Chapter 66 The Prodigal Brother (Part Six): The Merchant's Son's Path to Becoming a King of a Different Surname...

Abao patted Alu's shoulder, "Don't be afraid, Alu, let's help each other to the end. It's just..." After saying this, Abao forced himself to remain calm and asked Song Ce, "Young master, if we take you there, you'll give us the two ingots of silver you mentioned, right?"

This was the first time the two brothers had dealt with such a wealthy young man, so they were naturally extremely cautious.

“Of course, if you lead me there, I will add two more ingots of silver,” Song Ce said.

Upon hearing this, A Bao immediately stood up and called to Song Ce and A Luo to leave the Song residence together. Along the way, the timid A Luo ran ahead to lead the way, while Song Ce and A Bao followed closely behind. The three of them hurriedly headed towards the dense forest outside the city.

When they reached the edge of the dense forest, Abao pointed ahead and whispered, "That's the forest ahead, but we can't just go in like this. If we go in from here, we'll be discovered as soon as we get close to the dilapidated temple. Aluo, let's go from the back. Although the path is difficult to walk on, it's well hidden, and we can get to the temple faster. We won't delay the young master's important business."

"Okay, brother."

After walking for another half an hour, A Luo waved his hand, signaling the two to slow down and carefully approach the dilapidated temple with its doors tightly closed.

As they approached the dilapidated temple, Song Ce faintly heard hushed conversations coming from inside. Although A Bao was a little beggar, he had an inexplicable intuition for danger. He quickly pulled back A Luo, who was still trying to get closer, and gestured for him to be quiet.

Song Ce told the two of them to stay where they were and instructed them, "When I deal with them later, I'll trouble you to go to the county government office and tell the magistrate about the situation here. Tell him that there are evil bandits causing trouble in this place and beg him to send troops to arrest them as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, A Bao nodded emphatically, but A Luo cautiously asked, "Young master, we are just two beggars who can be seen anywhere in the city. How could the magistrate possibly condescend to listen to us? I'm afraid that the two of us brothers won't even be able to enter the county government office."

“You don’t need to worry about that. Today is the sixteenth, the day for publicizing cases in our county. If you brothers rush back now, you can still make it to the morning court session. Then you can recount the crimes committed by these bandits one by one. This is a major case, and the magistrate of this county will definitely listen carefully to your testimony,” Song Ce said.

"Alright, young master, don't worry!" Abao replied earnestly, holding his younger brother Alu's hand tightly.

"Then I'll leave it to you. Be careful on this journey!" Song Ce instructed.

"yes!"

After everything was settled, Song Ce stood up and slowly approached the window of the dilapidated temple.

He peered through the cracks in the cobweb-covered wooden window and saw his sister, Song Yu, lying on a tattered straw mat in the dimly lit temple, her eyes closed, unsure whether she was unconscious or fast asleep.

Beside Song Yu, three burly men dressed in gray were sitting together, talking in hushed tones.

"Brother, how much medicine did you give this little girl? It's been almost two hours, and she still hasn't woken up?" The burly man with his back to the window raised his chin at Song Yu and asked uncertainly.

“Ah San, don’t you trust your brother’s medicine? This little girl is just weak, it will probably take a while. That’s good, it will also prevent her from being scared and crying when she wakes up and sees us. Do you want to give her the medicine again later?” Ah Er said.

"Stop with the nonsense, Ah Er, is this place safe?" Ah Da glanced at the unconscious Song Yu and asked.

"Brother, don't worry! This dilapidated temple is usually deserted. Only a few beggars occasionally stop by to rest. Before we made our move, I spread the word that this place is haunted. No one comes here anymore, not even to the dense forest outside."

"That's good." Ah Da nodded with satisfaction.

"Hey bro, how much will Wang Laizi give us for this job?" Ah San asked curiously.

“Look.” Ah Da gestured with his fingers, “You called him Wang Laizi, and he didn’t hear you and hold a grudge. This time, he’s being rather lenient.”

