Chapter 395: The Scalding Hot Potato

“Sigh, do you all have to flatter your superiors this much?”

Banner Leader Gao was quite speechless.

Fortunately, “a prime minister’s heart is big enough to sail a boat”, so Banner Leader Gao couldn’t really take issue with them.

That clever man said: “Banner Leader Gao, you are wise. That ‘Moonshadow Legend’ is just one aspect. This so-called legend has scared us so much that we don’t dare act at night, but you keep urging us, so we can only do things during the day.”

“Ah? You all are really bold.” Banner Leader Gao looked at the two loyal lackeys and laughed: “You actually dared to kidnap someone in broad daylight? That old dog Fan, the blind man—tsk tsk, who knows how many lost lambs he’s deceived.”

The man took the opportunity to say: “It’s all thanks to you, Banner Leader Gao, and the Lord’s excellent leadership. That’s what’s given us the courage.”

“Alright, alright, I understand your intentions.” Banner Leader Gao was quite pleased and asked: “So, what’s the other aspect? That should be the main point, right?”

“You are truly wise, sir.”

“Please take a look at this little girl—what’s different about her compared to the girls from before?”

Banner Leader Gao sighed: “To question your superior like this is really not a wise move.”

Even so, he took a careful look, then suddenly slapped the man across the face and angrily said: “This child has delicate skin and tender flesh, and is dressed in silk and satin. She’s obviously different from the poor, ragged girls from before. No need to think about it—you bold fools must have snatched a child from a wealthy family, right? How many times have I told you, even though the Lord is pressing us, we should try not to provoke the children of the rich and powerful. Who knows which one of them has connections above? If we cause trouble, not only will all our previous achievements be wiped out, but even our own lives may be at risk!”

The man winced in pain but didn’t dare make a sound. The other man immediately stepped forward and said: “Banner Leader Gao, please rest assured. First, though this girl is wealthy, she’s not from a noble family, so I doubt there’ll be any trouble. Second, you know I’ve always been cautious in my work—how could I possibly leave any evidence behind? I saw that all four gates of Pingyang City were guarded by soldiers, so I got myself a manure cart and secretly slipped two coins of loose silver to the gate guard. That fellow let me out right away. Heh, just two coins of silver to buy him off—what a bargain!”

“Oh?” Banner Leader Gao’s interest was piqued. He said: “Tell me, which family does this girl belong to? And how did you manage to get her?”

The man grinned and said: “Actually, it was quite a coincidence. I’d been flirting with a still-charming cook from a wealthy merchant’s house in the east of the city. The other day, I didn’t dare go out on business, so I sent Blind Fan out alone and went to the east side myself to have some fun. In the end, I didn’t find any fun, but I did overhear two little brats in the back garden of the merchant’s house fighting over this girl. One claimed to be her older brother and said he had to take good care of her; the other said he was her younger brother and wanted to get close to her. Tell me, Banner Leader Gao, how do these merchant kids know how to chase girls at such a young age? I worked so hard just to get a cook!”

Banner Leader Gao coughed and didn’t reply. The man chuckled and continued: “Then I heard the girl ask how they knew her birthday. The older boy said, ‘You were born on the seventh day of the seventh month; it fits the art of seven-sevens, so you’re especially charming. Of course I know.’ Banner Leader Gao, isn’t that just like searching high and low only to find it easily by chance? We work so hard outside, sending a blind man to ask for people’s birth dates, and here I am, just looking for fun and stumble right onto it. Isn’t that a reward from the heavens? So, without another word, I jumped out, knocked out all three brats, and carried the girl away.”

“Oh?” Banner Leader Gao laughed and said: “You really are lucky. We haven’t had a suitable catch for days, and you just happen to find one. Looks like you won’t be able to avoid the Lord’s reward this time.”

The man grinned, showing his teeth, and added: “It’s just that the authorities have been watching the city gates very closely these past few days, so I couldn’t deliver her in time. I’ve made Banner Leader Gao wait.”

“Oh, it’s no matter,” Banner Leader Gao said generously, “I’m only here to point you in the right direction. Everything else depends on your own efforts…”

He hadn’t finished speaking when he suddenly realized something and asked urgently: “What did you just say? There are soldiers guarding the gates of Pingyang City?”

“Yes, Banner Leader Gao, I made it very clear just now. It’s because those soldiers, for some unknown reason, suddenly started guarding the gates. That’s what made things difficult for me—I didn’t dare take risks, which is why I brought her so late!”

“You…” Banner Leader Gao was at a loss for words for a moment, then asked: “Do you know how long it’s been since there were soldiers guarding Pingyang City’s gates?”

The man scratched his head and said: “I’ve been in Pingyang City for over four years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone guarding the gates.”

“Exactly. Don’t you find it strange that after four years of no guards, suddenly the gates are being watched so closely? Isn’t there a reason?”

“Banner Leader Gao, if you have something to say, just say it. I’m not very bright, and as for the officials’ business, how would I know? Maybe someone from the government came to inspect, just putting on a show?”

