"We have tried everything else. Don't forget, we are desperate here." The old man's face twisted into an ugly, sneering mask of malice and desperation.
"Don't look at me like I'm a monster! I'm talking about our survival!"
"We just have to rob her or kidnap her, it's that simple!"
"She's alone, and did you see the way she walks? That aloof, high-and-mighty attitude… she's definitely some rich family's pampered young lady!"
"Her family's pockets are probably bottomless. We demand a massive ransom!"
"Or at the very least, we strip her of those fine silk robes, snatch her jewelry, and force her to cough up every single silver coin and food she has!"
"After all she has to pay tax for staying in our village, right?"
A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the gathered elders.
"Y-You've completely lost your mind, Old Jiang!" one of the elderly women gasped, clutching her chest.
But despite her words, her voice quivered.
