The county magistrate of Hong County looked at Gu Qingyan, his brows tightly furrowed.

The boy before him was only about fifteen, right in the prime of youth, with a young master’s face untouched by hardship, round and plump cheeks — anyone could tell he hadn’t suffered much.

Especially those almond-shaped eyes, so well-formed, carrying an innocence untainted by the world.

For some reason, the magistrate found himself liking the boy.

Gu Qingyan noticed the magistrate staring without responding and spoke firmly, “Sir, you might not know, but a man named Bai holds ill will against me. The day I met him at the escort agency, he even threatened me to stay quietly in the countryside. He said if I dared return to Qingzhou Prefecture, I’d be courting death.”

“I suspect he got some orders from the Li family in Qingzhou Prefecture — they don’t want me to come back because I’m an eyesore to them.”

“That’s why others who leave Lingchuan County may not encounter bandits, but if I leave, I’m sure to.”

The magistrate shook his head: “That’s too risky. You’re still a child. You can’t gamble with your life.”

Gu Qingyan felt this was the best solution.

If Bai the Clerk wasn’t removed, Gu Qingyan would always be restrained in Lingchuan County, held back at every turn. Besides, knowing there are people stirring up trouble, harming the county’s people, is something that cannot be tolerated.

“Rest assured, sir. I’ve learned some martial arts and can defend myself.”

The magistrate looked at the boy’s thin arms and legs and grew even more uneasy: “Nephew, your courage is admirable, but bandits are bloodthirsty maniacs. They’ve killed countless people. If they catch someone, they kill immediately. Without proof, it might only cost you your life.”

At that moment, Cao Baozhu spoke up, “Sir, let me go.”

“I’m a girl. My father and brothers were taken. If I make a fuss looking for them, they will surely be afraid and may bring me back.”

Cao Baozhu bit her lip, “Besides, I’m a pretty girl. They wouldn’t want to kill me immediately. They’d take me back.”

This startled both Gu Qingyan and the magistrate.

“No, precisely because you are a girl, you can’t risk your reputation. If anything happens to you, even if your father and brothers come back, they will regret it endlessly,” the magistrate immediately objected.

“As long as I can save my father and brothers, what does reputation matter?” Cao Baozhu said fiercely.

Gu Qingyan admired her resolve and quickly said, “Sir Magistrate, Miss Cao, I really have a way to protect myself. Please trust me this once.”

“I can get the accounts book and have a way to make them afraid to kill me. Instead, they might even take me into the mountains. Sir, this matter shouldn’t be delayed. The longer we wait, the more likely something will go wrong. If Clerk Bai finds out, all our efforts will be wasted.”

The magistrate frowned and asked, “Are you really confident?”

“I am.”

Gu Qingyan added, “If you don’t trust me, after I leave the city, you can find a reason to send people to follow me secretly. That way, if anything happens, we can support each other.”

The magistrate still felt uneasy.

He would rather take the risk himself than let two children do so.

But he had too few men, and none with fresh faces — the bandits would definitely watch for new faces.

Gu Qingyan said again, “Sir, since Clerk Bai wants to kill me, if he doesn’t act now, he’ll act eventually. Better to strike first and be prepared.”

“Otherwise, I’d live cluelessly, never knowing when someone might assassinate me and send me to my grave.”

The magistrate had to admit that made sense.

He could protect the boy for a few days, but in the long run, there would be loopholes.

He had seen Bai’s cruelty and cunning firsthand.

“I have a few servants loyal and skilled in martial arts, brought from my home. I’ll send them ahead out of the city to hide and escort you.”

Gu Qingyan nodded, “Thank you, sir.”

The magistrate then looked at Cao Baozhu: “Miss Cao, after young master Gu leaves the city, you come to the county office and make a racket, by whatever means. Make sure the county office is disturbed and I have no choice but to send someone with you to search for your father and brothers outside the city.”

“Then I can bring men out and won’t alert Bai Yu.”

Cao Baozhu immediately agreed, “Yes, I will do so.”

Even so, there would be a timing gap, and especially since Gu Qingyan had to face the bandits alone — the risk was very high.

The magistrate reminded, “Young master Gu, remember that preserving your life is most important. If danger arises, call out to the guards in hiding.”

Gu Qingyan agreed to everything.

