As He Zifeng exited, he immediately ordered one person to accompany Xie Rui in gathering reinforcements. “If you see any patrols, tell them to assist us,” he instructed. He then stationed one man at the front door and two at the back.
Xie Rui’s face turned pale, his legs giving out beneath him. Nearly collapsing, he scrambled up and bolted with surprising speed, like a man pursued by wild dogs.
He Zifeng and the others unsheathed their blades.
Inside, the infamous duo was oblivious, planning how to kill their pursuers that night. Soon, the sound of synchronized footsteps outside caught their attention.
The “doctor” opened the door cautiously, but the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder. His face fell. “Something’s wrong.”
Realizing the danger, the two quickly grabbed their belongings and headed for the back door, only to find two officers blocking their escape with drawn blades. The thieves immediately retaliated, and the doctor threw a small pellet to the ground.
A fine mist spread, causing any exposed skin to blister painfully.
“Ah!” The two officers cried out in agony.
Hearing this, He Zifeng shouted, “They’re trying to escape!” Luckily, reinforcements were already positioned at the back entrance.
He Zifeng led his group through the front door, immediately detecting a strange odor. He ordered everyone to cover their noses and charge forward.
The mist’s potency quickly diminished, but the two officers guarding the rear had inhaled a significant amount. Writhing in pain, they rolled on the ground, scratching at their blistered skin.
He Zifeng issued a firm command: “No need to take them alive.” These two were highly dangerous, and attempting to capture them alive would only lead to unnecessary casualties.
He then fired a signal flare.
The notorious duo, trying to escape, encountered a five-man patrol ahead, and soon He Zifeng and seven more officers arrived. The streets echoed with the flare’s sound, drawing further reinforcements.
The thieves, who had terrorized countless towns without resistance, found themselves cornered in a narrow alley.
Back-to-back, the duo brandished their weapons, engaging the officers in a fierce battle. Thanks to He Zifeng’s no-capture order, the officers pressed their advantage, swinging their blades with deadly precision.
The duo, though skilled, grew increasingly desperate. Their usual reliance on poisons was thwarted; they had no chance to retrieve any. A moment of distraction would mean certain death, yet continuing this battle of attrition would exhaust them soon.
The ge’er shouted, “We surrender! Let us go, and we’ll reveal where the stolen silver is hidden!”
The promise of treasure momentarily distracted some of the officers. Seizing this opportunity, the duo slashed their way through, wounding two men and sprinting toward freedom.
He Zifeng was furious. Despite their seemingly ironclad encirclement, the thieves had escaped! If they fled now, capturing them later would be nearly impossible—and their vengeance would undoubtedly be deadly.
Seeing the duo nearing the alley’s exit and with reinforcements yet to arrive, He Zifeng made a bold decision. Gripping his weapon tightly, he hurled it with all his might.
“Ah!” A scream echoed as the blade pierced the doctor’s thigh, pinning him to the ground.
The ge’er hesitated, glancing back at his fallen partner. He Zifeng seized the moment, snatching a weapon from a nearby officer and throwing it. This time, the blade struck the ge’er’s chest.
Rushing forward, He Zifeng’s group cornered the bloodied thieves. The narrow alley reeked of iron. Even in their final moments, the duo clutched explosives. With a defiant glare, they lit the fuse.
“Boom!” The explosion thundered, claiming the lives of three officers at the forefront.
These two knew they would face a grim fate if captured, so they opted for mutual destruction, attempting to take others with them. The explosion instantly killed three officers nearby. The detonation also triggered the rapid release of their concealed poison pellets.
A yellow mist rose quickly. He Zifeng immediately shouted, “Cover your mouths and noses!” The group retreated, but the mist spread faster than they could escape. Although they took precautions, some inhaled the toxic fumes.
The duo, ruthless to the end, aimed to harm as many as possible.
Reinforcements arrived from a distance, but He Zifeng and his group were already slumping against the wall, slowly succumbing.
The others had already collapsed in disarray. He Zifeng, stronger than most, held out the longest, managing to warn, “Beware the poison!” before losing consciousness.
When He Zifeng awoke, he found himself surrounded by unfamiliar curtains. Sitting up, he felt dizzy. As he steadied himself, Brother Xiong entered, visibly relieved. “You’re awake!”
Brother Xiong immediately summoned the doctor, and soon after, Chief Zhu arrived to check on him, asking anxiously about his condition.
The county’s best physician examined him and smiled. “No major issues. You’ve got a strong constitution!”
