Chapter 62

Muron Feiyan sheathed her long sword and spurred her horse to gallop out of the forest. Just as she was about to leave the forest, she turned to look back and found that the group of people had already disappeared. To Muron Feiyan's surprise, Hu Xiaotian had not taken the four servants far away; they were still peering around outside the forest.

Seeing Muron Feiyan return safely, Hu Xiaotian greeted her with a beaming smile, saying warmly, "Feiyan, you're back!"

Muron Feiyan shot him an irritated glance and said, "Are we that close?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and pointed to the forest, "Are the bandits all gone?"

Muron Feiyan replied, "Gone!"

Hu Xiaotian asked, "Didn't you capture any of them alive?"

Muron Feiyan said, "They were all as timid as mice, but their skills in escaping were quite impressive." As she spoke, she glared coldly at the servants.

The servants all hung their heads in shame, but in their hearts, they thought that with so many people around, if they hadn't run fast, they would have been cut down long ago.

Hu Xiaotian poked his head into the forest again and then took a step forward. Liang Dazhuang, who had been punched by Hu Xiaotian earlier, showed no resentment and displayed the loyalty of a bodyguard, "Young Master, danger!"

Hu Xiaotian ignored him. The moon slowly rose into the night sky, and the moonlight, like water, fell on the road, from one end of the forest to the other. The road was scattered with weapons that had been left behind and a few shoes that had been lost in the hasty escape. Apart from that, there was not a single person in sight.

Li Jinhao and Shao Yijiao also followed, cautiously asking, "Could there be an ambush?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Ambush my ass!" Through this unexpected incident, Hu Xiaotian had directly lowered the professional ethics score of the four servants below the passing line. Fortunately, he had the foresight to bring Muron Feiyan along; otherwise, they might not have even left the capital before meeting their end.

Hu Xiaotian's snow-white horse, though tripped by a lasso, was not seriously injured. Worried that the horse might be frightened, Hu Xiaotian first tied the snow-white horse to the carriage and then untied another chestnut horse for himself to ride.

This time, Muron Feiyan fell behind, and Hu Xiaotian naturally followed her, letting the four servants go ahead to clear the way.

The four servants passed through the forest trembling with fear, but there was indeed no ambush. Seeing the open area ahead, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps because of the thrilling but uneventful episode, or perhaps because they couldn't reach the post station in time anyway, Muron Feiyan no longer hurried. She rode leisurely, more like a leisurely stroll than a journey. She said to Hu Xiaotian, "Your servants are really loyal."

Hu Xiaotian said, "A bunch of good-for-nothing, they just cause trouble. Not one of them can be of any help. I might as well send them all back to avoid being a burden."

Muron Feiyan shook her head. Sending them all back would mean that the two of them would be alone on the journey, which was not acceptable. Hu Xiaotian didn't mind, but she was afraid of what others might say.

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "Afraid of what others might say?"

Muron Feiyan sighed inwardly. This guy was as cunning as a fox; he could guess what she was thinking. She looked up at the crescent moon in the sky and said softly, "At least they can help take care of the luggage and horses."

Hu Xiaotian said, "These bandits are really strange. They came in a large group but fled so quickly. Why are they so afraid of you?"

Muron Feiyan said, "I told you, evil cannot overcome righteousness!"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and then shook his head, "That's not right. Do they know you?"

Muron Feiyan's face stiffened at his words, "Hu Xiaotian, what do you mean?" She wasn't angry, but she was nervous.

Hu Xiaotian chuckled, "I was just saying it off the cuff. Don't take it to heart. Anyway, you are the top female detective in the capital, and many people know you. You must have made quite a few enemies. These bandits are probably after you."

Muron Feiyan blurted out, "I think they are after you!"

Hu Xiaotian nodded, "I think so too. Bandits rarely appear near the capital. Although this group was large, they lacked skilled fighters. They are not the same group that ambushed us on Tu Street. I haven't offended anyone in the capital, and I can count them on one hand. Feiyan, did you tell anyone about our trip to Xichuan?"

Muron Feiyan's expression became noticeably unnatural, but she tried to control it, fearing that Hu Xiaotian might notice something. The news of her assignment to Xichuan came suddenly, and she had only told her good friend Tang Qingxuan. She had recognized Tang Tieshan and let him off, and she had already figured out the whole story. It must have been Tang Qingxuan who told her brother. The Tang siblings harbored resentment towards Hu Xiaotian, and although the previous incident had been resolved, the fact that Hu Xiaotian had flirted with and taken Tang Qingxuan to the Shangshu Mansion was still a source of shame and hatred. They were determined to get rid of Hu Xiaotian.

Before leaving, Muron Feiyan had only wanted to inform her good friend, but she hadn't expected that Tang Tieshan would set up an ambush here, pretending to be a bandit to try to kill Hu Xiaotian. From the way they acted, they didn't care about their own safety. This made Muron Feiyan feel quite disappointed with her friend. The Tang siblings had clearly done wrong and violated the law. If Muron Feiyan hadn't shown mercy, they could have faced capital punishment. By letting Tang Tieshan go and keeping the secret for the Tang family, she had already deviated from her principles, and she felt very conflicted.

While talking, Hu Xiaotian had been secretly observing Muron Feiyan's expression, catching even the slightest change. He smiled and said, "These bandits don't seem very professional. Feiyan, do you think it's possible that some of my enemies found out about my trip to Xichuan and set up this ambush?"

Muron Feiyan said irritably, "You have so many enemies, how would I know?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Not that many. Could it be the Tang family?"

Muron Feiyan's heart raced. This guy was too cunning, almost like a demon. When she had entered the forest alone, Hu Xiaotian and the four servants had all been outside, so they couldn't have seen what was happening inside. Even if he had been there, the bandits were all in disguise, and he might not have recognized them. She thought he might just be guessing, so she laughed coldly, "You don't think I colluded with the bandits to harm you, do you?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled, "I don't think so. If you really wanted to harm me, I wouldn't have ten heads to spare."

"Good to know!" Muron Feiyan tugged the reins and her horse galloped forward. Hu Xiaotian looked ahead and saw that the Wangjing post station was already in sight.