Chapter 171: A Small Test

Chapter 171: A Small Test

"Miss, it's snowing!" Xiaolian pointed outside to remind Xin You.

Xin You stepped out of the bookstore's main door and looked up at the sky.

The sky was grey and misty, with snowflakes drifting down gracefully. She reached out her hand to catch the snow, which consisted of fine snow particles.

This kind of light snow had fallen two or three times since winter began. Whether it would turn into heavy snowfall tonight, when the incident was expected to occur, remained to be seen.

However, it would clearly be too late to arrange an ambush if they waited until then.

The number of bandits was unknown, and Xin You wasn’t willing to take the risk of waiting. She arranged for someone to secretly deliver a message to He Qingxiao.

If Lord He's men made a wasted trip, she believed that offering some compensation would prevent too much dissatisfaction among them.

Upon receiving the message, He Qingxiao instructed Yan Chao to take action.

Fifty Jinlin Guards, dressed in civilian clothes, entered Qingsong Bookstore one after another, pretending to be book buyers. Under Liu Zhou's guidance, they quietly dispersed near the warehouse.

As for how to conceal themselves, these Jinlin Guards had their own experience.

Xin You met He Qingxiao in the reception room of the book hall.

He Qingxiao walked in confidently, making no attempt to hide his identity. Being a regular customer, others were already used to it.

"Thank you, Lord He, for sending so many people to help," Xin You said. She didn’t mind the cost of hiring help, only feared she couldn’t get enough. The arrival of more Jinlin Guards than expected eased her tension considerably.

"As long as Miss Kou doesn't mind the crowd," He Qingxiao replied. With his sharpness, he naturally could guess that Xin You would reward his men for their assistance.

If it were someone else, they might think he sent more men to make a profit, but fortunately, it was Miss Kou.

He took the initiative to increase the number of men not for any other reason but to ensure her safety was maximized.

Unfortunately, Miss Kou only asked to borrow his men.

"How could I? With these people, I feel much more at ease," Xin You replied. She considered the possibility that the incident might not happen tonight, and changed her tone, "If the bandits don't strike tonight, I will have to trouble Lord He again."

He Qingxiao smiled, "The yamen has been quiet lately; feel free to borrow my men as many times as you need."

Here, he probed, "Do you need me to step in—"

Xin You declined with a smile, "With Lord He's men, I can handle it. There's no need to trouble you."

He Qingxiao's probe failed, and he sighed inwardly.

Of course, he was rejected.

"Then I wish Miss Kou all the best," He Qingxiao said, raising his teacup as a toast.

Xin You saw He Qingxiao off at the bookstore's door, watching his ink-colored figure disappear into the snowy dusk.

As night fell completely, the people at the bookstore ended their day-long busyness. After dinner, they fell asleep as soon as they touched their pillows. Only the on-duty guards were still moving outside.

All the rooms were dark. Standing in the shadows, Xin You noticed, with the help of the light from the lanterns under the eaves nearby, that the snowfall had suddenly become heavier.

In an instant, the fine snow turned into heavy snowflakes, quickly covering the roofs and the ground with a white layer.

Xin You was ninety percent sure that the incident would happen tonight.

She didn't wear much, not even a cloak, for the sake of mobility. Her ink-colored tight-fitting clothes blended perfectly with the night.

At this moment, many others blended with the night, some of whom she knew and some who were uninvited.

Xin You's eyes were calm as she quietly searched.

The two guards guarding the warehouse shivered from the cold, cursing as they dodged under the eaves, stomping their feet to avoid the snow.

The Jinlin Guards hiding nearby felt even colder because they couldn't move, which bred dissatisfaction.

"The leader didn't make it clear how long we'd have to wait. Is he making us freeze here?" one Jinlin Guard whispered in complaint.

"Shh, there's movement!"

Indeed, there was movement.

Captain Yang approached.

To check how attentive the guards were on duty, Captain Yang didn't even carry a lantern and deliberately lightened his steps.

Xin You held her breath as she watched Captain Yang suddenly stop and without hesitation, flick the stone he was holding.

The cold light broke through the night sky. The long blade was deflected by the stone, emitting a crisp sound.

Captain Yang, being the leader of over a hundred guards, was quite skilled. He quickly dodged the ambush and, while fighting the man with the blade, shouted, "There are bandits!"

The two guards guarding the warehouse looked at each other.

Upon hearing Captain Yang's shout, one of them looked suspicious and instinctively reached for the warning gong.

The other showed a ferocious expression and drew a dagger from his sleeve to stab his companion. A scream rang out, but it wasn't from the companion; it was his.

Yan Chao, who was hiding nearby, put away his crossbow, drew his blade, and rushed forward.

When Captain Yang shouted, the bandits who had sneaked in rushed out, followed by the ambushing Jinlin Guards.

On one side were the well-armed Jinlin Guards, fifty in number. On the other side were the bandits, armed with blades, clubs, and the warehouse guard-turned-traitor, numbering just over ten.

The disparity in numbers and strength was immense, and in less than two quarters of an hour, the fight was over.

More than half of the dozen masked men were killed, and the remaining ones were all injured, screaming incessantly.

The leader, Yan Chao, looked at Xin You approaching with a complex expression on his face.

With just this small number of bandits, was it really necessary for fifty Jinlin Guards to join forces?

"Thank you for your hard work." In front of the bandits, Xin You did not directly reveal Yan Chao's identity.

"What do you plan to do with these people?" Yan Chao asked.

Xin You, with a thick cloak placed over her by Xiaolian, said with lips pale from the cold, "Send them to the authorities first thing in the morning!"

The next morning, the entire capital was covered in a silver blanket of snow, with thick layers accumulated on the roads.

The side door of Qingsong Bookstore opened, and the bookstore guards led by Captain Yang filed out, quickly attracting many eyes.

Onlookers watched as two guards carried out a frame, preceded by another, with a cloth covering the frame, the shape beneath it clearly a person.

Then another frame was carried out, and then another.

"What's going on?" People, with heightened curiosity due to less work in the cold weather, keenly sensed something was amiss.

"It looks like—" The person suddenly widened their eyes.

A hand slid out from under the cloth on one of the frames being carried.

"My goodness, it's really a person!" After a brief pause, the person exclaimed.

The spectators buzzed with excitement.

Then, several men in black were seen being dragged out, bound and pushed by the guards.

"What happened?" Unable to contain their curiosity, someone boldly approached to ask.

Liu Zhou, walking behind Xin You, responded loudly, "Let the neighbors know that last night, these dozen or so bandits broke into the bookstore to rob us. Fortunately, our guards were capable, killing nine and capturing five alive. They are all being sent to the authorities now!"

This announcement caused even more of a stir.

From houses, alleys, and nooks, many people magically appeared, following the group from Qingsong Bookstore in a large procession towards the authorities.

"What's happening, what's happening?" People who encountered the group halfway asked and quickly joined in.

With the New Year approaching, new topics for conversation were needed, after all.