Chapter 37: Suddenly kidnapped! They said she provoked someone she shouldn't have?

In the first half of the voice message, Ning Jinli was still teasing with a giggle, but halfway through it suddenly turned into a startled cry.

She hadn't even finished calling for help before the voice message cut off abruptly.

Obviously, she had encountered some danger while sending the voice message!

Xiao Qidi had just seen Ning Jinli pass behind the stables from the window, so he immediately jumped out the window and sprinted away, drawing the attention of other diners in the restaurant.

"Ah! Sir you…" the two waiters chased out after him.

But they couldn't keep up with Xiao Qidi's speed.

Soon, Xiao Qidi saw from afar that Ning Jinli was being carried on a man's back, heading outward from another direction, with two other men following beside them.

Ning Jinli lay motionless on the man's back, clearly unconscious.

"Sir, what's wrong with this lady?" asked a waiter at the restaurant entrance.

The man said, "My sister is feeling unwell; I and my friend need to rush her to the hospital."

Upon hearing it was a patient, the waiter not only didn't stop them but even helped clear the way.

Smoothly, they got Ning Jinli into the minivan parked at the roadside.

Xiao Qidi was already too late to stop it; seeing the minivan about to leave, he turned his gaze toward the stables…

……

In front of the stables, many guests were watching the horses.

The two waiters occasionally reminded them from the side.

"Please try not to make noise, everyone."

"Please don't cross the barrier, kids don't sneak in…… Parents, please pay close attention."

At that moment, a child pointed inside the stables.

In a childish voice, they asked, "Big sister, why can he go in?"

The crowd watching the stables also let out a gasp.

The two waiters turned around and saw a tall figure had somehow already entered the stables!

"Ah!" the waiters exclaimed, "Sir… you… you need to come out quickly!"

"Sir! Don't move recklessly, stay away from that horse!"

"Sir, sir! You can't ride!"

"Everyone, make way! Security, security! Someone's stealing a horse!"

Accompanied by a neigh from the fiery horse.

Whoosh!

Xiao Qidi grabbed the reins, rode the tall large horse, and leapt over the barrier nearly two meters high!

Everyone startled, quickly stepped aside.

Neigh—neigh!

Hooves flying, like an arrow released from a bow!

While Xiao Qidi was airborne on horseback, he casually snatched the decorative long sword hanging at the stables.

One person and one horse, like a black whirlwind, burst out of the restaurant!

Everything happened too fast and too suddenly.

By the time everyone came to their senses, all the diners had rushed onto the street to look, and all they could see was a receding figure growing farther away…

On the bustling street where neon lights reflected each other.

Xiao Qidi spurred his horse forward, one hand controlling the reins, the other holding the long sword, his eyes as dark as an abyss fixed on the distant minivan's taillights.

The street instantly fell into chaos, as moving vehicles slammed on brakes to yield, and pedestrians stopped in shock.

These days, riding a horse in the city is already rare.

Let alone doing so while ignoring traffic rules and sprinting all the way!

The black fiery horse, under the neon lights, seemed to glow all over; its gallop, hooves spread, looked both fierce and handsome, and when faced with vehicles it couldn't avoid, it simply leapt over them!

And the one riding the horse was still a super handsome guy!

Dressed in a casual suit, tall and sturdy, with a stern visage, long hair flowing in the wind!

His riding posture was highly professional, as if he had merged with the fiery horse.

Not to mention he still held a long sword, making his whole look incredibly cool!

Clearly he caused a traffic jam, yet everyone just watched, and for a moment no one cursed or complained.

The women's eyes sparkled as they shouted how handsome he was.

The men's eyes also lit up, faces full of envy, after all this was truly eye‑catching!

The minivan sped along, turning left and right, finally heading toward an increasingly remote stretch; those inside didn't realize that far behind, someone on horseback was chasing them…

Ning Jinli was jolted awake by the van's bumping, groggily opening her eyes, feeling a throb at the back of her head.

Then she realized her hands and feet were bound.

"Who… who are you! Why are you abducting me!" she exclaimed in terror after regaining her senses.

"Hey, you're awake?" a man said, pinching her chin with a lecherous grin, "Who we are doesn't matter; you'll soon find out what we intend to do."

Having said that, he slapped her neck.

Ning Jinli's vision went black; before slipping back into unconsciousness, she weakly opened her mouth, "Xiao… Qidi… save me…"

……

At the same moment.

An urgent report was delivered to the Royal City of Yu Guo.

Soon, within the palace of the Yu Guo King, the king's furious roar rang out.

Not getting the Canglan Bi is no big deal!

They actually lost our Yu Guo's 50,000-strong army! Even Ba General fell in! What on earth happened?! Not a single survivor left?!

The officials lay prostrate on the ground, heads lowered, looking at each other, none daring to make a sound.

All we know is that the news came back from the Yu Guo border pass; originally tonight the border pass was to send provisions to Ba General, but upon arrival they found everyone gone.

