Chapter 58 Search Deceived the bandits, deceived me too.

Chapter 58: Searching for People—Tricked the Bandits, and Tricked Me Too

Zhong Yao knew nothing about suppressing bandits. After accompanying them into the deep mountains once, she realized that in such an environment, more people didn’t necessarily mean an advantage.

Yet Xie Chi had taken only a hundred men into the mountains—wasn’t that far too few?

Official records listed 127 bandits already—not counting minor thugs drawn by reputation, or the women and children lured in.

Zhong Yao was deeply worried.

She fretted over Xie Chi and her second brother while diligently carrying out the tasks he’d assigned before departing: managing the city carefully alongside Shu Feng and the Deputy General, and guarding against bandit incursions.

After three days, however, Zhong Yao suddenly realized that although Xie Chi’s instructions sounded weighty, he had actually left five or six hundred soldiers behind to patrol day and night. The only real concerns were Xu Guozhu and her father.

But when would those two finally arrive?

Zhong Yao had entered the mountains only once—and emerged utterly exhausted, unable to recover for days. Now, safe within the city walls, she found it dull.

Perhaps it was because there was no one left to chat with casually.

Xie Chi and Xue Fang were both gone, along with the guards she knew best—even Wang Linyue had been taken along. Xie Chi had said that though Wang Linyue was somewhat frail, he possessed courage and shouldn’t be treated as weak; thus, he brought him into the mountains to earn merit.

Zhong Yao waited day after day. Instead of the two senior officials she was supposed to receive, she encountered something strange unfolding outside the city walls.

The Deputy General had never fought these bandits before, but he’d heard enough about their cunning to dare not underestimate them. Strictly adhering to Xie Chi’s orders, he went straight to find Zhong Yao.

“The night watchmen spotted figures lurking nearby.”

Zhong Yao and Shu Feng had just retired for the night. Upon hearing this, they hastily threw on their clothes and rushed to the city gate.

That night, the moon was absent, and darkness was absolute—so thick one couldn’t see one’s own hand before one’s face.

To avoid alarming the figures outside, they lit no torches. Peering into the distance from an elevated vantage point, they saw nothing—and wondered how the guards could have noticed anything at all.

Still, with matters like this, better safe than sorry.

Zhong Yao ordered heightened security. Back in her room, she lay awake, unable to sleep no matter how hard she tried.

Counting the days, she realized it had been eight days since Xie Chi’s departure. If all had gone well, he should have seized the stronghold by now. Fleeing bandits, hiding and running, might already be nearing the city.

If only she could help capture those criminals who escaped here.

But with the enemy concealed in darkness and themselves exposed in the open—how could they possibly catch them?

Zhong Yao racked her brain half the night without solving the problem—only to realize another hidden danger: it had been so long that Xu Guozhu and the others should be arriving imminently…

At that thought, an idea struck Zhong Yao like lightning. Her heart leapt violently, and she sat bolt upright—startling Shu Feng beside her.

“What if Father and Xu Guozhu ran into fleeing bandits en route?”

Shu Feng’s expression shifted too—but then she said, “That won’t happen. If they’re coming, they’ll certainly bring many guards. The bandits wouldn’t dare confront them.”

Zhong Yao sensed Shu Feng was merely trying to comfort her. Restless, she waited two more days—until news arrived from Xie Chi.

The stronghold had been breached—but the dense forest offered excellent cover. Relying on their intimate knowledge of the terrain, a group of bandits had still escaped.

If that could be considered good news, what followed was pure nightmare: there remained no word whatsoever from Zhong Huaizhi and Xu Guozhu.

Upon receiving the news, Zhong Yao stayed awake all night. At dawn, she sought out the Deputy General again.

He agreed with her reasoning and dispatched men beyond the city walls to search for traces of the bandits—while also sending another detachment to meet and escort the approaching Xu Guozhu and Zhong Huaizhi.

Unfortunately, the two groups collided.

When Zhong Yao heard the news, her heart pounded fiercely and rapidly. As she climbed into the carriage, she nearly stumbled.

Shu Feng caught her swiftly and whispered, “Miss, perhaps you shouldn’t go?”

“I must,” Zhong Yao replied.

She took a deep breath to steady herself and added, “Father has arrived. As his daughter, how could I possibly fail to welcome him?”

Shu Feng hesitated, wanting to say more—but seeing Zhong Yao’s resolute expression, she remained silent.

The report stated that the two officials had unfortunately encountered bandits outside the city. They were unharmed, but many of their household guards were injured, and their carriages and horses severely damaged—rendering further travel impossible. Someone needed to retrieve them.

Zhong Yao went to welcome Zhong Huaizhi, while Shu Feng and the Deputy General—the highest-ranking officials in the prefectural city—took over Wang Linyue’s duties and set off to welcome Xu Guozhu.

Escorted by guards, they traveled north out of the city for less than five *li*. On a narrow path flanked by woods on both sides, Zhong Yao spotted a damaged carriage and over twenty ragged-looking men dressed as guards.

Among them stood an elderly man with a long beard, positioned behind several burly household guards—imposing and stern. Before Shu Feng and the Deputy General could step forward to greet him, he demanded harshly, “Where is my grandson? Weren’t you supposed to have found him? Where is he?!”

