Chapter 32
The carriage sped through the night, its wheels rumbling rapidly over the cobblestones.
Lu Jinxian's face was ashen, and his hands, resting on his knees, clenched unconsciously until his knuckles turned white.
The composure and calmness that one usually maintains vanishes completely when family members are in danger.
Han Meng sat opposite him and could clearly feel the tension and worry emanating from him.
She didn't make a sound to disturb them, but silently handed over a small bottle of stimulating oil that she always carried with her.
Lu Jinxian paused for a moment, then took the medicated oil. His fingertips briefly touched hers; it was slightly cool. He whispered, "Thank you."
"Baozhu will be alright," Han Meng comforted softly, her tone carrying a tenderness she herself was unaware of.
Lu Jinxian looked up at her. In the darkness, his eyes appeared exceptionally deep, filled with gratitude, worry, and a sense of being moved by her unwavering support in his time of crisis.
"Mmm," he responded, his voice hoarse.
When they arrived at the Lu family's residence, the house was brightly lit and in complete chaos.
Lu Wen's face was ashen as he paced back and forth in the hall, while the eldest and second eldest sons of the Lu family also looked anxious.
"What's going on? Don't you have any clues at all?" Lu Jinxian stepped forward quickly, his tone urgent.
The eldest son of the Lu family shook his head: "I asked several classmates who went out with her, and they all said that she was still there when they were watching the street performances, but she disappeared in the blink of an eye. We have sent out everyone we can to look for her, and we have also reported the case to the police station, but we still haven't heard anything."
Lu Wen slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Someone must have done this on purpose! If I find out who dared to touch my daughter..." His eyes were filled with murderous intent, revealing the fierce aura of a martial artist.
Han Meng stood aside, watching the chaotic scene, her heart filled with worry.
She forced herself to calm down and think carefully.
It's unlikely that Lu Baozhu, a girl of about ten years old, would have a life-or-death feud with anyone.
If it were a kidnapping for ransom, the kidnappers should have sent a message by now; if not…
She suddenly remembered the Wang family and Shen Jianhe.
The Wang family harbors resentment towards her and the Han family because their business deal fell through, and Shen Jianhe... probably still has lingering anger towards her because of Chen Miaoyin's matter.
Will they take their anger out on the Lu family, who are close to her? Especially Lu Baozhu, who is young and easy to target.
She whispered her guess to Lu Jinxian.
Lu Jinxian's eyes sharpened, and he immediately said to his father and brothers, "Father, eldest brother, second brother, perhaps we can start by investigating those who have old grudges with our Lu family, or... with the Han family. We need to pay close attention to the Wang family, or Shen Jianhe's side."
Upon hearing this, Lu Wen and the Lu brothers' eyes sharpened.
Lu Wen immediately gave the order to send more people to keep an eye on the movements of these families.
Time passed second by second, and every moment was agonizing.
Lu Jinxian couldn't sit still and decided to personally lead a team to search for them.
Han Meng replied without hesitation, "I'll go with you."
"It's dangerous outside..." Lu Jinxian wanted to refuse.
“The more people there are, the more strength we have. I’m quite familiar with the streets and alleys of the city.” Han Meng’s attitude was firm. “Besides, if they’re really after me or the Han family, I should go even more.”
Seeing the determination in her eyes, Lu Jinxian knew that it was useless to dissuade her, so he finally nodded: "Okay, stick close to me."
As night deepened, Lu Jinxian and Han Meng, along with several of Lu family's trusted subordinates, moved through the quiet streets and alleys.
Lu Jinxian, abandoning his usual lazy and indifferent demeanor, led the Lu family servants to investigate, and soon obtained some fragmented clues from some low-level informants:
In the afternoon, some people saw several unfamiliar men coaxing a well-dressed young girl towards the abandoned dock warehouse in the west of the city.
Abandoned docks in the west of the city!
The place is a melting pot of all sorts of people, desolate and deserted, truly a perfect spot for shady dealings.
The group immediately headed to the west of the city.
The closer you get to the dock, the more desolate and dark the surroundings become, with only the mournful sounds of the wind and water.
The air was filled with a damp, musty smell and a salty, fishy odor.
Near a warehouse area filled with old wooden crates, they discovered suspicious footprints. Lu Jinxian signaled everyone to spread out and search, while remaining vigilant.