After the plan was settled, the magistrate arranged for them to be secretly sent away.

Gu Qingyan knew this mission was risky and wouldn’t end in a day or two. Early the next morning, he returned to Meiling Village.

He had to settle his foster mother and two younger sisters so they wouldn’t worry.

“Mother, two little sisters, I plan to stay in town and study hard for a while. You all stay safe at home. I’ll come back when I have time,” Gu Qingyan said, preparing an excuse.

Madam Liu frowned, sensing something off: “How can you take care of yourself alone? I’m not busy here, better I go with you.”

Gu Wangqing and Gu Shuyan said nothing, but their eyes said the same.

Gu Qingyan quickly refused, adding, “I invited some scholars to study with me, so we can exchange ideas. They’re all men, and there’s not enough room for them to stay. Mother, please stay in the village.”

He emphasized, “I’ll come back whenever I can. Don’t worry.”

Madam Liu didn’t trust it at all, but since the boy said so, she couldn’t insist.

She turned and made a big batch of food for Gu Qingyan to take and eat slowly.

Gu Qingyan was touched and whispered privately, “Mother, we’ll go out to visit friends sometimes. I might not always be home, so don’t come looking for me and get disappointed.”

“Here’s some money. Use it for your and the little sisters’ expenses. When I’m not around, you must eat well and take care of yourselves.”

He would never mention the risky plan to confront bandits.

If Madam Liu knew, she would never agree.

He didn’t want them to worry and decided to keep it secret until it was over.

Hearing this, Madam Liu smiled: “I understand. I’m worried about you, but I won’t neglect your two little sisters.”

“They’re very obedient and sweet kids. I like them a lot. We get along well. Just focus on your studies and don’t worry about us.”

Outside, Gu Wangqing and Gu Shuyan exchanged glances.

Gu Shuyan couldn’t help muttering, “Second sister, is Meiling Village too poor? Is that why big brother doesn’t want to stay here?”

“That’s nonsense. Big brother is going to study. Studying is the most important thing. Didn’t he do this before too?”

Gu Shuyan pouted, “That’s not the same.”

After a moment, she added, “Everyone says Qingzhou Prefecture is very prosperous, and the Li family is wealthy. I’m afraid brother looks down on our family and wants to go back.”

Gu Wangqing touched his younger sister’s hair gently and said, “Silly child, if your brother didn’t care for our family, why would he stay? He treats us so well. If he knew you thought like this, it would hurt his feelings.”

Gu Shuyan immediately felt a bit regretful. “I know I shouldn’t think like this, but I just can’t help it.”

At that moment, Gu Qingyan came out from inside the house. The two immediately stopped talking and looked at him nervously.

Gu Qingyan smiled cheerfully and greeted them, “Then your brother will be leaving. You two stay home and eat well, fatten yourselves up.”

“Brother!”

Gu Shuyan couldn’t help but call out, “You’ll come back to see us, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Gu Qingyan said with a smile, waving his hand as he jumped onto the ox cart.

After leaving Meiling Village, Gu Qingyan’s expression changed. He lifted his chin with a mix of disdain, contempt, and arrogance.

Instead of going straight to Lingchuan County, he drove the ox cart first to the escort agency’s gate.

The proud little master jumped down from the cart and stood at the gate, shouting angrily, “Don’t think you’re so great just because you’re the only escort agency in Lingchuan County. I can go back to Qingzhou Prefecture whenever I want, and you dare refuse my escort? When I get back to Qingzhou, I’ll make sure someone deals with you.”

“Then I’ll tear down your doors, rip off your signs, and make sure all your escorts go home and eat their own words.”

“Listen carefully, be prepared. When I get back to Qingzhou, the first thing I’ll do is deal with you arrogant fools who look down on others.”

“Pah! You’ll regret this day.”

Gu Qingyan’s provocative expression was perfect. He gave himself a 99 out of 100—reserving one point just so he wouldn’t be too arrogant and needed to stay humble.

The guards at the gate were so furious their faces twisted. One reached out to push him, “Get lost, or don’t blame me for being rude.”

“Come on! What are you going to do to me? If you’ve got the guts, kill me!”

Gu Qingyan not only yelled but climbed back on the ox cart, standing high above to shout down at them, fully showing off the arrogance of a petty man who’s just gotten lucky.

