Chapter 144: Song Mo Discovers the Man’s Whereabouts; the Ironworks Is Attacked Again

Song Mo was walking along the streets of Jian’an when two men approached him.

They were discussing a strange incident they had recently heard about.

“Have you heard? A major case occurred outside the capital today.”

“What kind of major case?”

“I heard quite a few soldiers were killed—several dozen, at least.”

“What? So many people died? I wonder who could have done it,” the other man exclaimed.

“Apparently those soldiers were all murdered.”

“What? How is that possible? They were all experts in the army. Ordinary people could never have killed them. There must be someone powerful behind it.”

Another passerby joined in. “Exactly. I heard all those soldiers had wounds on their bodies. Some even had their arms chopped off, and their necks were severed. There was no way anyone could survive that.”

“Yes, I heard some of the soldiers’ bodies were brought back. Judging by their condition, they must have been killed.”

“That’s right. There were several hundred corpses. It was a truly horrific sight.”

“Who knows who did it? It was absolutely brutal.”

“It’s no wonder. Those men were all experts in the army, yet someone still managed to kill them—and even cut off their heads. Their brains spilled all over the roadside. It would be hard not to feel sick.”

Song Mo’s heart jolted. He immediately quickened his pace.

The two men continued chatting.

“Good heavens, that case was terrifying. I was too frightened to even look. You know, I dreamed last night that a blood-soaked brute came at me with a knife. It scared me half to death!”

“It was indeed a vicious crime. But something like that certainly wouldn’t happen in our city of Jian’an. Jian’an is the safest city in the Great Zhou Dynasty. How could such a thing happen here? And even if it did, we wouldn’t be afraid, would we? With so many soldiers around, surely they could defeat a band of bandits.”

“Who knows? We should simply mind our own business and do what we’re supposed to do.”

“True enough.”

The two men talked as they walked toward the city gate.

“By the way, I ran into something amusing yesterday. The day before, I ordered a batch of angle iron from the ironworks. When I went to collect it yesterday, guess what I saw?”

“What?”

“A blood-covered man jumped down from the city wall and landed flat on his back. Yet somehow, he was still alive. Tell me, isn’t that amusing?”

“Are you serious?”

The man nodded. “Of course I am. The fellow even spoke to me. I said, ‘Brother, how did you die?’ He completely ignored me. Ha-ha!”

“You really don’t understand. Just look at the way that man was built. He must have been killed by an enemy.”

“That does make sense!”

“Come on, brother. Join me for a couple of drinks.”

“Gladly!”

Laughing and joking, the two men headed toward a tavern in the center of the city.

Suddenly, the other man stopped and said, “Now that you mention it, I just remembered something else. Yesterday I went to the ironworks to replace the horseshoes on the horses from my household. The place was full of burly men, but there was one delicate little woman hiding among them. Isn’t that amusing?”

“Amusing? It was downright hilarious.”

“Ha-ha, exactly. That woman’s clothes were awfully provocative. You could tell just by looking at her figure. Those two peaks on her chest were truly magnificent. She was incredibly well-endowed!”

“Ha-ha, you mean that woman?”

“Yes, that’s the one.”

“What was her name?”

“Oh, you mean her? Her name was Yue Xiuxiu, and she was quite beautiful too.”

“So it was that little beauty. No wonder. Someone was saying last night that she looked like a celestial maiden. I saw her today, and she really does.”

“Ha-ha, if she heard you say that, she’d probably cry. Her face is even more beautiful than a celestial maiden’s, and her breasts are even more prominent. What a pity!”

“What’s a pity?”

“She’s been hidden away by those men at the ironworks. We won’t get a chance to enjoy her.”

The two men left, laughing lecherously.

Song Mo’s expression tightened.

Yue Xiuxiu? Wasn’t she precisely the person he had been searching for?

He immediately changed direction and hurried toward the ironworks.

…

The Ironworks.

As Jiang Li hammered a red-hot sheet of iron, he said coldly, “We absolutely cannot let that woman named Yue Xiuxiu come out again. Otherwise, I’m afraid we’ll all die.”

“Really?” one of the workers asked.

Jiang Li snorted and gave him a disdainful glance.

“You know perfectly well what I mean. If you dare say that again, I’ll sew your mouth shut with a knife. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

The worker nodded hurriedly, too frightened to say anything more.

Jiang Li placed the forged iron into a large barrel, poured in the wood pulp, and stirred it vigorously several times. Then he lifted the barrel, set it aside, and looked toward another worker.

This worker was somewhat older, a simple and honest young man.

“I’ve already asked around. Everyone says Miss Yue hasn’t left the house recently, and she hasn’t come to the ironworks either. Shouldn’t she still be at home?” the young man asked in confusion.

Jiang Li shook his head and said gravely, “Do you know that Yue Xiuxiu is one of the Taiping Army?”

Then he sighed.

“For the next few days, keep your hands off the women. Don’t end up dying without even knowing why, all because of that woman.”

The honest young man’s face instantly turned deathly pale. His whole body began to tremble, and he nodded repeatedly.

Jiang Li gave a cold laugh and turned away, ignoring him.

The young man collapsed onto the floor, clutching his head with both hands, his face filled with terror.

At that moment, another worker came over to comfort him. He patted the young man on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. She’s definitely been locked up. All you have to do is guard her door. No one will dare go near her. Leave the rest to us.”

“Right!”

The honest young man hurriedly agreed, his complexion improving somewhat.

Inside the smithy, Jiang Li continued working.

“Shopkeeper, I’d like an iron sword.”

A young man stepped into the shop with a smile. It was Song Mo.

Jiang Li glanced at him and nodded.

“Wait a moment.”

He reached into his robes, took out a long sword, and handed it to Song Mo.

“Thank you,” Song Mo said with a smile as he accepted it.

“Fine. If you have nothing else, leave. I’m busy.”

“Oh, all right.”

Song Mo nodded, fastened the sword to his waist, and turned to leave.

Suddenly, he stopped and looked back with a smile.

“Shopkeeper, I’d like to ask you about someone. Have you seen my younger sister? Her name is Yue Xiuxiu.”

“No, I haven’t.”

Jiang Li’s face went pale as he shook his head.

Song Mo smiled, said nothing, and walked out.

A vicious glint flashed through Jiang Li’s eyes.

“Kid, don’t blame me. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for provoking people you should never have provoked.”

Outside the smithy, Song Mo stood at the entrance with the long sword in his hand, looking left and right.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps and quickly turned his head.

A man was approaching. He was dressed plainly, but Song Mo knew that he was a powerful expert.

Song Mo became intensely vigilant. His grip tightened around the sword, and he prepared to strike at any moment.

The shopkeeper seemed to sense something as well. He raised his eyes and swept them over Song Mo, frowning slightly.

Could this kid really have come only to buy something?

No. He must have come looking for trouble!

“Kid, in your next life, don’t meddle in other people’s affairs.”

The man muttered the words under his breath, then thrust a dagger straight toward Song Mo’s eyes.