741 Eldest Disciple Is Not Responsible
They did not say much on the way. They traveled during the day and rested at night.
A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
When they arrived at Qinghai county, they realized that the county had changed drastically. Along the way, there were many new houses, and the voices of street hawkers rose and fell.
The spiritual energy in Qinghai county was rich, and it was very comfortable to breathe.
There were many sea goods by the sea, and the sea goods filled with spiritual energy had increased a lot, so they attracted many people.
After separating from Zhou Zhi and the others.
Su Xiaolu and her masters went to their residence. When they pushed open the door, Su Xiaolu was dumbfounded. The small courtyard was overgrown with weeds.
Old Wu frowned slightly and muttered softly, "That eldest disciple of yours is a little unreliable. Didn't he say that he would help take care of the courtyard? I think he hasn't been here to take care of it..."
When they left the year before last, they had clearly agreed to let him take care of the courtyard and help clean it. However, from the looks of it, no one had come to clean it at all.
Gui You also frowned. "Girl, go to your eldest disciple's house to take a look."
If he was fine and agreed to help but didn't do it, it went without saying that his character wasn't good.
Something could have happened to him after they left.
Su Xiaolu nodded. "Masters, I'll go to An Lie's house to take a look. Pack up and wait for me."
With that, Su Xiaolu turned around and left.
She had only interacted with An Lie for a few months. She did not dare to say that she completely understood An Lie, but she believed that An Lie was definitely not the kind of person who would agree but not do it.
When she first met him, he was forced into a corner but did not do anything to harm her. Moreover, they had gone through so many things together later on, and he still called her Master.
But if something had happened, why had the part that belonged to her never stopped?
The last time they came, Su Xiaolu was dressed as a man. There were not many people going in and out of Qinghai county. At that time, the foreign land had just fused and the white fish was expensive, so strangers would attract attention the moment they appeared.
This time, there were many outsiders in Qinghai county. Su Xiaolu walked across the street and did not receive much attention.
However, because she was beautiful, many people turned around to look at her.
Su Xiaolu arrived at An Lie's house and realized that it was already dilapidated.
In the past, in this hut, she had eaten with An Lie's family. The kind and gentle Mother An, the obedient and sensible An Xiaoou, and the kind An Cheng.
Now, they were all gone.
Su Xiaolu pushed open the tattered door and walked in. The once clean house was in a mess and there were some broken bowls and chopsticks.
What happened at An Lie's house?
"Who is it? Come out!"
Su Xiaolu was about to investigate carefully when a stern shout came from outside.
Su Xiaolu frowned and turned to leave.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?"
They were two people dressed as officers and holding swords. When they saw Su Xiaolu, they sized her up.
Su Xiaolu also sized up the two officers. Before she could speak, the officer had already shouted sternly, "You, come with us. We suspect that you're a spy from an enemy country!"
Su Xiaolu was speechless.
She narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Brothers, I'm here to seek refuge with my family. My relatives used to live in this area, but I don't think anyone lives here anymore. I don't know which house it is, so I came to take a look. I'm not a spy from an enemy country. You've misunderstood."
How could there be such a coincidence? She had just arrived and an officer had already said that she was a spy.
If it wasn't a coincidence, the misunderstanding would be resolved after she explained it like this.
"How dare you quibble? Come with us now. You're so sneaky and even say that you're not a spy. Let's go!"
Su Xiaolu's explanation did not satisfy the officers. Both of them looked fierce.
One of them even placed his hand on his sword.
Su Xiaolu smiled and said, "I'll go with you. After you investigate, you must let me go back."
Su Xiaolu was very cooperative and had no intention of resisting.
"Of course."
Seeing her cooperation, the two officers' attitude softened and they left with Su Xiaolu.
Su Xiaolu was very cooperative. She did not make a scene and was good-looking. She was a young lady, so the two officers did not make things difficult for her and spoke gently.
"That's good. I'll definitely cooperate with the investigation."
Su Xiaolu smiled and was very cooperative.
Su Xiaolu had been to the county office. The place the officers brought her to was clearly not a government office.
She narrowed her eyes and said nothing.
The reason why she cooperated was that they should know the whereabouts of An Lie's family. From the moment these two officers appeared, Su Xiaolu was certain that something had happened to An Lie.
When they arrived at a forbidding courtyard, the officers led her in.
This courtyard was very luxurious. There were many neatly dressed soldiers.
Two officers brought her outside the main courtyard and one of them went in to report.
The other one waited outside the courtyard with Su Xiaolu.
Not long after, the officer came out and said to Su Xiaolu, "Let's go in and see Young Master."
Su Xiaolu followed him in.
It was a luxurious and exquisite setup. Even the maidservants were dressed exquisitely, and the maidservants were beautiful.
"Young Master, we've brought her here. It's a woman."
The officer reported to someone on the main seat.
Su Xiaolu looked over. He looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.
Su Xiaolu looked at Wang Jiang on the main seat and found him familiar. Wang Jiang also found Su Xiaolu familiar. He said gently, "Miss, have we met before?"
"Miss, is this your first time in Qinghai?"
Wang Jiang asked.
Su Xiaolu nodded. "Yes, I'm here to seek refuge with my relatives, but I don't know what happened to my relatives, but there's no one at the address they live at anymore."
"I see. Do you know anyone else in Qinghai? Is there anywhere else you can go?"
Wang Jiang asked gently. Before Su Xiaolu could answer, he said, "If you have nowhere to go, if you don't mind, you can rest in my residence for a few days before making plans. You can tell me the names of your family. I can ask around for you."
Wang Jiang's sudden solicitousness puzzled Su Xiaolu, but she did not refuse. She lowered her eyes slightly and replied shyly, "Then, thank you, Young Master. Sorry to disturb you."
Wang Jiang smiled and waved his hand. "It's fine, it's fine. If my subordinates have offended you, please forgive them. There's a change in the sea area. The sea area you went to belongs to my family business. I haven't been in Qinghai for long. Before I took over, that area was already empty. It was stolen a while ago, so I got someone to patrol that area. Please forgive me for disturbing and offending you."
Wang Jiang cupped his hands at Su Xiaolu and explained.
Su Xiaolu smiled slightly. "It's okay. They were very nice and did not offend me. Young Master has taught them well."
Wang Jiang looked at Su Xiaolu and smiled gently. "Miss, I'm Wang Jiang. May I know your name?"
"Zhao Xiaolu," Su Xiaolu replied shyly.
She had another fake name, taking Madam Zhao's surname.
742 Something Happened
"Xiaolu? Does it mean dew1? What a good name."
Wang Jiang smiled.
Su Xiaolu smiled and nodded. "Yes."
In any case, it was a fake name, so there was no need to worry about which character it was.
"Miss Xiaolu, come with me."
Wang Jiang smiled at Su Xiaolu. He reached out and made an inviting gesture, looking gentle and elegant.
Su Xiaolu followed his footsteps and passed through the corridor. She saw a woman blocking the way. Wang Jiang turned to Su Xiaolu and said gently, "Miss Xiaolu, wait for me."
Wang Jiang quickly stepped forward and said to the woman with a dark expression, "Don't block here. I'll visit you when I'm free."
The woman smiled sarcastically. "Is that the new sister?"
"Yeah."
Wang Jiang replied calmly. He had taken a fancy to Su Xiaolu's appearance, but he still had to investigate her identity.
An orphaned daughter who was seeking refuge with her relatives was very easy to coax. He was rich now. As long as he liked her, he could take in any girl. If she was really an orphaned daughter, she would have a good life with him.
"Hehehehe... Wang Jiang, you are heartless. I've only been with you for a short time... How, how can you betray me-"
The woman looked at Wang Jiang aggrievedly and complained indignantly. He was the one who said that he loved her the most, but he was also the one who changed his mind.
Wang Jiang frowned and said in a low voice, "Ruyue, stop fooling around. If I didn't redeem you, you would end up like those women. I didn't treat you badly when you followed me. Look at the clothes you're wearing and the food you eat. I still like you very much. It's normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. Be obedient, okay?"
He had redeemed Ruyue from the brothel. She played the lute well and looked pitiful. When he first fell in love with her, he naturally couldn't help but say some romantic words. He didn't treat her badly, but Ruyue's current actions made him a little unhappy. Ruyue wasn't mature enough.