“Do you know who I am? Does the Li family in Qingzhou know? Does Lord Li, the Ministry of Revenue official in the capital, know? When I get back, your escort agency will be destroyed and your families ruined.”

No one had ever dared to shout like this at the escort agency’s gate before, and a crowd quickly gathered to watch.

The guards wanted to act but hearing the name made them hesitate, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

After cursing his fill, Gu Qingyan patted his pants and left, “Wash your necks clean and wait for your bad luck.”

The ox cart swayed as it left, and no one dared to stop him.

The guards were furious, faces dark as iron, shouting at the onlookers, “Everyone, clear out!”

The crowd quickly dispersed.

Angry, the guards entered and hurriedly reported the incident to Clerk Bai.

Clerk Bai frowned upon hearing it. “He dares to be so arrogant?”

“More than arrogant, he trampled on our face like dirt,” the guards said angrily.

Clerk Bai narrowed his eyes. “We can’t let him go back alive, or he’ll cause trouble.”

Originally, Madam Xu’s letter only instructed them to keep Gu Qingyan in Lingchuan County, but this kid turned out to be a troublemaker who targeted the escort agency.

If he got back to Qingzhou and stirred trouble at the government offices, it would be hard to clean up the mess.

After all, he was raised by the Li family, and Clerk Bai was worried he had connections that might cause trouble.

“If he insists on courting death, then let the brothers treat him well. Remember, he must not leave alive.”

“Yes.”

Clerk Bai’s face was cold, not taking Gu Qingyan seriously.

No matter how loud he shouted now, once he fell into the bandits’ hands, he wouldn’t last long. Hmph, too bad he wouldn’t get to see him crying and begging on his knees.

“Drive on.”

Gu Qingyan drove the ox cart along the mountain path, humming a little tune, looking carefree.

But his clear eyes were scanning everywhere.

If there was a checkpoint, it was likely a bandits’ hideout.

From his last encounter with bandits, Gu Qingyan learned a pattern: in desolate wild places where there are checkpoints, there would either be graves or people.

He hid his hidden needles and dagger in the system backpack, just in case.

Looking around, he didn’t see any guards sent by County Magistrate Hong, so those few must have been skilled at hiding.

After traveling half a day, no bandits appeared.

Gu Qingyan started to suspect: maybe Clerk Bai had found out their plan and warned the bandits to retreat?

The ox cart climbed to a mountaintop. Gu Qingyan jumped down, stretched, and looked toward the foot of the mountain.

Suddenly, his eyes paused.

Not far from the top was a glaring checkpoint.

Gu Qingyan narrowed his eyes. When they passed here earlier, the three of them definitely didn’t see this checkpoint.

Bandits — they’d been baited.

Gu Qingyan raised an eyebrow and shouted loudly, “Where did these bandits come from? I’m lucky today. If there are bandits, I’ll beat them until they’re picking teeth off the ground.”

After shouting, he sat back on the cart and headed straight for the checkpoint.

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Gu Qingyan smirked slightly. Sure enough, before the bandits even appeared, the check-in gave him a life-saving item.

“Stop!”

Here they come.

From the woods, a dozen or so people rushed out. The leader was a bald man covered in tattoos, eyes fierce.

“Kid, there’s a path to heaven you refuse to take, and no gate to hell but you force your way in. You’re unlucky to meet us today.”

The tattooed bald man waved his hand. “Kill him and take his stuff.”

Two bandits brandished machetes and sneered at Gu Qingyan.

Gu Qingyan shouted, “Wait! Do you know who I am?”

“I’m the young master of the Li family in Qingzhou Prefecture. My father is a Ministry of Revenue official in the capital. If you dare touch me, he can wipe out your entire mountain hideout with one word.”

Hearing this, the bandits laughed loudly.

“Just a fake young master, and he actually thinks he’s someone. Today we’ll slaughter you and see if your ‘rich dad’ will avenge you.”

“Boss, look at his tender skin and nice looks. Let us have some fun before we kill him.”

“I heard rich families like to keep male pets. Although this young master is fake, he sure looks good. Today the brothers are in luck.”

“We’ll take turns on him. After we’re done, then kill him.”

Gu Qingyan’s expression darkened.

These bandits clearly knew about his background. They must be in cahoots with Clerk Bai. There was no mistake.

