Chapter 85

Chapter 85

"Judging by your accent, young brother, you're not a local of our prefecture, are you?"

Chen Qingsong replied, "We came from Longquan County on a study tour."

"So you're scholars, no wonder you're so humble and polite. If an ordinary person had been swindled by him, they'd likely be cursing in anger."

This praise did not ease Chen Qingyan's vigilance. Having been deceived in earlier years, he was now more wary of strangers. He thanked the man again and prepared to take Qing Huai and Qing Song back.

However, the man followed the three and struck up a conversation.

"My surname is Song, and my name is Song Qiao. I am an imperial scholar who previously studied at the prefectural academy. Now I run a small business. Might I ask your names, young brothers?"

Chen Qingsong immediately spoke up, "We are all named Chen. We're brothers from the same family."

"So you're blood brothers? No wonder you look so alike."

"Qing Huai and I are cousins, but we're blood brothers with our big brother."

Chen Qingyan coughed, somewhat displeased, and glared at his younger brother for talking too much.

However, Chen Qingsong had already taken a liking to the man because of his earlier help and kept talking with him nonstop.

"Brother Song, how did you know that man was a fraud?"

"Embarrassingly, I was also scammed by him," Song Qiao began to share his experience.

"I live in a town near the prefecture. A few years ago, I earned my xiucai degree and came to study at the prefectural academy. As soon as I arrived, that fellow scammed me using the same method, claiming I had broken his leg."

"At that time, I was inexperienced and didn't realize he was pretending. I quickly helped him to a clinic. Halfway there, he proposed we settle this privately, or else he would demand money from me every month until his leg fully recovered."

"Back then, I was young and just wanted peace, so I gave him all the money I had—a full five or six taels of silver. Because of that, I went hungry for several months at the prefectural academy and survived only thanks to help from my classmates."

Chen Qinghuai couldn't help but ask, "How did you find out he was fake?"

Song Qiao smiled wryly. "Later, when I was out buying ink and brushes with a classmate, I happened to see him scamming someone else. I watched quietly from the side. He used the same tactic, pretending to be an old man injured by a collision. Actually, one of his feet is naturally somewhat disabled—it wasn't caused by anyone. His hair went white prematurely; he's not even as old as I am."

"No wonder he ran so fast when he was exposed."

The similar experience quickly brought the group closer. As it was almost noon, Song Qiao said quite naturally, "Our meeting must be fate. Today, I'll treat you young brothers to a meal to settle your nerves."

"I know an eatery with great food and reasonable prices. If you don't mind, I'll take you there."

"Yes, please!" Qing Song agreed immediately.

Chen Qingyan frowned slightly. Instinctively, he didn't want to go. After all, they had just met this person, and it was their first time in the prefectural city. Being unfamiliar with the area, they could easily be deceived.

Chen Qinghuai glanced at Chen Guang, who was following not far behind, and said, "Since Brother Song helped us, it's not right to let him treat us. We should be the ones hosting."

Seeing that both younger brothers wanted to go, Chen Qingyan reluctantly agreed.

After walking for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the road ahead had become very remote. Chen Qingyan stopped and said, "How about we just find a random place to eat? We have an appointment later and can't be late."

Song Qiao joked with a smile, "We're almost there. I'm a scholar who can't even tie a chicken's feet—do you think I could sell you off?"

Chen Qingyan was slightly startled and grew increasingly uneasy.

This was too coincidental. They were scammed, and suddenly a good Samaritan appeared to help. Song Qiao was overly enthusiastic. As the saying goes, "unwarranted enthusiasm implies ill intentions." Could this person be working with the earlier scammer?

At this thought, he broke out in a cold sweat. Pretending to be calm, he tested, "The prefectural academy's cafeteria food is really good, especially the north cafeteria. We've been eating there every day these past few days. It's just a shame it's closed on days off, otherwise we could invite you to eat there."

Song Qiao naturally replied, "Indeed, I also miss the cafeteria food at the prefectural academy."

Chen Qingyan suddenly stopped. "You're lying! The prefectural academy doesn't have a north cafeteria!"

Chen Qinghuai and Chen Qingsong were stunned upon hearing this and immediately distanced themselves from Song Qiao, standing by their eldest brother's side.

Song Qiao said without changing expression, "I might have remembered wrong. It's been seven or eight years since I went to the prefectural academy. How could I remember where the cafeteria was?"

"Are you working with that scammer from earlier?"

"I kindly invited you to eat, and you think of me like this? That's really hurtful..."

"I must have wronged you. We won't eat. This string of coins is to thank you for your help." With that, Chen Qingyan took out some money from his pocket, placed it on the ground, and pulled his two brothers to turn back.

"Heh, quite cautious." Song Qiao dropped his pretense, kicked the copper coins on the ground with his foot, and said, "A mere string of coins? Trying to fob off a beggar?"

"Run!" Chen Qingyan grabbed his brothers and took off running. But after just a few steps, two people jumped out from the alley. One was the white-haired fellow who had earlier pretended to be an old scammer.

The two held knives, with sinister smiles on their faces, and kicked Chen Qingyan to the ground.

Chen Qingsong was crying in terror. It was all his fault for being easily deceived by a few words and causing his big brother and cousin to be trapped. What if something happened?

