"And those two as well," the child in the old servant's arms pointed at the other two drunkards. "When Boss Wei took people to capture my sister, these two were there."
"It has nothing to do with us."
"We were merely following orders," the two drunkards stammered nervously, panicking as the child, Tiesheng, pointed them out.
The white-clad youth, Yan Jin, frowned and shouted, "Where is his sister?"
"This..." Boss Wei and the other two exchanged glances, hesitating. The gang's rules were extremely strict.
"If you don't find her, all three of you will die," Yan Jin said coldly.
"We'll talk."
"She's already been sent to Xianshi Court," Boss Wei and the others quickly replied.
...
Xianshi Court was one of the six strongholds of the Black Wolf Gang, specifically used for training women. It was located in the northern part of Dongning City.
"Woof! Woof!"
The sky had completely darkened, and occasional barks could be heard from within Xianshi Court, indicating that gang members were patrolling the premises.
Led by the three thugs, Boss Wei, Yan Jin, Meng Chuan, and their group arrived at the location.
"This mansion is Xianshi Court. There are usually over a hundred women inside. They are trained and, once skilled enough, are sent to various brothels. Those who fail are sent to cheaper brothels," Boss Wei said with a forced smile.
"Chuan, this is quite intriguing. I've seen some of the brothels in Dongning City from afar, but I've never seen the place where they train these women," Liu Qiyue said with excitement and curiosity. "I've long heard about the unfortunate women who were captured and brought here. Now, we are here to rescue them from their plight. Not a single one of those wicked Black Wolf Gang members can be spared."
"None of the wicked will be spared," Meng Chuan agreed.
"Open the door, it's me, Wei Zi!" Boss Wei stepped forward, knocking and shouting.
The gate of Xianshi Court opened.
The old servant stepped forward and, with a mere wave of his hand, sent the two lazy gatekeepers flying backward. They crashed into wooden pillars and the ground, coughing up blood and wailing, "Someone's attacking!" "Call for help!"
"Who dares to be so bold?"
"Who dares to cause trouble at our Black Wolf Gang's territory?"
Amid the chaos, people from all over the mansion rushed to the scene.
Yan Jin, Meng Chuan, and the others waited in the front courtyard, while Boss Wei and his two companions cowered nervously to the side. On one side were the people from Yuyang Palace and the Meng family, and on the other was their own gang. They were terrified!
Soon, a group of men emerged, some of whom radiated powerful auras, indicating they were at the Marrow Washing realm.
Leading them was a man in a luxurious robe, who had reached the Transfiguration realm.
"Young Master Meng Chuan?" The man in the luxurious robe, who had initially worn a cold expression, immediately broke into a wide smile upon seeing Meng Chuan. "To have Young Master Meng grace us with his presence is truly an honor. Young Master, is there anything I can do for you? Please, just say the word."
"Is it true that you forcibly abduct women?" Meng Chuan asked.
"Absolutely not," the elderly man in the ornate robe quickly replied. "Our Black Wolf Gang always operates in accordance with the law. How could we do such a thing?"
Meng Chuan pointed to the cowering Wei Lao Da and his two companions. "They said so."
The elderly man cast a cold glance at Wei Lao Da and the others.
"Protector, this is Young Master Meng, and that person is from Yuyang Palace. We had no choice," Wei Lao Da said with a bitter expression.
"From Yuyang Palace?" The elderly man now paid closer attention to Yan Jin and the old servant.
The old servant produced a Yuyang Palace token from his pocket and showed it.
The elderly man's heart trembled. "Yuyang Palace has servants and soldiers... but those who hold Yuyang Palace tokens are high-ranking officials within the palace, no more than ten people! Who are these two? Why haven't I heard of them?"
"The child's sister was brought here by Wei San Dao about an hour ago," Meng Chuan said.
"Wei San Dao just brought someone here?" The elderly man turned and shouted behind him, while subtly winking at one of his subordinates.
The subordinate immediately said, "It seems someone was brought here. I'll go look for them and bring them over."
"Hurry up," the elderly man barked.
The subordinate hurried off.
