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Chapter 614 Stationed
Although the past three days have been peaceful and uneventful, and nothing has happened, the fact that Zhu Yu was able to settle down here so comfortably is truly thanks to the courage he developed in his previous life.

Otherwise, let alone a woman, even an ordinary man would probably not be able to withstand it and would be frightened into serious injury.

All the bandits in the village were killed. During the day, corpses could be seen everywhere outside the inn, lying on the roadside. There were also dead people in the houses and courtyards next door. There was no life or sound during the day.

As night fell, the wild dogs that had been hiding in the mountains came running out to feast on the corpses in the darkness, their eyes seemingly glowing green in the dim moonlight.

Fortunately, in one of the rooms of this shady shop, the runes and talismans found many things that could be used as food. If they didn't care too much, it was enough for them to simply fill their stomachs every day.

The next day, Zhu Yu begged Lu Qing to accompany her to sneak out for a stroll, only to find a room full of skeletons.

Those skeletons are all human remains.

If you just leave it outside without burying it, a person will decompose into nothing more than a skeleton in one or two months at most, and it will be even faster in hot climates.

The bones were covered in dust, indicating that they had been dead for a long time.

“So many people…” Zhu Yu looked at the skeletons with some surprise and found that there were not only men and women, but also old and young. “Perhaps they were the original villagers of this village?”
It seems these bandits have been occupying someone else's estate for some time now.

Although this area is far from the capital, it can't be considered particularly remote, can it?
How could the local government be so incompetent?

"When you first married into this family and came with me to Qingshui County, didn't you already see that even right under the emperor's nose, right at the foot of the capital, people still dared to act recklessly?" Lu Qing replied with a half-smile.

When Zhu Yu heard him mention the corrupt and chaotic Qingshui County of yesteryear, he immediately understood—the tragedy that occurred there was not simply due to the incompetence of the local officials, but rather because someone in higher positions might have had ulterior motives and plans, which led to this deliberate "incompetence."

On the evening of the third day, someone came to the inn.

Fu Wen heard the noise first and quietly went out with Fu Lu to investigate. They returned in a hurry a moment later: "Master, the person you've been waiting for has arrived."

“They arrived earlier than I expected.” Lu Qing raised an eyebrow, stood up, and pulled Zhu Yu up as well. “Didn’t you ask me before who to contact with Fu Wen? Now that they’re here, let’s go out and meet them.”

Zhu Yu was a little curious, so she quickly followed Lu Qing to the front yard.

The front hall, which had been deserted for three days, was now filled with a group of people, making the previously empty space completely packed.

Those people had obviously come in from outside, and should have seen the corpses outside that had been gnawed to pieces by wild dogs. But now they stood there in unison, eyes fixed straight ahead, faces calm, as if they were not emotionally affected at all.

From their composed demeanor and their travel-worn yet inexplicably imposing appearance, Zhu Yu recalled the sixteen people who had quietly appeared at Yunyin Pavilion that day.

These people all had a similar air about them, like soldiers. As soon as the two appeared, the dark-faced man leading the group spotted Lu Qing at a glance and recognized him. He immediately stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting to Lu Qing: "Bian Yong greets Your Highness."

"General Bian, you're too kind. I'm no longer the Prince of Xiaoyao. I'm afraid I can't accept your address of 'Your Highness'," Lu Qing said with a smile, returning the greeting politely.

General Bian didn't seem to mind Lu Qing's polite words: "Your Highness is too kind. However, if you feel uncomfortable being addressed as such, then I will call you General Lu."
The young general has always praised your martial arts skills, and we subordinates have also heard about them.

"Very good." Lu Qing nodded, satisfied with the form of address.

"General Lu, what... has happened at this manor?" Bian Yong glanced outside. "You sent us here, what are your orders?"

"This manor was seized by bandits a long time ago. After that, I don't know if there was a fight, but it ended up like this now." Lu Qing didn't go into details about their previous experiences. "Now the bandits who seized the manor are all dead. This manor is complete in every way and in a good location. We can't just leave it here like this, otherwise who knows when another group of bandits will appear and take it over as their stronghold."

Bian Yong nodded knowingly: "The general is absolutely right. This place should indeed not be abandoned."

I'll have the brothers pack up in a bit. We have just the right number of people; this place is suitable for us."

Lu Qing pondered for a moment before speaking, "That would be very good, but I prefer to play it safe."

We have limited manpower and no way of knowing for the moment whether their accomplices are still stationed nearby.

“There shouldn’t be any,” Bian Yong replied immediately after hearing him finish speaking. “When we came here, we also investigated the surrounding area and confirmed that there were no traces of bandits. There was only a village that looked like it had been abandoned for a long time in the back mountain to the north.”

Therefore, the bandits in this village probably have no other accomplices.

"Accomplices... such a huge mountain, it's still possible to have them." Lu Qing said with a smile, his tone ambiguous, seemingly joking, yet also appearing to be speaking seriously.

Unlike those familiar with talismans and runes, Bian Yong was somewhat puzzled when he looked at Lu Qing. Only after Lu Qing nodded at him did he confirm his suspicions.

“General Lu is absolutely right. However, we only have so many brothers. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until I send someone to deliver a letter to see if we can send more men over,” he said to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing nodded in satisfaction: "Brothers, you've had a long and tiring journey. Get some rest early tonight, and tomorrow I'll have my two attendants help you pack up."

Bian Yong thanked him politely, then turned and told the brothers who had come with him to tidy up the guest rooms so that they could at least find a place to rest that night.

When the corpse covered with a fake skin was carried out, Bian Yong's usually calm face finally showed a hint of surprise. He turned to look at Lu Qing, who was calmly watching from the side, and seemed to understand a little better.