At the same time, Hong Dabao sent three dark-faced men to Hongfeng Mountain. As soon as the villagers of Hongfeng Mountain saw them, they immediately surrounded them with weapons. One of the men said, "Call your village chief out. If you don't want Ning Taohua to get into trouble, tell him to come see us immediately."
The villagers were stunned. The two girls had just left that morning. Could their plan have failed? Immediately, some villagers went into the mountains to fetch help. Soon, the old village chief emerged, supported by Da Shan and Liu Er. Upon seeing the three men, he said in a deep voice, "We will not compromise. You must leave immediately, or don't blame the villagers for being impolite."
The man sneered, "I'm only here to tell you one thing: those two women are already in our master's hands. We can't guarantee what will happen next. If you know what's good for you, hand them over quickly. Otherwise, hmph, you know the consequences."
"What?! You actually arrested those two young ladies?! Release them immediately!" The village chief exclaimed in shock. Xiao Chao, who had secretly followed them out, cried out anxiously upon hearing that Ouyang Yue was in trouble, "You mustn't hurt my sister! Release her right now!"
The other villagers joined in the clamor, but the man coldly replied, "Release them? Fine, as long as you hand over the goods, we'll release them. I advise you to think carefully. Judging from the two women's appearances and demeanor, and their origins in the capital, they must have extraordinary backgrounds. You've dared to defy my master for so long, which means he's kind-hearted. If something happens to these two young ladies from the capital here, it will cause a huge problem, and no one in your village will survive. If you've thought it through, go find my master in the county town. Farewell." After the three men finished speaking, they quickly descended the mountain.
The villagers of Red Maple who remained in the village were in an uproar and began to discuss the matter. The old village chief shouted, "Let's go back first. Don't talk about it here. Who knows if that scoundrel Red has sent someone to watch us from the shadows again? Let's go back and discuss it."
The villagers had already returned to the mountains in a grand procession. Before they even entered their houses, they gathered in the village and began to discuss the matter.
"I didn't expect Miss Ning to actually make the arrest. What should we do? I hope she's alright. That slut and his son are notorious lechers in Shanbian County. Could Miss Ning have already met with some terrible fate?"
"It's hard to say. That father and son have already harmed countless innocent women in this mountainous county. I think Miss Ning is probably in grave danger. What a pity."
"Oh, it's such a shame that such a nice girl has suffered such persecution."
The old village chief stroked his beard and said, "It's hard to say. In any case, Miss Ning risked her life for the sake of us villagers. Now that she's in danger, we should naturally do our best to help her. Otherwise, how can we live up to Miss Ning's good intentions?"
"Yes, we should save Miss Ning, but how should we do it?"
Da Shan said with a stern face, "If they want something, then let's give it to them. We've already suffered enough for that. Now we're going to drag two innocent women into this and ruin their lives. We might as well agree to Red Thief Dog's request."
The village chief nodded, but before he could speak, someone objected: "How can that be? Although we don't know what it is, our ancestors said it's something that can save our village's lives. How can we just give it to that scoundrel? Wouldn't all our previous insistence be a joke?" A woman in the crowd immediately refused.
“That’s right. Besides, Miss Ning was just passing through and wanted to help. She’s incompetent and even got herself into trouble. What does that have to do with us? I absolutely refuse to exchange our ancestral treasure for it,” another woman immediately chimed in.
"Yes, yes, besides, Miss Ning wasn't genuinely trying to help. You all heard what happened that day; she just wanted our village. She probably knew there was treasure in the village, which is why she put on this show..." As she spoke, the man suddenly exclaimed, "Could she be in cahoots with that scoundrel Hong? Just to gain our trust and then steal the treasure? That's definitely it! She must have been bribed by Hong. She's probably fine now, but she's just trying to gain our sympathy and get something in return. That despicable woman! We absolutely cannot fall for their tricks! We absolutely cannot give them anything!"
“That’s right, we can’t take it out. It’s something we’ve guarded our whole lives, we absolutely can’t just take it out like that, we can’t save Miss Ning.”