"Is it normal to have three wives and four concubines? Hehehehe... I thought you were different from them, but I didn't expect you to be the same. You're all the same."
Ruyue's heart was throbbing. She was arrogant, but she did not expect that she would not be able to escape heartless men in the end.
Wang Jiang didn't want to talk to Ruyue anymore. He gave her a look to tell her to be sensible and turned around to return to Su Xiaolu's side. He smiled and said, "Miss Xiaolu, let's go. It's fine."
Wang Jiang specially let Su Xiaolu walk on the right side, separating Ruyue from Su Xiaolu.
Ruyue didn't say anything. She just looked at Wang Jiang and cried as he walked past.
Su Xiaolu looked back at Ruyue. Wang Jiang frowned and explained, "Miss Xiaolu, that's my brother's concubine. My brother passed away, so she treated me as my brother. Her brain is a little abnormal."
Su Xiaolu looked confused. "I see."
It was a clumsy act, but she was acting silly and sweet now, so she believed it.
Wang Jiang smiled and nodded. "Yes, that's right. So when you see her in the future, just stay away from her."
"Yes, okay. Young Master Wang, thank you. You're really a good person."
Su Xiaolu smiled at Wang Jiang.
Wang Jiang was infatuated. The girl's smile was as bright as a flower, and her eyes were as dazzling as the stars, making him burst with joy.
Wang Jiang brought Su Xiaolu to a courtyard. There was a bamboo forest planted in the courtyard called the Bamboo Garden. It was especially elegant and beautiful.
Su Xiaolu praised at the right time, "Wow, it's so beautiful. I've never lived in such a beautiful place. Will I be disturbing you too much? Young Master Wang, you're so good to me. I don't know how to repay you."
Wang Jiang was overjoyed. He waved his hand repeatedly. "No need, no need, no need to repay me. Miss Xiaolu, don't worry. If you need anything, just tell me. Don't feel troubled. You must be tired after rushing over. Rest well for the time being."
Su Xiaolu was touched at the right time and lowered her eyes shyly. "Thank you, Young Master Wang. You're such a good person."
Su Xiaolu was certain that An Lie's matter was related to Wang Jiang.
Wang Jiang only felt that she looked familiar. He had seen her dressed as a man the last time, now that she had grown up and returned to wearing women's clothes, he did not recognize her.
Staying here was also beneficial to her prying for information.
Wang Jiang had been accompanying Su Xiaolu to tour the house. He was very considerate.
Su Xiaolu looked at Wang Jiang. She was very grateful and shy. "Young Master Wang, thank you. I'm a little tired today."
Wang Jiang didn't really want to leave yet, but thinking that it was only the first day, he smiled gently and said, "Miss Xiaolu, have a good rest. I'll get busy first. I'll get two maidservants to take care of you later. If you need anything, tell them."
Su Xiaolu nodded. "Okay, thank you, Young Master Wang."
Su Xiaolu's voice was sweet and soft, making Wang Jiang dizzy. He repeatedly said that it was okay and left reluctantly.
After Wang Jiang left, Su Xiaolu heaved a sigh of relief. A person could change so much.
Why didn't they realize that Wang Jiang was such a pervert last time?
However, she had only seen Wang Jiang for a while last time and did not know him well. Last time, he was also gentle and elegant, just like now. The only difference was that last time, she was a man.
Thinking about it this way, it wasn't strange. He naturally treated men and women differently.
Wang Mian should be dead. He was also unlucky. Even if he died, he still had to take the blame for Wang Jiang.
In the past, Wang Jiang worked for Li Yu. She wondered if he still did.
The two maidservants sent by Wang Jiang came over quickly. Su Xiaolu told them not to enter the room. She wanted to sleep and did not like to be disturbed. She would be fine after sleeping for two hours.
The two maidservants nodded lightly in agreement. They were not bad-looking and were originally unwilling to serve Su Xiaolu. They were glad that Su Xiaolu did not need them.
As soon as the door closed, Su Xiaolu left through the window.
Her Qinggong was outstanding, so it was easy for her to leave this courtyard.
When she returned to the small courtyard, Old Wu and Gui You had already cleaned up the courtyard.
Su Xiaolu said, "Masters, something happened to my eldest disciple."
Su Xiaolu briefly explained the situation.
Including the fact that she was now living in Wang Jiang's residence.
"Then we do have to investigate carefully. Go over there first. We will investigate later and find out about the current situation in Qinghai. Be careful. There are good and evil people. Learn to distinguish them yourself."
Old Wu looked at Su Xiaolu and said gently. Sooner or later, Su Xiaolu would have to take care of herself. This was a good opportunity.
Su Xiaolu nodded. "Yes, Master, I'll leave first."
She still had to tell Zhou Zhi.
After leaving the courtyard, Su Xiaolu went to look for Zhou Zhi and told him what had happened.
The matter of going out to sea would be delayed for a few days. An Lie was her disciple, so she definitely had to investigate and confirm if An Lie's family was still around. If they were no longer around, she was his Master. She had to do everything she could to seek justice for him and take revenge.
743 Where Are They?
Zhou Zhi only said, "Be careful."
Su Xiaolu returned to the Bamboo Garden in the mansion. Everything was normal. No one had come in.
The two maidservants who were unwilling to serve her had been outside and had never thought of coming in.
Su Xiaolu saw that it was about time and pretended to take an afternoon nap.
She opened the door and said to the two maidservants, "I want to walk around the residence."
The two maidservants were very unwilling. "Miss, please don't wander around. Young Master will be unhappy if he finds out."
They didn't want to serve her, so they simply used Wang Jiang as an excuse.
Su Xiaolu was stunned for a moment and seemed to give up on the idea.
The two maidservants heaved a sigh of relief.
But in the next second, Su Xiaolu said, "That's right. I should ask Young Master Wang. After all, this is his house."
The two maidservants: "..."
"Don't. Young Master is very busy. It's better not to disturb him. If you want to take a walk, let's take a walk."
The maidservant in green hurriedly said. Wang Jiang was very gentle to his maidservants, but when he was heartless, he would sell them easily.
As servants, their lives might not be as good as this place. They all wanted to be doted on by Wang Jiang one day. As long as they became his women, they did not have to worry about being sold.
Wang Jiang had instructed them to serve Xiaolu well. They were unwilling to serve her, but they definitely did not dare to cause trouble in front of Wang Jiang.
Therefore, the maidservants did not dare to do anything that would make Wang Jiang unhappy.
Su Xiaolu smiled sweetly and innocently. "Thank you."
These two maidservants were here to serve her on the surface, but they were actually spies.
After leaving the Bamboo Garden, Su Xiaolu began to walk around aimlessly. The mansion was very big. There were rockeries, gardens, and flower lakes.
Su Xiaolu opened her eyes and praised. From time to time, she would mutter softly, "If only she could live here too."
Apart from the main courtyard, Su Xiaolu walked through the entire residence and looked around. It was almost dark before she returned to Bamboo Garden.
Not long after she returned, the maidservant in blue remained to serve her. The other maidservant went out for meal delivery.
Su Xiaolu asked in confusion, "What's a meal delivery?"
The maidservant explained that it meant that the family was eating.
She rolled her eyes behind her back. This country bumpkin doesn't know anything. If not for her good looks, Young Master wouldn't have taken a fancy to her.
Su Xiaolu waited quietly. Not long after, Wang Jiang arrived with a smile.
"Miss Xiaolu, I'm sorry. I was too busy in the afternoon and didn't take care of you. Are you used to it? You haven't eaten yet, right? I haven't either. I'll eat with you."
Wang Jiang was very polite. He sat down and apologized first before gently saying that they should eat together.
Su Xiaolu looked happy and said shyly, "Okay, thank you, Young Master Wang."
The food was served. It was very sumptuous.
Wang Jiang looked at Su Xiaolu in satisfaction.
Su Xiaolu asked in surprise, as if she had never seen the world, "There's so much. Can we eat it all? I-I don't have money. There's nothing to repay Young Master Wang. I've never eaten these things..."
Wang Jiang smiled gently and picked up some food for Su Xiaolu. "Miss Xiaolu, eat more."
