"Hold it!"
Bai Fufeng barked coldly.
A flash of killing intent crossed his eyes, but he forced a smile onto his face and assumed a mild manner.
"Shen Dalang, you may eat recklessly, but you cannot speak recklessly."
"These past days, cases of young children vanishing have occurred frequently throughout the county, alarming the county magistrate."
"My Bai clan has been upright and spotless for generations, and we are doing our utmost to assist the authorities in thoroughly investigating this case."
"Do you realize how much criticism my Bai clan would draw if what you just said fell into the ears of someone with ulterior motives?"
Shen Xiuhan's expression remained unchanged, but he sneered endlessly inside.
The intelligence had written it in black and white—the Bai clan was behind the Child-Kidnapping Case!
When Bai Fufeng saw him bring out the interest money, he still had not given up. Shen Xiuhan thus concluded that collecting the debt was merely a pretense; his true purpose was to abduct Shen Momo!
That was why he had deliberately brought up the words "child kidnappers."
It was to beat the grass and startle the snake!
Madam Zheng was so frightened by the scene that her soul nearly fled her body. She hurried forward and said in a trembling voice:
"Please do not blame him, Young Master... Dalang is young and hot-blooded, and he is fiercely protective of his little sister. He only contradicted you because his mind was clouded in the heat of the moment... Dalang, quickly, quickly apologize to Young Master!"
Bai Fufeng said nothing. He stared fixedly at Shen Xiuhan, coldness filling his eyes, yet he made no further move.
Shen Xiuhan saw through everything as clearly as fire, and understood at once...
He was panicking!
Bai Fufeng had been struck at his vital point. He was far less calm than he pretended to be!
Most likely...
He was already thinking of how to climb down gracefully and ask what Shen Xiuhan had meant by those words.
Shen Xiuhan was not surprised by Bai Fufeng's reaction.
Though the Bai clan was an aristocratic family, it was still far from being able to cover the sky with one hand in Longcloud County.
What Bai Fufeng feared most was that Shen Xiuhan's words would spread and cause people to link the Child-Kidnapping Case with the Bai clan.
With that thought, Shen Xiuhan's heart settled completely.
Since you wanted a way out...
Then I would give you one.
Shen Xiuhan suddenly turned his head aside, pressed his lips tightly together, and put on a stubborn expression.
Seeing this, Madam Zheng anxiously tugged at his sleeve and cried:
"You child, are you trying to anger your mother to death? Hurry and apologize to Young Master!"
Shen Xiuhan gritted his teeth and struggled for a moment before finally lowering his head. He looked exactly like a child who had done something wrong as he said quietly:
"Yes... Xiuhan misspoke. I, I only heard rumors from the inner city and became anxious for a moment, so I spoke nonsense..."
Seeing him lower his head, Bai Fufeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His expression eased somewhat, but a flicker of shock soon flashed through his eyes.
Rumors... from the inner city?!
Bai Fufeng's gaze shifted as he fell silent for a moment, seeming to ponder something. Then he said in a deep voice:
"Forget it. It is good that everything has been made clear."
"I naturally will not blame you. Your father was once an old retainer of the Bai clan and even lost his life. The family still remembers his merits and contributions..."
"Seeing how desperately you wished to save your sister just now, I will not hold it against you. However..."
As Bai Fufeng spouted empty pleasantries meant to fool idiots, he suddenly changed the subject and asked as if casually:
"I too came from the inner city. How have I never heard such absurd rumors? Where did you hear them?"
"Oh, I heard them at Through-the-Back Martial Hall." Shen Xiuhan answered without hesitation.
"Through-the-Back Martial Hall..."
The suspicion in Bai Fufeng's eyes deepened as he looked Shen Xiuhan up and down.
"What were you doing at Through-the-Back Martial Hall?"
"Delivering fish, of course!"
Shen Xiuhan raised his head, a hint of youthful pride appearing on his face.
"Senior Brother Feng and Senior Brother Ma from Through-the-Back Martial Hall have taken excellent care of me. Not only did they offer a high price to buy all my catches, they also said that if I caught better fish, I could send them all to Through-the-Back Martial Hall. They would never shortchange me on the price..."
"Better fish..."
