Chapter 147: Holding a Corpse for Ransom and Mockery

Chapter 147: Holding a Corpse for Ransom · Taunts

This was a familiar place, with the sound of tides and light filtering through like a mirror.

When Qin Jiao woke up, He Zhao had already been staring at him with a look of grievance for quite a while.

"Hiss..."

A dull pain throbbed at the back of his head. Qin Jiao didn't need to touch it to know there was definitely a big lump there now.

"Little Qin Jiao, seriously, you really do carry bad luck around with you."

He Zhao was currently tied up with his hands bound to a pillar. His tone was light, but his eyes were full of helplessness. "From the Embroidered Tower to the Fengwu Tower, you've been getting kidnapped left and right, and this time you've dragged me into it too."

Once Qin Jiao came to, he looked around. This place was indeed the Guanchao Elegant Pavilion they had visited before. The interior decor hadn't changed much since their last visit, except for a few rare flowers and porcelain knick-knacks, and a golden bow hanging on the wall to Qin Jiao's left.

"Sorry for getting you caught up in this." Qin Jiao gave an awkward smile. So who exactly had kidnapped him? Ning Zhong? That couldn't be...

"It's fine." He Zhao shook his head, then casually slipped free of the ropes binding him right in front of Qin Jiao. "I told you I'd look out for you. Come on, give me your hands, I'll untie you."

Qin Jiao's eyes went wide as he stared at He Zhao in utter disbelief. "You're seriously strong as an ox... You just snapped those ropes clean off?"

The ropes binding them were as thick as two fingers!

"What are you thinking?" He Zhao waved his hand at Qin Jiao. "I had a razor stashed in my sleeve."

"Man, this little blade is a must-have for surviving the martial world!" Qin Jiao praised him obligingly.

"Cut the crap!"

He Zhao suddenly lowered his voice, quickly untying Qin Jiao's ropes, then after messing with it for a bit, handed the rope ends back to Qin Jiao to hold, so that at a glance he would still appear bound. After finishing that, he hurried back to the pillar and "tied" himself up again with the rope.

He Zhao: "Close your eyes quickly, someone's coming!"

Qin Jiao immediately shut his eyes. Just as darkness engulfed his vision, the pavilion door was pushed open, and a light and a heavy footstep sounded one after another.

Qing Yi stopped in front of Qin Jiao and glanced at the person beside him. "Their lives should fetch more than Lu Ming's and Lv Wei's, so they're yours."

"Xiao Qing, why are you killing them?"

Another aged voice spoke up. Both Qin Jiao and He Zhao recognized it—it was the voice of the corpse retriever, Cao Gui.

Qin Jiao was even more puzzled. Qing Yi had managed to use someone close to Ning Zhong to kidnap him here. Did his cousin actually know him? But even so, why would Qing Yi want to kill him?

"They're obviously rich and important just by looking at them. If they suddenly die, people will definitely come asking questions." Cao Gui sounded hesitant.

The darkness sharpened his senses. Qin Jiao was close to them, and he kept getting a faint whiff of wine. What was that scent?

!!!

Qin Jiao suddenly remembered where that smell came from and was stunned. Involuntarily, he clenched his fists.

"They came to the Guanchao Elegant Pavilion to enjoy the view and accidentally fell into the 'Fortune Cave' and drowned. It happens all the time." Qing Yi arranged their cause of death with a blank expression.

He Zhao, pretending to be unconscious, listened, both puzzled and speechless.

Is this guy out of his mind? Just over a little spat, he's trying to kill them?

Cao Gui was still hesitating: "Xiao Qing, it's not that I won't help, I just don't want you getting in trouble."

"Scared? Isn't it better they're rich? That makes the corpses worth more." Qing Yi's beautiful eyes were full of cold malice. "When you retrieve the bodies, you can ask for five hundred taels, even a thousand taels!"

The more Qin Jiao heard, the more his blood ran cold. No wonder corpse retrieval prices in Lingbei kept going up—they were literally killing people to profit off the dead!

"Xiao Qing..." Cao Gui tried to soothe the agitated Qing Yi, but it was futile.

"Just push them all down! As long as you kill this slut who can't keep his legs together, a thousand taels is yours!"

Qing Yi was getting more worked up, almost losing it. Meanwhile, He Zhao couldn't hold back any longer:

"Sorry to butt in."

He Zhao spoke up abruptly, his tone "polite" yet cold: "So, is that thousand taels silver or gold?"

He Zhao's "sudden awakening" startled Qing Yi. Cao Gui's expression also changed, and he tightly gripped the Body Grapple in his hand, looking ready to attack at any moment.

"Though I couldn't be bothered to say it, I figured I should." He Zhao acted as if he hadn't noticed anything unusual about them, lounging as casually as if he were in his own bedroom: "You're like frogs in a well—small brains, no vision. A thousand taels? You trying to tip a beggar?"

"You—!"

Sometimes the gap between people is just brutal. What ordinary folks dream of their whole lives is just a joke to the high and mighty.

"When did you wake up?"

Cao Gui yanked Qing Yi behind him and snarled at He Zhao.

"What difference does it make?"

Qin Jiao's "answer" came from behind Cao Gui and Qing Yi.

"You're awake too?"

Qing Yi whipped around angrily at the sound of Qin Jiao's voice. "Don't move!"

Just then, an arrow glinting coldly "whizzed" past and snapped the table leg next to Qing Yi!

"Crash—"

The fine teacups and expensive porcelain on the table shattered on impact. Qing Yi looked up in shock. Not far away, Qin Jiao stood holding the long bow, staring at them with cold menace.

"Qing Yi, is it? Why do you want to kill us?"

The young master stood there, bow in hand, his face cold and composed. He stood in the half-lit, half-shadowed light—his face in the light was flawless as jade, while the shadowed side hid something darker.

He Zhao had long noticed Qin Jiao reaching for the bow and arrows. He thought Qin Jiao was just bluffing, but turns out he was actually a damn good shot. Though his draw was a bit weak, it was more than enough to intimidate these two.

"Well, I'll be damned—the Dragon King's moved ashore! Little Qin Jiao, you're something else!"

Used to seeing Qin Jiao as weak and easy to push over, seeing him suddenly look so fierce and commanding, He Zhao almost thought he was looking at Xie Nai.

"Quit your yapping." What He Zhao had said to him earlier, Qin Jiao now returned. "Tie 'em up. We're taking them to the officials."

"You got it!"

The rope was right there. He Zhao grabbed a length and moved to tie up Qing Yi. Cao Gui wasn't about to let that happen—he lunged at He Zhao like a madman.

"I'll take you all down with me!"

Cao Gui swung the Body Grapple wildly. The iron hooks were razor-sharp, smashing porcelain everywhere and leaving a total mess. Meanwhile, Qing Yi took the opportunity to quietly open the door, preparing to flee!

Qin Jiao didn't hesitate—he nocked another arrow and let it fly!

The arrow shot straight for Qing Yi's calf. "Help—!"

Right as the arrow was about to hit Qing Yi's leg, a dark figure lunged out and shoved him aside!

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