Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 117 Arrogant

From among the beggars, several tall men emerged, wielding sticks and brandishing them from a distance, threatening the teenagers. Each of them had a fierce glint in their eyes.

The boy holding the dagger looked around, and when he saw the man lying on the steps, his eyes reddened, his arm holding the dagger trembled slightly, and he couldn't speak.

Gu Qingyue carefully examined the group of boys. Although their robes were tattered, it was clear that the material was not rough. They really looked like they had escaped from some wealthy place. So, the five people the bearded man was talking about were him and the boys huddled together behind him.

"You're asking for it!" The bearded man kicked another child who came forward to hug his leg.

The men behind him finally grew impatient and raised their weapons.

Seeing the child who had been kicked, the boy's eyes reddened with anger and anxiety. He pursed his lips repeatedly, and with a clang, the dagger fell to the ground.

"We'll go with you, don't hurt them, stop, stop, stop!" the boy cried out in despair.

The four boys behind him mustered their courage and shouted, "We're willing to leave, let them go!"

It was clear that the boys were terrified, but they forced themselves to stand upright, supporting each other.

"You should have done this earlier! Come here quickly!"

The bearded man shouted.

The boys, suppressing their fear, swallowed hard and walked shakily toward the man.

"No, no, Brother Linlang!" The child who had been kicked to the ground shouted to the boy in front, half-lying down, and pulled out a money bag from his pocket. "I have silver, I'll give it all to you, just let Brother Linlang go, please!"

Gu Qingyue raised an eyebrow. Wasn't this her own money pouch? So it was for ransom?

"Don't go!" another child screamed and cried.

Gu Qingyue closed her eyes. Did it have to be this tragic? Anyone who didn't know better would think they were watching a tragic drama from her past life unfold.

"Stop!" Unable to bear it any longer, Gu Qingyue landed lightly in the courtyard.

The group of thugs were taken aback. They turned around and saw a handsome young man standing behind them. He was slender and tall with slightly dark skin, but his phoenix eyes shone with a cold light as he looked them up and down.

"Who goes there?" a man asked.

"Wow! She's gorgeous! Brother, look!" Another man's eyes immediately lit up with lewd light as he looked at Gu Qingyue's face, almost drooling.

"Ha, I didn't expect such an unexpected gain. Brothers, our chance to make a name for ourselves has come again." The bearded man only paused for a moment before laughing, brazenly scrutinizing Gu Qingyue's face.

"Yeah, haha, we've struck it rich!"

A moment later, several thugs began to jokingly approach Gu Qingyue.

"Release them, and I'll let you go, how about that?" Gu Qingyue showed no fear.

The bearded man stopped in his tracks, his face immediately turning cold. He had been in the streets for many years and was no fool. While others might not have noticed, he immediately realized that the young man in front of him showed no fear in the face of so many of them, not even raising an eyebrow. What did that mean?

He was fearless!

The bearded man stopped three or four steps in front of Gu Qingyue, looked around, and seeing that there were no other outsiders, he felt a little relieved.

"Who are you?"

Gu Qingyue glanced disdainfully at the bearded man, ignoring him, and instead gestured towards the five teenagers behind them, "Who are they? You want to rob innocent civilians in broad daylight?"

“Good citizens? They were bought by us and have escaped. We advise you not to meddle in other people’s business,” a man with a thick beard immediately spoke up from behind him.

"Bought? Or was it kidnapped?" Gu Qingyue asked, staring intently into the bearded man's eyes.

The bearded man's eyes narrowed slightly, clearly realizing that Gu Qingyue had guessed correctly.

Gu Qingyue understood.

"Mind your own business, or don't blame us for being impolite!"

"Yes, get out of here!"

The bearded man raised his hand, stopping the shouts of the people behind him.

"What is your name, young master?" He paused, then added, "We can release them, but there's a condition." The bearded man narrowed his small eyes, shooting out a ruthless glint.

Gu Qingyue remained unmoved.

"explain".

The bearded man scrutinized Gu Qingyue's face and said, "If you come back with us, I'll set them free. Don't worry, you'll receive the most honored treatment at our Bamboo Ritual Hall, and we'll guarantee you a life of wealth and comfort. How about it?"

"hehe------"

Gu Qingyue took out a dagger from her sleeve and played with it in her hand.

"Should we release them or not?"

Seeing the dagger in Gu Qingyue's hand, with its scabbard a dark gold color and intricate patterns, clearly not an ordinary item, the bearded man's heart sank.

He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Everything is governed by the law. These five people were bought by our Bamboo Ritual Hall at a high price. You think you can just ask us to release them with a single word? Impossible."

The thugs behind him immediately turned menacing.

Gu Qingyue hesitated for a moment. Regardless of whether these boys were abducted or not, if this Bamboo Ritual Hall was indeed purchased with money and was considered legal, she really couldn't just rob it.

"Is there a contract of servitude? Why should I trust you?" Gu Qingyue drew her dagger, blew on it, and the dagger, also a dark gold color, gleamed with a sinister light in the afternoon sun, like the eyes of a cheetah poised to pounce, sending chills down one's spine at a glance.

Upon seeing this, the bearded man swallowed hard and immediately regained his composure. "Of course I have it. Here, let this young master take a look."

As he spoke, he reached his hand behind him.

Immediately, thugs behind her pulled out several pieces of paper from their pockets. Gu Qingyue glanced at them from afar and confirmed that they were indeed indenture contracts, bearing the official red seal of the government. These were indenture contracts that had been registered with the government.

Gu Qingyue did indeed recognize them. The main reason was that, apart from Xiao Nian, the Wen brothers, Liu Feng, and Rong Qingqing, everyone else in Moon Shadow Pavilion had taken the initiative to ask Gu Qingyue to sign indentures. After careful consideration, Gu Qingyue agreed, so she now had a whole bunch of such indentures in her space.

Gu Qingyue thought for a moment and then said, "Now, I'll give you two choices. First, I'll buy them, five taels each; second, I'll leave you here and take them with me." After saying that, she flicked her dagger.

Gu Qingyue's words were extremely arrogant.

Upon hearing this, the bearded man and the men behind him immediately bared their teeth, raised their clubs menacingly, and prepared to charge forward.

The bearded man raised his hand to stop him.

"Boss, this kid is too arrogant, kill him!" someone shouted.

"Hehe, let's take it back to Master Qian for him to play with first, and see how arrogant he is now," someone else shouted.

"Kid, don't try to pull out your sword to help those in need. Our Bamboo Ceremony Hall isn't a place where just anyone dares to mess with you. If you lose your life and then regret it, it'll be too late," the bearded man said through gritted teeth.

Gu Qingyue coughed and said, "It seems you've chosen the second option."

After saying that, he rushed into the crowd like a gust of wind.

In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, apart from the bearded man who was kneeling, everyone else had already fallen to the ground, letting out one painful roar after another.

"I advise everyone to choose the first option. It's better to be alive than dead," Gu Qingyue said slowly, bowing slightly and looking into the terrified eyes of the bearded man.