Chapter 582 - Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Zhinuan in Charge (3 Updates)
Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Zhinuan in Charge (3 Updates)
Xie Zhinuan didn’t want to involve the Town Chief, “Just say we came to stay at the inn, but then they attempted to rob and kill us, and we caught them red-handed. You go interrogate them first, and see if they have any accomplices in the town, and where their lair is located? Make sure to find out everything, and catch them all in one sweep; leave no troubles behind!”
“Yes!”
Xie Zhinuan no longer felt sleepy.
She went to look at the bandits who had been knocked out; they were tied up in bundles and dropped on the ground like zongzi.
“Splash them awake!” Xie Zhinuan ordered.
The guards immediately brought over a bucket of water and splashed it without regard for temperature.
The bandits jolted from the shock and regained consciousness.
Xie Zhinuan stood in the light, looking down at them from above.
Chen He’s heart was racing fast.
He knew they had bitten off more than they could chew this time, preying on someone they shouldn’t have.
Their mouths were all gagged, unable to speak.
The ropes might not necessarily hold them, but they didn’t dare to struggle wildly, each of them looking at Xie Zhinuan with anger and resentment.
Without any fear or sign of repentance, they apparently didn’t realize they were on the brink of death.
“Heh!” Xie Zhinuan let out a cold laugh.
She left guards to watch them and went back inside to sleep with Chunyu and Lichun.
Chen He grunted a few times, wanting someone to pull the cloth from his mouth so he could have a chance to speak, but Xie Zhinuan didn’t stop in her tracks.
To avoid any surprises, not all the bandits were inside the inn.
In the middle of the night, two more climbed the wall into the inn, and when they sensed something was wrong and tried to flee, they too were knocked out, tied up, and gagged.
Chen He became panicked.
He also understood a bit: Xie Zhinuan wanted to wait here for each of his brothers to fall into this trap.
Dawn broke.
Chunyu and Lichun personally went to the kitchen to tidy up, heating water and cooking breakfast, while Xie Zhinuan sat aside eating. As for those bandits in the yard, she did not spare them an extra glance.
Chen He racked his brains, wondering where such a beautiful girl could have come from?
Normally, the inn’s doors opened early, but today, even as the sun rose, the doors remained closed. The people hiding in the shadows were also anxious, thinking of coming over to investigate. When they climbed the wall, they were caught, tied up, and thrown into the yard before they could utter a word.
Xie Zhinuan sat in a chair, basking in the sun, looking languid and unconcerned.
Yet, that stunning beauty sitting in the chair made Chen He and the others too afraid to even breathe.
As bandits, everything had come too easily, whether it was money or women. They had lost the moral integrity they had when they were ordinary people. Highway robbery was the norm—if the victims were smart, they would hand over all their silver and spare their lives. If not…
They would be killed and left in the deep mountains and forests, unknown to anyone.
Beautiful women, in particular, were theirs for the taking if they wished, regardless of their status or background; they would defile them first and then decide whether to enjoy them further or sell them for a high bride price.
Gradually, they lost their humanity.
Now, tied up and thrown on the ground, with dry mouths and parched tongues, they were extremely uncomfortable. Some couldn’t hold it in and wet themselves, only to be harshly kicked and beaten and doused with several buckets of cold water. Now, they lay on the ground, moaning in pain.
And that exceptionally beautiful woman, whom they had been planning just the night before to indulge in if they succeeded, or to sell for a high price, now reclined lazily in her chair with a maid massaging her shoulders and back.
Two guards stood upright on one side, with two more gone, not knowing when they would return.
But even just one such guard was enough to make Chen He dare not make any rash moves, let alone two.
Someone else climbed up to the wall top, and by the time they realized something was wrong, it was too late to escape. They were grabbed and thrown into the yard.