The experts behind the duchess also showed slight changes in their expressions, especially those who knew her well or had spent a long time in the Duke's Mansion. They all sensed that something was wrong.
Why did those limbs look so familiar? Why did they look like... like the mansion's second young master??
Seeing this, Gu Qingnian lifted his toes slightly, turned the sack in his hand a little, then delivered a vicious kick.
As the people below watched in confusion, the sack gave a violent jerk. A muffled sound followed, and the entire sack struggled fiercely a few times before an indistinct voice emerged.
"Mmph, mmph, mmph..."
The entire scene was utterly silent, making that muffled voice especially clear and piercing.
The instant she heard it, the duchess's face turned deathly pale. "Huabin!" she cried. As his mother, she knew her child's voice better than anyone, even when it was muffled.
The experts behind her also guessed what was happening, and their expressions changed. The duchess immediately pointed at Gu Qingnian. "Let him go, or you'll die a horrible death!"
Gu Qingnian sneered. "It seems you've guessed who this is, madam. Then why don't you take another guess at why he's in my hands, and who the Duke's Mansion has offended lately?"
At that, the duchess paused, her brow furrowing as her thoughts raced. She searched her memories for anything concerning Gu Qingnian, but no matter how hard she thought, she could find no trace of him.
Suddenly, she froze and looked at Dai Huabin. She remembered now. A few days earlier, Dai Huabin's guards had sent word that he had been badly injured in a match and requested that she send people to help him get revenge.
The guards had sent her pictures of Dai Huabin covered in