Chapter 61: Bandit Suppression Leads to an "Old Friend"
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Faced with his father’s concern, Cheng An could only reply helplessly, “Father, the battle is about to begin. How can I leave now?”
“Nonsense!” Cheng Dashan was unusually firm. “I refuse to believe that without you, that little brat, no one else can eliminate the bandits.”
Slap!
The slap from the void came, though delayed.
Wang Shan gritted his teeth and said nothing, his face darkening as he walked away somewhat.
“But what about the villagers?”
“The plan was mine, so I must take responsibility. Otherwise, how can I face people in the future?”
If it weren’t for the circumstances, Cheng An truly wouldn’t want to ‘kidnap’ his father.
This man had suffered enough.
For most of his life, he had lived under the moral coercion of the old Han family—a mental torment that was painful to witness.
“Then you go instead!”
“You and your uncles are here too. All of us together should be stronger than you alone, right?”
Cheng Dashan seemed to have made up his mind before coming. The men he brought were his closest comrades who usually hunted with him.
“That’s right!”
“We’ll go. Let the boy stay behind!”
Uncle Qin Dong from the west end of the village said, “Last time when our child was kidnapped, although the bandits weren’t eliminated in the end, they did contribute. This time, consider it a favor returned!”
Slap!
Another slap.
Wang Shan’s face turned green with frustration, cursing his overly sensitive hearing.
Who was this ‘they’?
If we talk like that, who really owed whom more?
Damn these unruly villagers...
“Enough!” Liu Qi twitched at the corner of his mouth and interrupted, “Then we’ll all go together! Cheng An, you stay behind to plan and to look after your father!”
...
Qingliang Mountain was vast.
Spanning over a dozen peaks, its internal mountain paths were labyrinthine.
Fortunately, it hadn’t rained these past few days.
After walking a short distance, they found the marks Cheng An had left earlier.
“Beyond here is Black Wind Stronghold’s territory!”
Cheng An pondered, then turned to Wang Shan. “Set up the formation, sir. That group of bandits is strong. A head-on assault would likely lead to heavy casualties.”
“Good.”
Wang Shan nodded and ordered, “Liu Qi!”
“At your command!”
“You take fifty men and block all the mountain exits. If anything happens, be ready to provide support at any time!”
“Yes!”
Liu Qi left with his men.
As a clerk and the magistrate’s officer of Qingshui Town, it wasn’t realistic for him to fight on the front lines; losing him or having him wounded would only cause trouble.
“Xing Yusen!”
“Here!”
Hmm?
Cheng An looked at the officer opposite him in surprise...
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“You lead thirty constables to conduct a carpet search within the mountain. If you encounter fierce fighting, report immediately!”
“Yes, sir!”
Xing Yusen was in his forties, tall and muscular, with a stern expression etched on his face.
Cheng An was momentarily stunned.
Is this Old Xing? The Xing captain he remembered didn’t look like this!
Seeing him staring at Xing Yusen, Wang Shan asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Do you two know each other?”
“No...”
“Well, sort of.”
Cheng An was conflicted, whispering, “Sir, scouting and searching is the most crucial step. Is this man reliable?”
“Of course!”
Wang Shan answered without hesitation, “Old Xing is my capable assistant, transferred here from Lin County with great effort. He’s solved many major cases over the years!”
“...”
That was true.
Ji Wuming and Pinggu’s notorious criminal all fell under his hand.
“What about the others...?”
Wang Shan was about to continue issuing orders.
Cheng An suddenly snapped back to attention. “Sir, Qingliang Mountain is vast, and with such a commotion, the bandits must be alerted. If they flee deeper into the mountains, capturing them will be much harder!”
“Good point.”
Wang Shan nodded appreciatively. “Do you have a good plan?”
“How about this...”
Cheng An smiled slyly and winked.
Half an hour later.
A bandit-hunting team made up of villagers arrived at Black Wind Stronghold without obstruction.
Just as Cheng An had predicted.
The place was deserted, left in disarray.
The bandits weren’t fools.
They wouldn’t risk a direct confrontation with the authorities unless absolutely necessary, as losing would mean disaster for them.
“Damn it!”
“Why’d they all run?”
The leader cursed loudly, “Second Brother He, are you sure about the info?”
“Yeah, it’s right here,” another man scratched his head. “No mistake!”
“Nonsense!”
“Of course I know there’s no mistake, but where are the people? Where did they go?”
The leader’s acting was convincing, his anger very real.
Then, voice full of resentment, he said, “Damn it, Master Gu paid a lot to buy this informant. Even officials showed up. If we can’t catch the bandits, how do you plan to explain that?”
“I...”
Scenes like this played out in every corner of the mountain.
Qingliang Mountain was large.
But in such cold weather, there were only a few places to hide.
“Sir!”
Before long.
Xing Yusen returned with two constables to report, “We checked all the hiding spots Cheng An provided. Indeed, we found many traces!”
“That proves our guess was right...”
Wang Shan glanced at Cheng An, full of admiration.
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Xing Yusen also looked over, praising, “Young Master Cheng is so meticulous and clever at such a young age! Truly a prodigy!”
“Captain Xing...”
“You flatter me.”
Cheng An smiled awkwardly.
Damn!
Such a cheerful name, yet an iron-blooded officer persona.
It was hard not to feel conflicted!
“Let’s wait and see.”
Liu Qi approached, saying calmly, “Hopefully this plan works; otherwise, it’ll be troublesome.”
Eliminating the bandits was necessary.
But with so many people, they couldn’t just stay holed up in the mountains forever.
If the bandits really escaped...
Wang Shan would certainly lose face.
And the villagers of Dongzhai would suffer terribly, as those bandits would surely seek brutal revenge once they returned.
“Report, sir!”
A constable came running back, panting. “We’ve caught a lone bandit.”
“Got him!”
Everyone became excited and applauded.
“Quick...”
“Bring him here!”
Later.
A dirt-smudged, burly man was brought in, his hands tied behind his back.
Everyone tacitly remained silent.
Wang Shan glanced over.
Cheng An immediately understood and stepped forward, “Want to live?”
“I...”
The man looked up.
Then suddenly froze, staring blankly at Cheng An.
“Eh?”
Cheng An was also surprised, “Why do you look so familiar? Have we met before?”
“You brat!”
“I’ll kill you...”
The man went berserk, nearly breaking free from the constables’ grip, shouting wildly, as if he wanted to bite Cheng An to death!
“Tsk!”
“We’re old friends. Don’t be so impulsive.”
Cheng An stepped back two paces, smiling, “Besides, I have to thank you. If you hadn’t brought me food, I definitely wouldn’t have escaped!”
“Ah!”
The man grew even more agitated.
Like a wild boar trapped in a cage, three or five men struggled to hold him down.
Wang Shan and Liu Qi exchanged glances.
Suddenly, they felt a bit...
Misfortunate in their company?
To drive someone mad at such a young age—what future did that predict?