He showed a hint of fear and panic, “What do you want? Isn’t it just money? I’ll give you money, just let me go.”

“Too late for fear now.”

The tattooed bald man sneered, “Send him on his way.”

Two bandits licked their lips and reached for Gu Qingyan.

Gu Qingyan rolled aside clumsily and shouted, “I’ll give you money! Lots and lots of money! Just let me go!”

“Hurry up!” The bald man didn’t want to waste time.

The bandits sneered, “I was going to keep you for fun, but too bad now.”

The blades flashed coldly, dripping with blood and smelling of gore.

Gu Qingyan shouted loudly, “Ten thousand taels! I’ll spend ten thousand taels to buy my life!”

“You robbers just want money, right? Ten thousand taels of silver is enough to buy my life, isn’t it?”

The high price stunned the bandits about to strike. They instinctively took a step back.

The bald man sneered, “You think you can really come up with ten thousand taels?”

Gu Qingyan knew he’d bitten the bait. Bandits who lick blood from their blades wouldn’t refuse a huge sum like that.

“I really have it.”

He slumped to the ground looking miserable but kept shouting, “Since you know I’m a fake young master, you should know I was raised by the Li family. The Li family raised me for fifteen years. Just the gifts I received over the years were no small amount.”

“Three years serving Magistrate Qing, 100,000 taels of silver. Lord Li’s official rank is even higher than the magistrate. The Li family has plenty of money. I was their young master for fifteen years.”

“Before leaving the Li family, fearing hard times, I sold everything I received over the years for cash—over thirteen thousand taels of silver.”

Thirteen thousand taels!

The number made the bandits present breathe rapidly, excitement overwhelming them.

“Boss, if he really can produce ten thousand taels of silver, we’ll be rich.”

“That’s ten thousand taels! If we split it among us brothers, we can live a life of luxury anywhere.”

“I’ve been stuck in these mountains for so long, barely making a few coins all year.”

“Boss, ten thousand taels, that’s a fortune! We risk our necks doing this job just for money.”

Even the bald tattooed man was a bit shaken.

At that moment, a voice whispered into his ear: “If you’re worried about handling it badly, wait until the silver’s in hand—then we can kill him and still complete the task.”

The bald tattooed man’s heart moved. Indeed, first get the silver, and then that little rich brat is just a chicken that can be easily slaughtered whenever they want.

“Fine, hand over the silver and I’ll spare your life.”

Gu Qingyan only pretended to tremble: “Ten thousand taels is a lot, I don’t carry it on me.”

“Search him.” The bald tattooed man gave a signal to his subordinates.

Immediately someone grabbed Gu Qingyan and searched him inside and out, only finding a few small silver notes, some loose silver coins, and the carriage full of various foods.

“Is that all? You really have ten thousand taels?” the bald tattooed man doubted.

He looked Gu Qingyan up and down with greedy eyes. If the silver was fake, he’d kill this little brat right then and there.

Gu Qingyan cried out, “I really have it. When I left Qingzhou Prefecture, I was afraid it wasn’t safe on the road, so I stored it at the money shop. The voucher to withdraw it is this jade pendant, and only I can withdraw the money with it.”

He handed over a white jade pendant.

The pendant was obtained from the pawnshop in Qingzhou Prefecture, and it was of very good quality.

The bandits, knowing good things, examined it and said, “This is good stuff, worth about a hundred taels.”

The bald tattooed man was cautious, squinting: “Money shops don’t usually take jade pendants instead of silver notes. This is unheard of.”

“Speak! Are you trying to lie to escape? Dare to trick us and you’re dead!”

Gu Qingyan trembled, explaining, “It’s true. When I was a young master at the Li family, I was close friends with the eldest son of the money shop—classmates and good friends.”

“When I left Qingzhou Prefecture, I was afraid carrying silver notes was unsafe, and afraid the Li family would know and take the money back, so I asked for his help.”

“Look at this jade pendant, it bears the money shop’s stamp and serves as a voucher.”

Several bandits gathered to look at the pendant, and sure enough, there was a small stamp on it.

One bandit pulled out a silver note for comparison; the money shop’s stamp was very similar to the one on the pendant.

The bald tattooed man was somewhat convinced.

