Chen Xiaobei's mind was still replaying every word the people from Da Lin Guo had said to him. After going over it again and again, he was certain his judgment was correct.
They didn't want Old Man Ding to live, and by the looks of it, they didn't intend for him to survive either. If Yang Chun hadn't been so observant, they would have left that house, and he would have starved to death without anyone knowing.
So, his judgment was correct. The other party intended to silence them, killing Old Man Ding and leaving no way out for him.
Thinking this, Chen Xiaobei's heart suddenly tightened. Since they could call out his name, they must know something about him.
If Lin Yang's plan tomorrow wasn't thorough enough, or if there were any escapees, would they take their anger out on him? At this thought, he became restless. He gently nudged Liu Rumei, who was already drowsy beside him, "I suddenly remembered something. They called out my name directly back then and said I was the one who sent Old Man Ding to the Crown Prince."
"This suggests they know me very well. Can you send a message to Liu Tie and the others as soon as it's dawn, telling them to be careful? I'm worried that if Lin Yang and his men encounter any setbacks tomorrow, any escapees might head to Hetou Village."
Hearing Chen Xiaobei's words, Liu Rumei also woke up instantly. He sat up abruptly, "Yes, I forgot about this. They very likely know our background."
"Don't worry, I'll send a message to Liu Tie and the others at dawn and tell them to be prepared."
"Yes, have them tell the Princess too, so the Princess can also be prepared!"
As they were talking, the roosters outside began to crow. Liu Rumei swayed his body, about to get up, but Chen Xiaobei pressed him down.
"Alright, let's rest for now. We don't need to go anywhere today. We just need to wait patiently at home for Lin Yang's good news."
Liu Rumei obediently nodded, closed his eyes again, and after about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he was breathing evenly and asleep again.
Seeing that she was asleep, Chen Xiaobei carefully got up.
Then he walked outside.
The sun was shining brightly outside. He stretched his limbs, and the little maid beside him walked over cautiously.
"I've already spoken to the Crown Prince. He said no one will be sent out today, and we'll act as if nothing happened."
Chen Xiaobei nodded. Everything on his end was ready. Now it was up to Lin Yang.
Meanwhile, Lin Yang, leading his men, had already set up an ambush early outside the south gate. This was a small pavilion, commonly known as the Farewell Pavilion. If many people were seeing someone off, they would go only this far.
There were several small hills around the pavilion, with woods on them, which were quite suitable for hiding. It was no wonder these guys from Da Lin Guo chose such a good spot.
The sun had risen high in the sky when a group of people appeared in the distance. Counting them, there were six in total. The leader was a middle-aged man with curly hair, who was Rossi.
Rossi led his men into the Farewell Pavilion, looked around, and pointed to the small woods to their west, closest to them.
"We'll hide there later."
"When Xiao Jingyun's men arrive, we'll come out and pretend to trade with them. We'll strike unexpectedly. Act quickly."
"Remember, don't hesitate at all. Take care of Old Man Ding first."
After the group agreed, they rushed into the nearby woods.
Lin Yang, who was leading his men ambushed in these woods, saw them coming and quickly waved his hand, signaling his men to retreat.
The men retreated more than twenty feet silently, making room for Rossi and his group.
Rossi and his men entered without noticing anything and leaned against a tree, chatting casually.
"Boss, do you think Chen Xiaobei can be found?" someone started to worry.
Rossi chuckled, "So what if he's found? Once he's hit by a poisoned arrow, he'll go to see the King of Hell."
After saying that, he burst into laughter. After laughing, he turned to look at a tall, thin man beside him.
"After this matter is settled, you find a way to return to Wannian City."
"See if the other party has found Chen Xiaobei."
"Boss, if they find him, what should we do?" the tall, thin man asked.
Rossi smiled slightly, "If Chen Xiaobei is indeed rescued and alive, then it's fate. We'll let him off then."
As they were talking, someone suddenly pointed ahead, "Boss, look, someone's coming."
Everyone immediately became tense and hid behind the trees, observing carefully for a long time. Rossi laughed, "You're making a fuss over nothing. It's an old couple, they have nothing to do with Old Ding and Old San."
"Boss, is this place we chose right? Many people come to the Farewell Pavilion every day."
Hearing this, Rossi laughed again, "Do you know why I chose this place? I want a lot of people. If we fail and want to escape, we can just grab a hostage. What can Xiao Jingyun do to me?" The men praised Rossi.
The group chatted casually, and before they knew it, the sun had moved directly overhead.
At this moment, the tall, thin man couldn't wait any longer. He straightened up and gestured towards the sun, "Brother, it's past noon. Why is there still no movement?"
Hearing this, Rossi frowned. He took a branch from beside him and stuck it in the ground, looked at the sun, then at the branch, and then at the quiet Farewell Pavilion.
He looked up at the distant official road. He could see three or four miles, but it was silent, with no one in sight.
Rossi frowned, rubbing his chin. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly straightened up, "Damn it, Chen Xiaobei has probably been rescued. Our plan has probably been exposed."
"Ah, no way, Brother. Even if they rescued Chen Xiaobei, they wouldn't know our plan."
Rossi shook his head, "It's hard to say. If the plan hadn't been exposed, people would have arrived by now. This place is not safe to stay. Let's leave quickly."
As he finished speaking and called his men to leave, they suddenly heard a series of whistling sounds.
"Not good," Rossi shouted and instinctively dodged behind a tree trunk.
The whistling continued, and white smoke gradually filled the air.
Rossi realized it was bad. Just as he was about to run, he felt the tree in front of him blur, and his body began to go soft.
He staggered and swayed a few times, then fell to the ground with a thud.
Only when the white smoke cleared did Lin Yang walk out from the woods, hands behind his back, with his men laughing. He came to Rossi and kicked his body with his foot, "Didn't expect this, did you? Your downfall has come."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Rossi's body twist, and he slid forward about ten feet on the ground. Then Rossi raised his hand. Several cold glints shot towards Lin Yang's face.