Chapter 953: Betrayal

Editor: Henyee Translations

“Spit—” Little Thief spat a mouthful of water onto the face of the man in black, who woke up and saw the two people in front of him, panicking, “Who… who are you?”

Little Thief gave the man in black a smile, “Don’t be afraid, we’re the good guys.”

The man in black was unconvinced, “…”

Little Thief tried to look sincere, “We really mean no harm, we just want to ask you some questions. Answer them well, and maybe we’ll consider letting you go.”

The man in black, feeling helpless, as he was at their mercy, replied, “What do you want to ask?”

Little Thief stepped aside, “Please ask.”

Chu Qingzhi eyed the man in black and asked, “Which organization are you from?”

Surprisingly, the man in black replied, “Yun Organization.”

Chu Qingzhi glanced at Little Thief, “How did you know there was silver on the ship?”

“It was unknown initially, but a few days ago our superiors arranged for us to check the ship for its integrity as it was supposed to transport some items soon. Unexpectedly, we found boxes of silver while cleaning, counting up to exactly three hundred thousand taels. We guessed it was the silver lost from the Jianshan Temple and planned to embezzle it. What followed, you have seen.”

Little Thief looked surprised, it was a case of the watchers watching themselves!

Chu Qingzhi remarked, “So you kept the silver for yourselves, not handing it over to the organization?”

The man in black said as if it was obvious, “Of course. We risked our lives to get it. It was a pie falling from the sky, anyone would know what to choose.”

Chu Qingzhi noted, “Your thinking wasn’t bad.”

Chu Qingzhi suddenly asked Little Thief, “Why did you want to steal the silver?”

Little Thief puffed up his chest, “Of course, to build a reputation.”

Chu Qingzhi was puzzled, “What does building a reputation have to do with stealing silver?”

Little Thief had a plan, “I intended to present this batch of silver to General Tang as a token of allegiance. If I and a few brothers brought in three hundred thousand taels to join the army, we could immediately become minor officials. Isn’t that a good deal?”

Chu Qingzhi frowned in confusion, “It sounds good, but why didn’t you do it?”

Little Thief shared his concerns, “Isn’t the timing just not right? Now, countless people in the shadows are eyeing this batch of silver. If I handed it over, wouldn’t everyone know it was me who stole it? Would the head of Jianshan Temple let me off?”

Chu Qingzhi found him to be a thoughtful person, “You’ve considered it quite thoroughly.”

Little Thief held his head high, “I’m not a fool.”

The man in black listened to their conversation fearfully, “Can you let me go now?”

“What do you think?” Little Thief gave the man in black another smile, then swiftly killed him with a knife, “I see a Yun Organization member, I kill a Yun Organization member. Still dreaming of escaping? Dream on!”

Little Thief carried the man’s body and tossed it into the dense underbrush, then he and Chu Qingzhi caught up with the team ahead.

Who would have thought that even within the Yun Organization there would be those who’d betray each other?

The group stopped at a flat area. The leader said, “Dig a hole, bury the silver, wait until the heat dies down, then we’ll divide it.”

“Sure.” Everyone was elated.

“So, shouldn’t those present have a share?” Chu Qingzhi’s voice fell from the tree.

The men in black quickly drew their swords, turned towards the tree, eyes full of alert and intent to kill.

The leader pointed his sword at Chu Qingzhi, “Who are you?”

Chu Qingzhi crossed her arms and looked down indifferently at the men in black, “You don’t need to know who I am. What matters is, I’m taking the silver.”

The leader commanded sharply, “Kill her!”

Everyone flashed their sleeve arrows and aimed at Chu Qingzhi.

Chu Qingzhi waved her hand, and all the arrows instantly turned to dust. Then, a wave of invisible force knocked all the men in black away, making them spit blood.

Chu Qingzhi declared, “I’ll leave these men to you, I’ll notify Jinghong. Consider this your letter of introduction.”

Little Thief was dumbfounded; Chu Qingzhi had subdued the men in black with a single move, “Alright, leave them to me.”

Chu Qingzhi flew off to use the golden phoenix to notify Tang Jinghong to come and assist. Tang Jinghong said he would come personally right away.

After Little Thief had dealt with the men in black, seeing Chu Qingzhi returning, he hurriedly came over to claim credit, “Is General Tang coming?”

Chu Qingzhi nodded, “He will be here soon.”

Little Thief quickly straightened his clothes, “Do I look alright?”

Chu Qingzhi laughed softly, “This isn’t a beauty contest; it’s about capability. By the way, why do you want to join the army?”

Little Thief expressed his concern, “If a man doesn’t pass the imperial exams, the only other path to a future is the military. My father wants me to take the exams, but I’m not cut out for academics. I thought about joining the army to make a name for myself, to make him proud.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “That’s a good thought, commendable.”

Little Thief grinned, “Could you put in a good word for me with General Tang?”

Chu Qingzhi looked at Little Thief, “What do you want to do?”

Little Thief was full of hope, “I’d like to work directly under General Tang.”

Chu Qingzhi explained, “Then you’ll have to wait. Many want to follow Jinghong, and it could be years.”

“Years?” Little Thief was clearly unable to accept waiting that long, “Isn’t there a shortcut?”

“Yes,” Chu Qingzhi smiled slightly, “Achieve notable feats. The greater your achievements, the better your chances.”

Little Thief thought for a moment, “That makes sense. I understand.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled, “Do your best.”

Little Thief stood upright, “I will.”

After waiting about half an hour, Tang Jinghong arrived with his men. “Qingzhi.”

Chu Qingzhi pointed to the silver, “Take it away. Now, except for the people here, no one else knows this silver has fallen into your hands.”

In other words, should any word leak out, it would mean there was a traitor among those present.

The silver was quickly moved, and nobody would guess that the highly sought-after treasure had ended up in Tang Jinghong’s hands.

Little Thief formally greeted Tang Jinghong, “I have seen General Tang.”

Chu Qingzhi leaned against a nearby tree, “This young man stole these silvers from Jianshan Temple and also led me to them. He has some friends eating in the night market.”

Tang Jinghong scrutinized Little Thief, something about him seeming familiar, “What’s your name?”

Little Thief hurriedly responded, “I am Xi Yuanjie, at your service, General Tang.”

Tang Jinghong raised his eyebrows in surprise, “Are you the son of Xi Zhaoping?”

Xi Yuanjie’s eyes brightened, “Does General Tang know my father?”

Tang Jinghong replied, “I know him.” He said no more, cautious of bringing any potential harm to Xi Yuanjie.

Eagerly, Xi Yuanjie asked, “General Tang, would you agree to let me join the army?”

Tang Jinghong, who admired the fervor of youth, agreed, “I consent. But does your father know about this?”

Xi Yuanjie shook his head slightly, “I’ve kept it from my father. He wants me to take the civil exams. If he knew I wanted to join the army, it might kill him. But if it’s to be at your side, he would probably be overjoyed.”