After bolting the door, Shelley returned to Wu Lai and asked in a low voice, "What should we do now?" She was nervous and happy at the same time, and her voice was trembling a little.

"Don't be anxious. Come, sit down first." Wu Lai said as he tied Cleo's hands and feet with her belt and sealed her mouth. He searched her body again and took the waist badge, money bag and other things into his arms. He turned around and said, "I'll help you unlock the shackles first."

"Okay." Shelley just nodded, and saw Wu Lai grinning at her, and suddenly a yellow object came out of his mouth.

Shelley was almost frightened and thought he was seeing things, but Wu Lai had already taken the thing down and was busy with it.

"Wu Lai, how did you get the key?" Shelley was surprised to find that this thing could open the shackles effortlessly.

"I ground it myself. I just finished it the night before yesterday." Wu Lai replied with a smile. Those gates could not be removed by force alone. If you want to pass through, you have to have a key. However, on the second day after Wu Lai "moved in" to the stone chamber, he guessed that the lock cores of these gates were exactly the same, and he confirmed this in the following days because he found that the guard used the same key to open the gates and the two stone chambers.

It's not that Wu Lai didn't have the opportunity to touch the key, he didn't choose to act rashly just because he didn't want to alert the enemy. Apart from the time-consuming and laborious process of grinding a copper buckle from the handcuffs and then grinding it into a key, obtaining the key shape of the gate and handcuffs was definitely a piece of cake for him.

The moment all the shackles were removed, Shelley managed to hold back the urge to cheer. She had suffered a lot over the years. If it weren't for Wu Lai's constant encouragement and her faith that always supported her, she would have been crushed by the suffering long ago.

Shelley hugged Wu Lai very simply. Although she knew very well that she was not out of danger yet, Wu Lai had already taken her the first step. The great joy and comfort made her want to cry. No, she had already cried.

Wu Lai gently embraced Shelley's frail body. He naturally understood Shelley's mood at the moment. Over the past few days, this woman who had been pampered since childhood had shown resilience and strength in the face of hardships, which made him look at her sideways and made him feel more pity for her.

"We are not safe yet, so we have to hurry up and continue." Wu Lai said in her ear, "We will definitely return to Assyria. Now you should take a short rest. Also, don't touch the food and wine on the table."

Shelley nodded.

…

In a large conference room in the municipal building of Salt Marsh Town, a group of Salt Marsh Town officials sat around the meeting, all of them with a bad look on their faces. In the early morning, several carriages knocked on the city gate. In the leading carriage sat the messenger of the Supreme Council and the first attendant of George, the governor of Lovington City...

After a long silence, Guru slowly raised his head, glanced at Ilett, Baker and others beside him, and said, "Everyone, Lord Wu Lai is just missing. Although his whereabouts are unknown, he entrusted Salt Marsh Town to us before he left. I personally think that unless it is confirmed that Lord Wu Lai has died, the number one person in Salt Marsh Town cannot be anyone else."

"Yes, I think so too." Baker slapped the table and stood up. "The Supreme Council and Lunvington are too disappointing. When Lord Wu Lai led us through hardships in Salt Marsh Town, they just sat back and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. Now that Salt Marsh Town is thriving, they have evil intentions. Lord Wu Lai is missing, they should have tried every possible way to find him. Why are they rushing to Salt Marsh Town to take Lord Wu Lai's position? How can they be sure that Lord Wu Lai will never come back?"

Ilet nodded and said, "Master Gulu, you have the deepest friendship with Master Wulai. In terms of contribution to the construction of Salt Marsh Town, apart from Master Wulai, it is you. Now, you make a decision and we will listen to you."

"I want to hear General Plancy's opinion." Gulu turned his gaze to Plancy. Plancy was from the Duncan family and had the largest number of troops in Saltmarsh Town. If he also agreed to resist the decision of the Supreme Council to replace the management of Saltmarsh Town, the possibility of success would undoubtedly be much greater.

Plansy stood up slowly, stretched vigorously, and said, "I'm sorry, I was a little 'overworked' last night and I'm tired. I'll take my leave and go back to the camp to catch up on some sleep. You can discuss whatever you want to discuss."

After saying that, Plancy waved his sleeves and strode towards the door.

"General Plancy, please tell me about your attitude." Baker was stunned and quickly chased after him and shouted.

"I don't have time. I still need to sleep." Plancy stopped and looked back. "But before I go back to the camp to sleep, I will tell the messenger of the Supreme Council and the aide-de-camp of Governor George to go back to where they came from."

A smile appeared on Guru's face, but Baker cheered out loud...

Plansy waved his hand with a smile, and walked out while muttering to himself: "Do we need to discuss these things? If it were me who made the decision, whoever comes next would be beaten, and we'll see if he dares to take the position."

"Now that we have reached a consensus, let's discuss how to word it." Guru didn't want to give Lunvington or the Supreme Council the impression that he had the upper hand in this matter. Although everyone was speaking the same language at the moment, there might be people who had private contact with the messenger in secret. Therefore, he had to spread the responsibility for this matter evenly so that Lunvington and the Supreme Council could understand Saltmarsh Town's determination.

Wu Lai, where are you? Guru couldn't help asking in his heart.

…

Cleo slowly opened her eyes, and then she saw Woolley's smiling face.

After the shock, Cleo struggled subconsciously, only to find that not only her hands and feet were tied tightly, but even her mouth was tightly blocked.

As she glanced around her again, she felt instantly filled with misery.

I was actually in a carriage? ! ! Cleo's heart sank. What she was experiencing now was exactly what she had done to Woolley and Shelley before.

