The Passerby Hidden Guard Picked Up the Villain [Transmigration] - Chapter 11

The water current led He Yanzhi to a mountain wall. He reached out to feel it; it seemed no different from the exposed section above the surface, yet the flow of water did not stop upon hitting the stone wall. Instead, it moved downward.

He Yanzhi followed the flow and searched below. As expected, the bottom was not entirely solid rock; there was a gap that allowed passage.

Unsure of the situation on the other side and wanting to avoid an ambush, He Yanzhi picked up a stone and threw it inside. Seeing no reaction, he drew the dagger from his waist and dived in.

The stone passage was initially spacious enough for four people to swim side by side, but it grew narrower the further in he went. Any large movement would result in his limbs striking the jagged, uneven walls. Fortunately, He Yanzhi had a slender build, making his passage relatively smooth.

After traversing the stone tunnel, He Yanzhi emerged into another body of water, the air in his lungs nearly depleted. He found a massive boulder and surfaced behind it, gasping for air.

In the unfamiliar space, the faint sound of voices echoed.

He Yanzhi wiped his face and surveyed his surroundings.

To his surprise, behind the mountain wall lay a gargantuan circular cavern.

The river water gathered into a deep pool on the southern side, while the northern side consisted of flat land. Firelight and voices emanated from there.

He Yanzhi peeked out from behind the boulder. On the opposite bank, three or four men sat on lookout duty. Further inland, a dozen or so bandits were gathered around a man in a fur hat, talking. Behind them stood a chest as tall as a man.

The opposite bank was too far for He Yanzhi to hear their conversation. He looked around; the boulder before him was the only cover in the entire pool, making the situation rather tricky.

He Yanzhi took a deep breath, intending to submerge and attempt to get closer, when a hand suddenly rested on his shoulder.

“It is me.”

He Yanzhi’s elbow had already lunged backward, but Yang Kuang’s voice sounded just in time, causing him to check his force mid-strike.

He looked at the grinning man in disbelief and whispered, “How did you get in?”

Yang Kuang, with a strand of seaweed still draped over his head, whispered back, “Through the water, of course. Where else?”

He Yanzhi felt like rolling his eyes; the man was still joking at a time like this. “This location is hidden. How did you find it?”

“Found it with my hands. If you cannot see it, you can still feel it,” Yang Kuang chuckled. Seeing He Yanzhi’s serious expression, he answered properly, “I searched the water everywhere at first and could not find you. Later, A-Yin told me to follow the current and pass under the stone wall. That is how I found you.”

A flicker of doubt crossed He Yanzhi’s eyes.

According to the plot of the original book, Xiao Hongyin should have long been rescued by He Yu and be recovering in a secluded courtyard. There was no mention of him being involved in this case.

That Xiao Hongyin could think of searching for a cave by passing through the stone wall, perhaps the antagonist was simply naturally intelligent.

“He did not say anything else to you?” He Yanzhi asked.

“No. He said you had already gone down and told me to catch up with you quickly,” Yang Kuang stated frankly.

Upon hearing this, He Yanzhi raised an eyebrow slightly.

That little brat. He had explicitly told him to tell Yang Kuang to wait outside. His courage had certainly grown if he had learned to lie.

Yang Kuang, naturally unaware of this, looked toward the opposite bank with excitement. Seeing the people on shore, his eyes suddenly widened, and he patted He Yanzhi excitedly. “They, those water bandits!”

He Yanzhi had suspected this for a while. These men were originally acting under He Yu’s instructions to bury munitions in Xizhou and forge evidence. Who would have thought the incident with the birthday gifts would happen concurrently? They had simply decided to do both. Interestingly, he and Yang Kuang had stumbled upon them both times.

He Yanzhi moved aside to avoid Yang Kuang’s persistent patting. “Let us get out first.”

Yang Kuang asked in confusion, “Why?”

“They are agile, especially in the water. Furthermore, they outnumber us. There are only two of us; we need to get out and bring more reinforcements.” Having said that, He Yanzhi submerged.

Yang Kuang followed immediately. The two returned the way they came. When they surfaced, He Yanzhi heard Xiao Hongyin call his name excitedly.

The two returned to the bank just as a cold wind blew past. Yang Kuang sneezed three times in a row, and Xiao Hongyin draped the clothes he was holding over He Yanzhi’s shoulders.

“Hey, you brat. Why are your eyes only on your Brother Yan? Does your Brother Yang deserve to freeze to death?” Yang Kuang grumbled as he shiveringly snatched the outer robes from the other constables.

He Yanzhi looked at Yang Kuang, then at Xiao Hongyin. The reproach in his eyes was unmistakable.

Xiao Hongyin did not dare to argue with Yang Kuang. He lowered his head and whispered to He Yanzhi, “I am sorry. I was afraid it was too dangerous, so I.”

He was quite quick to admit it.

He Yanzhi looked at the cautious boy before him. Although he was displeased with the lie, he felt an odd sense of relief and comfort in his heart.

Very well. He would not hold it against him this time.

He Yanzhi said coldly, “There will not be a next time.”

Having discovered the location of the birthday gifts, He Yanzhi and Yang Kuang rushed back to the yamen without pause to report and request more men from the Prefect to surround the bandits.

Thinking that the upcoming operation would be dangerous, He Yanzhi let Yang Kuang lead the men ahead while he personally took Xiao Hongyin home before regrouping with them.

Yang Kuang galloped away. He Yanzhi turned his horse around and left the mountain forest.

Baoque Mountain was located on the outskirts of Xizhou. To return as quickly as possible, He Yanzhi chose the nearest small path.

