Li Zhengping adjusted the saber at his waist and looked toward the end of the street, letting out a long sigh.
Now he was finally home…
He rubbed his chin, where stubble had grown unshaven for days.
The horse beneath him let out a long whinny, as if celebrating a smooth return.
Li Zhengping gently squeezed his legs and stroked the horse’s mane, laughing.
“Haha, good, good! We’re almost home!”
“You just came back with me to rest a few days ago, and now you’re off on another mission. I’ve really put you through it.”
He murmured, apologizing to his old partner of many years. The horse below him softly snorted, as if responding to Li Zhengping.
‘Sigh… speaking of missions, I wonder how the Wang Family is doing?’
Li Zhengping sat on his horse, letting it carry him forward.
Recalling the events not long ago, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion.
That night, he was drinking and eating with Ma Debiao, his wife, and other horse gang disciples, having gone to the Wang Family’s banquet to offer congratulations.
Just as he stood up to toast Wang Chengye, he was pulled aside by a previous employer who appeared from nowhere.
“Gang Leader, do you want to take on a big mission?”
The man asked.
This fellow first praised the horse gang for its efficient work, then said he had already recommended them to a familiar official at the Lin’an Government Office.
That official, upon hearing that the horse gang could protect goods from the Jie sect, wanted to entrust them with a task.
Building a connection with the government—this was an opportunity many escorts would beg for but never get.
Overjoyed by the good news, he hurried back to the table, gave a few instructions to Ma Debiao and his wife and siblings, then returned to the horse gang that very night to prepare.
That night, he was so happy that he didn’t pay any attention to what happened later at the Wang Family.
“Sigh…” Li Zhengping sighed, pulling his thoughts back.
He turned around and looked at the people linked together by long chains and wooden cangues, letting out another long sigh.
Shaking his head, Li Zhengping then called over a horse gang disciple who was maintaining order at the back.
“He Ren, run back to the gang now and tell them we’re back.”
“Also, have everyone prepare. After all, receiving so many ‘guests’ at once—who knows how busy we’ll be.”
“Yes, Gang Leader!”
Watching He Ren hurry away as instructed, Leader Li let out a faint sigh.
Not for any particular reason, just to dispel the pent-up frustration that had accumulated in his heart.
He looked up at the sky and sniffed.
“Looks like it’s going to rain. We need to get back quickly…” Li Zhengping squinted and murmured.
“You back there! If you don’t want to get soaked like drowned rats, keep up!”
He hoped the rain would stay light…
A rising wind rustled the treetops by the roadside, as if in answer.
At that moment, in the crowd of people locked together in a long line by wooden cangues—
“B-Big Brother! Do we really have to do this? This thing is so uncomfortable…”
Niu Xingfa looked at the long line ahead and complained incessantly.
Niu Xingwang, who was locked just ahead of him, didn’t say a word but lifted his back foot and kicked backward hard.
“Ugh!”
Niu Xingfa couldn’t help but cry out in pain as the kick struck his stomach.
The scream immediately attracted the attention of the horse gang disciple maintaining order, who came to check.
“Hey, hey, hey! What’s going on here?!”
“Move it! You may want to get rained on, but I don’t!”
Niu Xingfa was sharply scolded by the horse gang disciple who came to investigate.
But he didn’t dare utter a word.
It was because that kick had come from his Big Brother.
Big Brother had told him that whenever Big Brother hit him, it was because he had said something wrong, so he had to accept the beating.
But after the scolding horse gang disciple moved on ahead, Niu Xingfa looked up at his brother and couldn’t help asking:
“Big Brother, why did you hit me?”
Niu Xingwang turned his head and looked at his brother’s aggrieved expression. He curled his lips contemptuously and lowered his voice:
“Nonsense, do I need a reason to hit you?!”
“Move it! And keep your mouth shut on the way—don’t draw attention!”
His tone was strained.
“Hey! Hurry up up front! This young master is tired!”
Frustrated from being scolded and beaten, Niu Xingfa was already annoyed. Now, hearing the guy behind him also urging him on, he really wanted to lose his temper.
But after glancing at his brother’s eyes, Niu Xingfa shrank his neck and gave up the idea.
“Damn it…” The young man behind Niu Xingfa muttered under his breath.
This young man was quite different from the others, but the first thing that stood out was his clothes.
Unlike the tightly restrained prisoners, his clothes were not flashy or conspicuous—in fact, they could be called plain.
Yet among the dozens of people, he was the only one whose clothes looked somewhat decent.
So this young man was clearly an exception among the line of prisoners.
But… no matter how exceptional, how far could he go?
‘Damn it, once I finish the mission for the boss and Lord You, I’ll tear your mouth apart!’ Niu Xingfa thought through gritted teeth.
No longer paying attention to the muttering young man behind him, Niu Xingfa sidled up behind his brother, tiptoed, and whispered:
“B-Big Brother, is this really going to work?”
“I f-feel like Lord You is messing with us.”
“After all, who arranges for spies to be placed among a bunch of prisoners?”
Asked by his brother, this time Niu Xingwang didn’t resort to violence but fell into thought.
Ever since that night when Zhou Hongfang sent them away to execute a new mission, he and his brother had traveled day and night and finally reached the place where the “Executioner” was hiding.
But when they finally met that “Executioner”—
“Ah… it’s you two…”
“Hiss… I really can’t figure out what to do with you for the moment.”
“Improvise.”
“…Hey, I’ve got it! Why don’t you two blend into the prisoner convoy I’m sending out soon? You can keep an eye on those goods for me, and…”
“Adapt to the situation.”
“This is really a win-win situation.”
“Anyway, they’re Ding Er’s men. Hmm… settled!”
Recalling that frivolous-talking superior of his superior, Niu Xingwang couldn’t help but shudder.
‘Damn it, the Jie sect is full of lunatics!’
‘Giving out random orders for pointless things!’
‘If it weren’t to wipe the slate clean of what happened before, why would we brothers have to suffer like this?!’
Niu Xingwang clenched his teeth tightly, not letting his anger show.
“B-Big Brother?”
His brother behind him was still calling.
“……Enough, quiet down.” Niu Xingwang was silent for a long while before lowering his voice, his tone tinged with uncertainty.
“Whether he’s messing with us or not, since we took the job, we have to see it through. Did you forget what the boss said? If we succeed, the past is wiped clean, and there’s a reward.”
“B-But…” Niu Xingfa wanted to say more.
“But what?!” Niu Xingwang glared at him. “Just do it!”
Niu Xingfa shrank his neck and dared not speak again.
The line continued moving forward. The sky grew darker, and moisture was already in the wind.
Niu Xingwang looked up at the sky, his brow furrowing deeper. He glanced back behind him, then at the endless line ahead.
He didn’t say anything further, just quickened his pace.