Zhong Li awoke to a cacophony of harsh noises.
As soon as her eyes fluttered open, a hand clamped over her mouth.
“Hush!” Lu Wuxie, sitting opposite her, made a shushing gesture and moved to untie the ropes binding her.
Following his cue, she glanced around their surroundings, confirming they were behind a carriage. She crept to the carriage window, pulled back the curtain, and peered outside.
Outside stood a gaunt man, facing a dozen constables led by Ren Zhong.
“Wu Zhong, where is my Shu’er?” Ren Zhong roared, his eyes bloodshot, upon seeing the man opposite him.
Hearing the name, Zhong Li exchanged a look with Lu Wuxie behind her. It seemed their suspicions were correct: Wu Zhong and Wu You were indeed the kidnappers of Ren Wenshu.
The man called Wu Zhong let out a sneer and whistled towards his men.
Moments later, Wu You emerged, escorting a man whose face was smeared with dirt, his hair disheveled, and his body stained with splotches of blood.
Ren Zhong crouched, squinting, and took a careful look. Upon confirming it was Ren Wenshu, his face fell, and his eyes reddened as he bellowed, “Shu’er, my Shu’er!”
Ren Wenshu, initially dazed, gained some semblance of awareness upon hearing the familiar voice. He looked ahead and murmured, “Father!”
Ren Zhong’s emotions finally broke. He collapsed to his knees, pleading, “Your Excellencies, you have achieved your goal. I beg you, release him. Please release him!”
As he spoke, Ren Zhong began to kowtow to Wu Zhong and Wu You.
Witnessing this, Zhong Li frowned, an urge to rush out overcoming her. However, reason prevailed. They couldn't let sentimental pity ruin everything they had worked for.
Wu Zhong and Wu You exchanged a glance, a smug chuckle escaping them. They replied, “Lord Ren is an official of the court. For you to kneel before us… we truly cannot bear it, hehehe…”
Ren Zhong’s face flushed, whether from anger or shame, it was unclear.
After a long moment, he said, “Whatever you want, I don’t care. My Ren family’s lineage ends with Shu’er. I beg you, spare him.”
“We can release him, too!” Wu Zhong stepped forward, casting a glance at the constables behind Ren Zhong. “Let them leave first.”
Ren Zhong froze, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face.
“What, you don’t want your son’s life anymore? Believe it or not, I’ll cut off another finger!” Wu Zhong declared, snatching Ren Wenshu from Wu You and shoving him roughly to the ground. He drew a dagger from his waist and, before Ren Zhong’s disbelieving eyes, put his full force into a slash. With a deafening scream, a thumb was severed and fell to the ground.
Ren Wenshu’s eyes rolled back as he fainted from the pain, a pool of blood slowly seeping into the earth.
“Scoundrels!” Zhong Li growled.
“Will you retreat or not?” Wu Zhong asked, stepping on Ren Wenshu’s injured hand as he looked at Ren Zhong.
Fearing he would sever another of Ren Wenshu’s fingers, Ren Zhong nodded and quickly ordered his men, “Go back!”
“Sir…” Ah Wang’s face showed concern.
“What? You don’t obey my orders anymore?” Ren Zhong snapped.
Ah Wang sighed, cupped his hands in a salute, and prepared to lead the men away.
“Wait!” Wu Zhong suddenly called out to him.
Ah Wang turned, a look of confusion on his face.
“You were the one who took the chatgrass I hid in the ice cellar, weren’t you?” Wu Zhong inquired.
Ah Wang’s expression turned serious as he replied, “And if I was?”
“And if you were? That’s mine!” Wu You’s eyes lit up upon hearing about the chatgrass, and he roared at Ah Wang!
Ah Wang retorted, “The Kingdom of Nanyue strictly prohibits the buying and selling of chatgrass! You are breaking the law!”
“Silence!” Wu Zhong’s brows furrowed as he saw them about to argue. He sharply interrupted them and raised his dagger, pointing it at Ah Wang. “You! Give me back the chatgrass exactly as you took it!”
“Impossible!”
“Ah!” Before Ah Wang could even utter his refusal, Wu Zhong’s demeanor turned vicious. He stomped hard on Ren Wenshu’s hand. Ren Wenshu, who had been unconscious, awoke in pain from the impact.
Ren Zhong’s body went limp. He crawled on the ground, begging, “Don’t, don’t.”
Then, he turned and shouted at Ah Wang, “Quickly, quickly go and bring back the chatgrass!”
“Sir!” Ah Wang knelt on the ground, saying, “That substance is deeply harmful. With so much of it, the Wu Zhong brothers will surely not be able to use it all and will sell it, which would be like harming others!”
“How can I care about that!” Ren Zhong roared. “If my Shu’er is gone, how can I possibly care about the lives of others?!”
“Are you going or not?”
Ah Wang frowned, remaining silent.
“Not going? Fine! Whoever goes, I’ll give them fifty taels of silver!” As Ren Zhong finished speaking, several constables glanced at each other, hesitated for a long moment, then turned and ran towards the place where they had temporarily stored the chatgrass.
Ah Wang cast a deep look at Ren Zhong and said nothing further, only rising and walking away into the distance.
“Gentlemen!” Ren Zhong retracted his gaze, his eyes never leaving Ren Wenshu. “Gentlemen, my men are going to retrieve it. I beg you, do not trouble Shu’er.”
Wu Zhong let out a scornful laugh, “Lord Ren, you truly are a pathetic father and official.”
Ren Zhong swallowed several times without a word.
Seeing this, Zhong Li let out a cold laugh, lowered the curtain, and remained silent.
About half an hour later, several greedy constables returned, pushing two carts laden with chatgrass.
Wu Zhong and Wu You hadn’t expected them to bring it all back. Their faces lit up with joy, and they instructed, “Take these goods to the port. Stack them in the small merchant ship in the northwest corner, covered with a tarp. Do you understand?”
The constables, receiving a nod from Ren Zhong, began to move the chatgrass towards the port.
“I have done as you both requested. Now, will you release my Shu’er?” Ren Zhong looked imploringly at Wu Zhong, seeing his men depart.
Wu Zhong ignored him, instead dragging the near-death Ren Wenshu up from the ground and towards the carriage.
Seeing this, Lu Wuxie and Zhong Li tied their ropes together again and lay in the carriage, feigning sleep.
With a dull thud, Ren Wenshu was thrown inside, and the carriage began to move towards the port.
Having lost two fingers and having suffered abuse for several days, Ren Wenshu was barely clinging to life. The will to survive drove him. He strained to push himself up, enduring the pain, and attempted to jump from the carriage.
Just as his head was about to emerge from the carriage, a hand pulled him back.
Ren Wenshu looked astonished and, seeing the man and woman opposite him, asked, “Young Lord, Madam Zhong, you are alive?”
Lu Wuxie let out a cold laugh at his words.
Ren Wenshu’s cheeks flushed, and he lowered his head in shame. If they were still alive, his actions would be seen as abandoning his companions and fleeing.
He had easily believed others, allowing them to take advantage and causing Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie to risk their lives to save him, and yet he…
“Madam Zhong, I…”
“Hush!” Before Ren Wenshu could finish, Zhong Li made a shushing gesture and pointed outside the carriage, her meaning clear.
Ren Wenshu nodded and fell silent.
Zhong Li’s gaze fell upon his mangled left hand.
She sighed, took out the wound-healing medicine she carried, took Ren Wenshu’s hand, and began to tend to his wound.