Trapped
Zhu Qinghe knew that Lord Chen would not give up. She was initially worried, but when she saw Lord Chen's face, which was as dark as the bottom of a pot, she breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that Shen Wumei did not fall for his trick.
"I underestimated you." Lord Chen stood with his hands behind his back at the prison gate. Two thugs went in and grabbed Zhu Qinghe.
"Where are you taking me?" Zhu Qinghe asked loudly, but no one answered her.
Swift Wind Cliff.
Shen Wumei suddenly stopped in his tracks, and Kui Ge turned to him and asked, "What's wrong?"
Shen Wumei's gaze swept over the towering peak, where a flock of dark crows fluttered overhead, bringing with them a sinister and ominous aura.
For some reason, he had a very strong bad feeling.
It's true what they say, "One is influenced by one's company." He shook his head, trying to shake off the superstitious thoughts in his mind, and said, "Let's keep going."
Their mission was to find Miao Miao's whereabouts. These days, Shen Wumei had been busy, digging up all of Lord Chen's affairs over the past few years.
In addition to a pile of evidence of corruption, he made an unexpected discovery.
This Lord Chen is no ordinary minister; he's been secretly in contact with foreigners. If the letters that could serve as evidence hadn't disappeared, it wouldn't be impossible to charge him with treason.
However, Shen Wumei also found the secret location where Lord Chen contacted the foreigners, and he felt that Miao Miao was very likely being held there by them.
Kui didn't know much about these things, but when he heard that Miao Miao might be there, he couldn't stay still for a moment and insisted on coming over.
Mo Wu was left at the blacksmith shop to provide backup, while the two of them went to Xunfeng Cliff.
Xunfeng Cliff is the boundary line of Licheng. This cliff stretches majestically, separating Licheng from foreign lands. The two sides have always kept to themselves.
Beside the cliff is a stream, and there are houses along the stream. The houses are sparse and open, and you can hardly find them if you are not paying attention. It can be said that this is an undeveloped area. The government is too lazy to care if houses are built in such a place.
It takes a lot of courage to live here. Normal people wouldn't choose to live in such a little-known place, as it's neither safe nor convenient.
If Lord Chen really captured Miao Miao to refine "infant spirits," then this place is indeed a very suitable location.
As the two approached a bamboo hut, they heard a woman screaming in despair from inside: "Stop forcing me!"
Kui's expression tightened. "It's Miao Miao's voice." He then rushed over.
Shen Wumei: "..."
One after another, how come he always ends up with such irrational people?
Brother Kui truly lived up to his blacksmithing background, easily knocking several men who pounced on him to the ground. Shen Wumei, following behind him, was spared a lot of trouble.
When Brother Kui entered the house, he immediately saw the girl sitting on the ground with tears streaming down her face. The familiar face was none other than Miao Miao.
Miao Miao was also shocked. After a moment of stunned silence, she called out, "Brother Kui, what are you doing here?"
When Brother Kui saw his sweetheart, he was so focused on the present that he forgot everything else. One of the thugs that Brother Kui had previously knocked to the ground sneakily raised a stick and was about to smash it down on the back of Brother Kui's head.
Shen Wumei kicked the man from behind, sending him to rest in the corner.
Shen Wumei leaned against the door frame and glanced around the room. There weren't many people in the room to begin with, and the food was casually placed on the table, untouched.
It is worth noting that next to the Miao girl was a white porcelain bowl, inside which was a dried red stain.
It looks like blood.
So the refining of that "infant spirit" actually requires fresh blood? Shen Wumei pondered for a while, but to no avail.
As expected, Zhu Qinghe is more professional in this kind of matter.
After all, he was the renowned "Master Sai Banxian" in the martial arts world.
Kui helped Miao Miao up from the ground. Miao Miao didn't look well, and her braids hanging down her back were messy. Her clothes were also different from the flowing, fairy-like dresses worn by ordinary girls.
She wore a pinkish-purple short jacket and a black ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and a silver choker with intricate patterns around her neck, giving her a somewhat exotic look.
"Are you Miao Miao?" Shen Wumei asked.
Miao Miao glanced at Brother Kui hesitantly, "And who is this?"
