Chapter 661
Chapter 661: 654 Chapter 1 Chapter 661: 654 Chapter 1 “Oh, you’re quite the stubborn one, aren’t you? A couple words don’t go your way and you’re already shouting about fighting and killing. Fine, let’s give it a try and see if the men of Longhu Village are really vegetarians.” Chang Dabo was also a hot-blooded man. The black-clad man’s words had provoked him. He didn’t covet the fifty thousand taels of silver anyway; even if the Family Head said otherwise, no matter whether the black-clad man could produce the silver or not, the brothers in the village valued loyalty. Having taken on Madam Lin’s business, they would naturally not go back on their word and perform such treacherous deeds. He figured the Family Head was just speaking off the cuff, teasing these black-clad men.
“If you truly intend to do so, you should know that our Family Head is no ordinary person. Although, you claim your bandit stronghold on Longhu Mountain with the government unable to deal with you, that’s because the higher-ups have yet to take notice. It’s not that they can’t take down a minor stronghold. No matter how many men you have in your village, it’s only three to five hundred at best. Can you contend with the thousands upon thousands of Dazhou troops? If you anger our Family Head and he dispatches troops to eradicate you, your village’s annihilation would be a matter of moments, without the slightest suspense.” Left with no choice, the black-clad man had to take a tougher stance against these greedy bandits to instill some fear. Only then could the negotiations he was sent to conduct have a chance of turning around.
He was merely taking advantage of the fact that the bandits in the village were bumpkins with no worldly experience, ignorant of the Court’s current state of affairs. After all, given how the Yin Family had fallen out of the Emperor’s favor, it would not be easy to mobilize the army even if angered by the bandits’ actions. At most, they could dispatch Hidden Guards to assassinate the bandits, but it would be an unprofitable venture, costing a great deal of manpower and money for little gain. Why would a man as calculating as the Family Head make such a losing deal?
Now that the Yin Family was on the decline, not only in other aspects but also in the numbers of the Hidden Guard, all the talented individuals had been scooped up by other families. Their training methods and expenses couldn’t compare to the past. They were called Hidden Guards, but compared to the real ones, they were now at a deficit. The quality of the Hidden Guard was inconsistent, with many merely filling numbers. Aside from lacking physical skills, some were also not too bright. For instance, those among their ranks who made those foolish comments earlier. These individuals, not particularly talented, yet expert at sidelining and eliminating dissenters.
“Do you think we’d be scared? Just with your words, the Court would send troops to rout us? Isn’t that a joke? Who knows if what you say is true or false?” Chang Dabao was, in fact, somewhat convinced by the black-clad man’s words, and his aggressive response betrayed an underlying timidity. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked such a question that clearly belied his anxiety.
The brothers in the village respected loyalty, but they were flesh and blood with their own emotions. They were willing to risk their lives fighting against others, but their village was home to their families. Normally, when the government talked about suppressing bandits, it was just small skirmishes. But if the Court really sent a large force, most likely the village couldn’t be saved, and their family members would suffer as well.
Not only Chang Dabao, but many in the village hesitated due to the black-clad man’s words. Wondering how true they were, they all looked worriedly towards the Village Chief, unsure themselves. The Village Chief had seen more of the world and certainly knew the best course of action to take.
Huangfu Yi, upon hearing the black-clad man’s words, smiled faintly. It was said that the Yin Family had declined so much that even the Hidden Guards they covertly trained were nothing compared to their former glory, undeserving of the title. To think there were still one or two exceptional ones, who, with their words, had the potential to scare the brethren of the village. They clearly had some ability, a pity that they were serving the wrong master.
The brothers in the village didn’t know the situation, but how could Huangfu Yi be unaware of the intricacies of the Court? Though his unrestrained nature often led him to roam outside, he kept abreast of the affairs at Court. Furthermore, because of his connection to Huangfu Jing, he had chosen this time to act against the Yin Family’s Hidden Guard, severing their limbs, so to speak, to make it easier for his imperial brother to deal with the Yin Family. As for the black-clad man’s vaguely threatening words, they were nothing more than nonsense to him.
“Tsk tsk, you’ve almost got me scared there. Your master is the Yin Family, right? One of the four great Aristocratic Families of the Capital City in the past, now fallen to the point of not even comparing to half an aristocratic noble. Furthermore, dreaded by the current Emperor, barely able to ensure their own survival, yet they dare speak of dispatching troops to surround and eradicate our stronghold. Such grandiose talk! You are quite the talent, indeed. Too bad you chose the wrong master and became a servant of the Yin Family.” Huangfu Yi understood the situation as clearly as if he were seeing it in a mirror, but the brothers in the village were not privy to this knowledge. Therefore, he patiently elaborated to reassure them and put their minds at ease.
Upon hearing Huangfu Yi’s words, everyone realized that the black-clad man was simply bluffing and intimidating them. They went from initial worry to anger, glaring at the black-clad man with hostility, just waiting for the Village Chief’s order to act. They thought to themselves, did they think they could be frightened so easily? They refused to pay the toll and actually dared to come and threaten them. They had gone too far.
When the black-clad man heard what Huangfu Yi said, he knew the situation was not looking good. He wondered about the background of this bandit leader, who seemed so familiar with Court affairs and spoke so defiantly of the Yin Family, revealing their identities outright. Perhaps he was truly anticipating their visit, which would explain why they had started with such high demands. It turned out they had never intended to let them off.
“Who exactly are you, and why are you so knowledgeable about the Court’s affairs? Could it be that you have an inside connection at Court?” The Hidden Guard had never seen the Emperor, and with Huangfu Yi wearing a mask, it was naturally impossible for him to see the relationship between Huangfu Yi and Huangfu Jing as Lin Yue had. He only suspected that there was collusion between government officials and the bandits of Longhu Mountain. Maybe that person was an enemy of the Yin Family, which would explain why these bandits targeted the Yin Family and were unhesitant in striking them down. He needed to uncover the identity of that person to inform his Family Head, to allow the master to be prepared.
The words of the Hidden Guard were clearly a trap, attempting to pry useful information from Huangfu Yi’s lips. Huangfu Yi, a man of such deep thoughts that even Lin Yue felt a bit afraid, naturally had enough wit to see through it.
“What’s this? Trying to extract valuable information from me? You’re quite loyal to your master, aren’t you, dog? Such a pity. I was actually contemplating whether to keep you as a military advisor for the village, given your clever mind. In my absence, you could have offered some advice to my second-in-command. Now, it seems you can only ever be someone else’s dog. Even if brought back, you could never be tamed, and you might very well bite back. So, it’s time for you to die.”