I asked, "Who is this important person you mentioned?" The bandit replied, "He’s a child of about eleven or twelve, accompanied by five retainers. We don’t know his exact identity, but we figure he’s the young master of some prominent family. Our General probably intends to use him for extortion, demanding grain and slaves."

I thought to myself, a child of eleven or twelve with five attendants, rescued outside the Azure Hawk Manor—could it be Ma Xiaoda? His status must be significant enough to mobilize a thousand bandits to capture him. I’ll need to question him thoroughly when I get back.

Seeing me deep in thought, Sun Dasheng addressed the bandit again. "I suspect you aren't telling the whole truth. Bring in the binding tools for him again."

The bandit immediately pleaded, "No, no, sir! Everything I've said is true! Our leader also ordered us to scout out why the defenses of Feiyu County suddenly became so formidable, and to coordinate with any internal allies to help take the city."

Sun Dasheng scoffed, "Want to take Feiyu County? Dream on! As long as my Brother Zhao is here, even a few thousand of you won't succeed."

The bandit looked at me with wide-eyed shock. "Is this the one who defeated you?"

Old Six confirmed, "Indeed. This is our Lord Zhao. His strategies are divine, capable of conjuring troops from thin air. You brutes will never plague Feiyu County with robberies again."

The bandit recalled the great fire from yesterday’s assault and shuddered in genuine fear. "We wouldn't dare, never again! I will return immediately to our leader and urge him to abandon this plan and retreat back to our territory. We won't dare cause trouble within your borders ever again."

Sun Dasheng sneered coldly, "You think you're going back? Hmph."

The bandit’s face drained of color in terror. "I’ve confessed everything! You can't kill me now!" It was clear how fragile a person becomes once they surrender their will to resist.

Sun Dasheng turned to me. "Brother Zhao, do you believe what he says? Shall we interrogate the other bandit?"

I replied, "No need. I don't think he’s mistaken. I recognize the important person he described; we accidentally saved him outside Azure Hawk Manor. It’s a pity we can’t fully trust this bandit, otherwise, we could devise a plan to lure the remaining thieves into the city and annihilate them all."

Sun Dasheng suggested, "We can find out where the remnants are hiding, and then we can simply march out and eliminate them."

I countered, "That's unwise. Although the bandits have been severely crippled, even with all of Feiyu County’s military strength, we wouldn't be a match for the remaining hundred-plus bandits. Let’s drop this idea to avoid unnecessary sacrifice. I will go find Magistrate An and urge him to reinforce the city defenses, lest the bandits exploit any lapse."

Sun Dasheng asked, "Then what about these two?"

I pondered for a moment. "Let them go. Killing these two serves no purpose. Let them return and report to their leader. Hearing about the city’s situation might frighten him into withdrawing. Otherwise, leaving them outside remains a constant threat."

Sun Dasheng conceded, "Alright. Though I truly want to chop off both their dog heads, I will follow Brother Zhao’s advice."

Killing them wouldn't accomplish anything substantial. It would be better to let them report back that the city defenses are tight and the people united. Perhaps this will dissuade the bandits from further attack. If they gather another thousand or so bandits, holding the city might become problematic again.

Leaving the Feiyu Gang headquarters, I strolled toward the county office. At the entrance, I bumped into Ah San, who was on duty. "Lord Zhao, you've arrived! Looking for Magistrate An? He’s currently settling a case for a group of ignorant villagers," Ah San greeted me warmly.

I chuckled. "Heh, stop calling me Lord Zhao. Now that the bandits have retreated, my temporary commandership is over. Is Magistrate An busy with every Tom, Dick, and Harry?"

Ah San said earnestly, "No matter the time, you are always our Lord Zhao. Wait here, I’ll go call him for you. Or would you like to come in and sit? Magistrate An won't mind if you interrupt his hearing."

I replied, "No, thank you. Going inside means getting entangled in formalities, and I need to handle some pressing matters urgently. I need to speak with Ah Mao and Ah San first."

Ah San quickly called Ah Mao out. Ah Mao saluted me. "Lord Zhao, what is your instruction?"

I pulled Ah Mao and Ah San aside. "Ah Mao, I’m not giving orders as a Lord now. I am a common citizen today. This morning, a friend of mine captured two bandit spies..."

"What!" Ah Mao jumped in surprise. "Bandits sent spies into the city? What were the gate guards doing!"

I explained, "It’s not entirely their fault. Thousands of civilians enter and exit the gates daily; they can't be expected to recognize every single face. However, according to what those two bandits confessed, the remaining thieves haven't gone far. That’s why I hope you maintain absolute vigilance over the city defense and intelligence work for the next few days. If the bandits manage a surprise attack and succeed, all our previous achievements will be wiped out."

Ah Mao responded, "I understand, Lord Zhao. We've all heard of your integrity. You gave all the credit meant for the imperial court to us brothers, choosing anonymity for yourself. We are deeply grateful, and we will obey any command you give."

I smiled. "The credit is useless to me. It’s better to give tangible benefits to everyone. Magistrate An tries hard in his duties, but asking him to lead troops in battle is out of the question. Constable Sun is injured and temporarily unable to command city defense. The safety of Feiyu County temporarily rests on your shoulders."

Ah San, who had been listening silently, spoke up then. "Lord Zhao, rest assured. We brothers were foolish and reckless before, we even mistakenly attacked you once. But after experiencing this battle against the bandits, we truly feel the weight of responsibility carried by the county staff. Seeing the respect the common people show us fills us with indescribable pride. Since the citizens trust us, we will do our utmost to protect their safety. But at the critical moment, Lord Zhao must step forward to lead us! Otherwise, we are just scattered sand and cannot accomplish anything."

I said, "As long as they don't breach the city gates, the remaining hundred bandits can’t accomplish much. Based on our previous experience repelling the bandits, you can certainly hold off the attack of a hundred of them. However, defending against one or two bandits is harder than defending against a hundred or even several hundred. Now that they might send men in disguise to scout or even conduct assassinations, I will instruct my friend to increase our grassroots counter-espionage efforts. But the government side must also strengthen its intelligence work. Ah Mao and Ah San already have experience in this area. I will recommend you to Magistrate An and Constable Sun. But right now, Magistrate An is extremely busy with official duties, and Constable Sun is injured. I am only speaking to you as a friend to relay the situation. Just keep this in mind. I will discuss these matters with Magistrate An and Constable Sun properly when I return from Hulu Village."

The two bowed in unison. "Lord Zhao, have no worries, we understand. Though the county office has fewer personnel available after yesterday’s battle, Magistrate An mentioned this morning in the meeting that he plans to form a militia, and said that this idea came from Lord Zhao. We will have more manpower then, and we won't need to fear even if the bandits send a hundred spies."

I checked the time. "That's good then. I have other things to attend to. Carry on with your work."