Inside the secret cave, Meng Rui quickly withdrew his form, but the dagger had already pierced into his back. Meng Rui leaned against the mountain wall, looking at the man who hastily released the dagger, and said in shock, “You, Fu Nianyu?!”

Niu Zhiying also seemed not to understand why her husband would suddenly ambush Meng Rui. She looked at Fu Nianyu. “Nianyu, what are you doing?”

“I, I don’t know.” Fu Nianyu held his head, shaking it violently.

“Hmph! Having already heard the whole story from beginning to end, sending you all to your deaths won’t be unjust.” Jin Yaoguang coughed twice and said coldly. Jin Chuang’s eyes revealed killing intent. Meng Rui’s death was imminent! The remaining several people were no match for him. A trace of vicious cold smile hung on Jin Chuang’s face.

“No, that’s not it! Master Jin, you said you’d release Zhiying and me. You promised… that’s why I helped you.” Fu Nianyu’s expression was panicked. Jin Yaoguang smiled indifferently. “Sorry, I’ve changed my mind. I’m not comfortable with people like you.”

Jin Chuang swung his fist toward Niu Zhiying and Fu Nianyu. Fu Nianyu shouted loudly, “Don’t hurt Zhiying!” Fu Nianyu blocked in front of Niu Zhiying. Jin Chuang’s fist wind howled. With this punch, he was confident he could shatter Fu Nianyu’s chest. Jin Yaoguang closed his eyes slightly, but after a long time, he didn’t hear Fu Nianyu’s painful screams.

Jin Yaoguang slowly opened his eyes but saw Jin Chuang lying on the ground. Beside Fu Nianyu stood a person—gray-white ramie clothes, hideous blue face. Who else could it be but Meng Rui!

Meng Rui’s form was free and easy, completely unlike someone who had been stabbed in a fatal death point. Jin Chuang’s hand was already crippled. He said in disbelief and shock, “Impossible! I clearly saw the dagger pierce your back. How could you be fine?”

The dagger was still inserted in Meng Rui’s back. Meng Rui sneered and unfolded the gray-white ramie clothes. A layer of silvery-white powder slid down from within the ramie clothes, and half a dagger clattered to the ground. Jin Yaoguang said disheartened, “Did you already know Fu Nianyu would strike at you?”

“Yes.” Meng Rui said calmly. “I always secretly watched Fu Nianyu’s every move. When he brought out the dagger, I immediately concentrated all my internal energy at my back position and shattered the sharp blade that stabbed at me.”

“I don’t understand. How did you know?” Jin Yaoguang asked.

“I found clues at Chunfeng Hall. Ma He lived alone at Chunfeng Hall. When I was monitoring Chunfeng Hall, I wanted to try my luck and explore Ma He’s residence, and indeed gained something. In the hidden corner crevice of Ma He’s room, I found two wax papers. One was a list of customers who purchased secret medicine from Chunfeng Hall. On the other was carved more than a dozen people’s names, with silver amounts after the names. I unexpectedly saw Fu Nianyu’s name.” Meng Rui turned to look at Fu Nianyu. “After Fu Nianyu’s name, it said five hundred taels of patterned silver.”

Meng Rui shook his head and sighed. “Fu Dan wasn’t abducted by someone, but was sold by you. Fu Nianyu, isn’t that right?” When Meng Rui’s words fell, Fu Nianyu was thunderstruck, shaking his head and murmuring in a low voice. Ma He’s second list was his list of sellers in the business of buying and selling girls at Chunfeng Hall. The Jin father and son not only viciously robbed and snatched girls but also engaged in the black-hearted business of buying and selling girls.

Niu Zhiying widened her eyes as if she completely didn’t recognize her own husband. She pulled away Fu Nianyu’s hands holding his head and stared at him fixedly. “Is it true?”

Tears flowed from Fu Nianyu’s eyes. His voice choked. “I didn’t want to live in poverty anymore. I didn’t want you to suffer with me. When sick, we didn’t even have money to see a doctor… So when Ma He found me, I… I agreed. But Ma He said he’d help Dandan find a good family to foster her with. That’s what he said. I didn’t know he had other intentions in buying Dandan. Believe me, Zhiying. I didn’t mean to deceive you. I didn’t mean to sell Dandan… I was wrong.” Fu Nianyu knelt before Niu Zhiying. Niu Zhiying slapped Fu Nianyu’s face, immediately leaving five blood-red finger marks. Niu Zhiying cried, “Don’t call my name. I don’t know you. You bastard, you beast!”

“Was it also Jin Yaoguang who ordered you to kill Meng Rui?” Kua Lao also asked. Fu Nianyu resentfully lifted his eyes to glare at Jin Yaoguang and nodded heavily. “After Dandan was taken away, I regretted it very much. Then Ma He’s miserable death made me even more uneasy. I wanted to get my child back, but Ma He was already dead. I could only go to Chunfeng Hall to find Manager Sun. I thought he must also know what Ma He did. After I went to Chunfeng Hall, I quickly met Jin Chuang.”

Over there, Jin Chuang coldly watched Fu Nianyu.

