Chapter 77 Solemnly: "I'm very capable."
In the deep, boundless night, layers upon layers of branches pressed down, like an inescapable cage. A few sparks flickered in the long wind, casting the limp branches into menacing shadows.
Outside the cave, the sounds of fists slicing through the air and clear screams filled the air. Ji Dian leaned against a crooked tree and lazily yawned. Inside the cave, Xue Rongyue withdrew her gaze, looked at Liu Lao Er as if nothing had happened, and said coldly, "Continue."
"How did Gao Hongxi approach you, and why? Did he reveal why he wanted to kill his brother? Where did the money he gave Song Chengtian go? When you led your men to chase your brother, on which mountain did you cause him to fall off a cliff? Tell us the truth!"
Hearing the commotion outside, Lin Lao Er swallowed hard, unable to believe that Xue Rongyue could continue interrogating him even after the bandits had surrounded him. Even if there were reinforcements outside, there was only one person!
His eyes darted around, his head lowered, his mouth tightly shut like a clam shell. But before he could even begin, Jingnu caught the whip offered to him, twisted her wrist, and lashed out twice, once at him and once at Lin Laosan. After his skin was torn and bleeding, the man instantly became obedient, spilling his words like beans:
"I don't know the specifics either. It was all Boss Song and Master Gao who made contact. We were just small fry, how would we know these things? But... but..."
Fearing another beating, Lin Lao Er quickly said, "Before this incident, Song Lao Da and Gao Daren were already acquainted and had a good relationship. When we went down the mountain to rob, we were unfortunately arrested by the soldiers, and it was Gao Daren who intervened."
"Things that Lord Gao can't do... for example, after your brother's death, Lord Gao would go to Boss Song, and then Boss Song would take us... but usually he wouldn't give us money. On the contrary, Boss Song would give Lord Gao a tribute every year, after all, he's an official..."
"So when Lord Gao came up the mountain with the portrait and his men carrying two boxes of silver, I felt uneasy. I even advised Boss Song, saying that if killing someone was really that simple, why would Lord Gao bring so much silver? He's such a stingy person. But... but Boss Song is greedy and probably listened to Gao's lies. After finding out where he was, he led us to ambush him. I... had no choice. Boss Song hid the two boxes of silver. Later, when Gao came up the mountain to kill and silence us, he couldn't find them, and I haven't seen them since!"
The roaring torches dispelled some of the chill and illuminated the cramped cave. Lin Lao Er's resentment and regret were palpable. He said indignantly, "If I had known that the man surnamed Gao had no good intentions, I would have run away. Why did I have to get involved in such a thing and end up like this tonight!"
Xue Rongyue's lips curled into a cold smile, and Jingnu couldn't help but sneer upon hearing this: "The evil deeds you have committed are not limited to this one. As a bandit on the mountain, you have committed all kinds of atrocities, such as burning, killing, and looting. You deserve to end up like this."
Lin Lao Er shrank back sheepishly: "Times are tough, I had no choice but to..."
Jiang Huaishun had already thoroughly investigated the backgrounds of Lin Lao Er and Lin Lao San.
Although they were farmers, they owned several acres of fertile land and lived a relatively peaceful life. Unfortunately, Lin Lao Er was restless in his youth and took advantage of the dark of night to rape women in the same village, which angered his parents to death. He dared not return to the village and took the initiative to become a bandit in the mountains. Perhaps some bandits were forced to go up the mountain due to hardship, but Lin Lao Er and Lin Lao San were definitely not.
Just as Jingnu was about to argue with him, Xue Rongyue waved her hand, making her swallow back her words. She raised her chin, her almond-shaped eyes like the dark sky outside, devoid of light, and looked at Lin Lao Er expressionlessly, signaling him to continue.
Lin Lao Er, however, sensed something amiss from Jing Nu's words. He suddenly raised his head, his body shrinking back, and looked at Xue Rong Yue warily: "After I tell the truth, will you let the two brothers go?"
Xue Rongyue lowered her eyes and nodded in agreement: "Of course, I will also give you two a large sum of money so that you can live a worry-free life for the rest of your days."
