Chapter 143 Arrest

"Put down your weapons, or the next arrow will pierce your heads!"

A strange shout rang out, and the guards immediately put down their swords.

"Third Master, there are too many of them..."

The guard said guiltily, "Fighting to the death will only provoke them. These bandits are mostly after money. It's better to lose money for peace."

But those who can become bandits must have blood on their hands, and angering them will only result in being killed.

Filled with resentment, Su Changshui cursed, "Useless!"

What's the point of him supporting them?

As a group of bandits drew closer, Su Changshui began to panic.

In just a quarter of an hour, they were tied up, and their carriage was overturned.

He naturally brought money with him when he went to pick up the goods.

But now the silver notes have all been taken by the bandits. The bandit leader, with one eye covered, stared at Su Changshui for a moment, and then asked, "Who are you? Where are you going? What are you doing? Answer honestly so you'll suffer less."

He was carrying so much silver, over a thousand taels.

There were guards around, and the carriage was no ordinary one either, as it was lined with the finest animal hides.

Su Changshui's mind raced. He understood that this was a sign of greed, not satisfied with the money, and that they wanted to use him as leverage to extort more money!

What should he do? Su Changshui immediately thought of a solution. He put on a bitter, pleading look: "Sir, I'm just an ordinary merchant. These dozens of families have staked their entire fortunes on me, hoping I'll help them make money. Can you please be lenient and leave me half?"

He couldn't talk about his family or his background, so he lowered himself and begged for mercy, trying to deceive the bandits and pray for safety.

"So these many silver notes represent the entire fortune of many families."

The bandit leader muttered to himself thoughtfully.

Su Changshui nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes..."

“Since it’s the entire fortune of more than ten households, and you’ve lost it all, how can you face people back home? Why don’t you just kill yourself? I can help you transport your body back.”

The bandit leader looked at Su Changshui and suddenly said.

Su Changshui was stunned. After regaining his senses, he stammered, "I have elderly parents and young children to support. What will they do if I die? Doing business is naturally risky. I'll go back and explain it to them."

Asking him to commit suicide is utter nonsense.

“Those who are afraid of death are always lying. If you don’t even dare to die, how can I trust you? If you are determined to die, I will definitely save your life and let you go at the last moment. But since you don’t even dare to die, everything you say is unbelievable!”

The bandit leader revealed a cold smile, a smile that sent chills down Su Changshui's spine.

"So I've decided to use severe torture to pry open your lying mouth."

With one eye covered, he looked more sinister than a demon. He patted Su Changshui's mouth and said with a cold smile.

"Sir, please have mercy..."

Su Changshui never expected this person to be so unpredictable, and he was so frightened that he went limp and begged for mercy.

But the bandit leader didn't want to listen at all, and with a wave of his hand, his men gagged Su Changshui.

They blindfolded him and took him back to the mountains, where he was tortured.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Su Changshui could no longer hold on.

The whip, dipped in salt water, was truly painful once it broke the skin.

These people are inhumane, and he was truly afraid that he would die here.

Su Changshui shouted in a trembling voice, "Stop hitting me! I'll tell you everything, I'll tell you everything..."

"Who are you? If you're wrong, I have plenty of ways to torture you. Since you came from Liuzhou City, you must be a Liuzhou City native. Only those who leave home carry money empty-handed, while those who return home are always laden with valuables."

The bandit leader looked at Su Changshui with disdain. Su Changshui had no backbone; he couldn't withstand the beating after only a quarter of an hour. He only had a few cuts on his back and hadn't suffered any real physical pain.

He despises men who lack backbone.

"I am Su Changshui, the third master of the Su family. My family is in the cloth business. My elder brother is the famous Marquis of Anping, Su Chang'an. If you let me go back, I will pretend this never happened. Otherwise, if you investigate, your lives will be in danger!"

Su Changshui said in a trembling voice, enduring the excruciating pain.

He was in so much pain that he almost fainted.

"Are the Marquis of Anping's brothers so spineless?"

Faced with Su Changshui's self-introduction, the bandit leader was not intimidated, but instead frowned.

Before Su Changshui could speak, the man turned and left.

Soon his trusted confidant came to his side and expressed his worries.

"Second Uncle Qi, Su Chang'an is invincible and incredibly brave. Theoretically, his own brother shouldn't be so cowardly, useless, and spineless. But it's also possible that a bad bamboo produces a good shoot. However, if Marquis Anping has such a brother, his family must be tainted..."

Can they really have a chance to rise above their family's grievances and seek refuge with Su Chang'an?

"Zhan Yang, send someone to inquire first to see if his identity is real. After finding out, then make a plan. See if Su Chang'an is in Liuzhou City."

After pondering for a moment, Zhan Qi gave the instructions.

Regardless of Su Changshui's identity, they all wanted to find out about Su Chang'an.

The first person we robbed by accident was Su Changshui, so we can investigate him thoroughly.

Zhan Yang nodded and left.

Su Changshui was imprisoned in the mountains without food or water.

——

Inside the Su residence.

Qin Jin'an has been ignored for two days.

Su Changsheng also began to have doubts, and because of their brothers' suspicions, they were no longer as warm towards Qin Jin'an as before.

Qin Jin'an lay in bed, munching on dried meat, not feeling hungry, but his numb legs still lacked sensation.

Someone came in from outside.

"Su Dai, look what your second aunt brought you!"

Liu was smiling as she carried the food box, with Lian beside her.

Compared to the dejected state of the rest of the Su family, the two of them were basking in the warmth of spring.

Using the guise of opening a shop, he was able to indulge in a life of pleasure every day, and his complexion visibly improved.

For some unknown reason, Su Changsheng and Su Changshui were acting strangely. She and Lian Shi were just hoping they would act strangely for a while longer, because it gave them a perfect opportunity to win over Qin Jin'an.

"This is old hen soup with ginseng. Don't you often say you're cold? Drink more of it, and you'll feel warm."

Lian opened the food box, gently serving soup while speaking softly.

Qin Jin'an sat up, took the soup bowl, and slowly drank it.

"Thank you, Second Aunt and Third Aunt."

Qin Jin'an had tears in his eyes, and he looked deeply moved.

She drank her soup while wiping away her tears.

Liu and Lian exchanged a glance, and while they were peeling chicken for Qin Jin'an, they were adding more meat and soup to her bowl.

Both of them were very patient and very gentle.

"Su Dai, eat slowly, eat slowly. Your second aunt and third aunt bring you food every day, so you won't go hungry."

Liu's voice was soft.

Madam Lian sighed, "They've always been cold-hearted. They fawn over you when they think you're useful, and ignore you when they don't. Third Aunt thought you were different, but it turns out we're all the same. In the eyes of the Su family, we're just dogs they give a bone when they're happy and chase away when they're not..."