Chapter 388 - 388: Sorry For The Disturbance
Chapter 388 - 388: Sorry For The Disturbance
“Did you succeed?”
“Yes, Sect Lord.”
The man in black looked at the four people at the table. He cautiously approached, and just as he reached for Yuan Jiaqi, he found himself immobilized.
He struggled to move but was paralyzed. When Qing Xing noticed something was wrong and tried to help, she also found herself unable to move.
It was only then that they realized they had fallen into a trap.
The room was suddenly illuminated. The four people supposedly asleep got up, yawning.
“Which friend dared to plot against us?”
The emperor approached the lord, reached out, and removed his face mask.
Seeing the man’s appearance, the emperor understood.
“A foreigner?”
“I advise you to let me go. Otherwise, if our Grand Master finds out, the Ming Dynasty will be doomed.”
Qiao Mai raised her hand and slapped him. “Shameless! You dare to threaten us. If you have the ability, why play these tricks with us?”
“Humph, our Grand Master prefers to keep a low profile.”
Qiao Mai couldn’t be bothered with him and probed his soul. As expected, the layers of prohibitions in their minds were meticulously crafted.
The restrictions on him are probably set by his superior, the Grand Master.
Unfortunately, these people were like child’s play compared to her methods.
She broke the restrictions with ease and thoroughly investigated the Holy Dark Temple.
The man looked at her in horror. “You broke my restriction!”
“Childish tricks. Only you people would use them. Your Dark Temple has overstepped its bounds. The islands at the intersection of the five countries are not enough for you. Who gave you the courage?”
“Since we’ve fallen into your hands, do what you want.”
Qiao Mai sneered. “After I finish dealing with things here, I will visit your Grand Master and inform him…
“You won’t kill us?”
“Killing you is as easy as slaughtering a chicken. Leave the Ming Dynasty within three days or die!”
Qiao Mai waved her hand, throwing the two out of the window.
The emperor became anxious. “Why not kill them to eliminate future troubles?”
“Kill them? How would I find their lair then? The world is so big. Even with Blackie’s abilities, it would take a long time. I placed restrictions on them as well. No matter where they go, I will know. Besides, others will keep coming. It will only get more troublesome. Letting the tiger return to the mountain is the only way to find their nest.”
“That’s good.”
In a grand hall on the islands far away, a middle-aged man was coughing up blood. It was more than the sect lord had vomited.
“No, it’s impossible. Who broke my restriction?”
“Grand Master, there are always people beyond our expectations.” “What about the four sect lords?”
“Qing Feng, Hao Yue, and Jiang Hai are present, but Shan Chuan hasn’t returned for a month. Didn’t you send him out?” “Quickly send someone to bring him back.”
“Yes, Grand Master.”
After the middle-aged man finished speaking, he went into spasms. Holding his chest, he coughed continuously and crossed his legs as he tried to recover.
After the restriction was broken, he thought he was going to die. Unexpectedly, there was such a skilled person in the world. Not only did they casually break his restriction, but they also didn’t harm the person. It seemed that the Holy Dark Temple had kicked an iron plate.
In the October of Suzhou, the weather gradually became colder. While they could eat in the courtyard during the day, they had to move indoors by night.
Fortunately, the air was drier than in the South, and the temperature was relatively comfortable.
Walking in the city, they could feel the atmosphere of the North and the flavor of the South.
There were stalls selling snacks and fruits on both sides of the street. Qiao Mai picked two golden sugar canes, divided them into several sections, and handed them to the other three.
“Eat. Don’t worry about your image. No one knows you here.”
“Haha, you’re right.’
The group nibbled on the sugar cane as they strolled through the streets. “Why is Suzhou so quiet?” “It’s prosperous.”
“Do you know what I mean?”
“I guess the news of what happened in Luzhou has spread. No one dares to commit crimes openly unless they don’t want to live.”
“Suzhou is a good place at the border of the North and South. You can find all kinds of businesses here.’
Just as they talked, a seven or eight-year-old child ran towards them. He rushed past the emperor before being caught by Qiao Mai with one hand.
She looked at the boy sternly. “Return what you stole.”
Upon hearing this, the emperor realized that something was missing. It turned out to be the jade ornament he often carried.
“What? I didn’t see anything.”
Qiao Mai reached into his embrace and took out the jade pendant, handing it to the emperor. At the same time, she grabbed the boy’s neck with one hand.
Then, she tightened her wrist, almost suffocating the child. She threw him on the ground with a swing of her hand. The child desperately gasped for breath, looking at Qiao Mai with fear.
“Scram!”
The child got up, sprinted away, and disappeared.
Yuan Jiaqi raised an eyebrow. “Wife, this child may come from a poor family, forced to do such things.”
“Not really. When I punished him, I noticed several pairs of eyes watching us.
He’s part of a gang.”
“A gang of thieves?”
“Yes. The more prosperous the city, the more thieves there are. Some children are good kids, but they become members of a thieving gang after being abducted and forced onto this path by coercion and temptation. We may have offended this gang.”
“What’s there to fear? With Blackie’s abilities, we can eliminate as many as come.”
The emperor spoke highly of Blackie, even stroking its ego, making Blackie pleased.
Occasionally, he would enter the carriage, letting the old emperor stroke him a few times, which delighted the man.
As they strolled through the street, eating and drinking, the atmosphere was pleasant. Except for Qiao Mai, the other three remained vigilant, looking around.
At noon, they learned about a nice restaurant in Suzhou. Upon entering, they requested a street-view private room.
Before they could even order, someone kicked open the door.
Qiao Mai sent the intruder flying, crashing down from the second floor to the lobby. The man spat out a mouthful of blood and took a while to get up.
He was beaten out without a word. Holding his chest, the man looked fearfully upstairs before stumbling out of the restaurant.
The innkeeper rushed to deal with the chaotic scene and came to the private room.
Seeing the four well-dressed and distinguished guests, he first respectfully bowed.
“Sorry for the disturbance. That man is a notorious thug in the area. I assume you must have offended him.”
“A child stole from us, and we caught him.”
“It’s better to be careful outside. Suzhou is a mixed bag, and since the opening of the West Gate for foreign trade, things have become a bit chaotic.”
“What is the magistrate doing?”
Upon hearing the emperor’s tone, the shopkeeper knew these guests had significant backgrounds and sighed softly.
“The magistrate is just a fourth-rank official and doesn’t have military power. To govern Suzhou well, he needed to establish good relations with the troops outside the city. But I heard that the two parties are at odds.”
“Nonsense. How can they mix family affairs with national affairs?”
“Mainly because the commander is suppressing our magistrate everywhere. It seems that they are colluding with the forces in the city, and our magistrate is very passive. The memorials sent to the capital have all been suppressed.” “How do you know about this?”
“This is not a secret. If you inquire at a teahouse, anyone with a bit of information knows. It’s just that only His Majesty in the capital’s palace is isolated from such news.
Yuan Jiaqi laughed. “Bring us your specialties.”
As he spoke, he placed a gold ingot on the table. The innkeeper smiled and took the gold into his hand.
“Please, rest assured when dining with us. The incident won’t happen again.
But I can’t guarantee it once you leave this door. I wish you a pleasant meal..”