Chapter 119

Second sister-in-law's deviation of thoughts does not represent the thoughts of others.

First, there is the always calm and composed Lady Mo, who has spent half her life as a military officer's wife and has some understanding of the power of hidden weapons.

Looking at the solemn expression on her son's face while speaking, she knew that this hidden weapon was definitely extraordinary.

"Jiuye, rest assured, I will keep a close eye on your sisters-in-law and Hanyue, and prevent them from easily exposing this hidden weapon to others."

The eldest sister-in-law spoke first, "We will all follow Mother's and Ninth Brother's arrangements."

The other sisters-in-law also expressed their agreement in low voices, promising to keep this hidden weapon well-hidden and away from prying eyes.

Time was running out, so Mo Jiuye explained the usage and precautions of the mini pistol to his family.

If anyone didn't understand, they would privately ask those who had already learned.

After distributing one mini pistol to each person, Peng Wang's side also began preparing for the journey.

On this day, everything was calm and uneventful.

Even so, He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye did not let their guard down.

They had even decided not to rest in the space in the evenings for the next few days, in case an assassin appeared and they couldn't detect it in the space.

The team continued to march calmly for three days and finally arrived at a county town where they could replenish their supplies and stayed at an inn.

To their surprise, besides their group, the inn was almost empty, to the point where one could describe it as deserted.

The innkeeper sat lazily at the entrance.

Peng Wang took the initiative to greet the innkeeper.

"Innkeeper Liu, how have you been?"

The weariness in Innkeeper Liu's tone couldn't be concealed. "Lord Peng, if you had come two days later, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to stay at my inn."

Peng Wang noticed the lack of business in the inn and asked, "Innkeeper Liu, what happened exactly?"

"Ah... it's better not to mention it. Not long ago, a group of notorious bandits appeared in our Xiangyang County. These people, they never steal from ordinary folks' homes, but specifically target wealthy families, and secretly help those poor families."

Peng Wang didn't understand, "Isn't that a good thing? What does it have to do with your inn?"

Innkeeper Liu smiled bitterly.

"That's true. It doesn't have anything to do with my inn. But those bandits' actions scared away many out-of-town merchants who are afraid to do business in our Xiangyang County. As a result, the inns in our county have almost no business."

Peng Wang heard about these bandits who robbed the rich to help the poor for the first time and decided to ask more details.

"As Innkeeper Liu said, those bandits rob the rich to help the poor. They can't possibly steal from every household, right?"

"You're right. Even if it's a wealthy family, they only target those who are unscrupulous in their wealth," replied Innkeeper Liu.

Peng Wang furrowed his brows, "If that's the case, why are those merchants so worried?"

Innkeeper Liu sighed once again.

"The thing is, those bandits have been glorified by the common people. Everyone who has some money wants to stay away from them. As a result, the number of out-of-town people coming to Xiangyang County keeps decreasing."

In this regard, Peng Wang could only listen to the gossip. After all, these government officials were very poor, and the prisoners didn't have much money, so there was no worry about theft.

Moreover, people said that those notorious thieves were engaged in robbing the rich to help the poor, which had nothing to do with them.

Without delving further, Peng Wang asked the shopkeeper Liu to help arrange the guest rooms and let everyone rest.

As usual, those who couldn't afford the room fee went to the backyard shed...

He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye still chose to share a room. During the night's rest, Mo Jiuye suddenly felt something strange.

He quickly rushed out of the room and leaped onto the roof.

He Zhiran followed, but unfortunately, Mo Jiuye was too fast. When she went out, she couldn't see Mo Jiuye's figure at all, so she had to return to the room and wait.

Mo Jiuye chased after several dark figures on the roof and ran far away until they were far from the residence. Only then did the cloaked individuals stop.

"Who are you?" Mo Jiuye asked in a deep voice.

The cloaked individuals, noticing someone chasing after them, originally intended to lead the person to a more secluded place before taking action.

When they heard this familiar voice, they instantly removed the masks covering their faces and knelt down before Mo Jiuye.

"Subordinate Liang Hao pays respects to Duke Gong."

"Liang Hao, what are you doing here?" Mo Jiuye was obviously surprised. As he spoke, he quickly stepped forward and helped the kneeling individuals up.

Liang Hao pointed to the several people behind him and said, "Duke Gong, we heard that your mansion was ransacked and your family was exiled. We resigned from our official positions and waited here to meet with you."

Mo Jiuye looked at the people behind Liang Hao.

Song Chao, Wang Dali, Xu Qingfeng, Li Mingrui. These people were all talents nurtured by his father and brothers. After he returned to the capital, these people continued to stay at the border to guard it.

Unexpectedly, these people were so loyal to the Mo family that they chose to resign and follow him here in such circumstances.

Mo Jiuye didn't entirely agree with their actions.

"You have worked hard to achieve your current positions. Why go through such hardships again?

Moreover, with the entire Mo family expelled, there is no future for following me."

Liang Hao and the others knelt down again and said, "We have accompanied Duke Gong through life and death for many years. We are well aware of whether you have colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. These baseless rumors are absurd.

The court has treated a meritorious person like you unfairly, and we will not sacrifice our lives for such an incompetent ruler."

Their words were resolute and powerful, displaying Liang Hao and the others' dissatisfaction with the court.

Mo Jiuye knew well that these people had already resigned from their official positions, and no matter how much he said, it would be in vain.

"In that case, what are your plans for the future?"

The five individuals answered in unison, "Wherever Duke Gong is, we will be there."

Mo Jiuye had no objections to this. These few were unwanted orphans since childhood. They were brought to the military camp by his father and brothers for training, and even now, they were still alone without any attachments wherever they went.

"For now, I am a banished criminal of the court. I can only regain my freedom after reaching the northwest. It's inconvenient for you to travel with the banished group. Let's meet in the northwest."

"No, we will accompany Duke Guo all the way to ensure your safety and that of your family," Liang Hao retorted.

Mentioning the safety of his family made Mo Jiuye hesitate.

Having Liang Hao and the others with him would indeed be of great help in times of danger.

"Since that's the case, you can follow the team from a distance without arousing suspicion," he paused and added, "Also, I am no longer Duke Guo, so you should use a different title for me in the future."

Liang Hao pondered for a moment. "How about we continue to address you as Ninth Master, just like before?"

According to Mo Jiuye's understanding, they were all commoners without any official positions now, and these people were older than him. It wouldn't be inappropriate for them to call him by his name.

However, considering Liang Hao and the others' respectful attitude towards the Mo family, he doubted they would agree to address him by his name. So Mo Jiuye went along with their suggestion.

"Alright, let's go with that!"