Chapter 62: Just Nod

  "Master..."

  As soon as Xiao Zhen saw Xia Jiang, Xiao Jing Tang and his wife came forward with tears in their eyes.

  Xia Han's forehead was already sweating, but he still had to pretend to be calm. If he also panicked, the whole family would be at a loss: "Don't worry, Uncle Xiao, Xiaodi won't have any problems. Hurry up and tell me, how did Xiaodi go missing?"

  Xiao Guanshi wiped away tears and said: "I just inquired, this afternoon, Xiaodie and Wang Yuanwai's maid Xiahe and Zhao Langzhong's daughter were playing with a small dog in the alley. When it got dark, Xiahe and the others parted ways with her, and that was when she went missing. Because Xiaodie's mother happened to be going out to look for her, she ran into Xiahe, asked where she was, and went to find her, but by then she had vanished without a trace."

  Xiao Jia's daughter rushed up, weeping uncontrollably, and knelt down at Xia Liu's feet, crying: "Young Master, Young Master, you must think of a way to find Xiao Di! If my daughter falls into the hands of bad people, her life will be ruined! My daughter, my poor daughter..."

  Xiao Jing Tang pulled the woman over and shouted: "Stop crying, let the young master rest for a while."

  Xia Xuan thought for a long time without coming up with anything, when he suddenly looked up and saw the Shui couple staring at him eagerly. He asked: "Have you sent someone to look for her yet?"

  Xiao Guan hastily nodded and said: "I have already sent the house servants out to search, and also reported it to the prefectural government, but... there is no news at all."

  At this time, Peng Ziqi also rushed in hastily. As soon as she entered the door, she heard about what had happened from the servants. Xia Xian knew that his trip to "Jing Hua Shui Ge" tonight was very displeasing to her. Before he left, Peng's daughter had slipped away, so he didn't ask where she came from, but only said: "Peng Gongzi, Xiao Di has gone missing, I don't know if it's the work of human traffickers, do you have any way?"

  Peng Ziqi and Xiao Qi were very compatible, this innocent girl. When he heard that she had gone missing, Peng Ziqi was also very anxious, and immediately said: "You continue to search, I'll go home for a while, please ask my family to send someone to help."

  Xia Yu Dao said: "Now the sky is already late, can you still make it out of the city?"

  Peng Ziqi said: "There is still some time before the city closes, I will ride a horse to see if I can make it back in time."

  Xia Fu immediately ordered Er Dangzi to prepare a horse for Peng Ziqi. A moment later, Peng Ziqi mounted the horse and galloped away swiftly.

  Xia Yu comforted Xiao Guan and his wife, saying: "The Peng family's power is enormous. In Qingzhou City, the yamen runners and police officers can't do anything or find any news that the Peng family can't handle. If someone goes missing and even the Peng family can't find them, then it's hopeless to think anyone else in Qingzhou can find them either. Since Young Master Peng is willing to help, there's no problem."

  Xiao's daughter half-believed and half-doubted: "Is that really true? Does the Peng family... have such great abilities?"

  "Of course, Aunt Xiao, don't you believe what I'm saying? You go back and rest first, this matter can't be rushed. Cuiyun, accompany Aunt Xiao back to her room..."

  Xiao Jia's daughter wanted to speak but hesitated, and ultimately didn't dare go against Young Master's wishes. She could only bow to Xia Liu, then was supported by Cui Yun as she walked to the door. She turned back with reluctance, her eyes brimming with tears, and pleaded with her husband in a sorrowful tone: "Dear husband..."

  "I know, I know, Xiao Qi is also my biological daughter, how can I not be anxious? You go back first, a woman should not get involved in this mess."

  Xiao Guan calmly sent the woman away, then immediately changed his expression and tearfully said to Xia Liu: "Young Master, what should we do..."

  "Get me a lantern, I'm going out to look for her."

  Xia Liu only said this one sentence, and suddenly his throat felt a bit choked up.

  Xiao Ding was tied to the pillar, looking at the man in front of her with some surprise. She didn't recognize him, a kidnapper? But he looked honest and kind. The cloth ball had been removed from her mouth, but seeing the ox horn knife tucked into the man's waist, she wisely chose not to use her incredibly loud voice to shout for help.

  She was packed into a cart and taken away, with no idea where she was going. Judging by the time, it shouldn't be too far from her own home. Maybe tomorrow Master will come to ransom her, which made her feel much more at ease.

  The man in front of him was a middle-aged man with a very honest and simple face, wearing a coarse linen garment with patches, the collar tucked into his waistband. The wrinkles on his face were as deep as if they had been carved by a knife or an axe, and especially under the lamplight, those wrinkles seemed even deeper, making his complexion look somewhat bitter.

  Liu Xu put the lamp on the table, lifted up the bedding, and pulled out a small trunk from under the bed. He placed it gently on the table, fiddled with it for a moment, then opened it. The lamplight made the silver objects inside sparkle, but it was unclear what they were.

  Then he turned around and said to Xiao Ding: "I have something to ask you, you must answer me honestly, without hiding anything."

  "Uncle wants to ask me something?"

  She's very clever, calling out to Uncle Da, pretending to be a good little girl, maybe it will stir up some sympathy in him, so before Young Master saves her and brings her back, she'll suffer less, that's what Xiao Ding Ruo is thinking.