Bits of yellow mud splashed where the horse’s hooves trod.

The riding figures moved swiftly through the path, startling a few birds along the way.

After fifteen minutes, the two were approaching the inner city. With only half the distance remaining, He Yanzhi squeezed the horse’s flanks and increased his speed.

To avoid falling, Xiao Hongyin clung tightly to He Yanzhi’s waist. However, for some reason, He Yanzhi suddenly pulled the reins, forcing the horse to a sharp halt that nearly threw them both off.

Several startled birds flew up from the path ahead. Looking into the distance, it seemed many people were rushing toward them.

He Yanzhi dared not be careless. Just then, a firework exploded in the sky, the signal for an emergency city lockdown. He seemed to realize something.

“Jiang Beihai has been rescued.”

Before Xiao Hongyin could process what he said, He Yanzhi turned the horse around and galloped back.

However, after running for a short while, the reins were forced tight again, and Xiao Hongyin’s face slammed hard into He Yanzhi’s back.

He let out a soft cry of pain and looked ahead. Not far away, the two secret guards who had previously tried to capture him were walking toward them.

They had actually followed him here!

“What a small world.”

He Yanzhi could not help but feel irritated.

The path was blocked both in front and behind. At this rate, a conflict with one of the parties was inevitable.

He Yanzhi hesitated, but Xiao Hongyin tugged at him and said, “Brother Yan, over there.”

He looked in that direction and saw thick bushes. At this point, taking temporary cover there was the only option.

The two dismounted. He Yanzhi suddenly had an idea; he pointed the horse toward the two secret guards and gave it a sharp slap. The horse neighed and bolted forward.

He Yanzhi led Xiao Hongyin to crouch in the bushes. Before long, the two secret guards pursued the horse, and from the other side, Jiang Beihai and his group were also approaching.

The two secret guards looked grim as they drew weapons from their waists. One said, “When we see the tall one later, kill him immediately.”

The other nodded in agreement and cursed, “He is getting in the way.”

They were fully prepared, only to come face to face with five or six burly men armed with sabers.

These men immediately blocked their path upon seeing them. Behind them, Jiang Beihai’s head was lowered as he was being carried on someone’s back. Beside him, an exotic beauty dressed in Miao clothing was looking at the two secret guards with a half-smile.

“Who goes there?” The two secret guards raised their swords warily. The burly men also drew their sabers, ready for a duel.

“That question should be asked of you two.”

A soft, gentle voice drifted out. The exotic beauty walked forward, the silver ornaments on his body tinkling.

He looked at one of the secret guards. His pale blue pupils were like a clear spring under the moonlight, possessing a strange allure.

The opponent dazed for a moment and actually spoke first: “We are pursuing a youth and happened to run into you. Since it is a misunderstanding, we shall take our leave.”

With that, the two secret guards attempted to leave, but the burly men suddenly attacked, surrounding them.

At that moment, Jiang Beihai, who had been silent with his head down, looked up at the exotic beauty. He opened his mouth and said, “Old Jin, let it go. If we are leaving, let us leave quickly.”

“Old Jiang, we are fleeing for our lives and were seen. If we do not clean this up, guess who will be the ones to die?” Jin Lanye’s gentle voice was enough to make one’s bones go soft, but the meaning behind his words was chilling.

The two secret guards stared at Jin Lanye, realizing that whether he was speaking or not, the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned. He had a naturally smiling face that was truly alluring.

A secret guard’s Adam’s apple bobbed instinctively; in an instant, several blades appeared before them.

The two sides began to fight. He Yanzhi and Xiao Hongyin saw everything clearly from the bushes, holding their breath to avoid making a sound.

The secret guards were well-trained after all. Faced with these burly men of incredible strength, they managed to hold their own, but their energy was soon nearly depleted.

Jin Lanye stood aside, watching silently. He uttered a single word: “Quick.”

The burly men began hacking at the two men like mad. The secret guards could not hold them off; they found an opening and quickly escaped the circle. After signaling each other, they rolled into the nearby dense bushes to obscure the men’s vision, only to crash into He Yanzhi and Xiao Hongyin.

The four individuals stared at each other, their eyes filled with utter confusion.

“Here!”

The burly men surrounded the bushes. When Jin Lanye arrived, he voiced the same question: “Oh? Why are there two more?”

He Yanzhi held Xiao Hongyin tightly as they were forced out of the bushes.

He also wanted to know why the two secret guards had suddenly rolled in, but Jin Lanye did not give him a chance to ask questions before ordering his men to kill them along with the secret guards.

“Wait!”

He Yanzhi wanted to struggle a bit more, but Jiang Beihai recognized his voice. He looked up and said in surprise, “It is you?”

Seeing Jiang Beihai’s reaction, Jin Lanye said with dissatisfaction, “You know each other?”

“Hahahaha, yes, we know each other. This is the brat who lied and told me you had gone to that damn gang and been captured. I did not expect to run into him here.” Jiang Beihai grew excited and said, “This boy is interesting. Old Jin, spare his life. I want to play with him a bit longer.”

Having never seen Jiang Beihai like this, a strange look appeared in Jin Lanye’s eyes as he looked at He Yanzhi.

“Very well. Then we shall ask this gentleman to come with us.”

“As for the others.”

A burly man brought out a coarse rope to bind He Yanzhi. He tried to pull Xiao Hongyin away, but He Yanzhi grabbed his arm and twisted it. “I want to see who dares to touch him.”

While the burly men were dealing with He Yanzhi, the two secret guards took the opportunity to break free and vanish without a trace.

Jin Lanye’s face darkened. They had already wasted too much time.

“Take them both.”