The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

Chapter 1985 Stay or leave as you like
Pang Shiwu said, "Are you my grandson? You think you can just stop hitting me like that?" He then raised his hand as if to strike again.

The burly man immediately knelt down, his face contorted in a mournful expression, and began to beg for mercy: "Hero, spare my life!"

Pang Shiwu said, "I'm no hero! You're the real hero!" He patted the big man's cheek, "You just rolled off a girl, didn't you? You're the real hero, the real hero!" In his mouth, the word "hero" was as sarcastic as a tortoise egg!

The burly man's face turned pale, then red, then white!

He was furious at being mocked by the boy, and he wanted to write something but he couldn't beat him, so he got even angrier!

Pang Shiwu said, "Get dressed right away, I need you to do something!"

The burly man was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Okay!" He turned and went upstairs.
Ru Shuang frowned and said, "There is another secret passage upstairs that leads to the ground!"

Pang Shiwu looked confident and said, "He can't escape!" He looked at his right hand and slowly said, "I just touched his face."

Ru Shuang was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Pang Shiwu said, "That means I tampered with him! If I want him to appear in front of me, he has to appear in front of me, no matter where he is!"

Ru Shuang's eyes lit up: "What kind of magic is this?"

Pang Shiwu said, "Magic? I cultivate martial arts! Not some evil or heretical path!"

Ru Shuang chuckled, "Young master, could you teach me a skill as well? I'd like to have one to rely on!"

Pang Shiwu chuckled, a somewhat eerie laugh, "You can't learn it."

Ru Shuang was somewhat puzzled, "Why?"

Pang Shiwu chuckled, "Because you're not a virgin!"

Ru Shuang immediately curled her lip, "Young master, you just know how to make fun of me!"

Pang Shiwu saw Ru Shuang staring at him with a look of both resentment and allure, and immediately looked away, not daring to look directly at her. He coughed twice and said, "Just kidding!"

Ru Shuang smiled and said, "What's wrong? Are you shy?"

Pang Shiwu immediately put on a stern face and said, "Who's shy? Don't look at me like that anymore, or my wife will kill me!"

Ru Shuang laughed, "Oh my, you have a wife now? Hehehe..." She laughed so hard she was shaking, exuding charm!
Feng Jiuxiao said, "Use your strength against outsiders, not against him." His voice was not loud and his tone was calm, but Ru Shuang immediately felt an overwhelming pressure, as if a mountain was blocking her way, making it hard to breathe!
She immediately dropped her frivolous manner, and her expression instantly became much more serious!
Feng Jiuxiao said, "Fifteen, your Dao heart is still lacking!"

Pang Shiwu's face flushed red. "I didn't lose my composure. My Dao heart is perfectly steady!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "If Xiong Mengyan were here, do you think you could hold out?"

Pang Shiwu fell into deep thought!
The image of that alluring, seductive demonic woman from the cult, instantly flashed into my mind! Clad in snow-white robes, she stood proudly above all others, gently playing the Seven-Tailed Demonic Zither, driving heroes across the land mad! Many men who appeared to have impeccable Daoist resolve also became dissolute and lost themselves!
A monster! A stunning beauty!
Pang Shiwu sighed, "I'm afraid I won't last even an incense stick's time! But now, I reckon her demonic zither has had some effect on me!"

Feng Jiuxiao scoffed, "You almost failed her, yet you have the audacity to say you can get past Xiong Mengyan?"

Like a frost-covered eye observing its nose, and its nose observing its heart, remaining completely silent.

Pang Shiwu raised his head arrogantly and said, "My reaction to beautiful women proves I'm a normal man!"

Feng Jiuxiao glanced at him sideways: "Well done, young man, not blushing or heart racing?"

Pang Shiwu immediately lost his composure, "Hey brother, can't you give me some face?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Okay!"

Ru Shuang glanced upstairs and said softly, "Shall I go up and take a look?"

Pang Shiwu said, "No need! This kid thinks he can escape by sneaking out through the secret passage. He wants to get away with Mei, you son of a bitch!" He closed his eyes slightly, as if he were chanting a spell, which startled Ru Shuang. After a moment, Pang Shiwu slowly opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Come here quickly!"

A trotting sound was heard, and the burly man, dressed impeccably, ran up to Pang Shiwu. His expression was quite intriguing, a mixture of fear, unease, doubt, and trepidation.

