Where Did the Bandits Go—Vanished into Thin Air?

Several hundred Imperial Guards began searching the surrounding area.

The wagon tracks could still be followed, but finding footprints was much harder.

Especially in these desolate mountains and wild ridges, it was even more difficult for ordinary Imperial Guards to search.

Even Niu Ren could not immediately determine where the bandits had carried three hundred thousand taels of silver.

Everyone could only search all around nearby, looking for caves or other places where the silver might have been hidden.

Huang Shaojie used the Insight Technique to survey the surroundings, yet he found no traces of the bandits fleeing on foot.

How was that possible?

At least several hundred people had carried off three hundred thousand taels of silver. With his Insight Technique, it should have been impossible for him to miss the tracks they had left behind.

Forget carrying hundreds of thousands of taels of silver—even if they had left empty-handed, several hundred people would have left a jumble of footprints.

Unless the bandits had not left on foot at all.

Could they have loaded the silver onto horses and ridden away?

But that did not make sense either. If the bandits had ridden off with the silver, then three hundred thousand taels would have required at least a hundred fine horses to carry it.

If more than a hundred fine horses had carried three hundred thousand taels of silver away, they would surely have left countless chaotic hoofprints.

Yet although there were hoofprints nearby, there were not many.

Moreover, those hoofprints did not bear the marks of carrying several hundred jin of weight. Others might not be able to tell, but Huang Shaojie's Insight Technique could absolutely distinguish it.

That was strange. How had the bandits escaped with three hundred thousand taels of silver?

Could they really have vanished into thin air?

Huang Shaojie stroked his chin and pondered for a moment. Then, looking at the wagon ruts on the official road, he suddenly seemed to realize something!

He carefully examined the wagon ruts again and felt that something was wrong!

The ruts were very shallow. They did not look at all like tracks left by wagons carrying tens of thousands of taels of silver.

If the road had been damp and soft, it would have been obvious whether the tracks came from an empty wagon or one loaded with thousands of jin of silver.

But the road was hard now. Even wagons carrying thousands of jin of silver would not leave deep tracks, and ordinary people could not distinguish between the wheel marks of empty wagons and wagons laden with heavy cargo.

Only Huang Shaojie's Insight Technique could discern such subtle differences.

On the way here earlier, Huang Shaojie had not paid attention to this. Only now, when he could find no clues as to how the bandits had fled with the silver, did he reexamine the wagon tracks on the official road and suddenly notice the problem.

"Could it be that the bandits had already moved the official silver off the wagons, then drove the empty wagons here to lure the authorities' pursuit to this place?"

Huang Shaojie suddenly figured something out and decided to follow the official road back to investigate.

"Huang Shaojie, did you discover something?"

Seeing Huang Shaojie crouching alone on the official road to inspect the wagon tracks, Xiao Qiuyue walked over and asked.

Huang Shaojie rose and cupped his hands to Xiao Qiuyue. "Battalion Commander Xiao, I suspect the bandits moved the silver off the wagons long ago. Their purpose in driving empty wagons here was merely to draw our investigation to this place."

Xiao Qiuyue looked at Huang Shaojie in surprise with her beautiful eyes. "How can you conclude that the bandits unloaded the official silver beforehand and that the wagons driven here were all empty?"

Huang Shaojie pointed at the wagon ruts on the ground. "These tracks are very shallow, unlike the slightly deeper tracks from before when the wagons carried silver. That is why I conclude these were all empty wagons."

Xiao Qiuyue stamped the official road with her foot and shook her head. "It has not rained for some time. The weather is dry, and the road is hard. Even if the wagons carried tens of thousands of taels of silver, their wheels would not press deep ruts into the ground. There is basically no difference from empty wagons, so it cannot be distinguished."

Huang Shaojie smiled faintly. "Battalion Commander Xiao, rest assured. Ordinary people truly cannot tell, but these eyes of mine can absolutely see the difference."

Xiao Qiuyue could not help smiling as well. "Oh, you are really that confident? Very well. Let us report this to Commander Niu."

Xiao Qiuyue was growing increasingly curious about Huang Shaojie's innate abilities.

When investigating cases, he could see the footprints and fingerprints left behind by the Flower Thief. With such observational ability, perhaps he was not merely boasting when he claimed he could tell whether wagon ruts had carried silver.

The lightness skill Huang Shaojie had displayed when capturing the Flower Picking Thief had left even Xiao Qiuyue far behind in the dust.

And earlier, when inspecting that pile of ashes, Xiao Qiuyue had inhaled a mouthful of lingering smoke and immediately felt her head grow heavy. Yet this fellow had squatted there leisurely without the slightest reaction.

In short, this spoiled young master was simply uncanny.

The two came before Niu Ren.

Xiao Qiuyue cupped her hands. "Reporting to Commander, Banner Captain Huang inspected the wagon ruts on the official road just now. He suspects these were empty wagons and that the bandits had already unloaded the official silver."

"Oh?" Niu Ren's face also showed surprise upon hearing this. His sparse brows lifted as he looked at Huang Shaojie. "You can tell from the wagon tracks that these were empty wagons?"

Huang Shaojie cupped his hands. "Reporting to Commander, after carefully examining these wagon ruts, I found that they seemed slightly shallower than the tracks we saw on the way here. Therefore, I conclude that the bandits had already moved all the silver off the wagons midway. Their purpose in driving empty wagons here was to draw the authorities' pursuit."

Niu Ren stroked his beard and nodded slightly. "Your speculation does have some merit. However, given how hard the road is now, even wagons carrying silver would not leave deep impressions in the ground. They would be virtually indistinguishable from empty wagons."

Xiao Qiuyue said, "Banner Captain Huang's eyes are extremely observant. I believe he truly can tell the difference."

Niu Ren said, "In that case, take some men and horses and search back along the official road. If you find any clues, immediately send someone back to report."

"Understood."

The two cupped their hands in salute, then led several dozen Imperial Guard Captains back along the official road on horseback.

Huang Shaojie rode at the front at an unhurried pace, his eyes fixed on the wagon tracks along the road.

"Huang Shaojie, riding so quickly on horseback, can you really make out the changes in the wagon tracks?"

Xiao Qiuyue urged her horse forward until she rode alongside Huang Shaojie, turning to ask him.

If it were her, even dismounting to examine the tracks closely, she would have found it difficult to notice any changes. Yet Huang Shaojie was galloping on horseback, merely sweeping his gaze casually over the road.

Xiao Qiuyue was worried that he might miss some crucial detail.

She rarely wore the Imperial Guard uniform. Today, she wore a fitted crimson outfit that wrapped around her slender and graceful figure.

Her eyes shone like stars, her delicate nose stood high, and her thin red lips curved faintly upward. Her exquisite chin and fair swan-like neck formed a beautiful arc.

She rode a fiery red steed, her black hair streaming behind her, valiant and dashing!

Huang Shaojie turned his head and admired her for a few moments before looking back to continue observing the wagon tracks on the road.

"Battalion Commander Xiao, rest assured. As long as I pay attention, one glance at these wagon tracks is enough for me to know whether silver was unloaded halfway... Whoa!"

As he spoke, Huang Shaojie suddenly yanked the reins. The fine horse reared onto its hind legs with a neigh and came to a halt.

"What is it?" Xiao Qiuyue hurriedly pulled her reins as well and stopped.

The several dozen Imperial Guard Captains behind them also reined in their horses.

Huang Shaojie narrowed his eyes. "The wagon ruts became deeper. This is where the bandits unloaded the silver."

With that, he swung down from his horse.