Chapter 282: The Cicada and the Mantis

Chapter 282: The Cicada and the Mantis

After everything was arranged, Xin You finally explained to He Qingxiao: "Those two escorting the bandits would bring about a calamity involving bloodshed. I suspect they were harmed by the First Boss and his men who came to Ling County for leisure."

Upon hearing this, He Qingxiao's expression gradually turned grave.

The reason he had his two subordinates wait until they had departed before sending the bandits to the yamen was to avoid adding any unexpected risks to the group. As previously mentioned, Miss Xin's safety was the top priority.

But this was considering the worst-case scenario, and it had actually happened.

The trees were tall with dense foliage, and the two hiding in the trees stopped talking, their gaze piercing through the gaps in the leaves, silently watching below.

On the tree closest to where Xin You was hiding, Qian Feng and Ping An were concealed. Unlike others who were intently watching below, their attention was entirely focused on the adjacent tree.

At this point, the two were still frowning deeply.

They were supposed to accompany the young master, but He Qingxiao had taken their place again. They wanted to insist, but the young master wouldn't allow it.

They couldn't help but feel puzzled about how other bodyguards managed their duties.

Someone was coming.

The bandit troubles had caused widespread panic, and further south, the area was plagued by heavy rains and disasters. The official road, some distance from the county town, was flanked by wilderness, and it was rare for anyone to pass by.

A young couple arrived, walking on foot, their expressions tense.

Xin You watched the woman carrying a satchel and frequently looking around, increasingly aware of the impact the bandit troubles had on the local populace.

Later, a few carriages passed by, and Xin You's ears twitched as she exchanged a glance with He Qingxiao.

The sound of galloping hooves was urgent, and it seemed there were more than just three or five horses.

From their high vantage point, they soon saw a group of people riding towards them. The man at the front wasn't moving fast, and after looking around, he gestured with his hand and dismounted first.

The others followed suit, waiting for the leader's instructions.

The Sixth Boss, his mouth gagged, was in shock.

It was the First Boss!

"Let's do it here," the First Boss said, testing the vegetation on both sides of the road with his knife, and giving instructions to the men he had brought.

There were more than ten of them, and soon four were driving the horses towards a dense forest not far to one side, while the remaining ten or so, including the First Boss, hid in the undergrowth.

It was the height of summer, and the vegetation was at its peak. The dozen or so men hidden within were like predators lying in wait for their prey, their eyes gleaming with ferocity.

"Giddy-up, giddy-up—"

Two figures on horseback approached from the direction of Ling County.

"They're here," the First Boss in the undergrowth tightened his grip on his knife.

In the tree, Xin You held her breath and prepared herself.

The two Jinlin Guard members in plain clothes quickly approached on horseback. As a bird call sounded, a horse tripping rope suddenly tightened, the horses' legs gave way, and the riders were thrown forward.

Just as the two were flung off, the First Boss stood up and waved his hand.

The bandits ambushed on both sides of the mountain rose together, holding knives and rushing towards the middle of the road.

The long blade, which had drunk the blood of countless people, gleamed coldly in the sunlight as the bandit raised it, his expression ferocious.

The bandit's ferocious expression suddenly froze, and with a scream, he fell forward.

Xin You leaped down from the tree and strode towards the bandit, who was writhing in pain.

The two Jinlin Guard, momentarily confused by the situation, looked at He Qingxiao as he approached: "Lord He—"

In their panic, they forgot the alias used to conceal his identity during the journey.

"Good work," He Qingxiao acknowledged with a nod, coming to a halt before the Sixth Boss.

When the Sixth Boss saw He Qingxiao's face, his expression changed drastically, and he blurted out, "Lord He!"

At this moment, a Jinlin Guard who had finished inspecting the scene reported, "Lord, three alive, seven dead."

"Clean up and take them to the forest ahead."

Seeing the Sixth Boss being pushed by a Jinlin Guard, the Sixth Boss's eyes blazed with fury: "Old Six, it's you!"