The elderly man then turned back to Meng Chuan and the others, smiling. "Esteemed members of Yuyang Palace, and Young Master Meng, rest assured. Our Black Wolf Gang operates with strict discipline. We would never forcibly abduct women."
"Still denying it?" Yan Jin's voice was icy as he scanned the estate. "His sister was taken, and there are hundreds of women in this estate, many of whom were likely abducted."
"Absolutely not," the elderly man insisted.
"That small building over there, seven women live inside. Bring them all out," the old servant ordered.
"Very well," the elderly man nodded, secretly astonished. "How impressive that he knew there were seven women inside from dozens of feet away?"
Soon, the seven women were brought out. Some were still young girls, while others were in their twenties or thirties.
"Did you come here voluntarily, or were you abducted?" Yan Jin asked solemnly. "Speak freely, don't be afraid. We are from Yuyang Palace, and this gentleman here is Young Master Meng of the Meng family. The Black Wolf Gang cannot threaten you. You can seek redress for any wrongs done to you. As long as these people have violated the law, none of them will escape."
"Those who violate the law will not escape," Meng Chuan added. "This is my promise to you."
The elderly man narrowed his eyes, and his subordinates exchanged glances.
One of the older women among the seven laughed bitterly. "Young masters, your efforts are futile. Which of us sisters didn't come here because we had no other choice? Like me, abandoned by my husband, with no way to make a living, no place to live, no food to eat. We were bullied and mistreated. Only by coming here could we have food, clothing, and shelter. In a way, the Black Wolf Gang gave us a way to survive."
Yan Jin, Meng Chuan, and Liu Qiyue were all stunned.
It wasn't quite what they had imagined.
Another woman spoke up, "Young masters, I escaped here during a famine, with no way out, on the verge of starving to death. Do you understand what that feels like? No one would help me. Back then, I was skin and bones, and even when I tried to sell myself, people turned me away. It was the Black Wolf Gang who picked me out from a group of beggars and gave me a way to survive."
"I was sold by my father to pay off his debts. It's my way of repaying him for raising me," a young girl said coldly. "As long as I earn enough silver in the brothel to pay off the debt… I'll regain my freedom and have some money to rely on."
"This place is wonderful. There are beautiful clothes to wear, sisters to keep me company, delicious food, and no hard labor," a woman with a baby face said with a bright smile. "Why would I need to be saved?"
…
Hidden within this estate was a secret tunnel, and at the end of the tunnel lay a concealed hall.
In the underground hall.
A hunchbacked man sat cross-legged, his body faintly shrouded in green mist, his eyes glowing with an unsettling green light.
Beside him lay the corpse of a woman, her chest hollowed out, clearly missing her heart.
"Sssss…" The hunchbacked man's long fingernails gripped a heart, though it was now shriveled and dry.
"Huuu…"
"Ssss…"
The green mist entered his body through his nostrils, and after a long while, it was exhaled from his mouth.
"Tap-tap." A sound came from outside the hall door.
"Hmm?" The hunchbacked man's expression shifted slightly as he spoke coldly, "What is it?" How dare his subordinates disturb him during his cultivation?
"My lord, a group of young men and women, accompanied by an old man, have arrived outside. They are from Yuyang Palace, and among them is Meng Chuan of the Meng family. They claim they're here to rescue a child's sister," the person outside the door whispered.
"Then return the child's sister to them," the hunchbacked man said with a frown. "I'm at a critical point in my cultivation. There's no need to provoke the Five Divine Lord Families or Yuyang Palace."
"What if they demand to search the entire Xianshi Court? Some secrets might not remain hidden," the person at the door said.
"Don't let them search!" the hunchbacked man said indifferently. "If it's truly unavoidable and the secrets are bound to be exposed, then kill them first and abandon this place. Let it serve as a warning to the Five Divine Lord Families and Yuyang Palace."
"Understood," the person outside the door replied respectfully.
The hunchbacked man looked at the female corpse on the ground and muttered in a low voice, "Such a good place for cultivation, where I can regularly obtain virgins… I really can't bear to give it up."