Chapter 27

It didn't take much effort. After Kong Yishi and his companions settled in, the two bailiffs went downstairs and sat at a table, ordering the innkeeper to bring wine and food. Kong Yishi did not go downstairs; he just had someone deliver the food to his room upstairs.

Soon, the food was served, and the two bailiffs ate in silence, barely uttering a word. Li Wenjun couldn't gather any information.

After the two bailiffs finished their meal, they went upstairs.

Li Wenjun watched them enter Kong Yishi's room. He thought to himself that the two bailiffs must have gone there not only to protect the wild mountain spirit but also to discuss the next day's itinerary with Kong Yishi, especially the time of departure.

This was extremely important for Li Wenjun. Only by knowing when Kong Yishi and his companions would leave could he time his actions to intercept them and seize the wild mountain spirit. Otherwise, if he left too late and they had already reached the capital city, his pursuit would be in vain.

To avoid drawing attention, Li Wenjun stayed for a moment. He pretended to go to the stable to check on his horse and then left the inn. He quickly glanced at the stable and turned back, heading toward the west wall of the inn.

Carefully sticking to the wall, Li Wenjun tried to eavesdrop on the activity in Kong Yishi's room. From downstairs, the windows upstairs were tightly closed, making it hard to hear anything. Moreover, he didn't dare get too close to Kong Yishi's room. The worst part was that Kong Yishi and his companions were very cautious, speaking in low voices. After listening for a long time, he still couldn't gather any useful information.

Li Wenjun was frustrated but had no choice. Just as he was about to return to his room, he heard footsteps coming from Kong Yishi's room. The sound seemed to be of two people, and the footsteps went straight into the adjacent room.

Li Wenjun's heart raced. He quickly put his foot down and pressed himself against the wall again, hoping to catch some useful information.

This time, Li Wenjun's efforts paid off.

With a creak, the window of the bailiffs' room was opened, and one of the bailiffs stood by the window, looking outside.

Li Wenjun, startled, quickly lay down on the ground, pressing himself tightly against the wall. Fortunately, it was already dark, and the bailiff didn't look toward the wall. He just stared gloomily at the outside of the inn.

"What are you doing? It's freezing, and you're opening the window. Are you crazy?" the bailiff inside the room asked.

"Li Head, I've been in a bad mood all day. I just need to open the window to get some fresh air. Otherwise, I'll suffocate," the bailiff by the window said.

Li Head replied, "I knew you were upset. But even if you are, you have to bear it. Safely escorting the wild mountain spirit and Kong Yishi to the governor's residence is a task given by the lord. If you mess it up, be prepared for the lord to break your legs."

"Li Head, I don't understand. Kong Yishi is a man, yet he acts like a woman, insisting on riding in a carriage. Why can't he ride a horse? If he rode a horse, we could reach the capital city in one day with a fast pace. There's no need to travel so slowly. The wild mountain spirit is very important. The sooner we deliver it to the capital city, the sooner the governor's grandfather can take the medicine and recover. We would also be less anxious."

Li Head said, "Do you think Kong Yishi is like us, a rough man? He is a living god of medicine who can treat the governor. He has status and dignity. Such a dignified person always rides in a carriage. Have you ever seen such a person ride a horse? Kong Yishi said that the governor's grandfather's condition won't change much, whether it's a day earlier or later. Kong Yishi is a favorite of the governor. If he's not in a hurry, why should we be?"

"Hmph, I really don't understand people like Kong Yishi, who value face more than anything. It's making us suffer."

"Stop being so dramatic. Is this suffering? Think about it. If the lord didn't trust us, would he entrust us with such an important task? When we reach the governor's residence, if we present the wild mountain spirit and the county magistrate's letter, the governor might be pleased and reward us with twenty or thirty taels of silver. Isn't that better? Now, close the window quickly. We have to get up at the first crow of the rooster tomorrow. Don't delay the task."

Hearing this, Li Wenjun was secretly delighted. He had obtained all the information he needed. This would help him plan his actions.

