Chapter 20: Kidnapping?

The scoundrel had been severely wounded by Old You and was effectively no longer a threat.

Given that the matter involved the personal belongings and reputation of the Young Miss, Wen Fengxian, a Level 7 ability user who served as both chauffeur and personal bodyguard, made an immediate decision. She instructed the accompanying guards, "Spread out and secure the perimeter! Do not let anyone else from the village approach. I will handle things here."

The guards understood the implication and promptly took up positions.

The Wang'ao fishing village was already bustling with the morning activity. From a distance, the various sounds of the village could be heard, and one could even see the flickering lights of boats heading out to sea. This was what distinguished a fishing village from an ordinary one; their schedule was dictated by the tides rather than the simple cycle of day and night. They set sail with the rising tide and rested with the ebb.

The howling of the ability-powered dogs and the sudden intrusion of outsiders drew the attention of many villagers. They emerged from their homes, gathering together to see what had happened. However, they were quickly blocked at the alley entrance by the Yan family’s security team.

"The Yan family of Fuling City is conducting business. Please excuse us, neighbors."

The villagers shook their heads and sighed. It seemed like trouble had struck at that boy Shuisheng's place again. What was wrong with that kid lately? He was always getting into trouble. He had just been detained by the "Heavenly Court" organization for several days, and now he was being targeted by the Yan family.

The crowd chattered in speculation. Old Zhou, the village chief, wrapped his coat around himself and clutched his pipe, gazing anxiously toward the direction of Shuisheng’s shack.

...

Shuisheng had just unhooked that red brassiere from the roof of his shack door when he heard the sound of barking—fierce, frantic barking—followed by the approach of people. He looked up to see the Young Miss of the Yan family, whom he had met once before at Yuan Guang Temple, walking into the courtyard with a cold, icy expression, led by her female chauffeur. Her teeth were clenched tight.

The Yan family guards fanned out, sealing off the alleys on either side.

What was going on? Why such a grand display? Shuisheng stood there, dazed.

Watching the young man before her, who stood in a daze while still clutching a very familiar red brassiere, the Young Miss of the Yan family could not help but feel relieved that she had made the right decision. Letting her subordinates disperse and stay outside was the right move—the absolutely correct move. If her subordinates had seen this scene—if they had seen her undergarment being so desecrated—where would her face be? Where would her dignity remain? What would happen to the cold, aloof image she had cultivated for years?

However, this young man... was it Shuisheng? She remembered him clearly; he was the boy she had met just a few days ago. Why was it him again? After handing over the items from her grandfather’s will, her dealings with the Yan Garden were supposed to be concluded! How did this matter end up involving him? What was his relationship with that lecherous man?

With both incidents involving this youth, the Young Miss, who already suspected something strange about her grandfather's will, now found the situation even more bizarre.

In the second or two that she spent deep in thought, Wen Fengxian’s body blurred into an afterimage, reaching Shuisheng’s side and returning just as quickly. In her hand, she now held the red brassiere.

"Young Miss," Wen Fengxian said softly, seeking instructions on how to dispose of it.

Yan Ruobing took the brassiere and confirmed once more that it was indeed her own. It still carried her familiar scent, and her fury surged, uncontrollable. She did not want to think—and dared not think—about what filthy things that lecherous man and this seemingly harmless youth might have done to it.

Whatever they had done, only fire could purify it.

She concentrated her ability in her palm, turning it into flame, and within seconds, the red brassiere was reduced to ashes.

Yan Ruobing was known as the "Ice Beauty," but she was, in fact, a genuine Fire-type ability user. Fire-type abilities were violent and volatile, exerting a profound influence on a person’s temperament. In truth, the cultivation of any of the nine categories of abilities affected the practitioner's personality accordingly.

Yan Ruobing had manifested her abilities since childhood, marking her as a prodigy. The greater the talent, the more intense the influence of the Fire-type ability. This was the main reason why the vast majority of her undergarments were red. It was precisely to control the influence of her fire abilities that she felt compelled to maintain a cold, aloof exterior, which had eventually become second nature.

Shuisheng looked at Yan Ruobing. Seeing her again without her mourning clothes, she possessed an even more breathtaking and chilling beauty than before. He still did not understand why a red brassiere had been hanging outside his shack door, nor did he understand why this Young Miss had arrived so suddenly or why she was so furious.

