Ji Hong and Qin Jun went to count the number of people in Qixia Village.
Qin Ling and Mu Xiao went to interrogate the refugees who were bound hand and foot.
Qin Ling held a large cleaver, while Mu Xiao drew his sword and stood to the side.
The two men looked menacing and exuded an imposing aura!
The refugees were so frightened that they kowtowed and begged for mercy.
"Hero, spare our lives! We are also suffering people, we were forced into this situation, that's why we had such evil intentions towards you! Please give us another chance, we will never dare to do it again!"
Qinling sneered
"Stop saying nice things, it's useless! I've killed plenty of people like you along the way. Confess honestly, why did you suddenly start arguing with the government troops, and where did you get your weapons?"
Upon hearing this, the person begging for mercy suddenly fell silent.
Mu Xiao immediately stabbed the person next to him, and that person fell to the ground dead on the spot.
The man begging for mercy, his face drained of color, confessed everything like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.
“We were originally from Shihan County. During the drought, our entire clan migrated. But suddenly, bandits from Huihuo Village appeared and led hundreds of them, killing many people!”
He turned his gaze to the man who had just been killed by Mu Xiao.
"My brothers and I originally planned to escape during the chaos, but we were spotted by bandits and forced to join Grayfire Stronghold!"
As Qin Ling's face grew increasingly grim at the mention of the bandits, the man swallowed hard in fear.
"Later, we received a mission: the second-in-command ordered us to infiltrate among the refugees and spread rumors that Sheng Shuyang, the prefect of Chunyang County, had embezzled the funds and grain allocated by the imperial court for disaster relief and resettlement!"
He spoke while observing the expressions of the two men.
"Upon hearing that the disaster relief funds and provisions had been embezzled by the prefect, the displaced people gathered together, intending to go to the prefect's residence to demand an explanation!"
Seeing that their expressions did not change, he continued to explain.
"The prefect refused to admit to embezzling the money and grain, claiming that he had not received any disaster relief funds or grain. The refugees did not believe him, so they smashed up the prefect's mansion and looted things. The prefect was also injured in the process!"
His voice trailed off as he spoke, and Mu Feng said in a sinister tone, "Do you want to die too?"
The man was so frightened that he quickly raised his voice.
"No, no, no, it was the refugees who didn't manage to grab anything who were resentful. They not only looted everywhere but also vandalized the area. Eventually, the prefect sent soldiers to drive them all out!"
His eyes darted between the two people in front of him, his tone guilty.
"Yesterday, seeing your considerable wealth outside the city, I planned to storm in and rob you during the changing of the guard today. I never expected you to be so formidable..."
Qin Ling and Mu Xiao both found it unbelievable that these refugees were looting and vandalizing the prefect's mansion.
After injuring the prefect, they went around looting the city's inhabitants. How is this any different from the actions of mountain bandits?
When Doctor You arrived, Mu Xiao recounted what she had heard from the refugees.
Doctor You felt a mixture of contempt and pity for the second-in-command of Grayfire Stronghold.
"If this second-in-command had joined the army as a strategist, he would undoubtedly have a bright future. It's truly a pity he ended up in Grayfire Stronghold!"
Mu Xiao disagreed with her father's opinion.
"Even if he joins the army, with such a wicked nature, he'll still face death sooner or later!"
Doctor You and Qin Ling exchanged a smile upon hearing this.
I think it might be because Mu Xiao is straightforward and doesn't have any guile!
Only then could he serve as a personal bodyguard to the Marquis of Anding!
Seeing that he didn't understand at all, Doctor You broke the matter down and explained it to him.
"Why do you think the second-in-command of Grayfire Stronghold let these people join instead of just killing them?"
Mu Xiao scratched his head: "Could it be that they're short-staffed and urgently need to expand their workforce?"
Dr. You waved his hand
"They came down the mountain and killed some unarmed civilians, and they brought over a hundred men with them. What does that mean?"
Mu Xiao thought for a moment: "This shows that Grayfire Stronghold is not short of manpower at all!"
"Then why didn't those bandits kill them?"
Mu Feng shook his head: "My son doesn't know!"
Dr. You patted him on the shoulder
"Foolish boy! They must have done something cruel back then, and when the second-in-command saw it, these guys were all smooth talkers who knelt down and begged for mercy!"
"Could it be that this second-in-command has a soft heart?"
Doctor You glanced at him helplessly.
"The second-in-command naturally felt that sending these people to incite the populace was more suitable than his somewhat arrogant subordinates. Besides, even if these men died, it wouldn't be a loss to them, so why not?"
Mu Xiao was even more confused.
"Father, why would that second-in-command, a bandit, incite refugees? What good would it do him? It only emboldens the court to intensify its bandit suppression efforts. What's in it for him?"
Doctor You and Qin Ling exchanged a meaningful glance, and Mu Xiao seemed to understand something.
"You mean, his backer ordered him to do this? To incite public resentment in Sheng Shuyang's jurisdiction, making him unable to serve as the prefect of Chunyang County, and implicating the person above him?"
Then he clapped his hands.
"And last time Brother Qin Xian said those men in black were in cahoots with the bandits, I was wondering why Grayfire Stronghold would take on assassin jobs. I didn't expect they'd even take on jobs for the imperial court!"
Dr. You rubbed his face and asked Mu Xiao, "Is that what you're thinking?"
Mu Xiao honestly replied, "Isn't that right?"
Doctor You looked up at the sky speechlessly.
"Yes, you're right. I left Xiaoyu with Luoya. Go check on him; I'm afraid he was frightened today!"
Mu Xiao looked at the few surviving refugees, then at the Qinling Mountains.
Qin Ling waved his hand at him: "Go check on Xiaoyu, I'll handle things here!"
After Mu Xiao left, Qin Ling and Doctor You each took out a knife and dealt with the remaining two refugees.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