Li Wenjun didn't sleep all night. In the first half of the night, he lay on the bed, slightly dozing off. At midnight, he took out a rope, tied one end to the bed, and threw the other end out the window. Then, he grabbed the rope and climbed out of the room, quietly slipping to the stable.

Li Wenjun's movements were agile, and he made almost no sound. This was thanks to his frequent practice at the martial arts school. With the nourishment of the earth's qi, his skills had improved rapidly. The martial arts instructor said he was already close to the level of a third-rate martial artist.

This was a high evaluation. Once he reached the level of a third-rate martial artist, he would have a certain status and position in the martial world. He could easily become a branch leader or a captain in a bandit gang or a martial arts sect.

Under the dim moonlight, Li Wenjun found the horses that Kong Yishi's carriage used. He grabbed a handful of straw from the manger and mixed some castor bean powder into it. Then, he found the horse the bailiffs were riding and did the same.

Whether it's a person or a large animal like a horse, eating castor beans doesn't immediately cause diarrhea. It takes some time. Li Wenjun timed it so that the three horses would start having diarrhea halfway through the journey, slowing down Kong Yishi and his companions and weakening the bailiffs' fighting ability.

After drugging the horses, Li Wenjun returned to his room and lay down on the bed, fully dressed. He didn't sleep well, and when he heard the rooster crow, he got up. After tidying up, he left the guest room with his luggage, and the innkeeper hurried over to greet him.

Li Wenjun asked the innkeeper what time it was. The innkeeper told him that the rooster had crowed twice, and it would be dawn in about an hour.

Li Wenjun calmly asked the innkeeper to prepare breakfast. After eating and drinking his fill, he settled the bill and rode out of the inn to catch up with Kong Yishi and his companions.

After chasing for about half an hour, Li Wenjun found some horse droppings on the road. These droppings were not fresh but were spread out in two lines, extending toward the capital city.

Li Wenjun smiled. His plan had worked. He flicked the reins and sped up.

After another hour, Li Wenjun saw Kong Yishi and his companions. The horses they were riding were already weak, but they were still pushing forward.

With two horses having diarrhea, even without much experience, they could guess that someone had drugged their horses. They had considered defending on the spot or seeking help nearby, but both options had their pros and cons. Kong Yishi disagreed with both, and in his insistence, the three of them continued on their journey, hoping to reach a village by dawn to get new horses.

Li Wenjun rode up from behind, and Kong Yishi and his companions stopped. They stopped by the roadside, and the bailiff on horseback turned his horse, watching Li Wenjun approach warily.

Li Wenjun didn't plan to waste words. The more he talked, the more likely he was to expose himself. He might as well act directly. Whether he talked or not, he was going to seize the wild mountain spirit.

As he approached Kong Yishi and his companions, Li Wenjun reached into his chest and took out a paper package, throwing it at the two bailiffs.

The paper package was loosely wrapped and not tightly bound. Before it hit the bailiffs, it had already come apart.

A puff of pungent dust rose from the paper package.

This was a trick Li Wenjun had learned from storytelling. Street thugs often used this trick, calling it a "dirt bomb." The materials used were usually lime or sand. Li Wenjun didn't use lime, fearing that if there was wind, he would be in the downwind direction, and he would be the one harmed.

As it turned out, Li Wenjun's concern was justified. Most of the dust from the paper package flew toward the two bailiffs, but some of it was blown back toward him. Fortunately, what blew toward him was mostly dust, while the heavier mud and sand hit the two bailiffs.

"Damn it," the two bailiffs exclaimed, quickly raising their sleeves to cover their faces. However, their actions were a bit late, and some of the dust still blew into their eyes.

"Ugh, ugh," the two bailiffs spat out the mud and sand that had blown into their mouths and rubbed their eyes.

Li Wenjun rode forward, pulled the reins, circled around, and charged at the two bailiffs again. He reached out and grabbed a stick, about the thickness of a child's arm, from the side of his horse.

He chose a cudgel instead of a sword or spear because he could cut a branch and make a cudgel himself. If he used a sword or spear, he would have to buy one, and the weapons sold in the city had specific marks, which could be traced.