FID – Chapter 728

Chapter 728: The Other Party is Calling Me an Idiot

“You will be fine,” the man said calmly.

“Once we step onto Nanling, we’ll definitely be in trouble!”

“I said you won’t, so you won’t,” the man replied, raising his dark eyes. His gaze was cold and indifferent, and his words left no room for disagreement.

His demeanor left Liu Zhiqiu and Fu Yuzheng feeling utterly defeated.

There was no way to communicate with him, and no matter what they asked, they never got a satisfactory answer. He acted with overwhelming authority, not giving them a chance to refuse.

It seemed that their hope of cooperating with him was completely impossible.

“Stay on the ship and don’t wander around,” the man ordered, clearly uninterested in engaging with them further.

His tone, one of utter superiority, made Liu Zhiqiu feel a surge of rebelliousness. He retorted, “What will happen if we do wander around?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt his feet leave the ground.

By the time he realized what had happened, he was hanging outside the ship.

The man was holding him up with one hand.

If the man let go, he would immediately fall into the Grand Canal and probably swim around for a while.

“I was just joking. Why are you taking it so seriously?”

“I never joke with anyone.”

Liu Zhiqiu lowered his head, his tone earnest. “Benefactor, hero, I was wrong. Could you please put me back? Much obliged.”

Fu Yuzheng watched the scene unfold, unsure how to react.

She wanted to laugh, but the situation wasn’t quite right.

Not laughing, however, was proving difficult.

By the time Liu Zhiqiu walked back to the cabin from the rear deck, his legs felt like jelly.

He replayed the scene over and over in his mind, slowing down the moment countless times, but he still couldn’t figure out how the man had acted so swiftly.

And how had he developed that kind of arm strength? Damn, is that guy even human?

Grabbing a grown man as if he were nothing—could he not leave a shred of dignity intact?

Thankfully, the one present had been his sister-in-law and not Little White Lotus. Otherwise, he would’ve had to fight that bastard to the death!

Back in the cabin, the Liu family immediately crowded around him. “Well? What did that guy say?”

Liu Zhiqiu and Fu Yuzheng exchanged glances, then shook their heads. “He didn’t say much, just told us to stay put on the ship—or else he’d throw us into the river.”

The Liu family: “…”

So, it seemed they had really boarded a pirate’s ship.

How had everything spiraled into something so bizarre?

Chased, rescued, trapped on a ship. Now, they were about to set foot on Nanjing soil, and what awaited them next was anyone’s guess—no one had any idea what was coming.

Yet, at the same time, a faint sense of relief arose in their hearts.

Previously, when they were trapped on the canal with no way to escape, there was absolutely no chance to head to the capital and save Zhixia.

Perhaps now, by hitching a ride on the black-clad man’s ship, heading to the capital might actually turn out to be a good thing. At least it would bring them closer to Zhixia.

And if they couldn’t escape and were truly doomed to die, at least the whole family would die together.

The ship gradually drifted closer to the outskirts of the capital.

Seeing the increasingly familiar surroundings, the Liu family huddled inside the cabin, their hearts rising higher and higher with tension.

They didn’t dare imagine what the scene at the capital’s dock might be. Would there be soldiers stationed there? Would they be captured the moment the ship docked?

If that happened, never mind rescuing anyone, they’d all just reunite in prison instead.

Several days had passed since they were taken aboard the ship, and they hadn’t seen any sign of the black-clad men since.

Whether the men were deliberately avoiding them or not was unclear, but one way or another, despite the limited space on the ship, they remained completely out of sight.

Night had fallen. The river was dotted with the soft glow of fishing lights, and the riverbanks gleamed with the bright lamps of countless households as the ship steadily approached the dock on the outskirts of the capital.

The Liu family almost held their breath, their eyes fixed on the dock, watching intently for any movement.

When they finally had a clear view, they all froze in astonishment.

The dock was completely empty with not a single person in sight, not even a shadow.

This didn’t make sense. It was highly unusual.

How could it be like this? Even if the capital docks weren’t bustling with people, there should at least be dock workers stationed there, right?