All we know is that the news came back from the Yu Guo border pass; originally tonight the border pass was to send provisions to Ba General, but upon arrival they found everyone gone.

The Xi Tun Guan Cheng Lou we had seized earlier has also been retaken by the Xuan Guo soldiers.

At several other encampment sites, only blood-soaked ground remains.

It's clear there was a fight, but… everyone died, and the corpses have already been disposed of.

"Your… Your Majesty," the messenger, trembling with fear, said, "This is very strange… Ba General is brave and skilled in battle, and the 50,000-strong army are all strong and well-fed, with ample provisions."

"What more do you need to say?" the Yu Guo King blew his beard and glared, "I specially sent him to seize the Canglan Bi for me, of course I made full preparations!"

The messenger continued, stammering: "Xuan Guo's Xi Tun Guan has only over ten thousand troops stationed, and because they've long been ignored by the Xuan Guo court, their equipment is poor, and their provisions are just self-sufficient. Moreover, for the past few months, that region has been suffering from drought and famine—there really… really is no reason they could have destroyed Ba General's army!"

The officials' faces showed shock and suspicion as they whispered to each other, yet none could figure out the reason.

"Your Majesty," the reporter, gathering courage, said, "I suspect we may have encountered Xuan Guo reinforcements…"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" the Yu Guo King said with a sinister tone, "I have definite intelligence: the Xuan Guo court sent no reinforcements to Xi Tun Guan! They had no idea the Canglan Bi would appear there with the bandits!"

Then… could another country have sent troops?

Hmph! Only we know the clue to the Canglan Bi—how could another country send troops?

Well…

The reporter wiped cold sweat, stammering, "Could it be… that Ba General encountered something like a ghost or deity? I've heard that the Xuan Guo King Xiao Qidi is also in the Xi Tun Guan area. Could a deity be helping him?"

"Xiao Qidi?" the Yu Guo King sneered, "You actually say that this brat, who as a child was a hostage in another country, unloved by father and mother, grew up to be heir to the throne yet had no real power, manipulated by the Xuan Guo premier… could receive divine aid?!"

"Your Majesty… I…"

Nonsense! You're asking for death!

The Yu Guo King suddenly drew his sidearm, strode down from the throne, and stabbed the messenger to death with one sword!

The palace fell silent in an instant.

The officials didn't even dare to breathe.

They knew all too well their lord's temper—he'd kill at the slightest disagreement; over his decades on the throne, countless have been killed by him for displeasing speech.

Just then, the Yu Guo Crown Prince hurried over, clasped his fists, and said, "Father, I've heard the news—our mighty Yu Guo actually suffered such heavy losses in the tiny Xuan Guo's Xi Tun Guan; if word gets out, the other kingdoms will surely laugh at us."

The Yu Guo King nodded, "That makes sense."

The Crown Prince added, "Ba Yong, Grand General, is the eldest son of the Shaoyue Kingdom's king; surely the Shaoyue people will be furious upon hearing this."

The Yu Guo King asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

"Father!" the Crown Prince dropped to his knees, "No matter what happened over at Xi Tun Guan, I believe we should launch a full-scale mobilization to save face; otherwise, even our Yu Guo citizens and the Shaoyue people will doubt our ability."

"Mm… right, right."

"Then please, Father, allow me to personally lead the expedition to Xi Tun Guan! I will surely bring back the Canglan Bi for you and wipe away the shame of losing our 50,000-strong army!"

The Yu Guo King hesitated a bit.

On one hand, this matter is indeed a disgrace for Yu Guo; only a member of the royal family going out can steady the people's hearts—if he weren't so old, he'd want to lead the campaign himself.

On the other hand, he didn't want to put the Crown Prince in danger.

After weighing it repeatedly, he sat back on the throne and ordered: "Then I'll give you 200,000 elite troops, and inform the Shaoyue king that his eldest son died just like this—surely he'll be willing to send out 100,000 barbarian soldiers."

The Crown Prince's eyes lit up with joy, "I will surely level the entire Xi Tun Guan and bring back the Canglan Jade and Xiao Qidi's head!"

"The Canglan Jade is more important," the Yu Guo King sneered, "As for Xiao Qidi's head, it's optional—killing him would at most embarrass Xuan Guo, with little practical effect; you'd be better off seizing that Xi Tun Guan territory for Yu Guo, the land may be poor but it's still more valuable than his head; however, you may deal with him as you wish."

"I will obey Father's command!" the Crown Prince rose, declaring solemnly, "I will immediately lead the troops out, marching day and night, and should reach the vicinity of Xi Tun Guan in about five days."

"Alright, go."

"Yes!"

……

Midnight.

Yu Guo's 200,000 elite troops set off in a mighty march.

At this moment, Ning Jinli had already been taken by her kidnappers to a deserted unfinished building on the outskirts of Xinghan City.

Dark moon, high wind.

The building, left unfinished for over a decade, was overgrown with weeds, and no one would come by.

