Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 78 Using a Tiger to Drive Away a Wolf
Master Yang, what are you up to?
Ba Limo looked around, a mocking smile almost spilling from the corner of his mouth.

A big man with a baby thought he could trap him?

This play is simply too absurd!

Yang Can's face was ashen, but his eyes blazed with fury: "Why? You still have the nerve to ask why?"

My Feng'an Village and your Bali tribe have always kept to ourselves, but what you've done..."

Yang Can suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the end of the pull, the sound like tearing silk.

“Those thieves who smuggled mountain goods killed my villagers. I, the head of the village, led my men in pursuit, intending to seek justice.”

Who would have thought I'd stumble upon you two double-crossing me? You take your goods, what does that have to do with me? Why did you have to so ruthlessly kill my men?

Leopard, who was standing to the side, rolled his eyes so hard they almost popped into the top of his head.

Why? Accidental injury, I guess!

They're busy scheming against each other; you barge in recklessly. Who has the time to ask if you're friend or foe?

Of course, it's best to strike first, you blockhead!
Upon hearing this, Bald Falcon Evil placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword, his icy gaze shooting towards Ba Limo like a sharp arrow.

Bali Mo flew into a rage: "Nonsense! My Bali tribe acts with integrity and uprightness. When have we ever done such a despicable thing?"

Yang Can sneered repeatedly, his laughter tinged with mockery: "Really not?"
Could it be that the perpetrators of the violence at the mouth of Canglang Gorge were from another tribe, disguised as members of your Bali tribe?

Ba Limo shouted, "I swear to heaven that I have never coveted those mountain goods!"

May I be struck by lightning if I utter a single falsehood!

"This matter is not just Yang's side of the story; all three hundred of my men can testify to it!"

Ba Limo finally seized on the opportunity and retorted sarcastically, "More than three hundred people?"
You mean that the men I sent to ambush you, upon seeing over three hundred of you break in, actually had the audacity to kill you to silence you?
Could it be that all the men of my Bali tribe are warriors capable of taking on a hundred men each?

"Impossible? Absolutely impossible. That's why I was able to escape unscathed."

Yang Can remained defiant: "I haven't even gone to seek revenge on you yet, and you dare to come knocking on my door."

"Guards! Seize all these thugs!"

By this time, villagers had poured in from all directions, carrying flails, hoes, and pitchforks, forming what looked like a hastily assembled army of farm tools.

The guards from the fort also arrived upon hearing the news, and the servants all grabbed various weapons.

Old Xin, the woodcutter, limped along at the back, carrying a chipped wood-chopping knife, looking rather sleazy.

"Stop this, all of you!"

Seeing the tension between the two sides, Bald Falcon quickly shouted a stern rebuke to stop them.

He listened to both sides sticking to their own versions of events, as if he were listening to two storytellers telling completely different stories.

Does he care who cheated whom? What he cares about is the whereabouts of that shipment.

If the two sides really start fighting today, as a Xianbei, he can only flee back to the mountain pass.

Wouldn't his goods then be left without a destination?
Bald Falcon Evil spurred his horse and positioned himself between Ba Limo and Yang Can, clasping his hands in a fist salute to Yang Can and saying, "I am Falcon Evil of the Bald Falcon tribe. I beg the Lord to calm his wrath and allow me to speak."

When Leopard, who had been observing from the sidelines, heard the words "bald tribe," his eyelids twitched involuntarily.

The Bald Tribe is no small fry like the Bald Tribe.

Even a powerful clan like Yu would have to give such a large tribe some face.

Leopard hurriedly straightened his clothes and raised his voice, "I am Yu Xiaobao of the Yu family. What advice do you have for me, Bald-haired Lord? Please speak freely."

"So it's Third Master Leopard." Bald Falcon Evil returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, somewhat surprised.

"To be honest, that batch of mountain goods was a birthday gift prepared by Junxie and several adults in the tribe, using all their resources, for my elder brother."

Now that this birthday gift has vanished, Junxie has no way of explaining it to the elders in the tribe.

