Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Because both bailiffs were gravely injured, the group rested in the residence for five full days before Zhu Laosan could barely get off the brick bed.

Over the past few days, Zhu Laosan had asked Xiao Che and his son to go out and gather information.

They also learned that Zou Yong and the others had recovered several exiled prisoners.

Among them was Madam Chen’s family.

Back when the Horse Bandits blocked them in the alley, Madam Chen’s family had taken advantage of the chaos to flee.

But the town was crawling with Horse Bandits, and they had nowhere to hide, so they slipped into the nearest place they could find: the well at the post station.

The three of them clung to the mossy bricks lining the well and soaked in cold water for most of the night. Fortunately, it was summer. Even so, Madam Chen’s little grandson did not survive.

The only ones who lived were Madam Chen, her husband, and their eldest son.

Afterward, Cui Jin and Zou Yong found no bodies belonging to the Xiao Family in town, nor did they see the corpses of Zhu Laosan or Li Si. Guessing that these people were still alive and had not left town, they stayed at the post station and kept asking around for news.

Xiao Che told Zhu Laosan everything he had found out.

Zhu Laosan hated Cui Jin and Zou Yong to the bone.

If those two had not fled in the face of danger that night, he and Li Si would never have been injured so badly.

After being delayed in town for more than ten days, Li Si and Zhu Laosan were finally able to get out of bed and walk around freely.

The next day, they set out again.

But before they had even left town, just as they reached the main street, Cui Jin and Zou Yong appeared with Madam Chen’s family of three and the other exiled prisoners, following after them.

They had been waiting here for many days and had never left.

“Brother San, I knew you hadn’t gone yet. See? We really did manage to wait you out.”

Zou Yong had a thick skin. The moment he saw Zhu Laosan, he came forward with a grin.

Zhu Laosan could not even be bothered to glance at him.

But they were all bailiffs with escort duties, and Zhu Laosan also knew exactly what Zou Yong was planning.

In the past, he had turned a blind eye and let things slide. From today onward, however, those two could forget about stirring up trouble under his nose.

Cui Jin still said nothing. He merely followed behind the group, looking at Xiao Che with a meaningful gaze.

“So your leg really isn’t crippled. You have deceived the emperor and your superiors.”

The moment Cui Jin opened his mouth, he tried to pin a grave accusation on Xiao Che.

Before Xiao Che could refute him, Zhu Laosan stepped in front of him.

“Whether he deceived the emperor or not, I know the truth in my heart. As for you two, you neglected your duties. You’d better start thinking about how you’re going to answer for that when we return to the capital.”

Zhu Laosan gave a cold snort, then turned and left.

Cui Jin stared at Zhu Laosan with icy eyes and said nothing more. Killing intent, however, roiled around him. It seemed that if he wanted to complete his mission successfully, he would first have to remove this obstacle.

This time, the Xiao Family had wiped out all the Horse Bandits and saved the entire town. At that moment, the entrance to the town was packed with commoners.

Everyone now knew Xiao Che’s identity. He was none other than that War God general known to all of Great Xia.

Speaking of which, the credit still belonged to Jin Bao.

After she woke up that day, she remembered that Wang the Rich and his family were still hiding in the cellar, so she and Xiao Jingmo ran out to deliver the message.

When Wang the Rich saw that Xiao Jingmo was wearing prisoner’s clothes, he grew suspicious and asked about it.

Jin Bao’s little mouth immediately started chattering away, telling him everything she knew about the Xiao Family, including what she had seen in her visions.

Only then did Wang the Rich learn that the Xiao Family had been framed and exiled. That was why he had led the entire town’s people to the town entrance to see them off.

The bailiffs had never seen such a grand scene before. Both sides of the road were filled with townspeople.

In their hands, they all carried tokens of their gratitude. Some held baskets of eggs, some brought sets of clothing, some carried bundles, and some offered homemade food. Most exaggerated of all, someone even gifted them a carriage.

“General Xiao, no matter how the imperial court has judged you, in the hearts of us common folk, you are our god. We believe that one day, you will surely clear your name. Every day, we will pray for you and set up longevity tablets for you in our homes.”

Xiao Che looked at the townspeople, each of them red-eyed as they offered what they believed would help him most right now. The unwillingness in his heart slowly faded away at last.

A voice suddenly sounded deep within him: Justice may not dwell in vermilion halls and purple courts, but it endures among humble doorways and kitchen smoke.

Though the mountains and rivers had failed him, the mortal world was still worth it.

Xiao Che had not intended to accept so much as a needle or thread from the commoners. But when he saw a woman offering Jin Bao several sets of clothing and a few pairs of little shoes, his eyes lit up, and he accepted them without the slightest hesitation.

When the other townspeople saw this, their eyes went red with envy. If they had known, they would have brought things for the little child too.

