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墨書 Inktalez
On the second day, the Xu family was already well-prepared. Lu Duhou hurriedly arrived. The prison guards had been arranged, and since Lu Duhou was an official, it was not difficult to take a suspect for questioning.
It was precisely because of this that Lu Duhou dared to act so boldly.
Xu Shaoyin had instructed Xunuo and did not waste any more words. He took his wife and once again expressed their gratitude to Lu Duhou. Lu Duhou quickly helped the two of them up and said, "Saving one person is saving, and saving two is also saving. Why not let the master escape with me?"
Xu Shaoyin smiled bitterly and replied, "To be able to save my son is already a tremendous favor from you, Master Lu. I dare not have any other thoughts. Besides, letting one of the suspect's family members go is just a small matter. If we let the main subject escape, not only in Suxzhou but even in Great Liang, there would be no place for either of us to stay. In the end, not only would we fail to rescue my son, but it would also bring harm to your family, Master Lu. This matter cannot be done."
Lu Duhou understood the stakes involved but could not bear to give up. Seeing Xu Shaoyin say this, he stopped insisting and turned to Xunuo, saying, "Young Master, you will have to endure some hardships today during the escape."
Xunuo was sensible and quickly replied, "Uncle Lu, please don’t say that. Just call me Nuo'er. Today I am grateful for your rescue; I can’t thank you enough. How could I feel wronged?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Duhou thought to himself: The Xu family truly lives up to its reputation as a cultured household; even this young child understands reason well. It is worth risking my life for such a family.
He then bowed respectfully to the Xu couple and took a chain to restrain Xunuo before heading to the jailer to complete the paperwork. He simply stated that he was taking someone for assistance in an investigation and led Xunuo away.
The Xu couple watched as Xunuo left, knowing that this farewell meant parting forever. Yet they did not dare to make a scene and could only let their tears flow silently.
Once outside the prison, Xunuo told Lu Duhou about his father's instructions to retrieve the scriptures from their ancestral home. After a moment's thought, Lu Duhou said, "That’s good; I hope you can learn martial arts and one day avenge your parents."
After finishing speaking, he took out a set of clothes he had prepared for Xunuo and helped him change before mounting his horse and heading straight for the North Gate.
Dingmeng Two Prefectures lay south of Suxzhou, and being a cunning man, Lu Duhou would not head south where he might expose his whereabouts. Moreover, the Xu family ancestral home was located in the northern suburbs.
When they reached the city gate, the guards recognized Lu Duhou and clasped their hands together in greeting. "Lu Duhou! What brings you here so late?"
Having lived in Suxzhou for many years, Lu Duhou was familiar with all four city commanders. He clasped his hands in return and said, "A friend is gravely ill; his son has come to report it. Thus I set out overnight hoping to see him one last time. I apologize for troubling Brother Zhao."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Commander quickly ordered the gates opened. "This matter is urgent; go quickly and do not delay."
Once outside the city, Lu Duhou worried that Xunuo might not sit steadily due to his small stature, so he tied Xunuo onto his back and determinedly headed toward the Xu family ancestral home.
North of Suxzhou lay a small mountain village called Woniu Village. It was named because there was a mountain behind the village that resembled a lying cow.
In the village, there were three prominent surnames: Xu, Zhang, and Yan. Each family had produced renowned talents. Xu Guorui was the pride of the Xu family, and his wife came from the Yan family, which was also well-connected in the village.
From a young age, Xu Guorui displayed remarkable literary talent. By the time he reached adulthood, he had passed the imperial examination and embarked on a political career, serving in various positions across Fujian, Meng, and Xiang provinces.
During the turmoil caused by Zhao Wang's rebellion, Xu Guorui was stationed in Mengzhou. It was during this time that he became involved with the Wuhua Sect, forging a significant connection. As he approached middle age, he faced a personal tragedy when Zhang Shaoyin passed away while he was serving in Suxzhou. The remote location of Suxzhou led to several officials being appointed to replace him, but they all declined due to illness. Longing for home, Xu Guorui volunteered for the position in Suxzhou. It was there that he married Mrs. Xu, who was known as Xunuo.
Having a son later in life brought Xu Guorui great joy, prompting him to renovate the ancestral hall to express gratitude for his ancestors' blessings. The Xu Family Ancestral Home was located on the eastern side of the Xu Clan Ancestral Hall.
Since this branch of the Xu family had been passed down through several generations without any branches, and with both parents having died early, their residence in the city had become a grand estate. Consequently, the ancestral home often remained unoccupied except during ancestral worship ceremonies.
The ancestral home contained only some old household items and ritual vessels. Typically, it was entrusted to relatives for safekeeping. However, after recent troubles arose, the estate in the city was confiscated while the rural ancestral home was merely sealed off. Due to its lack of valuable items and its remote location, it had not yet been confiscated.
