Two days later, Zhao Lin heard a piece of good news and a piece of bad news.
The good news was that Qian Sanming had taken the money and greased the wheels. Word from the yamen was that his older brother, Zhao Shan, would be released soon.
While relieved that his family would soon be reunited, Zhao Lin couldn't shake a sense of unease.
First a natural disaster, then a man-made one. His fate was always in the hands of others. This was the tragedy of the weak.
And in the end, he even had to thank them for it.
The bad news was that many new faces had suddenly appeared in the villages and towns around Baitou Mountain. They were openly and secretly asking if anyone had entered the deep mountains in the last few days and what they might have seen.
Some strange rumors had also started to spread.
Liu Dazhu from the village had gone to the market that morning, and when he returned, he was at the village entrance recounting a bizarre tale.
"Have you guys heard? The day before yesterday, Peng Qi from Dashewan Village went into the mountains to gather herbs. Below Lao Gualing, he saw a naked child in a red belly-band running around."
"Peng Qi wondered which family's child had gotten lost in such cold weather, so he went to ask. But unexpectedly, the naked child flashed and vanished right into the ground!"
"He thought something was fishy, so he started digging at that spot with his shovel. And guess what he found? A massive ginseng plant with six-point leaves!"
The villagers crowded around, and someone asked, "What happened then?"
"Peng Qi forgot to tie a red string to it, so when he was halfway done digging, the ginseng ran away!" Liu Dazhu said with a look of regret.
"Damn it! How could he forget something so important? I'd say *he's* the real blockhead."
The onlooking villagers grumbled disdainfully.
"That's nothing. I heard a fox spirit has appeared recently on Baitou Mountain. It transforms into a beautiful woman and sucks the yang energy from passing men," the village elder's son chimed in.
"For real?" His words immediately piqued everyone's interest.
"It's true! Several Hunters have seen her. The fox spirit wears red clothes, and if she so much as glances at you, you'll go home and fall gravely ill, unable to get out of bed for days."
The village elder's son spoke with such fervor, spitting as if he'd seen it with his own eyes.
"Gods, a fox spirit sounds terrifying. What does she look like? Tell us more..."
The more Zhao Lin listened, the more something felt off. 'These stories are clearly fabricated,' he thought.
'It's very likely the bandits investigating the disappearance of their men.'
'They're using people's love for the bizarre to spread the word.'
'This way, any information about who went into the mountains and what they saw will gradually surface. It's much more efficient than questioning people one by one.'
'This bandit leader is no simpleton!'
Zhao Lin's brow furrowed. He couldn't help but recall what Liang Song had told him about Drilling Mountain Leopard.
Drilling Mountain Leopard's real name was Yang Dazhi. In his early years, he worked as a logger and happened to save an old man who was gravely injured and about to freeze to death.
As luck would have it, the old man was a martial arts master. After recovering, he saw that Yang Dazhi had the makings of a great martial artist and taught him everything he knew.
Yang Dazhi was willing to endure hardship, and in less than three years, he broke through the Power Realm and entered the Qi Realm.
Once, over a trivial matter, he got into a dispute with the logging foreman and accidentally killed him.
Deciding to go all in, he looted everything of value, gathered a band of followers, and went into the mountains to become a bandit, taking the moniker Drilling Mountain Leopard.
Drilling Mountain Leopard operated in the deep mountains year-round and was extremely familiar with the terrain. Coupled with his cunning and decisiveness, the government's attempts to hunt him down failed several times, and his power only grew.
Not only that, but the bandits also cultivated many "peripheral" members. These people would join in robberies or do odd jobs during the farming off-season, then pick up their hoes and return to their farms when it was time to get busy.
These people were scattered throughout the county, acting as the bandits' eyes and ears, which was one of the reasons they were so difficult to eradicate.
Having provoked such an organization, Zhao Lin felt a deep sense of crisis.
There's no such thing as a perfect secret. The bandits were so cunning that if he and his group showed even the slightest slip-up, suspicion could fall on them.
But he had no regrets. If he had to do it all over again, he would make the same choice.
"How is Brother Zhu? Are his injuries any better?"
Zhao Lin came to Baiqiao Village every day to meet with Zhou Pao and the others to exchange information.
