"You make it sound so easy," Liu Pingkang said. "Do you have any idea that these are major criminals wanted by the imperial court? If you take them away, how is that any different from asking for our lives? Today, you either leave the people behind, or you leave your lives behind."
If this family simply had bad luck and died on the way to exile, the escorts wouldn't bear much responsibility. However, if they were abducted by this gang, the imperial court would investigate, and the escorts might be convicted as accomplices. Every escort knew the gravity of the situation. Therefore, they all drew their swords and surrounded the family.
The other families who had originally gathered around quickly took this opportunity to hide far away.
