Chapter 520 Our whereabouts will not be exposed, will they

These mountain bandits, after being told to hide, truly did not leave their area and simply concealed themselves. Many among them were originally common folk, and now, by hiding, they had reverted to being common folk. Hiding was an extremely easy matter for them. However, within their mountain stronghold, they had grown accustomed to a lavish lifestyle. Therefore, even after returning to civilian life, they continued to live extravagantly. After all, the wealth they possessed far exceeded that of ordinary commoners. With so much money in their hands, they couldn't possibly spend it all at once. Consequently, after becoming civilians again, they lived even more comfortably than true commoners. When Lin Tian's army arrived, they discovered that all the mountain bandits had vanished. This was a situation none of them had ever encountered before. Because of this, they were filled with endless questions. "Why are none of the mountain bandits here? Have they fled this place?" "They took all their money and provisions, even their warhorses. It looks like they've really left!" "These damnable mountain bandits, do they think they can escape? Even if they flee now, we will surely catch up to them and make them pay with their lives!" The Qin soldiers held the mountain bandits in extreme contempt. Knowing they might have escaped only fueled their anger further. Curses and reprimands echoed incessantly. After venting their frustration, they were unwilling to linger there any longer and wanted to search elsewhere for the bandits. Many among them had already resolved in their hearts that no matter where they had to pursue, they would catch these bandits. And what the mountain bandits wanted was precisely for them to have such determination, for them to pursue. Only if they pursued would the bandits completely lose their trail. It had to be said that these mountain bandits were exceptionally clever, and their plan was very well-conceived. However, their cleverness could deceive ordinary soldiers. But for Lin Tian, it had little effect. Through subtle clues, Lin Tian quickly discovered that the mountain bandits in this stronghold had not collectively fled. If they had fled en masse, they would have stuck together, and their escape routes would have been identical. Furthermore, they would have departed simultaneously to ensure their collective strength. But now, there was no sign of them departing at the same time. Their footprints were also not as neat as one would expect from a synchronized departure. Instead, they were mostly chaotic. Many footprints even circled within the stronghold. If they were truly desperately fleeing, such a situation would not have occurred. Therefore, Lin Tian was certain that they had left in batches. Moreover, when they left, they did not appear to be in a great hurry. It was as if they were entirely confident, departing slowly. After they left, the tracks of many of them scattered. Seeing this, Lin Tian had already formed a general guess in his heart. "These people probably haven't fled this place, nor have they gone elsewhere!" "Not gone elsewhere? How is that possible? There isn't a single person here now. If they haven't gone elsewhere, have they burrowed into a hole to hide?" "They have indeed hidden themselves, but they haven't gone into a hole. They've likely gone home!" "Gone home? Do those mountain bandits have homes?" The mountain bandits were infamous for their wickedness and unrestrained behavior. Their most common activities were looting and pillaging. Therefore, in the eyes of many, mountain bandits had no homes. In the eyes of even more people, they were simply a pack of beasts. How could a pack of beasts possibly have their own homes? Thus, they were very confused by Lin Tian's statement. However, Lin Tian did not offer them much explanation. Instead, he directly stated, "Their homes are likely within the city, and perhaps some are in very influential positions!" "So, we might as well investigate and see if they have returned to their homes!" "Alright, let's investigate then!" Upon hearing Lin Tian's words, the Qin soldiers did not hesitate and immediately entered the city to investigate. Their entry into the city naturally caused panic among those mountain bandits. They had originally assumed that once the Qin soldiers discovered they had fled, they would not remain there but would pursue them elsewhere. If that were the case, they would have been completely safe. To their surprise, these soldiers did not pursue them anywhere; instead, they entered the city. Moreover, judging by their demeanor, they seemed to be investigating something within the city. This discovery made them restless. "Have... have our whereabouts been exposed?!" "No, absolutely not. Those Qin people are formidable, but they definitely don't know we've returned to our homes. They definitely won't find us!" "What if, what if the Qin soldiers really discover us?" "If they truly discover us, then we are finished. All of us are finished!" With their strength, they were utterly incapable of resisting the Qin army's offensive. Once the Qin army discovered them, their fate would be as they described – they would be finished. They wouldn't even need to resist; their path would lead only to death. Therefore, in their hearts, they silently prayed, hoping not to be discovered. However, despite their hopes, events did not unfold in the direction they desired. As the Qin army began to investigate the whereabouts of these mountain bandits, they soon discovered that a portion of them were indeed hidden within the city. They lived like ordinary commoners, returning to their lives as civilians. However, the wealth they inadvertently displayed made them stand out. Although these discovered individuals were only a small portion, the Qin soldiers were largely convinced that the mountain bandits were hidden within the city. Therefore, without hesitation, they intensified their search. This search continued for an entire day. After a full day, they had finally pinpointed the locations of most of them. Upon receiving this report, Lin Tian did not hesitate and directly issued an order, "Since their locations have been confirmed, let our men act directly!" "First, apprehend a portion of them for interrogation. Once we have interrogated them to reveal the whereabouts of all of them, then we will deal with all of them!" "Yes!" After Lin Tian issued this command, the Qin soldiers immediately put it into action. Soon, a large number of mountain bandits were apprehended. When they were captured, they still attempted to argue and deny everything. However, the Qin soldiers had already confirmed their whereabouts and identities, so their denials were of no use. After a period of interrogation, they quickly admitted their identities and confessed everything they knew. The locations of a large number of mountain bandits were revealed. Among these, the most frequently disclosed were the locations of their leaders. ...