Pang Shiwu said, "Liu Quan, why did you run away?"

Liu Quan chuckled awkwardly, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground!
Feng Jiuxiao said, "Alright, let's hurry up and try to finish the mission before dawn!"

Pang Shiwu said, "Lead the way!"

Liu Quan looked wronged, like a punching bag. "Young master, where are we going?"

Pang Shiwu said, "I'll only say it one last time: go through all of the Liu family's properties, then hand them over to us. Do you understand?" He made a grasping motion with his right hand, and Liu Quan felt as if an invisible hand was kneading his heart, causing him excruciating pain!

He forced himself to endure the pain and immediately said, "I'm going right away!" The heartache vanished instantly!
His face turned ashen, knowing that from now on he would never escape the grasp of this black-clad youth!

Life and death are now in our hands; the glorious days of the past are gone forever!
Feng Jiuxiao said, "Tiankuo, stay here. Liu Mama's sudden death may cause trouble. You stay and oversee things. Have your men clean up the scene and find a place to bury the body."

Chu Tiankuo bowed and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Yes!"

After Feng Jiuxiao, Pang Shiwu, and Liu Quan left, Ru Shuang finally let out a long sigh of relief, "Oh my god, I was suffocating!"

Chu Tiankuo glanced at her sideways, "Are you that afraid of your master?"

Ru Shuang glanced at him sideways, "Aren't you afraid?"

Chu Tiankuo said seriously, "I'm afraid! But not the kind of fear you're showing!"

"Oh, what's the difference between being afraid and being afraid?"

"Of course there is. I'm a man's fear, and you're a woman's fear. Are we just born different?"

"What do you mean?"

Chu Tiankuo laughed, "Guess!" He turned and left, "I'll go get some people to clean up the scene!"

Ru Shuang stood there in a daze. Would the young master ever come back? How would she report the accounts to him after this?
Suddenly, the sisters who had been hiding in various corners all rushed out, chattering and bombarding Ru Shuang: "Sister Ru Shuang, tell us, what happened?"

"Yes, are we really free?"

"Sister Rushuang, I want to leave now. Don't those beasts from the Liu family want to retaliate against us?"

……

Ru Shuang said, "Everyone, please be quiet! The guests are still resting; don't disturb them!"

Everyone immediately fell silent!
Looking at the dozens of sisters in front of her, Ru Shuang was filled with emotion. She tried to compose herself and slowly said, "Sisters, listen to me! First of all, you are all free, that's true." She took out all the indentures that Chu Tiankuo had found in Liu Mama's room. "These are everyone's indentures, take them back!"

"What? Really?"

All the girls were so excited they didn't know what to do!
They wanted to cheer, but then they remembered that there were guests resting, so they immediately covered their mouths!

Ru Shuang said, "I'll distribute them in order. Whoever's name is called, come and get it!" She straightened the indentures, "Linghua!"

"It's here!" Linghua, a sixteen-year-old girl, burst into tears the moment she received the contract of indenture! She thought she would be stuck in this quagmire forever, never to climb out! This was undoubtedly a second life for her!
She knelt down in front of Ru Shuang with a thud!
Ru Shuang said, "Stand up. I have something to say to everyone in a moment. I know you are all very excited, so please calm down first. We can talk again when it's over!"

Having never seen the sun for years, their skin was unnaturally pale. Being able to go up and breathe some fresh air was the greatest gift that Mother Liu could give them!

Now, Ru Shuang said that everyone would be able to go up in a little while, and they wouldn't have to come down again! Overwhelmed with excitement, their hands trembled, and they all hugged each other and wept!

"Hibiscus, it's yours!"

"Peony, it's yours!"

"Peony, it's yours!"

"Ru Meng, it's yours!"

"Qimeng, it's yours!" "Cuicui, it's yours!"

"Honghong, this is for you!"

……

The last one was handed to the pimp, "Old Ghost, this is yours!"

Old Ghost, however, looked worried!
Upon seeing this, Ru Shuang couldn't help but think to herself: "Young Master said that some girls are unwilling to leave, but I don't believe it. This pimp clearly doesn't want to leave! If he leaves this place of romance and pleasure, where can he settle down and make a living?"
Ru Shuang said, "As you can see, Mother Liu is dead, and the town of Diexi has changed drastically! The entire Liu family is dead. Just now, Young Master Long went to deal with the other members of the Liu clan. He wants to completely eliminate the Liu family's influence. So, if you want to leave, go ahead. Each person will receive two hundred taels of silver as travel expenses!"

