Chapter 289: Return to the Mountain

Chapter 289: Return to the Mountain

Facing County Magistrate Yang's question, Xin You smiled. "I talked to their hearts, made them see reason, and tempted them with rewards."

Well, mainly I can bluff and I’ve got the cash.

County Magistrate Yang slowly nodded, clearly impressed.

Master Xin is really something else. He can talk sense into bandits just by talking.

"County Magistrate Yang, who can you rely on?" He Qingxiao asked.

County Magistrate Yang knew the yamen's workings well and answered without hesitation. "Although Lu Dianshi has a decent relationship with Zheng Ming, clarifying the stakes should make him a reliable option."

A dianshi is basically an officer who handles arrests. Although not a high-ranking official, he was a big deal in the county.

"I will gather the people we need," County Magistrate Yang cupped his hands.

Young Master Xin had already accomplished the tough job of winning over the bandits. Dealing with bandits was the local government’s job. If he can't even get people together, he's not fit to be county magistrate.

It was still early evening in summer, and the mountain road leading to Wuyun Village was quiet and deserted. Only one person was sprinting.

"Who?" The guard on duty was dozing off but jerked awake when he heard the noise, lifting the lamp to peer down.

"It's me, Sixth Boss!"

The guard took a closer look and recognized him. "Sixth Boss, why did you come back alone?"

"Let me in first, and I'll explain!"

The guard climbed down from the watchtower and hurried to open the gate.

"Sixth Boss, where are the other brothers?"

The Sixth Boss wiped his face and muttered hoarsely, "They're all dead!"

"Ah?" The guard's eyes widened.

The Sixth Boss walked quickly inside. "Something serious has gone down. We need to get the brothers together right away."

The village alarm bell rang, echoing through the mountains and startling wildlife. Those resting in the village hurried to the meeting hall, whether they had been resting or not.

"The Sixth Boss is back. How was the haul?"

They usually didn't rob near the mountain village. It was common to be away for several days when they had a big haul.

The Sixth Boss waved his hand and sighed. "Don't mention it. Something went wrong!"

"Something went wrong? Did it go wrong?"

"Yes, I don't see Xiao Ba and the others."

The Sixth Boss was bombarded with questions by the brothers until the Second Boss arrived.

"Sixth Brother, what's going on?"

The bandits surrounding the Sixth Boss instinctively stood behind him, while the outsiders stood with the Second Boss.

The others didn’t overthink it, but Sixth Boss noticed the reactions of the old comrades and gained more confidence in what they were preparing to do.

"Something’s terribly wrong! Big Boss and the others are dead!"

As soon as Sixth Boss said this, everyone burst into an uproar.

Fifth Boss lunged over and grabbed Sixth Boss by the collar, "What happened to Big Boss and the others?! Tell me exactly what happened!"

Everyone knew that Big Boss and Fourth Boss had taken some trusted men to Ling County for fun. Once they got back, it would be Second Boss and the others’ turn to go enjoy themselves in the city.

At this time, the leaders in the mountain stronghold were Second Boss, Third Boss, Fifth Boss, and the newly returned Sixth Boss.

"Ahem, I barely escaped with my life, Fifth Bro, let go of me quick!"

"Old Five."

At Second Boss’s command, Fifth Boss let go, glaring at Sixth Boss with a furious expression.

Sixth Boss coughed a couple of times and began, "Two days ago, I led the men to rob a merchant convoy. Unexpectedly, a whole bunch of riders came after us. They had crossbows and took out a lot of our men as soon as they showed up. Seeing things were going south, we hauled ass out of there, but in the end, I was the only one who made it out alive."

Recounting the clash with Xin You and her group, even though Sixth Boss was lying, the fear and panic on his face were real.

Second Boss frowned and asked, "If this happened two days ago, why are you just getting back now?"

Sixth Boss calmed his breath and said, "I was chased by those guys, and in the panic, I took a wrong turn. It took me forever to find my way back, and I discovered I wasn’t far from Ling County."

Sixth Boss patted his clothes, forced a bitter smile, and said, "I didn’t feel like going into the city, so I stopped at a tea stall outside to grab some food and take a break. But I never expected—"

His face twitched as he fought to hold back his fear.

Second Boss and the others held their breath, waiting for him to go on.

"I saw them again—those guys!" Sixth Boss took a shaky breath, his voice still quivering, "They were dressed in fancy official uniforms, and there was a body slung across each of their horses... Big Boss, Fourth Boss, and Little Seven..."

With each name, his face grew whiter.

A storm cloud passed over Second Boss’s face as his eyes turned icy. "And then?"

"I secretly slipped into the city and blended into the crowd watching the spectacle all the way to the county magistrate’s office. Those people revealed their identities, and the leader was the Jinlin Guard North Commander!"

Hearing it was the Jinlin Guard, the bandits in the hall buzzed with noise.

"Silence!" Fifth Boss shouted.

The hall fell quiet, waiting for Fifth Boss to continue.

"The county magistrate came out to welcome them, but the Jinlin Guard beheaded him in one strike, accusing him of colluding with Big Boss and taking bribes to turn a blind eye to us."

Second Boss and the others exchanged glances.

Bribing the magistrate was a plan decided upon after discussion with Big Boss and the others. It was kept secret from the original members of Wuyun Village, which was why they felt at ease taking turns to enjoy themselves in the city.

The fact that Sixth Boss knew about this meant it was indeed true.

"The Jinlin Guard just beheaded the county magistrate?" Second Boss still found it hard to believe.

The county magistrate was the highest official in the county, a government appointee of the imperial court. Were the Jinlin Guard really so arrogant as to do something like this?

"I watched with my own eyes as the county magistrate’s head flew off. Among the Jinlin Guard, there was a Miss Xin with an imperial golden token!"

An imperial bestowed gold token?

The Second Boss felt his heart drop, filled with a sense of foreboding.

Sure enough, the Sixth Boss said, "They’re planning to mobilize the Ning Mountain Guard and flatten Wuyun Village!"

Everyone’s faces in the hall changed dramatically.

"What should we do, Second Boss?"

Faced with everyone’s questions, the Second Boss looked serious and remained silent.

"Second Brother, the Ning Mountain Guard will be here soon. We need to decide how to handle them. You need to make a call soon," urged the Sixth Boss.

The Second Boss frowned as he looked at the panicked faces and said in a firm voice, "Don’t panic just yet. All teams will suspend their descending mountain activities tomorrow, and we’ll discuss things thoroughly then."

Even though he said this, after everyone left, the Second Boss, Third Boss, and Fifth Boss secretly met to discuss.

"What’s the plan, Second Brother?" asked the Fifth Boss.

"Sixth Brother is still one of us from the mountain stronghold, but his words can’t be entirely trusted. Tomorrow, I’ll stay with Third Brother to keep everyone in the village calm. Fifth Brother, you should quietly go down the mountain and head into the city to get some information," the Second Boss said.

The next morning, the Fifth Boss secretly went down the mountain.

The village’s key figures gathered, and someone asked, "Where’s the Fifth Boss?"

"He was closest to Big Brother. Let’s proceed with the meeting and let him rest more," Third Boss sighed.

The Sixth Boss remained expressionless on the outside, but inwardly, he was impressed by the accuracy of Miss Xin's predictions.

The Second Boss indeed sent people to the city to gather information, proving he didn’t fully trust him.

This also confirmed that his choice was right—his brothers and the Second Boss’s group would never see eye to eye.