Bai Fan gave it some thought and agreed with a sigh. “If my martial skills weren't so average and I knew how to ride a horse, I'd really like to give it a try. I heard from the Head Constable that the competition is two months away, and our county hasn't chosen its contenders yet.”
As he spoke, Little Black sprang from Gu Qingyun's shoulder in a single bound, barking wildly and growling fiercely toward an empty spot.
Little Black: “Meow! Meow! Meow!”
Watching Little Black battle thin air, Bai Fan felt his calves tremble uncontrollably. “Sister Yun, what kind of luck do I have? Did we run into something unclean again?”
Gu Qingyun chuckled softly as she watched the fierce battle between cat and phantom dog. “Don't worry. It's not a ghost this time—it's a dog spirit.”
Bai Fan swallowed hard. “A... a dog spirit?”
Gu Qingyun nodded gently. “Mhm. It's a yellow dog with bright eyes and a round, plump body. You can tell it was well taken care of. I wonder why it's lingering here.”
With that, she walked over to the pair. As she approached, Little Black and the yellow dog stopped fighting. The yellow dog began circling Gu Qingyun, barking incessantly.
She squatted down, scooped up Little Black, and patted the yellow dog's head, her voice softening considerably. “Yellow dog, do you have an unfulfilled wish?”
The big yellow dog trotted a short distance in one direction, then stopped and turned back to look at Gu Qingyun.
“Are you trying to lead us somewhere?”
Gu Qingyun thought for a moment, then turned to Bai Fan. “Come on. The yellow dog wants to take us somewhere. Let's follow it and see.”
Without a word, Bai Fan fell in behind Gu Qingyun. The yellow dog led them further and further off the beaten path, finally stopping outside a single-story house in the outskirts.
It barked urgently at Gu Qingyun a few times before phasing straight through the door into the house. Outside, Gu Qingyun could still hear its faint barking.
Gu Qingyun halted a short distance from the house. Though it was a dog that had led her here, she did not dare drop her guard. Gripping her saber tightly, she kept her eyes glued to the structure. “Bai Fan, wait here while I scout ahead. This might be where the yellow dog died.”
“The dog is pure and kind at heart. Normally, after dying, it should have reported to the Underworld. Since it's still lingering here, there must be something it can't let go of. I'll be right back.”
With those words, Gu Qingyun crept toward the house. Peering through the fence, she saw no one in the courtyard and vaulted over it quickly. The front door was ajar, letting a faint sliver of light leak out.
Slowing her steps, she approached the door carefully and peered through the gap. The sight inside chilled Gu Qingyun to the bone.
Curled up in a corner were seven or eight children. The oldest was no more than seven or eight, while the youngest was only two or three. Their hands and feet were bound with hemp rope, and their mouths were gagged with rags. The children trembled in terror, whimpering through the gags as tears streamed down their faces continuously.
The big yellow dog circled anxiously around two of the children, trying to lick them to offer comfort, but unfortunately, the children could not see it.
In the center of the room sat a square table surrounded by three men and one woman, chatting and laughing. One burly man held a bowl of wine and laughed heartily. “Hahaha! We hit the jackpot this morning! Snatching several kids in a single morning. Once we ship them up north under the radar, we'll make an absolute killing! After this job, we'll hit a new spot and live like kings for a good long while.”
He chuckled a few times before wincing sharply from a wound on his leg. “Hiss! Damn, that hurts like hell! That beast bit deep and wouldn't let go no matter how hard I beat it. Fuck, I wish I could reduce that damn creature to ashes!”
A short, dark-complexioned man chimed in. “Brother Wu, that beast is already in our bellies. That's basically the same as reducing it to ashes!”
“Speaking of which, now that we're full and drunk, shouldn't we have a little fun? Look at those two older girls. They look pretty good, and most importantly, they're young and tender. What do you say we... Of course, Brother Wu, you get first dibs!”
Hearing this, intense murderous intent burst from Gu Qingyun's eyes. Her hand gripping her saber quivered with suppressed rage. Just as she was about to draw her blade, the man called Brother Wu abruptly punched the short man in the face. “Enjoy my ass! You drink a bit of horse piss and suddenly you're thinking with your crotch? None of these children can be touched! If they lose their virginity, they lose their value!”
“I, Wu Dadan, have been in this business for years! Who doesn't know that my goods are always untouched? If the guy scouting out the targets hadn't kicked the bucket, a sweet gig like this wouldn't have fallen to you in the first place!”
“If you want a woman, once we split the money, you can go straight to a brothel and get as many as you want. Plenty to eat and drink, with women catering to your every whim—isn't that way better than these little brats who haven't even grown hair yet?”
The short man pulled his head back and offered a servile smile. “Brother Wu is right. I was short-sighted. I'll definitely be careful next time.”
A woman beside them giggled softly. “Alright, Old Wu, stop scaring him. Let's just eat and drink. Once tonight passes and we load these goods onto the boat tomorrow, we can finally breathe easy.”
The man called Old Wu chuckled and smacked his lips. “Chun'er, you really have great cooking skills. That dog meat this morning tasted fantastic—so tender! Tsk, tsk, I'd love to eat it again.”
The woman named Chun'er shot him a look. “That was just good luck. The dog didn't even run—it just tried to save its young masters. Just a dumb dog trying to play the hero! Look where that got it—right into our bellies.”
Gu Qingyun took a deep breath. Charging in right now was not a wise decision. There were children inside, and if she failed to kill all four of them in a single stroke, they might react like cornered beasts and take the children hostage, which would defeat the purpose.
She didn't listen to the rest. Retreating quietly from the house, she returned directly to Bai Fan and spoke in a rushed tone, “Bai Fan, take Little Black and head back immediately. Summon all the constables on duty tonight—blow the signal whistle directly! Tell them we found child kidnappers here with seven or eight children. I'll keep watch here. Be quick!”
Gu Qingyun did not have to wait too long. About half a shichen later, Bai Fan arrived at the spot with several constables.
After a brief debriefing, they formed a quick plan: Gu Qingyun, Old Liao, and two other skilled constables would lead the assault. They would capture the targets alive if possible, but execute them on the spot if not. Bai Fan and the remaining constables were tasked with protecting the children.
With their plan set, they vaulted quietly into the courtyard. Gu Qingyun kicked open the door. Though the occupants had consumed a fair bit of alcohol, their long-standing alertness made them grab their weapons to fight back instantly.
Gu Qingyun unsheathed her saber and engaged the man called Old Wu in combat. Old Liao and the others who rushed in after her engaged their own opponents. Instantly, the house echoed with the sound of clashing weapons and fierce combat.
Having practiced martial arts since childhood, Gu Qingyun fought with far greater discipline and skill than Wu Dadan, who relied purely on brute force.
Pressing her hand against the hilt of her blade, she drove her foot forward with full force, kicking Wu Dadan squarely in the stomach. He flipped backward, sent flying several meters.
Gu Qingyun gave him no time to react. Like a gust of wind, she shot forward and struck the back of her blade heavily against Wu Dadan's neck. Before he could utter a word, he crumpled to the ground like a pile of mud.
While the other constables were still locked in fierce combat, Gu Qingyun moved in to catch their foes off guard. In less than a breath's time, the remaining three met the exact same fate as Wu Dadan.
Rate on N.U.