"Oh, I thought you would sleep for a while." Wu Lai laughed, threw away the copper shackles in his hand, stretched out his arm, and tore off the cloth on Cleo's mouth.

"Oh my, your saliva has made the cloth so wet. Ugh, so disgusting." Wu Lai threw the cloth strip at his feet with a look of disgust.

"You..." Cleo subconsciously wanted to get angry, but she soon realized her situation. From the guard uniform Wu Lai was wearing, she could basically guess how Wu Lai and the other man escaped. And the fact that Wu Lai did not kill her immediately after escaping but continued to escape with her showed that Wu Lai felt she was still useful and valuable.

So, the best option now is to obey and not annoy Wu Lai.

"Shelley, are you tired?" Wu Lai asked in a raised voice. He had driven all night last night and most of the morning today before Shelley took over. However, it was already noon now and Shelley had suffered so much for so many days. Wu Lai was really worried that she couldn't take it.

"I'm not tired. You should take some time to rest." Shelley's voice came through the curtain.

"Okay, I'll take your place later." After Wu Lai said that, he glanced at Cleo and asked jokingly, "Huh? Why didn't you call for help?"

Cleo turned her face away and thought to herself, do you really take me for a fool?

"Hey, do you know why I don't kill you?" Wu Lai's question made Cleo couldn't help but turn her face away.

"You say." Cleo frowned.

"Guess first." Wu Lai said with a smile. After hesitating for a moment, Cleo decided to deal with it first: "Because keeping me as your hostage can help you get through the checkpoint?"

Woolley shook his head.

Cleo was startled and asked again: "Is it because I am Helen's..."

“No, no, no.” Wu Lai interrupted Cleo. “That’s enough. Your thinking is just blind guessing. Let me change the question. Do you think I hate you?”

"Hate." Cleo narrowed her eyes and tried to guess what Woolley meant.

"That's right." Wu Lai smiled slightly. "If you can tell me about your dealings with the Mondo family, maybe it will reduce my hatred for you. It will be good for you, I promise."

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"Okay." Cleo nodded and agreed, then told him the whole story in detail.

After listening to this, Wu Lai pondered for a long time, sighed softly, and said: "Gosmondo is blinded by jealousy."

"You're right." Cleo's heart moved, and she said, "General Woolley, Assyria will fall anyway, so why don't you stay here?"

"Stay? Didn't you say that your Emperor Helen issued an edict to execute me? Isn't that true?" Wu Lai asked with a frown.

"That's true." Cleo didn't dare to deny it, because if Wu Lai knew that she was the one who made the decision to kill him, even if she was not killed, she would definitely be tortured endlessly. "However, I can help you change your identity and become your friend. In that case, you can save your life and live a rich and stable life."

"Really?" Wu Lai smiled faintly, and his voice suddenly became a little cold. "Cleo, we are enemies. Not only did you kidnap Shelley and me, you also humiliated me and almost took my life. Most importantly, your actions opened a big gap in the Assyrian defense line. Countless Assyrians will suffer from war because of you. Do you think we can still be friends?"

"I can be your slave and let you do whatever you want." Cleo mustered up the courage to say this, because at that moment just now, she felt the murderous aura emanating from Wu Lai, and that terrifying aura frightened her.

"You think too much." Wu Lai smiled coldly.

"Woolley, there's a bridge at the left fork in the road ahead, and there's no one around," Shelley shouted.

"Got it." Wu Lai responded, glanced at Cleo's face, and punched out with his right fist like lightning...

…

After hesitating for a moment, Wu Lai pushed the carriage with the horses removed off the bridge. With a loud "bang", the carriage plunged heavily into the turbulent water more than thirty cubits away from the bridge, causing a large splash of water.

Cleo was still in the carriage. After she fainted, Woolley tied her to the carriage with ropes, so she was doomed to die.

"Shelley, do you think I'm too cruel?" Wu Lai asked after taking off his guard uniform and throwing it into the water while putting on the civilian robe he picked up along the way.

"No, she brought it upon herself, Wu Lai. I think that for someone like her, even if she died a hundred times, it would not be enough to wash away her sins." Shelley said as she changed her clothes.

"Now that you say that, I feel much better. Before today, I have never killed an unarmed person, especially a woman." Wu Lai said with a wry smile while tightening his belt.

"Bah, is she worthy of being a woman?" Shelley giggled and threw herself into Wu Lai's arms, "Someone like me is called a woman."

"Oh, well, my High Priest Shelley, you are the woman, the best and most beautiful woman." Wu Lai smiled and put his arms around Shelley's waist. "Remember, if you are questioned, you will be my mute wife."

"Okay." Shelley smiled and nodded, "Wooley, are we truly free now?"

"Of course, we can go home now." Wu Lai replied with a smile.

"Wow, that's great, but there's one thing I don't quite understand. Did we have to go this way last night? This is the opposite direction. If we go back now, it's a long way, and we only have one horse." Shelley asked.

"Little fool, when the enemy finds out that we have escaped, which direction do you think they will chase us in first?" Wu Lai asked with a smile.

Shelley rolled his eyes and wrinkled his nose like a child: "So that's how it is. Alas, I'm afraid I've been locked up stupid and can't even think of this."

Wu Lai laughed even more happily. "Let's go. We have to pass the last market town before dark. We need to get some food and clothes there, and then change this horse for an ox cart. I think someone will be happy to do this."

Shelley nodded and pouted softly: "But you have to kiss me first."

"As you wish." Wu Lai hugged Shelley tighter, "Finally, I can take you home..."