Chapter Seventy-Seven: Mutual Destruction!

Li Yun told a small lie.

The main reason was that the man surnamed Yang seemed quite sharp—not someone easily deceived. He might privately question the members of the Bandit Suppression Squad, and if anyone let something slip, Li Yun would find it hard to cover up his story. If Yang discovered that Li Yun had led more than one group up the mountain last night, he would surely deduce who the unfamiliar “bandits” in Shiwang Stronghold really were.

Of course, Li Yun had not lied entirely.

There were indeed rebels from Hexi in the Cangshan Stronghold. The young man Meng Hai from Hexi Village had been present last night and was still at Shiwang Stronghold, helping Liu Bo find people.

On this level, Li Yun’s words were not untrue.

Most members of the Bandit Suppression Squad had followed Li Yun to Shidai to quell unrest, and all were familiar with the affairs of Hexi Village. Even those who hadn’t been there had heard plenty from their colleagues and understood the gravity of the situation. Each one thumped their chest and promised not to breathe a word.

Li Yun surveyed the group and smiled, saying, “Very well then, brothers—let’s make a pact here. No one will speak of last night’s events. If anyone does, dragging down his fellows—”

“I, Li Zhao, will not forgive him.”

The threat in Li Yun’s words was perhaps greater than the mention of “Hexi rebels.” In the past months, he had displayed absolute prowess before his colleagues; to the Bandit Suppression Squad, he was a truly invincible force.

Such a warning from a strong man could not be ignored.

After all, among these twenty-odd constables, few could match Li Yun in a bout. If it came to fists, Li Yun could take on all of them single-handedly—it wasn’t impossible.

After his stern words, the leader reached into his robes and finally drew out an irregular gold nugget. It was sizeable, weighing nearly half a pound.

He looked at the men and smiled. “Last night, you all risked your lives. I can’t let you suffer. This gold was found in Shiwang Stronghold. Let’s split it now, lest those in the prefecture snatch it away.”

He turned to Chen Da and asked with a smile, “Chen Da, shall we divide the gold here, or will you exchange it for cash in Qingyang and split it among the brothers?”

Chen Da swallowed, replying, “Chief, we don’t have scissors here.”

Li Yun laughed, stuffing the gold nugget into his hand. “Then it’s up to you. Once in Qingyang, exchange it for cash and share it out.”

He fixed his expression and continued, “No embezzling—divide it equally.”

“For the two fallen brothers, handle their affairs properly. The compensation—I’ll deliver it personally to their families after I return.”

Chen Da acknowledged, raised his head, and asked, “Chief, from your words, are you not returning to Qingyang with us?”

Li Yun shook his head, glanced outside, and said in a low voice, “Those Hexi rebels are a threat. For the brothers’ sake, I need a few days to deal with them.”

“You all go back first.”

Li Yun thought for a moment and added, “If the county magistrate returns and asks after me, just say I’m recuperating from an injury.”

Chen Da nodded, then grinned, “Chief, you might not know, but when you’re not at the county office, the magistrate seldom asks where you are. It’s Miss Xue who often comes to ask after you.”

Li Yun shot him a glare, and Chen Da quickly shrank back, saying nothing.

Only then did the chief look at the others and say slowly, “Alright, brothers, rest up and return to Qingyang when you’re ready. Once I’ve dealt with this trouble, I’ll come back and treat you all to drinks!”

The men cheered.

Before leaving, Li Yun pulled Chen Da aside and said, “Chen Da, if any outsider comes to the county office asking after me—”

Chen Da was solemn, “I don’t know.”

Li Yun finally smiled, nodded, and patted his shoulder. “Good lad!”

Chen Da grinned and looked up at Li Yun, suddenly saying, “Chief, if you ever need anything, don’t forget me.”

Li Yun paused, then patted his shoulder and laughed, “Rest assured—I wouldn’t forget you if I forgot everyone else.”

…

After bidding farewell to the Bandit Suppression Squad, Li Yun once again took the mountain path up Shiwang Peak.

He was adept at traversing these mountain roads, and by afternoon, he arrived at Shiwang Stronghold. By then, Liu Bo, Li Zheng, and the others had already searched the stronghold inside and out.

Apart from finding two or three dozen “bandit family members” hidden away, there was nothing else. In other words, at least a hundred or two people from Shiwang Stronghold had vanished without a trace!

When Li Yun returned, Li Zheng and the others were boiling rice in a pot. Seeing him, Li Zheng hurried over, smiling, “Second Brother, you must be hungry? It’ll be ready soon.”

Life in the stronghold was often barebones—meals were just whatever could be managed. Li Yun said nothing more, took the chief seat in the hall, and asked, “It’s been half a day—no one found?”

Liu Bo ladled a bowl of rice porridge in front of him and shook his head, “It’s strange. It’s as if they disappeared. Third Uncle has gone to search the rear of Shiwang Peak; maybe he’ll find their hiding place.”

Li Zheng brought his own bowl, sat beside Li Yun, and after a mouthful, mumbled, “Second Brother, do you think they escaped beforehand?”

Li Yun shook his head, “Impossible. From Old Tong’s return to our arrival, it’s only been a few days. Shiwang Stronghold’s decades-old foundation—it’s not so easy to abandon.”

“That man surnamed Tu also said there was infighting in Shiwang Stronghold. If there was infighting, it’s even less likely they just left.”

“Besides…”

The chief tapped the table lightly and said, “Even if Old Tong suffered losses, he couldn’t have expected us to arrive so quickly. He wouldn’t abandon the stronghold and flee without a fight.”

Li Yun sipped his rice porridge and asked, “Could they be hiding in a secret chamber?”

“We checked them all.” Liu Bo drank half his bowl of porridge in one go and said, “Found plenty of valuables, but no people.”

Just as the three brothers were discussing, the tall Zhou Liang strode in. He was standing straight, but upon seeing Li Yun, quickly bent his waist and cupped his hands, “Chief!”

Li Yun looked up and smiled, “Third Uncle, did you find them?”

Zhou Liang’s expression was odd, “Found them.”

Li Yun smiled, “In the rear of Shiwang Peak?”

“Yes.” Zhou Liang nodded, “In a mountain cave, over a hundred people hidden away—but the situation is a bit strange.”

Li Yun pulled him to sit and signaled Liu Bo to serve up a bowl of porridge. When the bowl arrived, the chief finally said amiably, “No rush—take your time.”

Zhou Liang drank half the bowl in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and told Li Yun, “Chief, the people in that cave are split into two groups, wary of each other. Both sides bear wounds.”

“It seems, before we arrived—”

Zhou Liang finished the rest of his porridge and said with a laugh, “They’ve already fought.”

The chief nodded, stroking his chin, “One side must be Old Tong; the other…”

Li Yun looked at Liu Bo and asked, “Their second-in-command—what’s his name?”

“Ying Hao!” Liu Bo answered without hesitation, gritting his teeth.

Li Yun narrowed his eyes and murmured, “It must be those two. Their third, he died in Cangshan.”

Standing up, Li Yun smiled, “Third Uncle, do they still have the strength to resist?”

Zhou Liang shook his head, “The real bandits in that cave are all wounded. The rest are family members. Huzi took over twenty men—none of them have the ability to resist now.”

“Good.”

“Come, Ninth Brother,” Li Yun patted Liu Bo’s shoulder with a smile. “Let’s go take a look!”

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(End of chapter)