Chapter 5: Another Disappearance

In the span of a single cup of tea, the person had just vanished?

Xu Qi and Tan Jiuding hurried back to the main hall to find a servant lying on the ground inside and another outside. Shopkeeper Zhou was still trembling, caught between kneeling to beg for mercy and standing up in a state of agitation.

"My lords, I thought you would continue questioning Mingliu, so I had her locked in this hall under guard. Who would have thought that two masked men would break in, throw her over their shoulders, and abduct her!"

"Where are they!"

"They just fled!"

Tan Jiuding moved with incredible speed. With a single leap, he dashed out in the direction the boldest of the servants had chased.

The back door was wide open, its bolt shattered, but the culprits were long gone. The few servants who had gone out to search were like headless flies, wandering aimlessly in every direction, ultimately finding nothing.

The servants chattered in frustration, "How could they vanish like ghosts? Where could they have gone?" "I just saw them enter the alley!" "Do they have wings? There’s no one here!"

Tan Jiuding reached the mouth of the alley and scanned his surroundings. His gaze eventually settled on the inland canal, where boats were constantly passing by, and he fell into deep thought.

Xu Qi, gasping for breath, finally caught up. Before she could even steady herself, she asked, "Where did they go?"

Tan Jiuding shook his head.

This was an outcome no one wanted to see. It was truly bizarre—to break into a private residence in broad daylight, abduct a woman, and then vanish the moment they stepped outside. Could this be how Zhiwei was also taken?

Panting heavily and burning with anxiety, Xu Qi stared at the porters working on the boats and docks, asking, "Did any of you see two masked men passing by with a woman just now?"

The porters paused their work, glancing at each other, all claiming they were too busy with their chores to notice. It made sense; the alley in front of the Wei Dao Temple was filled with weavers, and shipments of silk and embroidery were frequent. With the autumn harvest season making the canal docks even busier, if the villains had disguised themselves, finding them would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Let's go," Tan Jiuding urged her to return to the Zhou residence.

"Something isn't right. They shouldn't have disappeared so quickly while carrying a grown person; they must have had a boat for transport," Xu Qi muttered as they walked, feeling deeply unsatisfied. "They used a boat when they tried to snatch the bride yesterday. Could they have used one again today? Were those porters lying?"

Seeing Tan Jiuding remain silent, she couldn't help but tug on his sleeve, trying to hold him back. "Why don't you go back and question them again? You might learn something!"

Tan Jiuding grabbed her wrist instead, forcing her to follow him back. "Keep your voice down. We won't get any answers if we go back now. Even if they are lying, they won't admit it without proof. And... you have to consider why they would lie. Could all those people be in league with the thieves?"

"Of course not! If they were accomplices, they would have run away by now; there would be no reason to stay and wait for us to question them."

"Exactly. And if they aren't accomplices, why would they cover for the thieves?"

Xu Qi suddenly realized. "You mean the thieves have a status that makes them untouchable? The others are too afraid to speak out?"

Tan Jiuding neither confirmed nor denied this. "Whether or not the thieves used the canal to abduct Mingliu, this matter is not as simple as it appears. Let's return and discuss it later."

Just in case, Tan Jiuding had Shopkeeper Zhou report the incident to the authorities, prompting local constables to search every house in the alley. As expected, given the heavy traffic, there were no clues.

She had vanished into thin air, just like Zhou Zhiwei had.

"They pounced on me and choked me from behind; I blacked out instantly!" The servant who had woken up bent his elbow to demonstrate. "They were so fast! They must be seasoned pros!" The other servant echoed this, saying he had been taken down the same way.

It was completely different from what Mingliu had described. Several other witnesses described seeing two men carrying Mingliu away, noting their height and build. But because they were masked, their faces were obscured, which was far from enough for the magistrate to issue a wanted notice.

Tan Jiuding did not reveal his identity to the officials, standing quietly to the side like an observer. However, he was still too conspicuous—mostly because he didn't look like a "good" person—which drew the attention of the constables.

"Hey, who are you in the Zhou household?"

Shopkeeper Zhou, sensing the hostility, quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Uh, officers, this gentleman is..."

"I am a guard for the Xu family, responsible for the young lady's safety. If you gentlemen have any questions, you may verify this at the Xu residence."

Tan Jiuding’s ability to weave a lie was as effortless as blinking. Coupled with his intimidating appearance, he truly looked like a vicious servant throwing his weight around for his masters.

The ancestral home of the Left Vice Minister of the Censorate was not a place to be trifled with, and its people were naturally off-limits. The constable immediately put on a smile and bowed to Xu Qi. "Since you are a retainer of the Third Miss of the Xu family, there are naturally no questions. I was just doing my duty and spoke too much. My apologies, my apologies."

Xu Qi looked at Tan Jiuding, then waved her hand at the officials, saying, "Please, everyone, continue your search carefully. If you have any news, be sure to send word to the Xu residence. We will not treat you unfairly."

"Yes, yes." It was a lucrative job, but only if there was "news."

The officials questioned everyone at the Zhou residence in detail. Knowing that no further progress could be made for the moment, Xu Qi exchanged a look with Tan Jiuding, and they left the Zhou residence.

On the way back, they did not take a boat.

"They could have just killed Mingliu to silence her, but they went to the trouble of abducting her. Does that mean Mingliu is one of them?"

Tan Jiuding scoffed. "You girls are so ruthless with your words. Killing isn't easy. Perhaps they simply didn't want to kill her?"

"After abducting so many innocent people, would they fear taking one more life?" Xu Qi thought for a moment and said, "By the way, I’ve been thinking. Who would have the capability to make the porters afraid to speak, and who is so skilled with boats? Could it be the Luo Sect boat gang..."

"Hush."

Tan Jiuding cut her off. He scanned the passersby and whispered, "Keep your voice down. Come with me."

Seeing him grab her wrist again, Xu Qi had no choice but to follow him into a dark alley.

As soon as they entered, she lost her balance, stumbled, and fell into the man's chest. His chest was as hard as stone, and the impact hurt. Wrapped in the sharp scent of pine resin, her face and ears flushed red.

"Hey, you..." She hadn't protested when he grabbed her hand earlier, but was he now taking liberties?

Just as she opened her mouth, his rough, calloused hand covered it.

The next second, a small, thin head peeked into the mouth of the alley. Tan Jiuding reached out with a long arm, grabbed the person by the back of the collar, threw them into the alley, and pinned them to the ground with his foot.

"Ouch! It hurts! Grandfather, spare my life! Grandfather, have mercy!"

Xu Qi thought it was one of the villains, but when she looked closer, she saw the figure on the ground was as thin as a weaving shuttle—it was clearly just a child.

Yet Tan Jiuding didn't underestimate him. He kept his foot pressed down, leaned his elbow on his knee, and asked with a cold smirk, "You’ve been following us since we left the Zhou residence, skulking about. What is it you want?"

The boy seemed unable to breathe, yet he dared not resist. His limbs flailed like a turtle flipped on its back. "Grandfather, Grandmother, are you looking for Sister Mingliu? I know, I know where she is!"