Lin Lao Er looked suspicious, swallowed hard, and was about to ask something more when Xue Rong Yue impatiently interrupted him, her voice adding a touch of coldness: "Lin Lao Er, the reason I asked you is because you are closer to Song Cheng Tian and know more about it, but that doesn't mean I can only ask you about what happened back then."
"Among the many bandits who followed you, some must know what happened back then. I only care about the minor details that concerned my brother back then; I don't care about the rest. If you are unwilling to confess honestly, there are others who are willing to do so!"
As soon as Xue Rongyue finished speaking, the bandits behind Lin Lao Er, who were tied up, became restless. Especially when they heard that there was money to be had, even though their mouths were gagged and their bodies were tied up, they desperately made noises, trying to attract Xue Rongyue's attention so that they could answer for Lin Lao Er.
Lin Lao Er panicked and immediately forgot his worries. He turned his head and cursed a couple of times before turning back to Xue Rongyue with a fawning smile: "I'll talk, I'll talk. I know the most. They are all inferior to me."
Jingnu coldly rebuked, "Speak now!"
"It's said on the mountain that Boss Song built secret passages and chambers on the mountain, but he won't tell us. I don't know if it's true or not. If it were true, perhaps the money would have been transported out to his lover long ago... Yes, perhaps Boss Luo knows. Since he came up the mountain, Boss Song has valued him even more. Fortunately, he's not good at martial arts and was timid at the time, so he didn't dare to kill anyone. Therefore, when he went down the mountain to ambush, he still took me with him."
"Young Master Xue is a highly skilled man. Even though we set up an ambush early on, it would have been difficult to capture him in a short time. If it weren't for the fact that the thing he was holding fell to the ground and he turned around to pick it up, giving Boss Song an opportunity to stab him with a poisoned sword, we probably would have had a longer struggle."
Even now, Lin Lao Er still feels lingering fear when he mentions this incident, and says with a sullen voice, "If I hadn't dodged quickly, Xue Langjun would have cut off my arm with one sword long ago."
So when they were chasing each other in the mountains, he ran the fastest, partly for the reward money and partly to vent his anger. But even though he was stupid, he knew he couldn't say those words.
"After we captured Xue Langjun, we locked him up with the youngest son of the Jiang family. When Song Laoda went to invite Master Gao, unexpectedly, he ran away with the youngest son of the Jiang family."
"Since Master Song is not here, I can only lead my men to chase after him. We headed west, through the overlapping mountains of Liangshan. We ran through at least two mountains for a whole day and night. We should have reached the border between Liangzhou and Cenzhou when Xue Langjun suddenly rushed out alone and fell off a cliff."
"I don't know which mountain it was, I only remember that there was a large peach orchard on it, and beyond the peach orchard was a patch of golden flowers. I heard my men say it was called something like, 'Welcome, welcome...'"
"Oh right, forsythia! Those flowers are beautiful, a golden expanse when viewed from afar, and their name is quite lovely, 'Welcoming Spring, Welcoming Spring,' which truly reflects the springtime of the time."
Xue Rongyue looked at Jingnu, who nodded almost imperceptibly, indicating that she had remembered it.
Xue Rongyue asked, "What's below the cliff?"
Lin Lao Er was taken aback for a moment, then replied, "It's just rocks and water. It should be a valley, in the gap between two mountains, with a stream and rocks below. It should be very damp, and there might be water snakes."
Xue Rongyue asked again, "Are there any trees?"
"Yes!" Lin Lao Er replied, "After Xue Langjun fell down, I looked down and saw not only trees but also grass. Several trees were growing on the stone wall. If they hadn't blocked my view, I could have at least seen where he fell. When I got back, I could have given an explanation to Song Lao Da and wouldn't have gotten punished."
A glint of light flashed in Xue Rongyue's dark eyes. She steadied her breathing and asked in a deep voice, "So you didn't see your brother's body with your own eyes?"
Lin Lao Er nodded: "That place is very strange. There are a lot of trees growing on the stone wall, and the view is blocked by the branches and leaves. You can't see the bottom at all."
Despite her best efforts to restrain herself, Xue Rongyue's breathing became uncontrollably rapid. She closed her eyes, her jawline tightened, and her heart was filled with turbulent emotions.
