The Passerby Hidden Guard Picked Up the Villain [Transmigration] - Chapter 6

“Young Master Yan certainly knows how to do business.”

The man came to a halt in front of him. His voice was aged and dry, sounding as though it had echoed out from the depths of a withered well.

He Yanzhi was in no mood for nonsense. Although he knew the man’s purpose, he told him to speak quickly.

Despite standing close to each other, the night was dark and moonless, leaving He Yanzhi unable to see the stranger’s face. However, from the man’s presence alone, he could tell that this person possessed extraordinary martial skills.

In the original novel, there was very little description of the Crown Prince’s faction. He Yanzhi estimated that this man was likely just a background character.

“Three hundred taels to find the Birthday Gifts,” the withered well voice said.

“Sir, you seem to have made a mistake. I am but a lowly official. Investigating cases is not under my jurisdiction.”

“Young Master Yan is joking. For someone who can secretly swap out imperial prisoners, finding an excuse to sneak into an investigation should not be a difficult task.”

The voice remained relaxed and natural. He Yanzhi remained calm, silently clenching his fist.

“Rest assured, Young Master Yan. If you can take this three hundred taels, we certainly will not pursue your previous actions.”

Without waiting for He Yanzhi’s reply, the voice explained how to contact them in the future and departed. He Yanzhi did not linger either; he left the courtyard and headed straight for the magistrate’s office.

He and Yang Kuan had already made an agreement to stay the night at the office to avoid oversleeping.

He Yanzhi had only walked a few steps when he saw Yang Kuan passing by in a hurry. Seeing him running around instead of sleeping in the middle of the night, He Yanzhi called out to him. Surprisingly, Yang Kuan ignored him and instead vanished behind a rockery.

Suspicion arose in He Yanzhi’s mind. Just as he was about to follow, he saw Yang Kuan walking toward him from the opposite side.

“What took you so long? Is A-Yin settled in?” Yang Kuan let out a yawn, the imprint of a straw mat still visible on the side of his face from his sleep.

He Yanzhi snapped back to his senses immediately and rushed toward the direction where the first figure had gone. Yang Kuan followed him behind the rockery, looking completely bewildered. He found He Yanzhi frowning, staring intently at a torn piece of ivy on the wall.

“They escaped,” He Yanzhi said.

“What escaped? Who escaped?” Yang Kuan was confused.

He Yanzhi briefly explained what had just happened. Yang Kuan’s sleepiness vanished instantly.

The two searched the vicinity together. On the path that led inevitably to the jail, He Yanzhi discovered a scale-like silver fragment the size of a fingernail.

“A decorative item from the Miao Frontier. It belongs to Jin Lanye.”

He Yanzhi instructed Yang Kuan to notify the jailers and accompany them inside to conduct a headcount. Meanwhile, He Yanzhi and Yang Kuan headed straight for the cell where Jiang Beihai was being held.

“Those people from the Canal Gang! Do they have the audacity to try and break someone out of prison?” Yang Kuan was exceptionally furious, cursing the entire way.

When they found Jiang Beihai still locked up, Yang Kuan wanted to haul him up and give him a piece of his mind. He Yanzhi stopped him. “Let us check for any openings first.”

Breaking someone out of prison is a technical skill. Usually, those who come to scout the area beforehand leave something behind to coordinate with the prisoner from the inside.

He Yanzhi told Yang Kuan to inspect the cell doors, windows, and walls first, then search Jiang Beihai’s person, and finally, keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior among the jailers.

Their search created quite a commotion. On the other side, Jiang Beihai remained tied up, his head hanging motionless against a prison uniform stained with blood and filth.

When he was lifted, a pair of slanted eyes opened into a tiny slit beneath his matted hair, watching the person in front of him.

Yang Kuan searched him twice but found nothing. He turned to He Yanzhi in frustration. “There is nothing. What the hell did that bastard come here for?”

He Yanzhi, however, remained calm. “That is exactly right.”

Yang Kuan asked in confusion, “What is right?”

He Yanzhi signaled for him to step outside first. Once they left the jail, He Yanzhi explained, “Jin Lanye did not come here for a prison break. He had another purpose.” He recalled seeing a bloodstain on Jiang Beihai’s face during the search.

