Chapter 154: Allowed to take her away, but only her corpse may be taken

"She's still a child!" Duan Wu couldn't help but retort.

"General Duan, are you trying to reprimand me?" You lowered his face, then turned to the maid and ordered, "You, give General Duan three slaps!"

"Yes, sir." The maid stood up, raised her arm and gave Duan Wu three slaps, pa-pa-pa.

Duan Wu's face showed shock.

Although the maid wasn't strong, it didn't really hurt, but this feeling was really unpleasant.

He had just been defending her, and yet she ended up hitting him?

"No…… you……" Duan Wu stared dumbfounded at the maid before him.

But seeing fear in her eyes, Duan Wu couldn't bring himself to blame her, after all You was her master, and she had no choice.

"You," Xiao Qidi said, changing the subject, "you seem to have a knack for disciplining servants; even such a young maid you've trained to be obedient."

You showed a proud expression, "That's natural; all the maids here, after my instruction, none are disobedient."

Xiao Qidi continued calmly probing, "Just now you said she's been here for many years, but I see she's only about ten; could it be that you took her in from childhood?"

"Adopted? Hahaha!" You seemed to have heard a joke, "Do you look like someone with that kind of kindness?"

Xiao Qidi wore a puzzled expression, "Then what is this..."

"Come, come, come, drink drink!" You lifted the cup before you, "First have a drink with me, then we'll talk!"

Xiao Qidi and Duan Wu couldn't refuse, so they raised their cups, toasted him, and drank it all in one go.

Seeing the two drink, a fleeting, hardly perceptible cold smile flickered in You's eyes.

Duan Wu smacked his lips, "This wine tastes really good, with floral and fruity notes, rich on the palate, but…… it seems there's also a slightly strange flavor."

Xiao Qidi silently savored it, and indeed it was as Duan Wu said.

Before they could ponder further, You explained, "This wine is made from the fresh flowers and fruits around the Hot Spring Residence, aged for several years before drinking, so of course it's rich and floral-fruity; as for the slight odd taste you mentioned, it's because a bit of the spring water was added during brewing, which slightly affects the flavor but is good for the body."

Duan Wu nodded, "As a subordinate, I've indeed heard that spring water has unique tonic effects."

"You can't get this wine elsewhere, General Duan, you should drink more." You said, "Come, let's down three more cups."

"I'm used to being rough; small cups are awkward for me, General You, please don't take offense." Duan Wu directly picked up the wine jug; such a rare treat, of course he wanted to drink his fill.

You wore a full smile, "Feel free."

Xiao Qidi raised his hand and pressed Duan Wu's arm, "General, don't overindulge; if you drink too much and go crazy, it'll cause trouble for You."

He vaguely felt the wine might be off, but it was only a fleeting intuition, with no concrete evidence.

Moreover, he and Duan Wu had acted well the whole time, showing no flaw; logically, the other side wouldn't poison the wine.

However, to be cautious, it's better to drink less.

Although Duan Wu craved the fine wine, since His Majesty advised against it, he reluctantly set down the jug.

You advised, "You two can relax; this wine isn't intoxicating—I usually drink it like water."

Having said that, he directly drained the jug of wine before him on the table.

After drinking, his face didn't redden at all.

"What, you two won't give me face?" You stared at the two who hesitated to drink more, applying pressure with his gaze.

"No, no," Duan Wu, worried about arousing suspicion, steeled himself, grabbed the jug again, "I won't stand on ceremony, but my aide's tolerance is truly poor; I'll drink for him, and I'll certainly keep you company to your heart's content!"

Xiao Qidi couldn't well stop him, so he could only watch as Duan Wu gulped down two jugs of wine in one go.

"Good, you've got guts!" You clapped, "No wonder you're a frontier general—bold and hearty!"

After the drinking bout, You slowly said, "General Duan, Little Brother Su, aren't all these maids of mine beautiful? Do any of you have a favorite?"

Duan Wu and Xiao Qidi looked around.

Not only the maids attending nearby were exceptionally lovely, but those waiting farther away were all beauties as well.

