The Passerby Hidden Guard Picked Up the Villain [Transmigration] - Chapter 16

When He Yanzhi asked the question, Jin Lanye understood immediately. “Do you mean they hid the birthday gifts underwater?”

He Yanzhi was only speculating. “It is a possibility. It would not hurt to try.”

Jin Lanye summoned A-Pi and the others to search the entire riverbed thoroughly. However, half an hour later, A-Pi and the rest returned to the shore empty-handed.

“Are you certain you searched carefully?”

Having finally found a lead, Jin Lanye did not want it to end there. Just as he was about to tell A-Pi to go back down, He Yanzhi called them back.

“If something is hidden, it will naturally not be found easily. We need a direction.”

He gathered everyone to brainstorm and predict potential hiding spots.

Yang Kuan spoke without thinking, blurting out that the birthday gifts must be buried under the riverbed. Jin Lanye dismissed the idea, arguing that since A-Pi found nothing, they must be elsewhere, perhaps in the forest. He Yanzhi shook his head, suggesting the gifts might have been destroyed.

While they were in a deadlock, Xiao Hongyin approached He Yanzhi and asked, “Could they be up above?”

The moment he spoke, the three stopped their arguing and turned their gazes toward him.

“Above? In the sky? You certainly have a wild imagination, kid.” Yang Kuan looked up at the sky and let out a scoff.

Jin Lanye, however, did not think Xiao Hongyin was joking. Before he could raise a question, He Yanzhi grasped the meaning and spoke first. “On the stone walls inside the cave.”

A spark of light appeared in He Yanzhi’s dark eyes. He glanced at Xiao Hongyin and then called for men to follow him into the water.

Yang Kuan stopped him. “Brother He, take a rest. These brothers are enough to find a single object. Why must you worry about everything like an old mother hen?”

He Yanzhi stopped in his tracks. Thinking back, he had indeed been busy day and night without a moment of rest. He did not wish to be this way; he simply blamed his habit of handling everything personally, which was difficult to change.

Before He Yanzhi could answer, the men had already taken their gear and jumped into the water. After about forty-five minutes, A-Pi’s head suddenly popped out of the water. “We found it!”

The weight on everyone’s hearts finally lifted. Yang Kuan waved his hand, ordering all the bailiffs to help haul the birthday gifts out of the water.

A piece of red coral stone, half the height of a person, was lifted inch by inch from the water. Its crystal-clear surface emitted a faint red glow under the moonlight.

After all these days of effort, the birthday gifts were finally found. Yang Kuan immediately had men carefully pack the stone into a crate, seal it, and place it on a large flatbed cart. The group then began their journey back.

He Yanzhi placed Xiao Hongyin on the cart as well. He turned to Jin Lanye and said, “I will explain the truth of the matter to the Excellency. You should reunite with the Chief as soon as possible and head south.”

Jin Lanye nodded and handed him a list of ingredients for the Sin Tea.

This was what they had agreed upon.

Kidnapping a wanted criminal of the imperial court was a serious crime. Even if they redeemed themselves by finding the birthday gifts, they would still be held accountable. Furthermore, the Water Transport Gang was a prominent target, and the government had long been looking for an excuse to suppress them. If the two of them did not leave now, they might never see the light of day again.

While Jin Lanye and Jiang Beihai headed south to the Miao region to escape the disaster, He Yanzhi would say as many good words as possible in front of the Prefect.

In return, Jin Lanye gave He Yanzhi the tea recipe that could alleviate the cold poison.

“I am ashamed,” Jin Lanye said. “I only have a superficial knowledge of medicine. Once I return to my homeland, I will find a way to secure a permanent cure for you.”

“Thank you, Vice-Chief. Farewell.”

After the two said their goodbyes, Jin Lanye and his men departed by boat.

He Yanzhi mounted his horse and returned to the column. As he passed the flatbed cart, he stole a glance at the sleeping person before riding to the front of the line.

