Chapter 204 Black Wind Stronghold's Attempt Turns Off
“I went to the government office to file a complaint, but because that person was in a high position and had great power, the government office dared not accept the case. Not only did they refuse to accept it, they also turned around and accused me of being crazy and delusional because I failed the exam. They dragged me out and beat me up. They took all my money, stripped me of my outer clothes and threw me into a mass grave in the suburbs.”
Jiang Ling was stunned.
She had heard rumors of corruption in officialdom, but she never expected it to be so blatant.
Zhou Zhongliang gave a bitter smile. "I thought I was going to die, but Uncle Li and the others found me and rescued me and brought me back to the refugee shack. I've read medical books, so I usually treat their minor illnesses, and they also share food with me, which is how I survived."
“After this blow, I was already disheartened and planned to find a place to settle down with the refugees and live out my life in obscurity. But after being caught in an animal trap and having a real brush with death, my resentment and anger were rekindled.”
"After years of hard study, am I just going to let myself be bullied and let all my efforts go to waste? I've decided to return to the capital, and even if the hope is slim, I will fight to the death to appeal to the emperor!"
Jiang Ling never expected that he had gone through such a tortuous journey.
"But it's not easy to file a complaint with the emperor; it's difficult to get into the palace. Have you thought of a solution?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhongliang immediately lowered his head in dejection.
He came from a humble background, had no powerful connections, and no relatives or friends in the capital. That's why he was so easily replaced.
Jiang Ling also fell silent.
After a short rest, with the help of Zhou Zhongliang and the villagers, Jiang Ling and Fang Shijie got on the donkey cart.
The refugees extinguished the fire and, familiar with the route, led the donkey cart onto a mountain path half-hidden by weeds.
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The night was as dark as ink, and the torchlight flickered in the mountain wind, casting intermittent light and shadow on Cheng Fang and Zhao Jingxing's tense faces.
The Crown Prince's Guard, fully equipped with elite troops, quickly and systematically surrounded the main entrances and exits of Black Wind Stronghold, leaving no room for escape.
As planned, the archers silently occupied the high ground behind the mountain, their arrows nocked and aimed at the village below.
Cheng Fang reined in his horse, took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and shouted loudly towards the gate of the stockade:
"Listen up, you inside! I am Cheng Fang, the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an! You must deliver the kidnapped Miss Jiang safely at once. The ransom is here, and it will guarantee your lives! If you dare to harm a single hair on her head, I will raze the mountain stronghold to the ground and leave no one alive!"
His voice echoed in the silent valley, carrying an undeniable air of authority and murderous intent.
However, the anticipated standoff or negotiations did not materialize.
Inside the village gate, all was deathly silent, save for the crackling of the burning torches and the mournful sound of the mountain wind blowing through the flagpole.
After a long while, the gate creaked open and was carefully pulled open a crack from the inside.
Dozens of ragged, emaciated men walked out trembling.
Holding only broken hoes and wooden sticks, they were terrified when they saw the soldiers outside, armed and in bright armor. They immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.
"General, spare me! General, spare me!"
"It's none of our business! We don't know anything about it!"
"We were forced into this situation; we've only been here a few days..."
Zhao Jingxing frowned, spurred his horse forward, and asked sternly:
"Enough with the nonsense! Where is the girl you kidnapped? Where is she hidden? Hand her over now!"
The slightly bolder man at the head of the group raised his head, his face covered in snot and tears, and said blankly:
"Girl? What girl? General, there are no girls in the village! We are just refugees taken in by the chief a few days ago, we've barely even touched a knife, how could we dare to kidnap anyone!"
"Nonsense!" Zhao Jingxing's patience ran out. He suddenly drew his sword, the tip pointing directly at the man.
"Black Wind Stronghold has been entrenched here for years, robbing and committing all sorts of evil deeds. How could there only be a few of you? Tell me! Where are the others hiding? Where are you holding that girl?!"
The cold blade and the battlefield ferocity emanating from Zhao Jingxing terrified the newly joined "bandits," causing them to collapse to the ground in a chorus of cries.
"General, you are wise! There really are only us left in the stronghold!"
"The boss... the boss and the old brothers just packed up and left, saying they were going to pull off a big heist! Leaving us newbies to guard the place..."
"We know nothing, General!"
Cheng Fang's expression changed drastically. He exchanged a glance with Zhao Jingxing, and both saw shock and unease in each other's eyes.
He leaped off his horse, grabbed the leader of the group, and his gaze was sharp as a knife:
"Gone? Where did they go? Are there dungeons or secret rooms in the village where people are imprisoned?"
The man was so frightened he stammered, "I...I don't know where they went...The dungeon is empty, we've searched every possible hiding place in the village, there really aren't any girls! We don't even have enough food for the night. When the chief and the others left, they seemed to have burned quite a lot of things..."
"Search!" Cheng released him and gave a stern order to the soldiers behind him.
"Search every inch of Black Wind Stronghold, inside and out, even if you have to dig three feet into the ground! Don't miss a single woodshed or cave!"
The soldiers immediately rushed into the mountain stronghold, and the torchlight illuminated every corner.
The empty assembly hall, the messy living quarters, the musty warehouse, and the dungeon that was indeed empty.
Apart from the thirty-odd terrified new bandits and some broken belongings they couldn't take with them, the entire Black Wind Stronghold was practically an empty village!
"Reporting to the General! We've searched everywhere! Every house, cellar, and cave has been searched, but there's no sign of Miss Jiang!"
Zhao Jingxing slammed his fist hard on the rough wooden stake next to him, sending wood chips flying everywhere.
His eyes were bloodshot, filled with both anger and anxiety: "How could this happen?! We rushed here as soon as we received the news, how could they have vanished without a trace right under our noses with the hostages? At its peak, Black Wind Stronghold was said to have over a hundred men, did they all grow wings and fly away?!"
Cheng Fang's heart sank to the bottom.
He forced himself to calm down and looked around.
The village's defenses weren't particularly strong, but its geographical location made it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
If the chieftain had planned this in advance and was familiar with the mountain paths, it's not impossible that he could have dispersed and evacuated under cover of darkness via side paths.
The ransom is still on the truck, but the person who is to be ransomed has disappeared.
He turned to the soldiers who remained and ordered, "Take these thirty bandits back and interrogate them carefully, don't let any detail slip by!"
Cheng Fang's voice was low, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, "Jingxing, leave some men to guard these prisoners and interrogate them carefully. See if you can find out the possible whereabouts of the chieftain or any other clues. Search the surrounding mountains and roads thoroughly. I will immediately return to the capital to report to His Highness and request that the search area be expanded!"
Zhao Jingxing nodded, looking at the empty mountain stronghold, a sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.
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