Peony Girl said, "Sister Ru Shuang, I feel like I'm dreaming!"

Honghong said, "I feel the same way, it's too unreal!"

Ru Shuang said, "I know that the Liu family has repeatedly set traps for everyone, so everyone is already overly suspicious. If you Li trust me, then go ahead boldly!"

Several girls revealed genuine smiles that they hadn't seen in a long time. "Sister Rushuang, I've decided to leave! I was abducted here by human traffickers when I was seven years old, and I haven't seen my parents for ten years. I want to go home and spend time with them!"

"I was kidnapped when I was six years old, and I haven't been able to reunite with my family for ten years. I want to leave too!"

Ru Shuang pulled out a stack of silver notes, all in denominations of one hundred taels. "Two hundred for you, two hundred for you, and two hundred for you too!"

The girls were suddenly reborn, incredibly excited, wishing they could sprout wings and leave this hellhole right now! Who wanted to stay here and linger with those stinky men? Some of them were not only ugly, but they also reeked, and they had so many ways of tormenting people—it was utterly disgusting! Besides being disgusting, they also caused unbearable pain, making them wish they were dead!

Heaven has truly taken pity on us; after all our suffering, we are finally blessed!
Seeing everyone coming to collect their silver notes and prepare to leave, Ru Shuang's lips curled into a smile! A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes: Young Master Long, didn't you say some people wouldn't leave? If you saw this scene now, what would you think! Hehe! She tried her best to remain composed and dignified: "Everyone, go pack your luggage and valuables!"

The women dispersed, and she sat down. Suddenly, she noticed the pimp staring at her intently.

Ru Shuang smiled and said, "I see tear stains at the corners of your eyes. Have you been crying?"

The pimp replied, "Yes!"

"Having regained my freedom and started a brand new life, why are you crying?"

"They still have homes to return to, but I have nowhere to go!"

"How can you have nowhere to go? This will always be your home!"

"Really?" The pimp's eyes lit up again!

Ru Shuang thought to herself: Old Ghost is usually quite polite to me. Anyway, we're short of someone here, so it doesn't matter who we use.

"Of course it's true! You heard it yourself, I'm the madam here now, and I'm in charge of everything! If I say you'll stay, then you'll stay!"

At this moment, Honghong suddenly came downstairs. Her eyes were red and she stood in front of Rushuang, hesitant to speak.

Ru Shuang said, “Hong Hong, I’m in charge now. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll do whatever I can to help!”

After hesitating for a long time, Honghong asked in a barely audible voice, "Sister Rushuang, I have nowhere to go. Can I stay?"

Ru Shuang was stunned for a moment and froze on the spot!

"What did you say? You want to stay?"

"Yes, Sister Ru Shuang, you said I am all alone and destitute. The world is so big, where can I find a place to settle down and make a living? With only two hundred taels of silver on me, any two beggars could easily steal it. My final fate would be nothing more than wandering the streets and dying in the wilderness!"

Ru Shuang felt terrible!
Seeing Ru Shuang's unfriendly expression, Hong Hong immediately knelt down and said, "Sister Ru Shuang, please take me in! I will never cause you any trouble!"

Ru Shuang quickly helped her up, "Listen to me, you can stay! Everyone can stay if they want!"

Suddenly, a chorus of voices arose from all around, "Really?"

"Really, Sister Ru Shuang?"

Tears streamed down Ru Shuang's face as she looked at her gathered sisters, her heart bleeding.

They could have escaped the fire pit, but because the Liu family maliciously changed their life trajectory in the past, they are now born into a lowly family and have no skills to make a living. How long can they survive in this cannibalistic world?

Ru Shuang said, "Don't misunderstand. First of all, I agree that you can all stay. I just have a question: you clearly already have the opportunity to leave here, so why do you still want to stay?"

Honghong, her eyes red, said, "Sister Rushuang, you know that we were kidnapped here when we were young. The Liu family taught us nothing but low-class flattery. Once we leave here, we are like trees without roots or fish without water. We will wither and die soon!"

Ru Shuang asked, "Is that what you all think too?"

“Sister Ru Shuang, we grew up here. Although we are not siblings, we are like family. To be honest, we are filled with fear about the future when we are suddenly asked to leave here!”

