"Where is the silver? Bring it to me quickly," Wu Caiwei ordered in a low voice, not politely at all.
Liu Dacai slowly got up from the ground, looking somewhat dejected with the saber at his throat. Although he was reluctant to part with the silver, his life was more important. He reluctantly shuffled towards where the silver was hidden.
"It's a dark and windy night. If I kill you here today, no one will find me. If you dawdle any longer, I can't guarantee I won't go through with it," Wu Caiwei said, wanting to finish quickly. She still had to find Qiyue.
Liu Dacai sped up. He had originally intended to resist, but the ruthless efficiency of the other party made him realize they were clearly skilled in martial arts, and as an ordinary citizen, he was no match. He resigned himself to fetching the silver.
With the silver in hand, Wu Caiwei hefted it, judging the amount to be about right. She then looked at him with malicious intent. "I've come for two reasons today: the silver, and to dispense justice. The vile deeds you've committed are enough to warrant death many times over. Tell me, where exactly did you sell those girls?"
"Mercy, noble sir! I'll never dare again. The silver I've earned recently is all with you. Please spare me this once," Liu Dacai pleaded, terrified the other party might harm him.
"It's not impossible to spare you, but you must tell me how many girls you've harmed and where you sold them." This was the matter closest to her heart.
Liu Dacai quickly recounted his deeds over the years, omitting many details. Wu Caiwei pretended not to notice. As Liu Dacai spoke, he carefully observed her expression. Seeing her seemingly indifferent, he guessed she hadn't noticed anything. He then recalled what his father had told him about that day and quickly mentioned Qiyue's situation.
"What kind of place is Qingfeng Tower?" Wu Caiwei asked with feigned confusion when she heard something that piqued her interest. Su Dan Novel Network.
"It's a place where men can find pleasure. If you're interested, sir, I can show you the way," Liu Dacai said eagerly, trying to curry favor, sensing an opportunity.
"I'll pass on such places. I have a wife and I can't betray her. Besides, you engage in wicked deeds. I cannot associate with you," Wu Caiwei said with disdain.
Liu Dacai chuckled awkwardly, surprised this person was so scrupulous.
"Stay honest for the next while. If I ever find out you've done anything wrong again, my blade has no eyes," Wu Caiwei threatened him. She truly wanted to eliminate this scoundrel, but the tragic fate of the original owner was not solely his doing. Someone behind him had aided and abetted. She would have to unearth them. For now, she would let him be, but he would certainly not have an easy time later.
Liu Dacai nodded frantically. When he looked up again, the other person was gone. If not for the open door, he would have thought he was dreaming. He wiped the cold sweat from his brow, sighing in relief.
Wu Caiwei rushed to Huzhou overnight and soon arrived at Qingfeng Tower. The main door was shut tight. After knocking for a long time, she heard an impatient female voice, "Coming, coming! Stop knocking. It's so early, the girls are all sleeping. You're so noisy!"
The woman yawned as she opened the door. She looked Wu Caiwei up and down, seeing she didn't look wealthy, and said rudely, "Sir, the girls are resting at this hour and business hasn't started. Please come back later."
"I'm looking for someone."
"Who?"
"A woman who was recently sold here. Her name is Qiyue."
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately tried to close the door. Wu Caiwei moved quickly and braced the door with her hands.
"I haven't heard of a woman named Qiyue. Even if someone was sold here, why are you looking for her now? You don't intend to buy her back, do you?" The woman, seeing that she couldn't close the door, crossed her arms and stood aside to watch the show. After all, she wasn't the owner of this brothel.
"It's just as you imagine. She was abducted, and I want to redeem her." Wu Caiwei stated her request calmly. She hadn't figured out how she would house Qiyue after rescuing her, but she certainly couldn't let her stay in the brothel.
"You can tell that to the madam. I certainly haven't heard of any woman named Qiyue." The woman said, walking ahead. Wu Caiwei quickly followed.
The madam was a middle-aged woman. Although she had lost her youthful beauty, it was evident that in her youth, she had been a renowned figure in Huzhou.
"I hear you're here to redeem someone, but the woman named Qiyue is not here."
"The other party clearly said she was sold to you. How could she not be here? Madam, are you trying to deceive me?" Wu Caiwei looked at her with a half-smile, not believing her words.
"If I say she's not here, she's not here. If you don't believe me, you can stay here and observe, search around, and see if you can find her." The madam idly played with her fingernails, looking at Wu Caiwei indifferently.
Wu Caiwei's heart skipped a beat. Had Liu Dacai lied to her? But that shouldn't be the case. Wasn't he afraid of her finding him? There must be something she didn't know.
Wu Caiwei quickly took out two hundred taels of silver and handed it to the madam. "My young sister is naive and was abducted. I heard she was sold to you. Please tell me the truth, Madam."
The madam looked at the banknotes and extended her hand again. Wu Caiwei was very cooperative and gave her another three hundred taels.
The madam finally smiled with satisfaction and said softly, "That woman was indeed sold here. She was very stubborn and refused to comply. So, I didn't let her entertain guests. A few days later, the authorities redeemed her. As for where she is now, I truly don't know."
Spending five hundred taels of silver for just a few sentences made Wu Caiwei feel a pang of regret. This was hard-earned money. However, she was never one to suffer losses. Since they had made her lose so much, she would get it back from them.
She left Qingfeng Tower and found a random inn to stay in, waiting for nightfall. If her guess was correct, the one who redeemed her was the county magistrate. As for why, she couldn't understand.
That night, the darkness was impenetrable. When Wu Caiwei appeared before the county magistrate, he was startled. Just as he was about to shout, a sword was placed at his throat.
"What do you want?" The county magistrate was very frightened but tried to appear calm, his mind racing to devise a response.
"I want to know what your relationship is with the person I sent over previously. Why did you protect him?"
"There's no relationship. You're mistaken. He didn't abduct anyone." The county magistrate narrowed his eyes unconsciously, feigning nonchalance.
"Didn't abduct anyone? Then why did you, the county magistrate, redeem that woman named Qiyue?" Wu Caiwei snorted coldly, avoiding the main issue.