He walked into Zhou Pao's house and, not seeing Zhu Dachun, asked casually.
Liang Song grinned. "Don't you worry. Widow Wang is taking good care of him."
Zhao Lin smiled slightly. "Has anyone asked you guys about going into the mountains three days ago?"
Ever since they returned from the hunt, Zhao Lin had gradually become the de facto leader of their small group of four, both in making decisions and guiding conversations.
Neither Zhou Pao and the others, nor even Zhao Lin himself, had noticed this shift; it just felt natural.
Liang Song nodded. "Yeah, people have asked. More than one. I've turned them all away with the same story."
A worried look appeared on Zhou Pao's face. "Should we sneak back and do something more with the bodies? I'm afraid wild animals will follow the scent and drag them out..."
"Don't!"
Zhao Lin frowned. "The bandits aren't gods. They can't just divine our location. It won't be that easy for them to find us. We absolutely cannot lose our composure."
Liang Song also added, "We should counter all changes by remaining unchanged. If anyone asks, we stick to the story we agreed on. Besides, we have that... what's it called... alibi..."
"An alibi," Zhao Lin prompted.
"Right, an alibi!" Liang Song continued.
Realizing his mistake, Zhou Pao said humbly, "You're right, I wasn't thinking clearly. The bandits must be watching every pass in the mountains. Not going is fine, but going would be like walking right into a trap."
Zhao Lin didn't press the issue and changed the subject. "By the way, when are we going to sell the bear gall and the porcupine quills?"
This was the main reason he had come today.
The bandits' actions had put Zhao Lin on high alert, sparking a strong desire within him to learn martial arts.
Over the past two days, he had carefully reviewed his fight with the bandits.
If not for his surprise attack, he would have been no match for the bandit leader, Diao Liu. Even that dark-faced brute with mediocre skills had nearly cleaved him in two with a single strike.
If the roles were reversed and Zhao Lin had been the one on horseback, ambushed in the same manner, his death would have likely been even more gruesome than Diao Liu's.
He had immense strength but knew nothing of martial arts. It was like giving an ancient soldier an AK-47 only for him to use it as a club, completely failing to unleash the weapon's true power.
Diao Liu was at the Second Layer of the Power Realm, and he was already so difficult to deal with. If he had to face someone at the Third Layer of the Power Realm, or an even stronger Qi Realm master, he would probably be slaughtered without a fight.
Only martial strength could protect him and his family.
Simply thinking about how to destroy evidence and eliminate suspicion was, at its core, still a passive way of handling the problem.
Therefore, as soon as there was positive news about his brother, Zhao Lin prepared to sell their hunt's spoils and start training in martial arts as soon as possible.
Hearing Zhao Lin's question, Zhou Pao looked ashamed. "Things are so tense right now, I haven't even dared to go out."
Zhao Lin thought for a moment and said, "It's good to be cautious. You can go empty-handed first to scout things out. Leave the goods at home for now, so you won't have to worry."
"When it's time to make the trade, we'll go with you. Don't worry."
Zhou Pao breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Alright then, we'll do it your way."
...
That night, Zhao Shan sat up and peered around the work shed. After confirming everyone else was asleep, he pulled a small porcelain vial from his robes.
The foreman had given him the vial, saying his family had already pulled some strings for him. The medicine inside was to help him feign illness.
"The medicine inside is called Yellow Mustard Seed. Take half of it internally and apply the other half to your face."
"By tomorrow, you'll have a persistent high fever, a sallow complexion, and a face full of blisters. That will make it easy for us to get you out."
Zhao Shan could hardly believe his ears. He knew his family's situation perfectly well. Where would they have gotten the money to pull strings?
"Really? Who pulled the strings?"
"You'd better not ask. I don't know even if you do," the foreman said, his lips sealed.
Zhao Shan stared at the vial in his hand. 'This isn't poison to kill me, is it?' he thought.
The foreman saw right through him and sneered, "Don't worry. It wouldn't be this much trouble to kill you."
'He's right,' Zhao Shan thought. 'If they really wanted to kill me, they could just stage an accident. There's no need for such an elaborate scheme, which could easily leave behind evidence.'
After thinking it over and over, Zhao Shan finally made up his mind and opened the porcelain vial...