"Brother, don't you think about it? Wang Laizi can make at least five thousand taels from this one job. We put in the manpower and effort, and in the end he only gave us this little bit. Bah! He deserves to get sick!" Ah San said with some dissatisfaction.

“Ah San, stop complaining. If it weren’t for Wang Laizi, we wouldn’t even have earned this much!” Ah Er said.

Song Ce listened intently to the conversation inside the dilapidated temple, pondering: In the original owner's memories, this Wang Laizi and Master Song were kindred spirits. Back then, after Master Song gambled away all his wealth, he returned to his rural hometown in disgrace. Two years later, itching to gamble again, he came to the county town a couple of times. He overheard someone say that Wang Laizi, who used to follow him around the gambling den, had actually settled down in the prefectural city and become the renowned philanthropist Wang.

It wasn't that Master Song hadn't considered wicked schemes, but he had already gambled away all his money. Where would he get the funds to travel to the prefectural city to find his old "friends"? Looking at it this way, the person behind all these events must be Wang Laizi.

“That’s true. Wang Laizi is eating meat with gusto, while the three of you are just drinking soup. But to my opinion, there’s hardly any meat in this soup,” Song Ce said indifferently, tapping on the window in front of him.

The three people inside the dilapidated temple were startled upon hearing this. They all stood up, and the Indian man even drew a dagger from his waist and shouted, "Who's out there? Get over here right now!"

Abao and Alu, who were hiding outside, were also startled by what they saw. Abao exclaimed, "Has this person lost his mind?"

"Brother, don't worry." A Luo lowered his voice, his expression anxious and tense. "Just now, the young master specifically instructed us to take the opportunity to report to the authorities while he was dealing with those bandits. This matter cannot be delayed; we must set off immediately!"

Abao's expression hardened, and he quickly said, "Yes, you're right, let's hurry up and go!" After saying that, Abao and Alu bent over and hurriedly ran away along the path behind the dilapidated temple. Soon, they left the dense forest.

At this moment, the three people inside the house heard the voice and quickly pushed open the door to come out. Their eyes swept around the dilapidated temple and they saw only a lone boy standing outside the door, with no one else in sight.

Ah Da's previously anxious heart instantly relaxed, settling back into his stomach. Seeing this, Ah Er and Ah San, who were following closely behind, also relaxed their tense expressions, and even revealed a smug smirk on their faces.

"What? You skinny little brat? You haven't even grown your hair yet and you're already thinking of playing the hero and saving your sister?" Ah San laughed and mocked.

The three brothers had already scouted the Song family's place, so they naturally recognized the young man in front of them as the older brother of the girl they had abducted.

Ah Er was more cautious than Ah San, "How did you find your way here, kid?"

Song Ce didn't speak, but silently recited in his mind: "702, use the Floating Life Fruit on A'da."

“Yes, host.” 702 paused, then said, “The Floating Life Fruit has been used.”

"Okay, thank you." Song Ce smiled slightly, but did not respond to A'er's words. Instead, he closed his eyes and made a hand gesture towards A'da with a rather mystical air.

"Second brother, why are you wasting your breath on him? Look at his pretentious act! Let's tie this kid up. He's so fair and tender, maybe some nobleman with special tastes will take a liking to him at first glance, and we brothers will have an extra source of income." Ah San said sinisterly.

Just as Ah Er finished saying "okay," Ah Da, who had been looking down, suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Ah Er by the collar, and slammed him hard against the wall of the dilapidated temple.

The low wall of the dilapidated temple had been in disrepair for many years, and when Ah Er bumped into it, it collapsed, burying most of Ah Er's body underneath.

Witnessing this scene, Ah San was completely stunned. The dagger in his hand clattered to the ground. He took several steps back and shouted incredulously, "Big brother, what's wrong with you? This is Second Brother! Second Brother is our own brother!"

