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

Zhu Wu looked at Liu Mudan as if she were a lamb to the slaughter, his eyes showing no pity, only indifference.

"Dan Gu, what are your thoughts now?" Zhu Wu's voice was gentle, and his smile was very gentlemanly.

Liu Mudan's face was expressionless, her makeup ruined by tears, making her look disheveled. Her eyes were empty and lifeless, as if she were lost in thought and hadn't heard a thing.

Zhu Wu deliberately glanced at her sideways: "Dan Gu, I know you look down on me, but in front of so many people, you should at least give me some face. You don't have to pretend to be deaf and dumb to such an obvious degree, do you? Don't you think this is a bit too much?"

Many people cursed inwardly: Damn it! What a bastard! He just killed someone's husband and then deliberately made snide remarks about her. He knew that Mrs. Dan was immersed in grief and in a daze, yet he still dared to mock her like this. He killed her and hurt her spirit. He is extremely despicable!
Liu Muxuan frowned deeply! Was his third sister deliberately feigning deafness and dumbness? She was clearly terrified! Her husband was murdered, and the four experts she brought with her were all wiped out! Now the murderer was standing right next to her, attacking her face-to-face—this was simply outrageous!
How should she deal with this? After thinking it over, playing dumb seemed to be the best strategy!

Zhu Wu said softly, "Dan Gu, we're all grown up now. Do you think I'll let you off just because you're pretending to be stupid?" His voice was gentle as water, but the killing intent within it was as cold as ice, sending chills down one's spine!

Liu Mudan seemed to come to her senses. She stared blankly at Zhu Wu, her face no longer contorted with rage, but instead filled with fear: "Zhu Wu, it was my fault for being confused for a moment. Can you please forgive me and let me go for Ruyan's sake?"

His initial arrogance followed by his obsequiousness was a stark contrast.

Zhu Wu was taken aback. Was this still the same Liu Mudan who had been shouting and roaring like a tiger just moments before?

He immediately laughed and said, "Dan Gu, what kind of play are you putting on? Please get up quickly, the ground is cold!" As he spoke, he bent down to help Liu Mudan, who was kneeling beside Zhang Shicheng's corpse, but Liu Mudan subconsciously shrank back! At least in the eyes of outsiders, this was a sign of fear!

Zhu Wu stretched out his hands, then froze, frowning as he asked, "Dan Gu, what are you doing? Do you think my hands are poisoned?"

Liu Mudan slowly stood up, exhaled a long breath, and said slowly, "I admit it, I've failed! I'll find a car to take Shicheng away right now." She turned to leave. Many people thought: Liu Mudan is trying to use this opportunity to escape!
Zhu Wu revealed a wicked smile, "Dan Gu, you come and go as you please. You scolded me for so long, and now you want to just pack up and leave? Do you think that's appropriate?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Mudan was taken aback and ultimately did not take another step forward!

She turned her head, a smile spreading across her face: "Zhu Wu, your aunt apologizes to you!"

Zhu Wu laughed, a wicked and arrogant laugh. "Just a verbal apology? I won't accept it!"

Liu Mudan's heart was filled with murderous intent, but her face remained submissive. After a moment of internal struggle, she finally gritted her teeth and said, "I'll pay you another 100,000 taels of silver!" In her heart, she cursed: You dog! You killed my husband and not only do you not pay with your life, you even make me pay you silver! If it weren't for the vast difference in strength, would I have swallowed this insult?
Zhu Wu said leisurely, "Ten thousand taels? Dan Gu, are you trying to fob me off like a beggar? In the past, I would casually give away at least hundreds of thousands of taels of silver as a reward! You apologize to me and only offer ten thousand taels as an apology? Is my face, Zhu Wu's face, so lowly that it's only worth ten thousand taels!"

Liu Mudan thought for a moment, then said resolutely, "Three million taels! This is all the cash my Zhang family has! Not a single tael more!" Zhu Wu thought to himself: There's a hidden meaning in her words! Judging from her resolute appearance, she's clearly saying: That's all, not a single tael more, take it or leave it!
Zhu Wu laughed and said, "That's right, Dan Gu! Have your men go and get the money. Once it's there, you can leave!"

Liu Mudan's face turned ashen. She immediately sent her men to prepare money. Since she wasn't allowed to leave, she simply sat down on the ground and stayed beside her husband's body!
Although she had transformed from a tigress into a more subdued kitten, almost everyone knew that Liu Mudan's current submission was merely a prelude to accumulating strength for future revenge! A moment of forbearance brings calm, a step back opens up a vast expanse! A gentleman's revenge is never too late! She was definitely building up her strength for the future.

Lin Xingchi hesitated and whispered, "If we release them once the money is paid, isn't Zhu Wu afraid of letting the tiger return to the mountain?"

