Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 377 - 376: Coming Clean

The old steward’s words made Lu Yan laugh, eyeing the old man with a touch of disdain, "You? The second-in-command?

What kind of bandit group is this? A bunch of the old, the weak, the sick, and the infirm, robbing people on the road, so pitiful that people just leave their loose change and small silver for you?!

Before telling such lies, you should at least look in a mirror and listen to how outrageous your nonsense sounds!"

"Gentlemen, even if I were given a couple more courage, I wouldn’t dare to joke around with you!" The old steward said miserably, almost in tears, "I really was the second-in-command in the bandit group!

I was a village rascal who ended up in trouble, feared being caught by the government, so I ran off to become a bandit. I wasn’t even forty back then; I was in my prime.

In the camp, I led the brothers to make some illicit gains, and step by step, I managed to secure the position of second-in-command, thinking I didn’t have the ambition to lead. Being second, letting the leader handle the big problems, was fine by me.

Unexpectedly, those bastards betrayed me when I got older, saying I was useless, and kicked me out. After spending so many years in the bandit camp, I had nowhere to go and almost starved to death before the Fortress Lord picked me up.

He said he could take me in at the Immortal Castle to manage affairs for him, considering I had the experience of being second-in-command.

Our Fortress Lord seldom stays in the fortress, acting all mysterious, I haven’t even seen his appearance.

At first, I was apprehensive, but I really had nowhere else to go, no skills to sustain life, so I could only gratefully stay.

So, good sirs, I’m merely trying to earn a living and survive, with no grudge or intention to trouble you!

If the Immortal Castle did anything in the past to interfere with your affairs, it was my unintended mistake; I was just doing my job. I beg you to let me go!

There are leaders for grievances and debts; these are all done under the Fortress Lord’s orders. If you heroes cannot let it go, seek out the Fortress Lord for justice...

It really has nothing to do with me, I simply lack the authority to decide..."

The old steward pleaded tearfully, waiting for a response from Lu Qing and the others. Receiving none, he anxiously continued, "Haven’t you all seen? Apart from arranging for your sustenance these days, I have discussed nothing else with you all as I don’t have a say in whom to work with!

Though the Fortress Lord pays me well, he only allows me to execute his orders and manage the people in the fortress; I am not allowed to inquire beyond!"

"Then tell me, where do all these people in the Immortal Castle come from?" Lu Qing, seeing the steward’s desperation, finally asked a question.

The old steward, encouraged by Lu Qing’s inquiry, eagerly replied, "The protectors in the fortress are almost all brothers originally from the bandit group that kicked me out.

The Fortress Lord said he needed protectors in the fortress who were ruthless in their methods, unafraid of killing, just capable of keeping the fortress in order, and he offered decent pay.

I thought it was better than blocking roads and robbing people, at least it was a stable job.

So I went back to the bandit camp and brought over the brothers who treated me well, as it wasn’t their fault I was expelled, and they couldn’t decide.

After persuading them to come to the fortress, I realized the Fortress Lord was generous, and since we needed more people, I continued bringing people from the bandit camp to work for him.

Eventually, the brothers in the camp saw it as a good opportunity and rushed to join me. The leader who kicked me out tried to stop them and was cut down by one of the brothers.

Afterwards, everyone from the camp followed me to the Immortal Castle."

"Your bandit camp only had that few people?" Zhu Yu found it dubious. Though she hadn’t fought the protectors earlier, she heard from Lu Qing that the fortress only had about a dozen protectors.

If a bandit camp had only a dozen people, it wouldn’t deserve the name ’bandit camp.’

The old steward shook his head: "It’s certainly more than that.

Those who enjoy a leisure life in the fortress are the ones who followed me first and were close to me initially.

The others who saw us living well and without fear of the government came over in later waves; they’re not in the fortress.

The Fortress Lord provided them with clothing and weapons, sending them to far-off places away from the Immortal Castle, like the bandit territory, to rob merchants sporadically."

Realizing that these people might have come for revenge because of this, he quickly added, "But those brothers aren’t really there to rob people!

These are all under the Fortress Lord’s instructions, to stir up some trouble wearing those clothes and wielding those weapons, not truly to rob, and even if someone gets hurt, they are to leave them alive, making the robbed believe it was the Jie Country’s bandits—Aiyou—!"

While desperately trying to shift the blame to the Fortress Lord, a slender whip suddenly lashed out at him, catching everyone off guard and landing directly on the old steward before anyone could stop it.

The old steward, bound tightly to a tree, couldn’t move or dodge, was caught utterly unprepared, and screamed as a bloody mark appeared through his clothes.

"Pah! Despicable! Filthy!" Yan Shu, whip in hand, nearly flaring with anger, pointed at the old steward and scolded him furiously.

Zhu Yu quickly came forward, pressing down Yan Shu’s whip, fearing the girl would grow angrier listening and kill the steward before getting all the answers they needed, which wouldn’t be good.

Seeing Yan Shu’s gritted teeth, Zhu Yu assessed that the possibility of that happening was quite high.