From the capital to Xiuzhou, it took about six or seven days to get there. Because it was a secret investigation, they took a small road instead of the official road. They suffered a lot along the way. Fortunately, they rode good horses, which were faster than ordinary horses. They didn't rest much on the way. It took only five days to get to Xiuzhou. They entered the city smoothly. Xiuzhou has a humid climate. Although it is winter, it is much warmer than the north. You can still see green plants, and some trees still have green leaves. Xiuzhou is famous for silk, satin, embroidery, etc., so it is one of the richest states in Daxuan. The spacious streets are crowded with people and very lively. Ning Chen and his companions led the horses forward. Suddenly, Ning Chen's face changed slightly, and he lowered his voice and said, "Hurry up and find an inn."
Pan Yucheng was startled, "What's wrong, what did you find?" Ning Chen shook his head, "It's my horse. Diao Chan is a war horse, and it's easy to be recognized. I forgot this." Just now, I accidentally glanced at it and noticed that Diao Chan was stronger and bigger than the horses of Pan Yucheng and others. Pan Yucheng glanced at it and found that Ning Chen's horse was indeed too conspicuous. "Let's go!" Pan Yucheng said in a low voice. The few of them found an inn, handed the horses to the waiter, and told him to feed them with concentrated feed. Immediately, Ning Chen generously asked for five upper rooms...Mr. Feng paid for it! He is now a young man from a noble family. If he is not arrogant and extravagant, he is not worthy of his current status. After settling down, the few of them met in Ning Chen's room. "Diao Chan is too conspicuous. I'll stay in this inn for now. I have to change a horse." Pan Yucheng said, "That's easy. Let's go to the horse market later." Ning Chen nodded and said, "Hmm!" Pan Yucheng asked, "What should we investigate next?" Ning Chen thought for a moment, "Let's take a rest first. Let's go to the horse market in the afternoon, buy a horse, and then we'll go straight to Qinghe County." Pan Yucheng was puzzled, "Didn't the cultivation of fairy flowers in Qinghe County fail? Why go to Qinghe County?" Ning Chen explained, "We only know that Qinghe County has planted fairy flowers. This is our only clue. We can only start from Qinghe County." Several people nodded. After running all the way, they were indeed a little tired.
They went back to their rooms to rest for a while. Then, they went downstairs, ate and drank enough, and went to the horse market. Ning Chen spent fifty taels of silver and bought an ordinary black-maned horse. This kind of horse can't run fast, but it has good endurance and is more suitable for pulling carts. Several people took advantage of the fact that the city gates were not closed yet, and after leaving the city, they rode their horses towards Qinghe County. Qinghe County is about a hundred miles away from Xiuzhou City. When they were halfway there, it was dark! Several people stopped to rest for a while, and also to let the horses rest. Suddenly, there was a sound from the nearby woods, like the sound of branches breaking. Before Ning Chen and his friends could investigate, a group of people suddenly rushed out of the woods, howling. These people were all wearing coarse linen clothes, and the weapons in their hands were also varied. They rushed over and surrounded Ning Chen and his friends. Ning Chen looked at these people, turned his head and asked Pan Yucheng, "Is this... mountain bandits?" Pan Yucheng smiled and said, "It seems so!" "Why did they scream when they rushed out?" Pan Yucheng said, "To scare us." Ning Chen said, "Oh," and smiled, "I thought they had some strange disease?" Ning Chen and his men looked relaxed, not panicking at all. There were only about 20 people on the other side... When they rushed over just now, their steps were clumsy, and they were not martial artists. "Hey? Stand still and don't move." A middle-aged man with a relatively strong figure, carrying a large knife, yelled at Ning Chen and his men fiercely. This man should be the leader of the mountain bandits. Ning Chen looked innocent, "We didn't move." The bandit leader said angrily, "You dare to talk back? Do you want to die?" Ning Chen shook his head, "No!" "If you don't want to, be honest... Do you know who we are?" "You are... bandits?" The bandit leader was furious: "Bullshit! We are green forest heroes who rob the rich and help the poor." Ning Chen held back his laughter, "Heroes, what can I do for you?" "Nonsense, of course I'm robbing, can I come to chat with you?"
The bandit leader said, pointing the big knife in his hand at Ning Chen: "Thieves also have their own code of conduct, don't rob funeral cars or wedding cars, don't rob teachers, don't rob traveling doctors, don't rob poor books Don't rob the living, don't rob Taoists, don't rob monks and nuns, don't rob poor people... Hurry up and tell me your names, what are your identities? " Ning Chen was amused, "I really didn't realize that you are more disciplined than those who eat the emperor's food." "Stop talking nonsense, who are you?" Ning Chen smiled and said, "I am a poor scholar." The bandit leader stared at Ning Chen for a while and sneered, "Do you think I'm stupid? You kid, you have a ghost head and toad eyes, you are not a good thing at first glance?" "You are dressed gorgeously, wearing silk and satin, riding a tall horse, and you still dare to say that you are a poor scholar?" Ning Chen's mouth twitched, and he touched his face. Is the ghost head and toad eyes okay? The bandit leader said angrily, "I can see that you are a young man from a noble family. Things like you are the worst... Now, take out all the valuables on you, and leave the horse... Otherwise, don't blame me for not recognizing people with my knife." Ning Chen smiled and shook his head. Feng Qi looked sideways and said, "Shall I go and get him?" Ning Chen nodded slightly. Feng Qizheng kicked his foot, and his whole body was shot out like a sharp arrow. He reached the bandit leader in a few quick steps. Before the bandit leader could raise his knife, Feng Qizheng's knife was already on his neck. "You have such little ability and you still imitate others in robbing? It's really embarrassing for the robbers." Feng Qizheng laughed. The bandit leader was so frightened that his face turned pale, sweat broke out on his forehead, and the knife in his hand fell to the ground. His legs weakened and he knelt down. "Sir, have mercy on me. I'm blind, so please have mercy on me..." The bandits around were all panicking. You looked at me, I looked at you. I didn’t know what to do for a while. Ning Chen walked over, picked up the large knife on the ground, and looked at the bandit leader, "Did you just say that this knife doesn't recognize anyone?" As soon as he finished speaking, he struck the latter's head with a knife. The bandit leader was so frightened that he screamed! A large knife flew past his scalp. The bandit leader was so frightened that his body was stiff, his eyes were dull, and his soul was gone. After a while, he realized that he was not dead... His whole body was shaking uncontrollably and he was sweating profusely. Ning Chen looked at him jokingly, "You're not lying. This knife really doesn't recognize people and almost cut off your master's head." Feng Qizheng looked at Ning Chen, "Are they all going to be cut down? These bandits are causing trouble and are causing great harm to the people nearby." Ning Chen shook his head, "They are not bandits... To be precise, they have only been doing this for a few days." Feng Qizheng was surprised, "Not bandits? Then who are these people?"
Ning Chen lowered his head and looked at the bandit leader, "Are you people from around here?" The bandit leader was so frightened that he hadn't recovered yet and turned a deaf ear to Ning Chen's words. Feng Qizheng looked surprised, "You said they are common people?" Ning Chen smiled and said: "Look at their weapons. When the bandits are robbing, whoever is carrying a hoe, a rake, a sickle... Only the leader has a knife, and he made it himself."
