Lu Sanniang, frozen in place and unsure of what to do, quickly responded, "Y-yes!"
Lin Qingge followed Lu Sanniang to the thatched hut where the village stored its weapons.
Just as expected.
Several long swords and hunting knives were missing from inside.
"I remember there were a few bows and arrows hanging here. Where did they go?"
After hearing Lu Sanniang's muttering, Lin Qingge had confirmed most of her suspicions.
At this moment, Zhou Zeli walked over. Lu Mingxuan, following behind him, instinctively flinched upon seeing his sister.
"Reporting to you, sir, after student and Lu Mingxuan's investigation, we have identified a total of eight sets of footprints."
Lin Yan also approached and reported in a deep voice, "Sir, this mountain stronghold had a total of one hundred and eighteen people, not one was spared."
"Damn it!
Where in the world did these guys come from, to be so brazen as to come to my Lu Sanniang's territory and go on a killing spree!
If Lu Sanniang catches them, I'll skin them, pull out their tendons, and then chop them up to feed the dogs!"
Xiao Hei: Woof???
Yan Tinghao, having escaped the shadow cast by Ye Shengxiao, craned his neck to look behind Xiao Hei, "Xiao Hei, why did only you come back?
Where's Ye Shengxiao?
Don't tell me that brat escaped again in the chaos?"
"Woof woof! Woof woof!"
Xiao Hei barked twice, grabbed Lin Qingge's trouser leg, and pulled it outwards.
"Xiao Hei, did Ye Shengxiao discover something and ask you to call us over?"
Hearing Lin Qingge's words, Xiao Hei let go of her trouser leg, barked twice, and then turned to run out.
Seeing this, Lin Qingge left Murong Bai and the others, who were not skilled in martial arts, behind. She took Hua Jinrong, Lian Cheng yi, Lu Sanniang, and Yan Tinghao, who had mostly recovered, and followed Xiao Hei.
Along the way, Hua Jinrong, while hurrying with great speed, asked calmly, "Sir, have you made any progress in identifying the culprit?"
"I've guessed some things, but there are still some points I don't understand.
According to various circumstances, after massacring the entire stronghold, the culprits took several sets of male clothing from the stronghold and a few of their weapons."
Yan Tinghao's eyes widened upon hearing this, "Sir, are you implying that they killed so many people just for a few worthless sets of clothes and weapons?"
"Precisely."
"But what would the culprits want with these things?"
"That's why Constable Yan, you're still too young. You must know that these things can be used for many purposes, such as—"
Hua Jinrong deliberately drew out the end of his sentence. Lian Cheng yi, who had remained silent, completed the unfinished half of the sentence, "Such as disguising themselves as bandits and robbing caravans along the road."
"Oh, as expected of Young General Lian. It seems you've done quite a lot of similar things~
Otherwise, how would you understand it so clearly~"
Lian Cheng yi ignored Hua Jinrong's teasing and continued his analysis, "At this critical juncture, who would be passing through this road, which is the only route to the capital, besides Lord Lin, who is about to take up his post as prefect? I can't think of anyone else."
"Young General Lian, are you saying their target is you?!"
Even Yan Tinghao understood, so Lu Sanniang couldn't possibly not understand.
However, fortunately, Lu Sanniang was a reasonable person. Upon learning that the culprits had gone to such lengths with the intention of harming Lord Lin beside her, she did not take her anger out on him, but instead gnashed her teeth at the crazed culprits!
"They harmed innocent people and attempted to assassinate a high-ranking official of the court. There must be someone behind those culprits.
And you, sir, have been promoted to the fourth-rank prefect. To dare to take such drastic action against a prefect, if they don't have celestial power, they must be a high-ranking official like the Prime Minister."
"Tsk, tsk, I didn't expect Constable Yan to be so quick-witted sometimes.
Perhaps it really is the Prime Minister, who knows~"
Yan Tinghao, who felt no pleasure from the compliment, cast a glance at the sarcastic Master Hua, then turned to look at his lord with concern, patting his chest and assuring, "Sir, please rest assured, even if I have to go through fire and boiling water, I will protect you!"
"Alright, even sliced and fried in oil, you wouldn't taste good. Why are you trying to show off?"
Lin Qingge retorted after scolding Yan Tinghao and made a shushing gesture to everyone.
Because Xiao Hei had stopped in the distance.
Immediately after, Ye Shengxiao, who Yan Tinghao had said had escaped, descended from the trees like the wind and said in a low voice, "Sir, I've discovered a group of suspicious individuals.
They are all quite skilled in martial arts, yet they are disguised as bandits and ambushing on both sides of the official road, as if waiting for someone."
"They should be waiting for me."
"Wh—"
Just as Ye Shengxiao was about to exclaim, Hua Jinrong, quick with his hands, covered his mouth with the handle of his fan.
"Ah, what a shame~"
With that, Hua Jinrong disdainfully threw his folding fan onto the nearby grass, then took out a brand new folding fan from his sleeve and held it in his hand.
Ye Shengxiao, who was almost stabbed in the throat: ...
"Sir, what should we do now?"
"Does this even need asking? Let's fight!"
Lu Sanniang, with her fiery temper, finished speaking, drew the whip from her waist, and made to charge forward.
Lin Qingge quickly pulled her back and then asked Ye Shengxiao, who was retching incessantly, "How many of them are there?"
"Gag...
R-reporting to you, sir, those guys are not bad at martial arts. Anyone of them is stronger than I am. I was afraid of being discovered by them, so I didn't dare to get too close.
But judging by the footsteps, there should be less than ten."
Lin Qingge habitually rubbed her chin and said thoughtfully, "There aren't that many people either."
Seeing this, Hua Jinrong curved the corner of his lips and said, "Sir, you're not thinking of some trick again, are you~"
"How can it be called a trick?
I am a rare great philanthropist in the world. They went to such great lengths and killed so many people just to create a false impression that I was attacked and killed by bandits while en route to the capital.
Since they've already sharpened their knives against me, shouldn't I retaliate appropriately?"
"You are right, sir~"
"However, our preparations are not sufficient. Ye Shengxiao, stay to continue monitoring their movements. The rest, return with me first."
As night fell.
A carriage sped along the official road.
But as it passed the crucial route from Ying Tian Prefecture to Shun Tian Prefecture, a group of masked robbers suddenly appeared on both sides of the road!
The leader of the robbers let out a fierce roar:
"Hah!
This mountain is not opened by me, this tree is not planted by me. If you want to pass here, leave your lives behind!"
The coachman driving the carriage did not panic too much. He tightened the reins and replied with an aura that was no less than the robbers', "Who dares to be so bold?
Don't you know that the person in this carriage is the new prefect, Lin Jingxing, who is about to take up his post in Shun Tian Prefecture?"
"Yo ho, a prefect, is he!
They say ten prefects, nine are corrupt, and one is a pervert. Brothers, let us act on behalf of Heaven today and eliminate this scourge for the people!"
Following the order of the leading robber, the subordinates behind him rushed to the carriage and began hacking wildly without question.
"Ah, stop, no..."
After a brief exclamation, there was a deathly silence.
???
The real robbers, who were hiding in the dark and had not yet revealed themselves, were all bewildered as they watched the blood flowing from the gaps in the carriage.