IDWBE -Chapter 34 None of My Business

In the end, with a belly full of grievances and no one to complain to, he was tossed onto a grain cart like livestock.

Seeing that the sun had already set, and having not had a single drop of water all day, he couldn’t help shouting at the top of his lungs, “Are you trying to starve your grandpa to death?!”

Luo Han cursed, “It’s not even dinner time yet. What are you yelling for?”

The sight of this fellow made his anger flare up again.

Today, in front of the prince and everyone else, he had completely lost face!

As a peak second-rank fighter, he had actually been helpless against someone who had only just entered the second rank. It was utterly humiliating.

If the prince hadn’t given strict orders not to mistreat prisoners, he would have beaten this man half to death already.

The big man said, “Can you at least give your grandpa some water?”

“Who the hell are you calling grandpa?”

Luo Han struck him several times, hard, with the back of his blade.

“Ah! Murder!”

The big man let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

Lin Yi reined in his donkey and turned back to look, frightening Luo Han into hurriedly explaining, “Your Highness, I didn’t use any real force. This guy just started howling for nothing.”

Lin Yi looked at the big man with a smile. “Tell this prince—what’s your name? And what’s wrong with your brain that you dared to rob me? Since I’ve got nothing better to do, I might as well give you a beating.”

The big man had a certain pride and originally didn’t intend to answer. But when he suddenly met Hong Ying’s icy gaze, he shivered and quickly said, “A man doesn’t change his name or surname—I’m Qin Hu of Five-Phoenix Mountain! There was a bend in the road. I only saw the few donkey carts in front and didn’t realize you had so many people. Otherwise…”

How stupid would he have to be to block such a large convoy!

Lin Yi smiled. “Why become a bandit?”

Qin Hu said bluntly, “You don’t look stupid, but you ask stupid questions. Isn’t it because my family doesn’t have a silver mine? If we had one, why would I be out here in this heat instead of enjoying life at home?”

Lin Yi was momentarily speechless.

After a while, he sighed slowly. “Seems you really are poor.”

Qin Hu grinned. “That’s another piece of nonsense from you.”

Lin Yi’s mouth twitched, but he still asked curiously, “Are there many bandits around here?”

Along the way, their convoy had been so large that no bandits dared provoke them.

Qin Hu was the only one—and perhaps the last.

So Lin Yi was now especially interested in the subject of bandits.

“Yes,” Qin Hu said. “Go forty li south along West Creek and you’ll reach Floating Dragon Mountain. The chief there, Ge Laoshan, is a fifth-rank expert! In the martial world he’s nicknamed ‘No Capital.’ He has more than thirty brothers under him.”

“‘No Capital’?”

Lin Yi laughed. “That nickname is quite fitting. So does this ‘No Capital’ actually have money?”

“Of course he has money!” Qin Hu said loudly. “There are plenty of tea merchants traveling north and south. Anyone who passes through has to pay a toll!”

“A toll?”

Lin Yi’s eyes lit up. “So you don’t rob them?”

Qin Hu looked at him as if he were an idiot. “This place is already remote. If we rob too harshly, who would dare come again? Besides, desperate merchants will fight for their lives, and those salt smugglers care more about money than life—even I have to avoid them. The toll may be small, but you can sit at home while others bring you silver. What a great business.”

“Not bad. Pretty good business sense—you should all learn from this,” Lin Yi said, kicking Luo Han in annoyance. “‘No Capital’… looks like a small-time tycoon!”

“Your Highness!”

Shen Chu said loudly, “Allow this subordinate to lead men and wipe them out, so they can’t continue harming innocent people!”

Their prince was someone who couldn’t walk straight when he saw money. After serving him for years, Shen Chu knew this very well—so he volunteered immediately.

Lin Yi said worriedly, “They’re fifth rank and have over thirty lackeys. Can you handle it?”

The prince’s residence had only fifteen guards in total. Adding the twenty captains and twenty soldiers assigned by the emperor as the minimum retinue for a feudal prince, there were fifty-five people altogether.

But some had to remain with the convoy, so at most only about twenty could go.

Was that really enough?

Shen Chu replied, “Please rest assured, Your Highness. A mere fifth rank! I will surely bring back his head!”

Although he wasn’t as strong as Song Cheng, he had already stepped into the seventh rank.

And he had no choice but to improve—Chief Steward Hong had made it clear: the prince’s residence did not keep useless people.

“Too much killing isn’t environmentally friendly,” Lin Yi said, waving a hand. “Just bring him back alive.”

Then he pointed at Song Cheng. “You take some of the escort bureau men and go with them.”

Song Cheng’s ability was certainly above Shen Chu’s—that much Lin Yi knew.

But the guards and soldiers of the prince’s residence might not obey Song Cheng, so Shen Chu still had to lead.

“Yes.”

Shen Chu and Song Cheng both clasped their fists in acknowledgment.

Shen Chu walked up to Qin Hu and casually drew his blade.

“Hero, spare my life!”

Seeing that Shen Chu remained unmoved, Qin Hu began cursing loudly, “Bastard! Son of a turtle! May your sons be born without—! Eighteen years from now I’ll still be a good man!”

He watched helplessly as the gleaming blade slashed toward him.

With a scream, he instinctively covered his eyes and waited…

But after a long time, the blade never struck.

He only heard a clang.

Summoning his courage, he peeked through his fingers and saw that Shen Chu had already sheathed his knife.

Patting his chest and breathing heavily, he said, “You scared me to death. If I hadn’t—”

Just as he pointed at Shen Chu, he suddenly realized he could move. The ropes were gone.

Delighted, he jumped up and down several times, then clasped his hands toward Shen Chu.
“Thank you, thank you.”

Shen Chu said coldly, “Come with me.”

“Where to?” Qin Hu asked.

“Floating Dragon Mountain.”

“No, no,” Qin Hu shook his head like a rattle drum. “I don’t have any friendship with Ge Laoshan. I’d better not go. My old mother must be worried sick at home. Farewell—no need to see me off.”

Shen Chu snorted. “That’s not up to you.”

“My legs are on my own body!” Qin Hu said. But seeing Shen Chu about to draw his knife again, he hurriedly added, “Of course we’re going to Floating Dragon Mountain! My old mother always says I should stay away from home anyway—I get in her way!”

He mounted a horse and led the way toward Floating Dragon Mountain.

It was completely dark, so dark one could not see one’s hand before one’s face.

Torches were lit, and the winding line of people on the mountain road looked like a fiery dragon.

Luo Han said, “Your Highness, once we get down the mountain, we’ll reach Dachu Town. If we push on in one go, we won’t have to suffer on the mountain.”

Lin Yi nodded. “Then let’s speed up and get down the mountain.”

On the carriage, he fell asleep without realizing it.

When he woke up, the carriage had already stopped at the entrance of an inn.

Still half-asleep, he got down, didn’t even eat, and collapsed onto the bed.

Late at night, he could occasionally hear the desolate howls of wolves from the mountains.

Then suddenly a burst of shouting and the sounds of fighting woke him again.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Hong Ying standing beside him.

Hong Ying said softly, “Your Highness, we’ve disturbed your rest.”

Lin Yi asked, “What’s going on? Sounds like people are fighting.”

Hong Ying replied, “It’s the Holy Maiden from Jizhao Nunnery. It seems she’s being pursued.”

“Ye Jinyu?”

“Yes.”

“Go to sleep.”

Since it had nothing to do with him, Lin Yi simply lay back down and went to sleep again.