Ah Da ignored him and approached Ah San step by step with red eyes. Ah San panicked when he saw this and turned to run, but before he could take two steps, Ah Da kicked him to the ground.

“Tell me, do you think I, Ah Da, have brothers like you? Huh? For a few hundred taels of silver, you would do such a heinous thing! How old is that child we captured today? Poor thing, are your hearts made of iron?” Ah Da said painfully.

Ah Er, who had just struggled to climb out from under the wall, was speechless.

The trembling Indian crawled to the side of the ground, too scared to move: "..."

"Big...Big Brother!" Ah Er shouted, stretching out his hand, "What's wrong with you? Are you possessed?"

Upon hearing this, Ah Da lunged forward, grabbed Ah Er who had just crawled out of the ground, and lifted him up like a chick, swinging his arms wide and slapping him twice across the face.

Ah Er was seeing stars from the beating. He shouted angrily at Ah Da in disbelief, "Big brother! You actually hit me! From childhood to adulthood, no matter how hard or tiring things have been for us brothers, you have never laid a finger on me or Ah San. Today... you actually hit me so hard for a grass-girl who can be exchanged for money!"

"Grass-girl" was a derogatory term used by the three brothers to refer to young girls they sold.

After beating up Ah Er, Ah Da didn't let Ah San off the hook either. He grabbed Ah San by the collar and hit him hard twice, immediately causing blood to trickle from the corner of Ah San's mouth: "Big brother! Spare us! What did our brothers do to offend you?"

Upon hearing this, Ah Da's eyes reddened, and veins bulged on his forehead. He roared at the two men, "You still don't know your mistakes? Every single one of the filthy things we've done over the years has been utterly depraved! Look, the little girl we kidnapped today is only seven or eight years old. Have you all lost your conscience?" Ah Da became more and more agitated as he spoke, increasing the force of his blows, causing Ah San to howl in pain.

Seeing that his elder brother's strength was increasing, Ah Er looked at Song Ce, who was standing calmly to the side, with a face full of resentment and said angrily, "What kind of sorcery did you cast on my elder brother, you brat?" As he spoke, he bent down, picked up the half of a wooden stick on the ground, and swung it hard at Song Ce.

Song Ce glanced at Ah Er briefly before easily dodging to the side. Before he could react, Ah Da grabbed the wooden stick and slammed Ah Er to the ground, angrily shouting, "Why do you still harm innocent people! We've done enough bad things already!"

At this moment, while Ah Da was dealing with Ah Er, Ah San scrambled forward a few steps, then quickly picked up the dagger on the ground and shouted, "Big Brother! If you don't stop, don't blame me for not considering our brotherhood!"

Song Ce stood quietly to the side, watching the farce unfold between the three brothers with an expressionless expression. He knew in his heart that the current situation was all due to the effects of the Floating Life Fruit, but the fruit's effects were far stronger than he had originally expected.

He stopped paying attention to the three men and strode quickly toward the gate of the dilapidated temple.

Upon seeing Song Ce's actions, Ah Er immediately roared and rushed forward to stop him. However, he had only taken one step forward when Ah Da grabbed him and slammed him to the ground. Ah Er couldn't dodge in time, and with his mouth agape, he swallowed a mouthful of dust.

Song Ce didn't stop walking; he strode into the dilapidated temple and went straight to Song Yu's side. He knelt down and pulled his sister into his arms, carefully checking on her condition.

At this moment, Song Yu was clearly still under the influence of the drug; her breathing was steady and even, indicating that she was asleep. Song Ce gently and slowly pulled her into his arms, then turned and walked steadily toward the open wooden door of the dilapidated temple.

When Ah Da saw Song Ce carrying the little girl with a pained expression, he was filled with guilt and remorse. He sincerely said to Song Ce, "Young master, I am willing to go to the yamen to turn myself in and tell the magistrate all the heinous things I have done over the years, so that I may beg for God's forgiveness and redeem my sins."