Chief Zhu, pleased, said, “You’ve made a great contribution! We recovered 100 taels of official silver, several poisons, and two maps. With these two dead, the entire county can breathe easier. The county magistrate has ordered their charred corpses hung at the city gates for three days as a warning.”
Such ruthless and cunning criminals, had they escaped, would’ve plunged everyone into fear. Chief Zhu had already learned that capturing them was entirely thanks to He Zifeng, who seemed a blessing to the county.
He Zifeng asked, “How are the others?”
“Three died from the explosion. Two suffered severe poisoning and have lost their eyesight… alas.” Chief Zhu sighed. “The rest inhaled some of the poison, and two others were injured, but nothing life-threatening. Those affected have been given emetics and will need a few tough days to recover.”
Chief Zhu wanted a clear account of how He Zifeng detected the culprits, as he needed to report back to the county magistrate.
He Zifeng, though still weak, explained, “I’m highly sensitive to the smell of blood. These two had a strong, distinct scent. Their ages and genders matched the description, so I decided to question them. When they resisted fiercely, it confirmed my suspicion.”
Chief Zhu, already impressed by He Zifeng during the family division case, now saw him in an even brighter light. His decisiveness and courage in seizing the opportunity were commendable.
With evident admiration, Chief Zhu said, “When I report to the magistrate, I’ll be sure to commend you.”
“It wasn’t just me,” He Zifeng replied humbly.
“Don’t worry. Everyone’s contributions will be recognized,” Chief Zhu reassured him before leaving.
Brother Xiong, watching from the side, remarked enviously, “Brother, your good days are just beginning.” With over fifty people at the yamen, only a select few ever caught the magistrate’s attention. Now, He Zifeng had made a name for himself with both Chief Zhu and the magistrate.
He Zifeng said modestly, “There’s no need for such talk among brothers.”
Brother Xiong felt touched. He Zifeng’s words meant that even if he rose through the ranks, his camaraderie with Brother Xiong would remain unchanged. Despite being new and young, this reassurance was worth more than anything.
In return, Brother Xiong said, “I heard there’s still over a hundred taels of silver missing from the magistrate’s stash.”
He Zifeng recalled the dying words of the twin bandits and shared them again. Those two must have hidden the silver somewhere. They had looted many places, and it was definitely more than just one hundred taels.
Brother Xiong pondered, “Where could they have stashed it? Earlier, Chief Zhu already led a team to search the blind old woman’s house from top to bottom. They dug up every nook and cranny, from the beams to the chimney, but found nothing.” The bandits had only just arrived in the county—where could they have hidden it?
As they spoke, Chief Zhu returned with news: the county magistrate had promoted He Zifeng to team captain. The position came with an annual salary of five taels and oversight of ten men. Chief Zhu personally delivered the announcement and added, “You’ve got ten days off—rest well!” Everyone knew He Zifeng wasn’t gravely injured, but Chief Zhu had secured this generous break as a reward.
He Zifeng expressed his gratitude again. He spent some money at the pharmacy to soak in a medicinal bath. Having grown up in a hunter’s household, Qiu Yu was highly sensitive to the smell of blood. If his wife knew, he’d undoubtedly worry. He Zifeng decided to burn his clothes, feeling uneasy after dealing with such vile individuals.
Now that he was a captain, getting a new set of uniform was easy. After his bath and a change of clothes, Lin Feng and Zhou Hao came to see him. “Brother He, thanks for earlier,” they said. Only after the danger had passed did they fully realize how perilous it had been. Thanks to He Zifeng’s repeated warnings, they had narrowly escaped harm. Now that He Zifeng had been promoted, and given their shared ordeal, they felt a closer bond with him. “From now on, these 100 or so pounds of mine are at your disposal!” they declared.
The two, who were usually a bit prideful, showed genuine respect with their words.
He Zifeng replied, “It was everyone’s effort. We’ll need to rely on each other in the future.”
Seeing He Zifeng remain humble despite his promotion, everyone felt he was someone worth befriending.
While He Zifeng’s group rested to recover from their injuries, the other two groups were tasked with locating the missing government silver. This was no time to slack off.
Meanwhile, Wan Hai carried a chest down from the mountain. Along the way, he ignored greetings from passersby. Upon reaching home, he locked himself in a small room. No one knew what secretive activity he was up to.
R : what is this x plotting again
Thank you so much for support ♡(´･ω･)(･ω･`)♡ :Ko-fi
