“You keep targeting the Zhenbao Studio, just to bite the Zhenhai Envoy. You should think about it. If the Commander really wanted to deal with you, he would not be so polite now. If the Commander really kidnapped your child, he must want something from you. There is no reason to let them go without any conditions. Not holding you responsible for the smashing and letting you leave is already a great mercy. Do not be ungrateful. This is not a place for you to act wildly…”
Inside the Zhenhai Command prison, the man in charge of talking to Yu Qing and the other two men walked back and forth outside the cage with his hands behind his back. He kept talking and advising them again and again. His mouth was almost dry, and he felt very tired.
Yu Qing and the other two sat cross-legged inside the cage. They listened calmly to his long speech. They planned to keep targeting the Zhenbao Studio after he finished talking.
In normal times, they would not have such courage. This was like opposing Zhu Xuan, the top figure in the Sea Market. They were not qualified to do this. They were not even fit to carry his shoes.
They could fight with such confidence only because of Liu Piaopiao’s guidance. She taught them how to avoid danger, how to make Zhu Xuan fear them, and how to make Zhu Xuan helpless. Otherwise, as ordinary people in the cultivation world, they would not know the internal affairs of the Sea Market government, let alone find Zhu Xuan’s weakness.
Just then, a young soldier came and whispered a sentence in the man’s ear.
After hearing this, the man’s eyebrows moved slightly. He turned back to the three men in the cage and said, “Think about it carefully again.” Then he waved his hand and left.
After leaving the prison and closing the door, he asked the young soldier who followed him out, “Are you sure they came to visit the prisoners?”
The soldier said, “Yes, it is the little fox girl named Hu Youli. She only said she came to visit the prisoners. Should we allow it?”
“No rush.” The man raised his hand to show he should wait, and then walked away with big steps.
He did not go anywhere else. He went straight upstairs to Qi Duolai’s office. He found Qi Duolai and reported the situation about Hu Youli’s visit.
After all, he could not make decisions on some matters himself.
Qi Duolai thought for a moment and approved it, but he gave a few more instructions.
So, not long after, Hu Youli was brought to the outside of the Zhenhai Command prison. She was not unfamiliar with this place, as she had been locked up here before.
The man was waiting for her with his hands behind his back. When they met, he reminded her to persuade the three men well. He told her to advise them not to stay in prison stubbornly. If they really angered the Zhenhai Command, they would face severe consequences.
Hu Youli was secretly surprised. She doubted if she heard it wrong. Wasn’t this side holding the people and not letting them go? Why did his words mean that those three guys refused to leave prison themselves? Was it because staying here could save money and provide free food and housing?
She quickly got rid of this wrong thought. If she still thought those three were people who would save this kind of money, she would be foolish.
She could only agree submissively.
The prison door opened. The man accompanied her inside personally and took her directly to the door of that cage.
The old acquaintances inside and outside the cage stared at each other closely when they met again.
When Yu Qing and the other two saw Hu Youli come, they all stood up slowly.
Hu Youli quickly looked at the three men. Seeing that they did not seem to have suffered much, she secretly relaxed a bit.
“Why are you here?” Yu Qing asked with a hidden meaning.
“I came to visit you…” Hu Youli hesitated a bit, and her eyes kept glancing at the man watching them.
Seeing her inconvenience, Yu Qing immediately said to the man, “Sir, could you let us talk privately for a few words?”
The man hesitated for a moment. Thinking that he was not afraid the three would run away, he agreed. He threw down a sentence and turned to leave, “This is not a place for you to chat. Be quick.”
When the prison door closed and there was no one else around, Hu Youli immediately moved close to the cage and asked in a low voice, “Are you guys okay?”
Yu Qing said, “We are fine. What is the situation?”
Hu Youli’s voice immediately became as tiny as a buzzing mosquito. “The people you told me to wait for have come. Two of them came. They said they came quietly according to your wishes…”
She explained the general situation. After hearing this, the three brothers all cheered up. They had endured in prison for a few days, and finally, the people they were waiting for had arrived.
Yu Qing immediately expressed his thanks. “Thank you very much for your trouble.”
Hu Youli said, “By the way, that man just asked me to persuade you not to cause trouble anymore. He asked me to persuade you not to stay here and to let you go out quickly. What… what does that mean?”
Yu Qing said, “You do not need to worry about this. Go back first. No matter what outsiders ask you, pretend you know nothing and do not say anything.”
Hu Youli nodded submissively. “Then what about you?”
Nan Zhu snorted and said, “Rest assured, we are fine. We can go out whenever we want. Go back first. We should be able to go back very soon.”
He did not have the oppression of being in prison. Instead, he felt a little excited. It was actually the thrill of successfully challenging power.
However, Yu Qing added, “Have there been no responses to the missing person notices we posted these past few days?”
Hu Youli shook her head. “At first, a few ruffians from the Sea Market came to the door. Later, even these fake people stopped coming. Maybe the news of you smashing the Zhenbao Studio spread out. Those frauds are also afraid of causing trouble.”
Yu Qing nodded silently. “Alright, go back. Be careful on the way.”
Hu Youli said “yes”. She actually just came to pass a message. She was scared inside and really did not want to get involved too deeply. She left right away.
Not long after, the man in charge of communicating with them came in again.
This time, before he could start his long speech, Yu Qing spoke first. “If we go out like this, are you sure the sir will not make us pay for the damage to the Zhenbao Studio?”
