Perhaps it was because they had some confidence in Zheng Quchi's ability to protect himself, and also because the situation around Fuxian County had always been under their control...
However, they never expected that the problem would ultimately arise not from any of the enemies they had envisioned, but from among the people they considered the safest and most secure.
Wei Yao kicked the city guard, who was almost out of breath, aside and ordered his men to take him and his men away, but not to the county jail, but back to the camp.
"Zebang, who do you think took Madam away? Is she in danger now?"
Wei Yao stared intently into the alley, unable to think of anyone else at the moment.
“It’s probably impossible for our people to do this.” Wang Zebang was also thinking about this. “But there shouldn’t be too much danger. According to the city guard, the lady had a shooting weapon, but she didn’t attack the man. There were no signs of fighting or struggle in this alley, which means that the lady agreed to leave with the other party.”
"What if Madam was subdued and had no power to resist at all?" Wei Yao said, referring to the worst-case scenario.
Wang Zebang had certainly considered this possibility, but it was precisely at times like these that he couldn't panic and had to stay calm.
He analyzed, "But the pursuing soldiers were already nearby. Even if she shouted, it would have caused a commotion and revealed their movements. However, the lady did not attempt to save herself, so I deduced that she was not in danger at the time."
Wei Yao remained silent for a long time, seemingly assessing the credibility of his words.
Wei Yao suddenly thought of something. He stared intently at Wang Zebang and lowered his voice, saying, "Do you think it could be someone from the Mo family? Do you remember that not long ago someone saw Gan Xin from the Mo family appear in Jindu, but then the news disappeared again?"
The entanglement between the lady and the Mo family is difficult to discern. If the Mo family members appeared to take her away, it would be understandable that she would not resist.
Gan Xin?
Gan Xin, the mad swordsman from the Mohist school who was said to be able to flatten mountains and rivers and five continents with a single slash?
Wang Zebang's face turned ashen, gradually becoming serious: "The Mo family actually sent him. It seems we're in trouble."
"In any case, I'll send someone to investigate his current whereabouts first," Wei Yao said coldly.
Wang Zebang patted him on the shoulder: "You have to handle this personally. Tomorrow morning I will go with the county government to hunt down the bandits and also investigate clues about Princess Sheng'an."
"This matter involving bandits is probably not simple," Wei Yao reminded him.
Wang Zebang knew his concerns: "No matter how complicated it is, we have to investigate. These bandits suddenly appeared near our Fuxian County, specifically targeting travelers. To me, it doesn't seem like they're purely after money; it seems more like they have some other purpose."
"What would their purpose be?"
"It's hard to say. Anyway, you go and look for clues and find Madam's whereabouts as soon as possible. I'll go and check out the bandits. We'll split up... By the way, has Runtu arrived at Xiatian yet?"
"He hasn't written yet."
Judging by the time, it should be about one or two days before they arrive: "He is highly skilled in martial arts and leads a force of elite Xuanjia soldiers, so there should be no problem."
——
Inside the cave, Zheng Quchi, feeling uneasy under the watchful eyes of dozens of people, stammered, "Are you bandits?" She asked disbelievingly, "What proof do you have?"
"Do you need evidence for this? What decent family would admit to being a highway robber?" The man seemed even more amused by her words.
Of course.
For example, me.
Zheng Quchi thought to herself, she is clearly from a good family, but in the next few seconds, she decided to tell a little lie to save her life.
"Now you can tell me why those soldiers thought you were a highway bandit?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Quchi immediately became indignant and fabricated a story: "I came here to join your bandits. I was originally just a carpenter who repaired things, but I accidentally offended the city magistrate. He made things difficult for me at every turn and even wanted to arrest me and torture me in prison. So I thought I might as well go all the way and become an outlaw."
The implication is that I'm not here to sabotage you, I'm here to join you.
She had no choice but to join. She knew the location of their headquarters and had even met the bandit leader whom Wang Zebang described as "a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail." She knew so many secrets. If she didn't choose to join, she would only face the choice of being silenced or locked in a black cage.
She didn't want to die, nor did she want to be imprisoned without freedom and dignity, so for the time being, if she couldn't beat them, she could only join them.
"Are you a carpenter? A female carpenter?" The man gave her a strange look.
She glanced down at her country girl attire: "Yes, don't you believe me?"
Her eyes darted around the vicinity, looking for something to prove herself.
Until she saw a broken little cart with one wheel broken and crooked in the corner, she immediately went over, took out her tools, and gave it a good beating.
A short while later, she stood up and gestured to them, saying, "Come and see, I'm done."
The bandits all approached out of curiosity, only to find that the previously dilapidated cart now looked quite presentable, standing upright with its wheels reinstalled and the disassembled parts repaired. Although it could not be restored to its original pristine condition, at least it seemed usable for the time being.
They were all quite surprised that this seemingly frail young woman possessed such a skill.
One of the bandits picked up the cart, pushed it forward, and the wheels turned as usual. He looked at the cart from left to right, and finally turned back with surprise and said, "She really fixed it! It was so easy to fix. Xiaoqi and I were busy for half a day yesterday, but we only made it worse. Now it's great, we have the cart again."
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