"Ugh—" The Sixth Boss, with his mouth gagged, couldn't speak, his face full of grievance.

It wasn't him; he lacked such capability.

It was him!

The Sixth Boss suddenly looked at Xin You.

The young man, walking amidst the group of youths, had not yet fully grown, his body thin, his appearance youthful, yet his demeanor exuded an indescribable calm and mystery.

Yes, mystery.

While the Eldest Young Master certainly frightened him, this young man made him feel a sense of mystery.

This mystery bred an indescribable fear within him.

How did he know the Sixth Boss would ambush the two men taking Xiao Ba to the county office?

How did he know the Sixth Boss would choose this spot for the ambush?

And how did he know that he and his brothers were lying in wait on the hillside, ready to ambush the merchant convoy?

The more the Sixth Boss pondered, the more terror gripped him. Despite the blazing sun, a cold shiver ran through his limbs, and his heart thundered like a drum.

Just then, Xin You glanced at the Sixth Boss.

The Sixth Boss shuddered, his head lolled, and he fainted in fear.

The Jinlin Guard hauling the Sixth Boss looked utterly bewildered: "Lord, this bandit just passed out."

"Take him over first," He Qingxiao said coolly.

From the way the Sixth Boss addressed He Qingxiao, Xin You had pieced together his background. She walked over, gave him a once-over, and said coldly, "The Sixth Boss is quite something, scaring his man into fainting with a word."

The Sixth Boss, just coming to after being roughly dragged, turned ashen at her words.

The Sixth Boss, an arrow lodged in his shoulder, clenched his lips tightly against the pain, but he still held onto hope.

They still had four men guarding the horses in the forest. If even one escaped back to the stronghold, they'd have bargaining power.

When they reached the woods, the Big Boss turned pale at the sight of four bodies laid on the ground.

"How on earth did you know?" His extreme confusion made him forget his pain and fear, and he roared.

After calming down, the Big Boss realized that these people had been lying in wait and that it had nothing to do with the Sixth Boss's betrayal.

Even if the Sixth Boss had betrayed him and told these people he was in Ling County, how could they have known when he would leave the city?

Unless—

The Big Boss's face changed, and he gritted his teeth, cursing, "That traitor, Magistrate Zheng Ming!"

He Qingxiao, being extremely sharp, immediately thought of a possibility upon hearing this: the Big Boss and Magistrate Zheng Ming of Ling County had long been secretly colluding.

If that were the case, it would explain why the bandit activities near Ling County had been so rampant recently, yet the authorities had done nothing.

"You are under the command of the traitor Wu Yanting, aren't you?"

In April, Wu Yanting, the commander of the capital garrison, led his troops south and fled, only to be later annihilated, but some scattered soldiers remained unaccounted for.

Considering the time the Big Boss had occupied Wuyun Village and his recognition of He Qingxiao as the commander of the Jinlin Guard, it was certain that this man was a remnant of Wu Yanting's forces.

The Big Boss's pupils contracted, and in his shock, he cursed loudly, "No wonder that dog traitor Zheng Ming hurriedly informed me that officers passing by had captured our brothers from the village but didn't reveal it was the Jinlin Guard. So he knew about my traitor status and teamed up with the Jinlin Guard to capture us for merit."

Listening to the Big Boss's curses, the Sixth Boss felt dizzy.

The Big Boss was actually a rebel!

The magistrate was actually colluding with bandits!

The people who captured him were actually the Jinlin Guard!

Heavens, he was just a small bandit, why did he have to go through all this!

Amid the Big Boss's curses, He Qingxiao looked at Xin You.

The Big Boss had inadvertently revealed his relationship with the magistrate of Ling County, not because he was foolish, but because their ambush had forced him to come up with a reasonable explanation: Magistrate Zheng Ming was a double agent.

And this misunderstanding was all because of her.

Xin You suddenly spoke up, "Qianfeng, go fetch paper and pen from the luggage."