Chapter 45 Take Back Our Luggage

A monk!

Gu Zhengchen was somewhat shocked; he was the fourth among the mounted bandits!

Liang Jiajun looked at Liang Wujin, who had fallen to the ground with life and death unknown, his expression changing drastically as he involuntarily took two steps back.

The monk held a wooden staff, slowly turning to look at Gu Zhengchen and Liang Jiajun: "Hand over your wealth, and you will be spared from disaster. You two are gentlemen, aren't you? Enduring hardship wouldn't be very pleasant."

"Master, what should we do?"

Sun Shiba looked at Gu Zhengchen. With just a single word from him, he would fight to the death if necessary.

Gu Zhengchen raised his hand, pressing it onto Sun Shiba's shoulder, and said to the monk and the scarred man, "Bring out all our luggage and give it to them."

"Master!"

Gu Cheng said with anxiety.

Inside those chests were the twenty strings of cash brought from home and the thirty strings of cash allotted by the county magistrate. If all of this were plundered, how could they possibly make it to the capital?

Could it be that they had to find a broken bowl and beg along the streets all the way to the capital?

Gu Zhengchen said in a deep voice: "Move them out."

Gu Cheng and Sun Shiba felt deeply unwilling. Gu Zhengchen turned to look at the lake surface; reluctance meant nothing when the enemy's reinforcements had already arrived.

On the surface of the lake, four small boats had already closed in.

Ten men boarded the vessel. The bearded leader cupped his fists at the monk: "Old Vajra, how much wealth have you plundered?"

Old Vajra twirled his prayer beads: "Take everything away. Also, there are their chests; move those away as well."

The bearded man looked at Gu Zhengchen, Liang Jiajun, and the others, waving his hand. The mounted bandits aggressively forced their way into the cabin, hauled out the chests belonging to Liang Jiajun and Gu Zhengchen, opened them to inspect the wealth, and immediately burst into laughter, joyfully loading them onto the small boats.

Gu Zhengchen watched the bandits moving his luggage and reminded them, "Be careful, don't damage anything."

The bearded man stared at Gu Zhengchen, stepping closer and slowly raising his saber: "Brat, you're courting death!"

Sun Shiba glanced under the long bench where his own steel saber was hidden. As long as he shoved this fellow over, he could smoothly grab the blade.

"The hour is growing late, let us not create complications."

Old Vajra stopped the bearded man and directed the men to carry the chests.

Although the large boat was fine, it was unfavorable for advancing or retreating and difficult to hide. Once pinned down, it would be hard to break away—far inferior to the bandits' own small boats.

Liang Jiajun slumped down, watching his luggage being entirely plundered, a swirl of complex emotions churning in his chest.

Gu Zhengchen coldly watched the bandits ransack the ship. These individuals emptied two chests and hauled away the contents of six more, transferring everything onto the small boats.

The scarred man and the old bearded man boarded their respective small boats.

Old Vajra walked to the stern, looked at Gu Zhengchen inside the cabin, struck his staff against the deck, and smiled: "Amitabha. Your demeanor is extraordinary, young master; remaining calm in the face of danger, you are destined for great things. This calamity today is all preordained."

Gu Zhengchen looked at the old monk and calmly replied, "Safe journey, I won't see you out."

The old monk laughed heartily as he boarded the small boat.

Gu Zhengchen coldly walked to the stern and sharply ordered, "Sun Shiba, Gu Cheng, untie the boatmen and let them handle the vessel."

He reached the stern.

Gu Zhengchen looked at the laughing bandit boats not far away, raised his foot, and stamped down hard.

Thud!

He raised his foot again and stamped down heavily!

Thud!

Followed by two consecutive heavy stamps!

Before anyone could understand the reason, the door to the utility room at the very bottom of the hold was kicked open!

Ling Yan spat out a mouthful of saliva, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and strode out, followed by six archers.

Gu Zhengchen stood with his hands behind his back: "Now, take back our luggage!"

Ling Yan walked to the stern, drew his bow, and an arrow flew out with a whish!