After saying that, Ah Da actually followed behind Song Ce, looking like a simple and honest man who wanted to reflect on his mistakes and start anew.

Ah San exclaimed, "Big Brother!"

Ah Er, clutching his throbbing arm, staggered to his feet and, with a relentless roar, lunged at Song Ce, yelling, "I'm going to kill you, you evil fiend, today!"

Seeing this, Song Ce hurriedly took two steps back while holding Song Yu. When Ah Da saw that his brother was still so "stubborn" and "unrepentant", he directly picked up the stick he had just used and hit Ah Er on the back of the head. There was a dull thud, and Ah Er didn't even groan before he immediately fainted.

After witnessing this scene, Ah San let out a short "Ah!" and exclaimed in horror, "Big brother! What's wrong with you? Wake up! We can't just let this go! Let's deal with this weird kid together!"

As if only then noticing Ah San beside him, Ah Da slowly raised his head and said, "Third brother, we were wrong. Over the years, your eldest brother has led you to do too many wrong things. We can't make the same mistake again." Ah Da choked up as he spoke.

Ah San was furious when he heard this. He looked at Ah Da in disbelief: "Brother, what nonsense are you talking about? How are we brothers supposed to make a living if we don't do this?"

Ah Da's expression was firm, and he said with righteous indignation, "We can rely on our own hands. Even if it is hard, it is better than doing these immoral things."

After hearing what Ah Da said, Ah San's face turned pale and then red. He opened his mouth, clearly wanting to argue. But just then, a series of noisy footsteps came from not far away.

Song Ce felt relieved. He knew that these were the yamen runners that A Bao and A Luo had invited from the yamen, fulfilling their trust.

Ah San also heard the commotion, and his previously menacing expression instantly turned deathly pale. He stared intently in the direction from which the footsteps came, and saw a group of constables dressed in black and red striped clothes rushing towards them.

"Brother, don't be foolish! The county yamen runners are here! Let's run! It'll be too late if we don't leave now!" Ah San's voice trembled with panic as he reached out and grabbed Ah Da's arm, pleading urgently.

Upon hearing this, Ah Da shook off Ah San's hand and stood still. "Third brother, I'm not running away anymore. We've done too many bad things over the years. It's time to atone for the sins we've committed."

Just as the standoff was reaching its conclusion, the gang leader arrived with his men. His gaze swept over the chaotic scene inside the dilapidated temple, and his face suddenly darkened: "You audacious madmen! How dare you commit crimes in broad daylight! Surrender at once! Don't make things worse for yourselves!"

Upon hearing this, Ah San snorted angrily and turned to run. The squad leader was no pushover either; he wasn't going to let him escape so easily. Seeing this, he immediately shouted, "Where do you think you're going, you thief! Brothers! Attack!" With that, he quickly drew his waist knife, pushed off with his feet, and chased after Ah San in the direction he had fled.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the Indian man was brought back by two constables with his arms tied behind his back.

At this moment, a soft murmur rang out from Song Ce's arms.

Song Yu's eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. The moment she saw her brother, her eyes reddened, and she buried her face in Song Ce's arms, sobbing, "Brother... Brother, waaaah... Yu'er is scared."

"Don't be afraid, your brother is here," Song Ce gently rocked the little girl in his arms, comforting her.

Song Yu gripped her brother's shirt tightly with her small hands, and sobbed, "Yu'er knew that brother would come to save me."

"It's all my fault, brother, that Yu'er has suffered." Song Ce said gently.

"Yu'er...it's not your fault, it's all...the fault of these bad people," Song Yu said softly.

The foreman looked at the frightened little girl in the boy's arms, and then at the boy's eyes filled with concern for his sister. His expression softened. He couldn't help but think of his own petite and adorable little daughter, and how he felt the same heartache whenever she was wronged.

Thinking of this, the stern look in the squad leader's eyes softened a bit. He stepped forward, his hand on his waist knife, and said gently, "Young master, don't be afraid. With us here, these bad guys won't get away. Your sister was frightened today; I wonder if she's alright?"

