Chapter 37: Plundering Wealth
Chapter 37: Plundering Wealth
Nine Streets, North Street.
This area, located in the northernmost part of Nine Streets, might not be as bustling as the central streets, but it is closer to the Inner City, making it a residence for the wealthy and influential.
As night falls, walking along this spacious North Street, one can see grand mansions on both sides, some with lights shining through the darkness, creating a stark contrast with the impoverished neighborhoods nearby, as if they were two different worlds.
The road is smooth, paved with clean blue stones, and the walls of the mansions are pristine.
Inside one of the grand mansions.
Several burly men are gathered, and one of them holds a sack, which wriggles constantly, suggesting a live creature within. He effortlessly carries it with one hand, making his way to the inner yard and knocking on the door.
The door opens, and a young master, dressed in silk and satin, stands there, appearing to be in his twenties or thirties. He asks nonchalantly, "Have you brought it?"
"Yes, sir."
The burly man smiles, revealing his teeth, and sets the sack on the ground, then opens it.
What emerges is not a wild animal like a boar but a terrified-looking girl, around thirteen or fourteen years old. Her clothes are tattered and patched, clearly from a commoner's home. Her skin has a yellowish hue, and while she isn't exceptionally beautiful, in these times, such a girl from a peasant family is rare.
"Hmm, not bad. Better-looking than the last one."
Wei Lun forcefully grips the girl's chin, examining her with a scrutinizing gaze, then releases her. His tone suggests satisfaction as he nods.
The burly men laugh, "We've been searching for quite some time. Those peasants just can't raise any decent goods."
"Good work. I'll remember this."
Wei Lun chuckles, "After I'm done, I'll let you have her. But be gentle; if you kill her like last time, we won't be able to sell her to the East City for money. I'll have to deduct it from your monthly salary!"
"Yes, yes, we'll be careful this time."
The burly men laugh, each rubbing their hands, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The bound and gagged girl, hearing the conversation between Wei Lun and his men, looks on with terror, her eyes gradually filling with despair.
Wei Lun grabs the rope around the girl and pulls her up, dragging her into the house. She struggles desperately, kicking her feet against the ground, but she's no match for Wei Lun's strength and is quickly pulled inside.
Bang! The door slams shut.
The guards outside laugh and walk away, chatting about vulgarities as they await their reward.
However, inside the house, the scene is not the erotic one they had anticipated.
Wei Lun, dragging the girl into the room, has just closed the door when a sudden voice interrupts him. A cold sweat breaks out on his forehead as he instinctively releases the girl, not daring to raise his voice, "Sir... please, if you want money, I'll get it for you right away..."
Wei Lun's heart pounds with fear.
How could there be a masked bandit in the room when there were so many guards outside? He had only opened the door, and now a sword is pressed against his neck. How has security in the Outer City deteriorated to such an extent!
"Hand it over."
Standing behind Wei Lun is a man in a black cloak and mask, his voice cold and detached.
"Yes, yes."
Wei Lun quickly complies, walking towards the inner room and opening a chest. He takes out around thirty gold leaves and about a hundred taels of silver.
The man in the black cloak speaks again, his voice icy, "Is this all?"
Wei Lun's face falls, "This is all I have. The old man only cares about his own pleasure and didn't leave me a single penny. This is what I saved up, while the rest of the family spends freely at the pleasure quarters. I can't even afford to go there myself."
"Oh."
The man in the black cloak nodded, then suddenly loosened his grip on the iron sword, thrusting it directly into Wei Lun's throat. Wei Lun's words were abruptly cut off, and blood spattered out immediately.
Clearly, Wei Lun hadn't expected that even after handing over all his silver, the bandit would still kill him. He showed a look of reluctance, making choking sounds as he tried to call for the guards outside, but he couldn't utter a sound.
Thump!
He fell to the ground, writhing and struggling for a moment before gradually becoming still.
The bound girl nearby watched this scene in terror. She didn't show any signs of joy; to her, whether it was Wei Lun or the bandit who killed and robbed, they were both terrifying villains.
"..."
The man in the black cloak didn't look at the girl beside him. He simply collected the silver and gold leaves bit by bit, weighing them and calculating their total value, which was roughly equivalent to four or five hundred taels of silver.
After putting away all the silver, he glanced at the girl briefly but paid no further attention. He then picked up the iron sword, lifted the window, and climbed out.
The girl, still bound, remained lying next to Wei Lun's body, breathing heavily.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
A chaotic commotion came from outside, seemingly a fight, but it was very short, lasting only a dozen breaths before everything returned to silence, with no one even managing to call out for help.
The girl cowered in fear and terror, staying by Wei Lun's body for the entire night. When the next day dawned, the door was kicked open, and a group of patrol officers walked in.
"Hey, there's still someone alive!"
Liu Song showed a look of surprise.
Li Tie, looking at the scene in the room, had a thoughtful expression. He approached and used his patrol saber to cut the cloth out of the girl's mouth.
The girl, who had spent the night in fear and terror, suddenly burst into tears, crying loudly.
...
A while later.
At the City Guard office.
In Chen Mu's office, Liu Song and Li Tie were quietly reporting the incident.
"... It was a daughter of the Zhao family on Lower River Street. She was kidnapped by Wei Lun's servants at night. When he was about to commit his evil deeds, he was attacked by bandits. All the guards, about a dozen of them, were killed."
" Sir, the marshal personally went to inspect the bodies. They all died of sword wounds, but the sword technique seemed somewhat crude, though the strength was quite astonishing. It seems different from the incidents of the past few days, but it was likely the same person. It could be a notorious bandit, or someone from the inner city who came to righteously intervene and punish evil. He suggested we end the investigation here."
Liu Song and Li Tie detailed the events.
Chen Mu listened calmly and then waved his hand, saying, "Alright, I understand."
In reality, Min Baoyi had already decided to end the investigation and not pursue it further, so there was no need to inform him. However, Liu Song and Li Tie's usual task was to report all significant events that occurred while he was away from the City Guard office.
"Nothing else, I'll take my leave. Everything will continue as usual."
Chen Mu stood up and walked out.
Liu Song and Li Tie both bowed.
Soon after.
Chen Mu returned home alone, entered his bedroom, and from the bottom of a chest under the bed, he retrieved a bundle containing about sixty to seventy gold leaves and two to three hundred taels of silver.
There was also a rough iron sword without a scabbard, standing upright in the ground.
"Finally, we're getting more prosperous. I should send some silver to Yue'er; she needs it now."
(End of Chapter)
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