Xiao Hongyin leaned against the crate behind him, his slender legs dangling off the cart and swaying with the bumps in the road.

Once He Yanzhi had gone, he slowly opened his eyes. Beneath the outer robe covering him, his pale fingers tightened slightly around a small fragment of red coral stone.

When the birthday gifts were returned to the government office intact, the Prefect was hosting a visiting Inspector. He Yanzhi and Yang Kuan reported the matter, and the Inspector immediately clapped in approval.

“Lord Wu has performed a great service in solving this case. The Emperor will surely be pleased.”

The Prefect smiled modestly. “Not at all. It is thanks to Lord Su’s powerful supervision!”

The Inspector asked He Yanzhi and Yang Kuan to detail the events so the secretary could record them for the imperial report.

The Prefect nodded in agreement. The Inspector, who had encountered a solved case within a day of his arrival, was very pleased and insisted on holding a banquet. The Prefect did not dare refuse. He signaled He Yanzhi with a look to find him later and then escorted the Inspector out of the yamen.

“Judging by the Excellency’s expression, Brother He, you are about to be promoted.” Yang Kuan draped an arm over He Yanzhi’s shoulder, only to receive a glare.

He Yanzhi moved a step to the left and said, “Let us go.”

The two returned to their rooms to pack. He Yanzhi stuffed the rabbit doll at the very bottom and picked up his bundle to leave.

Outside the yamen, Xiao Hongyin used his clothes to shield his face and hid under a tree. Once He Yanzhi appeared, he followed him home.

For some reason, He Yanzhi chose the longest route home, nearly circling the entire town.

While crossing a stone bridge, He Yanzhi suddenly stopped. Xiao Hongyin waited obediently as He Yanzhi left for about fifteen minutes. When he returned, he was carrying an extra bundle.

“Put these on.”

Xiao Hongyin took the bundle and opened it. Inside, besides clothing, were steaming hot buns.

It was already six in the morning.

After a chaotic night, they had lost track of time.

Xiao Hongyin held a bun out to He Yanzhi, but after being refused, he began to eat it himself.

The two returned to the courtyard and took a relaxing hot bath to wash away the exhaustion.

Once Xiao Hongyin went to rest, He Yanzhi pulled the rabbit doll from his bundle. He pulled off its ears and the wooden stick, then poured a packet of black pills inside, mixing them with the original pills before restoring the rabbit to its original state.

These pills were specifically refined for him by an imperial physician sent by He Yu. They were placed under the stone bridge by the river at regular intervals to suppress the cold poison in his body.

He Yanzhi had once tried to endure it on his own, but the cold energy in his body could not be suppressed without the medicine.

Fortunately, he now had the ingredients for the Sin Tea. Although he was not yet cured, he had freed himself from the dependency on the pills and no longer needed to maintain contact with He Yu.

As for the Prefect, once He Yanzhi finished his report, he would be free of those bonds as well.

At present, the only concern was Xiao Hongyin.

According to their earlier agreement, they would have no more dealings with each other once Xiao Hongyin’s wounds healed.

He Yanzhi was never one for sentimentality. For him, this was a simple matter of a single sentence. Once Xiao Hongyin recovered tomorrow, he would find an opportunity to explain.

Inside the room, Xiao Hongyin, whose body had been softened by the hot water, dived into the quilt and fell asleep almost instantly. He occasionally dreamt of his past life and muttered nonsense. When he finally opened his eyes, it was already noon the next day.

Xiao Hongyin got out of bed in a daze and dressed. As soon as he opened the bedroom door, he was greeted by the mouth-watering aroma of food.

He instinctively followed the scent, but his head was heavy from sleep. His legs knocked against a wooden stool, making a sharp clattering sound.

He Yanzhi happened to walk in carrying a dish. Seeing Xiao Hongyin wince in pain, he feigned a scolding tone. “Watch where you are going.”

