Chapter 8

The little girl suddenly called out "Little Brother" and seemed quite familiar with him. Yang Ning, curious, asked, "Do you know me?"

"Um...!" The little girl nodded excitedly, "I know, I know. Sister Xiaodie told me about you. She said... she said you are her only relative, Little... Little Brother, how did you come here?"

Yang Ning put a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to keep their voices down. The girls obediently nodded, and Yang Ning moved closer, asking, "Why are you all locked up here?"

The girls looked at each other, and the older one said, "I... I'm called Xiuer. We... we were all tricked here."

"Tricked?" Yang Ning was taken aback.

"Several months ago, my parents and I fled to this city. Someone found us and told my parents they could let me work as a maid, with food and lodging provided, and I could earn two silver coins a month," Xiuer explained in a low voice. "We couldn't survive anymore, so we didn't refuse. That person first took me to another courtyard. When we arrived, there were already several girls like me waiting. We waited for two or three days, and one night we were called onto a carriage, and then... then we were brought here. Since then, we haven't been able to leave, and my parents don't know I'm here."

"I see." Yang Ning frowned and asked, "Do you know why they brought you all here?"

The little girls all shook their heads in confusion. Xiuer said, "After we arrived, someone started teaching us music and dance, and they didn't let us do anything else or ask too many questions. If we practiced well, they treated us better. If we practiced poorly, we couldn't eat and would be whipped...!" By this point, her eyes were red, and her voice was even lower, "I heard that some people were... were beaten to death because they couldn't practice well."

"So, Xiaodie also sings and dances with you?" Yang Ning frowned and asked softly.

Xiuer nodded, "Xiaodie came earlier than us. When we arrived, their group was already very good." She paused and then lowered her voice, "I heard that the best dancers can work in the kitchen at night."

"The kitchen?"

"Yes, the lady sometimes eats at night, so sometimes two people are left in the kitchen to serve her." Xiuer said, "Xiaodie dances well, so sometimes she can go to the kitchen."

Yang Ning felt relieved and thought that Xiaodie might have slipped out of the house while working in the kitchen, which was quite risky.

"Is Xiaodie in the kitchen tonight?"

Xiuer shook her head, "Even if they were in the kitchen at night, we could still see them during the day. But I haven't seen them for many days. Perhaps... perhaps they have already left."

"Left?" Yang Ning frowned, "You mean they are not in this house? Who are you talking about?"

Xiuer thought for a moment and then said softly, "I heard that many people have come and gone in this house. A batch comes and a batch leaves. After learning music and dance, they are all sent away, and no one can find them again. Xiaodie... Xiaodie came early and has been learning for a long time. Since I haven't seen them for several days, I guess they might have been sent away."

Yang Ning's heart sank, and his eyes turned cold.

He thought for a moment and then asked softly, "How many people are still here?"

Xiuer immediately said, "There were originally about twenty people, but today...!" She glanced at the other girls, "Today, four more were brought in, so there should be more than thirty now."

Yang Ning nodded slightly, thinking that this number matched what Lady Hua had said. He lowered his voice, "If you leave here, can you find your parents?"

"Leave here?" Xiuer's eyes showed joy, "You... you mean we can leave here?" The other girls also showed joy and excitement, and they no longer feared Yang Ning, thinking he was a savior sent by heaven. They couldn't help but gather around him.

Yang Ning said softly, "To leave here, we need to know how many guards are in the house. Do you know?"

The girls looked at each other, and Xiuer said, "I've seen four or five different ones, all very fierce. But I know that two people guard the main gate day and night, and they... they have knives."

Yang Ning thought for a moment and then handed the key to Xiuer, saying softly, "These are the keys to several rooms. Get everyone ready, but don't make too much noise. Don't act rashly until I return. I'll come back and take you all away."

"Then... how will you get us out of the house?" Xiuer worried, "There are people guarding the gate, and they have knives. We can't get out."

Yang Ning thought that they didn't know about the hole under the wall in the back garden and didn't reveal it immediately. After the girl took the keys, he quickly left the room, picked up a large knife from the table, and grabbed a wine bag. He then ran to Lao Xing, who was still unconscious, and poured the wine on his face.