He thought: If this young master was simply kicked out of the Li family, why would they fear his return?

Most likely, he still has some skills that would interfere with the new young master, so they went to such lengths to keep him in Lingchuan County.

Being a young master for fifteen years with a few classmates willing to help was reasonable.

The bald tattooed man believed it deep down but still probed, “Even if you really have ten thousand taels, the money’s in Qingzhou Prefecture. How can you use it to save your life here?”

“You can send someone with me to withdraw the money. My life is in your hands—I definitely won’t dare report to the authorities,” Gu Qingyan shouted.

“If you let me go, I’ll give you all ten thousand taels.”

The bald tattooed man glanced at his build, thinking that such a pampered young master wouldn’t be a match for them and couldn’t play tricks in their hands.

Ten thousand taels.

Enough to make them take the risk.

The only hesitation was Qingzhou Prefecture was too far—round trip would take ten days, and that was too much uncertainty.

Just then, Gu Qingyan spoke again, “I can prove my words are true.”

“How?” the bald tattooed man asked.

Gu Qingyan shivered and said, “You can take the pendant to any money shop and withdraw one hundred taels.”

“At the time, my classmates and I agreed that to withdraw all the money, I must show up in person; otherwise, none can be taken out. But for amounts within one hundred taels, anyone with the pendant can withdraw.”

The bandits’ interest was instantly piqued.

“Boss, why don’t we try first? One hundred taels is enough for some food and drink.”

“If we can get one hundred taels, then we can get ten thousand from Qingzhou Prefecture. We’ll really be rich.”

The bald tattooed man suddenly smiled, “If that’s the case, I’ll kill you, then take the pendant and withdraw one hundred taels a hundred times to get ten thousand taels.”

Gu Qingyan’s heart sank.

He cursed himself for speaking too quickly and revealing such an obvious flaw.

He tried to cover it up, but seeing the bald tattooed man’s probing eyes, he immediately stopped speaking, only trembling so hard that his teeth chattered, tears and snot all over his face.

“Don’t kill me! If you go a hundred times in a row, even a fool would suspect something’s wrong. My classmates would definitely report it to the authorities.”

Seeing this, the bald tattooed man was reassured.

Looking at this young master scared to tears with no plan, he definitely wouldn’t lie.

“Take him back first. Tomorrow send someone to the city to test. If it’s true, then we’ll make the trip to Qingzhou Prefecture.”

It was already dark, and the money shops were closed, so they couldn’t verify the silver notes’ authenticity in Lingchuan County.

But tomorrow, it would be clear.

And Lingchuan County was their territory; if this young master planned to lead them into a trap, it was a miscalculation. Even if the money shop reported to the authorities, no one would investigate.

The bandits suddenly grew excited, pushing Gu Qingyan roughly.

“Come on, you’re lucky. This ten thousand taels will buy your life.”

But in their hearts, they maliciously thought once the silver was in hand, this young master would still die.

Gu Qingyan staggered to his feet. “My legs are weak. I can’t walk.”

“Troublesome.”

The bandits threw him into the ox cart and took him away with the cart.

More than ten bandits led the way. The ox cart quickly went around several hills and entered unfamiliar forest land.

Gu Qingyan looked around but still hadn’t seen the check-in point.

Just then, a hand reached out and touched his face, oily and disgusting, sliding down his neck, trying to reach inside.

“What are you doing!” Gu Qingyan pushed it away, disgusted, his skin crawling.

The bandit sneered, about to attack.

Gu Qingyan suddenly shouted, “If you dare insult me, I’ll jump off the hill and make your ten thousand taels go to waste.”

The bandit got angry and raised his arm to hit him.

“Third brother.”

The bald tattooed man spoke, coldly glaring, “Don’t be so eager; the money’s more important.”

Don’t push this young master to suicide, or the ten thousand taels within reach will fly away.

As for what the men under him do after getting the silver, he wouldn’t stop them.

The third brother forced himself to endure and didn’t hit him, but his eyes kept scanning Gu Qingyan as if wanting to strip off his clothes.

Gu Qingyan silently cursed him as a pervert but dared not cause more trouble and pretended to be a frightened obedient boy.

He thought, luckily he didn’t bring Cao Baozhu—if it were a girl surrounded by wolves, it would be even more dangerous.

