Chao Qian explained, “Which caravan is setting out, when it’s leaving, and even what goods it’s carrying—some of the bandit gangs can find out ahead of time. We’ve caught quite a few insiders, but there always seem to be more.”

He Lingchuan said, “Any bandit gang that’s grown into a real force ought to be like that.”

The sand bandits outside Heishui City, along the Hongya Route, had played the same game. Before flying thieves made a move, they first had to case the target. Murder and robbery demanded even greater care. Some sand bandits even colluded with local officials—that was what people called birds of a feather flocking together.

His old man, He Chunhua, had known these tricks inside and out. Young Master He had grown up seeing and hearing such things, so he had long stopped finding them novel. Fortunately, Yuheng City’s bandit problem had not yet developed to that extent.

“It’s useless...