Chapter Nine: A Difficult Man

Although the situation was somewhat unexpected, since they all belonged to the same village, it was only natural she knew some inside information.

Jiang Xiao spoke in a deep voice, "Bring her over."

Soon, the soldier led Yun Shuang and the two children behind her toward them.

On the way, Yun Shuang kept herself from glancing at the man on horseback. Earlier, she’d only looked at him from afar and instantly sensed he had walked out of a mountain of corpses and sea of blood. The overwhelming pressure he exuded was unlike anything she’d ever felt in her previous world.

Such a man, wielding great power and ruthless by nature—if she made the slightest mistake before him, she and her children would have no future to speak of.

Er Ya, however, had no inkling of her mother’s thoughts. She shrank behind Yun Shuang in fear, but couldn’t help poking her head out to look around. Accidentally, she raised her gaze and met the eyes of the terrifying uncle on horseback. Her little face froze in shock.

Jiang Xiao cast her a cool glance, about to turn away, when he saw the little girl blink, seemingly full of curiosity. Her small lips curved into a timid, ingratiating smile.

Jiang Xiao, accustomed to making children cry: "..."

The little boy, on the other hand, clung tightly to the woman’s hem, his expression guarded as he watched Jiang Xiao.

It seemed Yan Fang was right; this mother and her two children were exceedingly bold.

Yun Shuang soon arrived before the general’s horse. She searched the original owner's memories for the proper way to salute, and rather clumsily bowed, saying, "This humble woman greets the general. My surname is Yun, I live in Changsheng Village alongside the Wu family. I have some knowledge of Wu Chengqi’s whereabouts and came to report—"

"You and the Wu family are from the same village?"

A cold, deep voice suddenly interrupted her. Yun Shuang paused, and heard the man above her say in a bland tone, "Why do you report him?"

His tone was suspicious; did he think she had ulterior motives, perhaps seeking a chance to approach them?

Yun Shuang inwardly curled her lip and replied bluntly, "Because I have a grudge with the Wu family."

Her candor surprised the nearby men.

Moreover, the woman was far too composed...

Very few men could remain so calm before their general.

Jiang Xiao studied her for a while, then suddenly said, "Lift your head."

Yun Shuang hesitated, unwilling. "I am of humble birth, I dare not—"

"I said, lift your head."

The same cold, commanding tone that brooked no refusal.

Yun Shuang: "..."

She had always been strong-willed and disliked being ordered about.

But under the eaves, one must bow.

Just treat him as a tool to be used, she told herself—yes, that’s it!

After a moment, Yun Shuang slowly raised her head, her apricot eyes meeting the man’s gaze. Instantly, the overwhelming pressure surged from all directions once more.

She steadied herself and spoke, "It is an honor for a humble woman to glimpse the general’s visage."

Her words were pleasant, her other emotions tightly restrained, but Jiang Xiao still detected a hint of defiance and unyielding spirit in her tone and gaze.

He said nothing, simply stared at her for a moment, then said coolly, "Speak."

Yun Shuang: "..."

She hadn’t encountered such an irksome, difficult man in ages!

She took a quiet breath, her tone involuntarily cold. "Wu Chengqi was most likely hidden by his family. Just now, I saw that his parents—Wu Youjin and Madam Fan—had yellow mud on their shoes. That shade of mud exists only on Doghead Mountain at the edge of Changsheng Village. Yesterday’s rain fell in the evening, so Wu Youjin and Madam Fan could only have gone up Doghead Mountain at night to pick up so much yellow mud. Why would they go there so late? Wu Youjin has a leg ailment and struggles to walk even in daylight, let alone climb a mountain at night!

Furthermore, in the Wu family’s kitchen, I found a basket filled with dirty bowls and plates, all covered in grease. The Wu family isn’t rich; they wouldn’t use so much oil for daily meals. Villagers’ breakfasts are always simple, never greasy like that."

Everyone had assumed this woman knew of Wu Chengqi’s whereabouts simply because she lived in the same village and had noticed something.