The youngest is about ten, the oldest estimated to be around twelve or thirteen.

Though their young age alone would be forgivable, they dress so provocatively that it makes both of them feel uncomfortable from the heart.

"Thank you, sir," Su Mu said solemnly, "I've always kept away from women, while General Duan prefers adult women."

You flashed a lewd smile, "You haven't tried it, so how do you know you wouldn't like something as delicate as a budding sprout or fresh blossom?"

Xiao Qidi and Duan Wu instantly felt a bit nauseous, and could only force themselves to stay composed.

Seeing that you two truly had no interest in these little beauties, You said, "Little Brother Su, you can easily ransack the county magistrate's treasury in He Wan County and even locate the human trafficker gang; you must be very smart—haven't you figured out yet where these maids come from?"

Xiao Qidi said, "If I'm not mistaken, they're all those human traffickers' gifts to you."

Duan Wu's pupils contracted sharply.

So…… the little girl His Majesty is looking for, after being sent here, if no one rescues her, will she end up…… like these maids?

Even if Duan Wu were as thick‑skulled as they come, he'd notice that this prefect has some disgusting preference.

"Correct," You gave a slight nod, looking quite pleased, "These girls are pretty because that lot hand‑picked them; if they were a bit less attractive, I wouldn't take them. And they're obedient precisely because they were sent over at around four or five years old, and I personally trained them; they're absolutely obedient to me—do whatever I say."

Duan Wu couldn't hold it in any longer; he bent over the table and vomited.

You frowned, "General Duan, your tolerance is that poor?"

"No…… no……" Duan Wu waved his hands.

You narrowed his eyes, "Could it be that General Duan finds what I do disgusting?"

Duan Wu didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Xiao Qidi smoothly defused the situation, "The general is used to coarse rations on the frontier; suddenly eating such refined food and drinking such fine wine, he's unaccustomed—please don't blame him, General You."

"Ah…… right right," Duan Wu wiped his mouth and forced a smile, "This general is just a low‑born body; I can't enjoy the blessings you bestow, General You."

You showed a smile, "No problem; once you follow me, you'll adapt, and you must adapt, otherwise it'd be wasteful."

"Sir, those human traffickers have already been crippled by me, yet you don't blame me—are you wanting me to replace them henceforth and handle affairs for you?" Xiao Qidi further probed.

"I said you're a smart fellow, and you proved it," You swayed head to toe, "Your ability far surpasses that lot, and with General Duan also serving me, trafficking people will only become easier, and I can find more to your taste to send over."

Duan Wu lowered his head, clenched his fist, and silently cursed that damned beast.

Xiao Qidi said calmly, "I don't know what conditions would suit your taste, sir; do you have something ready to show us?"

You pointed and said, "Just like them."

Xiao Qidi shook his head, "As you said, sir, the ones sent are all very young girls; the saying 'a girl changes greatly at eighteen' makes it hard to tell what they looked like at four or five."

"Not bad, not bad," You nodded approvingly, "Your rigorous and serious attitude is to my liking; I happen to have a recently sent one here, not yet trained, I'll show you."

"Someone, bring that little thing to me."

At You's command, Xiao Qidi involuntarily tensed up.

He had already confirmed that An An was in You's hands; after considerable effort he finally gained trust and entered this concealed residence, then made further inquiries, also to see An An in person.

Soon, a servant girl led a little girl over.

Xiao Qidi's expression remained unchanged on the surface, but his heart actually paused for a moment.

Exactly!

That little girl must be Xiu Mei's daughter—An An!

I finally found her!

Fortunately it was timely; otherwise… the consequences would be unbearable to imagine.

"How is this little thing, isn't it lovely to look at?" You said, eyes flashing with an unpleasant light, licking the corner of your mouth, "Because of her poor family background, she's now too frail; once I raise her well, she will surely become a beauty."

An An timidly looked over; upon seeing Xiao Qidi, her big watery eyes widened instantly, she shook off the servant's hand and ran toward us shouting, "Big brother! Big brother!"