It's a good time and place for wrongdoing.

The van drove into the underground parking lot.

Inside it was pitch black, the only light coming from the vehicle's headlights, making the surroundings even darker and quieter.

The driver, together with three other men, dragged the unconscious Ning Jinli out of the car and placed her under the corner illuminated by the headlights.

"Tsk… young and pretty, what a fine catch—we're going to make a fortune." The bald man rubbed his hands, about to tear off Ning Jinli's clothing.

The driver kicked him and shouted, "You bastard, move back a bit! We agreed whoever doesn't take a cut of this job's pay goes first. You want pleasure but don't want to share the money—I don't want cash, I'll go first."

The bald man chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, you go first."

The other two licked their lips, lecherously scanning Ning Jinli's whole body, their beastly urges barely contained.

The driver instructed, "When I'm having fun, you all remember to film it, but don't get my face in the shot, got it?"

"Don't worry, boss, we remember the employer's demands."

The three couldn't wait to pull out their phones, waiting for the driver to show his skills.

The driver crouched, patted Ning Jinli's face, and said, "Hey, wake up."

"Mm…" Ning Jinli blinked open her eyes again, dazed, but the headlights blinded her, so she could make out neither her surroundings nor the other person's appearance.

As for before being knocked out and carried out of the restaurant, and when she woke up in the car, she also had no impression of the other three's appearances.

She didn't know them at all, and there was nothing memorable about them—they were just exceptionally ordinary faces.

The driver said, "Little miss, we're just doing this for money, so don't blame us; if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for provoking the wrong people, got it?"

"Who… who sent you guys? What… what exactly do you want to do?"

Ning Jinli struggled to stay calm.

But she had never encountered anything like this; her body trembled uncontrollably, and her voice shook badly.

"How could we possibly tell you who our employer is?" the driver said, starting to undo his belt, "What do you want to do? Haha, of course it's— you."

Ning Jinli felt a chill run from head to toe in an instant!

She couldn't figure out who she had offended to deserve such treatment!

Could it be Uncle Ning Hai?

Is he punishing her for the arrest incident?

Or perhaps her cousin Ning Yao?

They think it's because she refuses to forgive He Kai, which has left him detained and under interrogation, so they hold a grudge and want to destroy her?

Or maybe… it's Su Yi's son?

That time at the hospital when she tried to weasel out of paying and got beaten up instead— is she seeking revenge?

Ning Jinli's thoughts grew more chaotic the more she pondered.

It seems both that father‑daughter pair and Su Yi's son have motives.

But… would they really go to such vicious extremes?

"Please… please let me go…" Ning Jinli, helpless, could only beg in tears, "Whatever your employer is paying you, I… I'll pay double."

Not to mention her hands and feet are tied; even if freed, she couldn't match four burly men.

Trying to sway them with money was her only option.

But one couldn't expect to win over such people's sympathy.

The other three perked up when they heard she could offer double the price.

They were about to tell the driver to just take more money and call it a day.

The driver seemed to know what they were thinking; he turned and gave them a fierce glare, then fixed his gaze on Ning Jinli and said with a smile, "Even dirty work requires principles and keeping one's word—otherwise, who would hire us in the future?"

"Four times, and if that's still not enough, then… ten times." Ning Jinli kept raising the offer.

"Ten times, big brother!" the bald guy couldn't hold back, "Why don't we think about it?"

The other two also started to agree.

At that rate, they could live comfortably for a long time without taking any more jobs.

The driver hesitated slightly, "I feel you're just jerking me around; ten times the money, you couldn't pay it even if you sold your Mercedes G‑Class."

Ning Jinli immediately said, "I own a factory! I have money!"

"Don't waste your effort," the driver gritted his teeth, "I can't take this risk; I said I'm a person of principle who keeps his word—once I accept an employer's task, I must see it through."

Even her sole recourse failed; Ning Jinli despaired and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Help! Help!"

"Shout all you want; there's not even a ghost within ten li." The driver paid no heed and began to pull off Ning Jinli's denim shorts.

Ning Jinli struggled with all her might, but he slapped her, splitting the corner of her mouth.

"Don't touch me! Help! Is anyone there?" Ning Jinli refused to yield; even in desperation, she exerted every effort to struggle.

Her all‑out shout echoed in the underground parking lot, then spread from the entrance and drifted into the night.

Near the abandoned building, weeds taller than a person were suddenly shoved aside by a massive black shadow.

In the night sky, the dark clouds that had obscured the moon also drifted away at that moment.

"Damn it! Old man, I'll let you move again!" The driver gripped Ning Jinli's neck with force, one hand tearing her short‑sleeve shirt to shreds and pulling off her denim shorts.

Vroom— vroom—

A faint, urgent sound rang out, approaching from afar.

The driver froze, turned his head toward the underground parking lot's exit, and said, "Damn it, am I hallucinating? Did you three hear… hoofbeats?"