The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 244 Starting to Worry About People (First Update)

Chapter 244: 244 Starting to Worry About People (First Update)

After she boarded the carriage, Li Xianyun bid farewell to the people of the Northern Region, leaned against the carriage wall, and closed her eyes to rest.

Her physical strength had been severely depleted today, she was indeed very tired. She had intended to close her eyes and rest for a while, but unexpectedly fell asleep.

It wasn’t until Youlan called her from outside, "Master, we have returned to the mansion," that she opened her eyes from a drowsy state. As she shifted her body slightly, her thigh root was in such pain that she cursed Yelu Yan in her mind again.

She wasn’t used to swearing at people, her words were limited to "flirtatious man," "barbarian," and "beast in human clothing."

And she made up her mind that she could no longer indulge Yelu Yan in the future, and couldn’t let him continue his reckless ways.

As her body gradually adapted to the pain, Li Xianyun stepped down from the carriage.

The night had fallen completely, the autumn wind was blowing leaves all around, and four dim lanterns on the tall gatehouse of the residence swayed gently in the breeze.

It was very quiet all around; the sound of horses’ hooves treading in place and the horses’ deep snorting could be heard.

A guard dressed as a young servant had come forward as the carriage approached, and now he said to Li Xianyun respectfully, "Master, we’ve caught two suspicious individuals. They were captured by us when they attempted to destroy the preserves."

All of this was within Li Xianyun’s expectations, "You have done well, hold the prisoners securely. I will interrogate them shortly."

"Yes!"

"Has the master returned yet?" Li Xianyun asked.

The guard shook his head, "He has not yet returned, but the master sent word before dusk, saying that he has spotted the traces of the bandits and has taken men to pursue them. He asked you not to wait for him, to eat well and rest early."

Li Xianyun nodded and began walking towards the main building, but a worry started to gnaw at her.

The robbers were desperados of unknown origins, ruthless and cunning, with swords and blades indifferent to whom they harmed, and now in such a pitch-black night without stars or moon, how could she not be worried about Yelu Yan?

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice she had taken the wrong path.

It was not until Youlan and Zhuo Ma called her several times from behind that Li Xianyun became aware, and, lifting her gaze, she saw she had been walking down a pitch-dark path, while a young servant holding a lantern was waiting on another path.

Li Xianyun, with a warm flush to her face, walked back to the correct path.

Upon returning to the main building, Li Xianyun could finally take off her soiled clothes.

Although she wore a fragrant sachet today, she was still afraid that others might smell something, and she hoped that even if they did smell something, they wouldn’t be able to recognize what it was.

After changing into clean clothes, Li Xianyun had some food and then went to the room where the prisoners were kept.

Two young maids were tied up with ropes and locked inside.

The guard said, "Be careful, Master. These two people are extremely skilled in martial arts. After I released them from the traps, they almost escaped."

No wonder they needed to be tied up so securely.

Li Xianyun had expected that someone might come to destroy her preserves, so she had set traps in the room where the preserves were stored.

Setting traps was something Li Xianyun was very skilled at.

The traps were located just beneath the bricks near the preserves, and stepping on the wrong brick would trigger the mechanism.

Every time she went with Youlan and Zhuo Ma to fetch preserves, she would deactivate the trap and then reactivate it after they had taken what they needed.

This time, the two maids had triggered the trap and were caught by the "Heavenly Net."

Li Xianyun ordered someone to remove the cloths stuffed in the maids’ mouths and asked indifferently, "Who are your accomplices?"

The two maids stiffened their necks and refused to speak.

Li Xianyun took a medicine bottle out of her sleeve and handed it to the guard, "Each person takes one pill."

"Yes!"

No one understood the human body better than a physician, and the medicine Li Xianyun concocted would make the body endure pain a thousand times over, unbearable for a normal person. It was perfect for coercing a confession.

Sure enough, after taking the medicine, the two people soon confessed cleanly about their accomplices.

Li Xianyun sat in the Taishi Chair and ordered the guard to make the arrests.

Following the list, the guard swiftly captured around fourteen or fifteen people.

Li Xianyun was shocked; they had fallen into a den of thieves. Ma Zhaoming, that martial artist, was too careless. So many spies had infiltrated without his knowledge.

These spies even included an elderly maid who tidied up Li Xianyun’s inner chambers.

The old maid glared viciously at the two women who had confessed, "Useless things!"

One of the maids cried out, "We didn’t want to either, but the pain was just too unbearable."

Moments later, the room was full of people kneeling. There were maids, young servants; they really came prepared.

The old maid’s face was full of wrinkles, and she sneered at Li Xianyun with a dark smile, "They are just hired hands; aside from me, they know nothing. And you’ll never pry anything from my lips!"

Li Xianyun chuckled lightly, "Who said I wanted to pry anything from you? I knew your motives from the start, why would I need you to tell me? Besides, my only goal was to catch you spies and clear the air."

The old maid was stunned and asked in disbelief, "You... what did you say?"

Li Xianyun chuckled, "Xiang Rong, to take such initiatives on your own, aren’t you afraid that Murong Ce will punish your crimes?"

Youlan, upon hearing this, was terrified and leaned toward Li Xianyun, calling out uneasily, "Master."

Xiang Rong was no ordinary person; she grew up with Murong Ce and was as ruthless and bloodthirsty as him, committing all kinds of evil deeds.

Her martial arts skills were extremely formidable, not to be underestimated.

Surprise was written all over the old maid’s face.

Li Xianyun chuckled, "I’ve always told you that you are no match for me, yet you never believe it. Murong Ce must have received news of my arrival at the Border Market and sent you here to lurk, waiting for the right moment to abduct me and take me back, right? But you didn’t want me to return to Murong Ce’s side, so you thought to create some trouble, to obstruct and delay the matter. Murong Ce has always been ruthless and unsympathetic, hating those who defy him the most. How could he possibly let you off for such open compliance and secret defiance?"

The old maid sneered coldly and raised her hand to tear off her human-skin mask, revealing a young and beautiful face.

Everyone but Li Xianyun was as shocked as if they had seen a ghost. What was clearly an old maid had suddenly turned into a young girl?

Youlan, frightened, clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her flesh.

Xiang Rong looked at Li Xianyun with cold eyes, "How did you discover me?"

"The eyes. No matter how one disguises themselves, the eyes never lie."

Xiang Rong sneered, "Do you think you can capture me with just the few of you?"

As she spoke, she tried to break out through the window, but found that she could not summon any of her martial arts skills at all.

Xiang Rong looked at Li Xianyun in shock, "What have you done to me?"

"Of course, I added a little something to your food, something that prevents one from using their skills for a short period."

With the enemy in the light and myself in the shadows, it couldn’t have been easier to tamper with something.

Li Xianyun looked toward the guard, "Lock her up, and leave the others for the master to interrogate."

These people were skilled and clearly capable; having spent a long time in Tianshui County, they must know something, and perhaps they could be made to reveal some information about the bandits.