So General Xiao was actually a good father who doted on his daughter like his life depended on it. For a time, Xiao Che’s image became even more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
Jin Bao also became the center of everyone’s attention, and Wang the Rich chose the perfect moment to tell them how quick-wittedly Jin Bao had fought the Horse Bandits that night.

The townspeople praised her to the skies, saying that a tiger father could never have a dog for a daughter. Little Jin Bao lifted her small head high and puffed out her tiny chest until she hardly looked like an exiled convict at all. She looked more like a victorious general returning in triumph.

After leaving the town, they were less than two hundred li from Shanhai Pass.

Before the Xiao Family’s group could reach Shanhai Pass, someone had already gone ahead to deliver a message.

On the city wall, the deputy general Yang Xianwen was making his patrol when he spotted a rider approaching the pass from afar.

When the man raised his wrist, Yang Xianwen clearly saw a white ribbon tied around it.

It was the signal. He immediately went down from the tower and brought the man into the residence.

“General, the mission at Black Bear Ridge failed. Not only did we fail to get Wang the Rich’s fortune, Xiao Che counterattacked and wiped us out.

“Black Bear Ridge sent all its elites to massacre the town this time, and now they’re all dead. We’ve suffered a devastating blow. I’m afraid we won’t be able to serve you for the next few years.”

Xiong Er, the second-in-command of Black Bear Ridge, bowed with his head lowered, his face full of grief.

“Xiao Che? I heard Xiao Che had already had his estate confiscated by His Majesty and been exiled. Why would he go against your Black Bear Ridge?

“Besides, both his legs are crippled. He lost his old martial prowess long ago. Are you trying to deceive me? Did you keep the money for yourself?”

Yang Xianwen was not easy to fool. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, and it sent a chill down Xiong Er’s spine.

Xiong Er could not hold out under the pressure. With a thud, he dropped to his knees.

“General, please see the truth! If you don’t believe me, you can send someone to investigate.

“The entire town was seeing Xiao Che off that day. This time, we didn’t gain a single benefit, and we lost sixty or seventy brothers. In the end, everything we did only benefited Xiao Che.”

Yang Xianwen did not think he would dare lie, but only after staring at him for a long while did he let him off.

He would send someone to investigate, of course. But since Xiao Che had been exiled to the Northern Frontier, Shanhai Pass was a road they had to take. Since he had dared ruin Yang Xianwen’s plans, Yang Xianwen would not let him leave Shanhai Pass alive.

As it happened, the commanding general Cai Hong was away during this period. Killing a few exiled convicts would be child’s play.

Xiao Che’s group had originally needed to cover fifty li a day. But because Zhu Laosan and Li Si had not yet recovered, their daily distance was cut in half. As a result, they could not make it to a relay station for the night and had to sleep out in the wilderness.

On the first night, everyone found a spot in the woods that was sheltered from the wind and lit a bonfire.

Lu Shuangshuang immediately brewed medicine for the two officers.

Zhu Laosan leaned against a large tree, panting heavily. Too much blood loss was not something that could be made up for in just two days. They had only walked a little over twenty li that day, yet he was already struggling to keep going.

Li Si was not much better.

He simply collapsed onto the ground without caring about appearances. Only after resting for quite a while did he feel a little strength return to his limbs.

Before they set out, they had replenished some food in town. Zhu Laosan had specifically bought meat buns. He had not even bought any white-flour steamed buns, though he had still prepared a few coarse black-flour buns for the other exiled convicts.

Xiao Jinghao was carrying the bundle as well. Otherwise, Zhu Laosan probably would not have been able to last even those twenty li.

“Lord Xiao, thank you all for your help. The food in Third Young Master’s bundle. Please trouble yourself to divide it among everyone. Tomorrow, we should be able to reach the next relay station. We’ll eat something better then.”

Zhu Laosan’s attitude had changed greatly. Not only did he no longer treat the Xiao Family harshly when it came to food, even the way he addressed them had changed.

Li Si had felt awkward the whole way. Now that he saw Zhu Laosan behaving like this, he also came over to express his thanks.

“Lord Xiao, I, Li Si, owe you my life. From now on, I won’t make things difficult for you anymore. As for everything that happened before, I hope you won’t hold it against me. I was only doing my duty.”

Xiao Che cupped his hands. “What are you saying, officer? I am no longer a lord. You may simply call me by name. There is no need to be so polite.”

Zhu Laosan also felt that the title was inappropriate, so he said, “Then we’ll call you Brother Xiao. You’re a few years older than Li Si and me, so calling you brother is only right.”

Xiao Che did not refuse again. He sat down and began distributing the buns.

Madam Chen’s family of three still wore shackles on their feet, and the only food they received was three coarse black-flour buns. They were furious inside, but they did not dare say a word. They were afraid that if they spoke up again, they might not even get the coarse buns.

Now their family was practically invisible. They no longer dared act arrogant. They only hoped they could reach the Northern Frontier alive. Too many people had died along the way, and they were truly afraid now.