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The bandits at the Bandit Hideout had decisively defeated the troops sent by the court, a fact that spread widely among the surrounding towns. Ye Xiaohan's inquiry was reasonable enough not to raise any suspicions.
Zhao Ren showed no signs of doubt and responded cheerfully, "That's true! Those court soldiers are nothing but softies. Once we scared them a little, they ran off in a panic. Winning against them isn't anything to brag about."
His demeanor was arrogant and dismissive; he genuinely believed what he said.
Ye Xiaohan's heart sank. The stronger the Bandit Hideout became, the higher the chances of Gu Bei encountering danger.
She maintained her smile, even adding a hint of admiration to her expression. "You're so humble! If even the court can't handle you, how can you say you're not impressive? I heard that last time it was led by the Flying Dragon General himself. He's known as the Invincible General! Defeating him means you're even more formidable than a general!"
Zhao Ren seemed pleased by Ye Xiaohan's flattery. "That Flying Dragon General is nothing! Even if they sent two Earth Dragon Generals or Fire Dragon Generals, they wouldn't stand a chance against us!"
Ye Xiaohan's heart skipped a beat. "Is that true? What happened to the Flying Dragon General? Did you capture him?"
She smiled lightly and added, "I've heard of the Flying Dragon General's great name for a long time, but few have actually seen him. Could you let me see him? I want to know if he really has three heads and six arms!"
The Flying Dragon General had been a figure of terror many years ago; anyone could recognize his name. It was entirely normal to want to see such a person in person if given the chance.
In fact, knowing such an important figure was nearby and not wanting to meet him would seem odd.
So when Ye Xiaohan mentioned Gu Bei, Zhao Ren did not suspect anything; his expression darkened slightly, and he no longer spoke as casually as before. It seemed that mentioning Gu Bei made him somewhat displeased.
"He's just a coward; there's nothing to see!" Zhao Ren said. "There are plenty of interesting places in the village. You should take some time to explore and rest up for our wedding."
Ye Xiaohan's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly adjusted herself, lowering her head slightly to mask her unnatural expression. To outsiders, this demeanor looked like that of a bashful bride.
Zhao Ren soon shifted his focus away from Gu Bei, and since Ye Xiaohan didn't want to raise his suspicions further, she couldn't steer the conversation back down that path. They chatted about other topics until someone came to call Zhao Ren away.
"The Second-in-Command is looking for you." The bandit who had completed his task then turned to Ye Xiaohan with a smile. "Hello, Second Sister-in-Law!"
Ye Xiaohan didn't know how to respond and forced out a couple of awkward laughs. "You too! You too!"
Zhao Ren looked at the newcomer, stood up, and said to Ye Xiaohan, "I'll be on my way. If you need anything, just come find me, or you can ask someone else."
Ye Xiaohan responded with a nod.
As Zhao Ren walked towards the messenger, he remarked, "What does Second-in-Command want with me? Is it about that coward again?"
His tone dripped with disdain, and Ye Xiaohan felt a jolt in her heart. This was the same kind of contempt Zhao Ren had shown when he mentioned Gu Bei earlier.
The other person glanced over at Ye Xiaohan upon hearing Zhao Ren's words. When their eyes met, she smiled lightly, and he hurriedly returned the smile before quickly turning back.
However, even as he spoke, his voice was kept very low, as if afraid of being overheard.
Ye Xiaohan didn't catch what the man said, but she had a gut feeling that it was about Gu Bei.
Could it be that Gu Bei had really been captured by them?
Though Ye Xiaohan appeared to be wandering aimlessly, she had been keeping a close watch on the movements within the village and searching for clues about Gu Bei. However, after several attempts, she still hadn't found any trace of him.
Were these people hiding Gu Bei in a special place to keep him from being discovered?
The village was vast, and due to its terrain, while it wasn't widely spread out, it was filled with rugged mountains and forests. Hiding someone here would be quite easy.
