The shout startled both Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang, sending chills down their spines. What was this, another person?

Quickly, in the forest behind her, a figure began to move, and soon a person emerged wearing a garb that looked all too familiar to them. It was tattered, not just torn, but also old and worn out.

The newcomer, upon seeing the person nailed to the tree and Cen Futong, who was wailing on the ground, was evidently taken aback.

The person was short and thin with dark skin and their attire immediately made Shi Chun and Wu think of the Land of Exile.

They also recognized the man's face. With just a glance back, Wu Jinliang exclaimed in surprise, "Skinny Monkey, how did you get here?"

The man referred to as Skinny Monkey revealed a mouth full of yellow teeth as he chuckled and nodded his head in greeting, trying to appear dignified despite their situation. "You guys cleaned me out; it's got difficult for me to start over. But, I am lucky after all, with fortune falling from the sky! Last night, someone found me and handed over a windfall, and here I am."

Upon hearing this, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were thoroughly shocked; it was obvious that this was a move to verify their identities.

The crux of the problem was that they had only arrived in Zhaotian City yesterday, barely making contact with the Cloud Building near noon; yet, someone managed to send people into Life Prison that same evening and brought out a familiar face. The power to enter and leave Life Prison at will was no small feat.

Such a thing was beyond the capabilities of a mere brothel in Zhaotian City. Coupling this with the mysterious behavior of Feng Chi and Xiang Laner, Shi Chun suddenly felt he had pocked a hornet's nest.

Regret washed over him in an instant; true regret, as he realized he must have offended someone he shouldn't have, someone far beyond his imagination in both person and affairs.

He almost wanted to slap himself, knowing that if he had the opportunity to not reach out in the Land of Exile, it meant cutting himself off from others. But this wasn't Life Prison, and the habit of seizing every chance had to change.

But he was also helpless. Who could have known that casually taking a hand in selling someone off in a brothel would land him in such a mess? Everything out here seemed too complicated.

However, regret was useless now. Just like in the Land of Exile, survival was the most important priority!

Skinny Monkey glanced at the two holding the hostage and then chuckled, "You two, why are you still up to your old tricks outside? I've heard that getting caught for this kind of thing is severely punished outside. It seems you two can't really do much other than rob people."

Wu Jinliang snorted, "Chun Tian, this fool doesn't realize he's stepped into a trap and is about to be silenced without a clue, still thinking it's a stroke of good luck."

He deliberately raised his voice so that those on the other side could hear.

When it came to deviousness, Wu Jinliang would not concede to anyone.

Sure enough, the mention of a trap changed Skinny Monkey's expression, even with his dark skin, and he nervously looked towards Feng Chi.

Feng Chi, paying no heed, asked a redundant question, "Are these the ones?"

Skinny Monkey meekly nodded, "No mistake, the one holding the hostage is the former Master of East Nine Plain, Shi Chun, and that tall guy wielding the large saber is Shi Chun's top lackey, Wu Jinliang. Don't be fooled by his size; he's the most petty and indeed the worst man in the whole of East Nine Plain."

The betrayal was blatant, as if he was begging for his own death. Wu Jinliang immediately exploded in curses, "I'm bad because I met your mother, who birthed such a disaster. Chun Tian, I told you, we should never have let him go."

Shi Chun replied, "Dead or alive, he doesn't make much difference; why bother arguing with a man who's as good as dead?"

This stung Skinny Monkey, causing him to quiver with fear and cast sneaky glances at Feng Chi.

Shi Chun shook the hostage, Xiang Laner, and called out loudly, "Who exactly are you two?"

Feng Chi ignored him, intent only on understanding Shi Chun and his companions' background to decide how to proceed. What troubled her was not knowing how the Holy Daughter was captured because it was so bizarre; bizarre enough that she dared not act rashly for fear of endangering the Holy Daughter's life.

She wasn't as reckless as Shi Chun and his group, incapable of blindly reaching out where they shouldn't. She continued to question Skinny Monkey, "Are they involved with Bowan Building?"

Skinny Monkey nodded frantically, "Yes, very closely involved. Shi Chun is pursuing the daughter of the owner, Lan Qiaoyan…"

He understood the gravity of the woman before him, someone who could reach into Life Prison at will. So he spilled the beans, revealing the story of Shi Chun's pursuit of Miao Yilan.

The story of Wu Jinliang's cries for his mother was left unsaid, not out of reluctance but ignorance. Even in Life Prison, Wu Jinliang wouldn't dare flaunt the name of Lan Qiaoyan, satisfied with private whispers but careful not to spread rumors, since he often engaged in robbery and theft.

After listening to Skinny Monkey's account, Feng Chi remained skeptical. Was it really that simple? Why would someone with such a common identity head for Wukang Mountain?

There had to be more to the story!

She suddenly stretched out her hand and, with a telekinetic grab, caused the wailing Cen Futong on the ground to fly towards her.

A man weighing over a hundred pounds was thus lifted through the air, a feat of cultivation strength that was truly alarming, rendering Shi Chun holding the hostage even more cautious.