Su Xiaolu ate slowly.
As she tasted it carefully, she revealed her inexperience. She ate for a long time and ate a lot.
Wang Jiang saw it all.
After dinner, Wang Jiang suggested accompanying Su Xiaolu for a walk to digest her food.
Su Xiaolu naturally did not refuse.
Wang Jiang began to get information from her. Su Xiaolu casually made up a story. An orphan daughter with dead parents had been taken fancy by a bully, who took her household register as a threat. It was not easy for her to escape. She thought about how she had heard from her mother in the past that she had a distant relative in Qinghai, so she wanted to join them.
She randomly made up some names for the relatives. They were relatives four or five generations apart. She didn't know where they lived either. She just looked at the old house and asked around.
After chatting for a while, Su Xiaolu seemed to have revealed everything.
Wang Jiang was surprised and sympathetic. He kindly told Su Xiaolu that she could rest well now. He would help her find out the whereabouts of her distant relatives.
After taking a walk and returning to the Bamboo Garden, Wang Jiang instructed the maidservants to take good care of Su Xiaolu before leaving.
Su Xiaolu washed up and went to bed. The maidservants were outside and did not need to enter the inner room. They could not ask for more.
Su Xiaolu was still awake, but the two maidservants outside were already asleep.
When Su Xiaolu came out, she pressed their sleeping acupoints to make them sleep even more soundly.
She took advantage of the night to search Wang Jiang's study.
Wang Jiang definitely had a ledger in his business. Every sea area was clearly marked. She only needed to confirm if the sea area she bought was under Wang Jiang's control.
After confirming this, she could ask about An Lie's whereabouts.
She had walked through the entire residence today and wanted to go in and take a look at every place she went.
The maidservants did not stop her from entering some. If she could not go in, the maidservants would tell her not to enter. Su Xiaolu would ask where they were.
So Su Xiaolu remembered the location of the study.
After sneaking into the study, Su Xiaolu began to search.
Not long after, she found the ledger. It recorded in detail the spiritual herbs sent to the capital. In the past year or so, they had not given much. Su Xiaolu did not care if it was much. The sea was dangerous. She hoped that An Lie would be careful.
The sea area recorded was her sea area, but now it was in Wang Jiang's hands. Su Xiaolu's expression darkened.
She gently reset the ledger and left the study.
She did not act rashly. Before she investigated, Su Xiaolu did not want to alert the enemy.
Su Xiaolu returned to the courtyard. Gui You and Old Wu were still waiting for her.
Old Wu spoke first. "Girl, we've also found some information. Not long after we left, your eldest disciple suffered. We don't know if he's dead or alive. There's not much information."
Su Xiaolu's eyes turned red. "If he's dead, I'll kill the person who harmed him and avenge him."
It was an accident that she took An Lie in as her disciple. It could not be said that they had a deep master-disciple relationship, but it was more of a friendship. Her friend had been killed, so she naturally had to avenge him.
"I found out that the ledger is in Wang Jiang's hands. For the past year, he has been the one sending divine medicine to the capital."
She had even received a letter from An Lie. Now that An Lie's family was nowhere to be seen, that letter was probably faked.
"This Wang Jiang is someone we met in Yulin previously. I wonder why he's here."
Su Xiaolu held back her anger.
Gui You frowned. "Is Wang Jiang related to Li Yu?"
"Li Yu is ruthless. I'm afraid An Lie is already doomed."
Old Wu sighed. He wanted to comfort Su Xiaolu, but he didn't know how.
"Let's go and ask him now. There are thousands of ways to torture people. We're not afraid that he won't tell us."
Gui You's expression was cold. Since the clues were directed at Wang Jiang, there was no need to wait. He could just ask directly. He had plenty of methods. He was not afraid that he would not say anything.
Old Wu nodded too. "Let's go. It's better to be early than late."
It was unknown if An Lie was dead or alive. The earlier they found out his whereabouts, the better. If he was still alive, it would be easier to save him. If he was gone, he would have to pay with blood. It was impossible for him to live another day.
744 Catching a Turtle in a Jar
Su Xiaolu nodded. "Thank you, Masters."
She should have resolved this matter herself, but now the two Masters were clearly going to help her.
Su Xiaolu did not hesitate and decisively went with the two Masters.
In order to prevent Wang Jiang from saying anything, Su Xiaolu even went to get the ledger first.
"Master, I got it."
Su Xiaolu put away the ledger and said to the two Masters.
"Let's go."
Gui You said calmly. As soon as the three of them opened the door, Gui You frowned.
Old Wu also frowned. They were surrounded.
Su Xiaolu squeezed out from behind and looked thoughtful. When did she expose herself?
This Wang Jiang didn't seem to be a superficial weakling.
Wang Jiang smiled gently and clapped his hands. He smiled meaningfully at Su Xiaolu and said gently, "Miss Xiaolu, I really didn't expect this. Tell me, who sent you? Tsk tsk, why are there two old men here? Sigh... I was careless."
Wang Jiang's gaze swept across Gui You and Old Wu. He pursed his lips in disdain. He felt that Gui You looked a little familiar, but it was completely dark, so he didn't think too much about it.
Ordinary people's faces were similar. Under such lighting, it was not surprising that they would feel that they looked a little similar.
"Masters, it seems like we have to make a move first."
Su Xiaolu looked at the two Masters apologetically.
She didn't know when she had exposed herself, but it didn't matter. After she dealt with Wang Jiang, she would naturally have an answer.
Gui You smiled slightly and said calmly, "Coincidentally, my sword hasn't seen blood for many years."
In the past few years, he had taken Su Chong and Su Xiaolu as his disciples and was busy teaching them. After the two children graduated, he traveled around with Old Wu. In the past two years, he had brought Su Xiaolu around. It had been a long time since he was provoked by someone.
Old Wu twisted his wrist. "Let me stretch my muscles first. After practicing for so long, I can see the results."
Su Xiaolu drew her sword and pointed it at Wang Jiang. She put away her sweet and soft appearance and her eyes turned cold.
However, Wang Jiang couldn't hide his excitement. He raised his hand. "Kill these two damn old men. Catch her alive."
A little wild cat with claws and teeth was really fatally attractive.
He thought she was some delicate little girl, but she was a wild cat. The more he looked at her, the more he liked her.
It didn't matter if it had claws or teeth. Tie it up and cut it off.
Wang Jiang had quite a number of soldiers. There were more than a hundred people in the courtyard.
With his order, these soldiers surrounded Su Xiaolu and her masters.
Gui You's longsword had already been unsheathed. The three of them went forward.
This was the first time Su Xiaolu had fought side by side with her two Masters. They did not even use their superpowers.
Old Wu was not that good with a sword, but he was still an expert.
Wang Jiang was dumbfounded.
Su Xiaolu and Gui You's swords seemed to be in an uninhabited place. Their figures were light, and the soldiers could not hurt them at all. They could not even see the shadows of their swords. They did not kill anyone, but they could easily cripple the soldiers' martial strength.
Su Xiaolu even charged towards Wang Jiang.
Wang Jiang was attracted by her cold and beautiful appearance. He felt that he could barely breathe. How was she a little wild cat? She was clearly a terrifying Rakshasa from hell!
Wang Jiang turned around and wanted to escape.
His troops would probably not be able to withstand it for long.
If they went to the county office now, they could find more troops to restrain this terrifying master and disciple.
Seeing that Wang Jiang was about to leave, Su Xiaolu couldn't care less. A water ball appeared in her palm and instantly divided into fine water droplets that shot towards Wang Jiang.
Wang Jiang turned around as he ran. The moment he saw the water ball, he was so frightened that his legs went limp and he staggered. He remembered, he remembered...
When he looked at Su Xiaolu again, she had already overlapped with the blurry face in his mind. He did not expect him to be her!
When the water droplets hit his body, Wang Jiang felt that he couldn't even stand up. It was as if a force had already pierced through his flesh and bones.
He was so frightened that he lost his voice.
How could he offend such a terrifying person?
How could he be so unlucky!
He couldn't escape. Wang Jiang's expression lost its gentleness and calmness and turned into panic. He shouted at the attendant beside him in a trembling voice, "Quick, quickly send a pigeon to Young Master Li!"
