Chapter 2803: The Stand‑In Was Forcibly Taken by the Mountain Bandit

The morning light was faint.

Jin Chen had slept soundly last night and woke earlier than usual; A Yan had already prepared hot water, and opened the box that Gu Fanghe had sent the day before, asking the young master which set he liked.

Jin Chen casually picked an indigo‑blue cloud‑patterned brocade robe, tied a jade belt around his waist, and loosely bound his black hair.

A Yan's eyes lit up at the sight of his attire, saying, "Young master, you look radiant today; this outfit suits you far better than those plain clothes you wore before."

Breakfast was sent from the stronghold, far more lavish than the past few days; besides congee and side dishes, there were freshly steamed osmanthus cakes. A Yan laid out the dishes while whispering, "The kitchen sent these specially, saying it was the Chief's order."

Just as he set down his bowl and chopsticks, a faint commotion came from outside the courtyard gate.

A Yan went to look, then quickly brought in two men—the two young bandits who had followed Chen Xiaoshan that day, arriving with hostile intent to seize someone.

The two entered, clasped their fists in salute, and said, "Master Jin, we were rash that day and wrongly blamed you; please show your magnanimity and don't hold it against us."

"Exactly, exactly! Thank you, sir! If it weren't for you… the school building would have collapsed in a few days, hurting the children—my younger brother is among them; I can't even imagine it."

Jin Chen lifted his gaze to the two, the corners of his eyes slightly raised, and asked, "You really want to thank me?"

The two bandits nodded in unison, their expressions sincere.

Jin Chen leaned forward slightly, elbows on the table, chin resting on his hands, and said, "Then figure out a way to take me out of this Black Mountain Stronghold—how about it?"

The two bandits: '!!!'

The older one waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No way, sir! You're a guest personally retained by the Chief—how could we have the gall to do that?"

"Yeah, yeah!" the other also exclaimed, frightened out of his wits, "Sir, please don't make things difficult for us! If the Chief finds out, we'll both lose our heads!"

Jin Chen watched their terrified, soul‑scattered expressions, his smile deepening, yet he stopped frightening them further.

"Speaking of which, I have never met the Chief before, nor do we have any connection."

"Why does he insist on keeping me the moment he sees me? There must be a reason."

The two bandits instantly turned into mute gourds, heads bowed low, eyes darting away.

"A reason? They wouldn't dare say it."

"We can't just come out and say it, because you look like the Chief's long‑lost Ruan Gongzi."

"If those words slipped from their mouths, not only would their heads be forfeit—they wouldn't even leave a whole corpse."

The two resolved to play dead, letting Jin Chen stare however he liked, not uttering a sound and wishing they could bury their heads in the ground.

Jin Chen clicked his tongue in boredom, waved his hand, and said, "Forget it, you may go."

The two felt as if pardoned, retreating in haste, dreading that this ancestor might again ask some deadly question.

After they left, Jin Chen rose and told A Yan, "Let's go out for a walk."

The spring day was bright and clear, and even the stronghold was peaceful.

The artisans were busy repairing the school building, while the Fourth Chief personally supervised, directing the transport of timber.

A Yan followed half a step behind Jin Chen, observing the scenery, and said, "Young master, it's strange—though we were first locked in the woodshed when we arrived here, after that… things have turned out quite differently from what I imagined."

Jin Chen gave a noncommittal reply, and upon reaching the vicinity of the main courtyard, he happened to meet Chen Xiaoshan and the Fifth Chief, Shi Meng, walking toward him.

Shi Meng held one in each hand, escorting two men tightly bound, dressed in barbarian garb but clearly Han in appearance.

Upon seeing Jin Chen, Shi Meng nodded as a greeting.

Chen Xiaoshan couldn't keep a straight face, merely grunted, glanced over Jin Chen's brocade outfit, furrowed his brows, recognizing the fabric as the fine cloud‑brocade tribute from a recent caravan—worth a hundred taels of gold—and yet the Elder Brother had actually given it to him to wear.

