Chapter 1597: Unreasonable

Chapter 1582: Outrageous!

Returning to Flowing Spring Villa, He Lingchuan quickly dried his hair, changed his clothes, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and pushed open his courtyard door to step outside.

Trouble was waiting for him:

A group of vagrants and bandits had stormed into the villa, taking everything they could find. The fruits, vegetables, and wine jars from the cellar, the grain, oil, and leftover food from the kitchen, the money from the workers' and servants' hands, the clothes off their backs, and even half-eaten flatbread left on bedsides—nothing was spared!

Naturally, the Yao-human guard detachment was alerted. They rushed out, wielding their weapons, beating anyone they encountered and sending teeth flying.

However, the sheer number of vagrants was overwhelming, like a swarm of locusts. The Yao-human guards found themselves unable to drive them all away immediately.

Dozens of vagrants even managed to infiltrate the core of Flowing Spring Villa, setting fires near the cellar and the Apricot Grove Terrace.

They poured oil on the Apricot Grove Terrace and set it ablaze; even after the rain, the flames shot skyward.

General Manager Yan Bo, along with his subordinates, rushed to put out fires everywhere.

The vagrants, seizing the opportunity while Flowing Spring Villa was busy fighting fires, continued to loot throughout the estate.

In such a situation, it would be inexcusable for He Lingchuan not to appear.

In fact, just as he stepped out of his courtyard, Zhao Song rushed over: "Lord He, you're finally out! The formation! Quickly, activate the defensive formation!"

"I was dreaming that my business was booming, but I didn't expect to find my villa on fire in reality," He Lingchuan said with a wry smile. "Commander Zhao, you've worked hard!"

With the master of the villa appearing, things became much easier; Flowing Spring Villa immediately had a backbone.

He Lingchuan first ordered the activation of Flowing Spring Villa's defensive formation to keep more vagrants outside the estate. Then, he and Zhao Song took separate commands, cutting off, encircling, and intercepting the scattered groups rampaging inside the villa.

Soon, the situation was brought under control.

The fires were extinguished, people were apprehended, and the stolen provisions were recovered and returned to storage.

Zhao Song interrogated a few of the ringleaders, only to learn that this group of vagrants had recently gathered. Initially, there were only one or two hundred people, but vagrants from nearby who couldn't find food flocked to join them. In less than five to seven days, their numbers rapidly swelled, and they had been continuously looting the suburbs and villages.

They had no choice; they couldn't get food and were starving to death, so they could only form groups to steal provisions.

There was strength in numbers, and at least they could scrape together a living.

Zhao Song asked, and learned that this group of vagrants had heard rumors that Flowing Spring Villa, to the east of the city, was incredibly wealthy, with an abundance of grain, meat, wine, and vegetables. It was said to be a huge granary, and digging into it would be enough to feed two thousand people for half a month.

As for how this rumor originated, no one could say for sure.

He Lingchuan quietly cursed, "Damn it."

No one could be certain whether this vagrant attack was spontaneous or instigated by someone. After all, villages and estates in the city's suburbs and rural towns had recently been plagued by vagrant harassment, and the authorities were swamped.

He Lingchuan had an important operation planned for tonight, but Zhao Song and the Yao-human imperial guards were wide awake and energetic, and wanted to discuss matters with him.

News had just arrived from the south: Cao Wendao was resting in Peach Stream! That scoundrel was as cunning as a ghost, and He Lingchuan had gone to great lengths to trap him. If he missed this golden opportunity, where would he find Cao Wendao again?

Fortunately, Cao Wendao seemed to have no immediate plans to move.

After dealing with the vagrant menace, a dozen imperial guards incited Wanqiu Liang and others to go to the kitchen for a midnight snack.

There were big eaters everywhere in the villa, and the cooks usually left some cakes and sticky rice pastries in the cupboards, but those had just been looted.

Fortunately, sweet and powdery chestnuts were still in season, freshly picked from behind the villa. The cooks had boiled them and placed them in baskets, where the vagrants hadn't found them, so everyone could still grab a handful as a snack.

After subduing the vagrants, more and more people came to the kitchen, and soon there were chestnut shells all over the floor.

The two groups sat together, eating cheerfully.

Even though they knew a big task awaited them later, Wanqiu Liang and the others were no longer as impatient as before. When their lord told them to remain calm, they took it easy. After so many deployments with the Great Emperor of the Nine Nethers, they had long developed a well-balanced mindset, knowing when to be active and when to relax.

He Lingchuan pondered while waiting, waiting for the rainwater to seep into the ground.

Tiangshui City had been dry for a long time, and the ground underneath was very arid. The Snail Toad moved with extreme difficulty. Just bringing them into the villa moments ago, it had to slow down and rest for a bit.

But the previous thunderstorm would soon penetrate the soil layer, making the underground earth very moist, allowing the Snail Toad to move freely.

Tonight's opponent was another powerful Demon Puppet Master. Dong Rui had requested that every demon puppet be adjusted to its best state. After all, sharpening the axe doesn't delay the chopping of wood.

"What now? Can you still get out?" the Soul-Stealing Mirror sighed. "The entire villa is awake, and even those merchants need to be appeased."

The merchants and nobles lodging in the villa tonight had all been startled by the vagrant uprising. Yan Bo was arranging for special staff to deliver food and calming, anti-convulsant medicine to fulfill his duties as host.

Peng Yukui and Maogong were also alerted, and even helped to catch several vagrants who had sneaked into living quarters during the chaos. However, Flowing Spring Villa was too large, and the vagrants scattered in all directions upon entry. They hadn't been fully rounded up yet; there were still some who had slipped through the net.

With the entire villa in such a restless state, how could He Lingchuan possibly ride the Snail Toad and quietly leave the estate?

Someone might come looking for him at any moment.

Should he abandon his plan and let Cao Wendao go?

He Lingchuan said with a grim face, "If stealth won't work, we'll go openly!"

"Ah?" How openly?

"I have an entire official army under my command; if not now, then when will I use them?"

"Hold on, can this matter be brought to light?"

"Why not?" He Lingchuan sneered. "Cao Wendao is trying to take my life; shouldn't the imperial guards apprehend him?"

Isn't that exactly the duty of the imperial guards?

He Lingchuan immediately sent someone to summon Zhao Song, who was currently with his subordinates identifying the vagrant leaders.

Upon seeing He Lingchuan, Zhao Song's first words were, "From now on, I'm afraid the defensive formation will have to remain active."

"Otherwise, these flies will be impossible to drive away, even if they work twelve hours a day. Besides, the imperial guards' main duty should be to protect He Lingchuan, not to guard an orchard!"

"Brother Zhao, you've worked hard."

Zhao Song waved his hand: "Why say such things? Anyway, what did you need me for?"

"Someone hired an assassin to take my life."

He Lingchuan's words startled Zhao Song. He looked closely at He Lingchuan's expression, which was entirely serious, not at all like a joke.

"Is this true?"

"It's true. I just apprehended an accomplice, and he confessed without hesitation, further implicating the principal culprit, who is currently outside the villa, waiting for an opportunity to act."

Zhao Song unconsciously repeated the words, also processing them in his mind: "The person trying to kill you is currently... outside our villa?"

"Yes!" He Lingchuan stated gravely. "If you don't believe me, Brother Zhao, you can interrogate this fresh, hot suspect I have here. This vagrant attack tonight might even have been instigated by them, a ploy to kill me amidst the chaos."

"Outrageous!" Zhao Song fumed, his anger flaring. "Time is short. I'll apprehend the villains outside the villa first, and then we can conduct a detailed interrogation!"