One night deep into the evening, an unexpected visitor clad in black arrived at the Xu family's ancestral home.
This person tethered their horse to the wall beside the ancestral hall. After securing the horse, they leaped onto its back and then jumped down into the courtyard of the Xu Family Ancestral Home. They made their way directly to the East Wing and drew out a Ghost Head Blade from behind them, effortlessly cleaving open the door before stepping inside.
The East Wing served as a passage between inner and outer rooms; within was a bedroom containing an Earthen Kang with a mat on it. There was also a Dressing Table on the floor and several round stools—nothing else of note. In the center of the outer room stood an Eight Immortals Table with a large wooden chest on top; it was unlatched but bore a seal.
It turned out to be an item sealed by Officialdom.
The figure in black approached the wooden chest and ripped off the seal before lifting its lid to reveal a pile of ritual vessels inside. With a chuckle, they remarked, "Looks like it's my lucky day; such fine items shouldn't go to waste on others."
As they spoke, they pulled out a Black Cloth Bag and carelessly tossed most of the items from the chest onto the ground. After discarding more than half of them, they picked up a candlestick and examined it closely before placing it into their pocket. It seemed that only what lay at the bottom of the chest was what they truly sought.
After stuffing several items into their bag without restraint, suddenly they noticed a shadow appearing at their feet. Without turning around—still facing away from the door—they reached for a knife on the table and executed a swift move called "Turning Back to Gaze at the Moon," swinging it behind them. However, their strike met only empty air.
Seeing someone leap into the courtyard, they brandished their knife and followed outside.
Upon exiting, they found two figures standing at either side of them—both clad in black with shoes and face coverings—blocking their path at the entrance. The two figures were of similar height; however, one appeared unusually thin. The slender one held a simple knife while their companion wielded twin hooks. The figure in black glared angrily at his assailant.
Unfazed by this hostility, the thin man waved his knife with a grin and said, "I never thought Gao Dutu would turn to thievery; you're stealing our livelihood."
It turned out that this figure in black was none other than Gao Fang.
After parting ways with Gao Feng that day, he had gone to Baolai Gambling House but found himself plagued by bad luck—losing at dice games and Pai Gow alike—quickly depleting over two hundred taels of silver amidst laughter from other gamblers. Frustrated by his losses and mockery from fellow players, he left the gambling den in dismay.
Not far along, he thought of the treasures in the Xu Family Ancestral Home. It turned out that it was Gao Fang who led the team to seal off the Xu Family Ancestral Home. There weren't many valuable items in this ancestral house, but there were some ritual vessels made of gold and silver, which made them precious.
These valuable ritual vessels had been accumulated by several generations of the Xu family. Every year during festivals, the clan would take out these items to honor their ancestors. To make it convenient, they were usually kept in the ancestral home, guarded by family members, which provided a sense of security. Furthermore, Xu Guorui, being a high-ranking official, meant that petty thieves would not dare to covet them. However, with Xu Guorui in trouble, Gao Fang took advantage of the situation.
On that day, seeing so many gold and silver items, Gao Fang instructed his subordinates to record and seal off other locations while he himself hid some valuable items at the bottom of a chest, placing copper and iron objects on top to wait for a future opportunity to claim a fortune.
Now that he had lost everything and was set to escort the Xu family away in three days, he thought it wise to retrieve these valuables first to avoid any unforeseen complications. Thus began his nighttime expedition to the Xu Residence, where he easily headed straight for the source of the treasures.
As for the two masked men, they were notorious thieves.
The thin one was named Shen Chuan, originally a flying thief. He had honed his light-footed skills since childhood and could leap high with ease. He had committed countless crimes around Suzhou. Due to his exceptional agility, he had evaded capture even after several attempts by officials to apprehend him. However, this also meant he could not settle down in the city and eventually ended up in a large marsh southeast of Suzhou.
This vast marsh was formed by the confluence of three rivers and was filled with dense vegetation as well as numerous ferocious beasts and swamps. It was known as Sanchuan Marsh, infamous throughout Suzhou and Great Liang for its dangers and chaos.
Shen Chuan managed to find a dry patch of land spanning several miles within this hundred-mile deep marsh thanks to his light-footedness, thus establishing a foothold.
During one outing, he encountered another notorious thief named River Dolphin. Unlike Shen Chuan, this thief was ruthless and merciless in his crimes.
River Dolphin specialized in ambushing travelers on the road; those who crossed paths with him were robbed clean and often killed without mercy. Those who managed to escape lived in constant fear of encountering him again.
This thief had been pursued by officials from Dingzhou all the way to Chaos Beast Shore. Shen Chuan had long heard of River Dolphin's infamous reputation. Seeing River Dolphin being chased so desperately by the authorities, he thought that this bold and ruthless man could be useful as an accomplice in establishing a base at Chaos Beast Shore. Thus, he lured River Dolphin to his hideout in the hill area.
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