Everything happened too quickly.
From the moment the masked figure emerged, knocked Tang Xiaobei unconscious, and carried her away, less than ten seconds had passed.
The shopkeeper was utterly stunned, frozen for several seconds before reacting, shouting in panic, “Help! Someone’s kidnapped Miss Xiaobei!”
Every shop in the slave market kept bouncers to guard the slaves and prevent trouble.
Hearing the shopkeeper’s cries, three bouncers from the courtyard rushed over with sticks in hand.
They ran straight into the masked figure.
The lead bouncer, without a word, swung his stick.
But the masked figure was faster. Before the stick was halfway down, the figure kicked, striking the bouncer’s chest.
The bouncer flew back over ten metres, crashing into a wall.
Blood sprayed from his mouth as he clutched his chest in pain, his ribs clearly broken.
The remaining two bouncers barely reacted before the masked figure kicked them away in the blink of an eye.
At the entrance, Alan, not far off, heard the shopkeeper’s shout. Her heart tightened, and she yelled to the other three female guards, “Forget the carriage! Go back and protect the Miss!”
As she shouted, she sprinted back to the shop, unholstering her folding crossbow.
Reaching the shop’s entrance, she saw the masked figure, carrying Tang Xiaobei, kick away the last bouncer.
Alan’s pupils narrowed. She raised her crossbow, cocked it, aimed, and fired in one fluid motion.
An arrow shot towards the masked figure.
Clearly an expert, the figure heard the cocking sound and dodged sideways without looking back.
Whoosh!
The arrow grazed the figure’s waist, embedding in the door behind.
The masked figure, still carrying Tang Xiaobei, dashed into the courtyard without pause.
Alan, losing her line of sight, chased after them with her crossbow raised.
While running, she quickly cranked the winch, recocking the crossbow.
By the time she reached the courtyard, the masked figure was near the wall.
Without hesitation, she fired another arrow at the figure’s back.
But the masked figure, as if anticipating her move, dodged the moment Alan’s footsteps reached the courtyard.
The arrow missed, striking the wall.
As Alan cranked the crossbow again, the masked figure kicked off the edge of a flowerbed, leapt effortlessly over the three-metre-high wall with Tang Xiaobei, and disappeared.
Alan’s eyes blazed with urgency. She holstered the crossbow, sprinted to the wall, and, mimicking the masked figure, kicked off the flowerbed to jump.
But lacking the figure’s skill, she only reached high enough to grab the wall.
To prevent slave escapes, the walls were topped with sharp spikes. Alan’s hands were pierced, bloodied, and she fell back to the ground with a thud.
By then, the other female guards rushed in.
“Sister Alan, what happened to your hands?”
“Sister Alan, where’s Miss Xiaobei?”
Seeing only Alan in the courtyard, the three guards grew anxious.
“Quick, get me over the wall!” Alan said urgently, running back.
The guards reacted swiftly. Two squatted by the wall, clasping hands to form a step.
Alan sprinted, stepped onto their hands, and the two guards heaved her upward.
Trained extensively in Xihe Bay, the manoeuvre was second nature.
As Alan’s foot touched their hands, the guards lifted, and she soared over the wall.
In mid-air, she drew her crossbow, ready to fire.
But the masked figure and Tang Xiaobei were gone.
Thud!
Behind the wall was an alley. Alan landed in a half-crouch, scanning the ground for footprints, but the dry, hard ground showed nothing.
She didn’t know which way to pursue.
Another female guard vaulted over the wall, landing with her crossbow raised. Seeing Alan facing north, she aimed south to cover their backs, then asked, “Sister Alan, any sign?”
“Nothing,” Alan shook her head, quickly removing the quiver and taking a short, headless arrow from her waist.
She loaded the headless arrow, aimed skyward, and fired.
Shriek!
The arrow whistled sharply into the air.
This was Jin Feng’s recently invented signal arrow, used to summon help in emergencies.
After firing, Alan shouted rapidly to the courtyard, “Adie, go to the north gate of the slave market! Ajuan, wait at the entrance for Big Liu. Tell him to guard all nearby exits. We can’t let the Miss be taken out of the market! After informing Big Liu, go to the governor’s mansion. Ask the governor to send troops to seal the city gates and search the market!”
“Yes!” the two guards inside the wall ran off.
“Azhen, we split up. If you spot the Miss, fire a signal arrow immediately.”
“Yes!” Alan and the guard dashed off, one north, one south, along the alley.
A hundred metres away, Big Liu and the veteran soldiers had finally stopped the runaway carriage.
A sharp whistle pierced the air.
The soldiers’ faces changed, looking towards the sound.
“It’s Miss Xiaobei!” Big Liu’s pupils shrank. Ignoring the carriage, he sprinted towards the slave market, shouting, “Everyone, move!”
The veteran soldiers, without needing orders, ran with all their might.
In just over a hundred metres, they reached the market in seconds.
Before Big Liu could ask, the guard at the entrance said quickly, “Miss Xiaobei’s been kidnapped. Sister Alan and Azhen are chasing. Adie’s at the north gate. Sister Alan said to guard the other market exits.”
Without waiting for Big Liu’s reply, the guard leapt onto a warhorse and galloped to the governor’s mansion.
Big Liu, drenched in cold sweat at the news, roared, “Monkey, take Pingan Street! Big Qiang, West Street! Ada, South Street! If you spot Miss Xiaobei, signal with an arrow!”
“Yes!” The soldiers sprinted to their assigned posts.
…
While Big Liu and Alan raced about, a few hundred metres away in a secluded spot, the masked figure placed Tang Xiaobei into a carriage.
Inside were two burly men and a middle-aged woman.
“Watch her closely,” the masked figure said, setting Tang Xiaobei down. “If she escapes, you’ll collect your reward in the underworld.”
“Don’t worry, sir. Three of us watching one woman? No mistakes,” one man said, thumping his chest.
“And this is the woman my master wants. Don’t get any ideas. If any of you touch a hair on her head, I’ll slaughter your entire family!” the masked figure growled, glaring at the men.