Chen Qinghuai was also shaking with fear. Even though he knew Chen Guang was nearby protecting them, he was still terrified. After all, it was the first time he had encountered such brazen criminals.

Chen Qingyan clutched his stomach, quickly thinking of a way to escape. He could open the experimental field and hide inside, but his two brothers couldn't. He had to find a way to get them away first.

"I can give you all the silver I have. Please don't harm us."

Song Qiao stepped forward, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Quite sensible. Hand it over."

Chen Qingyan took out the money pouch from his pocket, which contained the remaining silver from earlier purchases.

Song Qiao opened it and glanced inside. "Not enough. There's still a silver certificate missing."

Sure enough! They must have been targeting them since they exchanged money at the exchange house. They even knew how much money he had.

Chen Qingyan had no choice but to take out the silver certificate hidden in his inner garment pocket. Even the silver hairpin he bought for Wang Ying was taken by them.

The white-haired man nearby tossed the silver pouch and exclaimed, "Wow! These are three plump little lambs. We struck gold today!"

"We've given you the money. Can you let us go?"

"Hahahaha, what are you thinking? This little silver isn't enough!" With that, they tied their hands and feet with rope and pushed them into a house in the alley.

The door was barred from the inside. Now, they truly had no one to hear their cries.

Chen Qingsong was crying so hard he hiccupped, filled with regret. But regret was useless now—these criminals wouldn't let them go.

Chen Qingyan tried to remain calm. "If you want silver, hold me. Wouldn't it be better to let the two of them go take word back?"

"Do you think we're stupid? What they'd pay for one person and three people can't be the same."

The white-haired man grabbed Chen Qingsong's hair and slapped him. "Tell me, where are you staying? Do you have attendants?"

"Wahh... *sob*..."

Chen Qingyan was so angry that a vein bulged in his forehead. "Don't hit him! Ask me if you have questions!"

Song Qiao toyed with the dagger in his hand and said, "So tell me. If you don't speak the truth, I'll cut off his finger."

"I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Chen Qingyan squeezed his eyes shut. "We're staying at the old post station on North Straight Road. My master and a servant are there."

White Hair looked up at Song Qiao. "Boss, uh... Staying at a post station meant they had connections with the government. Could these three be officials' sons?"

If so, this could blow up in their faces...

Song Qiao feigned calm. "Don't talk nonsense! How could trash like you stay at a post station?"

Seeing their disbelief, Chen Qingyan said, "There's an access token for the post station in the coin purse. You'll know once you see it."

White Hair took out the coin purse and rummaged through it, indeed finding a bamboo token engraved with the words "Jizhou Post Station."

The three of them got nervous and stepped outside to talk it over in hushed tones.

"What do we do now?"

Although they engaged in every scam and theft in the book, they never dared to cross paths with the government. If they really angered the authorities, they might not get away clean.

One of the shorter men said, "Maybe we should let them go? Let's not make this too big."

Song Qiao quickly calculated in his mind: if they released them now, would they report them to the authorities and have them arrested?

White Hair said with a menacing look, "Why not finish the job? Just kill them all to avoid trouble!"

While they were discussing, Chen Guang had quietly sneaked over and was watching them from atop the wall.

Among the three, only White Hair knew martial arts; the other two were useless. But since all three young masters were in their hands and the criminals were armed, Chen Guang didn't dare make a move.

Inside the room, the three were also wound up tight. Chen Qingyan understood clearly that these men feared their status and would surely kill them to silence them for good. They had to find a way to save themselves!

Ever since Wang Ying was kidnapped by Xiucai Zhang last time, the experimental field had been stocked with various self-defense tools—daggers, knives, axes, hoes...

There was no time to waste now. He opened the experimental field, rushed in, grabbed a dagger, and instantly returned to his original spot.

Chen Qinghuai and Chen Qingsong stared wide-eyed in shock—their elder brother had just vanished into thin air right before their eyes!

Chen Qingyan didn't have time to explain. He cut the ropes binding his hands with the dagger and turned to free the others, but when he heard footsteps outside the door, he immediately stopped and sat back down.

The three criminals had made their decision: letting them go was too risky; it was simpler to just kill them and dump their bodies in the wilderness.

Killing was a task only White Hair could handle, so the other two waited outside for news.

Chen Guang seized the opportunity, leaped down from the wall, and with a few swift punches and kicks, knocked the two men unconscious.

Inside the room, White Hair was distracted by the noise. Taking advantage of his unpreparedness, Chen Qingyan stabbed the dagger into his back.

"Ah!!!" White Hair roared in pain. Just as he was about to retaliate, the person behind him vanished into thin air!

His pupils contracted, and he stood frozen as if struck by lightning.

Outside, after dealing with the two, Chen Guang rushed into the room and grappled with White Hair. Already weakened from Chen Qingyan's stab, White Hair was soon at a disadvantage.

Chen Qingyan emerged from the experimental field, untied his two brothers, and the three hid in a corner. Within a few minutes, Chen Guang had beaten the man unconscious.

With the danger finally over, they didn't waste any time and hurried back to the post station. Chen Guang went to report them to the authorities, who arrested the three criminals.