He looked at Su Xiaolu, who was fighting the soldiers, and did not even dare to look at her again.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
The manservant also agreed with trembling fear and scrambled away.
Wang Jiang heaved a sigh of relief when he saw him run away safely. Fortunately, he could tip him off.
The hundreds of soldiers in the residence were all beaten down. They were clearly still panting, but no one could stand up.
Su Xiaolu's face was splashed with some blood. At this moment, the childishness in her body receded. She was cold and murderous.
She walked in front of Wang Jiang and lifted his chin with the tip of the dripping sword. "I have a disciple called An Lie. He has a mother, an uncle, An Cheng, and a sister, An Xiaoou. Where did you take them? Tell me."
Wang Jiang's lips were trembling. He was so afraid, but at this moment, he was still attracted to Su Xiaolu. As soon as he started to get distracted, he was frightened by the pain in his neck.
"Miss-Miss Zhao, don't, don't kill me..."
Wang Jiang was so frightened that he didn't dare to have any more thoughts. His neck was cut, and it was very uncomfortable when the blood flowed into his clothes. He lowered his eyes in panic and begged for mercy with a trembling voice.
"Miss Zhao, listen to me. I didn't hurt your disciple. I took over your sea area. Your disciple is very unreliable. He took a sum of money and left Qinghai with his family. Really."
Wang Jiang explained with a trembling voice. He didn't know if Su Xiaolu believed him.
This was the excuse he had thought of long ago. He did not connect Su Xiaolu to Su Lu at all. He had even interrogated her carefully, but now he knew that Zhao Xiaolu was a fake name. Perhaps Su Lu was also a fake name.
"You said that An Lie's family left Qinghai. How do you explain the signs of their house being smashed?"
Su Xiaolu asked calmly.
Wang Jiang stole a glance and quickly lowered his head. He couldn't tell Su Xiaolu's emotions. He explained what he said, "After they left, no one lived in the house. Some beggars went in to live and destroyed the original house."
"Is that so?"
Su Xiaolu put away her sword.
Wang Jiang heaved a sigh of relief and immediately took the opportunity to explain, "Yes, Miss Zhao. I'm an honest businessman. I took over the business and sent the harvest to the capital according to the agreement. I didn't write to you because I was afraid of disturbing you, but since you're here, I definitely have to tell you. Really, everything I said is true. I definitely won't dare to hide anything from you."
"Is that so?"
Su Xiaolu took the sword and wiped it on Wang Jiang's body. She wiped the blood off the sword and put it away.
745 He's the Turtle
"Yes, yes." Wang Jiang nodded repeatedly. He had thought that he had discovered that this woman was extraordinary. He had been prepared to catch her in a trap, but he did not expect it to turn out like this. His life was in danger.
"But I choose to believe in my eldest disciple. I don't believe a word you say. I want to see my eldest disciple alive or dead. You have a tough mouth. It doesn't matter. I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve."
Su Xiaolu squatted down and smiled like a demon.
Wang Jiang's face turned pale.
Su Xiaolu took out the silver needles. She elegantly twirled the silver needles with her fingers and flicked them gently. "Ahhh, my eyes..." Wang Jiang immediately covered his eyes and screamed.
"The most painful parts of a person are their ears, eyes, mouth, hands, and feet."
"When you can't take it anymore, you'll tell the truth eventually."
Wang Jiang covered his eyes but couldn't cover his ears. When he covered his ears, another silver needle entered his mouth.
He did not have the ability to resist at all and was completely at her mercy.
As the needles were pushed into his body with internal energy, Wang Jiang felt as if his entire body was being bitten by insects. It hurt and itched. Every nerve in his body felt this painful torture.
He was not someone with tenacious willpower. He was almost ready to surrender and beg for mercy in an instant.
He said he would say anything, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a cloth was stuffed in.
He was not blind. He just felt especially itchy and painful. Tears had already streamed down his face. He looked at Su Xiaolu's beautiful face. She smiled coldly. "My eldest disciple has been beaten up by you, right? Do you think I'll let you off just because you open your mouth now? Dream on. You have to return what you did to my disciple one by one."
Wang Jiang cried bitterly. He would rather Su Xiaolu tie him up.
However, Su Xiaolu did not. She did not tie him up, but he could not even raise his hand. He wanted to twist, and he could not even move his body.
Despair. He wanted to die-
There was the sound of heavy footsteps outside.
Joy flashed across Wang Jiang's face.
But in the next second, he despaired again.
Old Wu's fist emitted blue lightning as he twisted his waist and said, "Good timing. I haven't had enough yet."
The other old man, who was holding a sword, was not afraid at all.
Wang Jiang's eyes were blurry with tears. What kind of monsters were these...
Which old man could cut people as easily as cutting melons at his age???
Was it really useful for the county office to send someone over?
Soon, an elite soldier entered the residence and surrounded Su Xiaolu and the others.
The person who came was Liang Yizhi. He was aggressive and was about to extend his hand to question him when the Grandmaster rushed in from outside and reported, "Sir, bad news. The Wisdom King is here."
Liang Yizhi frowned. "Why did we alarm him?"
A higher-ranking official could crush a person to death, let alone an official who was countless levels higher.
Before Liang Yizhi could speak, he hurried out again.
Old Wu muttered softly, "How annoying. Who wants him to come?"
In Old Wu's heart, Zhou Zhi was like a fly. He had taken a fancy to his precious disciple and could not be chased away.
Not long after, Zhou Zhi walked into sight dressed in blue.
Liang Yizhi lost his confidence and wiped the cold sweat off his forehead as he followed Zhou Zhi closely.
"Fourth Brother, why are you here?"
Su Xiaolu was a little surprised to see Zhou Zhi. She did not inform him.
Zhou Zhi's expression was gentle. "Is it resolved?"
Liang Yizhi's eyes were about to fall out. Heavens, this girl was called the Wisdom King Fourth Brother. Was she a princess?
What bad luck did he have to offend such a big shot? Liang Yizhi reacted quickly and immediately pointed at Wang Jiang angrily. "Wang Jiang, hurry up and tell the truth!"
There was no need to choose. It had to be Wang Jiang's fault. Even if he was only slightly in the wrong, he was deceived by Wang Jiang. He could ask for a lighter punishment.
Wang Jiang also wanted to speak, but he was in so much pain that he wanted to die.
"Lord Liang, long time no see. I want to ask you about someone."
Su Xiaolu looked at Liang Yizhi and cupped her hands at him.
Liang Yizhi saw that there was still blood on Su Xiaolu's face and did not dare to be negligent. He smiled awkwardly and nodded. "Miss, please ask."
"As far as I know, moving out of the household register requires proof and preparation from the government. I want to ask, when did An Lie, An Cheng, and An Xiaoou's family move out? Did they say where they moved to?"
Su Xiaolu stared at Liang Yizhi.
Liang Yizhi lowered his eyes and his thoughts raced. He glanced at Wang Jiang and realized that his pants were wet. He had actually lost control of his bladder. He was crying. He lay there motionless for some reason. This was terrifying. He immediately stopped hesitating and said to Su Xiaolu, "Miss, this matter is also related to Wang Jiang."
Liang Yizhi pointed at Wang Jiang and said, "At that time, it was Wang Jiang who brought Mother An to register for the household register removal. He even said that he would hand over the management of the sea area to Wang Jiang. Now that I think about it, Mother An must have been threatened by Wang Jiang. I didn't see anything abnormal at that time. If it weren't for today's incident, I wouldn't have known that he was a bad person. He was imprisoning and attacking women. He has no respect for the law!"
After saying that, Liang Yizhi silently lowered his head to reduce his presence.
Wang Jiang had given him a lot of benefits. Even if he could tell that something was wrong, he turned a blind eye.
Anyway, Mother An really didn't complain.
Liang Yizhi removed himself and blamed everything on Wang Jiang. Moreover, he wasn't wrong to begin with. At most, he wouldn't be a busybody.
As for where the An family was now, whether they were dead or alive, he really didn't know.
Liang Yizhi now hoped that the Wisdom King would not pay too much attention to him.
