Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 191 Extra Mo Yun (1)

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we will tell you about a thrilling and bizarre case that happened in the capital last month. Now, the country has just been settled, the emperor is wise, culture is flourishing, and everything is thriving. However, it is not uncommon for bandits and robbers to run rampant."

On the second day of the second lunar month, everything seemed normal, but little did they know that a great calamity was about to befall them. A gang of forty or fifty bandits, incredibly audacious, were approaching the government offices under the cover of night. Each member was highly skilled in martial arts and ruthless.

Although the government guards were dutiful, they were no match for the bandits' overwhelming force. They charged into the government compound like tigers descending a mountain. Guess what happened? An old man with a white beard, telling a story in a teahouse, vividly described the scene, and all the guests listened intently, holding their breath.

One of the young men, who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, had a healthy, wheat-colored complexion and particularly bright eyes. His clothes were faded from washing and patched in places. There was only a dish of peanuts on his table; he was clearly there to listen to storytelling to pass the time. He popped a peanut into his mouth and urged with a grin, "Old man Sun, hurry up and tell the story! Stop keeping us in suspense!"

The white-bearded old man glared at him, then continued, "Mo Yun, you little brat, how dare you talk to your grandpa like that! Before those officials could even react, they were slaughtered by this gang of bandits. More than twenty officials perished, and the bandits looted a large amount of gold, silver, and cloth from the government office!"

Mo Yun didn't refute, she just laughed, which made Old Man Sun so angry that his beard trembled.

The crowd erupted in uproar, like a thunderclap in a clear sky. Someone actually dared to rob the government office! And even killed more than twenty officials! How incredibly audacious! Yan Mingzhang and Changfeng, sitting in the corner of the teahouse, exchanged a glance. Changfeng whispered a few words in Yan Mingzhang's ear: "Young Master, it seems that this matter has spread among the people! No wonder the Master has been nowhere to be seen these past few days; he must be very busy."

Yan Mingzhang nodded, his expression serious: "The situation is more complicated than we imagined. As long as the official silver cannot be found, the capital will not have peace. But right now, there is not a single clue about the official silver."

The old man suddenly raised his voice again: "That's not all! This audacious gang of robbers has now set their sights on the imperial treasury. The imperial treasury is heavily guarded and should be an impregnable fortress. But these robbers, using some unknown means, have managed to break in. They looted all the precious official silver and other valuables, and then disappeared without a trace."

Suddenly, a sense of panic arose among the crowd. A burly man exclaimed, "Oh dear, what are we going to do? These people are all desperate criminals. If they come to rob us of our money, how can we protect ourselves?"

The crowd echoed the sentiment, and the scene became chaotic for a moment.

Mo Yun burst out laughing loudly.

The man flew into a rage and demanded, "What are you laughing at, you brat?"

Mo Yun sized up the man with a disdainful look, took a bite of the pastry in her hand, and then said unhurriedly, "Those big thieves raid the royal treasury. Who would care about your pittance? Don't worry, no one will steal it!"

The man was furious, his face flushed red, and he stood up: "You...you...are you in cahoots with the thieves, speaking up for them like this?"

Mo Yun leaned back, crossed his legs, and said leisurely, "I was just telling the truth. I wasn't speaking up for them. Are you implying that your family is richer than the Emperor?" Chang Feng chuckled and whispered, "This kid may be a bit sharp-tongued, but he's telling the truth."

Yan Mingzhang smiled without saying a word, as he keenly sensed that this boy named Mo Yun seemed to know something.

Old Man Sun quickly tried to smooth things over: "Distinguished guests, please don't worry. The court has already learned of this matter, and His Majesty is furious. He has ordered that these robbers be apprehended and the government silver recovered. I believe these criminals will be brought to justice soon."

Mo Yun tilted his head back and drank the tea in the cup in one gulp, then shook his head with a smile. Finding it back? Not so easy!

Yan Mingzhang glanced at him with some curiosity. The young man seemed to know something. He lowered his head and whispered a few words to Changfeng, who nodded in understanding.

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After eating and drinking his fill, Mo Yun tossed down a few copper coins, flicked his sleeves, and strode out the door with an air of nonchalance. Chang Feng, without uttering a word, stood up and followed him.

Mo Yun was very alert. After walking one street, he realized that someone was following him. So he deliberately circled around several alleys. He had grown up in the city and was very familiar with these winding alleys. Although Chang Feng also grew up in the capital, he was a martial arts fanatic and did not like to go shopping. His most important thing every day was to practice swordsmanship at the Yan residence. Therefore, he was not familiar with these alleys and soon lost him.

"What are you doing following me, kid!" Suddenly, a person appeared on the wall. It was Mo Yun! He was sitting on the wall with one leg dangling down, a smile on his lips, but wary in his eyes. Sometime during the day, he had a peach blossom in his hand. The peach blossom was in full bloom, with dewdrops still clinging to it, as if it had just been picked.

Changfeng was startled by the voice and immediately became alert. Seeing that it was Moyun, he clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Young hero, our young master wants to see you. He has some questions to ask you about the theft of the official silver."

Mo Yun sneered, leaped down from the wall, and waved his hand, saying, "I didn't steal the official silver, why are you asking me? Besides, who does your young master think he is? Does he think I have to see him just because he says so? What does it have to do with me? I'm not seeing him! Stop following me, you're so annoying! Stop following me! Or I'll beat you up!"

Mo Yun turned to leave, and Chang Feng, seeing this, panicked and reached out to stop her. Mo Yun reacted swiftly, throwing the peach branch at Chang Feng with fluid, effortless movements. Chang Feng, also a master, stepped back, leaning slightly backward, and instantly drew his sword from his waist, without fully unsheathing it. His sword flashed like lightning, creating several flourishes in the air. With a clang, the scabbard struck the peach branch precisely, the powerful force instantly knocking the blossoms down, leaving the branch a bare stick.

Upon seeing this, Mo Yun glared at her and angrily shouted, "This is a gift I was going to give to Xiao Hua, and you've turned it into a wooden stick! You have no sense of romance at all!"

Changfeng knew he was in the wrong, his face flushed red, but not wanting to lose face, he said, "Why are you, a grown man, so angry over a peach blossom branch?"