Chapter 9, Not an Accident, but Murder

The person who spoke these words is indeed Ju Xin. At this moment, he is hiding in the thicket on the side of the mountain path with Jiao Meng and his eleven subordinates, observing the actions of Zhang Fang and the others in their entirety.

However, as soon as they ascended the mountain, everyone immediately sensed that something was amiss. The narrow path was strewn with broken thorny branches, creating an unusually smooth route. Han Yi, who had been leading the way with the only machete to clear the path, found himself completely at a loss.

"What a load of nonsense! I truly fear this is serious." Jiao Meng shook his unusually large head and spat on the ground with force. It is no wonder he was so furious; Liu Kuaile and Ma Qi had inexplicably gone missing, and to this day, there was no sign of them, neither alive nor dead. Last night, Zhao Yue, the most agile among his subordinates, was sent out, and now he too had vanished without a trace, likely facing dire consequences. In just two short days, three brothers had fallen, while the target moved about freely right under their noses. It is no wonder he was so furious; Liu Kuaile and Ma Qi had inexplicably gone missing, and to this day, there was no sign of them, neither alive nor dead. Last night, Zhao Yue, the most agile among his subordinates, was sent out, and now he too had vanished without a trace, likely facing dire consequences. In just two short days, three brothers had fallen, while the target moved about freely right under their noses. This task was far more troublesome than previously anticipated.

As expected, apart from the trace left by the rolling down the slope that day, the entire mountain path was spotless, not a single piece of wood shavings in sight, and the bloodstains had been completely cleaned up

Mr. Han is an honest man, but the events of last night, coupled with the recent knowledge of the perilous encounter his two sons had with Zhang Fang, have provoked even the most honest of individuals. It is one thing to resort to violence at the doorstep, but to invade the home is truly an affront. Do they really think the Han family is made of clay?

At this time, Zhang Fang had already adapted to the differences in social status among people in this era. Even someone of his ambiguous identity, solely by virtue of the valuable sword in his hand and the luxurious attire he wore, was enough to convince others of his extraordinary background. Not to mention his outstanding appearance, which made him stand out like a dragon among men and a phoenix among women, further indicating his noble lineage. Regarding this, not only ordinary villagers but even the knowledgeable elders were utterly convinced.

If it were in a past life, climbing such a perilous mountain would be challenging but not insurmountable. However, this young body is simply unable to endure it. Were it not for the Han brothers pushing from behind and pulling from the front, almost half-heartedly, Zhang Fang alone would definitely not be able to ascend this treacherous peak

Shi Niu and others also vaguely sensed that the situation was unusual, but their task was to ensure the safety of the young lord; they did not think too much about other matters and could not come up with any conclusions.

Zhang Fang searched slightly and soon realized that it would be difficult to find any results. He looked up at the towering mountain peak on one side and asked, "How does one ascend this mountain?"

Zhang Fang cast a glance at the faces of the Han brothers and said, "I want to go to the location where the incident occurred that day; you brothers accompany me there."

If it can be said that the ambush by those two salt officials in the mountains the day before yesterday was merely a chance event, then the assassination last night is sufficient to indicate that there is something more to this matter. The identity of the youth he has taken over is certainly not simple. However, at this moment, Zhang Fang is more concerned about what trouble "he" has caused, attracting wave after wave of assassins.

After exerting tremendous effort, of course referring to Zhang Fang, the group finally reached the summit

The Han brothers and others, including Shi Niu, conducted an inspection. Han Yi approached the edge of the cliff and bowed to Zhang Fang, who was standing with his hands behind his back, saying: "Young master, this group consists of no fewer than ten individuals, and they are armed with sharp weapons"

Zhang Fang nodded slightly and pointed, saying: "Let's go."

This young man is quite clever, actually returning to the original place to investigate, and even climbing to the top of the mountain... It seems he has already figured out something.

Han Chong pointed to the southeast and said: "There is a path that leads into the valley from that grove, but it is not easy to traverse. When you reach the mountainside, there is no way to proceed further; you must climb up a cliff to continue."

The situation before us is unmistakable; this mountain path has been traversed recently by more than one person.

No useful information was gathered from the assassin. At dawn, the Han family, following Zhang Fang's instructions, quietly buried the body

Zhang Fang inquired about the names of all the individuals and their places of residence, committing them to memory. It seems that next time when purchasing grain, a larger quantity will be necessary

... ...

Zhang Fang's eyes sparkled: "It seems that this trip will surely yield unexpected gains"

... ...

