Xia Changming darted forward and caught Xiao Rou in his arms. "What are you doing?" he demanded angrily.
Hu Xiaotian stared coldly at Xu Fengwu. The viciousness of the man's strike had far exceeded anything he had imagined.
Zhao Wusheng was furious too. Though he was a seasoned veteran accustomed to death and injury on the battlefield, Xu Fengwu's casual brutality still shocked him.
A sinister smile appeared on Xu Fengwu's face. "This is a private matter within my household. You gentlemen would do well to stay out of it."
Hu Xiaotian nodded.
Xiao Rou lay pale-faced in Xia Changming's arms, her forehead covered in cold sweat. "I know I was wrong..." she said in a trembling voice.
A nameless fury suddenly flared in Xia Changming's chest. "How much? How much? I want to buy her freedom!" he roared.
Xu Fengwu chuckled. "To think I'd meet such a great philanthropist today." He held up five fingers. "Fifty thousand taels of silver!"
Hu Xiaotian had only won forty thousand taels in total. In other words, taking Xiao Rou away would mean paying the man another ten thousand out of their own pockets. He was not merely vicious, but greedy as well.
Xia Changming took a Five-Kingdom Exchange banknote from inside his robe. He was also in charge of their money on this journey. This was not how he normally behaved; clearly, what he had just witnessed had shaken him. Hu Xiaotian placed his four chips on the table, making up the full fifty thousand taels.
Without another word, Hu Xiaotian picked Xiao Rou's severed hand up from the floor. Little time had passed, after all. The sooner he performed limb replantation surgery, the better her prognosis would be.
The three of them turned to leave, only to hear Xu Fengwu say