Su Xiaolu turned her gaze back to Wang Jiang. Seeing that Wang Jiang no longer had any dignity as a human, Su Xiaolu was also very disdainful. She used her sword to pick up the rag that was stuffed into Wang Jiang's mouth.
Before Su Xiaolu could ask, Wang Jiang shouted, "On the ship, on the ship. I didn't kill them. They were all on the ship and followed them out to sea... Boohoo... Spare me..."
The real torture was not whipping, but mental destruction.
It had only been a short while, but Wang Jiang felt that he had lost his dignity.
Pain and torture were transmitted to every meridian in his body. He could not even faint. He knew that he had wet himself. He knew that he had no dignity, but there was nothing he could do. He could not even beg for mercy.
It was even more impossible for him to seek death. He had no strength to bite down.
He thought about his torture of Wang Mian in the past and realized that what he thought was torture was nothing at all. Wang Mian had been imprisoned for two years, and it was not as short as this moment of his. Moreover, Wang Mian had hidden so many golden things. If he had suffered such torture, he would probably not have been able to hide a single strand of hair.
Li Yu knew everything about Wang Mian, but he didn't.
"I didn't kill them, I didn't kill them..." Wang Jiang's entire body was trembling. He only hoped that he would be spared after saying it.
746 Still Alive
"Really?"
Su Xiaolu smiled and squatted down. She patted Wang Jiang's chest twice. A few needles popped out of his ears, eyes, and throat and fell to the ground with a ding.
Wang Jiang was relieved and panted heavily. He was afraid that Su Xiaolu would do something to him again because she couldn't wait. He took a few breaths and hurriedly said, "I really didn't kill them. Really, they're at sea. They'll return every month. It's almost the end of the month. They'll be back at the end of the month."
Young Master Li should be here at the end of the month.
With Young Master Li around, even the Wisdom King had to be cautious. He was under Li Yu. He had done many things for Li Yu, and Li Yu would not give up on him easily.
"It's true. What I said is true. Boohoo..."
Wang Jiang was afraid that Su Xiaolu would not believe him. He was really in too much pain.
Su Xiaolu looked at Wang Jiang and thought about how credible his words were.
Wang Jiang was Li Yu's man. Was he stalling for time and waiting for Li Yu to save him?
Su Xiaolu looked at her two Masters. Even if Li Yu came, it would not be easy for him to save Wang Jiang. The sword in her hand was not to be trifled with.
Su Xiaolu narrowed her eyes and said in a low voice, "Young Master Wang, I'll believe you for the time being. If they don't return at the end of the month, I guarantee that you'll die a horrible death."
Wang Jiang looked at Su Xiaolu and his face turned pale. What kind of devil was this?
He said in a trembling voice, "I'm not lying to you. An Lie and An Cheng are all excellent sailors. They know how to swim..."
As Wang Jiang spoke, he shivered. He was especially frightened. He thought that since there had been no news for more than a year, the other party definitely did not take An Lie seriously.
He did not expect the world to turn upside down the moment he arrived. From Su Xiaolu's dangerous eyes, Wang Jiang felt that Su Xiaolu was especially protective.
An Lie's family was still alive, but he had enslaved them. When An Lie's family returned safely, they still had to settle these scores.
Wang Jiang thought about it in his heart. He knew that he was not Su Xiaolu's match. He was also waiting for Li Yu to protect him at the end of the month.
"Then I'll wait a few more days."
Su Xiaolu said calmly.
Wang Jiang heaved a sigh of relief.
Liang Yizhi looked at Su Xiaolu and then at Zhou Zhi. He said respectfully, "Your Highness, if you have any instructions, just tell me."
Zhou Zhi looked at Liang Yizhi and said, "It's late. Lord Liang, go back first. Leave this place to me."
"Yes, yes."
Liang Yizhi heaved a sigh of relief and immediately told his men to retreat. He brought back all the soldiers sent for Wang Jiang.
He only hoped that Zhou Zhi would not blame him too much. It was best if he forgot him.
After Liang Yizhi left with his men, Zhou Zhi said to Su Xiaolu, "Xiaolu, why don't you leave him to me?"
Su Xiaolu nodded. "Okay, thank you, Fourth Brother."
The corners of Wang Jiang's mouth twitched and he broke out in cold sweat. Just as he was about to speak, he inadvertently met Zhou Zhi's gaze and shivered.
Zhou Zhi spoke gently to Su Xiaolu, but the way he looked at him was clearly filled with coldness. It was not an exaggeration to say that his gaze could kill.
"Girl, let's go home and sleep. After a long night, my old bones are about to fall apart."
Old Wu pursed his lips and complained.
He looked at Zhou Zhi and glared at him.
Su Xiaolu nodded and looked at Zhou Zhi. "Thank you, Fourth Brother."
Zhou Zhi smiled and shook his head slightly. He said gently, "It's no trouble."
Gui You did not say anything. The three of them left together.
Su Xiaolu walked out of the courtyard of the study and saw a woman hiding timidly, but she seemed to have mustered her courage and walked out.
"Zhao, Miss Zhao... What, what happened to him?"
Ruyue was a little afraid of Su Xiaolu, but she was also worried about Wang Jiang. She was very conflicted. She loved and hated Wang Jiang.
Su Xiaolu looked at Ruyue and said gently, "Miss, why do you have to do this? There're many more trees out there. Why are you hanging onto this tree? I won't find trouble with you, but don't keep appearing in front of me. I'll vent my anger on you."
She did not know if An Lie was dead or alive. She had never thought of making things difficult for the people around Wang Jiang.
However, if she appeared in front of her, she did not have the patience.
"I-I'm sorry..."
Ruyue trembled and quickly moved aside.
She had just secretly seen Su Xiaolu. She looked like a gentle and weak little girl, but when she fought, she was especially terrifying, like an executioner.
Su Xiaolu and her masters returned.
Su Xiaolu returned to the small courtyard. She was relieved to hand Wang Jiang over to Zhou Zhi.
Moreover, An Lie's matter could not be rushed. Wang Jiang's last words were trustworthy. Businessmen prioritized benefits. An Lie and An Cheng were good sailors. They had gone out to sea and had an extraordinary understanding of the sea area.
An Xiaoou and Mother An lived by the sea and knew far more about seafood than ordinary people.
Four free labor could save them a lot of money.
However, An Cheng had a leg problem and Mother An was not in good health. They would only exploit them without respect. She did not know if they could survive.
After washing up the blood on her body, Su Xiaolu lay back on the bed.
--
Zhou Zhi got someone to bring Wang Jiang away.
Wang Jiang was like a cripple. There were still four silver needles sealed in his hands and feet. He could not lift his limbs at all.
Wang Jiang begged for mercy along the way, but Jin Si and the others ignored him.
If they found him annoying, they would cover his mouth with a smelly cloth.
It was impossible to tell if it was tears or snot on Wang Jiang's face.
He was brought to a courtyard. Zhou Zhi said indifferently, "Throw him into the eel pond."
Wang Jiang's eyes widened in fear as he made muffled sounds from his nose.
These people were simply devils. They were clearly kind in front of Su Xiaolu, but when they turned around, they were like evil spirits.
Wang Jiang didn't know what an eel pond was. He only saw a small pond. He was lifted up and thrown down with a thud.
The pond was not deep. When he was thrown in, his mouth and nose would not be submerged. Occasionally, water would enter his eyes.
Something seemed to be swimming in the pool.
Wang Jiang felt something hit his ear and was shocked.
What, what was it?
Jin Liu and Jin Si revealed their white teeth and smiled evilly.
Jin Si said, "How dare you touch Miss Su? You really don't want to live a long life. Sleep well here for the next few days. Don't worry, your life is still useful. We won't let you die."
But it was impossible for him to have an easy time. Their master was very protective.
An Lie was Miss Su's eldest disciple. If Miss Su cared about him, Master would definitely care.
Who did Wang Jiang think he was?
"Why don't we fill his mouth into an iron ball? When he spits out the cloth in his mouth later, he'll start screaming. It'll be so noisy."
Jin Liu thought for a moment and said to Jin Si.
Jin Si looked at the terrified Wang Jiang and nodded with a scheming smile. "Alright, go ahead."
