Chapter 67 – Rebirth: The Poisonous Concubine (08)
Upon confirming that the hostages were safe, the magistrate sent officers to escort them. Bai Mo then spoke up, “Those men still don’t know that I’ve freed the captives. They’ll be bringing back even more people—we can’t let them escape.”
If even one slipped away, it would be like wildfire spreading—the embers never truly die, and with the spring breeze, the weeds would grow again.
Everyone understood this principle well. The magistrate, impressed by Bai Mo’s insight, developed a sense of appreciation for his talent. Intentionally testing him, he asked, “In that case, Young Master Bai, what do you suggest we do?”
A mischievous glint flashed in the boy’s eyes as he grinned. “Why, we capture them all in one fell swoop, of course.” No prey had ever escaped the claws of a snow ferret.
Half an hour later, the kidnappers returned with three more women. The courtyard was dimly lit—most of the lanterns had been extinguished.
“Hey, why isn’t the place lit up?” One of the returning men nearly tripped over some clutter in the middle of the yard due to the darkness.
Two kidnappers, who had been guarding the courtyard, sat in front of the house. The flickering firelight barely illuminated them, making their facial expressions difficult to discern.
“The wind’s too strong. Can’t keep the lanterns lit,” one of the gatekeepers rasped.
The men who had been out all night were too tired to notice that their companion’s voice sounded strangely hoarse.
“How are the captives inside? Still behaving? We’ll be moving them in the second half of the night—we can’t afford any accidents,” one of the kidnappers instructed.
“Not a peep from them. Why don’t you go check?” the gatekeeper suggested.
The kidnapper suspected nothing. After all, the people inside were just delicate, defenseless young women—what was there to be wary of? Without a second thought, he walked in.
But inside the room, there were no helpless maidens. Instead, he was met with a group of well-trained, muscular men—each one capable of taking down two opponents with a single punch.
The moment the two kidnappers stepped in, they barely had time to register the situation before Yu Chenyi struck, knocking them out instantly. The officers swiftly gagged them, knocked them unconscious, tied them up, and tossed them into a pile of straw in the corner.
Through the windows, silent signals were exchanged between those inside and outside, ensuring that all the kidnappers would be lured into the trap.
This put the two undercover officers disguised as kidnappers in a tough spot—what excuse could they use to lure the gang members into the house one by one, effectively leading them to their doom?
Bai Mo quickly came up with a plan. Why did these kidnappers abduct people? For wealth and pleasure, of course. A house full of “helpless and beautiful young women” would surely be an irresistible lure for these depraved men.
Without hesitation, they put the plan into action. Yu Chenyi lit a lamp, casting a faint glow inside the room. The shadows of those inside were projected onto the window paper. Bai Mo softened his voice, making it sound sweet yet trembling with fear, helpless and pitiful as he cried out, “No… don’t come any closer! Wuwuwu… Help! Let me go…”
Yu Chenyi played along perfectly, wrapping his arms around Bai Mo. Their shadows intertwined on the window screen—one moment struggling apart, the next moment being pulled back together.
After all, they were supposed to be portraying a group of “young maidens.” It couldn’t be just one voice crying out. Pinching his throat, Yu Chenyi imitated a lecherous kidnapper:
“Scream all you want, scream until your throat is raw! No one’s coming to save you! Before you’re sold off, why don’t you let me have some fun first…”
“Help! Waaahhh!” The room erupted in a chorus of high-pitched, shrill cries. The group of burly men acting as the distressed damsels pinched their own thighs, their eyes welling up with tears from the pain as they wailed in different tones.
It wasn’t long before the commotion inside the house caught the attention of the other kidnappers outside. Several of their previous hideouts had been raided recently, and they had already lost a good number of their men. The brothels in town were too scared to accept new girls, so their only option was to sell them off to remote villages.
But the men in those villages only cared about getting a wife—they didn’t mind if she was still “pure” or not. Rather than letting outsiders take advantage, why not let their own brothers enjoy themselves first? Besides, those government officials had already caused them plenty of trouble. A father’s debt should be repaid by his daughter—those officials’ precious daughters could serve as their compensation.
With that thought in mind, the kidnappers exchanged sinister smiles, their eyes gleaming with the same lustful intent.
Since the house was already packed with captives, they decided to enter in small groups to avoid overcrowding. They were all brothers, so there was no need to fight over who went first.
Some went off to drink, while others eagerly rubbed their hands together as they stepped inside.
But none of the ones drinking noticed something strange—after a delay of several seconds, the silhouettes of those who entered the house would finally appear on the window screen. That was because, the moment they stepped through the door, they were knocked unconscious and immediately replaced by the undercover officers.
Bai Mo sat atop a pile of straw, weakly calling out as he counted the remaining kidnappers on his fingers. There should still be seven of them left outside.
The young man yawned, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes. He was exhausted. What was taking these kidnappers so long? Were they even real men? If they were, they should stop dawdling and all come inside together—knocking them out in one go would be so much more efficient. They were wasting his precious sleep time.
“Leave the rest to us. Get some rest, Mo Mo,” Yu Chenyi said, holding Bai Mo close and gently stroking his smooth black hair, his gaze exceptionally tender.
“Alright… Make sure you catch them all. Not a single one can be let go… understand?” Bai Mo murmured, covering his mouth as he yawned again. No, no, he was too sleepy… He just wanted to sleep so badly…
“I understand. Sleep now,” Yu Chenyi reassured him, letting Bai Mo rest against his chest for a nap.
The two sat beneath the windowsill, ensuring their shadows wouldn’t be visible from outside. Meanwhile, the officers continued their pitiful wailing, all while having to endure the sickeningly sweet display before them. Their throats were sore and hoarse, and yet, Yu Chenyi and Bai Mo remained a glaring contrast to their misery.