Bai Fufeng chewed over those words, doubt still lingering in his eyes.
Through-the-Back Martial Hall had risen quickly over the past two years, but its master Yan Xiao and his wife Song Yanrong were one at Peak Hidden Force and the other at Hidden Force Mid-Stage. Had they gone mad, daring to risk stealing business from the Bai clan, which had a Transformation Force expert presiding over it?
No matter how he thought about it, it made no sense.
Could it be... this little brat was deceiving me?
No, that could not be right. Even if he had ten times the courage, he would not dare!
As he pondered, a guard suddenly leaned close and whispered:
"Young Master, look over there!"
Bai Fufeng followed his gaze and saw a refined iron fishing rod leaning against the wall beneath the thatched roof, gleaming with a faint cold light.
"This is... a specially made fishing rod from my Bai clan's casting workshop south of the city?"
Bai Fufeng narrowed his eyes.
"Young Master has sharp eyes!"
Shen Xiuhan immediately chimed in with a smile.
"This was personally bestowed upon me by Senior Brother Ma Xianyang of Through-the-Back Martial Hall, so that I could fish more conveniently!"
"Through-the-Back Martial Hall..."
Bai Fufeng's hand slowly clenched behind his back. He suddenly turned his head and said in a low voice:
"Go back and investigate immediately. See whether Ma Xianyang of Through-the-Back Martial Hall has recently purchased such an item from one of our shops!"
"Yes, sir!"
Bai Fufeng half-closed his eyes, calculating rapidly.
If the fishing rod really had been bought by Ma Xianyang, then Through-the-Back Martial Hall was not only secretly collecting Treasure Fish and stealing the Bai clan's business—it might even have...
Set its sights on the Bai clan's hidden pieces!
This was bad!
This was no place to linger. He had to return at once and report to the family head!
Bai Fufeng drew a deep breath, turned toward Shen Xiuhan, and forced a smile onto his face.
"In that case, it was merely a misunderstanding. Shen Dalang, I will accept the silver. I will waive the interest for these three days, and the money you owed for the sampan and rent shall be wiped clean in one stroke."
As soon as he finished speaking, another guard immediately pulled two yellowed slips of paper from his robes.
They were the Shen Family's promissory notes.
Shen Xiuhan carefully put the notes away, yet still offered up the six strings of cash.
"Thank you, Young Master, but please accept the interest money anyway... Consider it my treat for you all to have some wine."
Bai Fufeng paused, then reached out and accepted the string of copper coins.
"...You are thoughtful."
With that, he abruptly turned around and swept his sleeve. "Go!"
The two guards gave Shen Xiuhan a deep look before closely following after him.
The night grew deeper.
After they had walked a considerable distance, one black-clad guard finally could not hold back. He stepped forward and made a throat-slitting gesture.
"Third Young Master, are we really just letting this go? Shall I go back and simply deal with that whole family..."
Bai Fufeng frowned tightly and said irritably, "Do not act rashly."
"The family head has ordered that the wind is too tight lately, so we must keep a low profile in all matters... Tomorrow, send someone to East Creek Ward and seize that little girl surnamed Liu first..."
The guard looked unwilling and spat.
"Damn it, then all the effort we spent killing that old bastard Shen Sanhuai in Cloudwater Lake was nothing but drawing water with a bamboo basket!"
"Shut up!!"
Bai Fufeng abruptly stopped. His eyes opened wide like those of a wrathful vajra, and he backhanded the guard across the face with a vicious slap!
With a sharp smack, blood filled the guard's mouth as he staggered and fell.
"You dog slave, are you tired of living?! Huh?!"
Bai Fufeng's face twisted like a vicious ghost choosing someone to devour. He squeezed out an incomparably icy warning through clenched teeth, word by word:
"Watch that rotten mouth of yours. If you dare babble even half another word... I will skin you alive and feed you to the dogs!"
"Yes... yes, this subordinate deserves death. Thank you for sparing my life, Young Master!"
The guard clutched his swollen cheek and knelt in the snow, knocking his head like pounding garlic.
Bai Fufeng snorted coldly.
Then he turned and vanished into the boundless darkness, leaving behind only a ground full of bone-piercing chill.
Before you continue