Seeing Jin Chen seem to head toward the main courtyard, Chen Xiaoshan stepped sideways to block his path, his voice hard and blunt.

"We need to confer with the Chief on important matters; outsiders are not allowed inside." He fixed Jin Chen with a sharp gaze, "Don't think that doing a good deed by chance lets you linger peacefully in this Black Mountain Stronghold—people of unknown origin are ultimately a disaster."

Jin Chen tilted his head, eyebrows slightly raised, tone rising, and said, "Oh? Hearing the Second Chief's words, are you planning to send me down the mountain?"

Chen Xiaoshan was infuriated by his attitude, hand gripping his sword hilt, eyes flashing with menace, and he threatened deliberately, "Anyone who sets foot in this Black Wind Stronghold, aside from useful artisans and physicians, has never managed to leave alive and unharmed! If you keep overstepping, I'll cut you down right now and toss you to the wolves!"

The blade had barely been drawn an inch when a stone shot through the air and struck Chen Xiaoshan's wrist where he held the sword.

Chen Xiaoshan winced, his wrist went numb, and the sword slipped back into its sheath.

Gu Fanghe emerged from the main courtyard, first signaling to Shi Meng, "Take the men inside."

Shi Meng acknowledged, then escorted the two ashen‑faced men into the house.

Gu Fanghe's gaze first fell on Jin Chen, then shifted to Chen Xiaoshan, his brows slightly furrowed as he said, "Xiaoshan, you earlier misjudged Jin Chen and nearly harmed him—you still haven't apologized."

Chen Xiaoshan, "Elder Brother! I…"

"The Second Chief just said he'd kill me and dump me on the mountain," Jin Chen remarked in a faint tone.

Gu Fanghe: '……'

His gaze fixed firmly on Chen Xiaoshan's face.

Chen Xiaoshan also wondered to himself: back when Ruan Gongzi temporarily resided in the stronghold, the Elder Brother had indeed treated him with courtesy, but had never shown such protection—indeed, it could be said he was indulgent.

Yet now, toward this person of unknown origin who merely bears a faint resemblance, why does he care so much?

But Gu Fanghe's authority weighed heavily, and Chen Xiaoshan dared not defy him; he clasped his fists and turned his head toward Jin Chen, saying, "Earlier I was rash and wrongly blamed Master Jin—sorry!"

Jin Chen accepted the salute with a smiling squint, his tone light: "Well, knowing one's fault and correcting it is the greatest virtue."

Chen Xiaoshan: '……'

He could only glare fiercely at Jin Chen.

Unlike Chen Xiaoshan's reluctance, the ordinary bandits sincerely felt grateful for Jin Chen's rescue of the children.

Seeing the Second Chief lower his head, a few bold ones stepped forward to offer thanks, and it became rather lively.

Just then, a five‑ or six‑year‑old child darted out of the crowd and ran up to Jin Chen.

At that age of playful mischief, he was smeared with dirt and grass, his face streaked with ash, holding a coarse wheat cake larger than his face, slightly charred from baking, and he looked up at Jin Chen.

"Benefactor sir, have a bite! This big cake—it's delicious!" This was clearly the best thing he could offer.

The surroundings fell silent in an instant.

Everyone watched Jin Chen with some nervousness, fearing that this young master who seemed all noble and precious would scorn the coarse offering and rebuke the child.

Jin Chen lowered his eyes, reached out and took the cake from the child's increasingly anxious gaze, then, before everyone, tore it in half and handed one half back to the child.

"Hmm, the taste is decent, you're also more polite than the second boss."

"The child was dazed, only understanding the praise; upon seeing Jin Chen actually eat his cookie, he immediately split his gap-toothed mouth, smiling so hard his eyes disappeared, and clutching the cookie, he bolted away."

"I'm more formidable than the second boss!"

Chen Xiaoshan: "……"

"Will this person ever finish!"