Wiped Clean

"Hold it!"

Bai Fufeng shouted coldly.

A flicker of killing intent flashed through his eyes, but he forced a smile onto his face and assumed a mild manner.

"Shen Dalang, you may eat carelessly, but you cannot speak carelessly."

"These days, cases of missing children have been occurring frequently throughout the county. They have already alarmed the county authorities."

"My White Family has been spotless for generations and is doing everything in our power to assist the authorities in thoroughly investigating this case."

"Do you know how much criticism my White Family would invite if what you just said fell into the ears of someone with ulterior motives?"

Shen Xiuhan's expression did not change, but he sneered inwardly.

The intelligence had made it perfectly clear—the White Family was behind the Child-Kidnapping Case!

Seeing him bring out the interest money earlier, Bai Fufeng had still refused to give up. Shen Xiuhan had therefore concluded that collecting the debt was merely a pretense; their true purpose was to abduct Shen Momo!

That was why he had deliberately mentioned the words "child kidnappers."

To startle the snake in the grass!

Madam Zheng was frightened out of her wits by the scene. She hurried forward and said in a trembling voice, "Young Master, please do not take offense... Dalang is young and hot-blooded, and he is overly protective of his little sister. He was so overwhelmed that he offended you... Dalang, hurry, hurry and apologize to Young Master!"

Bai Fufeng said nothing. He stared fixedly at Shen Xiuhan, coldness in his eyes, yet made no further move.

Shen Xiuhan saw through everything as clearly as a blazing fire, and understood in an instant...

He was flustered!

Bai Fufeng had been struck at his vital point. He was nowhere near as calm as he pretended to be!

He was probably...

Already thinking of a way to climb down gracefully, so he could ask what exactly Shen Xiuhan had meant by those words.

Shen Xiuhan was not surprised by Bai Fufeng's reaction.

Though the White Family was an aristocratic clan, it was still far from powerful enough to cover the skies with one hand in Longcloud County.

What Bai Fufeng feared most was Shen Xiuhan's earlier remarks spreading and causing people to link the White Family with the child kidnappers.

At that thought, Shen Xiuhan's heart settled completely.

Since you wanted a way down...

Then I would give you one.

Shen Xiuhan suddenly turned his head away and pressed his lips together, putting on a stubborn look.

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, "Y-Yes... Xiuhan misspoke. I... I heard rumors from the inner city, and in my panic, I said nonsense..."

When he lowered his head, Bai Fufeng secretly sighed in relief. His expression eased somewhat, but a trace of shock soon flashed through his eyes.

Rumors... from the inner city?!

Bai Fufeng's gaze shifted as thoughts churned in his mind. After a moment of silence, he said gravely, "Forget it. It is good that we have cleared things up."

"I naturally will not blame you. Your father was once an old retainer of my White Family, and he even lost his life. The family still remembers his merits and contributions..."

"Since you were also desperate to save your sister just now, I will not hold it against you. However..."

As Bai Fufeng spoke those platitudes meant to fool idiots, he suddenly changed the subject and asked seemingly casually, "I too came from the inner city. Why have I never heard such absurd rumors? Where did you hear them?"

"Oh, I heard them at the Through-the-Back Martial Hall." Shen Xiuhan answered without hesitation.

"Through-the-Back Martial Hall..."

The doubt in Bai Fufeng's eyes deepened as he looked Shen Xiuhan up and down. "What were you doing at the 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 of the Through-the-Back Martial Hall have taken exceptionally good care of me. Not only did they offer a high price to buy all my catch, they also said that if I caught better fish, I could send them all to the Through-the-Back Martial Hall, and they would never shortchange me on the price..."

"Better fish..."

Bai Fufeng savored those words, suspicion still lingering in his eyes.

The Through-the-Back Martial Hall had risen swiftly over the past two years, but its master Yan Xiao was only at the peak of Dark Strength, while his wife Song Yanrong was at the middle stage of Dark Strength. Had they gone mad? Would they dare risk stealing business from the White Family, which had a Transformation Strength expert standing guard?

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!

Just as he was mulling it over, a guard suddenly leaned close and said softly, "Young Master, look over there!"

Bai Fufeng followed his gaze and saw an iron fishing rod faintly gleaming as it leaned against the wall beneath the thatched cottage's eaves.

"This is... a specially made fishing rod from my White Family's forging workshop south of the city?"

Bai Fufeng narrowed his eyes.

"Young Master has a sharp eye!"

Shen Xiuhan immediately picked up the thread and said with a smile, "This was personally bestowed upon me by Senior Brother Ma Xianyang of the Through-the-Back Martial Hall, to make it easier for me to catch fish!"

"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, "Return at once and investigate whether Ma Xianyang of the Through-the-Back Martial Hall has recently bought such an item from one of our shops!"

"Yes, sir!"

Bai Fufeng half-closed his eyes as he rapidly calculated.

If the fishing rod had truly been bought by Ma Xianyang, then the Through-the-Back Martial Hall was not only secretly gathering Treasure Fish and stealing the Bai clan's business—it was even possible that...

They had their sights on the White Family's hidden piece!

This was bad!

This place was not somewhere to linger. He had to report to the family head immediately!

Bai Fufeng drew a deep breath, turned to Shen Xiuhan, and forced a smile onto his face.

"In that case, it was all a misunderstanding. Shen Dalang, I will accept the silver. I will waive the interest for these past three days. As for the money owed for the skiff and the rent, let it all be wiped clean."

As soon as he finished speaking, another guard immediately pulled two yellowed slips of paper from his clothes.

They were the Shen Family's debt 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 the gentlemen to have some wine."

Bai Fufeng paused, then reached out and accepted the string of copper coins. "...Thoughtful of you."

With that, he abruptly turned around and swept his sleeve. "Go!"

The two guards gave Shen Xiuhan a deep look and followed after him.

The night grew deeper.

After they had walked a considerable distance, one black-clad guard finally could not hold himself back. He stepped forward and made a throat-cutting gesture.

"Third Young Master, are we 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 has been too tight lately, so we must keep a low profile in all matters... Tomorrow, send men to East Creek Ward and get hold of that little girl surnamed Liu first..."

The guard looked unwilling. He spat and said, "Damn it, then didn't all that effort we spent killing that old bastard Shen Sanhuai in Cloudwater Lake amount to scooping water with a bamboo basket?"

"Shut up!!"

Bai Fufeng abruptly stopped. His eyes bulged like those of a wrathful Vajra, and he backhanded the guard viciously across the face!

Slap! The blow left the guard's mouth full of blood and sent him staggering to the ground.

"You dog slave, are you tired of living?! Huh?!"

Bai Fufeng's face twisted like an evil ghost choosing someone to devour. Through clenched teeth, he forced out a warning colder than ice, one word at a time.

"Watch that rotten mouth of yours. If you dare babble even half another word... I will flay you alive and feed you to the dogs!"

"Y-Yes... This subordinate deserves death. Thank you, Young Master, for sparing my life!"

The guard clutched his swollen cheek and knelt in the snow, kowtowing like a pounding pestle.

Bai Fufeng snorted coldly.

Then he turned and vanished into the boundless darkness, leaving behind only bone-piercing cold.