Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Xiao Che wasted no more time. Together with Jin Bao, he headed for the general’s residence.

With Jin Bao leading the way, it did not take long for the two of them to arrive at the gates.

“Halt! Who are you?”

The guards gripped their spears and stopped the father and daughter.

“Sirs, I am Xiao Che. I am an old friend of your general’s. I happened to be passing through Shanhai Pass and wished to pay him a visit. I would be grateful if you could announce me.”

Xiao Che stood with his hands clasped in salute. Jin Bao tugged at the hem of her father’s clothes, tilting her little head up as she curiously examined the stone lions at the entrance.

The guards exchanged a look, then turned back to Xiao Che. “Do you have a visiting card or an invitation?”

Xiao Che was an exile. Where would he get a calling card, let alone an invitation?

“I do not. I came in a hurry and had no time to prepare one. Please help me this once. As long as you tell the general my name, he will know who I am.”

Xiao Che was anxious, but he did not dare tell them the truth. If a deputy general could mobilize troops right under the general’s nose, then there had to be a spy inside the general’s residence. He could not risk exposing anything.

One of the guards sneered and waved him off. “No proof, no evidence, and you still want to see our general?

“Do you think our general has nothing better to do?

“Any stray cat or dog thinks they can meet him whenever they want?”

“Don’t you dare scold my daddy! You’re not even as good as cats and dogs. Even my Dahuang can understand Baby when she talks, but you can’t even understand my daddy.”

Jin Bao planted one hand on her waist, her little face puffed up with anger until it nearly looked like a steamed bun. Her eyes were round and wide, her brows knitted tight, and she even let out an indignant little growl.

The two guards stepped forward, reaching as if to grab Jin Bao.

“You little brat, how dare you say we’re worse than beasts?

“You’ve got some nerve. Today we’ll throw both of you into prison and teach you the difference between beggars like you and men like us.”

Jin Bao was as slippery as a little fish. Seeing them come at her, she was not foolish enough to stand there and wait to be caught.

She bent down, zipped right through beneath their arms, spun around in a flash, and even lifted her little foot to kick each of them.

Xiao Che was already anxious to protect his daughter and had just reached out to stop them when the two men came charging toward him instead. He sidestepped, and the two guards stumbled down the steps.

“Daddy, hurry!”

Jin Bao stood at the gate and waved at Xiao Che.

The two of them quickly crossed the threshold.

“Assassins! Catch the assassins!”

The guards had failed to gain any advantage and had even been toyed with by the father and daughter, nearly falling flat on their faces.

With bellies full of anger and nowhere to vent it, they panicked when they saw the two rush straight into the general’s residence and began shouting at the top of their lungs.

Xiao Che and Jin Bao had not gone far before they were surrounded by a group of men.

“Who dares trespass in the general’s residence?”

Xiao Che hugged Jin Bao tightly in his arms. Someone stepped forward, about to bind them.

“Where are the assassins?”

Just as the soldiers were about to tie them up, a voice rang out from beneath the covered corridor. A moment later, a familiar figure appeared before Xiao Che.

“Lord Xiao? Why are you here?”

The newcomer was none other than Qin Meng.

At the sight of Qin Meng, Xiao Che let out a deep breath of relief.

“General Qin, I have urgent business with General Cai. Please lead the way.”

Qin Meng knew that Xiao Che would never force his way into the general’s residence without a pressing reason.

Without hesitation, he turned slightly and made an inviting gesture, then led them to the main courtyard.

“Someone, bring towels at once. And prepare a pot of hot tea and some pastries.”

Xiao Che was soaked through. Because of his leg injury, he had not practiced martial arts for the past two years, and now he could not help shivering.

“Lord Xiao, please sit for a moment. I will invite the general out right away.”

“Thank you.”

Not long after Qin Meng went inside, he helped Cai Hong out.

Ever since Cai Hong had been rescued from the woods last time, he had remained in bed to recuperate. Today was the first day he had gotten up.

“You are Lord Xiao?”

Cai Hong looked at Xiao Che in surprise.

“General Cai, I am already nothing more than an exile. Just call me Xiao Che.

“I have an urgent matter to discuss with you.”

Xiao Che told Cai Hong and Qin Meng the whole story from beginning to end.

When Qin Meng heard it, he slammed the table in fury.

“How brazen! General, the man Lord Xiao mentioned must be Yang Xianwen.

“Among the officers, he is the only one with a black mole at the corner of his forehead.

“I have also found some clues these past two days. All the evidence points to Yang Xianwen. I have already sent a message by carrier pigeon to have someone investigate Yang Xianwen’s household registration.”

Cai Hong coughed. Because he had been poisoned for too long, he was still somewhat weak.

“Qin Meng, the most urgent matter is to seize Yang Xianwen immediately. We absolutely cannot let him send out the Defense Map, or Shanhai Pass will be in danger.”

“This subordinate understands. I will go mobilize troops at once.”

Qin Meng clasped his hands to Xiao Che and immediately left the front hall to gather men.

