Chapter 242

First Volume, Chapter 242: Swift as a Night Owl

Qin Feng had barely fallen asleep when Ning Hu rushed back in, breathless, shouting: "Brother Qin, the Beijing Garrison Commander refuses to send troops! That bastard is clearly acting on someone's orders, deliberately opposing you."

Li Xiaolan furrowed her brows and quickly made a "shh" gesture toward Ning Hu, gently tapping Qin Feng's body: "Feng'er just fell asleep—let him rest a little longer."

Seeing Qin Feng sound asleep, Ning Hu immediately lowered his voice and said gravely: "Then I'll come back later."

Li Xiaolan hesitated a moment, then softly called out to Ning Hu: "Don't be too harsh on the Beijing Garrison Commander. The Qin Family has countless political enemies; he's caught in the middle and finds it extremely difficult. His refusal to send troops is to maintain neutrality and avoid provoking interference from the capital that could turn defense into chaos."

Upon hearing this, Ning Hu stopped in his tracks and sighed deeply: "He said it outright! Not even two hundred men—twenty won't do! The Border Army is only responsible for border defense, not bandit suppression. He even said… Qin Feng can't even handle a tiny bandit stronghold—he'd be better off returning to Jingdu to drink milk. It makes me furious!"

Although Li Xiaolan's expression also showed displeasure, she did not dwell on it.

To let Qin Feng rest longer, Li Xiaolan took the burden upon herself and asked: "What about the county militia?"

Technically, Ning Hu should not have mentioned these matters to Li Xiaolan.

She was Qin Feng's sister, but ultimately an outsider.

Yet considering she had lived with Qin Cheng Clan for years and must have absorbed much through osmosis, Ning Hu hesitated repeatedly before finally reporting honestly: "The Beixi County's registered militia total two hundred seventy, but when I checked the garrison, only fifty remained—and all were elderly, weak, or sick. Chen Li has gutted the militia to embezzle their rations."

If Qin Feng learned of this, he would surely rage and curse.

But Li Xiaolan was not surprised; she rested her chin in thought: "Clearly, the militia is useless. Your hundred or so guards are formidable in combat, but capturing Yinggang Mountain will still demand heavy losses."

"By the way, have you mapped Yinggang Mountain's terrain?"

At this, Ning Hu sighed again, his face filled with frustration: "Half of East Mountain is covered in miasma. The rest is occupied by several bandit gangs. The guards dare not venture deeper for fear of exposure—so the situation on West Mountain and Back Mountain remains unknown."

Saying this, Ning Hu slammed his fist, indignant: "Just a few hundred bandits—and they're this hard to crack? It's utterly humiliating!"

Li Xiaolan, however, took it calmly. If the Border Army or the garrison troops were willing to suppress the bandits, wiping out Yinggang Mountain would take but a moment.

But the problem lies precisely here.

The Border Army does not interfere beyond its duties, and the garrison troops must remain on combat readiness and cannot be moved at will.

To uproot Yinggang Mountain, this poison, one must rely solely on Beixi County's own strength—but after years of Chen Li's deliberate "management," Beixi County's finances and military power are utterly depleted; it can barely sustain itself, let alone launch a bandit suppression campaign.

Li Xiaolan pondered for a moment, then asked: "If you could obtain precise terrain and force distribution maps of Yinggang Mountain, how confident are you in capturing it?"

Ning Hu straightened his posture, his face brimming with confidence: "One hundred percent."

Li Xiaolan had personally witnessed the guards crushing the Beidi Elite Raiding Cavalry; she naturally trusted their combat effectiveness. Without further words, she gently laid Qin Feng on a chair and exhaled softly: "Stay with Feng'er. I'll be right back."

Ning Hu froze: "Third Miss, where are you going?"

Li Xiaolan gave no explanation—she simply turned and returned to the Back Courtyard, took some items from her satchel, and stuffed them into her clothes. Just as she was about to leave, Qin Cheng Clan's voice came from behind.

"You've been in seclusion for years—no need to force yourself."

Li Xiaolan turned and saw Qin Cheng Clan sitting in the Cool Pavilion, sewing a shoe sole—a habit she had maintained for many years.

Li Xiaolan bit her thin lips softly: "Feng'er risked a thousand-li journey to save us. If I can offer even a fraction of help, it's worth it."

Qin Cheng Clan kept her head down, working on her task, her lips barely moving as she murmured: "What if your identity is exposed?"

Li Xiaolan drew a deep breath without hesitation: "Still worth it."

Qin Cheng Clan nodded: "Since you've made your decision, go. Just remember—the Qin Family will always stand with you."

Li Xiaolan's eyes shimmered with emotion, but after seven years of daily closeness, mother and daughter needed no more words. She turned and left the Fuya, heading toward Yinggang Mountain.

Li Xiaolan moved with extraordinary speed.

The County City was a full Envoy's journey from Yinggang Mountain, yet she reached the Mountain Foot in only half a Envoy. Gazing at the mist-shrouded, undulating peaks, she steadied her composure. Her gentle, watery eyes hardened into unwavering resolve as she ascended the mountain without hesitation.

She had barely taken a few steps when a shout rang out beside her.

"Who are you! Daring to trespass on Yinggang Mountain? Do you want to die?"

Li Xiaolan paused slightly and turned her head—emerging from the woods beside the mountain path was a middle-aged bandit with a face full of coarse flesh.

Seeing Li Xiaolan's face, the bandit froze, then gasped in awe: "What a stunning beauty! I've lived half my life in Beixi County and never seen a woman like you—how did you end up here?"

Watching the bandit approach, Li Xiaolan's expression instantly shifted a full 180 degrees—from fierce resolve to fragile, delicate vulnerability. She bowed slightly to him, voice laced with sorrow: "I am the daughter of a cloth merchant in the County City. Unable to endure my stepmother's cruelty and abuse, I fled home and somehow ended up here."

"May I ask, Young Master, where is this place?"

Young Master?

Hearing Li Xiaolan's address, the bandit's head nearly lifted off his shoulders. He grinned wide, ecstatic: "You've asked the right man—this is your bridal chamber! Hahaha!"

The middle-aged bandit glanced around, saw no one nearby, and lunged toward Li Xiaolan in eagerness.

Li Xiaolan "panicked," her face pale, frozen in place, forgetting even to flee.

The next instant, the bandit staggered like a drunkard, collapsed with a thud, and crimson blood began to seep from beneath him.

Simultaneously, Li Xiaolan withdrew a handkerchief from her sleeve, wiped the dagger's blood clean, slipped it back inside, and continued climbing the mountain as if nothing had happened—not even bothering to dispose of the corpse.

After all, she had already seen the bandit's gaze—there was surely no other lookout here…

On the other side, Qin Feng was awakened by a burst of laughter.

He wiped the drool from his mouth, half-asleep, and sat up to find Ning Hu and Qi Meng chatting idly.