West Main Street was not far from the tooth market, and moreover, the carriage described by this commoner later had many similarities to the one mentioned by the old woman.
As for the fifty or sixty jin of meat, if it was just the two brothers eating, they might not finish it in two or three days, but what if it was not just the two brothers?
That would make sense.
Jin Feng had a premonition that he might have found Tang Little North!
Da Liu and Monkey were nearby and arrived soon.
Jin Feng also called Qing Mulan, A Mei, and others. Under the cover of night, they quietly approached the address recorded by the old woman.
Most residents of Jing’an Ward in the north of the city were poor folk. The houses were not as neat as those in the west and south cities. Low, squat courtyards were scattered messily everywhere in groups of two or three.
In the main hall of one such small courtyard, the two brothers had the door shut and were eating with grease dripping from their mouths.
A middle-aged woman carried a bowl of rice into the inner room, lifted a disguised wooden board on the floor, and went down into the cellar.
In the cellar, Tang Little North was tied to a chair, glaring angrily at the woman who came down.
“Girl, you have not eaten for two days. Eat a little, please.”
The woman brought the rice bowl to Tang Little North’s mouth. “You will probably be here for several days. How can you go without eating?”
Tang Little North’s hands and feet were all bound, yet she suddenly twisted her head and knocked into the rice bowl.
The woman did not hold steady, and the bowl fell to the ground, breaking into two pieces.
“This stinking woman, I see she just needs a beating. She has broken three bowls in these two days!”
The second brother heard the noise from the cellar and stood up to go down and teach Tang Little North a lesson.
“Oh, what is a few broken bowls worth?”
The eldest brother pulled him back. “The money from the employer is enough to buy a room full of bowls. Do not argue with her. If we injure Tang Little North, and the employer does not pay the rest of the silver, we will lose big.”
“Big brother is right.”
The second brother sat down again and sighed. “That Jin fellow is really generous, offering a reward of one thousand taels to find this woman.
Big brother, why do we not deliver Tang Little North and claim the reward? It is much more than what the employer is giving!”
“Do you not want to live? Or have you forgotten the masked man’s skills?”
The eldest brother glared fiercely at the second brother. “Besides, Tang Little North has seen us. If we send her to Jin Feng, we are seeking our own death! Get rid of that idea right away!”
“Oh, big brother, I was just saying it casually. Why are you getting angry?”
The second brother picked up his wine bowl. “Big brother, come, drink!”
“Drink!” The eldest brother also picked up his wine bowl.
“Big brother, these days are truly enjoyable.” The second brother wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth. “It would be even better if we found a few more girls to keep us company.”
“Second brother, do not worry. It will be good in a few more days.”
The eldest brother advised. “Just endure for these few days. When you go out, keep a low profile. Do not draw attention.”
“Big brother, rest assured. I am not so clueless about proportions.”
The two brothers drank and chatted, completely unaware that their conversation was heard clearly by Monkey, who had quietly slipped in.
Monkey peeked through the window crack, then retreated silently.
Under the wall root dozens of metres away, Jin Feng, Qing Mulan, and the others hid in the shadows.
“Sir, we found her. It is right here!”
Monkey said in a low voice, excitedly. “I heard Little North girl’s voice!”
“That is great!”
Upon hearing this, Jin Feng felt a huge sigh of relief in his heart.
As long as she was found, that was good.
“How many people do they have?”
“Two men, and one woman. I was afraid I could not take them all at once by myself. If a fight breaks out and Little North girl gets hurt, that would be bad, so I did not act.”
Monkey replied.
“You did the right thing. Little North’s safety is the most important.”
Jin Feng quickly made arrangements. “Follow the usual training rescue formation. Da Liu, Monkey, you two each subdue one bandit. A Mei, you are the fastest. Once inside, go straight to the cellar and subdue the woman. Do not let her harm Little North. A Lan, A Juan, you two adapt to the situation and prevent any fish that slipped through the net that Monkey might have missed.”
“Yes!”
The group replied softly, then quietly approached the small courtyard.
The courtyard wall was only half a person’s height. The group flipped over silently.
The two brothers were drinking themselves into a stupor in the room, completely unaware that someone had reached the door.
The second brother picked up the wine jar, preparing to pour more, when the main hall door was suddenly kicked open.
Immediately after, A Mei in tight-fitting clothes flashed in.
“Who?!”
The two brothers were startled and stood up at the same time.
A Mei ignored them and flashed into the inner room like a phantom.
At this time, the cellar cover was not yet closed. A Mei jumped straight down.
The two brothers, who had been slightly drunk, were completely sobered by A Mei. They grabbed sabres from under the table and tried to chase into the inner room.
However, Monkey and Da Liu had already rushed in. Each landed a punch, knocking the two brothers to the ground.
“Do not move, or we will chop you dead!”
A Lan and A Juan entered afterwards, black knives directly pressed to the brothers’ necks.
Only then did Jin Feng and Qing Mulan enter the room.
Casually glancing at the two brothers on the ground, Jin Feng turned and went into the inner room, down to the cellar.
In the cellar, A Mei had already knocked the woman unconscious. When Jin Feng went down, she had just untied the ropes on Tang Little North.
The stubborn Tang Little North, after holding out for two days, burst into tears the instant she saw Jin Feng.
The cellar was narrow and cramped. Once the board on top was covered, it was pitch black, and nothing could be seen. Except when the woman came down to deliver food, Tang Little North was tied there alone the rest of the time.
No matter how high her business talent, Tang Little North was just a teenage girl. Locked alone in such a place, with two fierce bandits overhead, it would be false to say she was not afraid.
Every minute and second of being locked up felt extremely hard to endure. She persisted only by thinking of Jin Feng and Tang Dongdong.
But upon seeing Jin Feng, she could no longer hold on.
The long-suppressed emotions erupted at this moment.
“Sir, why did you only come now…”
She suddenly threw herself into Jin Feng’s arms, hugging his waist, and cried loudly!
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
“Sorry, I came late and let Little North suffer…”
Jin Feng’s left arm held her delicate body, his right hand gently stroked her back, apologising and comforting her softly.
Tang Little North had been badly frightened this time. She cried for a full five or six minutes before calming down.
Her tears soaked a large patch on Jin Feng’s chest.
Once she had cried enough, Jin Feng took her hand to leave this nightmare-like cellar.
But Tang Little North had been tied to the chair for a day and a night. Her legs were numb like wood. She nearly fell after one step.
Seeing this, Jin Feng scooped her up in a princess carry.
Tang Little North had never been held by a man before. She stiffened tensely for a moment, but soon relaxed, blushing as she hooked her arms around Jin Feng’s neck and buried her head in his neck hollow.
“Sir, what do we do with these two bastards? Chop them?”
Da Liu saw Jin Feng carrying Tang Little North out and pointed at the brothers on the ground, asking.
A Mei also threw the woman out from the cellar.
“Spare their lives for now. Take them back and ask who sent them.”