“Jin Chuang was overbearing and unreasonable. He asked what evidence I had that the child was sold to Chunfeng Hall. So helplessly, I revealed that Meng Rui was investigating the case of abducting girls and had set Sanfen Village’s Jin Residence as the target of suspicion. Jin Chuang drove me out. I was anxious all day long, not knowing what to do. Unexpectedly, several days later, Jin Chuang found me again and threatened me to tell him Meng Rui’s every move and the evidence and clues he had grasped. If I didn’t do as he said, he would kill Dandan and also tell Zhiying that I sold the child. I had no choice and could only agree on the surface, but I didn’t say anything.” Fu Nianyu spoke out what he had hidden in his heart. “Just now when turning into the side path, Jin Chuang suddenly stuffed a dagger into my hand, hinting that I should kill Meng Rui. I don’t know what evil possessed me that I actually struck… I’m not human. Zhiying, you’re right to curse me. I’m a bastard, I’m a beast.” Fu Nianyu had nothing more to say and lowered his head.

Niu Zhiying only felt darkness before her eyes. Why would the husband she trusted most do such a base and shameless thing, actually selling their daughter? Niu Zhiying supported herself against the mountain wall, unable to recover from the shock.

Jin Yaoguang sighed bitterly. “After seeing the list, you became suspicious of Fu Nianyu, so you watched his movements at every moment.”

“Not only the list. When I was monitoring Chunfeng Hall, I personally saw Fu Nianyu whispering secretively with Jin Chuang as they came out the back door. Only then did I truly become suspicious of Fu Nianyu.” Meng Rui spoke frankly. Jin Yaoguang nodded. “Heaven’s will cannot be defied! The conscienceless deeds done over many years finally have their retribution.”

“Jin Chuang went to the Yizhuang to abduct Kua Lao. Was it because you feared Wen Nansheng had confided something to Kua Lao?” Meng Rui suddenly asked. Jin Yaoguang also spoke frankly. “Yes. Jin Chuang learned that the old man at the Yizhuang saved Wen Nansheng. I worried Wen Nansheng would reveal secrets to his savior, so I sent Jin Chuang to bind him and bring him.” After Jin Yaoguang finished, Meng Rui took a deep breath and asked again, “Were Wen Nansheng and Ma He killed by you?”

The Jin father and son exchanged glances. Jin Yaoguang sighed deeply and said, “Those two men…”

Before Jin Yaoguang’s words left his mouth, a thunderous roar suddenly came from above everyone’s heads. Meng Rui looked up sharply and saw dozens of round stones weighing hundreds of pounds rolling down from the top of the stone wall. Meng Rui shouted loudly, “Run quickly!”

But the round stones had already crashed down fiercely. Jin Yaoguang was struck by a round stone as thick as three men’s waists. He spewed fresh blood, his brain matter burst forth, and he died instantly. Over there, Jin Chuang screamed miserably and wanted to flee but was held tightly by Fu Nianyu. Fu Nianyu pressed his head to the ground and shouted, “If I die, I’ll drag you to die with me!”

Niu Zhiying seemed to have lost her soul and didn’t know to dodge. Meng Rui pulled her aside, narrowly avoiding the round stones. When he turned back, he discovered the round stones concentrated on falling at the stone wall cave entrance. The entrance was about to be completely sealed off. Meng Rui couldn’t care about anything else. He leaped up and rushed into the cave. Inside the cave was pitch black. Meng Rui heard Jin Yaoguang’s heart-wrenching cry of pain, followed by the shadows of more round stones crashing down. Meng Rui groped in the darkness. Suddenly the ground beneath his feet gave way, and he fell straight down.

In the last glimpse looking toward outside the cave, red blood water splashed.

Meng Rui woke from unconsciousness. When he fell, his forehead struck a sharp stone, so he had lost consciousness. Meng Rui waited quietly for a moment and gradually could roughly distinguish objects in the darkness. The cave’s height was less than four chi, and he didn’t know where there were protruding sharp stones. Meng Rui could only crawl forward close to the ground. The cramped space and the dark silent surroundings gave Meng Rui a strange inexplicable feeling, as if placed inside a dark, cold, and endless giant coffin. Meng Rui was startled by his own bizarre notion.

Crawling like an insect for who knows how long, Meng Rui’s hands and legs gradually all lost sensation. Finally, he crawled to a smooth open space and discovered a large wooden basket. Meng Rui was startled. Then he climbed into the wooden basket. The wooden basket swayed twice and actually began slowly moving upward.

Only then did Meng Rui confirm the wooden basket was an elaborately designed transportation mechanism. The wooden basket trembled and swayed in the ice-cold cave. Meng Rui could only see vast expanses of ink-like darkness all around. The darkness continued. The wooden basket changed its trajectory on its own, beginning to transform from upward movement to falling downward. After another cup of tea’s time, the wooden basket went upward again, then… Finally, Meng Rui completely lost his sense of direction and time, only able to let the wooden basket pull him toward the unknown destination.

“Bang!” The wooden basket crashed into the stone wall in the darkness and stopped. A hazy colored light suddenly sprinkled on Meng Rui’s face.

Meng Rui climbed out of the wooden basket and walked into that strange light.