Su Xiaoqi had long known that these flower-snatchers were no good, so she showed no mercy.
After subduing one, she knocked him out with an elbow strike, then retrieved a pungent ointment from her space to wake up Shen Xiaomei and the others.
"Ah, help, help," was Shen Xiaomei's first cry upon waking.
When she saw Su Xiaoqi before her, she immediately threw herself into her arms and wept.
Su Xiaoqi quickly covered her mouth, whispering an explanation of their current situation.
Upon hearing that they hadn't escaped yet, Shen Xiaomei became even more terrified, trembling all over as she clung to Su Xiaoqi.
Su Xiaoqi felt a pang of sympathy and patted her back to comfort her,
"Don't be afraid, someone will come to save us."
She told Shen Xiaomei that she had scattered her specially prepared medicinal powder along the way.
Her elder brother was so clever, he should be able to find them.
As they spoke, a commotion erupted outside.
"Trouble, someone's breaking in."
"Charge, charge, grab your weapons."
Amidst a flurry of "clangs and bangs," Su Xiaoqi couldn't help but pull open a crack in the door to look.
She saw that half of the burly men who had been lively moments before were now sprawled on the ground.
Niu Da, along with the man who had slapped Su Xiaoqi earlier, were still standing, confronting someone with long sabers in hand.
The man's back was to Su Xiaoqi, so she couldn't see his face.
However, from the dark brocade he wore, she seemed to have guessed his identity.
Shen Xiaomei, who was also peeking from the side, recognized him and opened her mouth to shout.
Su Xiaoqi covered her mouth again, giving a "shush" and signaling her to remain silent.
The most troublesome one, Mei Niang, hadn't appeared yet, and she might have some grand move up her sleeve.
Moreover, she didn't understand why Qi Yunwei had appeared here out of the blue.
Therefore, it was not a good time for them to reveal themselves.
Su Xiaoqi's plan was to wait until they were fighting each other and both sides were injured before making her move.
The opportunity soon arrived.
Qi Yunwei's skills were superb, and after a few exchanges, he had knocked down the burly men wielding weapons.
At this moment, Mei Niang finally emerged.
She was dressed in a pink gauze dress, her skin as white as snow, her curves accentuated.
She approached Qi Yunwei with a seductive sway of her hips.
It was as if she wasn't walking but floating on auspicious clouds, her feet so soft they seemed illusory.
Qi Yunwei's mind went blank, and he couldn't raise his hands.
Mei Niang had already reached him, raising her bare jade hand, and a glinting silver needle was released from her fingertips.
Qi Yunwei immediately sensed danger and instinctively dodged, only to find that he couldn't move his body.
He roared, "Demoness, what sorcery have you employed?"
"Hee hee hee, young master, your martial skills are impressive, and I didn't expect your looks to be so handsome.
Rest assured, your sister Mei Niang likes handsome people the most.
Regardless of gender, I will train you well." Mei Niang's silver needle had already pierced Qi Yunwei's vital acupoint.
Now he was truly unable to move.
When he tried to lift his hand, a surge of energy coursed through him, causing him unbearable pain, as if pierced by ten thousand arrows.
He frowned, lamenting that after being reborn, he might meet his end here today.
As he was thinking this, a nimble figure flew out, and Mei Niang, who had been so smug moments ago, suddenly fell to the ground, unable to rise.
A familiar face was smiling at him.
"Young Master Qi, I trust you are well." Su Xiaoqi reached out, her fingers skillfully twisting the silver needle stuck in Qi Yunwei's wrist, and pulled it out.
Qi Yunwei immediately felt all the restraints that had been placed upon him vanish.
He looked at Su Xiaoqi in astonishment.
It wasn't the surprise of seeing her here, but the surprise that she understood the silver needle.
After all, this silver needle, though seemingly just casually inserted into his wrist,
Could not be easily removed. One had to find the correct acupoint and exert precise control to extract it.
He thought to himself that this trip had not been in vain. He immediately cupped his hands in thanks, "Thank you, Miss Su."
Su Xiaoqi was taken aback by his address and hesitantly explained, "My husband, Shen Yun..."
Qi Yunwei smiled and changed the subject, "How did Miss Su come to be here?"
As he finished speaking, he saw Shen Xiaomei helping two other people out.
He instantly understood.
So they had been captured by these flower-snatchers.
"We should be thanking Young Master Qi."
Su Xiaoqi didn't dwell on the matter of address, pointed to the three burly men incapacitated on the ground, and gave Qi Yunwei a thumbs-up.
Qi Yunwei explained that he had simply stumbled upon the scene, as the inn he was staying at was directly opposite this courtyard.
He had noticed these people for a while, always bringing back girls whenever they went out.
Moreover, he had just seen four of them bullying a girl through a second-floor window.
This had prompted him to intervene.
Hearing this, Shen Xiaomei and the others were deeply moved, almost prostrating themselves to thank him.
Su Xiaoqi, however, frowned slightly.
Qi Yunwei's words were highly suspect.
Logically, he had been staying at that inn for a considerable time.
During this period, the flower-snatchers had captured and sold many girls.
If he intended to act heroically, he should have intervened much earlier.
Su Xiaoqi was shrewd and harbored suspicions, but her expression remained perfectly composed.
She led Shen Xiaomei and the others to rescue all the women from the other rooms.
Everyone burst into tears.
Just then, the main gate of the courtyard was kicked open.
Su Xiaoqi peered out and saw that Shen Yun, accompanied by officers, had finally arrived.
Though arriving late!
With the authorities taking over, the matter became straightforward.
The victimized women were identified, registered, and sent home.
The perpetrators, naturally, were apprehended and thrown into prison.
When it came time to register Shen Xiaomei, Su Xiaoqi stopped her.
"We weren't brought here bound; we followed them to rescue people."
Shen Xiaomei opened her mouth to explain, but Shen Yun, standing beside her, also held her back.
Once registered, the experience of being abducted by flower-snatchers would follow them for life.
If they met true love who didn't mind, that was one thing. But if they didn't, this shadow would haunt them for their entire lives.
Su Xiaoqi looked at the women standing blankly in the courtyard, eighteen in total.
The trajectory of their lives was already evident.
This was the tide of a great era, against which she was powerless.
As Su Xiaoqi was feeling dejected, she suddenly heard a cold voice:
"Su Xiaoqi, very good. I remember you. We will meet again."
Su Xiaoqi turned her head. Mei Niang, her hands bound behind her back, was staring at her with a cold expression.
Her gaze was palpable, coiling around her like a venomous snake.
Su Xiaoqi glared back, "That's assuming you get out of prison."
Mei Niang snorted, her gaze sweeping slowly and deliberately over the three of them with ill intent.
However, none of the three paid her any mind at the moment.
This was because Zhao Xiaozhu was in a poor condition.
Shen Xiaomei was also frightened, and Shen Yun did not refuse Qi Yunwei's offer to escort them by carriage.
"Xiaohua." Shen Xiaomei, seeing that everyone had left Xiaohua behind, hurried to find her.
Xiaohua, after being woken by Su Xiaoqi, had realized there was danger and had been feigning sleep the entire time.
Only when the officers arrived and left did Shen Xiaomei call her, and she pretended to have just woken up.
She stared at Su Xiaoqi with a complex expression.
Although she had been pretending to be unconscious, she had witnessed everything that had just happened.
She couldn't understand when Su Xiaoqi, a woman she considered both stupid and promiscuous, had become so capable.