CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 34: CAUGHT_1

Many children, when young, don’t realize that while they are sound asleep, their parents are losing sleep over their education.

Truly, the depth of a parent’s heart is unfathomable.

Take Zheng Fan at this moment, for example.

Perhaps due to the beating he took during the day, after Siniang’s massage, Zheng Fan slept exceptionally soundly.

When he woke up, the sky was already bright.

He pushed open his room door to find two maids waiting on the steps below.

Seeing Zheng Fan was up, one went to the kitchen to fetch breakfast, while the other brought warm water for his ablutions.

Zheng Fan inwardly rejected this decadent lifestyle.

But sometimes, not needing them was tantamount to denying their reason for being. After all, they were servants, and most of their hometowns were in the Yan State mainland, or even further afield in the Qian or Jin States.

So, to allow them to live here in peace, Zheng Fan could only silently "endure" their services. Alas.

After washing up and eating, Zheng Fan followed the routine of the past few days, grabbing his wooden sword and heading to the courtyard to prepare for his beating.

However, to his surprise, Liang Cheng, who had always been waiting for him here on previous days, was absent today.

"Where is he?"

Liang Cheng wouldn’t have given up on me, Zheng Fan thought. I’ve been making good progress. At least, my ability to endure beatings has improved day by day.

"Master, Siniang instructed me earlier to inform you that they have some business to attend to today, so they won’t be able to receive Master’s guidance," one of the young women said.

The speaker was a young girl whose original name contained the character "Fang." After entering the residence, Siniang had named her Fangcao.

It was a very earthy name.

Zheng Fan had seen her a few times; she always seemed to be trailing A Ming. It appeared she was one A Ming had "picked up."

"They’ve all gone out?"

"Yes, they all left early this morning."

"Oh, alright then."

Zheng Fan simply took his wooden sword and began practicing his chopping motions.

By noon, seeing that Siniang and the others still hadn’t returned, Zheng Fan called Fangcao over again.

"Did they say where they were going?"

"Reporting to My lord, it seems they went to the east of the city. They were all on horseback."

***

On a dirt slope outside Hutou City, six people were surveying the surroundings, some squatting, some standing.

"Blind Bei, you didn’t arrange all this, did you?" Xue Three asked incredulously.

It was too much of a coincidence. Just last night, they had discussed a plan to capture a ranked martial artist to be My lord’s teacher.

Yet, early this morning, Blind Bei had suddenly informed them that the target had already been found.

"’Had you already planned everything in your heart, selected the target, let us discuss it freely, and then stood back to silently enjoy the thrill of having everything under your control?’ Siniang said petulantly.

Blind Bei shook his head, a wry smile on his face, and said, "Why would I go to such unnecessary lengths? Actually, when we were discussing it in the pavilion last night, I hadn’t found a target yet. After all, even though we know that powerful individuals who have entered the ranks can ’shine’ more consistently, they can’t possibly stay lit up like light bulbs all the time, can they? It’s not easy to just stumble upon a suitable candidate."

"Then what about last night?" A Ming asked.

"Last night, the Patrol Captain’s wife sent a maid to pass me a message. She said her husband would be out on official business tomorrow and asked me to go to her residence to deliver Fu Water to help her conceive a son."

Xue Three squatted there, chuckling, the three strands of seaweed on his head swaying in the wind.

"You should understand, while the Yan State’s official system is very complex and chaotic, this Patrol Captain is considered a significant figure in Hutou City. At least for now, though they are all captains, his status is much higher than the title of Merchant-Protection Captain that our lord currently holds."

The complexity of the Yan State’s official system was a long-standing issue. Due to the proliferation of powerful clans, the imperial court’s control at the local level was very weak. In many local matters, the court was even forced to share power and benefits with these clans, a practice known as ’sharing the rain and dew equally.’ Consequently, on top of the existing formal bureaucracy, many additional official posts were created as a way to bestow favors upon the localities. Titles like ’Captain’ were considered military positions. Some held real power, others were nominal, and some were even purchased or obtained through connections. Essentially, the head of almost any prominent local family could bear the official title of Captain.

This was very similar to the late Qing Dynasty in that other world. As long as one had money, whether a landlord or a wealthy merchant, they could donate for an official rank, complete with the hat insignia and official robes. One could even see large gatherings during Clan activities in Chinese settlements in Nanyang where many attendees were dressed in Qing Dynasty official attire, resembling a horde of traditional ’hopping vampires’ from folklore.

"I asked the maid if anything special was happening in the city tomorrow. That Patrol Captain is a loose-lipped fellow; he actually told his wife everything. Luckily, the maid knew about it too and told me. She said that tomorrow, an important prisoner would be escorted from Beikang City. Her master is responsible for leading a team to take over the escort and then deliver the prisoner to Tuman City.

I asked the maid who the important prisoner was.

