Chapter 77

Zhao Jin clumsily comforted Mu Shulan, and her emotions finally slowly recovered. She began to sob and recount the events.

In the afternoon, someone suddenly knocked on the door. After Zhao San went to answer it and came back, he said that Mu Shulan's elder had come to pick her up. He Cuifang went out to take a look and then called Mu Shulan out.

Mu Shulan saw a middle-aged man who seemed very amiable. The man said he was sent by Mu Shulan's uncle and showed her a sachet embroidered with a white lotus, which was the token of the Wenxiang Sect.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man, despite not revealing many details, seemed like one of their own. Moreover, Mu Shulan knew that her father had once said that if anything happened, it would be this uncle who would come to pick her up. This man knew a piece of information that even Zhao Jin and the others didn't know, leaving no room for doubt.

The middle-aged man repeatedly said that her uncle was eager to see her, so Mu Shulan followed him out. However, as soon as they turned the corner, she was tied up, gagged, and thrown into a large cart.

Once inside, all her belongings were thoroughly searched by two old women, who also kept a close watch on her.

Mu Shulan had already despaired, thinking she would be sold to some brothel or face an even more tragic fate. But unexpectedly, Zhao Jin appeared like a divine soldier, suddenly standing before her.

Zhao Jin understood that the middle-aged man was most likely the one outside. They could deceive Mu Shulan by using vague words to create a misunderstanding. Of course, the more important point was that the people of the Wenxiang Sect must have colluded with these kidnappers, otherwise, how could they know so much information?

"Xiao Lan, you stay here and calm down. I'll go out and ask them." Seeing that Mu Shulan's emotions had stabilized, Zhao Jin was about to go out to inquire.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he stood up, he was grabbed by the young girl, who looked at him with pleading eyes and said, "Xiao Jin, I'm scared."

Mu Shulan, who usually didn't show such weakness, made Zhao Jin smile as he said, "Don't be afraid. Everyone is here. You stay put."

After a few more comforting words, Mu Shulan reluctantly let Zhao Jin leave the room.

Outside, Zhao Jin saw that the three injured men had also been brought in, all tied up and gagged. He wondered where they had found so much rope.

Zhao Jin pondered for a moment. In Mu Shulan's description, she mentioned this middle-aged man, who was also the one who spoke when they rushed into the courtyard. He seemed to be the leader of the kidnappers. Zhao Jin walked over to him.

Up close, Zhao Jin pulled the rag out of the man's mouth and ran the short knife along his face. Each time he did this, the man's body trembled.

"Tell me everything about your background and the details of this incident. Who hired you, and how did you know so much about the Mu family? Speak honestly. If I think you're lying, I'll cut you." Zhao Jin's voice was cold. As he spoke, he made a small cut on the man's face with the knife.

Given the shocking slaughter that had just taken place, even without the threat, the middle-aged man was terrified and dared not lie.

The man's name was Ding Gongmeng, and he specialized in kidnapping girls. Unlike his peers who targeted poor households, Ding Gongmeng and his gang focused on daughters from middle-class and better families.

In their eyes, girls from good families were fair and beautiful, and whether sold to brothels or to wealthy men with peculiar tastes, they could fetch a high price.

Ding Gongmeng, a former scholar who had lost his title, was more cunning than the average criminal. He was cautious and used strategies when committing crimes, so he had never failed in the past few years. The girls he kidnapped were sold to Yangzhou and Nanjing, earning him a lot of money.

He gradually gained a reputation in the underworld, and some wealthy men began to pay him to kidnap their targets. Ding Gongmeng successfully completed these tasks and received generous rewards.

Mu Shulan was specifically requested by the head monk Runan from Yunshan Temple. Yunshan Temple had once tried to kidnap her but failed, and the monk's men were beaten. The Wenxiang Sect even came to demand compensation.

Everyone listened intently. When they heard the name "Wenxiang Sect," Chen Sheng and Wang Zhaojing, along with the others, looked uneasy, as it was a forbidden sect.

