Chapter 6: The Dead Do Not Speak

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Xu Qi exchanged a glance with Tan Jiuding, then pushed his chest lightly before he finally released his embrace and withdrew his foot.

The youth rubbed his chest and scrambled up cautiously, carefully observing their expressions. “Just now, I saw that Grandpa and Grandma asked about Uncle, Uncle Mingliu’s whereabouts. I couldn’t get a word in, so I had to use this method to find an opportunity…”

From his words, it was clear to Xu Qi and Tan Jiuding that the servants had indeed seen something but, for some reason, were unwilling to speak.

“If they won’t talk, why would you?”

“Grandma and the young mistress of the Zhou family are kind to me, providing for my needs. Sister Mingliu is also good to me. I want to help them…”

The youth noticed Xu Qi staring at the torn hole on his shirt and grew a bit uneasy, nervously rubbing his pants leg. “I, I can take you two there.”

With that, he turned and started walking. “It’s not far. Grandpa, Grandma, this way.”

Xu Qi took a step forward but was suddenly pulled back and stumbled. Turning around, she met Tan Jiuding’s cold gaze as he said, “You go home first. I’ll go and take a look.”

Xu Qi guessed he was worried she might endanger herself and hold them back. She withdrew her arm and said with a cold expression, “Impossible. Maybe Zhiwei is there too. I have to go.” The man clicked his tongue but she had no time to look back; afraid of losing the youth, she hurried forward.

Tan Jiuding caught up in two strides and whispered, “Aren’t you afraid it’s a trap?”

“Even if it’s a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair, I’ll go.”

“Hmph, still a stubborn bull,” Tan Jiuding muttered but didn’t stop her. Instead, he warned, “Don’t leave my side.”

Xu Qi glanced at him. His jaw was firm and sharp, radiating a stubborn spirit that made her feel, perhaps in terms of obstinacy, they were evenly matched. At this moment, that was somewhat reassuring.

“Alright.”

Following the youth’s winding path, they arrived at a place that looked like a small temple. Xu Qi recognized it; this alley housed a mixed-use hall, frequented by all kinds of people, so the alley was called Mixed Hall Alley.

There was no signboard or name outside.

Such small temples and halls were common inside and outside Suzhou City, often donated by some scholarly family or wealthy merchant. They appeared and disappeared frequently.

This one seemed old, with moss on the tiles and ferns on the walls. Stepping inside, it was empty and deserted. If not for the faint incense lingering before a clay statue of an unknown Bodhisattva on the altar, Xu Qi would have thought it long abandoned.

Yet the youth did not stop but led them through the hall and opened an inconspicuous back door.

Unexpectedly, beyond was another world — connected to some household’s courtyard wall, ultimately leading to a small courtyard of a residential house.

The courtyard was tiny and somewhat cluttered but had a liveliness the temple lacked. In one corner lay a rope-making wheel, with half a hemp rope hanging, ungreased.

From the side room came the sound of a woman crying. The youth dashed straight ahead and pushed open the door.

Inside, someone whispered, “Zhuangsheng? Why are you here? Did Brother Zhao Qing send you?” The voice was unmistakably that of Mingliu, who had been abducted!

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“Sister Liu, Zhao Qing treats you badly. I’ve come to rescue you! Hurry and leave!”

“What nonsense are you spouting? If Brother Zhao Qing hears you, you’ll… Ah!”

Without hesitation, Tan Jiuding and Xu Qi burst inside, startling the person sitting on the closed wooden bench.

Mingliu’s face turned pale as she rolled to the ground and knelt, repeatedly kowtowing to them. “Please spare me! Please spare me! Your servant, your servant…” Even the youth called Zhuangsheng knelt down in fear.

“You put on quite a show,” Tan Jiuding said softly, relaxing since only Mingliu was inside. “You helped your accomplices spirit Miss Zhou away, then pretended to be a victim yourself, letting your comrades kidnap you again just to evade our investigation?”

Compared with the man’s cold sarcasm, Xu Qi was far less composed. The anger long restrained erupted like a thunderclap in her mind, exploding fiercely!

“Smack!”

She took a swift step forward and delivered a solid slap, teeth clenched as she demanded, “How dare you… How could you do this to her? She treated you like a sister… You! You tell me, where is she? Where is she?”

Mingliu’s already chapped face bore a red mark from the slap. She collapsed to the ground trembling with Xu Qi’s furious voice.

“Speak! Where did you take Zhiwei?”

Frustrated that Mingliu only wept without answering, Xu Qi was about to pounce and interrogate her fiercely when a man’s iron-like arms locked around her waist.