These bandits were no good; once he found their lair, he wouldn’t spare a single one.

When Gu Qingyan came, he traveled on the official road. Now, as the ox cart left the official road and entered the forest, the winding mountain roads were complex and confusing. He quickly lost his sense of direction.

Leaning back on the ox cart to avoid being seen, he took out a compass but found the needle spinning wildly.

Gu Qingyan frowned. What’s wrong with this mountain that even the compass fails?

A bad feeling rose in his heart. He looked down at the cart wheels.

The ox cart’s wheels had been tampered with. Every so often, deep marks were left behind—deeper than normal wheel tracks—and wouldn’t disappear quickly, even in the deep mountains.

The marks were still there.

Gu Qingyan breathed a slight sigh of relief.

At that moment, the bandits stopped.

The bald tattooed man gave a signal.

“Get down and cover his eyes.” The bandit roughly grabbed Gu Qingyan and dragged him off the cart.

Gu Qingyan shouted repeatedly, “Don’t kill me! I’ll cooperate and be obedient. Don’t cover my eyes.”

“We haven’t got the silver yet. Why would we kill you?”

The third brother laughed and pulled out a strap. “It’s the rule of our mountain band. Not covering the eyes can get you killed. Do you want to die?”

Gu Qingyan frowned but obeyed and covered his eyes.

The strange feeling in his heart grew stronger. They were already deep in the mountains. Was it necessary to blindfold him? Even if they let him go, he probably wouldn’t find the way.

The next moment, the third brother took advantage of the blindfold and pinched him twice.

Gu Qingyan’s face flushed with humiliation, which made the third brother laugh loudly.

“Enough, hurry up and go.”

Gu Qingyan could hear a trace of caution and fear in the bald man’s voice.

He found it strange. Since they were already entering the bandits’ territory, what were they afraid of?

Shouldn’t they be afraid of him instead?

Soon, the group continued forward, but Gu Qingyan no longer heard the sound of the ox cart.

“My ox cart — I spent ten taels of silver on it!” Gu Qingyan called out, but he was being pushed forward along with the others.

Old Third’s cheerful voice came from behind: “The cart can’t get through, but that ox can still come with us. Later we’ll slaughter it for meat.”

Before the words even finished, the bald man snapped, “Shut up, stay close.”

The other bandits followed silently. Even Old Third, who liked to talk the most, shut up, one hand pushing Gu Qingyan forward as his feet kept moving.

Gu Qingyan was half-pushed, half-pulled ahead, growing more uneasy in his heart. Where exactly were they taking him?

He could only hope that Magistrate Hong would catch up soon. Though the ox cart was gone, the old ox the system had given him was very smart.

Before setting out, he had told them to make the ox stomp once in a while to leave tracks as much as possible.

Little did he know, Magistrate Hong was already furious.

“Lost them? How could we lose them?”

Hong County Magistrate was fuming. After Gu Qingyan left Lingchuan County, Cao Baozhu had already beaten the complaint drum.

After all the trouble of staging that act and fooling Clerk Bai, Magistrate Hong, out of pity for Cao Baozhu’s filial concern, personally led a hundred men to charge out.

These hundred men were all he could trust.

But despite their haste, when they finally caught up, the bandits claimed to have lost Gu Qingyan.

The guards were sweating profusely:

“At first, the young master walked ahead and we followed behind, afraid to get too close and be noticed.”

“Those greedy bandits didn’t kill him outright but tried to take him away, so we hurried after them.”

“With the cart’s tracks, we tracked them smoothly, but then…”

Hong shouted angrily, “If you were tracking well, how did you lose them?”

“Sir, this forest is haunted—we got caught in a ghostly maze,” one guard said nervously.

It was already dark, and the eerie wind in the forest made everyone shudder at the words.

“Ghosts? There are no such things in this world,” Magistrate Hong said sternly, calming the guards’ panic.

He coldly stared into the woods, suddenly drawing his guard’s sword. “Follow me closely. Young Master Gu risks his life for us; we are public officials—we cannot fear and hesitate.”

Leading the charge into the forest, the guards, originally scared out of their wits, rallied and followed.

Cao Baozhu gritted her teeth and followed as well. As long as she could rescue her father and brother, she wasn’t afraid of ghosts.

