267 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

Ning Songwu: "I can't afford to be distracted. Swords and blades lack eyes, so mind your words." "Please, sir, spare me," Zhang Cheng pleaded, casting a troubled glance at Gu Er. Gu Er could see that Zhang Cheng was about to betray him and shot him a menacing glare. With the day of their return to the capital approaching and the case of the floating corpse in Zimo River still unsolved, Ning Songwu instructed his deputy Meng Zhu to continue leading the constables in gathering clues. Ning planned to resume the investigation himself after returning to Chongzhou post-Mid-Autumn Festival. On the seventeenth year of Jiankang, the third day of the eighth lunar month, at dawn. Although Zhou Huaxiu insisted on packing light, saying to take as little as possible, by the time they set off, they had five fully-loaded horse-drawn carriages—two carrying passengers and three laden with luggage—making it look like they were fleeing from a disaster. Ning Songwu massaged his temples but eventually shrugged it off; as long as Mother was happy and everyone else was pleased, there was no harm in it. Not long after leaving the city, Ning Songwu, seeking a quicker route, instructed Cha Le to take a shortcut, bypassing the main road and using a smaller path. However, the further they went, the more desolate it became. Suddenly, the bamboo forests on either side fell eerily silent. Even the insects ceased their chirping, and the sun was obscured by clouds, casting the forest into shadow. A sharp bird cry pierced the stillness, breaking the eerie silence. "Ever since we set out, my eyelid's been twitching non-stop. This place feels cursed; how can it be this silent at high noon?" Ran Fanyin lifted the curtain to look outside, finding only an unnerving quiet, broken occasionally by the sound of the wheels. "The map indicates we're still in the bamboo forest. Once we cross it, we'll reach open ground." Ning Songwu noticed Ran Fanyin's unease, and although she felt a bit unsettled herself, she pretended not to be and tried to reassure him. She added, "Given the intense summer heat, perhaps even the creatures are seeking shade." The five conspicuously laden carriages, having taken a shortcut, inadvertently strayed into the territory of the Liangshan bandits, drawing misfortune upon them. "Report, Chief! There's a group northeast of the cliff, loaded with luggage. Seems like wealthy folks, maybe seven or eight of them. We haven't had a big haul in a while; shall we make a move?" A little mountain bandit excitedly reported to his leader. "Let's go, brothers, grab your gear! We've got meat for tonight!" Tang Yi, wielding a large saber, led his band of robbers down the mountain swiftly. A dozen masked bandits with large sabers charged out from a slope. "Whoa—" The terrified horses bolted, but the coachman managed to rein them in. Inside the carriage, Ning Songwu lost his balance and fell into Ran Fanyin's arms but quickly withdrew, his face flushing red. "What's happening?" Ning Songwu asked calmly, though a slight blush remained on her cheeks. "Sir, it’s bad news; we might have run into bandits," Cha Le said in a panic. "Take this and hide yourself," Ning Songwu handed a package containing the "Panorama of Mountains and Rivers" to Ran Fanyin, then pulled aside the curtain. She saw a dozen burly men armed with weapons approaching menacingly. "May I inquire your esteemed name, and if wealth is your goal?" Ning Songwu called out from inside the carriage. Bandit: "Save the chatter, everyone off the carriage! It's a robbery!" "How dare you? Do you know who's in this carriage? Clear the way at once!" Cha Le attempted to intimidate the bandits by revealing her master's identity. Tang Yi: "I don't care who you are. On my turf, you follow my rules. Even if the emperor himself comes, he'll still be robbed. Get off the carriage now, or else." "Insolent! How dare you..." Cha Le began, but Ning Songwu quickly covered his mouth. "Silence," Ning Songwu gave Cha Le a meaningful look. Revealing their identity could lead to a worse fate. If it was only for money, it would be easier to resolve. "Mother, Madam, please stay in the carriage. Let me handle this." Ning Songwu lowered the curtain and jumped off the carriage. Zhou Huaxiu: "Be careful, Wu'er." Ran Fanyin: "Stay safe." "As you're here for wealth, I am willing to give you our gold and silver. The passengers are my family, exhausted from the journey and unable to disembark. Could you spare us and let us pass?" Ning Songwu tried to reason, hoping to solve the issue by parting with some valuables. "Chief, the carriage is mostly filled with food and some fabrics; not much money. But there are two young women on board. Selling them to a brothel could fetch some price." The bandit, having misjudged seeing the trinkets Zhou Huaxiu had packed along, relayed the news back. "What?" Tang Yi didn't believe and rummaged through the contents himself, finding nothing valuable. "I've changed my mind. Today, we'll take both the wealth and the people. Brothers, bring them all back to the camp." Tang Yi decided. Ning Songwu's affluent appearance convinced him easier ransom could be demanded by forcing them to write a letter for ransom. Ning Songwu hadn't anticipated that the bandits would abduct them, forcing her to write a letter and dispatch someone to fetch the ransom. "Hurry up and write. Serves you right for traveling with so little money," the bandit said loudly, placing paper, ink, and brush on a stone slab before the tied-up group. "It's all your fault. Not letting me bring this or that! If we had brought more valuables as Mother suggested, we wouldn't be in this mess! Boo hoo hoo." Zhou Huaxiu, wiping her eyes which showed no real tears, scolded Ning Songwu. Ning Songwu massaged his temples; it wasn't valuables; it was more like fleeing from a catastrophe. "Quiet down. Who's going to write? You spoke the most, you write," the bandit pointed at Zhou Huaxiu. Zhou Huaxiu: "Ah, I can't read or write." "I'll do it," Ning Songwu volunteered. ‘To Mao Jie, Mao Zi, take this letter and the jade ring; hurry to Lord Chen Ding and ask for...’ Ning Songwu paused and asked, "How much ransom?" Bandit: "Chief, he asks how much ransom." Tang Yi: "I'm not deaf. A hundred taels of gold, not a coin less!" ‘To Mao Jie, Mao Zi, take this letter and the jade ring; go to Lord Chen Ding's residence and ask for a hundred taels of gold. Escort it personally to the foot of Liangshan. Someone will meet you there. This matter is urgent.’ Ning Songwu placed her jade ring, a keepsake she always wore, into the envelope and handed it to Tang Yi.