"En," Chu Chen nodded lightly.
Although his memory was missing, his personality remained unchanged, especially towards the people of Langya Mountain.
They killed his father's wife and children, and caused the death of her sister. He would definitely get revenge for this!
"Help me investigate the situation of Langya Mountain."
Langya Mountain was located to the northwest of the border town, quite close to the capital. If he wanted revenge, he needed to plan carefully.
He had to understand all the circumstances of Langya Mountain before defeating them one by one.
"Your subordinate obeys." The guard cupped his fists. "However..."
He paused, seeming hesitant.
"What is it?"
"It is said that Langya Mountain backs onto a desolate area, and deep within that desolate area, there is a group of vicious bandits.
Those bandits are very powerful, and one wrong step could cost one's life, so I worry that those bandits might come looking for trouble."
"Vicious bandits?" Chu Chen raised his eyebrows and asked.
The guard nodded. "Indeed. They are addicted to killing and do all sorts of evil. It is said that under the leadership of these bandits,
the people of Langya Mountain not only rob official residences but also force commoners to sell their children. The reason the bandits of Langya Mountain chose to build their village in this place this time
is to absorb more wealth to support these bandits. They usually ambush passing merchant caravans.
However, the number of these bandits is not too large, so they always return defeated."
"But the strength of these bandits is extraordinary. Even if Langya Mountain has three to four thousand men, it is not enough to deal with those robbers."
"Oh?" Chu Chen's eyes flickered. "Take me to see those bandits."
"Yes." The guard nodded and then led Chu Chen to another peak of Langya Mountain.
There were two stone platforms on the mountainside. On one of the platforms, a large character, "Langya," was carved in a flamboyant style.
"Master, that is where Langya Village is located," the guard pointed to a nearby valley.
Chu Chen looked up. Within the valley, bandits of various kinds were densely packed, holding weapons.
They glared at them menacingly, clearly ready to attack at any moment.
"Hmph, this brat is delivering himself to our doorstep, saving us the trouble. Brothers, attack! Kill this brat!"
Rumble! Instantly, the sounds of clashing swords and blades rang out one after another, and the battle erupted in an instant.
This chaotic battle plunged Langya Mountain into panic.
"Quick, run!" The bandits of Langya Mountain rushed down the cliff in a panic, desperately fleeing.
The chieftain of Langya Village tightly gripped his long spear, staring dumbfounded at the chaotic scene below.
He couldn't understand why these bandits suddenly went mad.
"Haha, boss, those guys are finally running away," a burly man laughed heartily. "No need to chase them, they definitely won't escape!"
"Heh heh, we're really lucky to have caught so many prey," the dark and thin man grinned sinisterly.
"During this time, the beasts of Langya Village have always liked to oppress us of Langya Mountain, causing us heavy losses.
This time we finally have a chance to get back at them. No matter what, we must extort them severely, or this anger will not subside!"
"Don't worry, we'll definitely make a fortune this time," the dark and thin man chuckled.
"However, I think we should avoid killing people, lest we attract trouble."
"What are you afraid of? We always act without leaving a trace, and we won't leave any evidence, unless someone can find us."
"Haha, second brother is right. But it seems like there are too few hostages this time."
The chieftain of Langya Village's face stiffened. He never expected Chu Chen to appear here.
"Who are you people?" Chu Chen slowly turned around, his sharp gaze sweeping over the chieftain of Langya Village. "And why are you here?"
"You... Who are you?"
"Me?" Chu Chen's lips curved slightly, forming an arc. "My name is Chu Chen."
The bandits, who had been arrogant moments before, were all stunned, staring blankly at the handsome young man in front of them.
Chu Chen? Chu Chen? Not long ago, they had heard rumors about this Chu Chen. Wasn't this young master of the Chu family reduced to a cripple? How could he be here?
"I..." The chieftain of Langya Village gritted his teeth. "We are just ordinary merchants. Because we were threatened by the bandits of Langya Mountain, we had no choice but to join Langya Mountain."
"Ordinary merchants?" Chu Chen chuckled twice. "If that were the case, why would your Langya Village have such substantial funds?"
The chieftain of Langya Village broke out in a cold sweat and dared not speak.
Chu Chen continued, "It seems you have hidden quite a few things from me, such as... how you raised five thousand taels of silver notes.
And also... why were the grain supplies of Langya Village burned?" His words were like a thunderclap, making all the bandits tremble and their faces turn pale.
The chieftain of Langya Village hurriedly knelt down. "Master, our Langya Village only wanted to make money. Please spare us!"
Chu Chen remained silent, his expression indifferent.
"Master, please rest assured, everything in our Langya Village belongs to you. We would never dare to hide anything. As for the grain supplies, we really don't know what happened."
"Yes, master, we really don't know what happened. We just arrived in Qingyun Country and encountered the bandits of Langya Mountain. They wanted us to pay taxes.
We couldn't come up with the money, so we fought with them. Who knew that all the grain was burned later? Master, this really has nothing to do with us."
"Master, we are truly not lying to you. All of this was done by the bandits of Langya Mountain. We also didn't want to join Langya Mountain."
The bandits scrambled to defend themselves, fearing being accused of being in league with the wrongdoers.
Chu Chen fell silent. After a long while, he slowly said, "I will report this matter to His Majesty the Emperor, and let His Majesty decide."
"Thank you, master, for sparing our lives!" All the bandits excitedly knelt on the ground, filled with gratitude.
Chu Chen waved his hand and turned to walk out of Langya Mountain. His steps were slow, as if he was contemplating something.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps hurried from his side. He frowned slightly and stopped.
"Young master, please wait."
Chu Chen looked back. A young man in gray was standing not far away. His appearance was delicate and refined, and his eyes held a trace of anxiety.
"Who are you?" Chu Chen was slightly taken aback, looking at the young man in front of him with suspicion.
The young man smiled slightly, revealing his white teeth. "Young master, please don't misunderstand. I just want to remind you that Langya Mountain is full of dangers.
If you barge in rashly, you will surely die. Why not follow us? If there is danger, perhaps we can protect you."
Chu Chen's brows furrowed lightly. He shook his head. "No need. I am accustomed to traveling alone. You should leave quickly."