Seeing that Cai Hong’s complexion was poor, Xiao Che also rose to take his leave.
“General Cai, thank you for stepping in this time. If not for you, my wife and children would have been buried here.”

“Brother Xiao, I know you must have been framed by villains. I believe that one day, you will surely clear your name. Great Xia cannot do without the Xiao Family.

“You’ve had a hard journey, Brother Xiao. Now that you’ve come to my territory, how could I let you sleep out in the wilderness?

“I’ll send men right away to bring the old madam and the others into the city.”

Xiao Che was deeply grateful. A soldier led him to a guest room where hot water had been prepared.

But he had no heart to bathe and change clothes. Instead, he began worrying about Xiao Jingmo.

At the city gate.

“General, the scouts report that Xiong Er’s men still haven’t appeared. Could something have changed?”

If Xiong Er’s men did not show up, they would have no excuse to send troops out to suppress the bandits.

Yang Xianwen sat on horseback, staring at the tightly shut city gates. The heavy rain washed over his armor, but he did not move an inch.

“Wait a little longer. The rain is pouring. Perhaps they’ve been delayed.”

No sooner had Yang Xianwen spoken than the sound of galloping hooves came from behind him.

“General, bad news! The general’s residence has dispatched ten thousand elite soldiers. They’re heading in our direction!”

Yang Xianwen’s hand tightened abruptly around the reins. His expression did not change, but a dark glint flashed through his eyes.

Impossible. How could this be?

Qin Meng and Cai Hong were both badly injured. How could they possibly lead soldiers out of the residence?

Could they have noticed something?

“Panicking like that? Where is your discipline?

“We’re going to suppress bandits, not start a rebellion. Even if General Qin comes, what can he do to us?”

Yang Xianwen barked the reprimand, and the low-ranking soldier immediately rode off to the side, not daring to say another word.

Half an hour earlier, thirty li outside the city.

“You say you’re one of General Yang’s men? Why would you betray him?”

Xiong Er had already been stopped by Xiao Jingmo. He had only brought thirty men with him, and even those had been hastily scraped together.

Being suddenly blocked by a stranger, then told that this was a trap, made him extremely wary.

“Because that dog Yang stole my newlywed wife and humiliated her in public until she died. I hate him, but I can’t kill him. I want revenge. I want to ruin his plans.”

Xiong Er pondered for a moment. That did indeed sound like something that man would do.

“But why should I trust you?

“Since that’s the case, you’ll come with us.”

Without another word, Xiong Er hauled Xiao Jingmo onto a horse and brought him along toward the foot of the city walls. However, they did not appear directly at the city gate. Instead, they hid in the woods on either side.

Whether they went or not, Black Bear Ridge was doomed. He wanted to test whether Yang Xianwen really intended to discard them once they had served their purpose. If that was true, then he would make sure Yang Xianwen’s name was dragged through the mud.

Xiong Er restrained Xiao Jingmo and selected a dozen or so Horse Bandits to go down.

Xiao Jingmo’s mind raced. He had thought he could persuade Xiong Er to stop, but who would have guessed that the man did not play by common sense at all and simply tied him up?

He had to find a way to escape.

“You lot, go shout abuse at the city gate.”

Xiong Er watched secretly from the woods. According to the note Yang Xianwen had sent him, he was supposed to go to the city gate and shout insults first. That was the signal.

The dozen or so men had barely shouted a few times when the city gates opened wide.

Yang Xianwen’s patience was wearing thinner and thinner. Suddenly, he heard the alarm from the gate tower, and the corners of his mouth lifted. “They’re here!”

The gates opened. Yang Xianwen led his men out like an arrow loosed from a bow, cutting down the dozen or so Horse Bandits almost instantly.

Xiong Er watched with his own eyes as the brothers of Black Bear Ridge fell one after another. His fingers dug deep into the bark of the tree, and his eyes turned bloodshot.

“Yang Xianwen, you son of a bitch. Just you wait. You dare use Black Bear Ridge as your stepping stone? You’ll die a miserable death.”

Xiong Er glanced at Xiao Jingmo. “You hate that man too. Do you want to join us?”

“I do. But I still have family. Once I go back and say farewell to them, I’ll head to Black Bear Ridge and pledge myself to you, Big Brother.”

Xiao Jingmo improvised on the spot.

Xiong Er was in a hurry to return and start dealing with Yang Xianwen, so he left Xiao Jingmo the location of Black Bear Ridge and immediately led his men away.

Xiao Jingmo looked down at the people below, his face full of confusion. Had they really charged out?

Could it be that Father and Jin Bao had not met Cai Hong?

His family was still in the tents below, and Yang Xianwen had come for them in the first place. This was bad.

Just then, an even louder roar of battle surged up from the rear.

The men Yang Xianwen had brought were soon surrounded.

Xiao Jingmo froze. “This is… a success? Jin Bao and the others met Cai Hong.”

Overjoyed, Xiao Jingmo rushed out of the woods and reunited with Old Madam Xiao and the others.