Lin Chenming, on the other hand, was much more composed: "Once the money arrives, we'll see if he releases the person! We'll see whether he prioritizes honor and releases them immediately, or if he puts profit first and breaks his promise!"

Lin Xingchi's eyes immediately lit up! If he didn't release Liu Mudan after getting the money, Zhu Wu's reputation for being untrustworthy would be ruined!

But if Zhu Wu breaks his promise, then he'll be the happiest man! He'll have the money and his enemy killed! A win-win situation!
Liu Muxue gave her family a wink, and Liu Wenyu, Liu Yuyu, Liu Muyu, Liu Yanchi, and Liu Shuyao immediately understood and began to quietly retreat!

Unexpectedly, Zhu Wu said leisurely, "Hey! You six, where are you going?"

Liu Muxue immediately closed her eyes and sighed inwardly: Damn it! What's meant to be will be! I'll just have to take it one step at a time!

He turned around and smiled, "Zhu Wu, I just remembered I have something to take care of at home, you see..."

Zhu Wu laughed and said, "I'm not looking! Let's get straight to the point and save some time. You two brothers, hurry up and raise the money. Three million each, six million in total. Once the money is here, we're leaving!"

Liu Muxue and Liu Xiantiao looked at each other in bewilderment.

So, he's the one who kidnapped everyone?

Liu Muxue said, "Zhu Wu, I didn't curse you once from beginning to end, did I?"

Zhu Wu said softly, "Uncle Xue, stop trying to get close. Hurry up and send someone to raise the money. Once the money's here, we're leaving." He ignored the Liu brothers and his gaze began to sweep across the area again! As long as the surname was Liu, Pu Shu...

Everyone was afraid of being caught in his gaze, so they lowered their heads even further!

If he sets his sights on you, you'll have to hand over three million taels of silver right away. Where are you going to get that much money? Even if three generations of a family didn't eat or drink for decades, and resorted to theft and fraud, they still couldn't get that much silver!

Zhu Wu looked around and found them to be mostly poor people, which was quite disappointing! It seemed he had no choice but to fleece the Liu family!

Suddenly, someone in the crowd started running out!

He was actually a neighbor of the Liu family. He had come to pay his respects and leave, but he didn't expect the Liu family to be involved in a murder case. He wanted to stay and watch the excitement, but things took an unexpected turn. Right under his nose, another murder occurred, and fifteen people died!

He ran outside quickly, partly out of fear and partly out of a hurry to get back to the shop.

But he didn't expect that his escape would bring death upon him!

He'd only run a couple of steps when he felt a slight throbbing pain in his head, but he ignored it and kept running! He just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible! It was fucking terrifying!
But to outsiders, the man's head was gushing blood, with two deep holes in his temples! If they weren't mistaken, his head had been pierced by some kind of hidden weapon!
But the man was completely unaware and continued running wildly. After running for several more feet, he suddenly collapsed to the ground and could not get up!
Zhu Wu said slowly, "I didn't tell you to leave, so no one is allowed to leave! Anyone who dares to leave their place without permission, don't blame me for taking their life!"

These people are all his hostages!
Although some people are worthless, at least they can be used as tools!

Kill the chicken to scare the monkey; the Liu family is the monkey, and those poor devils are the chicken!

Every now and then, a chicken is killed, and the monkeys' nerves will be on edge, keeping them living in fear, so no one will dare to run away anymore!
The reason he threatened them was because he was afraid they would come to their senses and run away together!

With over a hundred people running out at the same time, no matter how skilled he is in martial arts, he can only control or eliminate thirty to fifty targets at most. When the number reaches eighty, he will be helpless!
Therefore, winning hearts and minds is paramount! Everyone must be convinced that you have complete control! Unless you agree, not even a fly can escape! So, killing a chicken every now and then will keep these monkeys on edge, preventing them from trying anything rash!

After killing that person, Zhu Wu stood there with his eyes closed, resting.

Anyway, I've already given my instructions; whether you do it or not is up to you.

The money arrives, the person leaves.

No one leaves until the money is paid.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd said, "Uncle Xue, you guys need to hurry up and raise the money! If this keeps dragging on, we'll all suffer too!"

"Yes, Uncle Xue, you can't be too selfish!"

Liu Muxue was furious. "Who? Who the hell is talking? Step forward!"

Of course, no one dared to step forward!
Liu Muxue angrily retorted, "We, the Liu family, provide you with food and clothing all the time, but when it comes to trouble, you all show your true colors! Huh? Who said that just now? Step forward! Just give me half, I don't want more! Damn it, you just spout nonsense, do you think our family's money grows on trees? Do you think we can just hand it over like that? My whole family doesn't even have a few hundred thousand taels of silver. Asking us for three million is like asking for my life! We have no money, but you can take my life!" Zhu Wu suddenly said, "Uncle Xue, are you telling the truth? We have no money, but you can take my life?"

Liu Muxue immediately chuckled dryly, "Just saying it in anger, nothing more!"

