Ping Zhao Lu

Chapter 131 Human Traffickers

Late at midnight, everything was quiet and the entire inn was immersed in tranquility.

The lights in all the rooms went out one by one as if they had agreed to do so, leaving only the dim moonlight shining through the windows onto the ground.

In this silent atmosphere, suddenly, a slight sound came from the back window of a guest room.

A sharp stick was carefully inserted into the window paper and gently poked a small hole.

Then, a wisp of light white smoke slowly came out of the chimney, like a white ribbon, slowly spreading into the room.

The guard who had been guarding Wang Ruo and dozing off from time to time due to sleepiness suddenly seemed to sense something strange and opened his eyes abruptly.

His originally confused eyes suddenly became sharp, and he quickly noticed the unusual atmosphere in the air.

Almost subconsciously, he swiftly covered his nostrils with his hands and quietly moved his body to the side of the corner, trying to hide his figure as much as possible.

After a long while, two blurry figures finally began to appear in the pitch-black room.

With the faint moonlight coming in from the window, one can vaguely see that the two people are quite fat, with black veils on their faces, so their real faces cannot be seen clearly.

They tiptoed and stealthily approached the bed step by step.

When they finally reached the bed, they saw the sweetly sleeping child on the bed and couldn't help but look at each other excitedly.

After nodding in understanding, they couldn't wait to take out the sacks and coarse cloth and ropes that they had prepared long ago.

Their movements were skillful and quick, and it was obvious that this was not the first time they had done this.

Just as they were about to stretch out their hands to touch Wang Ruo, the guards who had been hiding in the darkness suddenly appeared like ghosts.

He attacked the two gangsters from behind with lightning speed and kicked one of them hard on the back.

With a dull "bang", the strong man fell forward to the ground defenselessly, groaning in pain.

Seeing this, the other gangster wanted to turn around and resist, but before he could make any move, the guard slammed him with another fierce palm, knocking him dizzy and sending him falling heavily to the ground.

At this moment, the originally dim candlelight in the room was suddenly lit up quickly by other guards.

In an instant, the bright firelight illuminated the entire room like daylight, illuminating everything clearly.

On the large, soft bed, Wang Ruo closed his eyes tightly, as if deep in a sweet dream. He was completely unaware that he had inhaled the mysterious incense and was immersed in a deep sleep.

Seeing that he was just unconscious, the guards breathed a sigh of relief. Then, with light steps, they quietly and silently approached the figures lying on the ground.

Just at this moment, a slight noise suddenly came from the originally silent room.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw two dark shadows suddenly leaping into the house like ghosts from a window sill that had been pushed open on one side.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze, and a tense atmosphere filled the entire space.

The guards instantly became alert and cast sharp eyes at the two uninvited guests.

The first thing that caught my eye was the child walking in front, who was probably only about seven years old.

He was dressed in a bright red riding uniform, and his small body stood straight, like a pine tree standing proudly in the wind.

Although he is still young, his tender little face reveals a calm temperament beyond his peers. His slender eyebrows are slightly raised, and his bright eyes flash with indifference and arrogance, which makes people dare not underestimate him.

Following closely behind the child was a sword-wielding guard with a serious and unsmiling expression.

He was tall and strong, with steady and powerful steps. The long sword hanging at his waist shone coldly in the dim moonlight, giving people an invisible sense of pressure.

"Oh, these two finally got into trouble!" Pei Nanchao raised the corner of his mouth slightly, revealing a barely perceptible sneer. He crossed his arms over his chest, turned his head, and winked at the sword-wielding guard behind him.

After receiving the order, the sword-wielding guard stepped forward without hesitation, heading straight towards the people lying on the ground. His steps were firm and decisive, as if carrying some kind of irresistible force.

"who are you!"

Seeing this, several guards crouching on the ground stood up suddenly and moved quickly to block Pei Nanchao and his entourage in front of them.

They all had solemn expressions, weapons tightly gripped in their hands, ready for battle.

Facing the guards' questioning, Pei Nanchao remained calm and responded indifferently, "He works for the Minister of Justice."