Han Meng followed closely beside him, her heart pounding. She was both nervous and scared, but looking at Lu Jinxian's calm and resolute profile, she felt a strange sense of peace.
Suddenly, a faint whimpering sound came from an abandoned warehouse nearby!
Lu Jinxian's eyes sharpened, and he gestured for his men to surround the warehouse, while he and Han Meng quietly approached the warehouse door.
The door was ajar, and a faint light shone from inside.
Peeking through the crack in the door, I could see Lu Baozhu tied to a chair, her mouth gagged with a strip of cloth, her small face streaked with tears and filled with fear. Three burly men stood beside her, pacing impatiently.
"Damn it, didn't we agree that we'd release them once we got the money? Why haven't we heard anything yet?" a man cursed.
"Wait a little longer. The Lu family only has one precious daughter. They're not afraid they won't bleed money!" another scoffed.
"I don't think so. The Lu family's sons are no pushovers, and there's that sickly third son of theirs. I heard he's been getting involved with the Han family lately, and it's really weird..."
At that moment, Lu Jinxian no longer hesitated and kicked open the warehouse door!
"Who goes there?!" The three kidnappers were startled and immediately grabbed the sticks next to them.
"Release her!" Lu Jinxian's voice was icy, his eyes like knives, and the aura emanating from him made even the desperate criminals feel suffocated.
"Third Brother!" When Lu Baozhu saw Lu Jinxian, her tears flowed even more fiercely, and she struggled desperately.
"Go! Cripple them!" The kidnapper leader reacted, grinning maliciously as he charged forward, swinging his club.
Lu Jinxian pushed Han Meng behind him and shouted, "Hide well!" Then he went to meet her.
His movements were swift and ruthless, unlike someone who was weak and sickly. His moves even faintly carried the shadow of the Lu family's martial arts, only more unpredictable and focused on attacking vital points. He had clearly been trained in actual combat!
Han Meng, hiding behind the box, watched with trepidation, yet couldn't help but be amazed by Lu Jinxian's skills. He had indeed been faking it all along!
However, one man can't fight against four. While Lu Jinxian was dealing with the other two, one of the kidnappers quietly went behind him and smashed a stick into the back of his head!
"Watch out!" Without thinking, Han Meng grabbed a piece of broken wood from the ground and threw it forcefully at the kidnapper who was attacking him!
Her aim wasn't great; the splinter grazed the kidnapper's shoulder, but that was enough of a distraction!
Lu Jinxian sensed the danger behind him and quickly dodged to the side, the stick grazing his arm as it fell with a dull thud.
Lu Jinxian grunted, but his eyes became even more ferocious. He grabbed the kidnapper's wrist with his other hand, twisted it hard, and with a cracking sound of bones dislocating and the kidnapper's scream, he took the stick from his hand.
At this moment, Lu's men rushed in and quickly subdued the other two kidnappers.
The battle ended quickly.
Lu Jinxian rushed to Lu Baozhu's side immediately, untied the ropes binding her, removed the gag from her mouth, and held her tightly in his arms, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "Baozhu, it's alright, Third Brother is here, it's alright..."
"Third Brother! Waaah..." Lu Baozhu burst into tears, hugging his neck tightly.
Seeing this scene, Han Meng's heart finally settled down, her legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground.
The terrifying scene was still replaying in her mind, especially the blow Lu Jinxian received...
She rushed over and asked worriedly, "Your arm..."
Lu Jinxian raised his head, his face still bearing the lingering anger, but when he saw Han Meng's pale face and concerned eyes, that anger quickly dissipated.
"I'm fine." His voice was a little hoarse, his gaze fixed on her, his eyes churning with a torrent of emotions.
He felt lingering fear, gratitude, and an overwhelming surge of emotions that he could no longer suppress. "Thank you... for earlier."
If it weren't for her timely intervention, he probably...
Han Meng felt flustered and her cheeks flushed under his gaze. She subconsciously avoided his eyes and whispered, "N-nothing, I'm just glad you're alright."
Just then, the subdued kidnapper leader suddenly grinned maliciously: "Young Master Lu, hehe, you think this is the end of it? Someone has offered a high price to not only teach your Lu family a lesson, but also ruin that girl from the Han family! You just wait!"
Lu Jinxian and Han Meng's expressions changed simultaneously!
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