Upon hearing this, Song Ce bowed slightly. "Thank you, Chief. My sister was just a little frightened, but she seems to be fine now. It's all thanks to you and the other constables who arrived in time; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Upon hearing this, the foreman's brow immediately relaxed. He simply waved his hand and said amiably, "This is just the duty of us constables."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the squad leader's gaze fell upon the unconscious Ah Er and the furious Ah San. He asked in a deep voice, "How dare you! In this peaceful and prosperous world, you dare to break into people's homes and kidnap innocent young girls! This is utterly lawless!"

"Your Honor, please allow me to report!" Ah Da knelt down with a thud, crawled forward on his knees, and explained to the squad leader in detail everything they had done over the years.

Upon hearing this, Ah San looked heartbroken and struggled to shout, "Big brother! Stop talking! You'll kill me and my second brother!" The head constable frowned and immediately ordered his constables to gag Ah San. Ah San was still unwilling to give up and struggled while making muffled noises.

The squad leader's anger intensified. He slammed his hand on the hilt of his knife and shouted, "Your wickedness is utterly unforgivable! Qi Chuan, Zhang Bai!"

"exist!"

"You two go and tie those three up! Tie them up tightly! Brothers! Let's work hard and quickly bring these three villains back to the yamen! To await the magistrate's judgment!"

"Yes, Chief Lu!"

After quickly explaining everything to the constables, Lu Bantou turned to Song Ce, his expression softening slightly: "Young master, now that this matter is clear, please come with us back to the yamen to make a detailed statement so that the magistrate can make a final judgment on these three villains."

Song Ce nodded in agreement, hugged Song Yu tightly, and followed behind Lu Bantou.

Throughout the journey, Song Yu clung tightly to Song Ce's arms. Every now and then, she would steal glances at A-Da, who was being held captive by the yamen runners, her eyes filled with unease. It seemed that A-Da's abduction of Song Yu had left a deep scar on the young girl.

Song Ce noticed his sister's emotions, reached out and gently stroked the top of her head, softly comforting her, "Yu'er, don't be afraid, it's all over now."

The group walked for nearly an hour before finally arriving at the entrance of the government office.

Song Ce intended to settle Song Yu in a side room first, but Song Yu clung to him tightly and wouldn't let go. Song Ce smiled reassuringly at her and simply carried her to the main hall. He cooperated with the clerk and secretary to take a statement, clearly recounting the entire process from discovering his sister's disappearance to seeking help from A Bao and A Luo to find the dilapidated temple, explaining every detail clearly.

After listening to Song Ce's account, the clerk stroked his beard and praised, "Young master, you are truly meticulous and exceptionally intelligent! You remember even the smallest details perfectly. If you weren't always thinking of your sister, how could you be so clear about everything?"

Song Ce smiled shyly and said rather humbly, "You flatter me. This matter concerns my younger sister's safety, so I naturally dare not overlook anything. I only hope to resolve this matter as soon as possible, then I will be at ease."

Before long, the clerk finished organizing the record and handed it to the clerk: "Clerk, the record is complete. Please take a look."

The clerk took the record, then glanced at the sky outside and said to Song Ce, "Young master, you've had a hard day. You and your sister should go home and rest. If anything goes wrong later, the yamen will send someone to your residence. Chief Lu."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Go, personally escort the young master and his sister back to the manor," the clerk instructed.

"yes!"

Upon hearing this, Song Ce quickly stood up and thanked everyone in the yamen before following Lu Bantou out of the yamen.

-----------------------

Author's Note: To help you all recall the mechanics of the Floating Life Fruit: It's a one-time-use item randomly obtained from the second quest, capable of eliminating evil thoughts, repenting for past mistakes, and instantly entering a self-purification mode for twelve hours.

There was a constant thumping sound from upstairs for over an hour; I must say, it was quite rhythmic. [Cracking face]