But to their surprise, her knowledge came from deductions made during the house search!

Yan Fang’s jaw dropped further as she listened, unable to hold back, "Damn, those Wu family old scraps actually hide so much detail!"

Wu Qi couldn’t help but glance admiringly at the woman, while also chiding Yan Fang, "Did you think everyone’s head is stuffed with straw like yours?"

Yan Fang immediately glared at Wu Qi, "Wu Qi, you bastard—"

The man on horseback raised his hand to halt their argument, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the woman before him.

From her expression, her words did not seem fabricated.

This woman... was more remarkable than he’d expected.

He spoke in a low voice, "Send a team immediately to search Doghead Mountain! Chen Ye will lead!"

"Yes!"

Yun Shuang watched the squad of soldiers depart, knowing she wouldn’t be allowed to leave until they returned.

Wu Qi gazed thoughtfully at the woman below, finding it odd that such a bold, clever, and beautiful woman was merely a village housewife. Something about it struck him as inexplicably strange.

No wonder the general had been suspicious and made her look him in the eye.

Abruptly, he glanced at the two children beside her, speaking seemingly offhand, "Madam Yun, you’re so young and already have two children this size? Does their father know you’re doing something so dangerous?"

Barely had he finished, when the curious little girl’s face suddenly fell, her lips quivering, her eyes brimming with tears.

The boy shot him a glare, like a little wolf cub.

Wu Qi, ever perceptive, realized something was wrong and was about to apologize, when a certain fool beside him blurted out, "These two little brats don’t have a father—that’s why everyone in the village bullies them so badly!"

Wu Qi: "..."

Seeing the children about to explode, Yun Shuang quickly pulled them close, cast a cool glance at Wu Qi and Yan Fang, and said, "I have no husband, and these children have no father. Our family doesn’t need such a figure. I can raise my children alone. Is that satisfactory to you two, sirs?"

Wu Qi: "..."

Now he’d managed to offend all three.

Yan Fang finally realized his mistake and scratched his head awkwardly, mumbling, "I didn’t mean... ah!"

Jiang Xiao cast a bland glance at the mother and her children, then spoke in a deep voice, "Since when did you all become so talkative?"

She was more genuine now than when she’d been hiding her emotions earlier.

Wu Qi and Yan Fang, already embarrassed, immediately shut their mouths when their leader spoke.

Yun Shuang glanced at him, then quickly looked away.

Did they think she was unaware of their suspicions?

But such doubts were reasonable enough, so she didn’t bother to care.

Er Ya saw that the scary uncle’s words silenced the other two noisy men at once, and her eyes sparkled as she gazed at Jiang Xiao.

He looked frightening, but also so impressive.

Dogdan kept sneaking peeks at Jiang Xiao as well.

No one else spoke, and in the strange silence, Chen Ye finally returned with his squad.

He hadn’t even steadied his horse before leaping down, beaming, and saluting, "General! We found him! That scoundrel Wu Chengqi was indeed hiding on Doghead Mountain! When he saw us, he tried to run—so I ordered his legs broken!"

He spoke with a fierce glint in his eyes.

Yun Shuang immediately covered Er Ya’s ears, wishing she had four hands to shield the attentive boy’s ears too.

Jiang Xiao glanced at the group of soldiers behind Chen Ye, who were carrying a makeshift stretcher toward them. He nodded, then suddenly rode closer to Yun Shuang, looked down, and asked, "You have rendered service by reporting. Is there any reward you desire?"

Yun Shuang was taken aback. Her main purpose in reporting had been to bring down the Wu family; she hadn’t considered an extra reward.

Suddenly, she recalled Mrs. Hua once saying, during idle chatter, that when deserters were common, the court often issued bounty orders—capturing a deserter could earn a reward, sometimes as much as ten taels of silver!

Her heart warmed at the thought, remembering the pitiful ten copper coins at home. She unconsciously licked her lips and said, "Just give me silver!"