Although selling mountain goods is not allowed within Yujia's territory, but…

Bald Falcon Evil changed the subject, saying meaningfully, "I would be most grateful if Lord Leopard would help me find the goods, considering the past friendship between my Bald tribe and your Yu family."

What connection do the bald tribe have with our Yu family? Of course not.

But if this batch of goods cannot be found, this "friendship" will probably turn into "estrangement".

Although Yu Xiaobao wasn't very bright, he still understood the hidden meaning in Tufa Junxie's words.

He wasn't afraid of Bald Falcon's threat—after all, he wasn't the one in charge of the Yu family.

But if he can help Bald Falcon retrieve the goods and win the friendship of the Bald tribe, he might be able to change his awkward situation within the family.

This thought warmed his heart, and he immediately smiled and said, "The reason why my family forbids the sale of mountain goods is mainly to prevent the loss of commercial taxes."

But the Bald Tribe is not comparable to ordinary people. Besides, this batch of goods is a birthday gift that Your Excellency prepared for your brother, so it is understandable.

Rest assured, sir, as long as the goods remain within my territory, I will search high and low to find them!

After saying this, Yu Xiaobao got off the carriage and walked quickly to Yang Can: "Yang Can, put aside your grudges with the Bali tribe for now. I'm asking you, do you know the whereabouts of that batch of mountain goods?"

"Third Master, please understand, this subordinate truly did not know."

Yang Can looked completely innocent: "When we chased them into the valley, we saw a group of Xianbei people attacking thieves who were carrying mountain goods."

We were attacked as soon as we entered the valley. To avoid further complications, Yang ordered his troops to retreat.

"That's right! That's exactly how it's done!"

"Before I even rushed into the valley, our manor lord led his men and ran away."

"I was shot with a stray arrow as soon as I entered the valley. I have no idea which damned person did this. Who can I complain to?"

Upon hearing the news, the Feng'anzhuang retainers who rushed over received a wink from Yang Can and immediately chimed in, each putting on an even more enthusiastic performance than a theatrical troupe.

Tuoba Junxie immediately pressed the sergeant who mentioned being shot with an arrow: "Based on what you saw at the time, how many Xianbei people were in the valley?"

"Oh dear, I didn't notice that!"

The author described the scene with great enthusiasm: "The grassy areas, the bushes, and the mountain paths were teeming with people."

Chaos reigned; everyone's brains were practically swirling in the air, who had the time to count heads? "Bald Falcon Evil glared coldly at Ba Limo, his gaze piercing: 'Ba Limo, what else do you have to say?'"

Ba Li was furious.

His people died under mysterious circumstances, and now Tuoba Junxie is eager to find someone to take the blame, so he wants to pin the blame on him.

Just because your bald tribe is powerful, does that mean you can do whatever you want?
If you push me too far, I'll lead my tribe to join your Bald Hair Tribe's archenemy, the Chiluo Tribe, and then we'll see what you can do to me!
Ba Limo said coldly, "So, Lord Baldhead, you insist on doubting me?"

"Aren't you suspicious?"

"People from Feng'an Village were also present at the time, so couldn't they have been the ones taking advantage of the situation?"

Yang Can shouted angrily, "You bastard surnamed Ba, don't you dare make false accusations! My men died innocently, and I haven't even settled accounts with you yet!"

"Who the hell has the surname Ba?" Ba Limo rolled his eyes at Yang Can.

Feeling neglected, Leopard decided to step forward again to make his presence felt.

"Uh... cough! In my opinion, the two of you don't need to argue anymore."

I have been in charge of Tianshui for hundreds of years, how could I break the rules?
The Bali tribe and my family have always been on good terms, and it would never come to this.

There must be another reason behind this strange occurrence.

"You two are guests from afar; why don't you rest in the fortress first, have a cup of tea, and then discuss things further?"

If possible, Balimo would certainly not want to make enemies with the Bald Tribe.

He let out a long sigh and said loudly, "I can't refuse to give face to Third Master Leopard."

Bald-haired sir, I hope you'll aim your arrows more carefully, lest you shoot the wrong prey!