The Deputy General briefly explained the situation in the city. Hearing that Xie Chi had yet to locate the person, the old man roared in fury, “A mere band of petty thieves—and you still haven’t eradicated them after all this time! Call Xie Chi back—I’ll question him myself!”

Zhong Yao ignored the Deputy General’s attempts to reason with this unreasonable elder. Supported by Shu Feng, she approached Zhong Huaizhi. Just as she lifted the corner of her veiled hat to call out, “Father—”, her gaze flicked sideways—and her entire body trembled violently.

Shu Feng moved swiftly to shield her, while Zhong Huaizhi quickly grasped Zhong Yao’s arm and mournfully declared, “My child—you’ve suffered!”

Zhong Yao couldn’t utter a word. She leaned against his shoulder and wept.

On the other side, Xu Guozhu continued shouting, demanding Xie Chi explain himself. Finally, the Deputy General lost patience and raised his voice: “Even if you demand an explanation, Lord Guozhu, you must first reach the city and send word to the Crown Prince. What good is arguing here?”

Xu Guozhu’s face flushed with rage, his beard trembling as he snapped, “Fine—I’ll return with you and see what explanation Xie Chi dares offer!”

With that settled, they prepared to board the carriages.

Once aboard, they would reach the prefectural city in under an hour.

But just as Xu Guozhu and Zhong Huaizhi were being helped into their carriages by their guards—and Zhong Yao stepped forward to follow—a gust of wind swept across the treetops, carrying a cool, grassy scent and lifting Zhong Yao’s veiled hat.

Only for an instant.

Yet in that fleeting moment, Zhong Yao felt a sharp, probing gaze pierce her face.

Instinctively, she looked up—and met the eyes of a short, scholarly-looking middle-aged man standing behind Xu Guozhu.

Zhong Yao watched as his expression shifted—from curiosity to sudden recognition. In that flash, she knew he had identified her. Without hesitation, she screamed, “Seize him!”

Before her words even echoed, the short man had already drawn the large blade at his waist and swung it viciously at Xu Guozhu!

Fortunately, Xu Guozhu reacted instantly—dodging nimbly and drawing a sharp sword from beside the carriage to parry the attack.

Chaos erupted around them.

“You’re not Xu Guozhu!” the short man shouted, countering the impostor’s blows. “It’s a trap! Retreat!”

With a single slash, he severed the carriage reins—ignoring his comrades still locked in combat with the guards—and leapt onto a horse to flee.

“Catch him!” Zhong Yao, overwhelmed by tension, panic, and terror, was drenched in cold sweat—her voice trembling uncontrollably.

She fought to keep her emotions in check and yelled out, "He's the Third-in-command!"

Upon hearing this, the Deputy General's eyes lit up like torches. He quickly split his men in half to handle the aftermath and led the other half in swift pursuit.

But they hadn't chased far when, with a sharp whoosh of an arrow, the fleeing Third-in-command suddenly tumbled off his horse with a thud.

After rolling onto the grass, he tried to run again, but guards had already surrounded him.

The Third-in-command showed no panic. Clutching his arrow-wounded arm, he looked up and said darkly, "Heir Xie, nice plan. I got played today, but don't forget—Xu Su is still in my hands."

Xie Chi dismounted from his horse in front of him and said flatly, "Who said it was a plan with you?"

He didn't even acknowledge the Third-in-command. Glancing at the "Xu Guozhu" whose fake beard had come off and the "Zhong Huaizhi" holding a bloodstained sword, his gaze slowly settled on Zhong Yao, who was panting not far away.

The Deputy General stepped forward and explained, "It was the young lady who, hearing about the fleeing bandits, was worried Xu Guozhu and Master Zhong might get ambushed on the road. She suggested having people pretend to be the two gentlemen to try to lure out the fleeing bandits."

There were other things he didn't know or say, but Xie Chi understood them.

Like, why did the bandits even dare to show up?

Because Xu Su was still their hostage. With Xu Su as leverage, Xu Guozhu would do whatever they said, and using Xu Guozhu to control Xie Chi was a good strategy.

And how did Zhong Yao come up with this plan to draw the snake out?

She picked it up from Dou Wu.

This was the third time Zhong Yao had risked her life, and she did it without him knowing. Even though it was a good plan and it worked out, Xie Chi still didn't like it.

It was too dangerous.

Should he tell Zhong Yao to never do this again?

Or praise her for a job well done?

Or ask her how she was supposed to take care of herself?

Xie Chi walked slowly over to Zhong Yao and stood there silent for a long moment before finally saying, "Nice plan, young lady. You tricked the bandits, and you tricked me too."

Zhong Yao saw his blank face and that he wasn't rushing to help her up. She'd been worried she messed up and was a little nervous. But at his words, her eyes lit up like a candle, instantly bright.

She blushed happily and said, "Really?! Then I'm amazing, I'm so clever!"

"If it weren't for that gust of wind—ah, Heir Xie, you didn't see it. If that wind hadn't let him see my face and figure out who I was, he really would've been tricked into coming back to the city..."

