"I really regret it. If I had known that I would have listened to my elder brother. If I stayed in Zhangye for a longer period of time, I would not have encountered the disaster today, and Rui'er would not have been taken away. I really regret it!"

In the room, Kang Wood wiped his tears while telling their misfortune. Kang Dazhuang comforted his second uncle, saying that he would definitely rescue Rui'er.

Li Zhen sat aside and pondered. He felt something was strange in his heart. This time, nine Sogdian girls were stolen, all of whom were young girls under the age of 20, but not much money was stolen.

This shows that the goal of this horse bandit is not money, but money is just robbery by the way. Their target is Sogdian girls.

"Uncle Kang Er, how many people are there in total?" Li Zhen asked after pondering for a long time.

"I don't know, about twenty or thirty people suddenly broke into the Persian residence, and we were all frightened."

"Old Li, have you noticed that they actually have plans?" Jiu Zhi whispered from the side.

Li Zhen nodded. He had already heard that the group of horse bandits had a clear goal. There were only nine Sogdian girls in the caravan, and they all snatched away. This only means that they had already stepped on the plate during the day.

Merchants are mobile, but there are many locals in the Persian residence, and there must be internal support here. Otherwise, how could these horse bandits know where the girl lives?

They had to find this inner support to have clues if they snatch them away at such a fast speed.

Li Zhen was very anxious. He was worried that Kang Ruier would be ruined by the bandits. Even if he was rescued, it would bring a heavy blow to Uncle Kang Er. He had to find clues tonight.

And if you think about it briefly, there are indeed many clues here. The key is to sort out the clues and find an insider.

Li Zhen asked Kang Dazhuang to send his second uncle back to the Persian residence to rest first. He pondered for a moment and said to Jiuzhi: "Go and call the bartender for lunch. I have something to ask him."

Thinking that there should be no risk when dealing with a bartender, Jiuzhi turned around and walked quickly. Soon, he pushed the bartender into the room, "I have something to look for you! Be honest."

While rubbing his neck, the bartender glared at Jiuzhi fiercely. The bastard almost broke his neck. At this time, Li Zhen walked up to him and asked him, "Are you a local?"

"Of course, three generations are all locals, what's the matter with you?"

Li Zhen sat down, pondered for a while and asked, "When I was having lunch in the afternoon, I heard you say that there are only bandits in Kongtong Mountain, and there are no Taoist priests. Are the bandits you mentioned the horse bandits that appeared tonight?"

The bartender's face turned pale and he shook his head in a hurry, "I just said casually, I don't know anything, don't ask me!"

He turned around and wanted to leave, but was pushed back by Jiuzhi. Li Zhen stared at him for a while. Seeing his eyes getting more and more panicked, he lowered his head. Li Zhen knew in his heart that the bartender must have known something about it.

At this time, the bartender sighed, "You go and ask others! Many people know about this. Don't ask me, I won't say anything."

Li Zhen took out two Sogdian gold coins and held them in his hand, "I just need to give me a clue. These two gold coins are yours, and I promise I won't betray you."

The bartender was a little moved. Two Sogdian gold coins could be exchanged for 2,500 yuan, which was equivalent to his monthly income as a bartender. He was silent for a moment and said, "If only one clue is needed, I can tell you."

"Tell me!"

The bartender whispered: "Didn't you notice it? This group of horse bandits come and go freely, and the city gate is not closed at all. It was just closed."

Li Zhen suddenly realized that yes, this important clue was indeed ignored by him. The city was closed at night. This is the law since ancient times. The gate of Fulu County was opened at night, indicating that the guardians had collusion with the horse bandits.

Li Zhen threw two gold coins to him, "Go!"

The bartender grabbed two gold coins and glared at Jiuzhi again, then hurried out. Jiuzhi said anxiously: "This clue is too wide, it's not worth two gold coins!"

Li Zhen smiled, "I already understand that this matter has nothing to do with the county magistrate. A dignified county magistrate cannot collude with the horse bandits, but he must know something, so he remained silent. As long as I find the officer on duty tonight, I will definitely know the details of the horse bandits."

"I think this guy knows why he is looking for an officer?"

"He is just a general idea, and it is impossible to know the details. Moreover, we have no time left, so we must find out the whereabouts of this group of horse bandits immediately."

.........

Fulu County is not a military town. There are no garrisons in the city, only 200 local county soldiers. Two brigade commanders each led 100 people, and they were uniformly under the command of the county magistrate. They are generally responsible for local public security and patrol the gate at night. The brigade commander who was on duty last night was named Liu, a native of Fulu County, and his home is near the north gate.

Last night, there was a horse bandit in the city. Liu Lushuai was busy until the fifth hour before going home to rest. As soon as he walked into the yard, a black shadow flashed out from the door, and a sharp dagger hit his throat. Liu Lushuai was so scared that he was shocked, "You are..."

Before he finished speaking, a severe pain in the back of his head, his eyes turned dark, and he fainted. When he woke up, he found that he was tied to the bedroom, his wife and two sons were tied to the corner of the wall, with cloth stuffed in his mouth, and cried whimperingly.