Gu Qingyan stumbled and fell flat on the ground. “I can’t go on, I really can’t walk anymore. Brothers, please let me rest a moment.”

The tattooed bald man’s face darkened. “Useless.”

Seeing Gu Qingyan pale and exhausted but with rosy lips, Old Third spoke up for him: “Boss, he’s a delicate young master, it’s normal he can’t keep up. How about I carry him?”

The bald man glanced at him and seemed to agree.

Old Third hurriedly bent down: “Young master, climb on my back. I’ll carry you.”

If it were someone else, Gu Qingyan might have accepted, but lying on Old Third’s back made him feel disgusted. That guy would definitely take advantage of the opportunity; God knows how many times he’d touch him.

“No need. I can sit on the ox’s back.”

Rejected, Old Third’s face fell. “Don’t take kindness for granted.”

He reached out to grab him.

The bald man cleared his throat: “Stop dawdling. Let him sit on the ox’s back and move quickly. I don’t want to stay here a moment longer.”

Old Third scowled but didn’t help. He watched as Gu Qingyan scrambled up onto the ox’s back.

Tsk, handsome and proud—once we get to the bandit camp, he’ll be at their mercy anyway.

Gu Qingyan shivered at the hostility he felt.

The black ox nuzzled his fingertips soothingly. He gently pinched the tip of its ear.

The intelligent ox understood and stomped hard, then snorted loudly.

To the bandits, it was just a big, well-fed black ox. They didn’t notice its slightly unusual behavior.

“Damn, finally here!” came the bandits’ cheers ahead.

Gu Qingyan checked the time. Though blindfolded, the whole trip hadn’t taken more than half an hour.

Why did the bandits’ voices sound like they’d overcome some big obstacle? Could there be some mystery in the forest?

He wondered if the black ox’s marks could really guide them; he’d have to come up with another plan.

The bald man visibly relaxed a little and called back, “Bring him in first.”

Old Third went to the black ox, licking his lips, and said, “Young master, come down.”

At that moment, the black ox roared and charged fiercely, its horns hitting Old Third’s belly squarely.

Old Third screamed in pain. Gu Qingyan fell off the ox’s back. It all happened in an instant.

By the time the bald man and others reacted, all they saw was Old Third writhing on the ground, wailing in pain, and Gu Qingyan unconscious. The black ox ran off like crazy.

“What are you standing there for? Hurry and help him!” the bald man shouted angrily.

He rushed forward but checked on Gu Qingyan first.

Old Third’s death would only mean losing a brother, but this young master was worth ten thousand taels.

Fortunately, when he touched him, Gu Qingyan was still breathing — probably just bruised from the fall.

“Old Third’s still alive, but two ribs are broken,” someone said.

The bald man cursed under his breath, “Get him back first.”

“Boss, what about the ox?”

The bald man had no time to care about the ox anymore. If he’d known the ox would go mad, he wouldn’t have brought it in: “It ran into the woods and can’t get out. Forget it.”

Gu Qingyan pretended to be unconscious, comforted that the black ox was so unusually smart.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Hong and the others were trapped in the maze.

Back at the same spot again, everyone’s faces were pale, and Magistrate Hong’s expression was grim.

“This is the mark we left earlier, sir. We really got caught in a ghostly maze,” a guard said worriedly.

“Let’s retreat for now and come back at dawn.”

“They want the silver on the young master, so they won’t kill him yet.”

Magistrate Hong’s face darkened. “Silence! Children should not speak of ghosts or strange forces. This ‘ghost maze’ must be someone deliberately setting a trap here.”

He stared at the forest, but no matter what, he couldn’t find a direction. Even his compass lost its bearings.

Unease crept into Magistrate Hong’s heart. He realized the forest must be hiding some big secret.

Gu Qingyan was clever, dangling silver to trick the bandits, but if he slipped up, he’d be dead for sure.

“Sir, my grandmother said that if you get caught in a ghost maze outdoors, you shouldn’t be afraid. The more scared you are, the harder it is to get out. We can shout curses loudly and harshly. Ghosts fear human spirit.”

Cao Baozhu was scared too but summoned courage to speak.

Magistrate Hong had no other options. “Fine, let’s try that.”

“Who can curse? Come to the front, curse while you walk.”

After speaking, worried, he added, “I’ll go with you. I refuse to believe we can’t get out.”

