Chapter 11

The people on the passenger boat drank the river water, which had been laced with knockout powder, and all fell into a coma. Chu Huan and the others were pushed into the cabin, their hands tied behind their backs, and they were huddled together.

Soon, the pirate ship raised its sails and headed south with the wind. Before long, the passenger boat was out of sight.

It was nearly midnight, the moon high in the sky. The pirate ship sailed at great speed. After a little over an hour, the ship stopped. The pirates forced Chu Huan and the others out of the cabin. Chu Huan, upon exiting, found that the ship had docked at a shore lined with trees, with no pier in sight.

Some of the pirates set up a small boat and herded everyone to the shore. The female pirate leader was the last to jump off the ship, leaving only two pirates on board.

"You two, raise the sails and continue south. Go as far as you can," the female pirate leader said from the shore. "The dogs of the government will soon get the news and will surely come after us. If you sense any danger, abandon the ship... but by the time they catch up, you will be at least dozens of miles away. They will never think we have already disembarked here!"

The two pirates showed great respect for the female pirate leader, bowing and saying, "Don't worry, we understand."

The female pirate leader also bowed, and the other pirates who had landed also bowed to the two, saying, "Take care!" They waited until the pirate ship had left before the female pirate leader waved and said, "Let's go!"

By the moonlight, Chu Huan noticed that the black scarf on the female pirate leader's head was gone, revealing her jet-black hair, which was tied up. A lustrous jade hairpin was inserted into her glossy black hair. Her arched eyebrows framed a pair of sharp, cold eyes. Although her face was still covered by a black scarf, and she was the leader of the pirates, she exuded a strong feminine charm.

She wore a black tight-fitting outfit, with a slender waist and a shapely figure. Although her hands were rough from martial arts practice and her face showed signs of fatigue, the skin on her neck was as white and tender as snow.

Chu Huan had tangled with the female pirate leader in the river, but at that time, he couldn't focus on her appearance. He only remembered that she was extremely beautiful, but her exact features were now somewhat blurred.

The pirates forced Chu Huan and the others into the forest. Not far in, they saw two carriages and five or six horses. Two black-clad masked men were waiting by the carriages, clearly the female pirate leader's accomplices, who had been waiting to assist.

Including Chu Huan, exactly ten people were taken hostage. The pirates used knives to force everyone onto the carriages. Five people were put in each carriage, and after everyone was on board, the pirates tied their feet with ropes. The female pirate leader and the masked man each took a pirate to monitor the carriages.

Chu Huan remained extremely patient and calm throughout, showing no sign of fear.

The ten hostages, including Su Linlang, a beautiful woman, and another woman, along with two men, were put in the first carriage. Chu Huan and Wei Tianqing were with three others in the second carriage, with the masked man and a burly pirate accompanying them.

The carriages were quite spacious, and although seven people were in each, it wasn't overly crowded.

At the female pirate leader's command, the two carriages started moving east on the bumpy forest road. Over a dozen pirates rode the horses, flanking the carriages.

...

The carriages rumbled along, and after a night of turmoil, the hostages in the carriages, except for Wei Tianqing and Chu Huan, fell into a deep sleep. Chu Huan leaned against the carriage wall, looking calm and thoughtful, while Wei Tianqing wore a cold smile, staring at the bronze-masked man. His sharp, cold eyes never left the bronze mask, as if trying to see through the man's heart.

The masked man, leaning in the carriage, suddenly sneered, "I know you want to kill me, but unfortunately, you will never have the chance." He stretched his legs comfortably and said, "Qiao Mingtang trusts you greatly. His wife was returning home to visit relatives, and he sent you to escort her, placing high hopes on you. He thought that with you around, his wife would be safe. But Qiao Mingtang probably never imagined that the person he relied on most would be so easily defeated, unable to protect either his wife or himself... Hehe, is it that Qiao Mingtang has no capable people, or that he misjudged you as a mediocre talent... This is truly thought-provoking!"

Wei Tianqing sneered, "I knew it. You set up an ambush on the river to kidnap the lady..."

