Luring the Tiger Out of the Mountain

Chapter 14: Luring the Tiger Out of the Mountains

"Miss, Lord Bai has already gone far."

The maid, Xiao Tao, reminded her softly, her gaze falling on her young lady with a knowing smile.

Ye Lingdang nodded blankly, remaining silent, feeling an emptiness in her heart, as if something had been lost.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Tao couldn't help but tease, "It seems Miss has truly fallen for Lord Bai."

"It's not that difficult, you know. If Miss is interested, she could ask Master to propose."

Ye Lingdang lightly tapped Xiao Tao's head. She sighed softly and said dejectedly, "Lord Bai is a dragon among men. At such a young age, he's already a Brigade Leader of the Imperial Guard, with an immeasurable future. How could he possibly fancy a mere merchant's daughter like me?"

Since ancient times, the social hierarchy of scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant has been clearly defined.

Even if a merchant amassed vast wealth, they were ultimately considered lower class in the eyes of officials.

Although the Imperial Guard were imperial cavalry and their reputation was often criticized, they were undeniably the Emperor's personal army, wielding the power of investigation and arrest. Ordinary officials had to show them respect.

Someone like Bai Yan, who was accomplished at a young age and possessed exceptional strength, was destined for a path of rapid advancement.

In Yongtang City, how many young ladies from official families were vying for such a talented young man? There was no way it would be her turn as a merchant's daughter.

"Besides..."

Ye Lingdang gazed at the crescent moon hanging in the sky, her voice barely audible: "He is an eagle soaring in the Nine Heavens. I am but a sparrow in this deep mansion. We were never meant to be on the same path."

Xiao Tao wanted to say more, but she saw her young lady turn and walk silently back towards her room. She had no choice but to quickly follow, no longer mentioning the matter.

Ye Youcai and his wife saw Bai Yan and his entourage all the way to the entrance of the Ye residence. Throughout the journey, thanks were constantly being expressed.

As they were about to part, Ye Youcai suddenly waved his hand towards the back. The butler, who had been waiting by the door, quickly stepped forward, holding a heavy rosewood box with both hands. The lid was intricately carved with intertwined lotus patterns, clearly indicating its considerable value.

"This is just a small token of my appreciation, a humble gesture. I hope you will not refuse it, Lord."

Bai Yan nodded slightly, his tone calm. "Patriarch Ye is too kind."

With that, he gave a look to Ren Hong beside him. Ren Hong immediately understood, stepped forward, took the wooden box, and skillfully tucked it into his satchel.

This was an unwritten rule of the Imperial Guard, as well as an additional source of income. If Bai Yan had refused, it would have seemed out of place. How could the brothers handle the expenses of their investigations without money? If his colleagues all offered such tokens of respect and he alone refused, he would eventually be ostracized. Sometimes, blending in with the world was a necessary compromise.

Moreover, the Imperial Guard helped people resolve troubles and ensure their safety. Accepting this gift of gratitude was perfectly reasonable. In this high martial world, having good martial arts skills alone was far from enough. Elixirs, weapons, and cultivation techniques all required money to acquire. The saying "a penny can stump a hero" was not uncommon.

"Sir, a whole box of banknotes! Old Man Ye really is generous!"

On the way back, Ren Hong opened the rosewood box. Inside was a stack of banknotes. He quickly counted them twice, totaling fifty thousand taels of silver.

Keep in mind that Bai Yan, as a Brigade Leader, only earned thirty taels a month in salary. Fifty thousand taels was enough for Bai Yan to work for over a hundred years as a Brigade Leader without eating or drinking.

Bai Yan took the banknotes and pulled out one, handing it to Ren Hong. "Distribute this money among the brothers."

"It's been a tough trip for everyone. Take it back to buy something for your family, or go have a good meal at a restaurant."

"Th-this is too embarrassing..."

Ren Hong said politely, but his hand quickly snatched the banknote worth one thousand taels. The speed at which he grabbed the money was much faster than when he drew his sword.

The Enforcers behind them looked at the banknote in Ren Hong's hand, their eyes burning with desire. With one thousand taels to be divided among them, each person would receive at least several dozen taels, equivalent to more than half a year's salary.

This mission, from beginning to end, was handled entirely by Bai Yan. Capturing the Flower Thief was also accomplished solely by Bai Yan. They had merely stood guard and kept watch, doing almost nothing. Even if Bai Yan had kept the entire fifty thousand taels for himself, they couldn't have said anything. Yet, Bai Yan had given them one thousand taels. Where could they find such a generous superior? Compared to those superiors who only exploited their subordinates and kept everything for themselves, Bai Yan was infinitely better.

After this incident, many of his subordinates were thoroughly convinced of Bai Yan's character, and their loyalty soared.

When faced with a fight, Bai Yan's subordinates would absolutely throw themselves into the fray without a second thought at his command.

Bai Yan ignored the fervent gazes of his men, focusing his attention on the system panel instead.

After the Flower Thief was apprehended, the system had yet to signal the completion of the mission, which left Bai Yan feeling somewhat puzzled.

Does it only count if I escort the prisoner back to the Pacification Bureau?

He mused to himself, then shook his head:

No, the system task clearly stated 'regardless of life or death,' and there was no mention of needing to return him to the Pacification Bureau.

Could it be...

Bai Yan suddenly recalled the details recorded in the case file about this Flower Thief.

The Flower Thief's crime frequency was unnervingly abnormal.

He committed a crime exactly every three days.

On the first day, he would send a rhododendron to his target. On the third night, he would commit the crime, then immediately select his next target without any pause, leaving almost no time to breathe.

Even a lust-crazed fiend couldn't endure such relentless activity.

This dense frequency of crimes was completely illogical.

Furthermore, the Flower Thief seemed to not only defile women but was also extremely brutal, killing for pleasure. This clearly didn't align with the typical behavior of a Flower Thief.

This gave Bai Yan a vague feeling that the Flower Thief had some other ulterior motive, and his flower-snatching was merely incidental...

The thoughts in his mind gradually coalesced, and Bai Yan suddenly had a flash of inspiration, a terrible thought dawning on him.

He flickered to the Flower Thief's side, tore open his chest garment, and a striking green lotus tattoo came into view.

"Not good!"

Before he could finish speaking, a faint electric glow emanated from his body.

The max-level Lightning-Fast Movement Steps were instantly activated to their limit. His entire being transformed into a blinding bolt of lightning, shooting towards the direction of Ye's residence.

The speed was beyond imagination. A silver-white streak of lightning flashed across the street, leaving behind a trail of crackling sounds, and vanished into the darkness in the distance in an instant.

Ren Hong and the others hadn't even reacted. They only saw a blur before their eyes; Bai Yan, who had been standing in front of them, had disappeared.

"Sir, what happened?"

Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao exchanged glances, their faces filled with bewilderment. The Enforcers behind them looked at each other, none of them able to explain what had happened that made their Brigade Leader so tense.

At that moment, the Flower Thief, who had been silent until now, suddenly let out a burst of wild laughter, his hoarse voice shouting:

"Hahahaha... You only realize now? Too late! Too late!"

"Cough, cough, cough."

"What a shame, I didn't get to have my fun with that exquisite specimen yet."

He laughed too eagerly, aggravating his internal injuries. He coughed out a large mouthful of blood, his face becoming even paler.

Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao's hearts trembled upon hearing this. They understood now: this Flower Thief had accomplices!

They exchanged glances, both filled with shock, and shouted sternly:

"Quick! Back to Ye's residence!"