Liu Lushuai was shocked. When he turned around, he saw several men in black standing next to him, all of whom were covering their faces, and one of them was facing his son with a sword.

Liu Lushuai was both angry and annoyed. His dignified Lushuai was actually targeted by thieves, but his two sons and wife were in the hands of others. He could not help him. He could only hold back his anger and said, "Give all the money to you, let my family go."

A man in black shook his head, "We don't want your money, we just want to ask you one question."

These masked men in black are naturally Li Zhen and the others. They learned from a soldier that the name of the officer on duty and the address of his family, so they took the lead.

Li Zhen already knew that it was Liu Lushuai who had the right to open the city gate at night. Even if he was not a partner of the Ma Brethren, he was also a real insider.

When Liu Lushuai heard that he didn't want his money, he felt a little relieved and said, "You ask! What do you want to know?"

"I want to know where the horse bandits who entered the city tonight, and how many people are there?"

Liu Lushuai laughed, "What a group of idiots. I want to ask this. I can tell you if you don't want your life."

"Just say it, don't talk nonsense!"

"Actually, many people in Fulu County know that the county magistrate also knows that those people are not horse bandits, they are the Suhu Team. Haven't you heard of the Suhu Team in the Hexi Corridor?"

Li Zhen could vaguely feel the group of horse bandits from his tone, but he still had to ask clearly whether it was Kang Ruier's life.

"Continue talking!"

"I don't know the details of the Hu team, but I heard that they have a big background and they only catch young Hu women. I don't know why you are going to stand up for a group of Sogdians, but I can tell you openly that if you are enemies with them, you will not be able to survive even if you have nine lives."

"Don't worry about this, tell me where their nest is and how many people are there?"

"I have no idea!"

Li Zhen's long sword hit the ground and pressed against his youngest son's throat and said coldly: "Do you want to force me to kill someone to silence me?"

Liu Lushuai's face changed drastically, and he suddenly roared, "You bastards, you want to die and I will help you. They are in Taiyi Palace on the northern foot of Kongtong Mountain, with thirty or forty people. You go and die!"

Li Zhen stared at him for a moment, turned around and said to Kang Dazhuang: "Take his youngest son with you, let's go!"

Kang Dazhuang grabbed the children on the ground and the four of them quickly left Liu Lushuai's house. Liu Lushuai couldn't speak for a long time, and these bastards took their son hostage.

.........

Kongtong Mountain is located about forty miles south of Fulu County. It is a mountain with a radius of nearly a hundred miles. The mountains are densely packed with trees and ravines.

Although it is not Kongtong Mountain, a Taoist holy land in Pingliang County, there are also several Buddhist temples and Taoist temples on the mountain. However, these Buddhist temples and Taoist temples are closed-door practiced, do not provide accommodation supplies to business travelers, nor do they accept donations from pilgrims. Most of them make a living by collecting herbs.

Li Zhen and the other four left the county town and headed south. At this time, it was just dawn, and the morning glow shot out from the clouds. Tens of golden light set off the towering Kongtong Mountain incredibly spectacular, with clouds simmering, like fairy mountains outside the frontier.

Liu Lushuai's five-year-old son took the pills of calming his mind that Xiaoxi fed him and fell asleep in a drowsy way, neither making a fuss nor crying. Half an hour later, they finally arrived at Kongtong Mountain and saw the dome of a Taoist temple located on the side of the mountain from afar.

"Old Li, I think since they are horse bandits, their nest should be at the foot of the mountain. It is not easy to go up and down the mountain!"

Jiuzhi's suggestion won Li Zhen's praise, "I am worthy of being a military advisor, and I am very active in my mind! But it seems that it is not difficult to go up the mountain to this Taoist temple."

Li Zhen pointed to a vaguely visible path on the mountain and said, "From that path, you can go up the mountain by riding a horse."

It was just by chance that a person came to the front of the deserted official road, riding a mule. Seeing that he was about sixty years old and his hair and beard were all white. Looking at the medicine hoe and medicine basket he brought, he knew that he was a herb collector. Li Zhen urged him to go forward and salute, "Old man, we want to ask about the way?"

The old man smiled and said, "What are you asking about the road here? Go south along the official road and you can reach Zhangye in four days. There is no place to stay in the middle!"

Li Zhi pointed to a corner of the Taoist temple dome exposed on the hillside and asked, "It seems like a Taoist temple there. Is it Taiyi Palace?"

The old man's face changed, he ignored him, urged the mule to leave, Li Zhen hurriedly stepped forward and stopped him, and said sincerely: "We have relatives missing. It is said that they are in Taiyi Palace, and I beg the old man to show us a clear way."

The old man sighed, "If the relatives disappear, it would be fine to go to Taiyi Palace. They have only been here for a few days, and I don't know if they have left. The young man, the government dares not ask about the matter. I advise you to give up! It's not worth losing your life."

"Thank you, my father-in-law, but we have to ignore your loved ones."

"I'm just saying, whatever you want, just follow the path up the mountain."

Li Zhen nodded, and handed Liu Lushuai's son to him, gave him a gold coin, and asked him to help him take him back to the county town. The old man shook his head and took the child and urged the mule to leave.
Chapter completed!