Chapter 155: Dividing the Investigation into Two Paths, A Carriage Outside the Ironware Workshop

"Later on, we escaped."

Tang Yi hugged her knees with both hands. The once decisive, stubborn, and strong Tang Yi now looked entirely like a delicate young girl.

Song Mo looked at her with heartache, and Tang Yi continued, "That day, Master died. Out of the entire demon-slaying squad, only Jiang Wanyi and I survived."

Song Mo stared at Tang Yi in a daze; he had no idea that such a kind-hearted girl was carrying so much weight in her heart.

"The black wolf demon died as well, and the entire wolf demon clan was wiped out, but no one knows how my Master died, except for the poem left on the cliff," Tang Yi said.

"When I returned to the Demon Suppressing Division, everyone was extremely secretive about the death of my Master, Qingyangzi. I investigated desperately, and eventually, the law enforcement team of the Demon Suppressing Division warned me to let the matter rest. Unwilling to give up, I left the Demon Suppressing Division and went to the Six Fan School to continue my pursuit. After all these years, I still have nothing to show for it."

Tang Yi raised her head, her eyes red-rimmed, and asked, "Am I useless? Not only can I not avenge my Master, but I don't even know who the enemy is."

With a heart full of pity, Song Mo pulled her into his arms and said, "There, there. You've already done very well—truly, truly done your best."

The autumn rain fell silently yet bitingly cold, and Tang Yi's silent tears made Song Mo ache inside.

After a long while, Tang Yi pulled herself out of Song Mo's arms, punched him lightly twice, and said, "You are not allowed to tell anyone about this, or I'll kill you."

Song Mo nodded, and after a moment of hesitation, Tang Yi gently pecked him on the cheek.

"Actually, I've also thought about living like an ordinary woman—supporting a husband, raising children, doing some embroidery..."

Tang Yi's cheeks flushed slightly as she spoke softly.

"You will..."

Song Mo pulled Tang Yi back into his arms, and this time, she did not struggle.

After a long while, Song Mo asked, "What's going on between you and Jiang Wanyi? She doesn't look at you like a savior, does she?"

Tang Yi gave a bitter smile and said, "I've always worn the Hundred Flowers robe, so Jiang Wanyi mistook me for a man. I saved her life, and she fell in love with me. That's another reason why I left the Demon Suppressing Division."

Song Mo grinned broadly, earning himself another couple of light punches from Tang Yi.

...

"The case of the Taiping Army plotting to wreak havoc in Jian'an Capital—I am going to keep investigating it." Tang Yi finally uttered these words. Knowing he could not dissuade her, Song Mo had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"All the iron ore from Laiwu has been transported into Jian'an Capital. Whatever they are planning to do, it is bound to involve these iron ores," Tang Yi said in a deep voice.

"That being the case, there are two directions to investigate. The Iron Workshop is hiding Yue Xiuxiu, so there is definitely something wrong with it; secondly, the smelted ironware must be intended for a certain recent major event, so we only need to go to the Ministry of Works to check the construction logs to find out their purpose," Song Mo thought for a moment and said.

"Mm, what you said is right. Then we'll split up: I'll go to the Iron Workshop, and you take the Divine Marquis token to the Ministry of Works to inspect the construction logs," Tang Yi said, producing the token.

"No, you're injured, so you should go to the Ministry of Works, while I go to the Iron Workshop. Besides, I'm not an official of the government; even with the Divine Marquis token, the Ministry of Works probably wouldn't pay me any mind," Song Mo said with a smile.

Tang Yi smiled and did not decline further.

Thus, Song Mo went to the Six Fan School to find Xia Yu so they could investigate the Iron Workshop together, while Tang Yi rode off alone toward the Ministry of Works.

...

Inside the Iron Workshop, Jiang Li cast a cold glance at his subordinates and said, "I've told you all, that woman named Yue Xiuxiu is a femme fatale, yet you couldn't keep yourselves in check. Speak up, how many of you have shared her bed?"

The workers looked at one another in dismay; not a single one stepped forward.

With just a couple of glances, Jiang Li knew the score—every single worker in this Iron Workshop had slept with that wench.

"You don't dare to admit it? Fine then. A bunch of useless trash, what use do I have for you?" Exasperated, Jiang Li hurled a saber at the feet of a blacksmith and said, "If you don't get this matter sorted out today, I'll chop off your hands and feet."

The blacksmith looked at Jiang Li in terror, but instead of getting up to beg for mercy, he lowered his head and went back to his work.

Seeing this, the surrounding workers hurriedly knelt and pleaded, "Lord Jiang, spare us! We'll go attend to it right away."

Jiang Li nodded with satisfaction, then waved for them to withdraw.

A quarter of an hour later, Jiang Li led thirty workers into a room.

"Get her out of here, and make it clean," Jiang Li said coldly.