Her clear, childish voice tinged with sobs echoed through the hall.

Xiao Qidi silently thought, "Not good."

I was so eager to save her, only thinking of how to see An An safe, that I forgot this might cause such a situation.

"Do you know each other?" You startled, then became fully wary, rose to grab An An.

Duan Wu knew without asking that this was the little girl His Majesty sought; he immediately leapt out and, getting ahead, caught An An in his arms.

You paused, your gaze turning especially gloomy, "General Duan, Little Brother Su Mu, do you two owe me an explanation?"

"Big brother… big brother!" An An struggled in Duan Wu's arms, reaching out both hands to Xiao Qidi, "I'm scared… I don't want to stay here, I want to go home, I want my mother, father, grandmother! Wah wah wah!"

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid," Duan Wu soothed in a low voice, "I and big brother are here to take you home; be good, don't speak yet."

Xiao Qidi pondered briefly; the situation was unfavorable for us, and besides we needed to bring An An out safely, so we first had to dispel the Prefect's wariness as much as possible; thus he rose, clasped his fists, and said, "Sir, I indeed have met this girl before; she knows me."

"Oh?" You looked uncertain, "I thought you were a family."

Xiao Qidi replied frankly, "No, but after all we are acquainted; Su Mu once received hospitality from her family, and Su Mu has a request I hate to make—may I—"

"Hehe!" You snorted derisively, cutting him off, "You want me to release this child?"

Xiao Qidi lowered his head slightly, "I hope you will show mercy, sir."

You clasped your hands behind your back, paced slowly, a cold, sinister smile always on your face; you glanced at Xiao Qidi then at Duan Wu holding An An, then said in a deep voice, "Anyone I take a liking to will never be let go; I advise you two not to indulge in foolish fantasies."

Xiao Qidi's brows gradually furrowed.

Duan Wu furtively glanced at the door, gathering strength covertly.

"Put that little thing down!" You barked, "Don't think that because I want to win you over you can act without restraint!"

Beads of sweat appeared on Duan Wu's forehead, his gaze falling on Xiao Qidi.

As soon as His Majesty gives the order, he will immediately seize An An and run out.

But just then, the maids in the hall drew knives from the corners and surrounded us, while a group of knife-wielding attendants appeared at the doorway, eyes fixed on the scene inside.

"Hmph!" You sneered, "Do you really think my place is something you can just walk into and out of? Although I'm eager to win you over, I must still take precautions! I can see you're here for this child, am I right?"

At this point the situation became even more unfavorable for Xiao Qidi and Duan Wu.

Duan Wu dared not act rashly.

Xiao Qidi could only continue to maneuver, seeking a chance to escape safely with An An.

"You have misunderstood," Xiao Qidi said while thinking, "I didn't know beforehand that this child was in your hands, sir; it was pure coincidence that I saw her today. I acted impulsively and offended you; please forgive me."

You stared fixedly at him, "Really?"

"Absolutely certain," Xiao Qidi said, "I and General Duan originally sought only wealth; by fortunate chance to gain your favor, sir, and become your aide is a great blessing—how could we dare conceal anything?"

You drawled, "Then you don't want to take this child away?"

Xiao Qidi said, "If you permit it, sir, I naturally would want to, and would be grateful for your favor; if you don't permit it, I'll pretend I know nothing."

"You're quite eloquent," You stroked your chin, "I can allow you to take this child away."

Duan Wu's heart leapt with joy; he hurriedly said, "Thank you, sir!"

You suddenly revealed a sinister smile, "But only the corpse can be taken away."

Xiao Qidi's face darkened slightly as he clenched his teeth silently.

Duan Wu stared, "A corpse? That won't do, sir."

"You're still haggling with me?" You glanced askance, "Allowing you to take away a corpse is already my bottom line."

"Well… maybe we should just forget it," Duan Wu thought, "At least we now know An An is here; after we leave, I'll immediately lead the troops to storm in and rescue her."

The sinister look in You's eyes intensified, "Just forget it? No, I now demand you two kill this child! Otherwise, don't even think about leaving alive!"