Zhuangsheng rushed forward and stretched out an arm, barely thicker than a bamboo pole, to block the middle, begging, “Mistress, please calm down! Sister Mingliu has her reasons! If you want to hit, hit me instead!”

Xu Qi did not spare him. The moment Tan Jiuding lifted her back, she kicked the youth’s chest and abdomen. Had she not been held, she might have beaten Zhuangsheng senseless too. Those who aid and abet are equally guilty.

“Calm down. She has accomplices. Don’t alert them.”

Panting and exchanging breaths, Xu Qi finally heeded her companion’s advice, grit her molars, and held back. “…You’re right. This isn’t a place to linger. We’ll take her away first… The thieves staged this play, which means she still has value. We’re not afraid we can’t get information from her.”

If the kidnappers returned and found Mingliu gone, they would be on high alert or flee. But without knowing their true strength, both Xu Qi and Tan Jiuding knew that only the two of them remaining here would be more dangerous. Choosing the lesser evil, retreat was the best.

Tan Jiuding patted her shoulder for reassurance and was about to move when suddenly noises came from outside — someone had entered the courtyard!

He swiftly covered two mouths that might make noise, warning with his eyes. Xu Qi held her breath and slowly retreated to the window, peeking through the drafty gap.

Outside, the figure matched the description of a Zhou family servant: tall and upright, nearly as tall as Tan Jiuding, wearing a blue cloth shirt and pants with sleeves rolled up despite the late autumn chill. The exposed forearms were dark and muscular — clearly a trained fighter.

Seeing a rough wooden stool at his feet, Xu Qi’s fury overwhelmed her fear. She raised it high, standing pressed against the wall behind the door, waiting for him to come closer.

*Creak—*

“Scoundrel!”

At the right moment, she slammed the stool onto the man’s back with a thud! But the man was sturdy, and her strength was insufficient to knock him out. He snapped awake, spotted a woman, and reached out fiercely to grab Xu Qi!

His fingers barely touched her clothes when a sudden kick struck his jaw, sending him crashing down, dizzy and disoriented.

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Only to see one pair of short leather boots multiply into two, then four, all standing firmly before him and then slowly squatting down.

“Brother!” Mingliu screamed, crawling toward them frantically, but a cold blade pressed to the man’s neck terrified her into retreat, afraid to move lest she provoke Tan Jiuding and endanger the man called Zhao Qing.

“What do you want?”

“Playing dumb? Wasn’t the withered lotus your welcoming gift to us?”

“Bah! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Zhao Qing felt his limbs being bound by the woman who had just hit him, unable to move, relying on words to resist. “Let me go! You wretched woman! Ugh!” Suddenly, the cold blade at his neck pierced through his molars, pinning the root of his tongue.

“Watch your words,” the knife-wielder sneered, flicking the handle. The sharp blade trembled threateningly inside his mouth. “While I’m still courteous.”

Xu Qi tied his hands and feet tightly with strong ropes, sweat pouring down her face. She had no time to wipe it away and demanded, “Where did you take Zhou Zhiwei? Speak quickly!”

The man in blue clenched the knife between his teeth, slurring his words but with an extremely arrogant attitude. “Hmph, who you’re talking about, I don’t know. If you have the guts, cut out my tongue. I won’t utter a word.”

Tan Jiuding laughed coldly. “I’m not in a hurry to cut your tongue. It’s barely two taels of flesh. Teeth are more interesting — string them into a necklace, wear it perhaps. I’ll pull them out one by one; it won’t stop you from talking, right?”

“She’s Zhiwei’s personal maid. You don’t know who Zhiwei is?”

Xu Qi drew a small crossbow from her sleeve, loaded an arrow, and aimed alternately at Mingliu and Zhao Qing. Her eyes seemed to want to tear them apart. “My arrows may be small, but they’re coated with deadly poison. You two — only one mouth gets to stay open. Choose.”

What a pair of villainous faces — it was hard to tell which was more vicious.

Zhao Qing gritted his teeth. “You can’t kill people at will!”

“Hahaha,” Tan Jiuding laughed loudly. “Guess if I have the authority to execute summarily?”

“Corrupt official!”

“Oh? No more pretending not to know me now?” Tan Jiuding’s face turned cold, voice low and stern. “Tell me, where is Zhou Zhiwei now?”

Zhao Qing sneered contemptuously. “You’re late. I’m only responsible for bringing her out. As for what happens next… ugh!”

*Pfft* — a sharp whistling sound as something pierced his flesh. He twitched violently, eyes wide open, then went still.