Hmm, not exactly quiet now, the third shadow scread once, seemingly waking up the Yayoi family, but the fight was quick, taking less than a minute from the ti he started to when he erged. The Yayoi family is probably still putting on clothes and lighting torches, not having rushed out yet.
But where are the large group of villagers ard with bamboo spears and bamboo bows?
He planned to shoot the leader as soon as he stepped out, creating a blossom of blood and making him wish for death. Then, he'd swing his electric stick to knock down a bunch, making seven entries and exits to terrorize them. Pretending to use mystical powers, he'd seize their minds, control the situation, and let everything fall into his rhythm. But where are the people?
Yuan Ye stood awkwardly in the courtyard; to ensure the safety of him and his foolish son, he had made six contingency plans, twelve preparations, eighty-eight different response strategies, gathering every bit of energy to peak readiness. But in the end, there was only silence—just three little guys causing trouble? Isn't a samurai hunt supposed to involve the whole village?
Otherwise, what if soone reports back? We must drag everyone into this. Do these villagers not understand even this basic principle? Are they really that stupid?
Or did I get it wrong, confusing myself and wrongly accusing them? Are the villagers actually innocent?
Suddenly, he felt like a bit of a clown...
"Sir, what's going on?!"
Yuan Ye was still suspiciously looking around the courtyard when Jiulang's family burst out from the side house with torches. Jiulang had just recovered from a serious illness but still held a short knife, his face showing a murderous intent. He seed to have been on the battlefield before, yet his words revealed uncertainty—they were woken by Yayoi's night watch following a scream and were now utterly confused, having no clue what happened.
"Nothing..." Yuan Ye brushed it off briefly, his deep, dark gaze quickly scanning their facial expressions before turning to the cowshed, and asked coldly, "Where are Tao Liulang and Jing Qilang?"
Could it be these two kids have sothing bad in mind?
Yayoi imdiately ran to the cowshed, and soon Tao Liulang and Jing Qilang erged, bleary-eyed, looking like they slept too soundly and hadn't heard anything at all.
Indeed, in the deep of the night, a scream from one room wouldn't necessarily wake a bunch of people.
Yuan Ye was completely bewildered, turned around and pointed inside the house, ordering the Tao brothers, "Three thieves ca, and I've knocked them down! Go, tie them up and drag them out!"
The Tao brothers hesitated for a mont but then rushed into the house without a second thought. After a few shouts, they tied the three n with belts and dragged them out, seizing two short knives and a hand axe.
Jiulang seed to understand, his face slightly pale, as he set the knife on the ground, disard himself, then approached with the torch to check the strangers, instantly relieved that they were not from the village. He turned respectfully to Yuan Ye and said, "Sir, these aren't villagers, should we interrogate them now?"
"No need, one's awake." Yuan Ye kicked the shortest one, the third one who rushed into the house, and said coldly, "Stop pretending, I know you're awake. Who are you three?"
"Fool, I'm not with them!" The little guy had only been shocked once and was unconscious for a short while, but had been kicked heavily in the hip and hit the wall, unable to move, throat sore and unable to resist, resorting to pretending to be dead. Once found out, he cursed directly, "Those two are from the Kawamata Group, blind are you, mixing with those pawns!"
"Kawamata Group?" Yuan Ye looked at Jiulang.
Jiulang explained in a low voice, "Sir, they're river pirates at the border of Nongwei, robbing on the Changliang River and nearby rivers, occasionally hired for transport jobs."
"How many people roughly?"
"Uh, hard to say, there are several leaders and scattered mbers, probably dozens in total."
Yuan Ye understood a bit; these river pirates were likely delivering goods to Nagano City or entertaining there when they encountered him, decided to take a shot for so easy money, without him knowing when he got targeted. He had been carefully monitoring his rear on the way back, never discovering any followers.
But that can be addressed later. He looked at the little guy on the ground and asked, "They're from the Kawamata Group, what about you?"
"I'm here to save your life!" The little guy said boldly, "On the favor of those six wen coins!"
This was the truth; he indeed ca to save Yuan Ye's life, and taking half the money afterward seed fair, a just case of black eating black.
Hmm, couldn't take it all, if he did, over a hundred pounds, he couldn't carry it. Grabbing half was quite a struggle.
Yuan Ye was slightly stunned, took the torch and pointed it close to the little guy's face for a careful look, then surprised, "It's you?!"
This was the blind mage little beggar playing Japan's pipa that he t during the day, but he was obviously not blind now, looking furious and with bulging eyes.
The little beggar confidently said, "Yes, it's ! I kindly inford you that you were being watched, but you acted like a moron, deserved to be..." He ran out of words, realizing Yuan Ye was well prepared, having flipped the two river pirates and even him in just a few breaths, far from his expectation. His prepared lines were naturally useable.
Yuan Ye didn't understand, with so confusion, "When did you warn ?"
"Quit pretending, I used the pipa to warn you of danger, of being watched, you dare say you didn't catch on? How did you prepare if you didn't hear it?" The little beggar grew increasingly dissatisfied, cursing loudly, "You being safe now is at least half my credit; yet, you injured your benefactor and even tied up. Are you even human? Shaless, despicable, a rotten bastard, you'll die a terrible death!"
"A loyal servant dies when the lord is insulted." Tao Liulang and Jing Qilang, serving at the bottom of the feudal loyalty chain, couldn't bear it. Tao Liulang kicked up and shouted angrily, "Bastard, speak respectfully to my master, no insolence!"
The little beggar was unfazed, shouted louder, "You two are fools too. Don't go around casually saying where you're from when outside, don't you understand that? A simple question from the weaving house clerk and you dare blurt out everything, afraid your foolish master isn't robbed enough? Master is a fool, his sons are fools, you fools will die foolishly!"
The Tao brothers' faces twisted instantly, and then turned pale without blood, looking fearfully at Yuan Ye. Yuan Ye had been picking fabrics, carefully learning about their origins and craftsmanship, while bargaining, spending a lot of ti. They had nothing to do and chatted casually with the clerk at the door, not expecting idle chat would crush their rice bowls.
They just had a al of rice; they were rely chatting idly. Didn't think criminals would overhear!
Yuan Ye didn't bla them; it was hard to guard against such things. He casually said, "An unintentional mistake, just be mindful of your words henceforth."
The Tao brothers collectively sighed in relief. Tao Liulang imdiately held his short knife, eager to redeem himself, glaring fiercely at the thieves, then asked Yuan Ye for instructions, "Sir, should we now..."
Yuan Ye asked Jiulang, "In such cases, how is it typically handled locally?"
Jiulang reported, bowing slightly, "Generally, thieves are transferred to Hosokawa Castle for forced labor or execution."
Yuan Ye didn't object; as long as it didn't involve violation of fundantal principles, on soone's territory, going by their rules was basic courtesy and the best way to avoid trouble. Pointing to the two river pirates, he said, "Do as you said, and then this..."
He sensed the little beggar wasn't lying, the three likely weren't together, didn't plan to "litigate" the little beggar, but before he finished, the beggar suddenly sprang up like a fish on land, kicked Tao Liulang flying, and the rope tying him was sohow already broken.
The little beggar kicked Tao Liulang flying, initially planning to escape while mocking Yuan Ye, but upon landing, felt intense pain in his waist, his legs weakened, almost kneeling. His throat felt more sore, staggered and managed to take two steps, then blacked out and collapsed again.
It's over, truly ssed up this ti. I, Aman, road the world, surviving blades and swords unhard, yet fell in a small gutter, possibly ending here!
Grandpa, Ah Qing, avenge !
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