Another scream came from inside the house. The man who had spoken first was now without any hesitation: "Uncle Cha, we really don't know. Most of what we stole has been taken away. We stole a lot this time, and the people who contacted our chieftain took it away last night."

Qi Chenglang's pupils contracted slightly. Last night?

This means their chances of catching up with the other side are slim!

He turned to look at Zhang Yuankai's door; now he could only place his hopes on this man.

The man sobbed, “Our chief was originally the village head of our village. After we settled here, the village head contacted the people behind us, provided us with weapons, helped us build a stronghold, and even taught us how to use hidden weapons. Gradually, we started robbing passing merchants. But as you can see, our stronghold is very poor. Most of what we robbed was taken by others.”

Thinking about all this, the bandits felt they had no way to express their grievances. They worked hard to commit murder and robbery, risking their lives, but gained nothing in return.

Even Dou E couldn't have been more wronged than them!

Qi Chenglang sneered and gave a wink to the people next to him. The men immediately rushed into the room and grabbed whatever they could find, whether it was smelly socks or something else, to gag the bandits.

Several people groaned several times from the stench of the socks coming from his mouth, but didn't spit it out, their eyes rolling back as if they were about to faint.

Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Yuankai finally opened the door. "They were transported from the cliff behind the mountain. Hurry and chase after them."

Qi Chenglang left behind a few of the weaker fighters and led the constables to escort the people back to Changzhou Prefecture. He instructed them, "Be on high alert. If we don't get back in time, have Prefect Qi take the people into custody and inform Chief Secretary Xie. Chief Secretary Xie will have his own plans."

Although he was skilled in martial arts, he was clearly not as bright. There were obvious flaws in what these people were saying, but he couldn't figure out the key points, so he simply stopped thinking about it and let Chief Secretary Xie worry about it.

After giving his instructions, Qi Chenglang and the few men he had chosen followed him to the cliff. By the light of the torches, they could see that there was a ladder woven from vines at the bottom of the cliff.

Remembering that Old Man Wolf had left from this side, Qi Chenglang angrily slapped his forehead: "Damn it, Old Man Wolf jumping off the cliff in front of us was very likely pointing us in the right direction."

It's all their fault for being too timid and not daring to run with Grandpa Wolf, which is why they wasted so much time.

The group dared not delay any longer and jumped down one after another, holding onto the ladder and sliding down quickly. They reached the bottom in no time.

After reaching the ground, the group used their inner energy to accelerate and ran forward. In the dim moonlight, they could see that there was a forest ahead, with tall trees almost blocking the way.

Something's not right.

Qi Chenglang stopped and raised his hand to signal, then began to survey the surroundings.

With so much stuff, it's impossible to transport it without leaving a trace.

Qi Chenglang stood there, his brows furrowed so deeply they almost formed a deep frown. He walked around the edge of the woods twice but couldn't find any trace of them. Could these things really just disappear into thin air?

In the air?

A thought flashed through his mind. He looked up at the sky, his gaze landing on the cliff edge. His pupils contracted slightly, and he tugged at Zhang Yuankai's sleeve, whispering, "Uncle Wolf."

At this moment, the wolf was standing halfway up the mountain, its green eyes radiating a captivating light. Qi Chenglang and the others couldn't see the wolf's expression, but its majestic and condescending demeanor seemed to be cursing them, a group of foolish humans.

Damn it!

Qi Chenglang couldn't help but curse, "Quick, go up there, it's with Old Man Wolf."

As soon as they finished speaking, the group quickly leaped up the mountain, reaching the halfway point in no time. Only then did Qi Chenglang realize that behind the vines behind the ladder was a man-made path that led all the way to Old Man Wolf.

Now that things had progressed this far, no one cared about being afraid anymore. They gritted their teeth and kept walking forward until they reached Old Man Wolf. Only then did Qi Chenglang cautiously speak, glancing around carefully. He noticed something unusual about the cliff next to Old Man Wolf, but since Old Man Wolf was standing there, he couldn't see him very clearly.

Qi Chenglang smiled, trying his best to appear friendly, "Hello, Uncle Wolf..."

The white wolf stared at him for a while, then howled, creating a gust of wind that nearly sent Qi Chenglang tumbling off the cliff.

He held his breath, blinked, and took a few steps back. Wait, why is Grandpa Wolf angry?

The white wolf silently watched Qi Chenglang for a while before turning around and disappearing completely with a few leaps.

As the white wolf disappeared, the wind in the mountains seemed to pick up, especially from the direction of the cave, howling as if thousands of people were wailing inside.

Qi Chenglang took the torch and went in first. After wandering around for a while, he finally reached the center. Looking at the bandits wailing inside and the large boxes behind them, he felt that this scene was somewhat familiar.

Just in case, Zhang Yuankai stepped forward and opened the box. The golden light was so bright that it almost blinded everyone. He casually picked up a gold ingot and glanced at it. There was indeed an official seal on the bottom.

“These should be all.” He glanced at the jewelry, fabrics, and other items beside him. “These should also be imperial gifts. We’ll have to go back and check with Eunuch Ran for the exact details.”

As for the scattered silver and other items in the other boxes, they were probably things they had stolen but hadn't had time to take away.

Qi Chenglang walked forward with the torch, and it took him about fifteen minutes to reach the exit of the cave. The exit was a sloping slide paved with bluestone bricks, which was particularly shiny. It was clear that these people often transported things down the mountain from here. He peered ahead, wondering where this exit led.

Zhang Yuankai caught up at this moment: "Wow, these people are quite clever."

Place the boxes at the top of the slide, apply a little force, and the boxes will be transported to the foot of the mountain.

He glanced at Qi Chenglang: "Give it a try?"

Qi Chenglang blew out the torch: "Let's give it a try."

Although everyone had a premonition before they came, the establishment of this stronghold and the cave still made Qi Chenglang and the others feel alarmed.

If this force is not uncovered, then it is irresponsible to His Highness's safety.

As they talked, they slid down one after the other. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they finally reached the bottom. Qi Chenglang patted his burning buttocks and looked around. They were still on the mountain. According to the route they had taken in the cave, the exit was very likely on the mountain next to the stronghold.

He looked up and saw that the slope was covered by trees and weeds, and it was almost impossible to see any trace of the slope when looking up from the foot of the mountain.

The surrounding area is densely wooded, and there are no signs of recent footsteps, so the cave is likely their storage location.

To confirm his suspicions, Qi Chenglang told Zhang Yuankai to wait nearby while he rushed towards the mountain stronghold.