The Young Miss before him now had a slender, graceful figure and a jade-like face, with eyes as beautiful as autumn water—one look from her made a person feel chilled to the bone. He couldn't help but linger his gaze for a moment.

It was this lingering gaze that infuriated Wen Fengxian, the personal bodyguard who was already incensed. That the Young Miss's undergarment had been snatched under her very nose was a dereliction of her duty. She had to make amends!

She flew forward again, and before the youth could react, she kicked out. The force of the blow sent him flying, slamming him heavily against the "wall" of the wooden shack.

The boy’s body crashed through the wall, landing outside the shack. The frame of the shed let out a creaking sound of instability, and dust rained down from various spots. Wen Fengxian then stepped forward, casually pinning Shuisheng under her foot as if he were a ball. Looking closer, she saw that Shuisheng was motionless; he had been knocked unconscious by that single kick.

...

Whether it had been a long time or just a fleeting moment, Shuisheng opened his eyes.

What met his vision was a long, slender leg clad in black leather trousers. It would have been a leg of great beauty, had its owner not been pressing a sturdy leather boot against his chest and neck. Additionally, a sharp, stabbing pain radiated from his lower back, as if he had just been struck with great force.

In the next second, he grasped the situation.

"I remember meeting you. Your name is Shuisheng, right?" the owner of the long legs—a cold-faced woman—asked coldly.

Under duress, the boy dared not resist and managed to wheeze out a "Yes" from his throat.

The cold-faced woman, Wen Fengxian, pulled out a piece of paper. On it was a portrait drawn based on the descriptions provided by the Young Miss, herself, and others who had seen the lecherous man. Seeing the lecherous face of Mei Yulang at close range, Shuisheng found it somewhat absurd.

"Do you know this person?" Wen Fengxian continued to ask.

Shuisheng searched his mind for the current situation. The Yan family had found him and questioned him directly, showing they had sufficient evidence to prove he knew Mei Yulang. At this point, any denial would seem exceptionally pale and powerless.

"I... know him," he rasped.

"Good." The cold-faced woman lifted the foot that had been pressing against his neck.

Shuisheng coughed repeatedly.

"Where is he?" Wen Fengxian pressed on.

Where was he? How would he know?

"He left... he must have left. *Cough, cough*," Shuisheng was forced to say.

"Where did he go?"

"I... I don't know." It was the truth; he truly did not know.

Yan Ruobing then instructed Wen Fengxian, "Search the area."

Yan Ruobing and Wen Fengxian took Shuisheng into the shack to search.

"Living in such destitution and yet reading so many books—that is quite rare," Yan Ruobing remarked, glancing at the bookshelves in the half-shack. Her expression softened slightly; she had a fondness for those who loved to read.

"What is that man's name? How do you know him?" Yan Ruobing asked.

"He calls himself... he calls himself Mei Yulang. I don't know if that's his real name. He is... I pulled him out of the sea," Shuisheng replied. Mei Yulang’s arrival was too strange to explain, so he had to simplify it.

"Such a powerful figure, whom even the Level 8 Uncle You could not detain, needed to be pulled from the sea by a Level 1 or 2 brat like you?" Wen Fengxian drew her long blade, holding it toward Shuisheng's neck.

Seeing that his expression did not seem to be lying, Yan Ruobing reached out and pushed the blade back. Perhaps this youth had merely saved the scoundrel by chance. They had only known each other for a few days, so they didn't seem to be accomplices. The boy looked simple and spirited; he didn't look like that sort of person.

"You are truly a fool, unable to tell good from evil, saving even such a scoundrel!" Wen Fengxian said angrily.

You call Gu San a scoundrel, but he didn't do anything to me. Yet you, who claim to be the good guys, kick me, step on me, and curse me. Shuisheng complained to himself.

"Do you really not know where he went?" Wen Fengxian pressed again.

"I really don't know. I woke up, and you kicked me out of the house; that was when I realized he was gone," Shuisheng said. "I've only known him for a few days; why would he trust me enough to tell me his whereabouts?"

The two members of the Yan family tentatively believed his words.

"Young Miss, what should we do next?" Wen Fengxian asked.

"There seems to be some inexplicable connection between them. I don't believe they have no ties, nor do I believe that man will stop paying attention to this boy," Yan Ruobing said. "Take him with us. Bring him back to the Yan estate. Sooner or later, we will be able to find out the whereabouts of that scoundrel through him!"