"You're right," the masked man leaned forward slightly. "At this point, I might as well be honest with you. We mobilized so many people because we knew you would travel south by boat." His eyes turned sinister, "Traveling by land would be faster but more dangerous. Traveling by water is slower but safer. When you returned to Taiyuan, you came secretly. Although you wanted to return quietly, the lady's return to her hometown was too public, and everyone knew about it. As an experienced person, you must have known that such a public return would make the journey back to Yunshan Prefecture dangerous." He laughed coldly, "So you split your forces, sending the other six guards with the carriage by land as a decoy, while you personally escorted the lady by water. It seemed like a clever plan, but from the moment you left Taiyuan, we were watching you. You couldn't escape... No matter how cunning a fox is, it can't outsmart the hunter."

Wei Tianqing laughed in anger, his voice full of sarcasm, "As the saying goes, 'Misfortune should not involve the family.' You claim to be righteous outlaws who rob the rich to help the poor, yet you resort to kidnapping, which is truly despicable." His face was cold, "If you want to avoid being caught, you must not act. Qiao Mingtang has many top-notch experts. Do you really think they won't find out it was you? I advise you to release the lady, or else..."

Before he could finish, the masked man interrupted coldly, "Or else what? Does Qiao Mingtang think he can capture us all? Hehe, let me tell you, a mere Qiao Mingtang is nothing to us. Even if he sends troops to attack us, he will never have the ability to do so!"

Chu Huan, listening from the side, narrowed his eyes.

He had heard the name "Qiao Mingtang" on the passenger boat. The female pirate leader had asked the beautiful woman if she was Qiao Mingtang's wife. Now, hearing the masked man mention it again, he vaguely understood that Qiao Mingtang was a government official, though he wasn't sure of his exact position.

However, with someone as fierce as Wei Tianqing under his command, Qiao Mingtang was likely no ordinary official.

Chu Huan was also very puzzled. Why did these pirates go to such lengths to kidnap Qiao Mingtang's wife? He was sure it wasn't for money. If it were just for money, they could rob wealthy merchants without offending a high-ranking official.

Although he was puzzled, his expression remained calm, and no one could tell what he was thinking.

Wei Tianqing, however, laughed loudly, his voice full of mockery, "Truly shameless and boastful. You knew that only I, Wei Tianqing, and two other guards were protecting the lady on the river, yet you still mobilized so many people. In the end, you only used the lady's safety to force me to comply. If it takes such a grand effort to deal with a mere Wei Tianqing, how can you possibly stand up to Qiao Mingtang? Whether it's my incompetence or your incompetence, I don't need to say more."

The masked man's eyes flashed with anger but quickly calmed down. He laughed coldly, "Government officials are cunning, so we must be cunning too. Who wins and who loses isn't always determined by martial arts alone; it also depends on the mind." He leaned back, saying, "Now you can't kill me, but I can kill you. And your lady is in our hands, so we are the winners... But these innocent merchants are suffering because of you, and you should feel guilty about that!"

"Despicable and shameless!" Wei Tianqing said coldly.

The masked man also sneered, "Despicable and shameless? We'll see what despicable and shameless means when we get there. Although the lady is not young, she is well-preserved, with smooth skin, large breasts, and a round bottom. She looks like a very lustful woman. I haven't tasted meat in a while, so I'll try this official lady... I bet she's good in bed, otherwise why would Qiao Mingtang dote on her so much? I want to see what she's like when she gets wild..." He laughed lewdly, and the pirate beside him also laughed strangely.

Wei Tianqing's eyes bulged with rage, and he shouted, "If you dare to touch a single hair of the lady, I, Wei Tianqing, will haunt you to death!" He spat, and the saliva hit the bronze mask.

The masked man flew into a rage, grabbed Wei Tianqing by the collar, and slapped him repeatedly, the sound of slaps echoing. The few people who had just fallen asleep were startled awake. They saw Wei Tianqing's cheeks swollen and red, blood trickling from his mouth, and they were all terrified.

Wei Tianqing, however, showed no fear. He spat out the blood, which contained two teeth, onto the carriage floor. The masked man had clearly hit him very hard.

After slapping him over a dozen times, the masked man stopped, sat back down angrily, and ordered, "His mouth is too foul, gag him!" A pirate immediately tore a piece of cloth from Wei Tianqing's clothes, balled it up, and stuffed it into his mouth.

The masked man laughed coldly, looked at the frightened people, and said, "Now it's quiet, go to sleep!" He glanced at Chu Huan, who had closed his eyes and leaned against the carriage wall, seemingly asleep.

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