Finding a person deep within such a large forest was like trying to locate a specific fish in the ocean—a nearly impossible task.
The only thing Ye Xiaohan could take comfort in was that her movements were not restricted; she could search for clues as extensively as possible, even if she wasn't sure if she'd find anything at all.
To gather more information, even if it was just fragments or snippets of conversation, she didn't want to miss any opportunity.
In the time that followed, Ye Xiaohan made an effort to interact with the people in the Bandit Hideout, hoping to glean the information she sought from them.
Her efforts were soon rewarded. It was unclear whether the Bandit Hideout was truly different from the rumors outside, but the people here were not as cold and cruel as expected; instead, they were quite warm and talkative. Sometimes, Ye Xiaohan didn't even need to ask them anything; they would chatter away on their own.
Among those women and children, Ye Xiaohan learned that there had indeed been a decisive battle, and the victors were undoubtedly them. The villagers did not shy away from discussing this matter; they took pride in it and used it as a topic of conversation.
Thus, Ye Xiaohan effortlessly obtained the news that Gu Bei had indeed been captured alive.
When she heard this news, Ye Xiaohan felt a wave of darkness wash over her, nearly causing her to stumble. Before coming here, she had imagined various scenarios, including this worst-case one.
However, hearing the painful reality with her own ears still struck her deeply.
Just as Ye Xiaohan was feeling unsettled, she overheard someone say, "That general isn't easy to deal with either; he was under the Second-in-Command's watch, yet he still managed to escape!"
Another person chimed in, "Exactly! The Second-in-Command was furious about this; he even smashed two big stones at the entrance."
"Tsk tsk."
The focus of these people was on Zhao Ren, while Ye Xiaohan perked up like a rabbit, listening intently.
Gu Bei had been captured and then escaped? He had escaped from Zhao Ren? No wonder Zhao Ren looked so grim when Gu Bei was mentioned.
Ye Xiaohan wasn't interested in how Zhao Ren felt; she only wanted to confirm the truth of this news. If Gu Bei had really gotten away, she could finally breathe easy.
Ye Xiaohan spent more time wandering around the village, careful not to arouse suspicion. She strolled through the Bandit Hideout, primarily focusing on the hall where the bandits held meetings and the Second-in-Command's room.
These two places were the core areas; as long as she kept an eye on them, she would surely gather important clues. If Gu Bei had truly escaped, it would be a significant blow to these bandits, and they would undoubtedly send someone to recapture him.
Once they took action, it would be impossible for them to keep everything completely under wraps.
At this moment, all Ye Xiaohan had to do was wait; she was certain that something would happen soon.
After dinner, Ye Xiaohan excused herself to take a walk and slowly approached the Second-in-Command's house, where voices could be heard from inside.
Ye Xiaohan pretended to stroll casually, the night deepening around her, providing cover for her movements.
The voices inside were a mix of familiar and unfamiliar tones. There weren't too many people, but it seemed like a decent number. One voice that Ye Xiaohan recognized was Zhao Ren's.
Zhao Ren sounded quite upset, his loud voice filled with anger: "With so many of us here, we couldn't even catch a wounded waste! What have you all been doing?"
Another voice immediately retorted, "You have the nerve to say that? Don't forget who let him escape!"
Then another voice chimed in to mediate: "Everyone, stop arguing! Is this really the time to assign blame? The most important thing right now is to find that damn general. We can deal with everything else later!"
Next, the Second-in-Command's voice rang out: "Have we searched this hill thoroughly? Are we sure he's not here?"
Someone responded, "Yes, Second-in-Command. The Brothers have already searched this hill several times; we've turned over every inch of ground and found nothing. It seems he has already fled to another hill."
Ye Xiaohan could no longer focus on what was being said inside; her heart was filled with exhilaration.
So Gu Bei really had escaped! He was still alive!
A wave of immense joy surged through Ye Xiaohan's heart and mind. She had to adjust her breathing just to calm her racing heart.
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