But at that moment, there wasn’t a single soul to be found.

The black-clad men, who had vanished from sight for several days, finally reappeared in front of the Liu family.

As soon as the ship docked, they leapt off and strode directly onto the pier.

As for the Liu family, they didn’t even need to move.

Each one of them was lifted off the ground and carried by the black-clad men, giving them an unexpected, firsthand experience of something they’d never imagined before—being dangled in midair.

The older members of the Liu family, in particular, were dizzy and lightheaded as they watched the scenery rush by beneath their feet.

What were these people trying to do? 

Why did they insist on treating them like cargo, carrying them around as if they were nothing? And where on earth were they taking them?

Eventually, they were unceremoniously thrown into a residential house.

It wasn’t just any house—it was located just two streets away from the King’s Manor.

The distance was incredibly short, yet with the black-clad men guarding them, they might as well have been separated by an impassable chasm. They couldn’t take even a single step beyond those two walls.

As they were forced into the house, Qian Wanjin was still desperately trying to negotiate. He turned to the cloaked man and pleaded, “Do you recognize me? I’m Qian Wanjin, the eldest son of the richest merchant family in Nanling! Take a good look at my face—it’s practically a trademark of the Qian family! My family’s home is also in the capital, so… do you think you could let me go and let me visit them just once?”

The man didn’t respond. He simply cast a brief, indifferent glance at him.

But somehow, this time, Qian Wanjin inexplicably had a moment of clarity and understood the meaning behind that look.

The man was saying, Idiot.

If he weren’t at a disadvantage, Qian Wanjin would have beaten him to a pulp right then and there!

How arrogant!

After being escorted into the residence, the entire Liu family was forcibly separated and locked into different rooms, leaving them with no chance to call for help.

In the courtyard, the cloaked man tilted his head back and gazed at the night sky. His eyes reflected a sea of stars, but the faint darkness lurking in his gaze remained as deep and impenetrable as ever.

“Master, Qianshou has arrived,” someone reported quietly.

“Hand the people over to them. Not a single trace must be left behind.”

“Yes, Master!”

Once the subordinate withdrew, the man turned his head and gazed silently in the direction of the King’s Manor.

Based on Feng Qingbai and his group’s departure time, it would take at least three or four more days for them to arrive in the capital.

Meanwhile, the imperial edict had already been issued: tomorrow, Liu Zhixia was to be dragged to the execution ground at the entrance of the food market and beheaded.

The man couldn’t help but wonder what contingency plans Feng Qingbai might have left behind after being away from the capital for so long. Could he still manage to save Liu Zhixia from this life-threatening situation?

He had already beaten the Liu family to the punch. But what about Liu Zhixia?

This time, who would emerge victorious? Who would lose?

If something happened to the Liu family, she would surely grow to hate Feng Qingbai, wouldn’t she?

If that were the case…

Half an hour later, loud shouts and furious yelling suddenly erupted from one of the side rooms.

“What the heck! What the hell do you think you’re doing? Don’t strip my clothes off! Get the hell away from me! Even my wife hasn’t undressed me before—who the hell do you think you are?! Don’t touch me! Stop… stop that! There’s only one layer left! I swear to god, you bastard—cut it out!”

“What the hell is this? Who’s that guy in the mirror? Where did he come from? Damn it, I don’t recognize him! That’s definitely not me! … Brother, I’m begging you, can you at least make me look normal? Even if I ate nonstop for the next thirty years, I wouldn’t turn into a pig like this! Forget everything else—my looks and body are my meal tickets! Can you give me those back, please?”

The man standing in the courtyard let out a cold chuckle, moved slightly, and disappeared from where he had been standing.

A bunch of idiots.

If he stayed around them any longer, his brain would rot.

Inside the side room, Qian Wanjin stared at the reflection in the copper mirror, completely despondent.

Who was this round-faced, bloated guy with a pair of ridiculous little mustaches?

He absolutely refused to believe it was him!

Even if he aged thirty more years hanging upside down from a tree, he still wouldn’t turn out this ugly!