"Yes!" Complying with the order, the workers immediately brought Yue Xiuxiu out of the room.

These workers had all been recruited by Jiang Li from the Iron Workshop, and they were men he trusted. This group had been specially selected for the task of capturing Yue Xiuxiu. Although they were merely ordinary commoners, they were Jiang Li's most loyal confidants, because their loyalty was beyond question.

"What are you doing? Let me go, let me go!" Yue Xiuxiu cried out as she was bound tightly and thrown onto a carriage.

"My lady, offense taken," a worker stepped forward to secure the ropes around Yue Xiuxiu.

"You bastards, let me go! I'll kill you beasts, I'll kill you! Let me go right now!" Yue Xiuxiu struggled and shouted.

"Save your breath, my lady. You'd better just stay quietly in the carriage for now, and let's get moving!" With that, the worker gave the order to drive the carriage away.

The prisoner carriage rolled along the road. Yue Xiuxiu struggled, trying to force open the door of the vehicle, only to find it completely immovable.

"My lady, stop struggling. Just stay quietly inside the carriage; since you've already fallen to this state, you might as well save your energy so you don't end up implicating anyone else. Just behave and stay inside!" the worker said with an air of profound wisdom.

"You beasts! What on earth do you want? Why are you kidnapping me? Do I have a grudge against you?" Yue Xiuxiu said angrily.

"Heh, you can't blame us for this. The manager ordered us to take you. The manager also said that if any harm comes to you, the blame falls entirely on us. You know the manager's temper—he always follows through on his word. So, miss, you'd better just sit tight!" the worker sneered.

Hearing this, Yue Xiuxiu froze in place. Could the Taiping Army really be planning to deal with them?

"Let me go! I won't let you get away with this!" Yue Xiuxiu roared.

Just then, she suddenly realized her mouth had been muffled.

"Miss, do save your breath! It's been a long time since any of us has touched a woman, so stop thrashing about and get some rest. Once we reach our destination, we'll make sure you're thoroughly satisfied," another young worker said lewdly.

"Hmph, you want to bed me? You're still too wet behind the ears. Let me tell you, I'm a woman of the Taiping Army, and they will never spare you. Just wait and see," Yue Xiuxiu threatened.

"Miss, you shouldn't talk nonsense, lest you bring a catastrophe upon yourself." As the worker spoke, he reached out toward Yue Xiuxiu's alluring chest.

"Get your hands off me!" Yue Xiuxiu angrily slapped the worker's hand away.

"Heh, miss, that's not up to you anymore. Just lie back in the carriage and wait!" The worker let out a lewd laugh and lunged at Yue Xiuxiu.

"Help!" Yue Xiuxiu struggled with all her might, but she was pinned down immovably by the two men. Moreover, a pungent, intoxicating fragrance made her consciousness gradually blur. She felt a burning heat course through her entire body as if a fire were raging inside her, and a strange sensation swept through her every limb and bone.

"That's the sign of the drug taking effect. Miss, just bear with it for a moment; we guarantee you'll feel fantastic soon." Finishing his sentence, the worker prepared to strip off Yue Xiuxiu's clothes.

Yue Xiuxiu's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, her mind growing hazier by the second. She felt completely drained of strength, harboring only an intense urge to release the mounting tension.

...

"Speak, do you want to live or die?" Jiang Li gazed coldly at the workers of the Iron Workshop.

"Lord, spare our lives!" Hearing Jiang Li speak thus, the subordinate workers hastily dropped to their knees to beg for mercy, terrified that Jiang Li would kill them.

"Spare your lives? Hmph, I might spare you, but who's going to spare mine?" Jiang Li sneered. "Let me tell you, that woman named Yue Xiuxiu is a disaster. I forbid anyone from touching her, including you lot—now get out of my sight!"

With that, Jiang Li chased them out directly. Had time not been so tight, he would have loved to slaughter this pack of useless swine.

Outside the Iron Workshop, Song Mo was sitting in a carriage, resting with his eyes closed. Suddenly, his eyes snapped wide open, and he leaped down from the carriage seat.

"What's going on?" Song Mo muttered to himself.

At that moment, the driver jumped down from the carriage and asked, "Lord Song, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Song Mo shook his head. "Come on, let's go check out that carriage over there."

...

Song Mo and the driver walked forward along the street, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. Sure enough, parked at the corner of the street was a carriage.

Quietly, Song Mo and the driver approached the carriage and strained their ears to listen.

"How is it?" a voice came from beside the carriage.

"Little wench, today I'm going to let you have the time of your life."

Immediately following that, the weak cry of a woman calling for help drifted out.

Song Mo was startled. He recognized that the woman inside was none other than Yue Xiuxiu, the very person he was looking for!

"Stop right there!" With a fierce kick, Song Mo overturned the carriage, and the people inside tumbled out instantly.