The maid replied that it was a horse bandit named Ding Hao. In the past, he had been her master’s superior, and her master had once served under him as an adjutant. Later, Ding Hao was promoted and transferred to Tuman City. However, a few years ago, due to some incident, he slaughtered his superior’s entire family, fled Tuman City, and became an outlaw.

This time, his luck ran out. While out robbing, he encountered the Town-North Army, which was returning from a campaign against the barbarian tribes. The fool actually tried to rob the spoils of war that the Town-North Army had seized from a tribe they had just annihilated. The Town-North Army dispatched a cavalry unit, which directly destroyed his mountain stronghold, and he himself was captured alive.

Because he was a former official and a fugitive, the Town-North Army severed the tendons in his hands and feet before handing him over to the nearby Beikang City. Beikang City was then responsible for escorting him through Hutou City, and finally to Tuman City, the capital of Beifeng Prefecture.

I asked the maid again, ’Is that Ding fellow very formidable?’

The maid said her master had studied martial arts under that Ding Hao, who had reportedly already entered the ranks. That was why the local garrison forces had failed several times when they tried to eliminate him. He was only captured this time due to bad luck, running into the Town-North Army."

Blind Bei finished, licked his somewhat dry lips, and said, "So, that’s the situation. If you have any more questions, you can ask now."

Xue Three frowned, took a breath, and asked, "Blind man, I do have one question."

"Ask."

"Did that maid also want your Fu Water to have a child?"

"..." Blind Bei.

A Ming interjected to smooth things over, "For a disabled person to put himself in harm’s way to gather intelligence for us is already a great ask. Let’s try to be a bit more charitable with our words."

"I could go too," Xue Three stated matter-of-factly.

"Alright, cut the crap. So, Blind Bei, when Hongba came to you earlier, he was actually reporting back after scouting the handover route and time for you, right?"

"Hongba, that fellow, is obsessed with becoming a vampire to achieve immortality. He’s very reliable. Originally, the Cart Gang was the most suitable for this task, but who was it that forced him to kill his own father, hmm?"

"I didn’t know at the time!" Siniang exclaimed, a little angrily.

"Hmph. Fine, let me ask you, if you had known back then, what would you have done?"

"I’d definitely have let him kill his father! How interesting would that be? Ohohoho..." Siniang covered her mouth, her laughter coquettish and full of charm.

Blind Bei shrugged, an expression on his face that seemed to say, See? I knew it.

"How many men are in the escort?" Liang Cheng asked.

Liang Cheng was always the more pragmatic one... a pragmatic Zombie.

"Since it’s just an escort for a cripple whose tendons in his hands and feet have all been severed, even if he was a master before, he’s just a useless wreck now. So, according to Hongba’s report, that Patrol Captain is only bringing fifty cavalrymen."

Fifty cavalrymen... Liang Cheng silently calculated their strength. If these were fifty elite field cavalry from the Town-North Army, on this relatively open terrain, once they formed up, I wouldn’t stand a chance with my current strength. Even as a Zombie, I’d likely be exhausted and perish under their relentless charges. However, Hutou City’s garrison troops definitely can’t compare to the Town-North Army’s elites. The difference is like the central imperial army versus a local security regiment. Besides, I have five companions with me. With the six of us cooperating, even if we can’t eliminate all fifty cavalry, abducting that cripple Ding Hao from the escort team shouldn’t be a major issue.

"But I still think it’s a bit too rash," A Ming said hesitantly. "Firstly, the target is a cripple; he probably can’t ’shine’ anymore. If we capture such a person to be My lord’s teacher, wouldn’t his effectiveness be greatly diminished? Secondly, aren’t we rushing into this a little too hastily?"

At this moment, Blind Bei suddenly stood up.

He spread his arms wide,

and then roared, "AHH!!!"

"....." A Ming.

"....." Siniang.

"....." Xue Three, Fanli.

Everyone was startled by Blind Bei’s sudden, unhinged outburst.

"Ah! Just last night, we sat together discussing the selection of a worthy teacher for My lord, and today, a suitable candidate has appeared! What does this mean? This is Heaven’s Will, comrades! This is Heaven’s Will! This is Heaven’s Imperial Edict! This is Fate’s design! This is the heavens showing favor to our lord! Our lord is the chosen one! We cannot be unworthy of Heaven’s Imperial Edict! We must follow Fate’s design! To be able to follow My lord is the honor of a lifetime!"

Xue Three shot Blind Bei a disdainful look and said, somewhat angrily, "What’s gotten into you, you damned blind man? My lord isn’t even here. Who are you trying to impress with all that bootlicking...?"

"HYA!"

The sound had barely faded when a rider appeared from behind the earthen slope—who else could it be but Zheng Fan?

A meaningful smile spread across Blind Bei’s face.

Xue Three immediately became incensed and exclaimed, "Damn it, you cheated using your mental detection!"