"Don't save them! Don't save them! Don't save them!"
The villagers shouted their protests, and in an instant, a chorus of rejection echoed throughout the village.
The village chief frowned and said, "Don't forget that Miss Ning is incredibly skilled, and judging from her accent, she's definitely not from around here. Although that scoundrel Hong Jian Gou is a scoundrel here, capable of bullying the villagers, he's no match for outside this mountainous county. Do you think he can get someone like Miss Ning to help him? No, he doesn't have that ability. Miss Ning is probably not one of his people, and she's likely a woman from a powerful family in the capital. If something happens to Miss Ning because of us, and we're targeted, do you think the villagers of Hongfeng Mountain will have a good life then? We'll probably be in even worse shape than we are now, and we might even lose our lives."
The villagers fell silent, but some still complained: "Why is Miss Ning so enthusiastic all the time? Now that this has happened, she hasn't helped us at all, but has only brought us trouble. She's such a troublemaker."
"Exactly, exactly, this is such a hassle. Are we really going to give all the things passed down from our ancestors to that bastard just to save her? If we give them to him, do you really think he'll let us off the hook?"
"If that bastard red dog can keep his word and let us live a normal life, then I'll give it to him. Life is too hard for me right now. My dog is so thin that he's practically just a skeleton. It breaks my heart."
Once this was initiated, the villagers, thinking of their miserable lives, began to waver and agreed to let the village chief exchange the treasure for the man.
The village chief sighed, "Everyone, go back and think about it first. We'll meet back here in two hours and vote then. If more people agree to save Miss Ning, I'll agree to send the items out. I hope our lives will be better."
The villagers nodded, chattered amongst themselves, and then continued to discuss the matter in small groups.
"Village Chief, aren't you going back?" Da Shan asked the village chief, who was standing there motionless. The village chief shook his head. "Da Shan, you take Xiao Chao back to the house to rest first. I need to think about this and have some peace and quiet."
Dashan seemed to have something to say, and finally pulled Xiaochao back. Xiaochao, however, turned her neck and looked at the village chief: "Brother Dashan, will the villagers save my sister? I don't want anything to happen to her."
Da Shan didn't know what to say, so he just patted Xiao Chao's shoulder gently: "Sister will be alright."
The village chief stood there for a while, now almost deserted. He then walked around the village towards the back mountain, winding and turning a long way before finally stopping in front of a pile of rocks. He then circled again and entered a cave. Looking at the ginseng on the ground, a sorrowful expression crossed his face. Had he really lost what he had guarded his whole life? He hadn't told Ouyang Yue that not only were the villagers wavering, but he himself was wavering. Guarding these things, yet the villagers lived such miserable lives—were their persistence truly worthwhile?
The village chief shook his head, sighed, turned around and went out of the cave again. Standing outside the cave, he looked into the distance, sighed again, and slowly walked down the mountain.
Not long after he descended the mountain, a man in gray emerged from a large rock on one side. The man in gray looked around and then slipped into the cave. He went all the way to the bottom of the cave and gasped when he saw the ginseng planted on the ground: "So this is the secret of Red Maple Mountain. It really is full of good stuff."
The gray-clad woman's face gleamed with excitement. She squatted down, picked a ginseng root, and casually tested its weight in her hand. Finding it quite heavy, her face lit up with even more joy. If she could just give these things away, she could not only gain Hong Dabao's trust, but she would also become rich. Who said she had to give everything to Hong Dabao? Anyway, Hong Dabao didn't know what these things were, so this was a good deal for him.
The man in gray chuckled and continued peeling ginseng.
"Quickly, surround the cave entrance. Dashan, take me inside with me." The village chief's voice suddenly rang out from outside the cave. The man in gray was startled and quickly stuffed the ginseng into his pocket. However, the village chief had already led Dashan and the others in and rushed in. The man in gray was sweating profusely. He was trapped in the cave and couldn't explain himself no matter how hard he tried.
"A spy!" The village chief shouted as he rushed in, but when he saw the man in gray, he was shocked: "Uncle Zhang, how could it be you!"