Back in the city, the Third-in-command would be like a fish in a barrel, and they could interrogate him however they wanted.

Xie Chi said, "I said you tricked me too. Didn't you hear me?"

"I heard it." Zhong Yao blushed and smiled. "Heir Xie, you're a little slow."

That heartless comment made Xie Chi reach out and pinch her cheek, making Zhong Yao hiss in pain, tears welling up as she covered her face.

Xie Chi thought Zhong Yao was totally ungrateful.

He hadn't known that the Xu Guozhu and Zhong Huaizhi were fakes set up by Zhong Yao. When he heard Zhong Huaizhi had been ambushed, he panicked and rushed out of the city without a second thought.

He'd been worried sick the whole way, only to find out it was her plan. And this heartless girl dared to brag to him.

If the timing weren't so bad, Xie Chi would've given her a beating.

He'd deal with this later.

Xie Chi held out an arm, and Zhong Yao immediately let go of Shu Feng to cling to him. After grabbing on, her expression froze, and she sniffed at Xie Chi.

"..." Xie Chi's face darkened. "Say anything stupid, and I won't save your second brother."

Zhong Yao immediately stopped sniffing and clamped her mouth shut, patting Xie Chi's shoulder like she was calming a dog.

Xie Chi didn't want to waste time talking. He asked the guard who was pretending to be Xu Guozhu, "Did you see Xu Su?"

The guard said, "The Third-in-command threatened me with a thin man. That man was escorted by a woman. I only saw him from a distance and couldn't tell if he was Young Master Xu or Young Master Zhong. Remembering the young lady said the bandits couldn't tell them apart either, I nodded and claimed he was Xu Su."

"Where were they last seen?"

The guard remembered clearly and pointed it out to Xie Chi.

Xie Chi nodded, scanned the captured bandits besides the Third-in-command, and ordered, "Shu Feng, take people to escort them back to the government office and lock them up. The rest of you, come with me to find the person."

Everyone acknowledged, but the Third-in-command sneered, "Heir Xie, what do you plan to use to find him?"

Xie Chi didn't answer. Instead, he led Zhong Yao to the horse and lifted her onto the saddle. Once she was steady, he said, "Whatever you use to find someone, I'll use the same."

With that, he mounted the horse, covered Zhong Yao's eyes, and said to the guards, "Bring out the dogs."

At the word "dogs," both Zhong Yao and the Third-in-command changed color.

Zhong Yao was terrified.

After a whistle, hearing the fierce barking from the woods, she went limp and would have fallen off the horse if Xie Chi hadn't been holding her from behind.

The Third-in-command, on the other hand, said bitterly, "Beasts are just beasts. I should have killed them all!"

The Third-in-command's anger brought Zhong Yao back to her senses. She barely calmed down, feeling the warmth from Xie Chi behind her. After a moment's hesitation, she carefully pried open a small gap in the hand Xie Chi had over her eyes.

Through it, she saw three large dogs, half a man's height, with shiny black fur.

These dogs looked strong and fierce. Apart from being cleaner, they were exactly like the biting dogs she had seen at the inn!

Even the bloody flesh between their sharp teeth was the same!

The terrifying image of the vicious dogs attacking people flooded Zhong Yao's mind, frightening her so much that she quickly pressed Xie Chi's hand back over her eyes to block the sight.

That wasn't enough. Afraid of being bitten, she kept kicking her feet back against Xie Chi's calves.

Xie Chi couldn't take it anymore. He said, "Close your eyes," and with both hands around Zhong Yao's waist, he shifted her from straddling the horse to sitting sideways.

The sudden loss of balance nearly made Zhong Yao scream. When she opened her eyes, she was already seated again. She hurriedly closed them, buried her face in Xie Chi's chest, and lifted her legs to rest diagonally over his calves.

Xie Chi had no other choice. He lowered his head and said, "How about you go back with Shu Feng?"

Zhong Yao almost agreed, but reason stopped her impulse. She insisted, "I'll stay with you!"

Xie Chi nodded and ordered the men to follow the three dogs.

As the horse took a few swaying steps, Xie Chi whispered in Zhong Yao's ear, "You're not staying with me, are you? You know I'm going to find your second brother, and you want to be with him, right?"

Zhong Yao lifted her head to speak, but a glimpse of the large dog ahead made her quickly bury her face back in Xie Chi's chest.

What could Xie Chi do?

He could only tighten his arms around Zhong Yao to keep her from falling, murmuring in her ear, "These dogs were found in the stronghold. They look fierce and will lunge at people, but they only pounce without biting... The blood in their mouths is from catching wild pheasants along the way."

Xie Chi discovered more than thirty vicious dogs in the stronghold, most of them with murderous glares and biting any stranger they saw. The guards simply killed them on sight.

However, while searching a wooden cabin, three dogs kept together stood out from the rest—they were too clean, and when a guard accidentally fell, they only lunged without biting.

The guard reported this to Xie Chi, and he almost instantly thought of Zhong Shu.

He had seen the dogs Zhong Shu once kept; each one had sleek, shiny fur, was clean and obedient, and never hurt anyone.