Liu Fugui, the city lord of Jinwei City, was enjoying a pleasant evening with his concubine when a servant reported unusual activity at Jiufeng Village nearby. He immediately led his troops over.
No one else knows that the chieftain's third wife is actually his daughter; this secret is unknown to everyone.
Liu Fugui had a square face, was forty years old, and wore an official robe. He led his soldiers all the way to the mountain stronghold.
He had just stopped walking, still catching his breath, when someone on the other side shouted at him.
In the darkness, he could make out several people standing opposite him by torchlight. He recognized Gao Tiankuo, but not the others.
Liu Fugui's face, with its thick eyebrows and big eyes, gives people the impression of an honest and upright man, and he has benefited a lot from this face over the years.
Looking at the people around him who were obviously tied up, and Gao Tiankuo standing below who was clearly obedient to others, he was moved and became more cautious in his speech.
"I am Liu Fugui, the city lord of Jinwei City nearby. Tonight, someone reported that there seemed to be some unusual activity at Jiufeng Village, so I brought my men here to see what happened. May I ask who these brothers are working for?"
In this situation, it's definitely best not to let anyone know that you have any connection with this place.
He's young and a precious man in the Liu family; they could have any daughter they wanted!
If all else fails, strike first and kill Third Sister.
Hiding in the shadows, Shen Jiaojiao heard that the other person's surname was Liu and wondered if this person was related to the Liu family in Jiangnan.
Chu Tianling glanced at Gao Tiankuo and immediately whispered, "This man is indeed the city lord. Jinwei City is the closest city to Jiufeng Village. I've seen him in the city before."
Chu Tianling nodded.
Liu Fugui over there could tell the relationship between the two. The man surnamed Gao was clearly sitting to the lower seat, which meant that the man had a higher status.
He completely ignored Ning Caichen, who was at the front, because in his eyes, such a small ant was not worth his attention.
Liu Fugui stepped forward and bowed in Chu Tianling's direction, his face calm and composed. He knew how to use his good looks to his advantage.
"This gentleman must be working for His Majesty, right? Now that most of the thieves have been caught, let's leave the rest to the servants we brought. I have prepared clean rooms at home; why don't you gentlemen come with me home for a rest?"
Chu Tianling had no intention of revealing his identity; he was still dressed with an ugly face and had created a false identity for himself.
"Lord Liu, you are too kind. I am merely passing through and will be leaving early tomorrow morning. His Majesty has assigned me other official duties, the details of which I cannot disclose. I apologize!"
"I understand, I understand! I get it, and I won't ask any more questions. It's just that it's late, and this mountain stronghold isn't really convenient for resting. You can leave first thing tomorrow morning, sir!"
Shen Jiaojiao tugged at his clothes from behind, and Chu Tianling changed his tone, saying, "Then I'll take my leave!"
Liu Fugui immediately ordered his servants to stay and help transport the thieves, while he led the way.
Gao Tiankuo didn't say a word to him from beginning to end, and Liu Fugui also deliberately ignored him.
He disdains to associate with such people; others might be deceived by him, but he won't.
He had visited Jinwei City before when he had free time. At that time, he was dressed very plainly. On the street, he once witnessed him spending money to buy a young woman who had sold herself to bury her father and bring her back to his mansion.
When I saw the woman again, she had been sold to a brothel because she was unable to have children; only three days had passed between then and now.
Even when they met at banquets afterward, he remained indifferent to them.
Before leaving, Chu Tianling said to Gao Tiankuo, "You will lead the team to escort the prisoners back this time, and participate in the interrogation. Make sure nothing goes wrong along the way. I'll talk to you about the rest when I get back."
Gao Tiankuo's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth turned up: "I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
Ning Caichen also arrived nearby and quickly made his presence known: "My lord, is there any task for me? I promise to complete it!"
Shen Jiaojiao threw the bundle she had been carrying for half a day at him, finally letting go of his burden.
Ever since this person learned that he was serving the country, he's been as eager as a dog, running around everywhere, showing off in every way he can.
Chu Tianling remained silent for a while. This person was quite proactive in getting things done. He hadn't thought of a place for him yet, but when he met the man's bright eyes, he couldn't bear to say anything to refuse.
"Here's what we'll do: you stay on the mountain today. Once the others return, take them to the mountainside on the north side and find a cypress tree. There's a cave behind the tree. Take the person inside back to Jinwei City to find a doctor to examine him. We'll meet at the city gate tomorrow morning."
Upon hearing that he had also been assigned a task, Ning Caichen was filled with excitement: "I guarantee I will complete the task!"
This voice was even louder than the one from the tall man earlier.
After finishing his explanation, Chu Tianling led Shen Jiaojiao and the other woman toward Liu Fugui.
Seeing that there were only two people, Liu Fugui eagerly spoke up: "Sir, there are enough rooms in the mansion, why not bring your brothers along?"
"Oh, no need. I've already assigned them other tasks. If it's too much trouble, I won't go!"
"No trouble at all, let's go."
Liu Fugui walked in front. When they reached the foot of the mountain, there was a carriage. Chu Tianling did not refuse and pulled him directly onto the carriage.
Liu Fugui glanced at Jiufeng Village behind him, suppressed his thoughts, and rode forward.
Among the people he left behind when he left were his trusted confidants. We'll find out the specifics when they return; there's no rush.
It was already past midnight when they arrived at the mansion. Liu Fugui had his servants boil water and carry it to the guest room, telling them to make themselves at home. He left quickly without asking any further questions.
Chu Tianling was too lazy to deal with him, and the two rested after washing up.
Liu Fugui, who had left, hadn't slept; he was waiting for a reply from his servants.
Finally, two hours later, the trusted aide returned.
"My lord! I have something to report!"
Looking at the sky that was about to brighten, Liu Fugui was somewhat dissatisfied. Did it really take this long to find out about something?
His voice carried a hint of anger: "What happened? Why are you so late?"
The man knelt down, not daring to raise his head. He knew that Lord Liu secretly took care of the chief of Jiufeng Village. Now that the chief was in trouble, he would be angry, wouldn't he?
"I learned from the mountain stronghold that the chieftain, Third Sister, was killed by someone! Then everyone in the stronghold was arrested and escorted to the capital for interrogation by Lord Gao!"
Liu Fugui jumped to his feet in shock, walked down, grabbed him by the collar, and asked, "What did you say? Third Sister is really dead? Who did it?"
"My lord... my lord... Third Sister is really dead. I've found out what happened. During the day, the bandits didn't know those people were officials. They wanted to steal some money, but they didn't expect the other side to kill people. Third Sister used medicine to capture them all..."
"I don't want to hear this nonsense! Tell me who killed Third Sister!" Liu Fugui roared!
"This... I don't know either. According to the people in the stronghold, there was a young master Ning who was alone in the chief's room. But when the door was opened later, that young master Ning and the two officials who came back to the manor with you today came out of the chief's room together. They should know what happened inside."
Liu Fugui pushed the person away, his eyes darkening, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
