HRPM – Chapter 329 He seems quite handsome.

A fragmented flash of white light suddenly passed through Xiao Luo’s mind. Blurred figures flickered before his eyes, accompanied by indistinct voices.

But the moment he tried to grasp those fragments, they vanished completely, as though what he had just experienced had been nothing more than a dream.

“Jin Luoluo, where did you hear that deadpan joke?”

Xiao Luo frowned and looked at her seriously.

“In a book, of course! It’s not like I came up with it myself.”

“Which book?” he pressed.

That question stumped Jin Luoluo.

Resting her chin on one hand, she searched her memory.

“It was probably The Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Humor. Or maybe The Ultimate Joke Collection. Hmm… or was it Selected Deadpan Jokes?”

The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

Finally, she shrugged.

“My conclusion is that I’ve read too many books, so I can’t remember which one it was. Just pick whichever answer you like. They’re all basically the same.”

Xiao Luo nearly collapsed in exasperation.

How could he just “pick one at random”?

Her answer had been no answer at all. It failed to stir any further memories in him.

Perhaps it had simply been a momentary lapse of consciousness. He decided not to dwell on it.

“Hey, they always say that the land beneath the Son of Heaven’s feet is the safest place in the empire. So why are there mountain bandits operating just outside a town near the imperial capital? Aren’t you officials living off the imperial salary a little too irresponsible? You’ve actually let a bandit stronghold keep terrorizing people. What if they rob one of our merchant caravans? Do you know how devastating those losses would be?”

“So far, only a handful of merchants have been robbed. The situation isn’t too serious yet. Don’t worry—they haven’t robbed your family… otherwise you’d probably have exploded by now.”

Xiao Luo shot her a sidelong glance.

Jin Luoluo rubbed her nose and laughed.

“If they robbed my family’s goods, I definitely wouldn’t let you officials who get paid without doing your jobs off the hook. So how many bandits are there? And how are you planning to attack their stronghold?”

“There are several hundred of them. More importantly, these aren’t just a mob of rabble. Every one of them is as strong as an ox, and some even know martial arts. The terrain around their stronghold is also quite complicated, full of places that are easy to defend and difficult to assault. Their defenses are solid, with sentries posted at numerous locations. We need to find a point where we can break through.”

Xiao Luo stared thoughtfully at the markings on the map, deep in contemplation.

Jin Luoluo silently watched him.

Under the soft lamplight, his head was slightly bowed, his expression serious and composed—a world apart from his usual carefree demeanor. His long, thick eyelashes quivered gently as he pondered his strategy.

Looking at the Black-Bellied Prince like this…

…he was actually rather handsome.