He Dali gestured for his men to enter the woods. They bound Shi Gang like a rice dumpling, tossed him onto the donkey cart, and headed towards Xiao Family Town.
At this moment, a faint murderous aura permeated the air above Xiao Family Town. Liu Rumei and Yang Zhi had already arrived.
After arranging for the men to be hidden outside the town, Yang Zhi came to see Liu Rumei.
Upon meeting, Yang Zhi cupped his fists and said, "Miss Liu, twenty-four men from the Vermilion Bird Gang are at your disposal."
Liu Rumei smiled faintly and nodded, "After dark, directly surround the inn. Search room by room. Arrest anyone from Cangying Mountain."
Yang Zhi couldn't help but be taken aback, surprised by Liu Rumei's forthright approach to the search. "This, is this appropriate? If Sun Jian is alerted, he will surely fight to the death."
Liu Rumei remained calm and composed. "Don't be nervous. Just do as I've arranged. Station your men outside the inn, and you come in with me."
"Alright, I can follow your arrangements, Miss Liu. I have one request, though I don't know if I should speak it."
Liu Rumei raised her hand slightly. "What is there that cannot be said? Speak freely."
"Miss Liu, after Sun Jian is captured, may I be allowed to deal with him?"
"Very well, I will ensure you personally kill Sun Jian."
With Liu Rumei's promise, Yang Zhi felt reassured. All that remained was to patiently wait for nightfall.
As the sun began to set in the west, Chen Xiaobei and his companions also arrived in Xiao Family Town.
Old Wang, the innkeeper of the inn, was surprised to see He Dali return. "Constable He, why have you come back?"
He Dali pointed to Shi Gang on the donkey cart behind him. "We found a witness. Let him identify the killer."
Old Wang, the innkeeper of the Yue Lai Inn, immediately stepped forward. "Very well, I'll call all the inn's staff right away!"
"Yes, a man of responsibility." Chen Xiaobei's impression of Old Wang improved slightly. "This man can be trusted."
"Innkeeper Wang, you misunderstand. The suspect is not one of your staff. Please do not disturb my investigation."
He Dali gestured, and someone brought Shi Gang forward.
Hearing that it wasn't one of his staff, Old Wang breathed a long sigh of relief and quickly retreated to the side.
Led by Shi Gang, everyone knocked on Sun Jian's door.
Seeing Chen Xiaobei standing outside, Sun Jian was a little surprised. "Brother Xiaobei, why are you here?"
Before he finished speaking, he saw He Dali and several other constables behind Chen Xiaobei.
And Shi Gang, tied up like a rice dumpling.
Seeing Shi Gang bound like that, Sun Jian's heart sank. He knew something big had happened.
He Dali's face was grim. "Are you Sun Jian?"
Although Sun Jian was skilled in martial arts and the people present combined were no match for him, He Dali's official status was undeniable.
So Sun Jian still plastered on a smile and replied, "Yes, I am Sun Jian."
"Someone has reported that you are involved in the murder of Chen Ping of Qingniu Mountain. You must come with me to the county yamen." He Dali got straight to the point.
Sun Jian looked at Chen Xiaobei in surprise, his eyes searching for an answer.
"Shi Gang has already spoken, and the killer has escaped. So, Brother Sun, you still need to cooperate."
Chen Xiaobei's words were simple, but Sun Jian understood the implication.
Shi Gang had spoken, so the matter involving Sun Qing and Sun Gui could no longer be hidden.
However, since these two had fled and there was no evidence to implicate him, Sun Jian quickly formulated a plan.
"Of course, I will cooperate. May I have a moment to gather my things?"
Sun Jian intended to arrange matters with his subordinates, but He Dali stood at the doorway with his arms crossed, showing no intention of leaving.
Helpless, Sun Jian quickly tidied up a few things in the room and then followed He Dali out of the inn.
The arrival of so many people from He Dali had caused quite a stir in the inn, naturally alerting the other guests. Some of the Cangying Mountain men also came out to watch the commotion.
Seeing Sun Jian being led away, a few of them looked eager to act, but Sun Jian stopped them with a look.
Sun Jian knew very well that he had never told anyone the reason why Sun Gui and Sun Qing committed the murder.
Therefore, Shi Gang and the others would not know the details, and he still had a chance.
Moreover, attacking officers of the law openly in the inn would be difficult to explain even to the State Preceptor.
By the time they left the inn, it was completely dark. Sun Jian climbed onto the donkey cart and swayed towards the county yamen.
As they traveled, Sun Jian chatted casually with Chen Xiaobei.
At this moment, Sun Jian did not realize that Chen Xiaobei's appearance had saved his life.
The moment Sun Jian left the inn, Zheng Ke immediately sent someone to report to Liu Rumei that the constables had taken Sun Jian away.
Hearing this, Liu Rumei was somewhat surprised. "Why now? Why did the constables take Sun Jian away at this particular time?"
At this moment, Yang Zhi spoke up. "Miss Liu might not know yet, but Sun Jian's men killed a villager from Hetou Village. It seems he's in grave danger this time. Alas, it's a pity I can't personally kill this dog villain."
Liu Rumei was not as optimistic. With Sun Jian's skills, if he wanted to escape, the entire county yamen combined wouldn't be able to stop him. Eliminating evil thoroughly was important, and if Sun Jian escaped, he would be a great trouble in the future.
At this point, Liu Ce spoke, "Miss, this might not be a bad opportunity. Sun Jian is highly skilled and tough. Without him, we'll actually save a lot of effort."
Liu Ziming, standing beside him, echoed, "Yes, yes. Let's capture all his subordinates first. Dealing with him alone will be much easier."
The persuasion of everyone finally made Liu Rumei resolve to proceed according to the original plan.
In the blink of an eye, it was the second watch. The entire Xiao Family Town gradually quieted down.
The lights in the inns and taverns of all sizes began to dim and close for the night.
Over a hundred men in black silently surrounded the inn.
After ensuring there were no blind spots and no one could escape, Liu Rumei, accompanied by Yang Zhi and Liu Ce, entered the inn.
At this moment, Old Wang was dozing at the counter. According to custom, his inn did not close at night, allowing travelers who started early or returned late to stay.
Old Wang, assuming it was a new guest, quickly rubbed his sleepy eyes and stood up.
"Are the three of you here for lodging?"
Liu Ce stepped forward and flashed his waist token. "Do you recognize this?"
Old Wang shook his head. After all, he only ran an inn in town and didn't know what a waist token represented.
Liu Ce sighed and explained again, "We are constables from the capital, doing official business. Do you understand?"
Old Wang thought to himself, what was going on with his inn? Why were officials coming and going all day?
But then again, ordinary citizens like him couldn't afford to offend officials. He quickly bowed with a smile and stepped back. "I understand. Please proceed, officers."
However, at this very moment, they were leaderless. Sun Jian had left, and Sun Gui and Sun Qing had also departed.