After deceiving the villain, I was forced to love him.

Chapter 39 Bringing Down the He Family 24

As dawn broke and the sun rose higher, the sky brightened.

Bai Li Ce opened his eyes, yawned, and exclaimed, "Wow..."

Looking at Mingxiang putting on her shoes, she asked listlessly, "So early?"

Mingxiang glanced out the window; it was still a little before 9 a.m., which was indeed very early.

"I have to go down the mountain with the chief to take care of some business today, so I'm getting up early."

Upon hearing that Mingxiang was going shopping, Baili Ce perked up, "Hey, could you help me buy something?"

"Hmm... You can tell me what to bring first. If I have time after I finish my business, I'll definitely buy it for you, but if I don't have time..."

Bai Li Ce quickly sat up, "Understood, understood."

Then he picked up the paper and pen on the table next to him and quickly wrote down what he wanted to buy... He paused, glanced at Mingxiang out of the corner of his eye, wrote a few more words, and handed the paper over.

Just as she was about to turn around and take the silver from under her pillow, she saw Mingxiang take the paper, glance at it subconsciously, fold it up, and put it in her bosom. "No need for the silver~"

Bai Li Ce hurriedly got out of bed, pretending to tug at the silver, "Hey, how can that be!"

"Keep it, keep it~"

"How could I possibly take advantage of you?"

"Oh, if I said I don't need it, then I don't need it. Stop nagging!" Mingxiang waved her hand and left without saying another word.

"No, you..." After everyone had gone far away, Baili Ce closed the door and lay back down comfortably.

Hey~

Being a bandit is great!

She doesn't need to get up at 5 a.m. to start work, and she doesn't have a bunch of interpersonal relationships to bother her.

This day...

I really can't go on like this anymore.

If this continues, even the original aspirations of capitalists will be lost.

Playing with the silver in his hand, Baili Ce was no longer sleepy.

This time, when Anluo took Mingxiang down the mountain, she took her on a mountain path that she had never taken before.

The journey was shortened by a third, and since the two rode fast horses for the latter part of the journey, they arrived in Thorn City just at noon.

"Brother, there's a shop up ahead, let's go in and get something to eat."

"Um"

Upon entering the store, An Luoshi, dressed as a wealthy businessman, immediately concealed his bandit leader aura.

The waiter poured tea while asking, "What would you two like to eat?"

An Luo glanced at the menu hanging on the wall. "The first three dishes in the first row, plus a crucian carp soup."

"Oh, sir, the dishes you ordered are quite popular today, so you'll have to wait about 15 minutes. Is that alright?"

"It's alright, just keep pressing," Anluo said with unusual patience today.

"Alright~" The waiter draped a towel over his shoulder and hurried off to serve the dishes.

Mingxiang took a sip of tea as if nothing had happened. She wasn't in a hurry when she saw Anluo, but suddenly she felt uneasy. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that he was acting very strangely today.

After thinking for a moment, he simply and frankly said, "Brother, Miss Baili asked me to bring her some things."

An Luo frowned slightly. "Why is she so fussy?"

"..."

"What does she want to buy?" Since they were allies, An Luo felt he couldn't be too demanding.

"It should be... just some cosmetics and such," Mingxiang said, taking out the list to show Anluo.

An Luo glanced at it a few times and couldn't help but feel that the literacy he had learned during this period of time had been somewhat useful.

He actually managed to understand it, albeit barely.

"Alright, alright, go ahead, don't take too long."

"Okay," Mingxiang quickly got up, referring to the list given by Baili Ce as she walked briskly toward the street stalls.

They really do look like they're going to buy something.

Can......

An Luoshi's mustache twitched slightly, and a triumphant smile appeared in his eyes.

Under the pretext of buying something for Baili Ce, Ming Xiang soon met Ming Chuan in the backyard of a watercolor shop.

"Didn't we just see each other yesterday? Why are you contacting me so frequently? Aren't you afraid they'll find out? It's been so long, why are you still so careless in your work?"

Despite Mingchuan's initial scolding, he actually came over immediately upon receiving news that Anluo had entered Thorn City, fearing that something might happen to his troublesome younger sister.

"Don't worry, I checked carefully yesterday. Baili Ce didn't wake up all night, and he still looks like he hasn't woken up properly this morning."

“During this time, I kept a close eye on her. She even took showers and went to the toilet together. She and Anluoshi definitely did not have any private contact.”

Hearing Mingxiang say this, Mingchuan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. His sister was indeed intelligent and cautious. "Then why were you in such a hurry to find me?"

Ming Xiang glanced around and lowered her voice mysteriously, "An Luoshi is probably going to mobilize his private army."

“…” Mingchuan’s pupils contracted.

He has stayed here for so many years, and his only relative was a bandit for several years, all for the sake of the He family's private army.

However, after several years, not a single clue could be found, which shows how meticulous An Luoshi was.

How did this happen...?

"Are you sure?" Mingchuan was genuinely worried about the veracity of the news.

Mingxiang knew exactly what he was afraid of, and quickly explained, "I didn't realize it at first either."

"It wasn't until today that I realized An Luoshi didn't kill him because the Seventh Master offended him with his words."

