Nangong Min stomped on Zhao Dazui's back again and shouted angrily, "Just answer whatever we ask you. If you say another word of nonsense, don't blame me for taking your life right now."

"I was wrong, I know I was wrong, please spare my life, young heroes!" Zhao Dazui pleaded hurriedly.

Mu Jin squatted down and looked at Zhao Dazui, who was being trampled to the ground by Nangong Min, and asked.

Where is your mountain stronghold located?

Zhao Dazui cried and said, "Two great heroes, please let me go. I will send one of my brothers back to the stronghold and bring the woman back to you unharmed, okay?"

Mu Jin stood up, raised her foot and stepped on Zhao Dazui's finger that had been pricked by the poisoned needle. Zhao Dazui screamed in pain again.

Mu Jin sneered, "I'll say it again: answer whatever we ask you. If you say another word, I'll rip out your tongue and cut off your limbs. Anyway, there are plenty of your people outside. I can just grab one more and ask them."

Zhao Dazui nodded in terror and said, "I'll talk, I'll talk! It's on Shiling Mountain, thirty miles outside the city."

Mu Jin sneered, "Is it the truth?"

"It's the truth, I wouldn't dare lie. Please let me go, I promise I'll never cause you any more trouble."

Thirty miles outside the city is not far. It would only take half a day for the two of them to rescue the mute girl from the bandit's den and return her to the old woman's home.

Mu Jin thought to herself, now that she had found out where the mute girl had gone, there was no need to waste time here.

She squatted down, pulled a poisoned needle from Zhao Dazui's fingernails, waved it in front of him, and laughed.

"Tell me! How do you plan to die?"

Zhao Dazui stared at Mu Jin in shock and fear: "You said you'd let me go if I told you where the mute girl was!"

Mu Jin sneered, "I never said I would let you go. I just said that if you don't tell me, you will regret it to death."

Zhao Dazui was filled with regret at this moment.

He thought he had met a handsome man who came to his door to have fun, but he didn't expect him to be there to take his life. How could he not regret it?

Seeing that Mu Jin was about to harm him, he quickly cried and begged for mercy.

"Two heroes, I have been blind to your greatness today and have offended you greatly. I hope you will be merciful and spare my life. I am willing to offer all my wealth and provisions from the mountains with both hands. You two are highly skilled in martial arts. If you do not mind, I am willing to lead my brothers to serve you as the leaders of the stronghold."

Nangong Min didn't want to listen to Zhao Dazui's nonsense, and was about to twist Zhao Dazui's head off when Mu Jin interrupted him.

Mu Jin said to Zhao Dazui, "Grain? You must be lying to us. In this world, even the border regions are short of grain. How could your small Liangcheng possibly have any?"

Zhao Dazui noticed that Mu Jin was interested in the matter of grain, so he hurriedly spoke up.

"It's true, I'm not lying to you. I have 50,000 shi of grain. If you don't believe me, I'll take you to see it."

Fifty thousand shi of grain! Even people like Zhao Yefan and Su Yi would have a hard time finding so much grain in the Eastern Yue Kingdom. No matter how much these small grain bandits plundered the people of Liangcheng, they could not possibly have so much grain.

"How do you have so much grain? You should know that in the current state of Dongyue, even if the emperor asks the Ministry of Personnel to raise 50,000 shi of grain, it is not easy. If you are lying to us to save your own life, then I will let you know what it is like to live that is more painful than death. Do you understand?"

Zhao Dazui shook his head frantically, repeatedly saying he dared not.

“I can assure you that this grain was seized by Li Quangui and me together.”

Mu Jin asked, "Where can you find so much grain to plunder?"

"There is relief grain distributed by the imperial court to various places in recent years, as well as grain from passing merchants. This is absolutely true. You will know that I am not lying to you once you return to the mountains with me."

It turns out that Liangcheng has always been one of the poorest counties in the Dongyue Kingdom due to its barren land and inconvenient transportation, and has always needed relief from the imperial court.

Many years ago, Li Quangui was just a poor scholar who dreamed of changing his fate through the imperial examination.

However, fate played a cruel trick on him, and he was repeatedly thwarted on his path to the imperial examinations, even struggling to afford grain.

Faced with the hardships and disappointments of life, he felt that the world was unfair. Li Quangui chose a completely different path—he went up the mountain and became a bandit.

Despite his changed identity, Li Quangui quickly distinguished himself among the bandits thanks to his past knowledge and quick wit.

More importantly, he actually managed to collude with the magistrate of Liangcheng County at the time, and together they plotted a capital crime of robbing the imperial court's grain supplies.

At that time, whether it was a caravan passing through Liangcheng Escort Agency or a convoy transporting relief grain from the imperial court, the soldiers of Liangcheng would change into bandit attire and lie in ambush with the bandits on the mountain to wait for the passing grain convoy.

As the convoy carrying relief grain from the imperial court slowly approached, government soldiers and bandits rushed out from their ambush like hungry wolves, robbed and killed the transporting officers and soldiers, and successfully stole the grain.

Mu Jin looked sharply at Zhao Dazui, "And then?"

Zhao Dazui said with a trembling voice, "Later, they sold the stolen grain and got a lot of silver. The former magistrate of Liangcheng bribed his way up the ranks and became the prefect of Yicheng. Then they supported Li Quangui to become the current magistrate of Liangcheng, and he continued to do this bandit business."

Mu Jin and Nangong Min exchanged a glance. They never expected that their meddling in the affairs of Liangcheng to lead to the exposure of the city's corruption.

Why weren't the provisions sold this time?

Zhao Dazui said, "The Dongyue Kingdom is currently short of food, and the price of grain is rising every day. We plan to store it for another half month or so before selling it to Beiqi. It will be more profitable than selling it to the people."

"You two are so skilled. If you could stay and work with us, we would be even more powerful. The immense wealth and honor we would receive would be far greater than being a high-ranking official."

As soon as Zhao Dazui finished speaking, Mu Jin's face immediately darkened, and a chill emanated from her, as if the temperature in the entire room had dropped several degrees.

Her voice carried an undisguised murderous intent and rage, as if every word contained the glint of a sharp blade: "You still want to sell the grain to Kitasaki?"

"Beiqi has always been hostile to our Dongyue. Are you trying to send grain into enemy hands and help them harm the people of Dongyue?" Mu Jin questioned sharply, his voice as cold as frost.

Zhao Dazui was stunned by Mu Jin's imposing aura and was speechless for a moment, his face showing a hint of fear.

Zhao Dazui forced himself to remain calm and tried to argue, "Since we've done such a thing, we went wherever there was profit to be made. With this grain in our hands, Beiqi can fetch a high price, so why wouldn't we sell it?"

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Mu Jin's eyes. She laughed mockingly, "You only think about your own benefit, but disregard the greater good of the nation and the lives of the people?"