"Heita, I leave this matter in your hands." Jiao Meng glared fiercely at this capable subordinate, "Within three days, if you cannot bring me that beautifully inconceivable head, I will take yours instead"

Subsequently, Zhang Fang summoned the Han father and son, and shared the conclusions he had pondered over the night: "From the two attacks, it is evident that this is a gang. Perhaps they do not want to alarm others and attract the attention of the authorities; or perhaps the gang is small in number and dares not come forward, resorting instead to covert actions. From now on, if I wish to sleep soundly, I must clarify what exactly is going on and identify who is pulling the strings behind the scenes"

On that day, Zhang, fearing that wolves might be following him, panicked and rushed into the forest, wandering aimlessly around the mountains and taking many detours. In fact, if he had taken the main road, he would have arrived at the site of the accident in just half an hour, a place that the locals refer to as San Pan Kou.

Han Yi, Han Mo, and Han Chong spoke in unison: "We shall certainly accompany and protect the young lord"

Upon hearing that they were to escort the young lord to the San Pan Kou located several miles away, four able-bodied men immediately set aside their work in the fields, picked up wooden clubs and their homemade bows and arrows, and followed suit

The mountaintop is in disarray, showing clear signs of multiple activities. The ground is littered with broken branches, shattered stones, severed vines, and even a pile of ashes. Digging through the mud and ash reveals a heap of leftover chicken bones and dog legs.

Please, young sir, give us your instructions; we, the father and son of the Han family, will comply without exception

Here! The black figure gritted its teeth, staring intently at the silhouette standing against the wind on the distant mountaintop, its eyes blazing with fierce flames

Therefore, the elder repeatedly urged the Han family father and son to diligently serve the young lord, to carefully follow his orders in all matters, and to ensure that they do not act contrary to them. The four of them naturally complied with this.

On the winding mountain path, seven or eight people approached. The foremost among them, though dressed in coarse clothing and straw shoes, possessed a demeanor as refined as jade; it was Zhang Fang. Following him were the Han brothers and four sturdy young men. Among them, the most robust individual was named Shi Niu, barely in his twenties, renowned alongside Han Yi as the best hunter in Qingxi. The difference lay in their skills: Han Yi was celebrated for his precision in archery, while Shi Niu was famous for his immense strength.

Rock climbing? Zhang Fang had done plenty of it during his travels in his past life, but he hoped that his current body could withstand it. As Zhang Fang warmed up, he estimated the height of the peak: "How long do you think it will take to reach the summit?"

The subordinate with a tuft of black hair at the side of his face glared fiercely: "Head, we have more people than they do, and our weapons are superior. When they come down the mountain, weary and unprepared, we will suddenly charge out and can surely take down a large portion of them. The rest will be easy to deal with..."

Finally, the target has appeared, and we can take action. However, this fellow is accompanied by seven or eight attendants, all of whom are young and strong, armed with clubs and bows. Our side is at a clear disadvantage; if we were to launch a reckless attack, we would likely suffer heavy losses, making it not worth the risk

He was splashed in the face with black ink, and seeing the boss getting angry, he did not dare to wipe it off, merely stammering in response.

This mountain path is a route taken by herbalists, rarely traversed even by hunters and woodcutters. Not only is it densely overgrown with thorns, but the path is also narrow and difficult to navigate, a typical goat trail. Especially at the cliffside halfway up the mountain, a human ladder is required to ascend. Although Shiniu and the others obediently followed, they did not dare to voice their reluctance, yet in their hearts, they were quite unwilling to accompany this noble young master on a pointless mountain climb.

Zhang Fang slightly leaned half of his body out over the cliff, gazing at the unmistakable traces of numerous falling rocks scraping against the mountainside, his tone grave: "It seems that this is not a simple car accident, but a deliberate murder"

Han Chongzheng was calculating when Han Jun interjected, "At least half an hour."

Han Yi only said one sentence: "The herbalist would not clear the thorns so wide, as this would wear out a hatchet"

Within three days, he was attacked twice. After closing his eyes, he even did not know if he would wake up tomorrow—Zhang Fang could never have imagined that his journey through time would be so perilous

"There are only three people, which is still too few," said Han's father. "Eldest son, go and summon Shi Niu and the others; it is safer with more people."

"Shut up!" Jiao Meng mercilessly spat in Hei Mao's face, "Are you tired of living? Even a rabbit wouldn't eat the grass by its own burrow. You actually think you can wipe out so many young and strong men gathered in Qingxi in one go? Do you still want to mix in this Tuo Luo Mountain area? The job we took is assassination, not slaughter!"

Ju Xin cast a cold glance at the black-clad thugs and emphasized to Jiao Meng: "This matter should not be delayed; it must be resolved here at Tuo Luo Mountain, at Qingxi. Remember, only assassination is permitted, open attacks are not allowed. If we alert the authorities, we will both face dire consequences."

The official temple refers to the official offices of the Han Dynasty. Individuals such as Jiao Meng, who were salt subordinates and escaped individuals, further degenerated into thieves, showing even less desire to engage with the official temple than Ju Xin.

Zhang Fang discerned the implication behind his words. In this era of scarce iron resources, an iron firewood knife is undoubtedly a valuable item for a poor family, cherished greatly, and cannot be casually broken.