The villagers behind the village chief, including Da Shan, were shocked to see this man. He was of medium height and had a gentle, kind face. He was the same old man who had spoken up for Ouyang Yue and the others when they were surrounded by the villagers of Red Maple Mountain, offering to take them into the mountains. Old Uncle Zhang was a highly respected figure in the village, and everyone looked on incredulously. He had always been the most vocal opponent of the Red Maple Mountain village, and no one had expected that such a person would ultimately become a traitor and spy.
Old Zhang wanted to argue, but with ginseng in his arms and another in his hand, no one believed him no matter how he tried to refute. He gave a cold smile: "That's right, I've already pledged allegiance to Lord Hong. He can promise me wealth and honor, but I don't want to live a life worse than pigs and dogs in this village. Don't blame me, though. So many of you have secretly told me you wanted to pledge allegiance to Lord Hong. How much more noble are you than me? You have no right to criticize me."
A few villagers showed a hint of shame. They had indeed complained in secret that their lives were too hard, and that was what they thought, but they had never actually done it.
The village chief's face showed disappointment: "Old Zhang, how can you face the villagers who trust you? You were the one who spread the word about Miss Ning, which is why she was captured by those scoundrels, right?"
Old Zhang nodded, seemingly unconcerned, and said, "That's right, that's exactly what I said. Originally, if that woman hadn't appeared, Lord Hong would have felt that it was time to make a move soon. Her arrival only made things progress faster. Now I've done another favor. Once it's done and I've handed over the goods, those two women will be Young Master Ning's women. They'll then promise me fertile land and a virtuous wife. Everyone looks out for themselves, so don't blame me."
"You're just spouting nonsense! The villagers have been through thick and thin with us all this time. You've betrayed us and now you want to use these high-sounding words to excuse yourself. You're completely unrepentant. You didn't deserve the respect I had for you back then!" Da Shan shouted angrily, his face flushed.
Xiao Chao also spat at Old Zhang, saying, "You hurt my sister, you're a bad person, you're a bad person, Xiao Chao will never like you again."
Old Zhang's face was cold: "Let me tell you, you have no choice but to obey Lord Hong now. You have no right to choose. If you obediently release me, I might put in a good word for you because of our years of being fellow villagers. If you dare to hurt me, I will make you pay a hundredfold and suffer a terrible death!"
The villagers hesitated for a moment, startled, but at that moment, someone rushed out from the crowd and slapped Old Zhang across the face: "Pah! You dared to tip off my young lady and now you dare to be so arrogant? I'll show you what I can do today, I'll beat you up and see what this bastard can do to me!" He then kicked Old Zhang in the leg, who cried out and knelt on the ground. Seeing this, Xiao Chao angrily threw a small stone at him, shouting, "You dared to harm my sister, you bad person! I'll hit you, I'll hit you!"
"Hit him! Hit this traitor!" Upon seeing this, the villagers grabbed whatever they could and started throwing and hitting him, causing a commotion in the cave.
Chuncao glanced sideways at Liu Er beside her. Liu Er still had a gloomy face and didn't look like a good person. She had thought that the spy in Hongfeng Village was this person, but she didn't expect it to be Old Zhang, who had never shown any interest. She had really misjudged him.
Liu Er felt uncomfortable under Chuncao's gaze: "What kind of look is that? Are you disappointed that I'm not a spy?"
Chuncao sighed and nodded: "You have the face of a spies, but you're not. I guessed wrong, of course I'm disappointed."
Liu Er blushed, his lips trembled, and he glared angrily at Chuncao.
"Village chief, village chief, something terrible has happened! Several people have suddenly rushed into the village. They're so fierce, they've knocked down everyone outside!" A panicked villager suddenly ran over and shouted.
The village chief was stunned: "Could it be that the Red-faced Dog has already sent men to attack? Oh no! Quick! Dashan, you must lead the villagers and their weapons and rush out! Hurry!"