The presence of trees and water, along with the absence of a body that was never actually seen, combined to pave the way for the elder brother's survival after falling off the cliff.
Lin Lao Er looked at Xue Rong Yue, puzzled, opened his mouth, and then swallowed his words back.
In fact, it seemed as if Xue Langjun knew the mountain path and deliberately led them to the edge of the cliff. But if he knew the path, he should have run down the mountain. Why did he force himself into a dead end?
Lin Lao Er thought about it and decided that he was just overthinking things. Adhering to the principle of "it's better to avoid trouble," he didn't say anything.
"Madam Xue..." Lin Lao Er looked at his dying brother and said, "I've told you everything I know. Can you let my brother and me leave? We don't need a fortune, just some travel expenses..."
"Don't rush."
Xue Rongyue opened her eyes, a subtle smile playing on her lips. Her gaze was fixed on him as she slowly said, "I haven't finished asking my questions yet."
Lin Lao Er frowned: "I've said everything I needed to say, is there anything else...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Xue Rongyue slightly raised her chin, and Jingnu instantly understood. She picked up the cloth and stuffed it back into the mouths of Lin Lao Er and Lin Lao San. Under their astonished and frightened gazes, Jingnu pulled out the bandits who had tried to answer in place of Lin Lao Er.
Xue Rongyue took out a heavy money bag, which was filled with so many golden coins that they were almost overflowing. The sight made the bandits breathe heavily, their eyes brightened, and they couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
Xue Rongyue picked up a gold ingot and tossed it in her palm. Her gaze swept over the panicked Lin Lao Er, and the cold smile on her lips was undisguised: "Did you hear what Lin Lao Er just said?"
The bandits nodded vigorously.
Xue Rongyue tossed the gold coins in her hand to within three inches of them and said, "Very good. Whoever can tell you the things that Lin Lao Er didn't mention, and the things he lied about, will get the gold coins from the money bag."
As soon as the words were spoken, the bandits became visibly agitated. Jingnu stepped forward and removed the rags from their mouths. The bandits immediately began to chatter amongst themselves, which angered Lin Lao Er behind him. He cursed loudly and struggled to get up and kick them, but he ended up getting kicked several times himself.
Xue Rongyue frowned at the noise, stood up, and gestured for Jingnu to stay and interrogate them, while she walked out of the cave.
A cool night breeze swept away, carrying with it the scent of burning fire. As we emerged from the cave, the sound of rain intensified, relentlessly pattering against the old tree branches and leaves, creating a crisscrossing pattering sound.
Qin Jin leaned against the stone wall in front of the cave, his tall figure illuminated by the firelight inside, like a sharp sword revealing its edge.
Not far away, Luo Hongfang and his group had already been beaten to the ground. Ji Dian was leading his men to tie them up. Luo Hongfang's face was flushed red, whether from tears or rain, and his cold eyes were fixed on Qin Jin, still moist, as if he were looking at a faithless man.
Xue Rongyue found it quite amusing and nudged Qin Jin, who was pretending to be asleep, with her elbow: "Why is he looking at you like that?"
Qin Jin opened his eyes, his gaze not falling on Luo Hongfang: "Finished asking?"
Xue Rongyue shook her head: "It's in full swing."
Qin Jin didn't ask any further questions or urge them. Instead, Xue Rongyue asked, "Has the situation on the mountain been resolved?"
"It's resolved." Qin Jin's gaze lingered on Xue Rongyue's hair bun, his mind stirring slightly. "Except for these few who slipped through the net."
Xue Rongyue noticed his gaze, reached up and touched her hair, taking off the hairpin: "Your Highness has excellent taste."
This hairpin was brought to her by Qin Jin when he returned to Chang'an. Xue Rongyue took it with her when she packed her bags because of its unique design.
Qin Jin raised his hand, his warm palm touching the hair bun. Before Xue Rongyue could even feel surprised, she saw a withered leaf in Qin Jin's lowered palm, which had somehow gotten stuck to the hair bun.
Having worked hard all night, Xue Rongyue had no time to pay attention to these things and simply put the hairpin back into her hair bun.
