Xing Liu City had returned to its former tranquility.
However, just as Xie Yun and the others were about to depart, another case occurred.
"Master Wei originally intended to see you off, but this morning, someone reported the discovery of multiple beggar corpses in the southern part of the city. Master Wei is currently unable to leave, so he instructed me to inform you," the yamen runner conveyed the truth to Xie Yun before departing.
Xie Yun merely asked him to relay to Wei Ting, "We will meet again if fate allows!" and then his group set off for Chun Feng Du.
This time, there were still four people.
However, Qin Jiujiu was absent, and Liu Jin had joined them.
In the original storyline, Qin Jiujiu was not present. Before reaching Xing Liu City, the protagonist group consisted of only three people. After Xing Liu City, Liu Jin followed them to Chun Feng Du under the guise of searching for her brother.
She still went this time, but with an added reason – to find Jiu Jiu!
All plot points seemed to have changed, yet in a way, they also felt unchanged.
Qin Jiujiu was naturally unaware of the situation in Xing Liu City, nor of the protagonist group's whereabouts.
But she knew that whether or not she had been kidnapped to Chun Feng Du, the four protagonists would come to this place.
This was because a significant plot point from the original story was set here. Yet, when she tried to recall what that important event was, she couldn't remember it at all.
After being knocked unconscious by the woman named Qing Cen, she didn't know how long she slept. When she woke up, she found herself in a carriage.
The carriage was large, and besides her, there were five other women.
All six of them had their hands and feet bound, each curled up in a corner.
Before she woke up, these women had likely been staring at her as they were now.
Why did she think so?
Because the moment she opened her eyes, she felt several intense gazes.
She wanted to speak, but no sound came out. It was then she remembered she had been drugged and rendered mute.
Her throat was dry and aching from not having had any water for a long time. She gave up struggling and sat quietly like the others.
But why were these people staring at her?
Did something appear on her face?
Qin Jiujiu was bewildered. She wanted to pretend to be asleep to ease the awkwardness, but the gazes were too intense to ignore.
So, she simply opened her eyes too, and they stared at each other.
If I'm not embarrassed, then the embarrassment is theirs!
She widened her eyes and looked at the other five women.
These five women appeared to be a few years older than her, around seventeen or eighteen.
They were all stunning beauties, with willow-like brows and slender figures.
Qin Jiujiu felt that looking at them wasn't bad; their beauty was pleasing to the eye and might even extend her lifespan.
She became engrossed in their appearance, unaware that her own gaze had become somewhat lecherous.
The other women, however, felt uneasy under her stare and lowered their eyelids, staring blankly at the floor.
After an unknown period, the carriage stopped.
The curtain was suddenly lifted, and a bright light entered the carriage, momentarily dazzling Qin Jiujiu's eyes.
"Drink water!"
Qin Jiujiu's attention was drawn to the person who spoke.
She saw a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties or early forties, with a full figure.
She carried a wooden bucket, in which a wooden ladle floated.
With difficulty, she boarded the carriage. The moment she entered, the air within the carriage became instantly oppressive.
Surrounded by a heavy scent of cosmetics, Qin Jiujiu felt her nose itching terribly.
The woman used the ladle to scoop a large portion of water from the bucket and proceeded to give it to the young ladies in the carriage one by one.
The moment the cloth covering their mouths was removed, cries for help erupted from the carriage.
"Please, let me out!"
The pleas continued, and the woman's expression clearly became impatient.
When she reached the fifth person, sure enough, she started the same plea. The woman then stuffed the cloth back into her mouth.
Qin Jiujiu, already parched, had been eagerly awaiting her sip of water. She hadn't expected to be the last one to be given water, nor did she expect that just as it was her turn, the prize would slip away.
"I see you're not thirsty, and you have such loud voices. You don't need water today!"
With that, the woman truly placed the ladle back into the bucket and alighted from the carriage.
Qin Jiujiu stared at the woman's retreating back for a long time. By the time she left and the curtain was drawn closed again, she was almost in tears.
She inwardly shouted at the woman: "Did you forget about one person? It's one thing not to give them water when they cry out! Why not give me water even though I didn't cry out!"
But it was useless. She couldn't speak, and the woman giving out water couldn't hear.
Qin Jiujiu felt her throat was about to catch fire. If this continued, would she really become mute?
She could endure not eating, but not drinking water was absolutely out of the question!
She endured the entire afternoon. By evening, she couldn't take it anymore and came up with a plan.
It was clearly dark outside, yet the carriage was still moving.
Although she didn't know their destination or purpose, their current predicament meant that not just her, but the others as well, were not here willingly. It was likely not a good place.
Moreover, it was evident that they had been traveling day and night, with only brief stops to change horses and rest. The carriage hadn't stopped. They were likely in a hurry.
And the true person in charge was not present.
In such harsh conditions, why would that person come to suffer?
Generally, in such situations, the number of people cannot be reduced!
They must not encounter any accidents before reaching their destination!
A glint flashed in Qin Jiujiu's eyes. Although she couldn't escape now, she could at least eat and drink her fill.
Her limbs were bound, but her body could move, and her legs could be extended.
This was her thought, and she immediately put it into action.
She forcefully turned her body, shifting until her legs could reach the carriage wall, and then with all her might, she kicked it.
The others, who had been asleep, were suddenly startled awake by a noise and all woke up.
The carriage quickly stopped, but she could still hear the sound of horses' hooves, indicating other carriages.
It was likely that the other drivers hadn't reacted yet and hadn't stopped.
The woman's voice was heard again, and the sound of hooves disappeared.
Qin Jiujiu knew her plan was working.
"What are you doing up in the middle of the night? Do you want to die?"
The woman grumbled as she lifted the curtain, her jowls bunching up, her face contorted with ferocity.
Seeing her like this, the other women all shrank further inside, subtly indicating it wasn't them.
Qin Jiujiu didn't shrink or move. Her upper body was clearly lying on the floor, while her legs were propped against the carriage wall. There were even shoe prints there.
If it wasn't her, then who could it be?
The woman was furious and was about to lash out when Qin Jiujiu lowered her leg and returned it to its original position.
She looked at the woman, her face full of feigned grievance.
The woman yelled at her, "What are you shouting about in the middle of the night? Do you want to die?"
Qin Jiujiu shook her head frantically. A guttural sound came from her throat, piquing the woman's interest.
She stepped forward and removed the cloth from her mouth, wanting to hear what she had to say.
But to her surprise, she still shook her head. Not only did she not speak, but the sounds from her throat grew louder.
"Are you mute?"