Da Shan responded, grabbed his weapon, and ran out. Immediately, shouts and sounds of fighting erupted outside. The village chief's heart skipped a beat, and he rushed out. When he reached the village entrance, he saw his villagers all seemingly possessed, holding sticks and other weapons, their mouths agape, eyes wide, faces flashing with anger, frozen in place. Some were carrying weapons, some were kicking, and some were running, all standing motionless in that bizarre posture.
The village chief's heart skipped a beat: "No...no way, how did Red Dog suddenly have such a capable subordinate? He managed to subdue all the villagers in such a short time. Was Red Dog hiding his strength before?"
The village chief ran over and saw that the villagers had no injuries. How was that possible? Were his villagers alive or dead?
Where's Xiao Chao? And Da Shan?
"Xiao Chao, Da Shan, where are you?"
"Ugh, Village Chief..." A sobbing sound rang out. The village chief immediately looked over, then nervously swallowed hard. There stood three men in black, exuding a menacing aura. One of them, expressionless, was gripping Da Shan's neck. Da Shan's face flushed red as he tried to resist, but his hands, though tightly gripping the man's hand, were powerless. The village chief was shocked; Da Shan was the strongest young man in the village, and this man possessed incredible strength. Meanwhile, Xiao Chao was being held in the arms of another cold-faced man. The man had Xiao Chao's hands restrained, and Xiao Chao struggled incessantly, his face flushed, but to no avail.
The village chief immediately said nervously, "Who are you people? Did Red Dog send you? Release them immediately! Don't hurt the villagers! We'll give you whatever you want, just please don't hurt the villagers!"
At this moment, the two men in black shifted to the side. The village chief, who had only been able to see one hidden in the shadows, was now revealed. This man wore an iron mask, which gleamed coldly in the sunlight, devoid of any warmth. Only his eyes were visible, and looking into those eyes, the village chief felt as if he were being sucked into a giant vortex, instinctively filled with fear. He still stammered, "What have you done to the villagers? I'll agree to whatever you want... please... don't hurt them..."
The masked man looked around and asked, "Where is everyone?"
"People? Who are they? The villagers are all here," the village chief replied immediately in a low voice.
"Woman, where is Ouyang Yue?" The masked man's voice was very deep, like concentrated spring water, pleasant to hear but with a chilling undertone.
The village chief was taken aback: "Woman? Ouyang Yue? There is no such person in the village. Are you sure you have the right person? There are ten villages around Shanbian County. Are you sure you have the right village?"
The man in black who was holding Xiao Chao hostage shouted, "You're clearly talking nonsense! I just found out that the woman and her maid went in and out of your mountain yesterday. If she didn't come here, where did she go? Hand her over right now, or don't blame me for being impolite."
"Mmm, Grandpa..."
The village chief exclaimed in surprise, "No...don't hurt Xiao Chao! Are you talking about Miss Ning? She...she's in the hands of Hong Dabao and his son."
"Who?" The masked man's voice was even deeper.
"Hong... Hong Dabao".
Upon hearing this, Leng Han frowned and said, "Master, this Hong Dabao is the magistrate of Shanbian County. He doesn't have a good reputation here. He seems... he seems to be a bit lecherous..."
The man in the iron mask suddenly stared coldly at Leng Han, who was so frightened that he lowered his head. The man in the iron mask stared coldly at the village chief, who felt as if those eyes were like a thousand-year-old ice, making him feel numb all over: "Where is Hong Dabao? Where is Ouyang Yue now?"
"Well... I'm not entirely sure either, but a spy was just caught in the village, he... he might know..."
Where are they?
"Lord Hong... Lord Hong, I'm here! Please save me... Ah!" Old Zhang was badly injured by the villagers earlier and thought that Hong Dabao had really brought people to attack the village. He staggered out, and the next moment his neck was grabbed and he was lifted up. He was so scared that his heart almost jumped out of his chest. He stared wide-eyed and saw a pair of cold and ruthless eyes that looked like they were looking at a dead man. He screamed in fright.
"Where is Hong Dabao? Where is Ouyang Yue? Tell me right now, or I'll kill you!"