The key was that the opponent's cultivation was simply too high. He didn't even dare to run. Any slip-up could be fatal. At this level of cultivation, a mere flick of a finger could mean instant death.

His mind raced as he contemplated ways to save himself.

Cen Futong was just freshly rescued, barely managing to seal the acupoint on his wounded foot to prevent excessive bleeding, when, in the blink of an eye, he found himself in the hands of Feng Chi.

Feng Chi grabbed him by the nape and demanded, "Speak, why did you come to attack my young lady?"

In the presence of outsiders, she would not address her as the Holy Daughter, since Laner's identity was an extremely confidential matter.

"One hand pays, the other delivers. I came to pick up my purchase. It's he who wanted to sell Laner to me..."

Cen Futong confessed with astonishing ease, barely needing any coercion; he pointed at Shi Chun and recounted the entire incident.

It would have been better not to reveal the truth at all—its disclosure simply astounded both Feng Chi and Laner: could they really have stumbled upon such a farce?

These fellows, with their faces covered, came solely to abduct Laner and present her to Lv Taizhen?

So, the man who took Laner hostage got involved just for a quick profit?

Fresh out of the Land of Exile and he pulls this? Could it be any more absurd?

How dare they?

They believed Cen Futong's words were true; hurriedly, the story seemed self-consistent, and indeed, Feng Chi found a bank note worth two hundred thousand Sandalwood Gold on Cen Futong.

These rascals had truly come for a straightforward transaction!

The problem was, Laner had indeed fallen into their hands.

Feng Chi felt a mixture of urge to laugh and cry—if it weren't for Laner's order to dispose of those two, and their own people following, the esteemed Holy Daughter might have truly ended up in Lv Taizhen's bed.

Yet, that seemed hardly likely.

"Spineless." Wu Jinliang spat in contempt, without turning around, obviously cursing Cen Futong, then quickly spun back to glance at the bank note in Feng Chi's hand, murmuring discontentedly, "Chun Tian, that's our money."

"Two hundred thousand gold..." The gangly pickpocket murmured in awe, his gaze toward Shi Chun filled with reverence.

He was genuinely impressed; to pull off such an enormous coup straight out of exile, opening a business able to sustain for three years—indeed, this was the notorious Master of East Nine Plain. He felt no injustice in his loss to this man.

A corner of Shi Chun's mouth twitched, Cen Futong's words reminding him, and he gained a bit of confidence in his chance for self-rescue.

Without any hint of panic, he raised his voice and said, "Brother Cen, I'm truly sorry. I didn't bring the servitude contract with me. I had planned to hand over the person first, let you pay a portion of the money, and then proceed to another place to pay the rest. Naturally, you would receive the servitude contract. Now it seems, Lv Taizhen won't get the woman from my hands, nor will I get the money from yours."

As he spoke, he jostled the warm and delicate woman in his arms, "You won't have any chance to enter Wukang Mountain either! If you're merely from a brothel, as a chaste person you still have a significant chance to turn things around—but since you dared to venture there, I'm sure you've made preparations in advance.

However, if my brother and I can't leave here alive, the situation changes. The news about your servitude contract will come out.

By then, no matter what methods you try or what arrangements you have in Wukang Mountain, they would never allow a woman of brothel origin and belonging to someone else to enter. Bian Jixiong will most certainly not agree, and even Weikang has no sound reason to keep you by his side, as you belong to another.

By the laws above, Wukang Mountain wouldn't dare to blatantly claim another's woman without the owner's permission!

You expended so much effort on Weikang for the sake of borrowing his status to enter Wukang Mountain, right? That's the only use he has now."

Inside, he scoffed; their thoughts were exactly alike.

This was immediately apparent to him—if he hadn't realized by now that their goal was Wukang Mountain, he would have unworthy of his reputation as the Master of East Nine Plain all these years.

"Wahaha!" Upon hearing this, Wu Jinliang burst into a bout of overjoyed laughter, "Master is wise indeed! Try to touch us, and see if we are that easy to mess with!"

Hearing this, Feng Chi also struggled to restrain herself, calling out to Laner, "Miss, didn't you say the servitude contract was destroyed?"

She hoped the other's gaze could inform her of the truth.

Laner couldn't move or speak; only her eyes could move, but they were erratic, failing to give a definitive hint, because she herself wasn't sure anymore.

Shi Chun spoke loudly, "It was destroyed, destroyed by my own hands, and in the presence of your Miss. Wu Jin, where did you copy that fake servitude contract from, using what ink, brush, and paper? Tell them so they know where to verify in case we die—they'd have somewhere to confirm it themselves, haha!"

Wu Jinliang, still turned away, flailed his broadsword, his grin stretching ear to ear as he chuckled, "Seems it was from some Lin something or other. I can't remember exactly, but it's an easy place to find. Stationery is one of their specialities. The Shopkeeper is an old man with graying hair. There's a big glass case on the counter. It's not too far from Cloud Building. I recall the Shopkeeper wanted to see what I wrote. I just tossed him a piece of Sandalwood Gold and told him to mind his own business. Chun Tian, aren't I generous? I'm sure he remembers me well—you could just ask and find out, Wahaha!"

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