747 Protective
Wang Jiang's eyes widened. He felt his exposed hand being pecked from time to time. There was also something slippery touching his ear and neck.
It was really too cold. His entire scalp went numb almost instantly.
The two guards casually discussed how to deal with him. His entire body was trembling.
Jin Si squatted by the pool while Jin Liu went to get the iron ball.
They returned very quickly. Jin Si stood up with a smile. "Go and put it on him. I'm grossed out by these things."
With that, Jin Si clapped his hands and turned to leave.
Jin Liu went into the pool and grabbed Wang Jiang's clothes. He sat him up and removed the cloth from his mouth.
Almost instantly, Wang Jiang hurriedly begged for mercy. "Lord, please spare me."
Jin Liu frowned and punched Wang Jiang without saying a word.
Wang Jiang's words instantly fell silent.
Jin Liu pinched open his jaw and stuffed the iron ball into his mouth. Then, he put it on him. It was not tight, but Wang Jiang did not have the strength to push it out.
Jin Liu let go and let Wang Jiang sleep in the pool again.
He left the pool.
Wang Jiang's mumbles couldn't disturb anyone at all.
He did not expect to be beaten up after failing to beg for mercy.
It was unknown if it was a snake, a fish, a loach, or something else in the pool. It was slippery and could bite. Every time it slid past his neck, his entire body trembled.
His scalp went numb. If he could touch his shoulder now, it would feel like chicken skin.
Wang Jiang began to pray that An Lie and An Cheng would return safely. Otherwise, he might not be able to keep his life...
Thinking of that family, Wang Jiang was extremely regretful. If only he had gotten a doctor for that old woman last month. If that old woman couldn't take it anymore and died, would this debt be blamed on him?
Something crawled into his sleeve. Wang Jiang's thoughts were disrupted. His eyes widened and he made struggling sounds.
However, the night was silent. No matter how much sound he made, no one came.
Moreover, Wang Jiang realized that he wouldn't faint...
From tonight onwards, every hour, every moment, and every day felt like years to Wang Jiang...
--
On the quiet sea, the warm sun shone on every crew member who went out to sea.
There was no bone-chilling sea breeze, no terrifying storms, and no waves. The ships with sails were docked together.
The crew above ate the fragrant fish and drank strong wine.
No one knew that at the bottom, where the sun could not reach, some people's lives were slowly disappearing.
Mother An was already terminally ill. Her eyes, which had previously regained their clarity, were already turbid. She could no longer see anything these few days.
An Xiaoou was also skin and bones. An Cheng and An Lie were also extremely thin.
When Mother An breathed her last breath and her chest became dry and flat, An Xiaoou sobbed and shouted softly, "Mother, don't leave us behind..."
An Xiaoou's tears were like an endless sea. She couldn't stop them no matter what. She didn't have a mother anymore. She didn't have a mother.
An Lie's eyes also burned with pain.
An Cheng punched the wall beside him fiercely and let out a foreboding cry.
Mother An had already gone and closed her eyes, which couldn't see anything.
Sadness and a suffocating atmosphere lingered around the three of them.
All three of them did not move until it was dark outside.
Halfway through, leftovers from people were thrown over in a large basin.
"Little Lie, I want them all to die."
An Cheng's hoarse voice broke the suffocating tranquility.
An Lie swallowed and said, "How?"
An Xiaoou also raised her head and looked at her two closest people. She gritted her teeth and said, "Brother, Uncle, I'm not afraid of danger. I'm not afraid of death. I want to avenge my mother."
"We can't wait for Miss Su..."
An Xiaoou's tone was dim and disappointed. Miss Su might have forgotten about them long ago.
In the end, they were too weak. They were easily slaughtered.
They had endured for more than a year to survive. They had done everything to survive, but it was too difficult. It was really too difficult.
They did not have enough to eat, did not wear warm clothes, and could not see a doctor when they were sick. After enduring for so long, their mother was gone.
Perhaps it wouldn't be long before they died too.
They might starve to death, they might die of exhaustion, or they might die of illness. They were the lowest-grade slaves, and no one cared if they lived or died.
After being squeezed dry, so be it if they died.
Their only hope was that Su Xiaolu could come. She was their brother's Master. She was so powerful. She would definitely be able to save them from their suffering.
But when would she come? What if she never came?
There was a long and suffocating silence. After a long time, An Lie suddenly said, "I have an idea."
"Uncle, do you still remember the big Kun?"
When An Lie thought of the big Kun, there was still awe and fear in his eyes. It was the largest fish in the sea. If it went crazy, it would be incomparably terrifying. If these people bumped into it, they would definitely not be able to come out alive.
"They know about the big Kun and the Sea Kun. They won't fall for it."
An Cheng said hoarsely. Wang Jiang's people were not fools. The stories of the Sea Kun and the big Kun had long spread. Everyone knew about them. They would not fall for it easily.
Although that thing was very tempting, people only had one life.
There were many treasures in the sea now. Everyone could already earn a lot of money safely, so why take the risk?
"Lie to them and use us as bait to catch the Kun. The three of us will be bait. When the Kun comes and approaches, stab its eyes to make it angry."
An Lie calmly explained his plan. This plan was to gamble with the lives of the three of them. Even if they died, they would drag these people down with them. They believed in the big Kun's strength. In its anger, it was impossible for these people to survive.
There were very few Kun in the sea. It was unknown how many there were. They were too huge and did not look like creatures that could exist in the world at all. The destructive power they brought must be earth-shattering.
"It's just that we'll die too."
An Lie's eyes were calm. They had endured for so long because they wanted to live. Even if they were worse than pigs and dogs, they still wanted to live and wait for dawn.
If not for the fact that their hearts were dead, they would not have walked into a dead end. Their mother's death had dealt them a blow. For a moment, a thunderstorm enveloped them, making them unable to have any hope.
Since they couldn't live anymore, they would drag them down and die with them.
"Brother, I'm not afraid of death. I want them all to die. None of them can go back alive." An Xiaoou's eyes were filled with hatred.
She smiled and said, "Brother, Uncle, I can hear the fish. I have a way to lure the big Kun over."
748 Plan
An Xiaoou had always felt that this ability was useless. She didn't want to use it at all. The words of the fish were very simple. They only said they were full or to run away.
This ability could not give them any benefits at all.
But now, she felt that this ability could work. She could use the fish's language to attract the fish.
"Little Ou, when did this happen?"
An Lie felt his heart ache. An Xiaoou had superpowers, but... she had nowhere to use them.
An Xiaoou smiled and replied, "Brother, it hasn't been long. This is useless. It can only allow those bandits to salvage more. I don't want them to obtain anything at all."
But now, she wanted to use this ability.
"Little Ou, your ability is very useful. Our plan will go smoothly. If we're lucky, we'll definitely be able to escape from these people's hands. At that time..."
An Cheng pursed his lips and spoke. In the end, he swallowed his words because the chances of them having a future were too low.
They were already the bait. When the big Kun was angry, the three of them would suffer the big Kun's anger immediately. How terrifying was that? If they were really lucky enough to survive, they would think about it then.
Now, all they had to do was take revenge.
An Cheng looked at An Lie and An Xiaoou with determination in his eyes. He moved his lips and said, "Little Ou, Little Lie, we will definitely succeed."
If they could not get out alive, neither could the others. Let everyone die in this endless deep sea. After catching so many fish, it was not too much to feed them to the fish after death.
These people had no scruples or reverence. He would let them feel the power of the sea.
An Lie clenched his fists and nodded. "I'll talk to them."
His sister and uncle's bodies were too weak. Those people would only humiliate them more. After all, he was a healthy person. He had to bear more burden.
"Alright, I'm indeed at my limit. Little Lie, don't hold back any longer, understand? Don't let anyone see any flaws, understand? Auntie is gone, Little Ou... my leg is rotten too..."
An Cheng's eyes were filled with sorrow. An Lie was kind. He was afraid that he would be soft-hearted. There were also people on these ships who had never abused them. They must be innocent.
But they were unlucky, just like their family.
Karma went back and forth. Most of it was indescribable. If An Lie was soft-hearted, he was destined to not succeed.
An Lie gritted his teeth. His mouth was filled with the taste of blood. He swallowed the blood in his throat and said, "Uncle, I won't."