The daughter of a Wenxiang Sect leader, who also had good relations with the local constabulary, was not someone even the bold Ding Gongmeng would dare to touch, and even Yunshan Temple had to be cautious.

Unexpectedly, half a month ago, the head monk Runan from Yunshan Temple approached Ding Gongmeng, offering 500 taels of silver to kidnap Mu Shulan and assured him not to worry about the Wenxiang Sect.

500 taels of silver was a huge sum, and Ding Gongmeng was immediately tempted. However, the Wenxiang Sect was not to be trifled with, so he didn't act rashly. What puzzled him was that he kept receiving information about Mu Shulan, making it easier to succeed. He couldn't understand why it was so easy to gather information about the daughter of a high-ranking member of the Wenxiang Sect.

Before dawn today, someone informed Ding Gongmeng that it was time to act and that Mu Shulan might be at the Zhao family's house. Since the Zhao family had gone to the crime scene last night, Ding Gongmeng quickly made arrangements. He knew that Mu Shulan's family had recently suffered a major setback, and she was in a state of confusion, so he had to act quickly.

He sent people to keep an eye on the Zhao family and, once he confirmed that Zhao Zhentang and Zhao Jin had left, he took the opportunity to lure Mu Shulan out.

It was too dark to leave the city, so they planned to stay overnight and deliver her to Yunshan Temple the next day. When they kidnapped her, Ding Gongmeng thought he had succeeded, but he never expected Zhao Jin to come looking for her.

After listening to Ding Gongmeng, Zhao Jin moved his knife and made another cut on the man's face, causing him to scream in pain. Zhao Jin grabbed his collar and asked, "You mean to say that Yunshan Temple killed the leader of the Wenxiang Sect for a girl? Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?"

It was no wonder Zhao Jin found it unbelievable. Yunshan Temple and the Wenxiang Sect were both powerful forces that acted with restraint. According to Ding Gongmeng's account, Mr. Mu's death was closely related to Yunshan Temple, and the reason was Mu Shulan, which seemed too extreme.

"Sir, Sir, you misunderstand. I heard that the Wenxiang Sect in Xuzhou is having internal conflicts, and Yunshan Temple has been closely monitoring the situation. The monks of Yunshan Temple are well-informed in Xuzhou, and there might even be collusion between the Wenxiang Sect and the monks of Yunshan Temple..." Ding Gongmeng, fearing that Zhao Jin would increase the pressure, shouted in panic.

Hearing this, Liu Yong hesitated and said, "Brother, those incense burners have indeed been in conflict recently. It's said that the new people from Shandong are fighting with the old ones. Even we have heard about it. With so many informants, Yunshan Temple must know."

After the battle tonight, everyone had started calling "Brother Zhao" simply "Brother," indicating a closer relationship.

"Perhaps the monks of Yunshan Temple saw an opportunity in the conflict..." Wang Zhaojing pondered and analyzed.

After saying this, Wang Zhaojing leaned in and whispered to Zhao Jin, "Brother Zhao, it's getting late. We should clean up here first, or we might have trouble if someone comes looking."

Zhao Jin shook his head, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice, "If I don't get to the bottom of this, I'm afraid there will be more trouble."

"This kidnapper just found a loophole. Be cautious, but cleaning up is more important!" Wang Zhaojing urged in a low voice.

The sounds of fighting and screams had likely been heard by the neighbors, and although they wouldn't meddle, some might dare to report it to the authorities. If the officials came, there would be trouble. Moreover, the people who had come out with them had stayed out too late, and their families would be worried. If the Wang and Chen families came looking, the trouble would be even greater.

Zhao Jin stood up with a stern face. The bloodied Ding Gongmeng, lying on the ground, thought Zhao Jin was about to kill him and immediately shouted, "Sir, Sir, I haven't said a single lie. This was a last resort. Yunshan Temple sent six people to watch over us. If you don't believe me, take off their headscarves; they are all bald and have the marks of a monk's tonsure!"