The moon hung low and the stars were sparse. The night grew ever darker, and not a soul could be seen on the official road.
Suddenly, hoofbeats rang out. A cluster of torchlight approached from afar—a group of people dressed in black nightwear, their heads covered by black masks that hid their mouths and noses, leaving only their eyes exposed.
They carried torches and weapons, galloping along while carefully watching the road. When they reached the small path leading to Guo Village, the thin man at the front frowned and slowed his horse.
"Youngest, is this the place?" A sturdy man behind him, a long saber in hand, asked in a low voice.
"It should be, Boss. But it's too dark to see clearly at night, and the mountain paths on both sides all look the same. It's very hard to tell them apart!"
The boss frowned and cursed, "I had you pretend to be a beggar here for two days, and you still didn't get the road straight? Do you think I'd dare trust your words again?"
"Calm down, Boss, calm down." The youngest immediately put on a fawning smile. "Though I didn't remember the road well, I investigated the Zhang family's situation very clearly!"
"Bullshit. What kind of rich household could there be in a tiny mountain village like this? I could figure that out with my heel. Why would it need investigating? I don't know how the people at Swift Carriage and Horse Service do things. If this trip comes up empty, I'll definitely report them to the Banner Master!"
"Please calm down, Boss. Swift Carriage and Horse Service made it very clear—the young man delivering the letter used a gold ingot to exchange for silver. Think about it: what ordinary person carries gold ingots around? He