An Lie looked at the food bowls piled on the ground, his gaze was deep.
He looked at An Lie and An Xiaoou and walked out. This was the darkest, dampest, and smelliest stomach of the cabin. It was used to store all kinds of rotten fish with a stench. The excretions of people onboard were also here.
An Lie walked out of these places bit by bit.
When he approached the door on the upper floor, a crew member glared at him fiercely. "What are you doing up here? Get lost. I didn't ask you to do anything now."
An Lie moved his lips and revealed a fawning smile. Blood instantly appeared on the cracks of his dry mouth. He smiled and said, "Brother, I have a way for you to catch the big Kun. As long as you can catch one, I guarantee that you will be able to earn a lot of money for your Young Master. You will also get a lot of money."
An Lie's flattering words made the crew member, who looked disgusted with him, think.
This crew member was a middle-aged man. An Lie did not know his name, nor did he want to remember it.
An Lie had been maintaining a fawning smile. No matter how one looked at him, he looked cheap.
The crew member frowned and looked at An Lie. His bearded mouth was tightly shut, and his malicious gaze kept sized up An Lie. After a while, he spat a mouthful of phlegm at An Lie's feet and asked, "If you had such a good idea, why didn't you say so before? What are you up to now?"
An Lie hurriedly said obsequiously, "I didn't understand it in the past, but now that I understand, I decided to say it. I don't have any requests. I just hope that after capturing the big Kun, if we siblings can survive, please be magnanimous and let us off. The value of a big Kun will definitely be greater than the total value of the past year."
"What method? Say it."
The crew member was skeptical. After all, this family had been thinking about escaping all the time for the past year. They had run away several times.
If Young Master wanted to keep them alive, it was fine as long as they were alive.
An Lie said that he had figured it out now. His words sounded sincere.
After all, they were no different from ghosts now.
After not seeing the light for a long time, their skin was sickly pale. They had been starving and had become so thin that they were only skin and bones. Their faces looked pale and sallow, looking especially terrifying.
However, if he really had a credible method, he could think of a way to hide it and take credit for it.
The crew member had an idea. An Lie could see it clearly. He smiled obsequiously and said, "I'll only tell the boss this method when I see him. Otherwise, I won't say it. I won't say it even if I die."
"F*ck your mother. I think you're sick of living..."
The crew member was furious that his thoughts had been seen through. He grabbed An Lie's collar and cursed. His fist had already swung down mercilessly.
An Lie still had a flattering smile on his face. He fell to the ground and curled himself up tightly, like a pangolin that had sensed danger.
He could tolerate those punches and kicks on his back.
The crew member vented his anger by kicking and beating him. Then, he grabbed An Lie's hair and dragged him away. "If you dare to hide it, you will definitely die a horrible death."
An Lie spat out the blood in his mouth and smiled slightly.
An Lie was dragged up and thrown onto the deck. The cold sea breeze was bone-chilling, making him shiver. He could not help but hug his knees tighter.
The other crew members were either drinking and fishing or had already rested. An Lie did not affect them at all.
An Lie looked at the dark night sky. The stars were sparkling, and tears flowed from An Lie's eyes.
What his mother and father had said appeared in his mind. When a person died, they would become the stars in the sky, protecting the family they missed in the world. If they missed their family, they should look up at the stars.
The stars in the night sky were so bright. There were so many of them. Which ones were his parents?
An Lie closed his eyes and secretly made a wish in his heart. 'Father, mother, if you really became the stars in the sky, you must protect me and let me do whatever I want. Father, mother is here. Do you want to see her? Are you together? Grandpa, Grandma, are you all reunited? Little Lie misses you so much. I miss you so much...'
749 Believed
"Father, I have let you down. He didn't take good care of his mother, sister, or uncle. I'm sorry..."
An Lie's heart ached so much that he suffocated. His chest gradually filled with hatred.
"Hey, damn dog, wake up."
Pain came from her body, accompanied by malicious words.
An Lie opened his eyes and saw that many people were already surrounding him.
The torches were lit, illuminating the night.
An Lie immediately smiled obsequiously. He endured the pain and humiliation in his body and got up to kneel on the ground in a sorry state.
"I heard you have a way to get the big Kun?"
The leader of the crew was surnamed Huang. Everyone called him Boss Huang. Boss Huang was bald and had a fierce expression. It was said that before he went out to sea, he was a bandit in the mountains and had killed many people.
Every time they went out to sea, all the crew had to listen to him.
He had extraordinary vicious ways and a ruthless heart.
An Lie was about to speak when Boss Huang walked up to him in two steps and pinched An Lie's chin fiercely. He narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "An Lie, if you lie, your sister will be raped by all of us. Do you understand?"
An Lie's pupils constricted and his entire body trembled.
Boss Huang let go of him fiercely and laughed wildly. He laughed and said, "Look at how excited you are. I was just teasing you. Your sister is so skinny her chest sticks to her back. Even I find it boring."
"But if you dare to trick me, I'll definitely make you wish you were dead."
A trace of ruthlessness flashed across Boss Huang's eyes.
An Lie took a few breaths and said, "Boss Huang, I don't dare to trick you. I just want to beg you to let our family go freely after this is done."
"We want to live. To live like normal people."
An Lie lowered his eyes and lowered his voice.
"Hahahaha, we'll have to see if what you said is so valuable."
Boss Huang laughed and said that no matter how unyielding a person was, their bones would be broken. No matter how proud they were, they would still wag their tails like dogs and beg for mercy.
"Tell me. If you're going to say that the big Kun hates human voices and we have to keep quiet or something that everyone knows, I'll slap you to death."
Boss Huang narrowed his eyes.
No one cared about An Lie's life or death, but since Young Master wanted him to live, he had to think of a way to keep him alive. However, he did not care how he lived.
An Lie and An Cheng did know a lot about seafaring, but they were very stubborn. Unless they beat them up ruthlessly, they wouldn't be able to get anything out of them. Now that he said that there was a way to capture the big Kun, it was difficult not to believe him, but it was also difficult not to be suspicious.
An Lie raised his eyes and looked straight into Boss Huang's eyes. "Boss Huang, the big Kun likes peace and quiet. Everyone knows that it will attack the ship if it encounters noise, but that's not the case. The big Kun actually likes to eat people, and if people don't make a sound, the big Kun won't know that there's someone on the ship."
"Only when people make a sound will the big Kun know that there's someone on the ship, so it will attack the ship. You can use our family as bait and use a large amount of knockout powder to knock the big Kun out and kill it."
An Lie's eyes were calm. He did not avoid her gaze.
Boss Huang narrowed his eyes and looked at An Lie. "Aren't you afraid of death if we use you as bait?"
When An Lie said that, Boss Huang had no choice but to doubt his intentions.
An Lie smiled obsequiously and said, "Of course I'm afraid. But if we don't do this, how can we prove our value and obtain freedom? I even want to beg you to let my uncle stay on the ship. He's not in good health, so she shouldn't follow us to feed the fish. If it really succeeds, it's good to let him have his freedom. If we're lucky enough to survive, Young Master, please return our freedom."
An Lie was very magnanimous. No one was unafraid of death, and he was no exception.
Everything they did had to have a purpose, and their purpose was valid.
There were needs, goals, and results.
Boss Huang's scrutinizing gaze landed on An Lie. An Lie did not panic or dodge. Boss Huang hesitated. After a while, he said, "Tsk, how much knockout powder does such a big Kun need? What if there's not enough? If it goes crazy, won't we all die?"
Boss Huang's eyes darkened and he immediately kicked An Lie's chest.
An Lie fell to the ground and let out uncontrollable cries of pain.
He panted with difficulty. With every breath he took, there was extreme pain in his chest. He was like a maggot wrapped in salt, twisting his body in extreme pain.
After a while, An Lie calmed down. He thought that it was lucky that he was the one who came.
If it was his uncle, his body would definitely not be able to take it. Perhaps Boss Huang would have kicked him to death.
An Lie spat out a mouthful of blood. There seemed to be some internal organ fragments inside.
An Lie said breathlessly, "Boss Huang, wealth comes in intermediate danger. Apart from knockout powder, there are so many people. Each of them can stab through the big Kun with a two-headed stick. A few people who go out to sea die every year..."