Lao Xing woke up, feeling a sharp pain in the back of his head. When he opened his eyes, he saw a masked person. Just as he was about to shout, he felt a cold sensation at his throat and heard a cold voice, "Answer one question, and say one sentence. If you're not honest, I'll cut your throat."

The knife blade made a gesture across his throat, and Lao Xing shivered, making a few "um" sounds.

Yang Ning, to ensure everything went smoothly, had covered half his face with a piece of linen. He held the knife to Lao Xing's neck and asked, "Why are so many girls imprisoned here?"

Lao Xing was about to speak, but Yang Ning repeated, "Remember, if you say one wrong word, I'll cut your throat."

Lao Xing said, "This... this isn't my doing. It's... it's done by Head Xiao... Head Xiao. I... I just work for a living. I... I'm a constable under Head Xiao."

Yang Ning was taken aback and said coldly, "So the other black-clothed men are also constables?"

Lao Xing said, "We are all constables from the yamen, following... following Head Xiao's orders. Including me, there are six constables in the house."

Yang Ning drew a sharp breath.

He had thought these black-clothed men were just hired thugs, and the only yamen officials involved were Xiao Yishui and his trusted subordinate, Constable Feng. Now he realized that the thugs in the house were actually constables from the county yamen.

Constables were supposed to maintain order and protect the people, but who would have thought they were involved in such nefarious deeds.

"Did you trick all these girls here?"

With the cold blade at his throat and Yang Ning's fierce eyes, Lao Xing became much more honest: "Head Xiao specifically arranged for people to find such girls among the refugees. They must be... under fifteen years old and look pretty. Once they were targeted, they would be tricked into working as maids. They would be kept in other places for a few days and then... then secretly brought here."

"And then?"

"Then... then they were handed over... to Lady Hua to teach them music and dance," Lao Xing said. "Once they had some foundation, they would be... sent away."

"Sent away?" Yang Ning most wanted to know where Xiaodie had gone, "Where were they sent?"

Lao Xing said, "I... I really don't know... Ah, don't... don't hurt me, I'll tell you everything...!" He hesitated and then said with a bitter face, "I only know... I only know that when the time comes, Old Feng... the constable from the yamen, will take them away in a carriage. As far as I know, they are... sent to the capital!"

"The capital?" Yang Ning was taken aback and frowned, "You mean Constable Feng personally takes them to the capital?"

Lao Xing said with a bitter face, "Old Feng... Old Feng only needs to take them out of the city. Outside the city, someone will pick them up and... then take them to the capital. That's all I know. Xiao Yishui is very thorough. He won't let us know more than necessary. Even the part about the capital, I only know because Old Feng once mentioned it when he was drunk."

Yang Ning looked at him and didn't think he was lying. He asked in a low voice, "How many people have you sent to the capital? When did you start this dirty business?"

"It has been... two years," Lao Xing said, not daring to move. "After the Huai River battle, many refugees fled here. At first, the ones who came were wealthy merchants and nobles, bringing gold and jewels. They would escape here and then go south. At that time... Xiao Yishui started using the beggars to watch these wealthy people, stealing their wealth and getting a lot of gold and silver. Later, fewer wealthy people came, and more poor refugees arrived. Xiao Yishui then started targeting these refugees."

"You mean these girls?"

Lao Xing said, "Yes, it was all his idea. Over the past two years, more than two hundred people have been brought to this house, and most of them have been sent away."

"Since you are a constable, you should protect the people. Why did you collude with him and do such heinous deeds?" Yang Ning was shocked and his eyes turned cold, his voice icy.

Lao Xing said, "We all became constables because of him. From the day we became constables, we were on his boat. If we disobeyed his orders, not only would we lose our jobs, but we might even lose our lives. Xiao Yishui is ruthless. He... he is the head constable, but he has connections in both the black and white worlds. There are several bands of bandits in Huize County that exist because of their good relationship with him. The bandit leaders are even sworn brothers with him...!"

"So, it's a case of officials and bandits working together." Yang Ning sneered, but he knew that Xiao Yishui not only had connections in the capital but had also woven a terrifying black web in Huize County.