Mingchuan understood immediately. "You mean, the Seventh Master died because he discovered An Luoshi's secret?!"

"Most likely."

“How come you see?”

"Once I accidentally stumbled upon the Seventh Boss drinking alone and vaguely heard him complaining that the First Boss was too stingy."

"He said he had a shortcut but didn't tell him, which almost cost him his life. He also said that An Luoshi always ate alone and didn't deserve to be the boss."

"One day, he'll make sure An Luoshi regrets it."

"But he is already dead," and his body has been completely destroyed.

"That's not the point. The point is that the Seventh Master wanted to come to Thorn City more than once before he died, but unfortunately he never made it."

"Looking back now, he must have wanted to verify something."

"So, you deduce that the private army is hiding in Thorn City?"

Mingxiang nodded, "Yes."

"Impossible!" Mingchuan immediately denied.

"You know how many spies are in Thorn City. If there really were a private army, how come we haven't found them by now?"

Mingxiang wasn't in a hurry to argue, but instead asked him, "What if An Luoshi really has the ability to deceive everyone?"

“…” Mingchuan suddenly stopped.

Although he sincerely felt that Wang Qingyan was more capable, Baili Shi and the Investigation Division were no pushovers either.

However, it's not impossible that An Luoshi was able to navigate the complexities of various forces for so many years.

Seeing Mingchuan hesitate, Mingxiang added another strong dose of stimulant, "Do you know how I got here today?"

"Hmm?" Mingchuan looked puzzled. "How else could we come? By taking a shortcut."

“The mountain path that Anluoshi led me on today is one I have never walked before.”

"Moreover, on the second half of the journey, I found horse manure and hoof prints in the roadside grass."

"Judging from the consistency, color, and depth of the hoof prints, those horse manures were undoubtedly from military horses, and their numbers were certainly not small."

After Mingxiang's analysis, Mingchuan also felt that the private army was hidden in Jicheng.

But his reason told him that this alone was not enough.

"My dear brother, what are you still worried about?"

Seeing that Mingchuan still couldn't make up his mind, Mingxiang urged, "If you keep hesitating, and Anluoshi runs away, or really accepts the imperial court's offer of amnesty, then you and I will really have no chance to get ahead!"

Are you really content to be bossed around for the rest of your life?

Mingchuan's grip on his sword tightened involuntarily... but his gaze finally hardened, "You're right!"

"Instead of cowering in fear, let's take a gamble!"

"Take your things back quickly and try to stall for time. I'll go and report to the master right away."

......

When Mingxiang returned, Anluo had already started eating.

Glancing at the stack of things she had placed on the stool next to her, An Luoshi casually asked, "Have you bought everything?"

Mingxiang smiled awkwardly, "I was still short two doses of medicine, but it was too far, so I didn't go."

Two doses of medicine? Ha.

An Luoshi said nonchalantly, "Then let's just ignore her."

Yesterday——

Bai Li Ce casually blurted out, "You're not going to say that the county magistrate is Wang Qingyan, are you?"

He said, "Logically speaking, that's impossible, since the magistrate looks to be over forty."

“But I think it’s him, because his demeanor and temperament are so similar to Wang Qingyan.”

Is this a ghost story?

Bai Lize was silent for a moment, then asked, "What means do you have to prove it?"

"There's no way to prove that he's clean in his dealings. I've spent over a decade and still haven't found out the truth."

Bai Li Ce chuckled, "In that case, how can I be sure that you're not lying to me too?"

"So, I came up with a solution."

"any solution?"

"Let the He family use their knife to investigate me."

Baili lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then said with a sly look, "Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

now--

"Let's eat first."

There are no medicines on that list.

......

"Private army in Thorn City" was repeated calmly. Wang Qingyan seemed to find it laughable and unbelievable, yet also seemed to have suddenly understood and realized the truth.

Unable to fathom his thoughts or discern whether he was happy or angry, Mingchuan waited quietly to the side, his heart pounding, his sword-wielding hand sweating.

"Ding, ding..." Wang Qingyan tapped the different sized cups on the table with his chopsticks, listening to the clear, bell-like sound, and asked, "You mean her..."

what?

Mingchuan looked up, his face full of suspicion.

"Alright, since you two siblings are so confident, then proceed with the plan."

We're all going to die anyway.

Mingchuan's eyes instantly lit up with joy. "Yes!"

He had no idea that Wang Qingyan already knew what was written on the list before he arrived.

Before long, the Wang family's spies throughout Jicheng were all on the move.

Then--

Inside the room, melodious and gentle music drifted out.

The afternoon sun shone brightly on Wang Qingyan's face, making him appear gentle and refined.

"Sizzle..." Suddenly, the sound of porcelain cracking interrupted the rhythm.

Wang Qingyan paused for a moment, then casually put down his chopsticks.

Find the valuable cup, hold it up in the light, and watch as the porcelain gradually changes from jade green to a light pink, like a dignified and beautiful woman, gentle and elegant, with graceful bearing.

Unfortunately, the crack that disrupted the rhythm became even more pronounced.

Why won't you believe me?

Wang Qingyan loosened his grip slightly, and the celadon cup shattered instantly.