“The previous wounds had already scabbed over, but that wound was still oozing blood. It is clearly a new injury.” He Yanzhi then produced the silver ornament. Yang Kuan took it, pinching it between two fingers to look closely.

He Yanzhi said, “It is said that Jin Lanye was brought back from the Miao Frontier by Jiang Beihai. The scale pattern on this silver ornament is unique to that region. Usually, dozens of these are strung together and do not fall off easily. Jin Lanye dropped this on purpose to tell us that he has been here.”

“You mean he wanted us to find him?” Yang Kuan stared at the silver piece so intensely that he did not realize he had become cross-eyed. “Is this not like using a rattle to tease an old man? He is playing us! What does that grandson want?”

“To silence a witness. Or rather, it is a threat.”

He Yanzhi analyzed the situation. “With the leader captured, the subordinates can hardly escape. As long as Jiang Beihai refuses to speak, the government will surely investigate thoroughly, leaving the entire Canal Gang with no peace.”

“The incident with the Birthday Gifts has already caused heavy losses for the Canal Gang. As the second-in-command, Jin Lanye naturally will not sit idly by. The best way to solve the problem is to cut off the wrist to save the body.”

“Whether for public or private reasons, making Jiang Beihai plead guilty is the best choice.”

“Jin Lanye’s move, aside from acting as a lobbyist, was meant to make us think there was an attempted prison break. This forces us to tighten security on Jiang Beihai, ensuring he has no chance of escaping.”

Yang Kuan was stunned. “Is he not betraying his brother?”

He Yanzhi said coldly, “The two of them have been at odds for a long time. The power within the gang has already split into two factions. Since Jin Lanye handles the daily affairs, replacing the leader is only a matter of time.”

“Bah! Heartless and disloyal scum!” Yang Kuan placed the silver ornament in his hand and clenched his fist tightly, crushing the once-flat scale out of shape.

He asked indignantly, “What should we do now?”

He Yanzhi immediately told Yang Kuan to notify Old Li. He wanted all the guards watching Jiang Beihai replaced with new recruits and an ambush set up outside the cell to catch the intruder red-handed.

After arranging everything, the two returned to the bailiffs’ quarters in the back courtyard.

It was a row of small, low, single-room brick houses, with two people living in each. Originally, one of these rooms belonged to He Yanzhi, but he found them so distasteful that he saved up money to move out. Now that he was staying at the office temporarily, he had to make do in Yang Kuan’s room for the night.

He Yanzhi took a pillow from his bag and placed it on the bed, then pulled out the red-bean-eyed bunny doll. Yang Kuan could not help but tease him. “I must say, you are just like a young girl. You even need a rabbit to accompany you while you sleep.”

He Yanzhi gave him a sidelong glance and said, “My parents passed away early. It is a habit from my childhood.”

Yang Kuan responded with understanding, “My parents are still around, but they abandoned me when I was young. It is the same whether they exist or not.”

He began talking about his own life aimlessly, failing to notice that He Yanzhi’s body had begun to tremble uncontrollably.

He Yanzhi lay down holding the rabbit, facing the wall with his back to Yang Kuan. His expression was hidden as his tremors intensified.

Yang Kuan continued talking to himself, but within a few sentences, he began to snore.

As the moonlight faded and the toxicity in his body gradually eased, He Yanzhi slowly calmed down. The bedding beneath him was soaked with sweat. He let out a soft sigh of relief, fell into an exhausted sleep, and was woken up again early the next morning.

He Yanzhi was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He stood in his designated spot, and once everyone had gathered, a jailer suddenly reported that Jiang Beihai had committed suicide in prison.

Hearing this, He Yanzhi felt himself wake up a bit and looked toward the jailer.

“What! Is he dead?” The Prefect hurried down from the bench to the jailer. The man replied, “Reporting to Your Excellency, I stopped Jiang Beihai’s suicide attempt in time. He is currently out of danger.”

The Prefect breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. Bring him up.”

A short while after the jailer left, Jiang Beihai was brought out.

He looked the same as he had the night before, except a wooden stick as thick as an arm had been stuffed into his mouth. The stick was stained with several drops of blood where he had bitten down.

Jiang Beihai was forced into a kneeling position before the court, and the Prefect ordered the stick to be removed.

“You bold bandit! Why have you not confessed yet? Where exactly have you hidden the Crown Prince’s Birthday Gifts?”

