Ronava moved the tip of her gun forward a little further.
"There's one more thing."
The person in charge had his throat blocked, making it difficult for him to speak clearly.
"You... you said..."
"Besides her, there are eleven other people locked up. Among these people, are any of them already deceased?"
The manager thought for a moment and then quickly said...
"No, no, they're all alive. After all, you know these are sent to mine; they're worthless if they die, only the living get paid."
How do those people in the mine usually take turns working shifts?
"During the day, a dozen or so men keep watch in the mine tunnels, two guard the entrance, and four stay at the entrance at night, while the rest go back to town to stay. The foreman usually doesn't spend the night in the mine; he has a lover with Millelith, and they all go there at night."
"It seems the darkness has fallen in Liyue; there's even a criminal underworld within the Millelith."
As Lin En spoke, he jotted all of this down on a piece of paper and drew a simple diagram.
There are two at the mine entrance, a dozen or so during the day, and four at night; the person in charge doesn't stay overnight in the mine.
In other words, if you go at night, there are only four gatekeepers inside, plus the person in charge, who isn't there; the remaining local laborers won't risk their lives.
"Alright."
Ronava put the gun away.
Just as the supervisor was about to breathe a sigh of relief, she fired a shot with her other hand, the tip of the gun piercing through his chest and emerging from his back.
The person in charge collapsed without even uttering a sound.
Lin En paused for a moment.
"Why did you kill him? We could take him back as evidence and give him to Zhongli or Millelith; he could implicate those in higher up."
"Keeping one is enough."
Ronava sheathed her spear and shook off the blood from it.
"One of the two team leaders is dead, keeping the other one is enough."
Lin En opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and then said nothing more. In any case, the clues had already been extracted, and losing one more person wouldn't really affect the overall situation.
Ronava they ran out of rope, Lin En cut some vines from the bushes nearby to make up the difference.
The two men piled all the tied-up weapons in the thatched shed, blocked the door with straw, and marked the outside to make it easier for people coming later to find them.
What about the strongholds on the east and west sides?
Lin En shouldered the bundle.
"I already took the one from the west slope when I came here. The group on the east side should still be there. We need to hurry, lest they get suspicious while waiting for news from the other supervisors."
The two men made their way eastward along the edge of the highlands.
The eastern slope was steeper and the trees were denser. Lin En followed Ronava through the bushes for a while before he saw a thatched hut that looked similar to the one he had seen earlier. Two people were sitting outside the hut warming themselves by a fire, and two ropes were lying on the ground next to them.
Without wasting words, Ronava rushed out and knocked them unconscious with a single shot, then tied them up.
Lin En rummaged through their bags and found several letters sealed with wax, addressed to " Steward Wu of the Chasm Juyuan."
He opened the letter and glanced at it. The handwriting was sparse and hasty, but he could barely make out the gist of it. "The situation is tense lately. Send more people to patrol the mountains. Once you've caught twenty, send them down immediately." The date on the cover was one day ago.
"This works."
Lin En carefully put the letter away.
"They corresponded with the mine manager, and now we have both witnesses and physical evidence."
Ronava nodded, tied up the last person, and threw him into the thatched hut.
"It's getting dark, let's go back first."
The two descended the mountain along the same route, and by the time they returned to Yilong Wharf, the sky had turned yellow.
Standing in front of the town's stone monument, I could see a large crowd gathered in front of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor branch, even more than yesterday morning.
Some people were carrying a basket of eggs, some were holding two large cabbages, and an old lady was carrying a bowl of steaming chicken soup.
Lin En's heart skipped a beat. These villagers were here again?
He pulled Ronava back two steps, lowering his voice.
"See the vegetables they're holding? They're definitely going to throw them at us. Those guys weren't done causing trouble yesterday morning, so they're back again today."
Ronava glanced at him, her expression as if she were looking at an idiot.
"They paid for our food, and you're going to use it to throw at us? Are you stupid?"
"Then tell me what happened?"
"You'll see once you go and take a look."
"No, no, what if they have a domineering spirit and throw eggs at me? Wouldn't my face get swollen with bumps?"
Lin En pulled her around to the back alley, slipped in through the back door, locked the door, and leaned against the door to catch her breath.
Ronava stood beside him watching, unable to suppress the smile on her lips.
Why are you running? If they really want to smash you, it doesn't matter if you're at the front or back door.
"That's different. There are more people at the front gate and fewer at the back gate, making it easier to run around."
Lin En pressed his ear against the door to listen to the sounds outside. He could hear people talking, but he didn't hear anything being smashed.
Ronava walked over, pushed him to the side of the front door, and reached out to unlock it.
"Don't!"
The door had barely opened a crack when a hand reached out and blocked it.
A middle-aged man's voice squeezed in from under the door.
" Master Lin! Don't close the door! We'll leave our things at the door and leave!"
Lin En was stunned.
"Master Lin...?"
He turned to look at Ronava, Ronava was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, her expression calm.
Do you know something?
"The two children who ran back from the mountain during the day came back and were telling the whole town that a big brother surnamed Lin had single-handedly defeated two kidnappers and rescued them and a girl from the next village."
"After that, several other children who returned said the same thing, and the news spread throughout the entire Yilong Wharf by the afternoon."
Lin En opened the door, and there were seven or eight people standing outside. The one leading them was the fat aunt who had been the most vocal and aggressive one that morning, with her hands on her hips. She was carrying a basket of eggs, and her expression was completely different from yesterday morning; she was smiling like a flower.
" Master Lin, we were wrong before, we didn't know you were such good people. These dishes are from several families who chipped in, please accept them, don't be offended."
The old lady carrying the chicken soup pushed forward a little.
"Young man, you saved my daughter. I thank you on behalf of my son. He will come to thank you in person tomorrow morning."
Lin En was surrounded by a group of people at the door, her hands stuffed with things, a basket of eggs in her arms, two bunches of green vegetables hanging from her arm, and a bowl of chicken soup in her other hand, the hot soup swaying back and forth and almost spilling.
"That's enough, I can't take any more!"
He took two steps back and bumped his back against the door frame.
The plump aunt shoved the basket of eggs into his arms, took a step back, sized him up, and then looked at Ronava standing inside the door with a complicated expression.
" Master Lin, the person next to you... we were rude yesterday morning, please don't take it to heart."
Ronava leaned against the doorframe, her silver hair loose and draped over her shoulders, and replied with a faint expression.
"Good to know."
Auntie Pang breathed a sigh of relief and then turned to Lin En.
"Oh, and a few families in town who have lost children also want to come and ask about the situation."
Lin En bounced the things in her arms up a little, as if afraid they would roll off.
"Okay, let them come. I'll be there tomorrow morning. But don't thank me yet; there are still over a dozen people locked up. Let's wait until everyone is rescued."
Several women in the crowd nodded repeatedly and exchanged a few more polite words before dispersing.
Lin En squeezed through the door carrying her things, put the egg basket on the table, moved the vegetables and chicken soup to the kitchen, and breathed a sigh of relief.
" Master Lin."
Ronava walked over from behind and leaned against the kitchen door frame.
"Don't call me that."
" Master Lin."
She called again, a slight smile playing on her lips.