother Zhan, what’s the matter?”

 

While speaking, she got up, put on her shoes, and opened the door.

 

Song Qingzhan stood at the door with an apologetic look on his face. “There’s something we need your help with.”

 

Lu Tang immediately said, “No problem, what is it? As long as I can do it, I’ll try my best.”

 

“Can you speak the local dialect of your village?”

 

Lu Tang: !

 

“It’s like this. We plan to eradicate some bandits but need someone who speaks the local dialect to scout the area.”

 

Lu Tang’s eyes widened.

 

You mountain bandits want to eradicate other bandits?

 

Black eating black?

 

Understood.

 

Seeing Lu Tang’s expression, Song Qingzhan quickly added, “Don’t worry, it’s not far, and I will accompany you into the village. It won’t be dangerous.”

 

Lu Tang nodded in agreement.

 

After all, she was eating their food.

 

Under the bright moon, she followed Song Qingzhan out of the bandit camp.

 

Just as the system had said, the bandits didn’t closely guard her because she couldn’t escape by herself.

 

This mountain stronghold seemed…

 

Though the forest looked like it bordered the camp, they had to take a big detour to get out.

 

Without this detour, one could easily fall into the thorn-filled ravine at the edge of the camp.

 

Seeing the deep thorny gorge, Lu Tang followed closely behind Song Qingzhan.

 

Qin Mo and Brother Shan were waiting outside. When they arrived, Qin Mo glanced at Lu Tang. “So slow!”

 

Lu Tang clenched her fists, cursing inwardly: If you think it’s slow, don’t use me!

 

The four of them traversed the forest under the cover of darkness. By the time they reached the village Song Qingzhan had mentioned, it was dawn.

 

“Hey, this is Zhao Village!” Lu Tang recognized the village at a glance, looking at Song Qingzhan in surprise. “Are you going to target this place?”

 

So it wasn’t black eating black!

 

You bandits are robbing a village.

 

Lu Tang felt unwilling.

 

Seeing her expression, Qin Mo sneered, “What’s wrong with Zhao Village? Can’t there be bandits in Zhao Village?”

 

Maybe it was because of the previous embarrassing incidents or Qin Mo’s identity as the bandit leader, but Lu Tang was always a bit afraid of him.

 

Summoning her courage, she said, “Zhao Village is the original village of our county magistrate, Lord Zhao. How could there be bandits here!”

 

Qin Mo’s lips curled in mockery. “The original village? Then why was Lord Zhao at the Gu family yesterday, waiting to drink the wedding wine of Lu Shuqing!”

 

This comment left Lu Tang speechless.

 

Indeed, yesterday morning, Gu Songming had said the county magistrate had already gone to the Gu family.

 

But she couldn’t let her opinion of the county magistrate lead to harming the villagers.

 

“Anyway, if you’re planning a bandit raid, I’m willing to help. But if you’re targeting innocent villagers, I’d rather die than join you!”

 

After saying this, Lu Tang felt a surge of righteousness.

 

She straightened her back and looked at Qin Mo.

 

“You little playboy, you actually have principles?” Qin Mo glanced down at her, then turned to Feng Chunshan and said, “You and Old Song stay here and wait for my signal.”

 

Song Qingzhan quickly grabbed Qin Mo’s arm. “Let me go.”

 

Qin Mo brushed him off with a smile. “It’s fine.”

 

Lu Tang blinked, watching.

 

Why did it seem like there was something strange between Song Qingzhan and Qin Mo?

 

It felt like Song Qingzhan thought going into the village might be dangerous, and he didn’t want Qin Mo to go?

 

Ding!

 

Lu Tang’s eyes suddenly lit up with a strange new idea.