The Prefect’s opening lines were always the same. He Yanzhi truly could not stop himself from wanting to yawn, so he tried to distract himself by observing Jiang Beihai.

As his gaze traveled from the top of the man’s head downward, he suddenly discovered three red dots of moderate size on Jiang Beihai’s exposed shoulder.

During the search yesterday, He Yanzhi had only glanced at him from a distance, focusing on his face rather than his shoulders. Could these red dots have been there before?

“I will say it one more time. The Birthday Gifts were stolen by thieves. Believe it or not!”

Jiang Beihai spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm toward the front of the court and then fell silent. The Prefect was so angry he slammed his gavel.

“Men, take him down and beat him!”

He Yanzhi received the order and dragged the man to the interrogation room. After the others tied Jiang Beihai to a chair, they stepped out.

He Yanzhi picked up a staff, exerted force with his hands, and immediately delivered a strike.

Jiang Beihai’s entire body reacted like a piece of pounded dough, stretching out and then suddenly contracting. He clenched his teeth as black blood seeped from his mouth, but he refused to let out a single cry.

Outside, a bold bailiff peered through a crack in the door. The sight made his hair stand on end, and he quickly scurried away muttering, “May the evil gods not take offense.” The rest of the guards held their breath, all feeling a sense of respect for Jiang Beihai.

After delivering the strike, He Yanzhi watched Jiang Beihai’s reaction. He thought that Yang Kuan was right; this man truly was a tough character. He neither resisted nor begged; he just lay there honestly, looking ready to face death.

In that case, He Yanzhi naturally would not let him have his way.

Jiang Beihai was beaten until his consciousness blurred. He waited for a long time to prepare himself for the next blow, but the second strike never came.

He knew this was a common trick used in the magistrate’s office.

When torturing a prisoner for a confession, they hit you once to make you remember the pain. Then, they intentionally wait for you to prepare for the second strike but withhold the action. They only wait until you are dazed and weary, then strike even harder when you are off guard, sending the pain straight to the heavens.

Jiang Beihai despised these tactics from the bottom of his heart, so he kept his teeth clenched and endured. However, after fifteen minutes had passed, He Yanzhi still had not moved.

Waiting for death is always more agonizing than death itself. Jiang Beihai finally spoke, saying to He Yanzhi, “If you are going to hit me, then hit me. Have you not eaten?”

He was tied up tightly and could not turn his head to see what was behind him. He Yanzhi, however, was leaning against a chair dozing off. Woken by the voice, He Yanzhi rubbed his eyes, let out a yawn, and said, “To be honest with you, Leader Jiang, I really have not eaten. There is still an hour before I can clock out, and I am quite hungry right now.”

Hearing this, Jiang Beihai let out a cold snort. “You are quite honest. Among the government dogs I have seen, you are the first to say such a thing.”

He Yanzhi smiled lightly. “The same goes for you, Leader Jiang. Among the prisoners I have beaten, you are the first to be able to withstand that strike.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Beihai laughed loudly, but then began coughing up blood.

He Yanzhi stood up to stretch his limbs and began walking around the interrogation room. Jiang Beihai called out to him, “Kid, get me a drink of water.”

He Yanzhi acted as if he had not heard. Feeling his own throat was a bit dry, he poured a cup of water for himself and drank it in one go. He remarked casually, “The Canal Gang, whom even the government cannot handle, had their things stolen by others. It sounds utterly ridiculous.”

Jiang Beihai listened quietly. After He Yanzhi finished speaking, he made no reaction.

He Yanzhi continued, “But if you ran into that group of people, it would not be impossible.”

These words fell into Jiang Beihai’s ears one by one. Any normal person would have asked who they were, but Jiang Beihai remained silent.

“I am not trying to trick you into talking. I just want to inform Leader Jiang that the group of water bandits wearing turbans belongs to an organization called the Red Turban Society. When I went out yesterday, I happened to run into Vice Leader Jin and mentioned it to him.”

Before He Yanzhi could finish his sentence, Jiang Beihai reacted immediately. “Where is he now? What exactly is going on?”

He Yanzhi poured a cup of water, walked slowly to the man, and held it to his lips. “There is no rush. Before I speak, I am sure Leader Jiang would like to recall the events of the day you were robbed. In that case, please tell me everything, Leader Jiang. Do not leave anything out.”