When the guards heard that it was the Chief Justice, they looked at each other, and their eyes revealed a hint of doubt and vigilance.

Their eyes all fell on the child in front of them who looked immature and childish. They were full of doubts and refused to back down.

Pei Nanchao walked forward steadily, reached into his arms, and slowly took out a token.

He held the token in front of him, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and asked provocatively, "Now you should believe it, right?"

The guards looked closely, and when they saw the token clearly, their faces changed instantly.

They knew very well the significance and weight of the token, so they did not dare to delay any longer. They hurriedly retreated and quickly made way.

Pei Nanchao's subordinates stepped forward without hesitation, opened their hands left and right, and easily lifted up the two burly men as if they were lifting chickens.

This astonishing scene left everyone present dumbfounded and shocked.

Everyone stared blankly at the subordinate who displayed such terrifying strength, and couldn't help but secretly feel fortunate that they didn't rashly clash with them just now.

Judging from this brother's arm strength, it would be no problem for him to knock down one of them with one punch.

Seeing this, Pei Nanchao nodded with satisfaction and waved his hand gently. The subordinate immediately understood what he meant and walked out of the inn door with the two captured people in a swagger.

He followed behind calmly and was about to step out the door.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly seemed to remember something, turned his head abruptly, and looked straight at Wang Ruo who was lying on the bed.

His brows were slightly furrowed, his eyes lowered, as if he was lost in thought. After a long while, he slowly raised his feet and finally left the room resolutely.

After Pei Nanchao and others walked away, the originally silent room suddenly exploded.

The guards were whispering to each other and talking at once, their words filled with surprise and confusion about what had just happened.

"Have you seen this brat in the court?"

"I haven't seen it, but the token he holds in his hand is the former Minister of Justice's."

"Wasn't the former Minister of Justice the eldest son of the Pei family..."

"That's right. At that time, Master Pei requested to be transferred from the position of Chief Justice and is now the County Magistrate of Donghu Town."

"Why would you become a small county magistrate when you can't be a high-ranking official..."

"I don't know. But with their ancestors' achievements, no matter where they are employed, they will be very popular."

*

Xu Zhouye tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Various thoughts and worries kept surfacing in his mind, making him increasingly anxious and restless.

Chu Yunxiao beside him noticed his abnormality, reached out his hand gently, patted his back tenderly, and said softly: "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Such comfort did not calm Xu Zhouye down. He just frowned slightly and sighed deeply.

If he had come to the Golden Palace an hour ago, he would not have heard what his father said.

No wonder he was so uneasy tonight. It turned out that his eldest brother was seriously injured in the northern border and almost died.

In the previous life, it was Lin Zhuoran who was seriously injured. In this life, even though he had predicted the future for his elder brother and tried to avoid this disaster, he could not escape his fate...

My father said my eldest brother was injured while shielding himself from a soldier's gun. The sharp blade of the gun was only inches away from his heart; even a slight deviation would have had disastrous consequences. Fortunately, he was rescued in time and his life was saved.

Xu Zhouye closed his eyes and thought.

Before, General Fu insisted on recommending my elder brother to go to war, so he must have planted spies among them to facilitate the action.

Now this injury is probably not as simple as it seems.

It is really unbelievable that the eldest brother is such a cautious and rational person. On the battlefield where swords are ruthless and life and death are at stake, how could he, as the commander-in-chief, easily take the knife for a soldier?

After all, on the battlefield, the commander-in-chief is the soul and core of the entire army, and his safety is directly related to the success or failure of the entire battle.

If the commander-in-chief unfortunately falls, then the war will probably lose its backbone in an instant, become vulnerable, and it is very likely to collapse without a fight.

How could Big Brother do such a stupid thing as sacrificing the big family to save the small one?

Xu Zhouye opened his eyes, still unable to suppress his inner anxiety, and could not help but speak to Chu Yunxiao, "Minister Sun is one of us..."

Chu Yunxiao understood the meaning of his words and continued to pat his back to comfort him, "Minister Sun will find out everything and give me a reply."