Someone in the crowd let out a cold laugh, seemingly full of contempt!

Liu Muxue looked over again and cursed, "Damn it, who is it? Step forward!"

Of course, no one stepped forward!
The three carriages moved leisurely forward. The rising sun was still on the eastern horizon, but the sky was already bright.

Big Wolf drove the car and chatted with Feng Jiuxiao inside, "After we leave, will that father and daughter be in trouble?"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "I have already instructed Li Xiuyuan to leave this place as soon as possible this morning and find Zhang Qianqian to help him avoid trouble. As long as he listens to me and finds Zhang Qianqian, I guarantee he will be safe and sound!"

"Will he be obedient?"

"If it were him, he might not think much of it! But with Li Chan'er by his side, out of fatherly love, he wouldn't dare take the risk and would definitely obey!"

"In that case, the Liu family massacre case can only be closed as the murderers killing each other and dying together."

"Absolutely! That's exactly the case! As long as the coroner is competent, they can reach a conclusion! Once the Li father and daughter escape, even if they want to find someone to take the blame, they can't find anyone, and the only way to close the case is to die together!"

"It's a good thing you made those people lose their memories, otherwise if they had described what you and Fifteen looked like, it would have been a huge problem!"

"So the biggest loophole right now is the Li father and daughter! As long as they keep quiet, this case will never be overturned!"

"They definitely wouldn't betray you; betraying you would mean putting themselves in danger too. Is that Li Xiuyuan really that ruthless? He actually used the Tiger Claw to smash all six Azure Dragon Fiends to death!"

"Isn't it because I'm angry! Those six people completely fooled him, took his money, and then used it to escort him and his daughter all the way. Tell me, if you were in their shoes, wouldn't you be angry?"

"Of course I'm angry! Listen, someone's following us."

"They've just caught up. Let's see if they overtake them or keep following."

"I bet they'll keep following!"

"You win!"

"Damn it, you gave up before we even discussed the stakes! I won nothing!"

"Hehe, I knew it was those praying mantises coming up again as soon as I heard them. They definitely can't beat us, so you win!"

"Damn, betting on this kind of thing with you is boring, there's no suspense!"

"So what do you think is the suspense?"

"There are six of them. Guess who will die by my hand first!"

"This is where the suspense really gets!" Feng Jiuxiao laughed. "This suspense is entirely in your hands! If I say Zhang San is going to die, you insist on killing Li Si first; if I say Li Si is going to die, you insist on killing Zhang San. I have absolutely no chance of winning!"

Bigwolf laughed loudly, "You're smart to know what's good for you!"

Chili lifted the curtain, looked at Pang Shiwu's back, and said expressionlessly, "Tell me, what's going on with that Li Chan'er?"

Pang Shiwu, standing in front, was immediately jolted!
He asked in a trembling voice, "What Li Chan'er?"

Yuan Zishan said, "Just tell the truth, don't be nervous."

Pang Shiwu said, "I'm afraid that the more I explain, the worse it will get. Could you let my elder brother speak for me?"

Chili's eyes seemed to shoot out cold arrows, sending chills down Pang Shiwu's spine! She said coldly, "No! You tell me yourself!"

Pang Shiwu forced a smile and said, "It's nothing, it's just that Miss Li got dumped and is feeling down. Suddenly she realized I'm a nice guy, so she expressed her feelings for me..." The silence behind him made him uneasy. "Hey, Chili, are you alright?"

Chili said coldly, "I'm not dead yet! Continue!"

Sweat beaded on Pang Shiwu's forehead. "I told her I have a fiancée, and she shouldn't express any more feelings for me..."

Yuan Zishan smiled and said, "Did Fifteen really say that?"

Pang Shiwu immediately replied, "Yes, yes, that's exactly what they say!"

Chili asked, "Then why did she look at you like that when I got on the bus?"

Pang Shiwu said, "What are you looking at me like that? I didn't notice her at all this morning."

Yuan Zishan laughed and said, "Alright, Chili, I believe what Fifteen said is true!"

Chili pouted, looking displeased. "I don't believe it!"

Pang Shiwu said, "Then how can you convince me? Shall I invite them, father and daughter, over for a face-to-face confrontation?"

Chili pouted and said, "That father and daughter finally managed to escape, and you dragged them back. Are you even human?"

"I'm inviting you, not arresting you!"

"If you don't arrest them, can you bring them here?"

"Well... I can't guarantee that!"

"Hmph! You'd better reflect on your actions for three days! You're not allowed to speak to me for these three days! We'll see how you behave after three days!"

"Good, good, good!" Pang Shiwu thought to himself: Hehe, it seems she's calmed down. She said three days, but she's probably forgotten about it in a day! Haha, I'll try to talk to her this afternoon. If things don't go well, I'll postpone it to tomorrow! (End of Chapter)