“Sigh,” Banner Leader Gao looked exasperated, as if hating iron for not becoming steel, and said: “Didn’t it occur to you to make some connection to this little girl?”

“Ah?” At this, the two men finally realized something, looked at each other, and saw terror in each other’s eyes. They stammered: “Could it be it’s because we kidnapped this little girl? But… but she’s just a merchant’s relative! I’m sure that merchant only has the tiniest connection with the authorities—that’s what I heard from the cook!”

Banner Leader Gao shook his head, looking at the two “fearless because they are ignorant” men, and said: “It’s lucky you at least knew to use some silver to bribe the soldiers and trick them into letting you through. If you’d been caught, there’d be no way out for you.”

As he spoke, he seemed to think of something, sensing that something was wrong, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He frowned deeply, pondering hard.

The two men, realizing they’d caused a major disaster, looked at the little girl in their hands, unsure whether to keep holding her or to let her go.

At that moment, Banner Leader Gao suddenly asked loudly: “You said you gave the soldiers two coins of loose silver?”

“Yes,” the man replied, “I won them off them last night playing landlord. It was just something I handed over casually—Banner Leader Gao, don’t worry, it was my own money, you don’t need to reimburse me.”

With a crisp “pa,” Banner Leader Gao’s slap landed again, this time on the other side of the man’s face. The man was baffled—he hadn’t made the organization pay, he’d spent his own silver, and that was wrong too?

Seeing the man’s confused look, Banner Leader Gao berated him angrily: “You really are a fool! Don’t you know you’re supposed to be disguised as a country farmer? Didn’t it occur to you—who in a village household would pay two silver coins out of their own pocket just to haul a cart of manure? Even two big copper coins would make them think twice!”

“Ah???” The two men were dumbfounded. Indeed, what kind of idiot farmer would pay silver just to get rid of a few buckets of manure? If the crops grown with that manure turned into gold, maybe then it’d make sense!

“So, what should we do now?” One of the men asked.

The other said: “It’s fine. We dumped the manure in the woods by the fork in the road long before we got here. They probably won’t be able to trace it here.”

Banner Leader Gao raised his hand, and the man, already wary, quickly turned his head to the side and narrowly dodged. But the old man reversed his swing, and with another crisp “pa,” Banner Leader Gao scolded: “You idiot! That manure stinks to high heaven—how could it not leave traces and a trail on the road? You’re just making trouble for me!”

With that, he took the little girl from the man’s hands. The man said: “Alright, then let’s just send her back. Maybe nothing will come of it.”

Banner Leader Gao sneered: “You think it’s that easy? Now that this child has passed through our hands, the authorities will never let us off. It’s too late to send her back now. Anyway, the Lord’s martial skills are unmatched—what’s there to fear from the authorities? Delivering her to the Lord will be our merit. Let the Lord handle this troublesome burden.”

“Yes, Banner Leader Gao, wise as always.”

The two men didn’t hold back on their flattery at all.

“Alright, in that case, let’s hurry and go—the sooner and farther we leave, the better.” With that, Banner Leader Gao tucked the little girl under his arm and was about to step out.

The two men immediately cried out: “Banner Leader Gao, you’re a master who can soar high and far, but we don’t know any lightness skill! What should we do?”

Banner Leader Gao pointed at the inferior horse on the carriage and said: “You brought one horse, and there’s another in the stable behind my house. Each of you takes a horse and rides. I’ll take the goods and use my lightness skill. How’s that?”

“Ah?” The two men were so moved that their noses ran and tears flowed. “Banner Leader Gao, you truly have noble character! You care so much for your subordinates, willing to walk yourself just to let us have the horses—we’re so touched!”

Banner Leader Gao laughed: “No need for such theatrics. I have always cared for my men as if they were my own children. Work hard in the future and carry on my spirit. Now, I’ll go on foot and set out first. You two ride and follow along.”

Seeing the two men nod, Banner Leader Gao pushed off with his foot, floated up onto the roof, and shot off to the west like a bolt of lightning.

The two men in the courtyard, aside from looking on with envy, hurriedly scrambled to unload the horses from the carriage and lead another horse from the stable behind the house.

Once both had mounted, they galloped south, leaving the small courtyard quiet once more. Suddenly, a tall, thin shadow appeared—it was none other than Zhang Xiaohua, Hero Zhang, who had been eavesdropping for quite some time!

Standing in the courtyard, sniffing the faint stench in the air, Zhang Xiaohua frowned deeply. Banner Leader Gao was right—with such a strong smell, if the soldiers were pursuing, there’s no way they wouldn’t track it here. But as night was falling, should he give chase to the south, or not?

Even if he did, by midnight, he would fall asleep just the same—how could he possibly keep up with them?

Just as he was thinking, his outwardly released divine sense suddenly discovered something, and a faint smile appeared on Zhang Xiaohua’s face.