Xiao Hongyin rubbed his eyes and sat on the stool. Once He Yanzhi had brought out all the dishes, the boy picked up his chopsticks to serve himself. Just as the food reached his lips, a surge of soreness shot through his shoulder. His hand shook, and the food fell onto his clothes.

He Yanzhi frowned.

Xiao Hongyin silently picked the food off his clothes and set it aside, then tried to pick up a piece of meat. However, the meat had been cooked until it was glossy and smooth; he struggled for a long time without success. He looked at He Yanzhi innocently.

“…”

He Yanzhi helplessly went to the kitchen to fetch a spoon. Only then did Xiao Hongyin begin to devour the food contentedly.

One had to admit that He Yanzhi’s cooking was excellent. Not only were the dishes beautiful and fragrant, but the methods were quite novel. These were flavors Xiao Hongyin had never tasted before.

The tender meat was coated in a sweet and sour sauce that stimulated the appetite, and even ordinary vegetable leaves had a unique freshness.

Xiao Hongyin even wondered if He Yanzhi had worked as an imperial chef before following He Yu.

“Eat slowly.”

He Yanzhi had only taken a few bites, yet Xiao Hongyin had already finished half a bowl of rice. He was forced to move the boy’s bowl away, letting him finish what was in his mouth before continuing.

However, despite his close supervision, Xiao Hongyin still choked and began to cough.

He Yanzhi shook his head. While patting the boy’s back to help him breathe, he thought to himself that this kid could not even take care of himself.

Once the meal was finally finished, Xiao Hongyin conscientiously offered to help wash the dishes. For some reason, He Yanzhi actually agreed. He lived to regret it, eventually sighing as he looked at the broken shards scattered across the floor.

“I am sorry, Brother Yan. I did not mean to.”

Xiao Hongyin was ordered to stand aside and not move. He Yanzhi cleaned up the mess alone with a dark face and then left the house to buy new dishes.

After he left, Xiao Hongyin dropped his pitiful and innocent expression and silently snapped the only broom into two pieces.

The market was not far, but He Yanzhi stayed away for a long time. It was not that he could not find dishes, but that he spent the entire walk thinking about how to word his goodbye. He slowed his pace without realizing it.

Thinking of something, He Yanzhi suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh and then resumed his normal speed.

When he pushed open the courtyard door and went to the kitchen, Xiao Hongyin was nowhere to be found.

“A-Yin?”

He Yanzhi glanced at the broken broom on the floor and turned toward the bedroom. He called out several times but received no response.

His breathing quickened. After searching the entire courtyard, he leaped onto the roof. He did not care if he attracted the attention of the city guards; he used the high vantage point to search the vicinity for Xiao Hongyin.

During the day, the streets were crowded. If Xiao Hongyin were among the people, his frail frame would be hard to spot at a glance.

He Yanzhi ran across the rooftops, tempted to jump into the crowd to search, but he abandoned the idea because moving through the flow of people would be too slow.

He circled the outskirts of the city at his fastest pace for several hours until his throat was parched. He gritted his teeth and cursed the brat, thinking he would definitely give him a beating once he was found.

While thinking of how to punish Xiao Hongyin, He Yanzhi did not stop. He left the city gates and headed for the countryside. Suddenly, as he passed a wild pond, he caught the person who had run away without permission.

He Yanzhi grabbed Xiao Hongyin by the collar and pulled him close.

The fishing rod in the boy’s hand fell to the ground, and the fresh carp in the bamboo basket thrashed its tail frantically.

Xiao Hongyin’s expression shifted from panic back to composure, then to unease. He silently lowered his head.

He Yanzhi told him to look up.

“If you want to die, just say so.” He spoke with a gaze that was terrifyingly cold.

“Brother Yan, I…”

Before Xiao Hongyin could explain, He Yanzhi released him. Xiao Hongyin lost his balance and stumbled a few steps. He heard He Yanzhi speak again, every word striking his heart.

“Since this is how it is, I will no longer look after you. There is no more connection between us.”