As various rumors spread like wildfire through Qingniu County, Chen Xiaobei arrived at the steep slope with his men.
Looking out from the top of the slope, a vast expanse of ashes lay ahead, the result of the fire they had set that day.
"Chief Xiaobei, why is everything burned down?" the crowd asked in a clamor.
Chen Xiaobei feigned ignorance, shaking his head, "I don't know either. Perhaps it was left behind by Zhu Meng and his men when they left. Alright, everyone, let's go. We've been walking all night, so let's rest here for a while."
Having walked for a whole night and morning, the villagers were naturally exhausted. Fortunately, the tents on the steep slope were mostly intact. They could drag out some bedding, find a sunny spot, pile it up, and rest with their clothes on.
Listening to the villagers' snores filling the air around him, Chen Xiaobei felt little desire to sleep.
Chen Xiaobei's thoughts were in a mess.
He replayed the recent events in his mind.
He had become too involved in the power struggle between the Crown Prince, the Imperial Advisor, and the Princess.
This was contrary to his original intention of being a happy farmer.
Now, the struggle between the Crown Prince and the others seemed to be coming to an end. Zhu Meng had gone to Jizhou, and the Crown Prince would likely head to Jizhou next after dealing with Qingniu County.
Therefore, he absolutely could not go to Jizhou, as he was about to marry Huang Ying.
With Cui Hongyu and Huang Ying, and Chen Qiao'er, his ties were growing stronger.
Thus, it was better to have a peaceful life with a wife, children, and a warm hearth.
Thinking of this, Chen Xiaobei felt a pang of sadness, and tears welled up again.
He thought of his past life. After his tragic death, how would his parents spend the rest of their lives? It must have been miserable.
Weeping as he thought, Chen Xiaobei drifted off into a daze, only to be awakened by a commotion.
He opened his eyes and saw that only a few villagers remained beside him. Chen Xiaowen, a member of the village guard, was sitting not far from him, idly fiddling with a repeating crossbow, the clicking sounds emanating from him.
Seeing Chen Xiaobei open his eyes, Chen Xiaowen said with a hint of apology, "Brother Xiaobei, I've woken you up."
Chen Xiaobei smiled and shook his head, "It's alright. By the way, where are the others? Why are they all gone?"
"Oh, they've all gone down. They couldn't wait when they saw you were still asleep."
Hearing this, Chen Xiaobei felt a mix of amusement and helplessness. They were too eager!
With that thought, he stood up and stretched.
"Let's go, we'll catch up and see."
After walking another seven or eight li, they found intact tents. The fire had indeed burned a large area. Zhu Meng must have suffered great losses, no wonder he had rushed straight to Jizhou.
He peeked into a few tents. Inside, besides bedding, there were no other items. It was unclear if they had been looted or if the owners had taken them.
Walking another two li further, the tents began to contain more personal belongings, indicating that the previous ones had been ransacked.
Chen Xiaobei then recalled the order he had given when entering the mountains: only food was allowed to be brought.
The fact that the personal belongings in these tents had not been touched suggested that the looters were not villagers, meaning someone had been here beforehand.
Chen Xiaobei's mind immediately flashed back to Qi Chong, whom they had encountered the night they descended the mountain.
Could it be them? Yes, they were the only plausible explanation.
Walking a little more than a li further, they began to see villagers from their own village. Several people were emerging from a large tent, each carrying a heavy bundle.
Seeing Chen Xiaobei, these people beamed with joy.
"Chief Xiaobei, the person who lived here must have been a general! So much meat! And wine too! We couldn't resist."
Chen Xiaobei lifted the curtain and entered. The tent was spacious.
Although there was bedding spread on the ground, it was evident that animal hides were laid beneath it.
Beside it was a wooden stool, also covered with animal hides, suggesting that the tent's owner was no ordinary person.
Chen Xiaobei sat on this animal hide chair for a while. It wasn't as comfortable as he had imagined; it was rather hard and uncomfortable.
There were two jars of wine nearby. One was open and nearly empty, while the other was still sealed.
Chen Xiaobei picked up this unopened jar and walked out.
"Tonight, we will drink this wine. It serves a dual purpose."
Hearing him say this, the crowd cheered again.
"Yes, we'll drink tonight, and don't miss any accompanying dishes."
As they chatted and laughed, the sky gradually darkened, and piles of bonfires were lit on the mountain.
Chen Xiaobei and Chen Dachun counted from beginning to end and back again, ensuring no villagers were left behind, and only then did they relax.
Although it was less than half a day, everyone had reaped a rich harvest, so they indulged that evening, bringing out their collected items and feasting to their hearts' content.
There was no shortage of wine either; each person had a jar.
Chen Xiaobei raised his wine jar and said to the crowd, "Although we are feasting tonight, we must be careful with our drinking. We need someone on guard tonight; we can't all fall asleep and be surprised by wild boars or eaten by tigers without us knowing."
The villagers repeatedly agreed, "Don't worry, we won't drink too much."
While they said that, Chen Xiaobei knew that those who drank too much never admitted it, so he had to make thorough preparations.
While everyone was drinking, he called Chen Dachun over, "Arrange for the night watch for the second half of the night. With so many people here, don't let anything go wrong."
As the saying goes, some rejoice while others grieve. Chen Xiaobei was celebrating here, but some were already feeling uneasy.
As evening approached, various messages reached the county yamen and Wang Lei's ears.
These messages made Wang Lei restless.
He sent for Wang Heng to discuss countermeasures.
Wang Heng frowned and thought for a long time, then clasped his hands and said,
"Big Brother, these messages are coming from the common people. This reminds me of something."
"Oh, tell me about it."
"Big Brother, do you remember why we came here?"
"Of course, I remember we followed General Wang Long to govern Qingniu County because Zhu Yan was murdered."
At this point, Wang Lei suddenly understood. He slammed the table.
"You mean the murderer is still in the city, and these messages were released by the murderer?"
Wang Heng nodded, "Yes, Commander. This murderer is not only in the city but must be in contact with people outside the city through some means."
"Yes, pigeons. Only pigeons can convey intelligence without us knowing."
After hearing Wang Heng's analysis, Wang Lei nodded approvingly.
"You are absolutely right. Immediately issue an order for the soldiers on guard to pay close attention to the sky. If they spot any pigeons or birds flying, they must track them immediately to see where they are heading."
An invisible net was cast over Qingniu County.