Aunt Lin nodded in agreement. Ordinary bandits would have fled in panic upon hearing the name of Tianfeng City.
Yet, this group of bandits had shown no fear upon hearing the name of the City Lord's estate. There was definitely something fishy going on.
She walked toward the limp bandit leader slumped on the ground, intending to interrogate him thoroughly.
Still shaken, the bandit leader had just witnessed all his subordinates perish in an instant.
Knowing he had no way out, a death wish surged in his heart. He secretly gathered his remaining spiritual energy into his palm.
Abruptly raising his hand, he struck his palm straight toward his forehead, intending to commit suicide on the spot to avoid the agony of severe torture.
Zhou Jinyun and Aunt Lin were both startled. Aunt Lin was still a few paces away from the bandit leader, and it was already too late for her to step forward and stop him.
But just as the bandit leader's palm was an inch away from his forehead, his entire arm was suddenly restricted as if by an invisible force.
No matter how he circulated his spiritual energy, he could not lower it even a fraction of an inch.
The bandit leader's face was filled with despair, his eyes bloodshot as he let out a low, raspy growl.
“Why can't I even choose to die?”
“All my brothers are dead. I'm the only one left, and I have no desire to drag out a wretched existence in this world.”
Not far away, Ye Ling, still on horseback, calmly nudged the belly of the Green Scale Horse. She turned her horse around and slowly retreated to the side.
This matter was an internal dispute of Tianfeng City, so it was inconvenient for her to interfere. However, her Divine Sense remained spread out, and every single movement in the area was clearly transmitted to her ears.
Looking at Ye Ling's retreating figure, Zhou Jinyun felt a slight urge to follow her, but she quickly suppressed the thought.
She was the daughter of the Tianfeng City Lord. Since this disaster had been brought about because of her, she should be the one to handle it.
She took a deep breath, looked at the immobilized bandit leader, and asked in a heavy voice.
“You want to die? Fine. Once you confess everything, I will send you to join your brothers.”
“Who exactly sent you to ambush and assassinate the convoy of Tianfeng City?”
“Confess honestly. If you insist on keeping silent, I will make you taste the interrogation methods of Tianfeng Mansion.”
Having said that, she called out in a raised voice, “Guard Zhou.”
“Your subordinate is here!” The black-robed guard captain nearby immediately took a step forward, cupping his fists to receive his orders.
Zhou Jinyun then instructed, “If he refuses to confess truthfully, let him witness the methods of our City Lord's estate.”
The guard captain looked at the bandit leader, a cold smile curling on his lips.
“Your subordinate obeys.”
Hearing this, the bandit leader's entire body suddenly stiffened. Just moments ago, he had been bent on committing suicide.
First, because all his brothers were dead, and there was no point in him surviving alone.
Second, because falling into the hands of the City Lord's estate meant he would surely suffer endless torture. Now, hearing these words, the last trace of resolve in his heart completely crumbled.
He hurriedly begged for mercy, “I'll talk! I'll confess everything!”
Panting heavily, he quickly spoke, “My brothers and I were originally escorts from an escort agency who traveled far and wide. In recent years, times have been tough, and the escort business has grown increasingly depressed.”
“Left with no other way out, we privately began to engage in shady business.”
Hearing this, a trace of sarcasm appeared in Zhou Jinyun's expression. “Shady business? I assume that means blocking roads to rob and plunder passing travelers?”
The bandit leader looked ashamed. He did not argue and simply continued on his own.
“Just last month, a mysterious figure dressed in a black robe came to the escort agency where we were staying and asked us to do some dirty work.”
“At first, I didn't take it to heart, but the other party directly offered a deposit of five thousand taels of gold, saying there would be another five thousand upon completion.”
“Ten thousand taels of gold! That is no small sum.”
“This amount of money was enough for the dozens of brothers in our escort agency to live in comfort and pleasure for several years.”
“That person only told us to intercept a carriage coming from Tianfeng City, without revealing in the slightest that you were inside, Miss Zhou.”
“After we accepted the deposit, the black-robed person completely vanished without a trace, leaving only the approximate date you would pass through here.”
“We lay in wait in this mountain ravine for two days, and indeed, we ended up waiting for your group.”
After hearing this confession, Zhou Jinyun and Aunt Lin exchanged a look, both of their hearts weighed down by suspicion.
This time, they had traveled to her maternal grandparents' estate, originally planning only to stay for a month.
However, her grandparents doted on Zhou Jinyun excessively and insisted on keeping her, stretching their stay by an extra two months.
The news of their return journey had never been broadcasted to the outside world; only internal members of the City Lord's estate knew the exact date of their return.
Yet, that mysterious black-robed person had already figured out their return time a month ago. This entire matter was filled with bizarreness.
The other party must be extremely familiar with Zhou Jinyun's movements and schedule, and it was highly likely they were hiding within the accompanying convoy itself.
The two of them remained calm and composed, their eyes scanning all the guards present.
This batch of guards were all trusted aides personally selected by the City Lord himself. They were loyal and reliable, so there shouldn't be any issues with them.
The maidservants who accompanied them along the way had grown up with Zhou Jinyun since childhood; the relationship between mistress and servants was like sisters, making it absolutely impossible for them to collude with the enemy.
Zhou Jinyun furrowed her brows, repeatedly turning it over in her mind. Who exactly was hiding by her side, secretly passing on information?
But one thing was certain: the mastermind must have been lurking around her for a long time.
At this moment, Aunt Lin spoke up and questioned, “Since that black-robed person deliberately hid the fact that the one in the carriage was the City Lord's daughter, when I revealed our identity earlier...”
“...you clearly realized you had been deceived. Why did you still insist on attacking?”
The bandit leader grinned, revealing a miserable smile, as he propped himself up on the ground with his hands.
“Traveling the world of martial artists is all about the word 'trustworthiness.' Even if we do shady work, we cannot betray our employer's trust.”
“Now that all my brothers have lost their lives, there is no point in me living alone. Do with me as you please.”
Seeing that his mind was made up and he had no intention of begging for mercy, Aunt Lin wasted no more words. She raised her hand and fired a burst of spiritual energy.
Instantly ending the bandit leader's life, she sent him to reunite with his subordinates.
Having dealt with the bandit leader, Aunt Lin quickly walked over to Ye Ling and bowed deeply.
“Today is truly thanks to Miss Ye's rescue. If not for you, our group would surely have faced disaster today.”
Zhou Jinyun also followed closely behind, her eyes filled with lingering fear and guilt.
“Yes, Sister Fuyue, thank you so much.”
“I dragged you into this mess for no reason and put you in danger.”
Ye Ling gently waved her hand, her tone calm and gentle.
“No matter. I was already planning to head to Tianfeng City; it was just on the way.”
“Besides, Jinyun, you are a very good girl. I wouldn't just stand by and watch you die.”
Zhou Jinyun's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Ye Ling, asking in a low voice.
“R-really?”
Ye Ling merely nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Seeing this, Aunt Lin sincerely extended an invitation, “Miss Ye, you saved our young lady's life today. This great kindness is unforgettable.”
“Please travel with us to Tianfeng City. The City Lord will surely thank you in person.”
This time, Ye Ling did not refuse.
She had just entered Yun'an Commandery and was completely unfamiliar with the local customs and factions of this territory.
If she could use the convenience of the City Lord's estate to learn about Yun'an Commandery, it would be of great benefit to her subsequent travels.
The group dared not delay any longer. After a brief rest, they immediately accelerated their pace.
Their sole focus was to return to Tianfeng City as quickly as possible and report the details of this mid-journey ambush truthfully to the City Lord.
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