Fortunately, he was skilled in martial arts. Just as the person was about to collide with him, he swiftly turned aside, dodging the danger, and grabbed the person’s shoulder. Without hesitation, he kicked the person’s leg, forcing them to kneel.
“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!” The intruder was terrified, and the brothers from the Inner Cabinet had already placed a blade at his neck.
Shen Du stepped forward, coldly questioning, “Who are you? Why are you so panicked in the middle of the night?”
“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me! Over there… there’s a dead body over there…”
The man was frightened and incoherent, unable to clearly express himself, only pointing in the direction he had come from.
“Take him back first, you come with me,” Shen Du ordered coldly, realizing something was amiss. He grabbed Pan Chi by the arm and headed in the direction the man had indicated.
Pan Chi was taken by surprise, not yet recovered from the shock, as Shen Du dragged him along.
Being a well-known official’s son, Pan Chi couldn’t stand being ordered around by Shen Du without any regard for his dignity. Moreover, Shen Du’s actions were utterly unreasonable, making him lose face.
Thinking of this, Pan Chi retaliated, pulling away from Shen Du, and angrily said, “Stay away from me! As a dignified Grand Cabinet Leader, how can you act so unprincipled, using me as a roadblock? Do I not have any dignity?”
Hearing this, Shen Du smirked, looking at him with disdain, “It’s necessary for the case, no choice. Why are you taking it so seriously, Pan Gongzi?”
Shen Du returned Pan Chi’s previous words to him, making Pan Chi feel awkward, his lips twitching uncontrollably. “Don’t use the case to fool me. I know you just don’t like me. If that’s the case, why do you want me to chase the culprit with you?”
Hearing this, Shen Du laughed even more, “Since you know I don’t like you, why do you keep appearing in front of me?”
“I’m doing it for the sake of the case, completely out of necessity.”
Shen Du’s smile widened, “Yes, I’m also out of necessity.”
Pan Chi’s face turned livid, his lips twitching uncontrollably, realizing he had fallen into Shen Du’s trap.
As a refined gentleman, he had never suffered such grievances, making him extremely resentful.
“You, you are just being unreasonable!”
“I am, what can you do about it?”
Pan Chi felt like spitting blood, never expecting Shen Du to be so shameless.
His face was thicker than the city walls, able to say such things.
The brothers from the Inner Cabinet were also stunned, wondering how these two could still have the mood to bicker at such a time. If they wasted any more time, the culprit would be long gone.
Under pressure, Pan Chi leaped onto the roof, heading in the direction indicated by the intruder, finally satisfying Shen Du.
Seeing Pan Chi fall into his trap time and again, Shen Du felt a sense of satisfaction. To be good to his woman, one must endure some hardships.
Pan Chi alternated between the roof and the ground, constantly wary of Shen Du. If not for needing to search for clues on the ground, he would never willingly stay on the ground with Shen Du.
The two pursued for a long distance when suddenly they heard a woman’s cry for help ahead.
Due to the darkness, they couldn’t immediately pinpoint the exact location.
At this moment, Pan Chi happened to be on the ground with Shen Du, not far apart. Hearing the cry for help, Pan Chi’s heart sank, feeling something was wrong.
To avoid a repeat of previous incidents, he quickly leaped onto the roof, not forgetting to say, “Let’s see how you push me out this time.”
Shen Du looked at him with disdain, hearing his voice but not seeing him. Why would he push him out?
Without further thought, Shen Du also leaped onto the roof, listening to the cries to determine the direction.
Soon, they locked onto a location and quickly descended from the roof.
The place was well-hidden, and without the cries for help, it would have been hard to find.
It was a well, pitch black inside, with nothing visible.
Strangely, though they had followed the woman’s voice, it ceased as they reached the edge.
What did this mean?
“Why is there no sound? Could she be dead?” Pan Chi wondered aloud, looking at the well, while Shen Du cast a cold glance at him.
Pan Chi shrugged, looking at the dark well, “What are you looking at? Am I wrong? It’s so dark down there, can you tell if she’s dead or alive?”
Shen Du snorted, ignoring him, and looked down into the dark well, formulating a plan.
“Seeing you leap across rooftops, your lightness skill must be excellent. Go down and take a look.”
Hearing this, Pan Chi’s lips twitched, “Why should I go down? We don’t even know if she’s dead or alive. What if I get killed down there?”
“If you get killed, I’ll collect your body and build a grave for you, ensuring your soul doesn’t wander and scare others.”
“You!!” Pan Chi was infuriated, pointing at Shen Du with a trembling hand, unable to say a word.
Shen Du sneered, “If you can’t outtalk me, you’ve lost. Go down.”
With that, Shen Du didn’t hesitate, kicking him into the well.
“I… you!”
Shen Du didn’t hear what Pan Chi said, only a thud, then silence. The well wasn’t as deep as he thought.
Not knowing what happened below, a pair of hands emerged from the darkness, grabbing his robe.
Shen Du looked down, seeing a slender, fair hand, a woman’s hand. The woman, dressed in bridal attire, emerged, clearly the bride. Her hair was disheveled, her phoenix crown missing, her face pale, eyes wide with fear.
Shen Du quickly pulled her out, and soon a figure flew out of the well, standing with hands on hips, pointing at Shen Du and cursing, “You call yourself a Grand Cabinet Leader, do you have any principles? Am I, the elegant Pan Gongzi, a dough to be kneaded? You keep setting me up, is it fun?”
Shen Du ignored Pan Chi’s rant, instead asking the rescued woman, “Are you today’s bride?”
“Yes, yes, I am.” Seeing Shen Du’s official attire, the woman broke down, crying, “I am Du Xiaowan, the bride kidnapped today. Sir, save me, sir.”
Shen Du comforted her briefly as some brothers from the Inner Cabinet, worried about Shen Du, caught up with them.
“Grand Cabinet Leader.”
Seeing Shen Du had found and rescued the bride, they were relieved.
Pan Chi continued his tirade, but Shen Du paid no attention. With the bride found, they could question her later.
Just as he was about to have Du Xiaowan taken away, she suddenly said, “Sir, there’s another person down there, another one.”