"It's all in chaos."
Qin Jin suddenly spoke up.
Xue Rongyue looked up, puzzled, and asked, "What?"
Qin Jin shifted his gaze from Xue Rongyue's eyes and raised his chin: "The hairpin is misplaced."
Xue Rongyue hadn't brought a bronze mirror with her when she went out tonight. Upon hearing this, she took off her hairpin and tried to insert it into Qin Jin's hand, but he still said it wasn't right. So she simply stuffed the hairpin into his hand and said, "Then you help me insert it."
Qin Jin took the hairpin, his expression calm, and said indifferently, "Alright."
"Fine~" Xue Rongyue thought to herself, it was really a reluctant request. But since she needed help at the moment, she didn't say much and just pretended not to hear.
Although he used to wear the coarse linen clothes of a mountain bandit, Qin Jin's inherent nobility could not be erased. His straight back seemed to support him with a sharp sword, and his unruly nature was unmistakable. Not to mention that he had changed into a lighter brocade robe, he was already a crane among chickens, and he was undoubtedly even more outstanding.
Xue Rongyue finally understood why she had to tell him about Qin Ang's background; otherwise, it wouldn't make sense if he were just an ordinary bandit, and even if Luo Hongfang was stupid, he wouldn't believe it.
Qin Jin had a faint scent of sandalwood on her body, mixed with a hint of blood, and her broad back enveloped her.
Xue Rongyue raised her eyelids and could see his thin lips so close to hers.
His lips were thin, with just the right color—any more would make them too dark, any less would make them too pale. They resembled an arc meticulously drawn by the most skilled painter, cool and reserved. Above that were his straight nose and exceptionally handsome eyebrows and bright eyes.
She certainly has a beautiful appearance.
Xue Rongyue reluctantly admitted it.
Qin Jin inserted the hairpin into her hair bun, her Adam's apple bobbing slightly as she lowered her eyes: "What are you looking at?"
The two were close, their warm breaths mingling. Xue Rongyue looked away somewhat awkwardly, unable to voice her thoughts: "Why are you moving so slowly?"
Qin Jin clicked his tongue softly, took two steps back, leaned against the stone wall, and asked with piercing eyes, "Is that so?"
Xue Rongyue snorted: "Otherwise what?"
"Fine." Qin Jin raised his injured arm, trying to excuse himself, "It's all because I'm injured."
Upon hearing this, Xue Rongyue scoffed, "You have the nerve to say that."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Jin seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly stood up straight, his expression becoming serious, and gestured for Xue Rongyue to look towards the cave entrance.
Xue Rongyue was taken aback by his serious expression and followed his gaze forward—
Luo Hongfang and the others were already bound hand and foot and escorted up the mountain. Only the receding figures of Ji Dian and Guang Sheng remained in the open space in front of the cave.
Xue Rongyue couldn't figure it out and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
Qin Jin raised his chin slightly, held up one finger, and said succinctly, "A quarter of an hour."
A quarter of an hour?
What do you mean, a quarter of an hour?
Xue Rongyue frowned: "Speak plainly."
Qin Jin raised his chin even higher, turned to look at her, his expression solemn, and explained in a firm voice, "I captured them all in just a quarter of an hour."
Xue Rongyue: "......"
Qin Jin didn't get the feedback he wanted, and fearing that Xue Rongyue hadn't understood, he coughed reservedly and said bluntly, "If it weren't for the bandits' sneak attack, they wouldn't have been able to touch a hair on my head. What happened just now was purely an accident."
"You didn't see my heroic feat of taking on thirteen opponents single-handedly. Although it's a trivial and insignificant matter for me, I feel it's necessary to tell you because you made a very wrong, unfair, and biased inquiry about me, so..."
Xue Rongyue, her face expressionless, repeated, "So...?"
Qin Jin said solemnly, "I'm very capable."
Xue Rongyue: "…………"
Xue Rongyue looked away: "Alright."
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Author's Note: The bandit matter is over. A secret letter from Chang'an will appear in the next two chapters.
I failed to adjust my sleep schedule yesterday, and again I went to bed at 5 a.m. this morning. I'm so touched! [crying emoji]
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