Old Vajra was laughing heartily, discussing with the other bandits how to enjoy themselves upon returning, never expecting an arrow to shoot out from behind. By the time the other bandits shouted a warning, it was already too late. An arrow pierced his shoulder, causing him to lose his balance and tumble into Lake Luoma!

The other archers also loosed their arrows. The bandits, who had not yet traveled far, never anticipated that imperial soldiers would suddenly appear on the lake. Seized by panic, one small boat spun around aimlessly in the distance as the bandits aboard were wounded or shot down.

"Row the boat, pursue!"

Gu Zhengchen looked at the dazed boatman and gave a stern command.

Boatman Wang was somewhat bewildered. Wasn't this Inspector Ling of Taizhuang? How did he manage to bring men onto his boat? There was no time to ponder further. Grievened by his lost cargo, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Brothers, row the boat!"

Sun Shiba stepped forward and snatched the bow and arrow from the hands of a soldier: "Let me do it!"

Ling Yan glanced at him, then looked back at Gu Zhengchen.

Gu Zhengchen gave a slight nod, and Ling Yan said, "Give it to him!"

"And me!"

Liang Wujin stretched his neck, his face murderous.

"Give it to him!"

"Inspector Ling!"

"They shot down the bandits, the credit belongs to you as well!"

Once Ling Yan spoke, his subordinates immediately fell silent.

Gu Zhengchen knew well that these patrolmen were local militiamen. Although they practiced archery on ordinary days, few possessed genuine accuracy. Those few arrows just moments ago proved it: at a distance of merely twenty paces, they had completely missed.

Sun Shiba and Liang Wujin were different. Liang Wujin was a martial artist, and according to the Sun family, Sun Shiba was also quite skilled.

Two arrows, two hits!

Ling Yan and his men rallied their spirits. Whatever Sun Shiba and Liang Wujin aimed at, they hit!

There were only three bandits on the small boat where Old Vajra was located. Aside from Old Vajra who fell into the water, the other two bandits were shot dead, and Old Vajra was fished out by the idle patrolmen.

Leaving behind one man to guard the luggage on the small boat, they paid no heed to it and continued the pursuit!

The bandits' boats were small and inherently fast, but with arrows constantly raining down, their rhythm was perpetually disrupted. The chests could block arrows from behind, but not from the front, let alone the flanks.

Boatman Wang and the crew exerted every ounce of strength, rowing furiously until the vessels quickly closed the distance. As arrows flew past, the bandits either jumped into the water or took a hit.

The four small boats, even when scattering to escape, failed to get away. The final escaping boat was intercepted just over a mile away from the reed beds; two bandits on board were shot dead, and one leaped into the lake.

Out of a total of fourteen mounted bandits, eight were killed, and six were captured.

Ling Yan looked at the row of corpses and the wounded captives, his mood vastly improved. He cupped his fists and called out to Gu Zhengchen, "Brother Gu, that we were able to achieve such an extraordinary feat and slaughter the bandits is entirely thanks to Brother Gu's strategy. Ling deeply admires you!"

Gu Zhengchen patted his recovered chests and smiled with a laugh: "This is all thanks to Inspector Ling and your brave brothers slaying the bandits. Even without me, you would have apprehended them sooner or later. Besides, I merely wished to protect myself..."

Ling Yan gazed intently at the young man before him, filled with sudden respect.

To possess such merit yet refuse to claim it—such a person was worthy of friendship!

Gu Zhengchen turned his gaze toward Old Vajra, walked over to him, and said peacefully, "This calamity today is all preordained."

Old Vajra glared malevolently at Gu Zhengchen: "We admit our loss today, but young master, you have offended us mounted bandits. Aren't you afraid of our retaliation?"

Gu Zhengchen stood up, walked toward Ling Yan, and lowered his voice: "You should know that the Emperor holds Buddhism in high regard. If His Majesty learns that monks have become mounted bandits and that the Bureau of Benevolence has been implicated, you might not receive any rewards at all."

Ling Yan pondered this carefully and realized it was indeed true. Bandits were simply bandits, but once linked with monks, the nature of the matter would likely sour.

Since that was the case, this fellow could not be left alive!