Bald Falcon sneered, "Don't worry, the cooking time will separate the beef bones from the sheep bones."

No matter how clever some people are, the truth will eventually come to light.

"Haha, please calm your rage and follow me into the fortress."

Upon hearing Ba Limo's words, "I can't refuse Third Master Bao's request," Yu Xiaobao's face immediately lit up with a radiant glow.

He immediately adopted the demeanor of a peacemaker, grabbing one of the two men with each hand and pulling them into the fortress.

"Yang Can, why aren't you arranging accommodations for our distinguished guests?"

Third Master Leopard has started to take the lead.

"Since they are Third Master's guests, I, Yang, will make the arrangements."

Yang Can responded neither humbly nor arrogantly, then changed the subject: "However, my men in the manor lost their lives innocently. I, Yang, will seek justice from Lord Bali for this."

He spoke these words with conviction in front of all his retainers before leading the three men into the fortress.

At this moment, Zhang Yunyi and Wan Tai were strolling leisurely through Feng'an Village, looking as if they were enjoying a scenic tour.

When the villagers saw him, they all looked troubled—it was inappropriate to greet him, but it was also inappropriate not to greet him; avoiding him was not appropriate, but approaching him to speak was even more inappropriate.

Zhang Yunyi remained calm and composed throughout, as if these awkward situations had nothing to do with him.

Recalling that day, Yang Can used the lives of the other members of the Zhang family, along with the pain of betrayal by his relatives, to force him to make a choice: kill his relatives or surrender.

He readily agreed, because that was exactly what he wanted to do most at the time, when he was filled with rage and anger.

But Yang Can was using him, didn't he know that?
No, he knew perfectly well.

But this was his own will, so does it matter whether he was being used?

He naturally wouldn't be grateful to Yang Can for this; no one thanks the hand that uses another to do their dirty work.

He had already killed the person he most wanted to kill, so naturally, it was Yang Can's turn next, the one who had taken everything from him.

Yang Can wanted him to be a biting dog, and he agreed;
Yang Can ordered him to cede Feng'an Fort, and he readily complied.

The reason is that his trump card against Yang Can was always outside the game.

This trump card is the elusive "Mountain Master".

For many years, he cooperated with Master Shan in selling mountain goods and accumulated a huge fortune, but he never knew the true face of Master Shan.

But he knew that Master Shan had extensive connections and great power.

The strategy of "luring tigers to drive away wolves" is not the exclusive domain of the Yu clan leader or Yang Can.

He can use Zhang Yunyi just as well, and he's confident he can play even better.

He was determined to reclaim everything he had lost without bloodshed.

Therefore, at this moment, Deputy Master Zhang possessed an incredibly strong mental fortitude.

He calmly faced the villagers' gazes, which were filled with fear or disdain. His composed demeanor made him seem like someone who had come to watch someone else's commotion.

Ahead lay Feng'an Fort, but Zhang Yunyi suddenly stopped, his gaze slightly narrowed.

At the other end of the road, a caravan was slowly approaching.

The camel bells jingled melodiously, as if playing a folk tune with the flavor of the Western Regions.

A caravan of over twenty camels and a dozen horses was laden with boxes and packages.

It must have been filled with fine jade from the Western Regions, Khotan carpets, Kucha musical instruments, and precious exotic spices.

Although Feng'anzhuang is not the main road to Tianshui, it is still a passable route, and it is not uncommon for caravans to pass through it.

Surprisingly, the banner carried by this caravan was a bold and elegant regular script character "于" (Yu).

Within the territory of the Yu family, who would dare to fly a flag bearing the character "Yu" if they were not from the Yu family itself?
This is like setting up a stall to sell imperial robes at the gates of the palace—they're asking for trouble!
A magnificent Liangzhou steed stepped out from the crowd and stopped in front of Zhang Yunyi.

The young man sitting upright on horseback was dignified and imposing, his entire demeanor exuding an air of nobility, as if he had stepped out of a painting.

Zhang Yunyi's pupils contracted slightly, a sense of surprise and doubt creeping into his heart: Yu Rui, Young Master Yu? What brings him here?

(End of this chapter)