frightfiction Chapter 1378 Fortunately
Chapter 1378 Fortunately
Upon hearing this, Madam Hu's tense back suddenly slumped, and tears welled up once again, not of sorrow, but of relief at surviving a calamity.
She knelt again, wanting to perform a deep bow of gratitude, but Lin Yiwan raised her hand to stop her.
"It's late, and you're not feeling well, so there's no need for formalities." Lin Yiwan's voice was still cool, but it lacked some of the previous aloofness.
She turned to Zi'er and instructed, "Take Madam Hu downstairs to rest, and have the kitchen prepare a bowl of ginger soup to ward off the chill."
Zi'er stepped forward and helped the unsteady Madam Hu walk outside.
Madam Hu looked back repeatedly as she gazed at Lin Yiwan's retreating figure, her eyes filled with gratitude. Reaching the door, she suddenly stopped, turned back, and whispered, "Madam Hou, that register is hidden on the beam of the Wolf Head Gang's assembly hall, tightly wrapped in oilcloth; it's not easily found by others."
Lin Yiwan nodded slightly, indicating that she understood.
Only after the two figures had completely disappeared outside the door did she slowly turn around and look out at the deep night.
There wasn't a single star in the inky sky; only the wind rustled the fallen leaves in the courtyard.
Although today's annihilation of Hu Tianyi, the leader of the Wolf Head Gang, was a great victory, Lin Yiwan knew in her heart that the real culprit, Rong Zhiyu, was still hiding in the shadows.
Moreover, she was quite surprised to find that there were people in the court who were colluding with Hu Tianyi.
She never expected that Hu Tianyi, a bandit leader, would dare to rob disaster relief grain. If he didn't have anyone backing him up, he wouldn't dare to do it even if he had ten times the courage.
That roster is now the key to tearing apart this dark web.
However, she couldn't yet see how deep the water was in all of this.
Just then, soft footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a familiar voice: "Madam, your subordinate has brought the Marquis's secret letter!"
Lin Yiwan's eyes sharpened. Who else could it be but Ying Yi?
She quickly said, "Bring it in!"
A moment later, Ying Yi strode in. He was tall and straight with a cold expression. Upon seeing Lin Yiwan, he knelt on one knee and said, "This subordinate greets Madam."
"Get up." Lin Yiwan raised her hand, her tone calm. "Has the Marquis given any instructions?"
Yingyi stood up, bowed her head and reported, "The Marquis is very worried about you, Madam. He instructed you to be careful in everything you do, especially since he heard that some officials in the court have been making unusual moves after hearing that you have come to the Wolf Head Gang!"
Lin Yiwan frowned in thought, presumably because of the list of officials and bandits that Madam Hu had mentioned.
She lowered her eyes and pondered, "I understand. Tomorrow morning, I will personally retrieve the roster and then set off back to the capital."
Yingyi added, "There's something else. While I was walking around outside the stronghold just now, I spotted a few suspicious-looking people. Judging from their skills, they don't seem like ordinary bandits, but rather like..."
He paused, then lowered his voice: "They seem to be secret agents of certain people in the court."
Lin Yiwan's face instantly darkened. Sure enough, they acted so quickly. It seemed the people behind Hu Tianyi had already realized he was in trouble and had sent someone to silence him and seize the roster.
"How many people are there? Did you see where they came from?" Lin Yiwan pressed.
“There were about seven or eight people, all of them agile. They were sneaking around outside the village, spying on us, but were discovered by my men and quickly left,” Yingyi replied. “They were extremely cautious and left no trace.”
Lin Yiwan remained silent for a moment, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. Now that the other party had come knocking, she could no longer sit idly by and wait for her fate.
Lin Yiwan's voice carried an unquestionable authority, "Strengthen security tonight. Arrange for guards to be stationed at all exits of the stronghold, and no one is allowed to enter or leave without authorization. In addition, have the secret guards quietly follow them to find out where their hideout is."
"Yes!" Ying Yi accepted the order and turned to leave.
Lin Yiwan called out to him, "Wait a minute. Send two more people to guard Madam Hu and her son. Make sure they are safe."
Ying Yi replied, "Understood."
After Yingyi left, Lin Yiwan sat alone under the lamp, gazing at the flickering candlelight, her thoughts churning.
She suddenly remembered the sleeping baby in Madam Hu's arms, with its exquisitely beautiful appearance, and her heart softened.
If what Mrs. Hu said is true, then she and her child are the most innocent people in this turmoil. She must protect them.
Just then, Zi'er came in carrying a steaming bowl of ginger soup: "Madam, it's late and the dew is heavy. Why don't you have a bowl of ginger soup to warm yourself up?"
Lin Yiwan took the ginger soup, the warm liquid sliding down her throat and into her stomach, dispelling much of the chill. She pursed her lips and asked, "Has Madam Hu been settled?"
Zi'er nodded and said, "It's all settled. The young master is asleep, and Madam Hu has drunk the ginger soup and is resting. However, she still seems a little worried. Before going to sleep, she pulled me aside and asked several times if anyone would come looking for revenge."
Lin Yiwan put down the porcelain bowl and said calmly, "Tell her that with me here, no one can hurt her in the slightest."
Zi'er responded with "Yes," and then asked, "Madam, you've been busy all day. Does your wound still hurt? Would you like me to change your dressing again?"
Lin Yiwan then remembered that she had accidentally cut her arm during her fight with Hu Tianyi, but she had been so busy treating her grandfather that she had forgotten about the pain.
She raised her hand to touch the bandage on her arm and chuckled, "It's nothing, just a minor injury. It's late, you should go and rest too, you don't need to keep watch here anymore."
Zi'er stood there stubbornly: "This subordinate will stay with Madam, so that we can help each other if anything happens."
Lin Yiwan teased, "Ying Yi's here, aren't you going to see him?"
Zi'er's pretty face immediately turned red, and she subconsciously shook her head: "No, seeing him is not as important as protecting the madam!"
Lin Yiwan shook her head helplessly, but didn't try to persuade her any further. She knew Zi'er's personality; once she made up her mind, nothing could change it.
As night deepened, the entire mountain village fell into silence, with only the soft footsteps of the night patrol echoing along the corridor.
Lin Yiwan sat under the lamp, picked up a book, but read it absentmindedly. She had a feeling that tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful.
Sure enough, about an hour later, a very faint sound of clothes rustling in the air came from outside the window. Lin Yiwan suddenly looked up, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
She put down her book, walked slowly to the window, and by the dim candlelight, saw several dark figures flitting across the courtyard wall like ghosts, heading towards the Hall of Gathering Righteousness.
Just in time.
Lin Yiwan's lips curled into a cold smile as she turned to the door and said in a deep voice, "Shadow One, make your move."
The moment the words fell, a clanging sound of weapons clashing suddenly rang out from outside the courtyard, accompanied by several short screams, shattering the tranquility of the night.
The crisp sound of clashing weapons made the paper windows tremble.
Shadow One had already led his guards to ambush around the Hall of Righteousness. As soon as the shadowy figures reached the beams, they were surrounded by black-clad guards who surged out from all directions.