Same task, different fate. Same umbrella, different handle. The joys and sorrows of people were never shared equally.
Why was it that while they were stuck pinching their thighs and wailing in anguish, Yu Chenyi got to cuddle a soft and fragrant young master? Life was so unfair—wu wu wu…
“Enough complaining. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can clock out,” one officer nudged his dazed colleague with an elbow.
Their grand performance of tragic wailing had to continue, growing ever more wretched and heartrending as their cries echoed through the night wind.
In the neighboring courtyard, the men who had run off earlier to warn their comrades were startled awake by the eerie, sorrowful cries drifting through the air.
The weeping, filled with despair, resentment, and grief—along with a few rather off-key sobs—sent chills down their spines.
“B-Big Brother… could it be… ghosts?” one of them stammered.
“Don’t talk nonsense! There’s no such thing as ghosts! Stop spouting superstitions in the middle of the night,” the leader snapped. “It’s probably just some family mourning their dead.”
“Exactly! This isn’t the first time. They clearly don’t take us seriously at all—didn’t listen to a single word we said.”
As they recalled the past incidents, their fear of the supernatural faded, quickly replaced by rising anger.
So noisy! Couldn’t they get a good night’s sleep?
Having already confronted the source of the noise once before, the men weren’t afraid of doing it again. They threw on their clothes, grabbed their clubs, and prepared to storm over.
Meanwhile, the commotion from the house where the kidnapped girls were held had gradually quieted down. Some of the men had gotten drunk, too intoxicated to think about anything else.
They were just waiting for the second half of the night when they would transport the girls, collect a ransom from the officials, and then leave the capital. They had no plans of returning for at least a year or two.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
The courtyard gate was pounded on again, the deafening sound startling the two undercover officers. They exchanged glances—was there still a straggler outside?
They glanced at the kidnappers who were drinking. The lantern at the entrance illuminated their faces clearly. Since they weren’t real kidnappers, opening the door might expose them. Instead, they leaned against the house door, pretending to be fast asleep.
The knocking continued for a long time, but no one answered. The men outside were getting angry. The cold wind howled, and the eerie cries from earlier still lingered in the air—it was the middle of the night, who were they trying to scare?
The drunk kidnappers were also growing irritated by the incessant knocking. Turning their heads, they saw the two gatekeepers sleeping soundly, completely oblivious to the racket. No matter how loud it got, they didn’t stir. Left with no choice, the kidnappers had to check the door themselves.
Inside the house, those lying in wait noticed that no one else had entered for a long time. They quietly asked the gatekeepers what was going on. The officers outside reported back, and when the magistrate heard that there were still accomplices lurking outside, he was immediately alarmed.
Before long, an argument broke out between the two groups at the entrance. Tensions flared, and in no time, things escalated—before they knew it, they were throwing punches.
Bai Mo, rubbing his sleepy eyes, received a quiet update from their informant. Tugging on Yu Chenyi’s sleeve, he whispered, “There are only a few of them left. The ones outside are just locals—they came by earlier to complain about the noise. Let’s not wait any longer. Let’s catch them now… I just want to go home and sleep~”
The young man grumbled. The straw pile was nowhere near as comfortable as his big, cozy bed at home. There were also so many mosquitoes and fleas—it was impossible to sleep properly.
Yu Chenyi chuckled, ruffling Bai Mo’s hair. His voice was gentle as he said, “Alright, we’ll do as you say.” He exchanged a glance with the magistrate—it was time to close the net.
The officers could have burst into tears of relief. Finally, they were free! Any longer, and their thighs would have gone numb from all the pinching. For the sake of going home—and for the sake of their poor, abused legs—charge!
With a loud “bang!” the wooden door was kicked open. The men outside instinctively looked up at the sound, only to see a swarm of people rushing out. Their faces instantly changed.
The kidnappers burst into laughter—See? Now they were scared. They thought they could challenge them? Ha! Didn’t they know they had powerful backers?
“Hey, you’ve got the wrong guys! We’re on the same side! Same side!”
The group of local men had already braced themselves to run. However, the attackers moved too fast. Just as they were about to flee, the scene suddenly took a bizarre turn—the kidnappers were attacking each other! Even though the ones in the front were shouting, “It’s a misunderstanding!” the ones coming from behind showed no intention of stopping.
“Misunderstanding? You are the ones we’re after. Human traffickers like you deserve a beating—even death would be too good for you.”
Only then did the locals realize what kind of people they had messed with. Their legs instantly went weak. These kidnappers were ruthless. Even after multiple crackdowns by the authorities, they still hadn’t been completely wiped out—proof of their powerful influence. Now that they had provoked them, their days of peace were as good as over.
Just then, the magistrate slowly stepped out from behind. His commanding presence immediately made him look like the ringleader of the kidnappers.
With a loud “thud!” the locals fell to their knees, pleading for mercy.
The magistrate didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. These men had been so fearless just moments ago. But now that they thought he was the boss of the kidnappers, why were they suddenly so terrified?
The magistrate explained the situation to the men, and only then did they help each other up, repeatedly apologizing. Whether it was kidnappers or government officials, neither was someone ordinary civilians like them could afford to offend.
The kidnappers were completely rounded up. Even the unconscious ones inside the house were tied together with a single rope and taken away by the officers. Since the locals had nothing to do with the matter, the magistrate did not make things difficult for them. With a wave of his hand, he sent them home to sleep.
Once the courtyard had emptied out, Yu Chenyi finally emerged from the house, carrying the young man in his arms. Lowering his head, he placed a soft kiss on the boy’s forehead, a smile playing on his lips. With a light push off his toes, he leaped onto the courtyard wall and headed east. Within moments, he vanished into the twilight.