Scumbag Chapter 137 The Reformed White-Eyed Wolf General (3)

"Old Wu, go ahead to my father-in-law’s house and have him open the back gate. We’ll enter quietly from there."

Mingting ordered.

The soldiers he brought this time were all his former subordinates, and they were absolutely loyal to him.

Since Mingting already suspected the bandits’ true identities, this was the perfect opportunity to set a trap, capture them, and pry open their mouths to see who had the audacity to scheme against him!

‘If it turned out to be one of those princes who did it...’

Mingting smirked coldly.

‘Even if they were of imperial blood, I’d drag them down from their high horse!’

When Old Wu returned, Mingting left twenty men and their horses hidden around the Liu Family’s residence while he led the other twenty through the back gate.

"Father! Mother!"

As soon as Mingting saw his father-in-law and mother-in-law, he dropped to his knees.

"I’ve returned!"

“My good son-in-law…"

Seeing their son-in-law, Liu Yongshan and his wife, Liu Huangshi, were overjoyed, and they hurried forward to help Mingting up.

"Am I dreaming? Has my son-in-law really returned safely? Amitabha, the Bodhisattva has answered our prayers!"

Liu Huangshi repeatedly thanked the gods.

Liu Yongshan also held onto Mingting, with a look of concern on his chubby face:

"The new dynasty has been established, and we wanted to go inquire about news, but we were worried about the roads being unsafe, so we stayed at home. You’ve been gone for five months since you last left… we’ve been so worried! Now that you’re back, safe and sound, that’s all that matters!"

"Father, Mother, not only am I safe, but I was also conferred the title of Count of Dingyuan by the Emperor himself. From now on, I am the Count, and Huiniang will be a Countess!"

"What? A Count?"

Liu Yongshan felt dizzy, and his chubby body swayed unsteadily as he nearly collapsed to the ground. It was only with Mingting’s support that he was able to stand firmly.

" “You mean like the noble titles in the operas? The kind that can be passed down to descendants?"

Liu Yongshan tightly gripped Mingting’s sleeve, his small eyes widening in disbelief.

“Yes, Father. From now on, you’ll be the father-in-law of a Count, and Mother will be the mother-in-law of a Count. I’ve come back this time to take you both with me to live in comfort!"

‘My son-in-law is a Count...’

‘Our Liu family has made the right bet...’

Liu Yongshan felt lightheaded, his happiness making his eyes squint into slits.

"Madam, pinch me, why do I feel like I'm dreaming?"

Liu Yongshan grinned foolishly at Liu Huangshi.

Liu Huangshi was also overwhelmed with excitement. It took her a long moment to remember something important.

“Huiniang, A-Cheng accompanied Huiniang to Pudu Temple to pray for blessings. Huiniang was worried about you and said she wanted to stay at the temple for a few days to pray more!"

“Mother, I understand. I’ll go fetch Huiniang myself later and give her a surprise."

Just as Liu Huangshi was about to tell Mingting the news of their daughter’s pregnancy, Liu Yongshan tugged at her sleeve.

Since their son-in-law wanted to surprise their daughter, why not let their daughter surprise him too? Surely, their son-in-law would be overjoyed.

Having been married for many years, Liu Huangshi immediately understood her husband’s meaning and smiled without saying anything, bustling about to prepare food for them.

Mingting stopped his mother-in-law, saying they had already eaten on the road and there was no need to trouble herself.

Afterwards, Mingting invited his in-laws into the main hall, assigned two men to guard them, and called over the household servants, instructing them to stay in the adjacent room.

Although the Liu family were local landowners, over the years, Liu Yongshan had spent a great deal of his own money to help his son-in-law gather supplies and provisions.

As a result, the family’s remaining land, houses, and shops were few, and to cut expenses, they employed only a handful of servants.

In the original timeline, on this very night, a group of bandits would storm into the Liu Family’s residence at midnight.

They killed Liu Yongshan, Liu Huangshi, the family’s cook, the farmhand, and the other servants, a total of seven people, stole some valuables, set the house on fire, and fled.

The stolen goods weren’t particularly valuable, and the bandits didn’t take the gold and silver hidden in the cellar, suggesting they were in a hurry and left in a rush.

The Liu Family’s son-in-law had been a bandit and later joined the rebel army. Many people feared that Mingting would be executed and distanced themselves from the Liu Family to avoid being implicated

Even when the Liu family was being robbed and cried out for help, no one came out to help, as everyone kept their doors tightly shut.

The bandits took advantage of the Liu Family’s isolation to act so brazenly.

Mingting had quietly slipped in through the back door under the cover of dusk precisely to lie in wait for them.

“Son-in-law, what’s all this about?"

Liu Yongshan was a little nervous.

Having traveled extensively in his youth, he sensed something was off about Mingting’s secretive return and the current arrangements.

“Father, I’ve made some enemies. Since they can’t touch me, they’ve set their sights on you."

Mingting explained in a low voice, "Don't worry, I have my men stationed outside. Once they show up, we’ll capture them all!"

"Since they dare to pluck hair from a tiger's head, trying to harm my parents, I’ll make sure they don’t leave alive."

His tall, resolute son-in-law looked utterly dependable, and Liu Yongshan felt reassured, ‘Now that our son-in-law was back, and as a Count, no less, my Liu Family had a powerful protector!’

He quickly comforted his wife, assuring her that with their son-in-law here, there was nothing to fear.

And so, the Liu Family’s residence appeared no different from usual as the lights were extinguished and the night fell silent.

The men Mingting had brought hid in the darkness.

They were all seasoned soldiers, veterans of real battles. Catching a few bandits was child’s play for them.

By nightfall, the moon had vanished behind thick clouds.

It was early winter, and the cold wind howled, confirming the saying: ‘A moonless and windy night is perfect for murder!’

At midnight, a group of black-clad figures appeared in the eastern part of Ji County.

Their target tonight was the Liu Family’s residence.

“Remember, leave no survivors. Kill everyone, take whatever valuables you can, then set the place on fire."

The leader covered his nose and mouth with a black cloth.

[Boss, they’re here!]

Fengtian told Mingting alerted Mingting the moment the black-clad figures appeared, including what they said.

‘This proves that my guess is right. The other party's target is Liu Family's residence, and they are coming for me.’

Mingting’s face was cold as he ordered everyone to stay alert.

After a while, someone climbed over the wall into the yard and quietly opened the back door.

There were a total of ten people. They groped in quietly. Judging from the way they moved, they had martial training and not ordinary thugs.

After entering, the ten people acted separately.

Three people went to kill Liu Yongshan and his wife, three people went to the side room where the servants were, and four people targeted the east wing where Mingting and Huiniang lived.

They knew exactly how many people were in the household and where each one stayed, which is a clear proof they were here to kill.

Mingting waited in the east wing. The moment the four intruders stepped inside, a chilling gust of wind knocked them unconscious before they could act.

The other six were swiftly subdued by soldiers hidden throughout the compound.

Before the operation, Mingting had given strict orders: Take them alive, and watch for poison capsules in their teeth.

So, the soldiers pried out their suicide pills the instant they were captured.

Now, these ten people were tied up tightly and knelt on the ground.

Liu Yongshan was frightened to see that someone really came to kill them in the middle of the night. He broke out in a cold sweat.

‘Fortunately, my son-in-law got the news and came back early, otherwise, our lives would be in danger!’

Liu Yongshan couldn't help but sigh in his heart, ‘It seems that investing in my son-in-law had been the right move. The boy knew how to repay kindness.’