This was something the three brothers had to make clear. Smashing things was very satisfying and exciting, but they really could not afford to pay for it.
Hearing them soften their stance, the man’s eyes lit up immediately. He quickly said seriously, “Since it is a misunderstanding, the Zhenbao Studio does not want to cause more trouble. After all, the Commander cherishes his reputation. He does not want outsiders to think he is using his power for personal gain, so he is willing to give up claiming compensation from you. But I must say the ugly words first. To close the case of the smashed Zhenbao Studio, you must sign a document. You must admit that you misunderstood the Zhenbao Studio, and promise not to frame others at will in the future. Otherwise, the Zhenbao Studio will definitely pursue all the losses.”
What else could the three brothers say? They naturally agreed to this condition for closing the case.
Less than half an hour later, the three men left the prison. They looked back at the place they just came out from outside the main gate of the Zhenhai Command.
After that, the three left quickly in the rain.
Behind a window, Liu Piaopiao’s figure was half revealed. She watched the three leave. She held out her palm to catch the dripping rain, watching the crystal drops splash and scatter one by one.
In the rain, Zhu Xuan and Qi Duolai, standing on the roof, were also watching them leave from high above.
Qi Duolai suddenly guessed, “They suddenly softened their stance and were willing to leave. It is possible that the fox girl came over and said something. Commander, this matter seems a bit out of control. It seems a bit strange. I feel things might not be what we imagined.”
Zhu Xuan said, “As long as it has nothing to do with us, it is fine. We are just watching. The people are going back. You should give a greeting to the Wang family.”
“Yes,” Qi Duolai replied.
After the three brothers returned to Hu Youli’s house, they saw the two uninvited guests and immediately closed the door for a secret talk.
Hu Youli did not know what they were talking about upstairs. Anyway, they later borrowed her bedroom, and the two uninvited guests hid in her room.
Meanwhile, Yu Qing and the other two waited calmly upstairs.
Hu Youli was alone in the hall. She looked at the stairs above from time to time, and then looked at her closed bedroom door. She felt restless. She could feel a strange atmosphere rising gradually. She wanted to ask but did not want to ask, because she did not want to get involved too deeply.
She could strongly feel one thing. Whether it was the three tenants or the two uninvited guests, they were quiet not because they were resting, but because they were waiting for something. She did not know what they were waiting for, but she knew something would definitely happen.
She was afraid her small home could not withstand the trouble of these people. She hoped they would not tear her house apart.
When fear and depression were wrapping around her mind and body, suddenly, a knocking sound came. She looked up and saw the knocking came from the balcony above. She immediately ran up the stairs quickly and ran to the room above.
The three brothers who were sitting cross-legged also stood up. Mu Aotie went over and opened the door.
Outside the door on the balcony stood a man who was not afraid of the wind and rain. He had a smile on his face. He was someone they had met before. He had delivered letters to them before. He was Sun Jiu, the trusted follower of Wang Wentian!
Mu Aotie said, “It is you again?”
This time, he did not show an invitation card. Sun Jiu crossed his hands in front of his belly, bowed slightly, and smiled at them. “My young master is hosting a banquet at the ‘Jinghong Hall’. He hopes the three honoured guests can grace us with your presence.”
Mu Aotie said, “We have said we do not know your young master. We are strangers. There is no need to be polite.”
Sun Jiu still smiled. “This time is different. I heard the three of you suffered a prison disaster. My young master is hosting a banquet to welcome and refresh you. Also, I heard a child of yours was kidnapped. My young master said, as long as you are willing to grace us and make friends with him, he will definitely help you find the child. If it is delayed, with all the demons and ghosts in the Sea Market, it is normal to suddenly have an extra corpse on the street tomorrow. I think the three of you do not want to see this. More friends mean more paths. Do the three of you not want to save the person?”
He believed the three could understand the deep meaning in his words.
The three brothers naturally understood. They all breathed heavily and stared at the other party with gloomy eyes.
Even Hu Youli, who was standing at the stairs with half her body revealed, understood. Her eyes showed surprise and doubt. Was Xiao Hei in the hands of the other party?
Yu Qing suddenly strolled forward slowly. “Alright, Jinghong Hall, right?”
Sun Jiu waved his hand towards downstairs. “The wind and rain are heavy outside. A carriage has been prepared for the three of you.”
“Fine.” Yu Qing nodded and agreed, and walked towards the balcony with Nan and Mu.
Sun Jiu flew down first.
The three brothers stood on the balcony and looked at each other. Nan Zhu looked back into the room and whispered, “If we go like this, will they really appear in time?”
Yu Qing took a deep breath and whispered back, “Since they said it is fine, they naturally have their own ways.” After speaking, he flew up and jumped down first.
Mu Aotie followed, and Nan Zhu was the last.
Hu Youli also ran to the balcony and looked down. She saw the three get into a carriage and watched the carriage go far away.
When she went back into the house, she closed the door well and slowly went downstairs. Suddenly, she looked back at her room and felt something was wrong. She walked quickly to the door and knocked on it.
She knocked several times, but there was no response inside. She plucked up her courage and pushed the door open. As a result, she found no one in the room. The door to the balcony was open, and the wind was blowing in heavily. No wonder it felt wrong.
She searched all over the house again. There was really no one. The two uninvited guests had left quietly. She did not know when they left…