Her guards

Chapter 3 I Have a Secret

Mo Zheng sat down on a roadside stone, placed the wild rabbit in front of her, and called out to anyone passing by, asking if they wanted a fresh wild rabbit.

Of course, no one was interested in buying mountain products at this time.

Yang Luo huddled in the shadow cast by Mo Zheng on the ground.

The soldiers guarding the intersection saw that the two people hadn't left, but since they weren't getting close, they ignored them.

Mo Zheng waved a bamboo pole to drive away the flies and insects that had gathered on the ground for the wild rabbits.

Since saying those words to the officers and soldiers, Yang Luo has not spoken again, curled up and motionless.

Mo Zheng broke the silence first: "You don't want people to know whose family you belong to?"

The girl, curled up, didn't say anything.

Mo Zheng squinted at the town entrance. As the news spread, more people gathered, and even more relatives and friends rushed over, crowding the town entrance to the point of being impassable.

"We can send someone to deliver a message," Mo Zheng suggested.

"No, no need." Yang Luo finally spoke, her head buried in her knees, her voice muffled, "My family is all dead."

Mo Zheng looked at the dead rabbit on the ground, and sure enough...

“Those bandits killed my family first yesterday, and then they came after me,” Yang Luo continued.

As she spoke, she raised her head and looked at the boy sitting beside her. In the sunlight, his face was ashen, his eyes were downcast, and his emotions were unreadable.

"And there's something I'm keeping from you," Yang Luo said. "They're not ordinary bandits; they're here to kill our whole family."

Mo Zheng turned to look at her, her brows furrowing slightly: "You mean, it wasn't bandits who robbed us, but someone impersonating bandits to commit the crime?"

Yang Luo nodded, tears welling up in her eyes again: "I'm sorry, I kept it from you."

This is far more dangerous than accidentally encountering bandits; it's a calamity that could lead to revenge and the extermination of an entire family, and getting involved with it is extremely dangerous.

The young hunter showed no fear or resentment, only shaking his head: "It's nothing. Whether they are bandits or not, if someone commits a crime, I will naturally save them."

What a pure and kind young man. Yang Luo looked at him and tears welled up in her eyes again.

His expression became complicated again.

Joy, gratitude, sorrow, confusion.

Other emotions are easy to understand, but confusion? Why is that? Mo Zheng coughed lightly: "So what are your plans now? Your family has been killed, you can't just ignore it."

Just as Yang Luo was about to say something, the sound of hooves rang out, and another group of people galloped in. A dozen or so soldiers surrounded a man in official robes, who looked very dignified.

Upon seeing this group of people, the soldiers guarding the town entrance immediately dispersed the gathered crowd, and the leading soldiers, along with the officials in the town, came to greet them.

"It is the Inspector General."

"The inspector has arrived."

……

.......
"I've heard of that official before; he's from the capital and arrived near Lu County last month."

Mo Zheng said, looking at the officials who were surrounded by them.

"He was sent by the emperor to inspect the area; he was a very high-ranking official."

Yang Luo also watched and saw that the official was very angry at the devastation of Baima Town. He reprimanded the local officials and soldiers and helped up and comforted the surviving people who were kneeling and crying.

Although he was far away and couldn't hear the specific words clearly, his expression and lip movements showed that he was promising the people that he would wipe out the bandits and avenge the victims.

“Such a high-ranking official can definitely make the decision,” Mo Zheng continued. “You can go and explain the truth to him and thoroughly investigate the murderer who killed your family.”

Yang Luo lowered his head and remained silent once again.

Refusing to see her deceased relatives, and refusing to report to the authorities? Mo Zheng looked at the girl curled up on the ground: "I've taken you to Baima Town. Mountain products can't be sold here. I'm going to the city. The wild rabbit can't stay overnight, otherwise it won't be fresh."

For the young hunter, no matter how tragic the scene, it was irrelevant to him; selling his prey for a good price was the most important thing for his survival.

Seeing the boy re-hung the wild rabbit with a bamboo pole and head towards the county town after speaking, Yang Luo hurriedly followed.

Mo Zheng turned her head with a hint of helplessness: "Why are you still following me?"

Yang Luo looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes: "I... I have nowhere to go, I'm scared." Seeing the girl's appearance, Mo Zheng could understand. A fledgling bird that has escaped death and lost its nest will be very dependent on the person who saves it.

Mo Zheng softened her tone and looked towards Baima Town, where soldiers were maintaining order at the town entrance: "Don't be afraid, the government will take care of it. With such a high-ranking official here, you should go and report to the authorities."

Yang Luo shook her head and bit her lip hard, as if she was making up her mind.

“There’s one more thing I haven’t told you,” she said.

"Anything else?" Mo Zheng frowned as she looked at her.

Yang Luo moved closer to him and lowered his voice: "The murderer who killed my family members has connections with the government."

After she finished speaking, she saw the hunter boy's previously blank expression suddenly change, and his slightly narrow eyes widened.

“What?” he said.

The man took a step back, his gaze towards her becoming complex, a mixture of shock, doubt, and bewilderment.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Mo Zheng said.

The nature of murder committed by criminals is different from that of murder committed by government officials.

This is terrible.

Yang Luo caught up with him: "I'm not talking nonsense. If you don't believe me, just wait and see. In two days, the government will arrest some people and announce at the city gate that these people are bandits."

Mo Zheng took another step back, her expression seemingly doubting whether she had gone mad from the shock: "Having committed such a big crime, the government will definitely arrest the bandits. With this high-ranking official from the capital overseeing things, what's so strange about catching the bandits?"

Yang Luo looked at him and said slowly and deliberately, "Those weren't real bandits. They were death row inmates pulled out of the prison by the government to impersonate them, just to settle the case and close the matter."

Mo Zheng seemed not to understand: "What?"

Yang Luo continued, "You've fought against bandits before. When you see them, you'll be able to tell that the bandits the government has killed are thin and weak, and their movements are unsteady. They are no match for the bandits you've fought."

The young hunter looked at her and slowly asked, "How do you know what the authorities will do in two days?"

Yang Luo's expression froze, and he didn't say anything for a moment.

Mo Zheng turned and left, looking at her with an expression that said, "I knew you were talking nonsense."

Yang Luo grew anxious and hurriedly chased after him: "Ah Sheng, listen to me, I'm not lying to you—"

……

.......
Ah Sheng.

Mo Zheng suddenly stopped.

Yang Luo, who was in a hurry to catch up with him, was caught off guard and bumped into him, almost falling over.

Mo Zheng grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him.

The hunter boy's narrow eyes gleamed with a ghostly light.

"How do you know my name?" he said. "I don't remember telling you my name."

Yang Luo's face, which had already been wiped of more than half of the ashes, turned deathly pale instantly. The next moment, she was suddenly pulled away, and the hunter boy grabbed her and headed towards White Horse Town.

"I'll hand you over to the authorities right now. I can't understand what you're saying, so you can go and talk to the authorities."

"That won't do," Yang Luo said, reaching out to grab the hunter boy's arm. "Listen to me, I have a secret."

Mo Zheng continued walking, saying with a hint of sarcasm, "Miss, you have quite a few secrets."

First, the thugs tried to wipe out her family, then they were accused of colluding with the government, and now what are they trying to say?
Yang Luo's tears fell: "Because I dare not say it, and even if I did, you wouldn't believe me, actually..."

She looked at the boy and gritted her teeth.

"I can predict the future."

Precognition? Mo Zheng stopped and looked at the girl who was holding her arm.

real or fake?

(End of this chapter)