Kui Ge's tone was unusually gentle: "Miao Miao, don't be afraid. This is Lord Shen. He is a high-ranking official and will stand up for us."
"Don't worry, tell me who harmed you."
Miao Miao lowered her head in fear: "No, I can't say. You can't beat him. You should leave quickly."
She pushed Kui, trying to get him away from there quickly. But with her limited strength, Kui was no match for her.
"Miaomiao, what's wrong? I'm standing here now, no one can hurt you anymore." Brother Kui frowned, not understanding why Miaomiao would say such a thing.
Who exactly is this person that she fears so much?
Shen Wumei calmly concluded, "Are they your people?"
Miao Miao shuddered but didn't say anything.
Shen Wumei had long suspected this. Logically speaking, Minister Chen, a high-ranking official, should have absolutely nothing to do with such insidious techniques as "infant spirits." How could he possibly think of using this method to resurrect his own son?
Even assuming he was truly delirious due to his son's death and believed the story, how did he know Miao Miao's identity?
Even Kui, who was closest to her, only had a vague understanding of Miao Miao's identity, so how could Minister Chen, who held a high position in the imperial court, know about it?
Therefore, there is only one explanation: Minister Chen knew about this all along, because he is a member of the Miao Miao clan.
It was precisely because of this relationship that he was able to successfully trick Miaomiao into coming out.
Poor Miaomiao thought she had found a close relative, but she never expected to fall into his trap.
After Shen Wumei finished explaining all her guesses, there was a moment of silence, followed by a burst of applause.
Minister Chen took off his official robes and wore the same clothes as Miao Miao: a silver-gray short jacket and black wide-legged trousers, with a silver headband that coiled around his head like a serpent.
At this moment, he was no longer the refined and scholarly civil official he once was, but had completely reclaimed his identity as a foreigner.
"Lord Shen, it's nice to see you again. I must say, your guess was brilliant and accurate. It seems that the capital city is indeed full of talented people."
Shen Wumei's eyes were cold; she didn't want to pay him any attention.
Minister Chen, however, was completely unfazed by his coldness. His eyes were twisted with malice: "So what? None of you will leave here today."
"My son's resurrection depends on you."
Miao Miao suddenly shouted, "Uncle, don't be so stubborn! The concept of infant spirits is just a gimmick. People can't come back to life after they die."
"Shut up!" Minister Chen's eyes were sinister. "Miao Miao! Your uncle has treated you well, hasn't he? Back then, you said you didn't want to stay in the clan and wanted to see the outside world, so I let you go."
"But what about you? You've become so engrossed in love that you've neglected your cultivation. Even when your uncle just wants you to do a small favor, you refuse."
Miao Miao shook her head: "Uncle, it's not that I don't want to help you, but the Infant Spirit technique is truly forbidden, and anyone who uses it never has a good ending."
This is a forbidden technique within the clan.
"So what?" Minister Chen said dismissively. "Whether I participate or not, I don't care at all."
"I just want to save Ah Kun."
Shen Wumei coldly observed Minister Chen's crazed expression and suddenly asked, "You should know how Chen Shikun died, right?"
"Of course I know." Minister Chen glared at him. "You've protected the murderer who killed my son, letting him die unjustly!"
Shen Wumei sneered: "It's clearly Chen Shikun's own fault. Look at how Linglong died back then, and those women who committed suicide after being humiliated by him."
"Your son deserved to die!"
Minister Chen stared at him intently, as if he were about to pounce on him and bite him to death at any moment.
Shen Wumei, however, remained calm as she uttered provocative words: "Chen Shikun's death is ultimately due to your failure to properly raise your son. If you had disciplined him properly, he would not have ended up like this."
Minister Chen's chest heaved up and down. After a while, he seemed to have thought of something and slowly calmed down.
"Say what you will, you are all in my hands now, and none of you will escape."
Minister Chen nodded slightly: "Oh, by the way, didn't you like that fortune teller? I brought her to keep you company."
Shen Wumei suddenly looked up, and Minister Chen called out towards the door, "Bring her in."
Zhu Qinghe was brought in and immediately saw Shen Wumei at the door.
The two looked at each other for a while, and seeing the worry and anxiety in Shen Wumei's eyes, Zhu Qinghe slowly revealed a reassuring smile.
—I'm fine.
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