Ru Shuang wiped away her tears, her admiration for Young Master Long's ability to manipulate people growing even stronger! He was so certain that someone would stay, while she herself hadn't believed it! Perhaps this was why she hadn't realized she was caught in the middle of it all! Her shortsightedness!

"Everyone, Young Master Long actually said that you are free to leave or stay as you please. I guess you all heard that. The reason I didn't mention it earlier was because I thought you were all going to leave!"

At this moment, Peony finished packing her luggage, knelt down and kowtowed to Ru Shuang, "Sister Ru Shuang, I have parents to take care of, so I won't stay with you!" With that, she walked out!

Ru Shuang said, "It's the middle of the night, isn't it dangerous for you to be alone? Go tomorrow morning, listen to me! Don't worry, I, Ru Shuang, have promised to let you go, and I will never go back on my word!"

The other women chimed in, "Yes, Peony, it's dark and windy now. It's dangerous for a young lady like you to go for a night run."

Peony said somewhat excitedly, "I'm sorry, Sister Rushuang, I'm eager to go home and don't want to stay here for even a second longer!"

"Then listen to me, go to sleep first, and I'll find you a car tomorrow morning. Don't worry, the fare will be covered by the accounting department! Young Master Long said that he doesn't rely on this place to make money at all; this is just the stage where everyone survives!"

"Oh? Really? That's wonderful! I wonder if Young Master Long will come again? I want to thank him in person; I want to kowtow to him nine times!"

Three bows and nine kowtows are the highest form of etiquette!
Ru Shuang said, "I'm going to tell you all the truth now. Young Master Long said that this place will not be for profit in the future, so it doesn't matter whether there are customers or not. You don't need to actively flatter customers or use all your skills or even your looks to force customers to stay!"

Someone asked, "If there are no guests, what will we eat?"

Ru Shuang smiled and said, "The money comes from across the street!" She glanced in the direction of the casino!
The women looked on in realization!

Peony said, "So, you're saying that if there are guests here, we can accept them if we want, and not accept them if we don't? But I feel that's unlikely, right? Does Young Master Long really want us to just sit around doing nothing? If guests really come and no one serves them, wouldn't that ruin the reputation of this place and cause no one to come at all? Then what's the point of us gathering here? We might as well find a place to live together!"

Peony laughed and said, "Your idea is great! Living together as a family is wonderful!"

Ru Shuang said, "Young Master Long's idea is this: if guests come, anyone who wants to make money can volunteer to serve them. All the tips from the guests will be yours, and the accountant won't keep a single copper coin!"

"Sister Ru Shuang, I feel like Young Master Long is keeping us here because we can get information out of us, right?"

"Yes! That's exactly what Young Master Long means. The purpose of keeping this place here is to gather various kinds of information and intelligence!"

"So, does that mean we're still useful?"

"Of course! Your role is invaluable! Furthermore, I understand Young Master Long's meaning: he wants everyone to receive sufficient respect and live the life they desire! Leaving this place would be absolutely cruel for those of you without skills, but, gentlemen, Young Master Long isn't forbidding you from finding wealthy husbands! What I mean is, as long as you meet a good man, you can leave anytime! Until then, live well here! No one is forcing you to do anything you don't want to do! If any perverted guests commit violence, don't suffer in silence; just tell me, and Chu Tiankuo next door will stand up for us! From tonight onwards, although we may be doing things that are beneath our dignity, we still have our own respect! All animals, regardless of size, are respected!"

"If Sister Ru Shuang says so, then our lives will be much better! No one will beat or scold us at will anymore!"

A good life is one where no one beats or scolds you at will. What kind of life do girls live on ordinary days?

Ru Shuang felt a pang of sadness, forcing back her tears, and said gently with a smile, "Sisters, our good days have come!"

Chu Yikuo arrived with a group of people to clean up the scene, and the women returned to their respective rooms.

Feng Jiuxiao followed behind Liu Quan, while Pang Shiwu rode alongside Liu Quan!
This is a main street lined with mansions on both sides.

Liu Quan said, "These are all Liu family properties! The front is the storefront, and the back is the inner residence! This row of five houses is all there!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "If these five rooms were connected and turned into a paradise on earth, so that guests could enjoy themselves on the ground, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Thank you for your strong support and encouragement from Yudong!