Chapter 51 No One Left Behind

The bandit leader slumped to the ground, holding his chest with his hands, sweat pouring down his forehead.

"All the girls...are...in the porch."

"You're lying!" Xuan Feng glared and scolded, "This clearly doesn't match the number of missing persons reported by local residents!"

The bandit leader looked at the feather arrow aimed at him in panic, as if it was a death warrant from the King of Hell that could take his life at any time.

"ah--"

The next moment, a feather arrow pierced the bandit leader's left shoulder, clearly leaving him no chance to quibble.

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you..." the bandit leader cried out in agony, his face pale, "We'll kill the kidnapped women... and bury them in the back mountains when the brothers in the village get tired of them."

Xiao Mingyi's eyes suddenly darkened, his jaw clenched, and the veins on his hand holding the bow and arrow bulged.

After two breaths, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Leave no one behind."

When the bandits who were still lingering on heard this, their hearts and livers were immediately broken. They became agitated and shouted that they were innocent: "No, those women were all captured by the boss!"

"Yeah, he'll take two by himself, it won't even be our turn!"

The bandit leader hadn't expected such a disaster to come. His buddies, who had enjoyed a good life together on a daily basis, immediately betrayed him. He immediately started cursing, "Stop trying to shirk responsibility! I captured the people, but can you dare to guarantee that you didn't do anything?! Mazi! It was you who said those girls were all unmarried girls from nearby families, and they were all virgins, and instigated me to kidnap them!"

The short, pointed-faced man beside him trembled, fearing that the black-robed man would shoot him with an arrow. He retorted, "How can you push this onto me? Those girls were brought back and brought into your house first!"

The bandits were arguing with each other, when suddenly, a feather arrow came through the air and accurately pierced Ma Zi's throat.

In the dead silence, the short man with a pointed chin and monkey-like face whimpered in pain, his eyes wide open, and he fell straight to the ground. Blood gushed out of his throat, staining the mud red.

Seeing this, the other bandits froze in place, looking at the man on the stone steps in horror.

"Shut up!" Xiao Mingyi glared at them and unfolded the scroll he was carrying. "Look carefully. Are there any women like the one in the painting among the women you've captured?"

The bandits looked carefully and all of them looked confused and whispered to each other.

"Have you seen it?"

"Have you seen it?"

"This girl is much prettier. If you've seen her, you'll definitely be impressed."

The bandits shook their heads and said they had never seen it.

Xuanfeng was shocked. The local people clearly saw that Miss Ali was kidnapped by this group of bandits. How could they not have seen it?

He looked toward the Crown Prince on the stone steps in panic, just in time to meet his gaze. A thought surfaced in his mind, becoming increasingly clear: the local people had nowhere to turn, and the people from the Pacification Bureau were investigating Miss Ali's whereabouts. They were deliberately saying this to lure them up the mountain to suppress the bandits!

Although the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards did not know who the woman in the portrait was, seeing that the Crown Prince's expression was not as cold and hard as before, he roughly guessed what was going on.

"Your Highness, how should we deal with these bandits?"

Xiao Mingyi leisurely stepped down the stone steps, his eyes clear as a trace of emotion: "Didn't I tell you not to leave any one behind?"

Behind him was a sound of wailing and crying. Xiao Mingyi jumped on his horse and looked at the mountains shrouded in the bright moonlight. A hint of beauty gradually appeared in his dark eyes.

…

At the same time in Kyoto City.

After Lu Tanwei discussed with the prefect of Jingzhao, they prepared to go up the mountain to suppress the bandits under the cover of night, and the team was ready at the east city gate.

Not far away, the sound of hurried horse hooves could be heard.

"Report—"

Arriving in front of the troops, the constable dismounted and bowed to report, "Your Excellency, I have just received news that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has led the Imperial Guards to wipe out the bandits in Jiuhua Mountain and is now on his way back."

Lu Tanwei and the Jingzhao prefect looked at each other, both a little surprised.

Why would His Royal Highness the Crown Prince be necessary to wipe out the bandits? Is there some hidden secret?

After a moment's silence, Lu Tanwei said to the Jingzhao prefect, "Thank you for your hard work today, Lord Li."

"No, no," the Jingzhao prefect waved his hands repeatedly, his attitude polite. "I've been busy with official duties recently, and I was negligent for a moment, which is why the bandits in Jiuhua Mountain are so rampant. The Duke took the initiative to plead for the people, and I am deeply ashamed."

"The bandits in Jiuhua Mountain are a scourge to the countryside. It's hard to appease the public anger just by suppressing them." Lu Tanwei said in a subtle tone.

The Jingzhao prefect's smile froze for a moment, and he replied, "Your Excellency is right, so I intend to pay out of my own pocket to distribute compensation to the victims..."

Lu Tan smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "The way to be an official is to understand the people's sentiments. This matter is originally the responsibility of Lord Li. Now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has led the army to suppress the bandits, he will inevitably be held accountable. If Lord Li can ensure the pension, it will be easier to explain to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The prefect of Jingzhao didn't dare to say anything and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

As they were talking, a sudden and violent clatter of horse hooves echoed down the official road. In the hazy twilight, a group of dark figures, each riding a tall horse, their armor gleaming, rushed toward the city gate. The sounds of their horses' reins resembled the roars of tigers and wolves.

The leader was wearing a black robe and armor, and was extremely handsome. He was none other than His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Seeing the officers and soldiers gathered at the city gate, Xiao Mingyi suddenly reined in his horse and walked slowly, and the hundreds of imperial guards behind him also reined in their horses and walked slowly like flowing water.

As the team gradually approached, the prefect of Jingzhao, fearing that he would be held accountable by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, trembled and bowed his head to greet them.

In an instant, Xiao Mingyi rode up to him.

"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Lu Tanwei bowed and saluted, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.

The Jingzhao prefect beside him also followed suit and bowed, "Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

The man sitting on the tall horse tilted his head slightly, and an inexplicable oppressive chill suddenly hit him. "Duke, why are you here?"

"Your Highness, I heard that there were bandits causing trouble in Jiuhua Mountain, so I discussed with Lord Li about suppressing the bandits. I never expected that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would take the lead in annihilating the bandits. We can only wait here respectfully." Lu Tanwei said.

"Oh?" Xiao Mingyi glanced at the crowd slowly, finally landing his gaze on the Jingzhao prefect. As if he had just noticed his presence, he said jokingly, "Lord Li is here too."

The prefect of Jingzhao shuddered.

"Jingzhao Prefecture governs the twenty-four counties of Jingdu. Bandits are rampant in Jiuhua Mountain. Local people have reported this to Jingdu. Lord Li, as the prefect, has been slow to send troops to suppress the bandits. I thought Lord Li was too busy with official duties to know about this."

These words were somewhat sarcastic, and the Jingzhao prefect understood them. He quickly knelt and apologized: "I have failed in my duty. Your Highness, please punish me."

Xiao Mingyi's eyes grew colder, and he said, "Since Lord Li has decided to send troops, I will not take off your official hat for the time being."

"Your humble servant thanks His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" The prefect of Jingzhao felt relieved and almost cried.