After saying this, An Lie did not have any guilty reaction. He looked straight at Boss Huang.
Looking at the darkness in Boss Huang's eyes, An Lie knew that the plan was most likely successful. Who could tell if it was real or fake?
Facing these people, blind lies would not work.
However, whether it was true or false, instigating their greed would definitely succeed.
At the very least, Boss Huang would think that since An Lie and his family were the bait, they would be the first to die anyway.
Who didn't want to live? An Lie still wanted to obtain freedom. After all, in that dark cabin, they ate worse than pigs and dogs. No matter how arrogant a person was, they would flatten their spirits. They had nothing left, so they could only gamble with their lives.
Moreover, if they failed, they would have lost their lives long ago. However, if it succeeded, it was hard to say if there would be benefits to repay them.
"Wealth comes in danger. What you said makes sense. I'm not afraid of anything. A mere fish is nothing."
Boss Huang narrowed his fierce eyes and said fiercely.
The crew members fell silent. They did not have much say. Moreover, this was indeed tempting. A Kun, a Kun in the sea. In this sea area, they had only seen a few. If they could get one, all of them would be able to live a good life and not have to drift in the sea.
When they returned home, they would have so much gold and silver. Their wives and children would live good lives too.
"Since you're going to be bait, you can't be too thin. Change their location and send some good food over." Boss Huang saw the condition An Lie was in and waved his hand to give the order.
An Lie smiled obsequiously and said, "Thank you, Boss. Thank you, Boss. I have another request."
Boss Huang looked over fiercely.
An Lie shrunk his body, but he still smiled obsequiously and said, "My mother died of illness. I want to ask Boss Huang for a thin coffin to store her in. After catching the big Kun, I'll go home and bury her in glory. Whether it's us siblings or our uncle, just leave one on the ship. Let's leave a survivor alive to make funeral arrangements. In the future, there can be people offering incense during the Qingming Festival."
750 Operation
His mother had passed away. This could not be hidden.
An Lie's last request dispelled the last bit of doubt in Boss Huang's heart.
His mother was dead. People cared about the fallen leaves returning to their roots. It was normal for An Lie to be enlightened because of this.
They didn't have any money, so he could only exchange his life humbly. Tsk tsk...
"I didn't know you were such a filial son."
Boss Huang waved his hand and agreed to An Lie's request.
Then, he turned around and waved his arm. He shouted heroically, "Brothers, we won't be going back for the next month. There's still a lot of resources left. Rest first and gather the knockout powder. Then, everyone will start sharpening their knives. I want to bring you guys to do something big."
Boss Huang's bold words received a hundred responses. All the crew members seemed to have ardor and zeal coursing through their blood.
The next step was to prepare intensively.
An Lie was also carried away. Not long after, An Xiaoou and An Cheng were also brought up. Mother An was also packed in a coffin, although it was still placed in the bottom cabin.
However, with his mother's corpse in a coffin, he was already at peace.
Finally, there was a clean room for them to sleep in.
Clean food was brought in, and the three of them ate in silence.
"You look like you haven't eaten anything in eight lifetimes. You must have starved to death in your previous lives, right? Hahaha."
The crew member delivering the food mocked them.
An Lie, An Cheng, and An Xiaoou ignored him and just ate quietly.
Seeing that they were boring, the crew member was no longer in the mood to pay attention to them. He turned around and walked away.
"Brother, does it hurt?"
An Xiaoou looked at An Lie, whose expression was extremely bad, and her heart ached.
An Lie smiled to comfort An Xiaoou. He shook his head. "It doesn't hurt. We haven't eaten our fill in a long time. Don't eat too much. You'll vomit."
There were huge problems with their bodies. If they ate too much, not only would it not nourish their bodies, but it would also cause other problems. Therefore, they should eat less.
"What should we do next?"
An Cheng asked calmly and slowly sent food into his mouth. An Lie was right. He couldn't eat too much now. He resisted the urge to swallow crazily and forced himself to chew the food over and over again.
An Lie whispered about how he had convinced Boss Huang just now. He looked at An Xiaoou solemnly and said, "Little Ou, I didn't tell them about your ability. When the time comes, you and I will have to go into the water. Whether we can survive will depend on you."
An Xiaoou swallowed and pursed her lips. "Brother, my ability is too weak."
An Lie grabbed An Xiaoou's hand with a serious expression. "Little Ou, don't underestimate yourself. Your ability is very useful."
"Uncle, stay on the boat. I'll ask Boss Huang to let you stay somewhere safe. Uncle, you're good at swimming. Take the opportunity to get on a boat to escape. If we can survive, we'll go home together. If we can't survive, Uncle, you can leave by yourself."
An Lie explained his arrangements. No matter what, at least one of them would survive.
"Little Ou, have you ever thought that if you can understand fish, you can control them for your own use?"
An Lie looked at An Xiaoou seriously. His sister's ability was actually very powerful.
If she could understand the language of fish, wouldn't all the fish in the sea be her friends?
What an extraordinary ability.
An Xiaoou's eyes widened. That's right, why didn't she think of that?
"Little Ou, just in case, one big Kun is not enough. We also need the bloodthirsty sea sharks."
He didn't like it that some of these people could get out alive. No one had succeeded in catching the big Kun before. The big Kun could cause shocking waves, but no one could really see how terrifying it was. He was afraid that those people would really succeed.
The sea sharks were bloodthirsty. With them, this plan could be perfect.
An Xiaoou nodded. "Brother, I can talk to the sea sharks. Don't worry."
"You're just going to leave me behind?"
An Cheng gritted his teeth. Was he a cowardly person? He didn't have a healthy body. If he lived alone, he would rather not live.
All his relatives were gone. What was he doing alive?
An Lie looked at An Cheng and said seriously, "Uncle, listen to me. Sea sharks are bloodthirsty. It's inconvenient for you. I'm also an excellent swimmer. Little Ou and I are the most suitable. If I stay, Boss Huang will be suspicious. If it's Little Ou, she's a woman after all, so you're the most suitable. We all hope that you can live for all of us."
"Damn the heavens. Why do they have to toy with our family like this?"
An Cheng's eyes turned red. He gritted his teeth tightly to stop himself from crying.
An Lie reached out and held An Cheng's hand. Their eyes turned red.
An Xiaoou put down her chopsticks and hugged An Lie and An Cheng tightly. "Brother, Uncle, we have to survive."
No matter how difficult it was, they had to work hard and live.
An Lie and An Cheng also reached out and hugged each other.
While they were recuperating, the preparations to catch the big Kun were almost finished.
As February approached, An Lie prepared a perfect plan of action.
Nearly ten ships would be deployed in an 'u' formation. When the big Kun entered the center of the 'u', all the ships would slowly close up into an 'o' shape. As bait, he would be at the entrance of the word 'u', while An Xiaoou would be at the innermost side.
The plan was to lure the enemy in. When the big Kun entered the deepest part, the ships would surround it and use all the knockout powder as anesthesia on the big Kun. As bait, An Xiaoou would also carry a large amount of knockout powder.
It was impossible for the people on the surface of the sea to know everything that was going on in the sea immediately. As long as Boss Huang used his plan, his plan would be half successful.
After thinking about it seriously, Boss Huang agreed to this plan.
When it was time to return, they did not return. Instead, they began to search for traces of the big Kun.
Kun were unique in the sea area. They were huge and rare. They could emit a sound wave. When they heard the sound wave, it meant that they were very close.
An Xiaoou told An Lie and An Cheng that the sound wave emitted by the big Kun was saying, "There's enough food here," "There's so little food here," and "I'm so full today."
An Xiaoou guessed that the big Kun's sound waves could travel far and wide because it didn't seem to be talking to itself.
However, in this sea area, never had two big Kun appeared at the same time.
On the second day of February, the weather was gloomy and there seemed to be a storm. Today, they heard the big Kun's strange sound waves.
Boss Huang asked An Lie, "The weather doesn't look good. Should we stop for a while?"
An Lie smiled and said, "It's fine. The weather changes quickly. Sometimes, it would become bright after a while even if it looks gloomy. We've been looking for so many days to find the big Kun. It's now or never."