FID – Chapter 588

Chapter 588: Not as Beautiful as Her Eyes

Xue Qianlian stood behind the young girl, watching her slender, fragile back. His gaze was deep and dark, and the surrounding firelight reflected in his eyes, instantly being swallowed by the shadow.

Even in such a moment, she still kept her back straight.

But he knew that beneath her calm exterior, there was a hidden bitterness.

That bitterness had always been sheltered and assimilated by the warm environment of the Liu family, never exposed.

If that protective layer were to disappear, Liu Yusheng might become a completely different person.

But such a Liu Yusheng would no longer be happy.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Xue Qianlian quietly melted into the bustling street, his figure so swift that no one noticed.

Outside the city, in the dense forest, blue fireworks briefly lit up the night sky.

Within moments, over ten dark figures rushed into the woods.

“Greetings, Master!” They all knelt down in unison.

“The Liu family’s elderly have gone missing. Find them. The ones who took them, kill them on the spot.”

“Yes, Master!”

The shadows quickly retreated.

The man lazily leaned against the tree trunk, looking up at the starry sky.

The stars on the summer night were very bright, a large cluster scattered in the dark curtain, incredibly dazzling.

“Tsk, they can’t compare to her eyes in beauty,” he muttered self-deprecatingly, lightly brushing his sleeve.

The dense forest returned to silence, as if no one had ever been there.

Meanwhile, on another hill outside Yunzhou city, a small mountain stronghold was lit with lamps, and people were loudly drinking and chatting.

“Big Brother, once this job is done, we brothers will get rich! After we take the money, we’ll leave and fly high, and we’ll live carefree lives!”

“At that time, we’ll eat meat and drink wine every day! We’ll marry ten or eight wives and concubines, and we’ll also become big landlords!”

“Hahaha! Well said! This time, it’s all thanks to you brothers helping out. Once we have the money, as the Big Brother, I’ll make sure none of you get shortchanged! I’ll make sure you all become big landlords!” A group of people sat around the table, the man speaking had a face full of stubble, exuding a thug-like aura, laughing loudly.

“Thank you, Big Brother!”

“Come, let’s drink! Where’s the cook? Tell her to bring out a few more side dishes!”

Behind the small stronghold, in a kitchen built from a thatched hut, three women were busy cooking.

One was a sturdy woman in her thirties, with a fierce look, who at first glance seemed like a man.

One was a young girl with her hair tied in a maid’s bun, around ten years old.

The one squatting in front of the stove, tending the fire, was a girl around seventeen or eighteen years old, with dark skin and bangs that covered her eyes. She looked rough and unattractive.

“Sister Qiu, they’re rushing for the dishes over there. I’ll go deliver them in a bit,” the little girl said, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she peeked outside.

“Be careful, don’t talk or look around too much when you go, so those people don’t hit you,” the unattractive girl warned.

“Got it.”

The sturdy woman behind the stove swiftly stirred the food. “The big boss and the others tied up two people today, acting all mysterious. I don’t know which rich family got unlucky, but it’s fine. Once they get the silver and their moods improve, they probably won’t be hitting and scolding anyone for a few days.”

“I saw the big boss and the others lock the people in the back mountain cave and even had someone guard it. They’re being extra strict this time. They’ve never done it like this before. I think these two people might be important. The big boss might make a lot of silver this time!” the little girl said.

The unattractive girl lowered her head to tend to the fire, showing little interest in this talk. “When they tie up people, they naturally want to exchange them for money. It’s never been for a small amount. Little girl, stay away from the mountain cave in the future, or you might get into trouble.”

The girl called ‘little girl’ shrank her neck when she heard this, looking a little scared. She held back for a moment, but couldn’t resist gossiping, “I just happened to glance at them. Those two people looked to be in their fifties or sixties. Their clothes weren’t very good, and it’s hard to tell if they’re rich or not, but if the big boss is being so cautious, they must not come from a small family. I heard they’re from Yunzhou City!”

The unattractive girl paused for a moment, then nonchalantly continued, “Who told you they came from Yunzhou?”

“We only have one road at the foot of the mountain, and it leads to Yunzhou City. I overheard them talking about it when I was delivering water to the people in the stronghold this afternoon.”

“You’re so curious about these things. So, tell me, what else did you overhear?” The unattractive girl gave the little maid a playful glare and asked jokingly.

“Of course there’s more! They also said that the two old guys from the Liu family are valuable, and when they’re being carried, we have to be careful not to bump them!” The little maid said, feeling a bit indignant, and repeated everything she had heard without leaving anything out.

“These things are fine to say in front of Aunt, but never say them when others are around. You know what those people are capable of.” After hearing the little maid’s words, the unattractive girl didn’t ask further, just gently reminded her.

Once the side dishes were ready, the little maid carried them and headed toward the hall to deliver the food.

The woman then began to wash the cooking pots.

Only then did the unattractive girl slowly stand up, brushing the dust from her pants. “Aunt, there’s still some leftover food here. I’ll take some to the brothers at the cave. They’ve been guarding for so long, they must be starving. They probably won’t last much longer and will come calling, and you’ll have to be busy again.”

“Go on. Those troublesome people, one word from me and I’ll be here working myself to death. I wish they’d choke on their food!”

Hearing the woman’s complaint, the unattractive girl didn’t say a word. She packed the remaining food into a basket, grabbed some water, and slowly walked toward the mountain cave at the back of the stronghold.

Her figure, walking under the night sky, was small and bulky.

The cave was located at the back of the stronghold, with two burly men sitting at the entrance, passing the time with idle chatter.

They didn’t light any lamps; the moonlight filtering down from above was bright enough for them, so there was no need to waste lamp oil.

“Hey, stop right there, woman! This is a restricted area, do you understand? What are you here for?”

The unattractive girl was stopped before she got close. Hearing this, she trembled and her voice quivered, “Big brothers, the big boss asked me to bring you some food, to, to thank you for your hard work.”

“The big boss sent you?” The burly man looked suspicious. Would the big boss really care about these lowly underlings?

“Yes, yes, the big boss sent me. If you don’t believe me, you can go ask. The big boss is in a good mood today, he definitely wouldn’t punish anyone without reason.”

This explanation convinced them. The big boss was indeed in a good mood today, and was still drinking and celebrating with the other leaders in the stronghold.

“Alright, bring it over!”

The unattractive girl handed the food to the two men and raised the water bag in her hand. “The big boss also said t-to bring some water to the people inside, so they don’t really end up dying from exhaustion, and we won’t get any money…”

“Alright, go ahead. I’ll light a lamp for you. Bring the water in and leave quickly!”

“Yes, yes! Thank you, big brothers!”

An oil lamp was lit on the stone wall at the cave entrance. The light was dim, barely enough to see the two people lying inside the cave.

The unattractive girl slowly approached, squatting down in front of them. She turned one of the seemingly unconscious people onto their back, revealing their face.

What she saw made her eyes narrow, then she quickly suppressed her reaction.