Chapter Fourteen: He County

The steeds galloped swiftly, and the group soon charged past the fork in the road where the remnants of the Black Veil Bandits had fled. Seeing that there was no cloud of dust rising from that direction, they felt a measure of relief and pressed on toward He County at full speed.

Yet, because they were burdened with a man weighing over two hundred pounds, the middle-aged man's fine horse was clearly struggling. Fortunately, they had seized several sturdy mounts from the bandits earlier, so after running dozens of miles, they stopped to swap horses without losing much time.

In truth, it was Fat Qian’s inability to ride properly that slowed the group; otherwise, their pace could have been even faster.

Riding onward, sheltered from the biting wind by the beauty’s figure, hiding beneath the saddle was much more comfortable than atop the carriage.

Since their destination was He County and the journey would take several hours at least, Xiao Wenzi glanced at his system currency—over six hundred—and decided to exchange for a drop of Rock Spirit Elixir, seizing the opportunity to cultivate.

“Chief, Third Chief, Second Chief and Fourth Leader were slain right here. I suspect the fresh hoofprints we just saw were left by those people…”

Hundreds of tall, robust horses stopped at the battlefield. A bandit with a black veil tied to his head knelt before the red-faced elder and the white-robed man fanning himself, reporting his findings.

The burly elder in a beast-hide robe, his face flushed, was Chu Hong, the chief of the Black Veil Bandits.

The scholarly youth known as Third Chief was Zhuge Fan, the strategist of the Black Veil Bandits.

“Third Brother, what do you make of this?”

Chu Hong, always relying on Zhuge Fan’s counsel, did not immediately order a pursuit after hearing the bandit’s explanation, but instead turned to the white-robed scholar.

“Big Brother, Second Brother and Fourth Brother acted rashly this time, but for such a small group to turn the tide and slay them—it’s unusual. Let me examine the site carefully before we decide.”

Zhuge Fan, once a destitute scholar, had by chance obtained a fragmentary cultivation manual and became the Third Chief of the Black Veil Bandits. Though he lacked martial prowess, his mind was steady and shrewd.

He closed his folding fan and strode toward the corpses of Feng Kui, the gaunt man, and the others.

The Third Chief was adept at discovering the overlooked clues. Seeing him scrutinize the scene, all the bandits, except those clearing the remains of their comrades, quietly held their horses and waited.

“What is it, Third Brother? Have you found anything?”

Seeing Zhuge Fan frown as he examined Feng Kui’s wrist and the gaunt man’s neck, Chu Hong could not help but ask.

---

“There’s something odd indeed. Look, Big Brother—both Second Brother’s wrist and Fourth Brother’s neck show red marks resembling insect bites.

From my experience, these wounds are more than an hour old, precisely when they fought those guards. Perhaps their defeat is linked to these marks.”

Zhuge Fan’s keen eye quickly caught the minute wounds left by Xiao Wenzi’s bloodsucking; the deaths had come so swiftly there was no time for welts to form.

With the damage from ants and flies to the corpses, these signs were nearly impossible for most to notice.

Combined with the surviving bandit’s account, Zhuge Fan’s deduction was astonishingly close to the truth, worthy of his reputation as strategist.

“So you think Second and Fourth Brothers were killed by some venomous insects? Could there be a hidden expert among the guards skilled in controlling insects?”

Chu Hong’s expression grew grave as he listened, his voice low and probing.

“Well, perhaps someone is skilled in insect arts, but certainly not a master. Otherwise Hou Tai and the others wouldn’t have survived.”

“I see. Hou Tai, Geng Liang—you and a few others stay to bury Second Chief and our fallen brothers. The rest, mount up and follow me!”

At this, the red-faced elder understood his brother’s meaning. He ordered the reporting bandit to lead a group to handle the aftermath, while he rallied the others for a frenzied pursuit.

If their foes hid someone versed in insect arts but not yet powerful, capturing him would not only avenge Second Chief and the others, but also grant a supreme method of controlling venomous insects.

For the Black Veil Bandits, forced from their commandery and into the remote wilderness of He County, this might be their chance to rise again. Chu Hong would not let it slip by.

Hundreds of bandits thundered across the land, raising a great cloud of dust that blotted out the sky.

But the time spent coming and going had grown long; they chased for hours until dusk, when they finally saw the outline of a city ahead—and spotted Fat Qian’s group in the distance.

“The bandits are coming! Quick—close the city gates!”

Fat Qian and his companions, seeing the bandit horde closing in at He County’s gate, dared not linger a moment.

They abandoned surplus horses, rushed into the city at top speed, and urged the guards to lower the drawbridge and seal the gates.

---

Witnessing this, a tall bandit beside Chu Hong spoke anxiously, “Chief, they’ve entered the city. What now?”

“Damn it, just a step too late.”

He County, though a secular city, was backed by North Forest Kingdom. With a permanent population in the tens of thousands, its walls were solidly built; with only a few hundred men and no siege equipment, it would be nearly impossible to breach.

Now the drawbridge was raised, bows strung and swords drawn in defense; Chu Hong could do little but curse heavily.

“Big Brother, we must use cunning. Let’s withdraw for now.”

Outside the range of arrows and crossbows, Zhuge Fan reined in his mount and spoke calmly, meeting Chu Hong and the others’ questioning gazes.

As the saying goes, the monk may escape but the temple remains. Now that they knew their targets were inside the city, there was no need to storm the walls. They only needed to station spies at the main routes around He County.

Fat Qian and his companions’ faces were well known to Hou Tai, Geng Liang, and the surviving bandits. They could wait patiently, fishing for the big catch—this way, they wouldn’t provoke the authorities, yet could still achieve their goal.

The bandits came swiftly and left just as fast. He County’s guards breathed a sigh of relief, as did Fat Qian and his group.

Xiao Wenzi emerged from his cultivation, finding night had fallen. The beautiful woman was nowhere in sight, while several fine horses munched hay in a spacious stable.

He darted out from beneath the saddle, spreading his infrared senses to survey the surroundings, then soared upward.

“Oh, so this is He County—quite bustling, really.”

Hovering atop the inn where the Wind Escort Agency’s people were staying, Xiao Wenzi observed the brilliantly lit buildings, listened to the guests’ conversations, and quickly understood the situation.

As for the Black Veil Bandits attacking or retreating, it mattered little to him.

What was important was that he finally realized this world he’d traversed was not ancient China, but a small secular kingdom called North Forest. The region he now found himself in was but a remote corner among the kingdom’s many counties.