"I...I..." Old Zhang's face turned red and he trembled, unable to speak. The iron-masked man tightened his grip, and Old Zhang struggled to breathe, his eyes rolling back in his head. He said with fear and difficulty, "She...she was in the Yihong Courtyard, taken...to...the Yihong Courtyard by Young Master Hong."
The masked man's eyes instantly blazed with fury. Even without Old Zhang's explanation, he knew what kind of brothel this was involved in. The masked man's aura suddenly exploded, and he clenched his fist tightly. Old Zhang's eyes widened, and before he could even cry for help, there was a "crack" on his neck. His eyes widened, his neck lolled to the side, and he was dead.
With a flick of his wrist, the man in the iron mask sent Old Zhang sprawling to the ground with a thud. The village chief recoiled in fright, staring fearfully at the man in the iron mask: "You'd better pray she's alright. If anything happens to her, I'll make your entire village pay with its life!"
After saying that, he left first. Xiao Chao was so scared that she cried loudly and ran over to hug the village chief's leg. The village chief was also frightened and his heart was pounding. He was stunned for a long time and kept praying in his heart: Miss Ning, you must not be hurt. They can't afford to mess with this Iron Mask. You must not be hurt. For the sake of all the villagers, you absolutely cannot be hurt!
The masked man, accompanied by two henchmen, rushed out of Red Maple Mountain. Leng Han whispered, "Master..."
"Your work efficiency is getting lower and lower. Is it on purpose, or are you no longer competent to be my subordinate? If you are no longer useful, go back and ask to be punished and leave the organization."
Leng Han was startled: "Master, I..."
However, the man in the iron mask had already run off and had no intention of listening to his explanation. The three of them headed straight for Shanbian County, found out the location of Yihong Courtyard, and rushed over quickly.
The girl in the brothel was a little scared when she saw the three men in black, but as a courtesan, she couldn't choose her customers. She immediately smiled and said softly, "You three guests have arrived very early. Although the brothel doesn't accept guests during the day, you three guests, ah..." Before she could finish speaking, the man in the iron mask waved his hand and pushed the woman away.
Upon seeing this, the girl immediately screamed, "Help! Help! Someone's causing trouble! Help!"
More than ten thugs rushed out of the brothel. The Iron-Faced Man waved his hand, and Leng Han and another subordinate immediately flew over. Several sounds of fighting followed, followed by the screams of the brothel thugs falling heavily to the ground.
Hearing the noise, Madam Hua immediately ran out: "Which blind fool dares to cause trouble at the brothel? Doesn't he know this is run by Lord Hong... um..." The next moment, her neck was grabbed tightly, her whole body was suspended in the air, her legs were kicking wildly in the air, her face was red and she was in great pain.
The masked man stared at him coldly: "Where are the two women I brought today? If you don't want to die, speak up now."
Aunt Hua had always acted as a pimp for Hong Dabao and Hong Xuetian, ruining countless innocent girls for them. However, relying on Hong Dabao's local tyrant status, she was practically the only one who could be called upon in this mountainous county, and had never felt death so close before. She dared not lie, and with trembling fingers pointed behind her: "The...the innermost room...Young Master Hong..."
"Crack." Aunt Hua glared and fell lifelessly to the ground, frightening the injured thugs in the courtyard, who trembled and huddled on the ground.
The man in iron armor rushed towards the backyard like a whirlwind, his body seemingly burning with boundless rage, an rage that could consume anyone who approached him—how dare someone touch Ouyang Yue!
He rushed over like a gust of wind, kicked open the last door with a "bang," and shouted coldly, "Stop!"
However, the scene inside left him speechless, frozen in place!
☆、099, unexpectedly, beaten to a pulp!
The man in the iron mask, who was initially furious, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been suddenly poured over him. Apart from being shocked and stunned, he couldn't think of any other way to express his feelings.
Across from the room, a table was laden with delicacies, several pots of tea and wine, and so much so that there was no room for anything else. Two petite young women sat at the table. One of them was eating with an incredible, almost wolfish, speed, her movements remarkably elegant. She held a chicken leg with a small piece of golden, delicious meat still attached. The other young woman was holding a teacup and drinking tea in large gulps.