  Liu Xu said solemnly, "I want to know everything about your young master's words and actions since he returned from the Stone Shed Inn. Tell me everything you've heard or seen, without leaving out a single word."

  Xiao Ding said in surprise: "Why are you asking these questions? Aren't you a kidnapper?"

  Liu Xu's face turned dark and he said: "Do I look like a kidnapper?"

  "Ah! I understand now, you...you are the assassin who wants to kill our young master, that great villain, aren't you?"

  Liu Xu was speechless, and after a long while, he let out a long sigh and said in a low voice: "You can speak now, from the beginning."

  Xiao Dingdao said: "Others are just a small servant girl, how could she possibly know about Young Master's affairs."

  "You're just a young girl with tender skin and flesh, don't wait until you've suffered and then come begging for mercy, are you going to say something or not?"

  Liu Xu smiled slyly and turned around, taking out a shiny silver needle from the box. The needle tip was sharp, with a forked shape like an umbrella bone half an inch after, but the tail was very thick, making it easy to hold in his hand. Liu Xu grabbed Xiaodi's arm, slowly inserting the silver needle into her delicate skin, revealing a cold and ruthless look in his eyes.

  The sharp needle tip freed her arm, and Xiao Ding immediately called out: "I said, I said, young master... Young Master that day returned from the stone shed inn, first took a bath, then went to eat dinner, after dinner walked around the yard for a while, and then went to sleep."

  "What about tomorrow?"

  "The next day, the young master got up, washed and dressed, then had me accompany him out to the streets. After eating lunch at a small restaurant, when we returned to the mansion he was covered in sweat, so he went to take a bath. Right after that, you burst in and tried to assassinate my young master, but only managed to kill Zhang Thirteen. You escaped, and the young master and I went to the government office..."

  Liu Xu's forehead bulged with blue veins as he growled: "I didn't ask you to say these things."

  Xiao Ding said pitifully: "I... I only know these..."

  Liu Xu took a few deep breaths, and coldly snorted: "You're his personal maid, even if he intentionally avoids you, it's impossible for him not to reveal any clues. Since you don't know what to say, I'll ask the questions instead, you answer."

  "Alright alright, otherwise people really don't know what to say...... uncle......"

  Seeing Liu Xu's murderous gaze, Xiao Di's voice became smaller and smaller, finally shutting her mouth.

  Liu Xu hummed: "You have an ice cellar in your mansion, don't you?"

  "Is that so? How did you know? What are you asking the ice cellar for? You wouldn't be so shameless as to even want to rob an ice cellar, would you? I've only heard..."

  "Shut up!"

  Liu Xu was annoyed by her chatterbox brain: "Am I asking you or are you asking me?"

  "You..."

  "Hmm, it's good that you know, but does your young master know about the existence of this ice cellar?"

  Xiao Ding looked at him like an idiot and explained sympathetically: "The things in the young master's own house, do you think our young master doesn't know?"

  Liu Xu's face turned red with anger and he shouted: "Just answer yes or no, got it or don't know!"

  "Yes... yes, young master knows."

  Liu Xu slapped his forehead, feeling a bit dizzy. He had been interrogated by many princes and high-ranking officials in the past when he was imprisoned, but now he was being played around with by a little girl, making him feel quite powerless. Was it because he hadn't used torture in prison for many years that his interrogation skills had become rusty?

  He calmed down his emotions, sorted out his thoughts, and continued: "Where did your young master go after returning from the stone shed that day? Did he go to the ice cellar? I've inquired about it, and the key to the Yang family's ice cellar is under your control. Were you with him when you both returned from outside the next day? Did you go straight to the bathroom? Did you ever leave him for a while, and if so, how long?"

  Although Liu Xu is an insignificant figure in the Brocade Guard, his questions immediately showed a much higher quality than the officials and inspectors of the Department of Justice. Xiaodi didn't know why he asked these questions, but she instinctively felt that they would be very unfavorable to Young Master, and suddenly, she remembered Young Master's strange behavior of sneaking into the ice cellar that night.

  Young master, why did you go to the ice cellar at that time and sneak around? It's not right. Why is this person always asking these things? What bad idea is he brewing? No, I can't say!

  Liu Xu saw her distracted and couldn't help but raise his voice, angrily saying: "Did you hear clearly? Speak!"

  "Ah! Young master... young master didn't go anywhere, he just took a walk in the backyard. The ice cellar has always been under my care, and the key has always been with me, never leaving my side. When young master returned from shopping with me the next day, he was sweating profusely, and he... he went to the bathroom with me, never leaving my side from start to finish."

  Xiao Qi hastily replied, Liu Xu stared at her slightly dazed eyes and coldly said: "You're lying!"

  "I don't have it!"

  "Little girl, you're no match for me. You're too tender. Tell me the truth and spill everything you know. I'll let you go right away. Otherwise, you'll suffer a lot."

  "Uncle, what I said is all true......hmm..."

  Before Xiao Qi could finish speaking, a wad of cloth was stuffed into his mouth. Liu Xu raised that strange silver needle again and said sinisterly, "It seems you won't confess unless I give you some pain. When you can't bear it anymore and are willing to confess, just nod your head."

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