Gu Qingyan feigned unconsciousness, carried by two bandits. He secretly opened his eyes but could see nothing through the blindfold.

“Stop right there!”

A harsh shout rang out.

The bald man hurried forward: “Old Liu, this is the hostage we’ve captured, worth ten thousand taels.”

“Goodness, ten thousand taels?” The people opposite were startled.

The bald man immediately said, “Once we get the money, I’ll give you one thousand taels.”

Old Liu’s heart stirred. He lowered his voice, “You guys move quickly. The higher-ups said no one’s allowed inside. If they find out about this, it’ll be trouble for both of us.”

“Got it, got it. I’ll be careful,” the bald man said as he moved even faster.

Money can move people’s hearts. The bald man quickly bribed the guards and silently carried the person inside.

With a thud, Gu Qingyan felt pain as he was thrown onto the floor.

The bald man patted Gu Qingyan’s cheek. Seeing he was still unconscious, he ordered two subordinates to watch him and then turned to leave.

Gu Qingyan was waiting for an opportunity.

Soon, the food delivery came. The two subordinates closed the door and sat eating by the entrance.

Confirming he was alone inside, Gu Qingyan quickly got up and pulled off the cloth covering his face.

It was a very ordinary wooden house, somewhat simple, with some firewood piled in the corner — likely a storage shed for firewood. For some reason, a strange smell lingered.

The wooden house didn’t even have a window. No wonder they could just toss people inside without worrying about escape.

Gu Qingyan tiptoed to the only door and peered through the crack.

But two burly mountain bandits blocked the doorway, sealing the crack tightly. The room was dark and cramped, and he couldn’t see anything.

Pretending to be unconscious was useless. If he didn’t get out, he was just waiting to die in this wooden shed.

He had to figure out a way to get out. This large mountain stronghold must have a sign-in point. If he could get outside to sign in, he could definitely find a way to save himself.

If he could find Cao Baozhu’s family, he’d have help as well.

“I’m hungry,” Gu Qingyan reached a hand through the door crack and grabbed one of the bandits.

“Ah!” The bandit was startled.

“I’m hungry,” Gu Qingyan said firmly.

The bandit cursed angrily, “You scared me to death! I’m not even full yet. Get lost.”

Gu Qingyan snorted coldly, “If you don’t feed me, I’ll shout and make a scene. I’m worth ten thousand taels of silver. You’re keeping me here to pocket the money yourselves. I’ll make sure the whole mountain stronghold knows.”

The bandit ground his teeth in anger.

The other bandit grabbed him and gave a signal with his eyes: “Hungry and want food, huh? Fine, we’ll open the door and bring you some.”

The bandit came to his senses and sneered, “A hostage worth ten thousand taels — how could we let you starve?”

The two worked together — one opened the door while the other bent down to take off his smelly sock.

As soon as the door opened, they planned to immediately tie the little bastard up and stuff his mouth with the stinky sock, to stop him from yelling.

Damn it, how dare he threaten them.

Click — the door opened.

The bandit reached out to grab Gu Qingyan, but at that moment, a white powder blasted into their faces.

The moment their hands touched Gu Qingyan’s clothes, both bandits went black in the eyes and collapsed to the ground.

“Just as expected, they fall as soon as the wind blows. The effect is fast,” Gu Qingyan said.

He kicked hard. The knocked-out bandits didn’t respond.

“Daring to stuff my mouth with a smelly sock? Enjoy it yourself,” Gu Qingyan said as he picked up the socks, taking one for each hand without wasting them.

Quickly, he changed into the bandits’ clothes. The smell nearly knocked him out.

He grabbed the two waist belts and tied the bandits back to back tightly, then shut and locked the door again, ensuring no one could open it and see inside.

Under the cover of night, Gu Qingyan headed toward the mountain stronghold.

Strangely, there were hardly any people around. There was no sign of Cao Baozhu’s family either. It seemed the bandits were all abiding by a curfew, obediently hiding inside the wooden houses at night.

The next moment, he widened his eyes. In the pitch-black mountain valley at night, dozens of tents were stationed — not wooden houses, but well-equipped tents!

Behind the tents, the mountainside was brightly lit. Someone was working overnight.

A large golden triangle hung conspicuously on the mountainside.