Bandit Troubles 03

Strangely, the man only glanced at the money Fang Zhiyi had put down and grinned, "You're not a bandit scout."

Fang Zhiyi was puzzled, "Why did you suspect I was a bandit? And how are you so sure I'm not?"

He leaned forward from the shadows, and Fang Zhiyi noticed that this man also had only one eye.

"Those bandits send out scouts to snoop around, targeting those who curse them or which families have money, just like you, asking questions everywhere." The man shook his head, "But you're not one. Bandits wouldn't take out money."

Some bandits have very peculiar temperaments; they cannot tolerate the common folk speaking ill of them.

"I once had an uncle. One night, he and my aunt were sitting on the kang chatting and inadvertently said a few words of discontent about the bandits. However, their words were overheard by a scout eavesdropping outside the wall."

"When the bandits came to raid next time, my uncle became their target. In front of the whole village, those bandits skinned my uncle alive. The utterly horrifying screams lasted a whole day; I still remember them."

And this man, his hand was also chopped off by bandits. He was originally just an ordinary woodcutter. One day, while cutting wood in the mountains, he accidentally stumbled upon a group of bandits. The bandits forcibly took him back to their mountain stronghold and made him do odd jobs.

Once, because he was a little too slow, he was brutally beaten by the bandits, and even his hand was cruelly chopped off. As he recounted these experiences, his face showed no expression, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Finally, the man pointed to his own eye and said with a bitter smile, "I merely stole a glance at a bandit's concubine, and as a result, this eyeball was gouged out. If that woman hadn't kindly intervened, I probably wouldn't have survived, let alone made it back alive."

Fang Zhiyi's pen paused for a moment. He couldn't think of a second person who could be that "kind-hearted."

"Do you hate them?"

The man's single eye looked strangely at Fang Zhiyi, "What kind of question is that? If I don't hate them, should I thank them? Look at my hand!"

His emotions were somewhat agitated, but after a moment, he seemed to lose all vitality again, "What's the use of hate? Now I just wonder, why didn't they kill me? Then I wouldn't have to live in such pain."

Fang Zhiyi looked at him for a while, "Do you want revenge?"

The man did not answer.

For a full ten days, Fang Zhiyi traveled all over Xicheng and its surroundings. Some people were wary of him, others cursed him, but he said nothing. Those who had experienced life and death recounted their experiences numbly. They didn't believe this ordinary-looking man before them could get revenge for them, but at least there was an educated person who could write down what they had been through.

The landlord whose son had the skin peeled from his back to write the ransom note.

The poor family who, unable to gather enough grain and angering the bandits, had their skin peeled off, filled with tung oil, and used as a lamp.

The merchant whose daughter was tortured to death by bandits and whose home was burned to the ground.

Fang Zhiyi's heart gradually began to numb as well. His bundle grew fuller and fuller. When he returned home, he met that couple at the door. Fu Yunshen, still refined and courteous, greeted him, and Shen Zhixia smiled at him too.

Fang Zhiyi nodded and went back inside.

"He looks a bit tired," Shen Zhixia remarked.

Fu Yunshen reached out and gently tapped her nose, "You worry about everything all day long."

Fang Zhiyi called out Xiao Hei and began to review the male lead's actions after his redemption. Because in the original plot, due to his report, some things were covered up. Fu Yunshen was imprisoned, the bandits who received no relief started plundering again, and with their ruthless methods, they gradually expanded, which also laid some groundwork for rescuing Fu Yunshen later.

"Lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot?" Fang Zhiyi sneered.

Fortunately, the timing was right. Yan Qi's army marched into the city. The county magistrate and the crooked, disorganized defense corps respectfully welcomed Yan Qi. In times of chaos, those with guns were not to be trifled with.

Yan Qi was a very rigid man. You could say he was an excellent soldier, but he was definitely not an official.

On the very second day after his arrival, guards hurriedly came to summon him to the city gate. Upon arriving, Yan Qi was stunned by the scene before him.

Overnight, the city walls were plastered with papers, densely covered in characters that dazzled the eyes.

Many common folk gathered there, whispering and discussing. Some literate people read the words on the wall aloud, but as they continued, their voices involuntarily began to tremble.

Yan Qi stood among the crowd, growing more and more horrified the more he read. He had heard about the bandit problem in the Xicheng area before coming and knew the situation was quite serious, but he never imagined it could be so shockingly, outrageously severe!

Especially when he saw the bright red handprints stamped on every single sheet of paper, an uncontrollable rage surged in Yan Qi's heart.

"Summon the local official... no, arrest him and bring him here!" Yan Qi roared furiously. His voice thundered like a sudden clap, startling many in the crowd who turned to look at him. Seeing he was a soldier, the people grew somewhat fearful.

The adjutant hesitated, looking at the frightened faces of the people, then pointed at the city wall and cautiously asked, "Regiment Commander, what about these... should we tear them down?"

"Tear them down? Absolutely not!" Yan Qi's anger flared instantly. He glared wide-eyed at the adjutant, "Let them all take a good look! Will tearing these papers down make the bandits disappear?"

At this moment, Yan Qi's fury had reached its peak.

And the people's fear was mixed with anger. They originally only had a vague notion of the bandits' rampant activities. Everyone had heard the bandits were rampant, but when these detailed accounts were laid out case by case, incident by incident, right before their eyes, corroborated by the handprints of those involved, the impact was entirely different. Especially seeing so many tragic cases, no one could help but feel terrified.

The county magistrate arrived in a panic, constantly shirking responsibility, citing nothing but lack of money and guns. Yan Qi directly ordered the magistrate thrown into jail and stomped back angrily.

The adjutant, deeply afraid he would cause trouble, said, "Regiment Commander, headquarters ordered us to be stationed here. You mustn't stir up trouble. These bandits have existed since ancient times."

"These grievance petitions are plastered right in my face!" Yan Qi cursed angrily. "Not earlier, not later, but posted right after I enter the city. Isn't this just waiting to see me, Yan Qi, make a fool of myself? Not deal with it? What would I be if I didn't deal with it!"

"Well said!" A burst of applause.

The adjutant immediately drew his gun, "Who's there!"

Fang Zhiyi walked out from Yan Qi's temporary residence, "Naturally, the one seeking justice."

Yan Qi's face turned cold. He signaled for the adjutant to holster his gun, "You're quite skilled to have infiltrated my residence."