dognovel Chapter 117 Searching for Clues
Chapter 117 Searching for Clues
"I think……"
Song Lianghan had asked himself this question repeatedly for more than half a year. After much deliberation, he finally found the answer in his heart.
But he dared not tell anyone this answer, not even his own sister!
Staring at Yu Wanran's thoughtful expression, he opened his mouth, then closed it tightly.
Yangxi Village, Songjia Village, and Xiaolin Village—these three villages share a common feature: they all border a river. The mud dredged from this river could be used to cast the Chengni inkstones that would later become all the rage in the Great Zhao Dynasty!
It is listed as one of the four famous inkstones, along with Duan inkstone, She inkstone, and Tao inkstone.
This bandit group that slaughtered Yangxi Village and led other small groups of bandits to wipe out Songjia Village and Xiaolin Village was well-trained and may have been supported by a powerful force behind it!
Only by eliminating three villages that rely on producing Chengni inkstones can they openly control the entire river channel and prepare for the future launch of Chengni inkstones.
Yanqing knew she couldn't listen to what was to come. She pulled Dou Yi and Qiu Yan back, and the three of them slowed their pace, letting the two in front of them talk quietly.
Do you know someone named Lin Anzhi in Linjia Village?
Song Lianghan glanced at Yu Wanran in surprise and nodded.
“I know him! Lin Anzhi was my classmate. But… I’ve been to Linjia Village, and it’s now a ruin. I wonder if any of his family members survived?”
He noticed a fleeting hint of melancholy in Yu Wanran's eyes and cautiously asked, "Sister Yu, are the Lin family your relatives?"
Yu Wanran gently shook her head: "No, I've only heard of this person. It seems that his family has the best craftsmanship in making Chengni inkstones. I came here because of their reputation, originally intending to buy some from them."
Lin Anzhi was one of her former subordinates. However, he's probably just a child now, not yet grown up. Their encounter happens ten years later in the capital!
A deep sense of doubt arose in Song Lianghan's mind.
I don't understand why Sister Yu came for Chengni inkstones, but didn't remember the craftsman's name, instead remembering the name of the craftsman's child.
This is highly illogical!
But Yu Wanran didn't tell him, and he didn't ask further. He only needed to know that the person in front of him could help him avenge himself, and was a friend, not an enemy!
At Shenshi (3-5 PM), the group approached Linjia Village, only ten li away. Song Lianghan led Yu Wanran and the others along a shortcut, cutting through thorns and brambles along the way. Although it was a bit arduous, they did not encounter any bandit patrols.
While resting to eat dry rations and drink water, Song Lianghan broke off a tree branch and drew a simple topographical map on the muddy ground to explain the layout of the bandits in Qingling Mountain.
"The bandits who sacked Xicun Village vanished without a trace afterward, as if they had evaporated into thin air. Now, three other groups are entrenched in Qingling Mountain. They were also the ones who looted Songjia Village and Linjia Village!"
Song Lianghan pointed out the north and south sides of Qingling Mountain with a stick.
"The bandit den to the north is located in the dense forest halfway up the mountain. The leader's surname is Xu, and he is said to be a bald monk. The bandit den to the south is hidden between Shuangxi Peak. The leader's nickname is 'Mad Dog.' He is cunning and ruthless."
When talking about the mad dog, Song Lianghan couldn't hide his gritted teeth: "Songjia Village and Linjia Village were attacked by this mad dog!"
As for whether there are any forces behind the mad dog, he is not able to find out for the time being.
Yu Wanran thought it was amazing that this child could find out so much information that even the government couldn't find in half a year!
"Where's the other group? Weren't there supposed to be three bandit gangs?"
Song Lianghan said, "The rest are nothing but a rabble! A group of local thugs and bullies collude to rob lone travelers."
Yu Wanran understood. As long as the two bandit dens in the north and south were eliminated, the bandits would scatter when the tree fell, and these petty thieves who took advantage of the chaos would naturally not escape the law.
Song Lianghan added, "However, I don't know exactly how many of them there are. I only know the places they frequent and roughly where their hideout is."
Qiu Yan couldn't resist the urge to touch the child's head again. He was met with a glare and sheepishly withdrew his hand.
"Young scholar, it's already quite remarkable that you've managed to gather so much information!"
Whether due to negligence or genuine incompetence, the officers and soldiers failed to ascertain the bandits' situation for over half a year. Compared to a mere novice scholar, they were utterly incompetent!
Yu Wanran looked at the map spread out at her feet and thought for a while.
"Tonight, let's check out Linjia Village and Songjia Village. Tomorrow, we'll go to the north and south to find out about the bandit strongholds. Once that's done, we can return to the city and report to Lord Xue."
Their task was to scout; the task of suppressing the bandits was still to be handled by the government troops.
Qiu Yan and Dou Yi had no objections. Before they arrived, Xue Heyu had repeatedly instructed them to follow Yu Wanran's orders. Their role was primarily to protect Yu Wanran.
After a short rest, the group set off and hurried to the riverbank.
Yangxi Village was now a dead village, and there was no need to investigate it. Yu Wanran wondered if, since there were survivors in Songjia Village and Linjia Village, they could find clues there.
Heading south along the riverbank, you first arrive at Songjia Village.
As expected, this place became a dead zone. Although most of the mud houses remained intact, and even traces of the village's original nighttime raid by bandits were still visible, the houses were deserted, leaving only a desolate scene.
The group quietly entered the village and saw scattered fragments of inkstone blanks on the ground. Yu Wanran picked up a piece and examined it carefully.
What a pity! If these Chengni inkstones were fired properly, each one could sell for tens or even hundreds of taels of silver!
Yanqing and the others, unaware of her thoughts, dispersed to secretly search every corner of the village, but ultimately found nothing and returned to the group dejectedly.
"Master, nothing suspicious has been found!"
"The cellar has been searched?"
Yu Wanran inquired.
Yanqing and the other two paused, then only checked the ground.
Song Lianghan stepped forward: "I know where the villagers' cellars are roughly located. I'll take you there!"
Seeing Yu Wanran nod, Yanqing and the other two followed Song Lianghan to search house to house, not letting go of any useful information.
Yu Wanran hid alone on the rooftop, sword in hand, looking down and monitoring the entire village's movements.
In the end, Song Lianghan returned with Yan Qing and the other two, having found nothing.
Yu Wanran was not disappointed.
More than half a year has passed, and any traces left behind have been lost to time. She came here mainly to familiarize herself with the routes for future trading and purchasing.
The bandits will be wiped out by the government sooner or later; the only difference is who controls this land.
Under the moonlight, the group, led by Song Lianghan, continued their journey towards Linjia Village. Song Lianghan said that Linjia Village was only about ten li away from Songjia Village, less than an hour's journey. They planned to take the longer trip and rest there.
As scouts, they were constantly operating within the bandits' territory, a very dangerous situation. Completing their mission sooner would allow them to lead the government troops to suppress the bandits, avenge the innocent victims, and liberate the local people.
The path leading to Linjia Village had been deserted for over half a year, overgrown with weeds reaching knee-high. Stepping into it felt like stepping into a grass cage, the weeds tugging at your trouser legs and making a rustling sound.
The trees nearby swayed, and in the distance, owls let out mournful howls. Yu Wanran and the others walked while keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.
As they approached Linjia Village, suddenly, a dark shadow darted into the roadside bushes with a rustling sound, startling everyone.