Chapter 9: Search
"Search! Search every single houses and shops! Leave no place out and capture all slaves." The soldiers searched all the houses and shops in the town as they captured anyone who had the slave tattoo.
That included the inn where Ling Xue was staying in.
"Master, there are a group of soldiers downstairs." Lan Xing informed after looking down from the window, a frown on her forehead.
"Soldiers? Did something happen?" Ling Xue asked calmly as she got up from her seat and looked at the soldiers who were checking the neck of the people.
"Master, should I go and ask around for information?" Lan Xing asked as she looked at the people dragged away by the soldiers.
"No. Don't do anything for now. We will find out later on. First go and look for Ah Heng and others. Take them to a safe place to hide. Looking at the way the soldiers are checking the necks of the people, they must be looking for slaves from other countries. I'm afraid they might get embroiled in this too." Ling Xue frowned slightly and said in a calm voice but her clenched fists under her sleeves gave out the worries in her heart.
" Yes, I will go and find them immediately." Lan Xing nodded and went out of the room through the window, disappearing without a trace.
"I hope they are safe." Ling Xue looked faraway as she whispered softly.
*knock knock* "Open the door! We are here for a search." A soldier knocked at the door and said.
Ling Xue looked at the door and stayed silent. The knocks became louder and impatient.
"Hey! Open the door! Why aren't you opening the door? If you don't, I will break inside!" The soldier shouted angrily but there was still no response from the room.
"Just break the door and get inside." Another soldier said after getting no response. The soldier nodded and kicked the door forcefully, breaking it apart. The soldiers then rushed inside to find the person occupying it but they couldn't find anyone inside. There was no trace of a person inside.
"There is no one here."
"We searched but couldn't find anyone."
"There is no one here either." The soldiers reported after searching around the room.
The leader of the group frowned upon hearing the reports and said after a few seconds.
"Go and search other rooms. Leave nothing unturned. We shouldn't let any slaves escape. Go!" The leader commanded and headed downstairs. The soldiers continued to search other rooms in his command. The room was finally quiet.
Suddenly, a figure came inside from the window after the soldiers were gone. It was Ling Xue.
'So they were really here for slaves.' Ling Xue frowned as her eyes grew cold. 'I must find Ah Heng and others faster or else it will be too late.' She then draped her cloak over her body and went out of the window and jumped up on the roof.
She then climbed through the roofs as she searched around for the siblings. She saw many slaves being killed by the soldiers for trying to escape and became more worried about the siblings.
'They must be safe! If anything happens to them, I won't leave anyone alive!' She swore as her eyes grew colder, a ferocious light flashing across her eyes.
....
...
'Where are they? Where did they go!? Why can't I find them anywhere?' Ling Xue looked around as she asked herself anxiously. She had been searching for the siblings for an hour already but she couldn't find them anywhere. She couldn't help but think that something happened to them.
"Master! I finally found you. I didn't see you at the inn so I came to find you. I was scared when I thought that your were captured too." Lan Xing appeared before her and said. She released a sigh of relief after seeing her.
"Xing'er, did you find them?" Ling Xue suddenly grabbed her shoulders and asked, her hands trembling slightly.
"...I'm sorry master. I couldn't find them anywhere. I have scoured around every corner of the town but still couldn't find them. Please punish me." Lan Xing kneeled down as she said with a regretful face.
"You didn't find them either? Where could they be...? Get up, it's not your fault. We must find them anyhow." Ling Xue was dazed for a while then she said after she got out of her daze.
"Xing'er, grab a soldier and ask him where the captured slaves are kept." Ling Xue then commanded in a cold tone.
"Yes!" Lan Xing then went down the roof and grabbed a soldier who seemed to be a leader of a group.
"W-what what are you doing?! Put me down or I will kill you!" The soldier shouted in anger as he looked at Lan Xing. Lan Xing didn't even look at him and punched his face then took him to Ling Xue.
Lan Xing then threw the soldier on the roof carelessly and said.
"Master, he seems to be one of the leader of the soldiers. Maybe he knows about it."
Ling Xue looked at the soldier who was looking at Lan Xing and her in confusion and fear.
"W-who are you!? Why did you bring me here? Don't you know that it is a crime to hit an official! I will have you two killed if you don't let me go!" The soldier threatened as he looked at them with fear and nervousness, taking them as commoners.
"Where are the slaves kept?" Ling Xue asked as she ignored what he said. Her voice icy cold.
"H-huh?" The soldier asked in a daze when he saw that she wasn't affected at all.
"Master asked something! Still not answering?!" Lan Xing kicked the soldier and shouted coldly.
"Ah! I-I don't know! Why do you want to know about it? You won't be able to save those slaves anyway. Let me go!" The soldier said as he stuttered.
"You don't know? Then you can die now." Ling Xue narrowed her eyes as she said indifferently.
"W-what..no, wait! Don't kill me!" The soldier panicked when he saw Lan Xing draw her sword.
"Why? Since you don't have any use, you can only die." said Ling Xue.
"Wait..w-wait, I'll speak, I'll speak! Please don't kill me!" The soldier finally said anxiously when he saw Lan Xing slash her sword at him.
Lan Xing stopped the sword just when it touched the soldier's neck, leaving behind a small cut. The soldier was scared after feeling the pain from the cut and immediately blurted out.
"T-the captured slaves were all put inside cages and b-brought out of the town through carriages. T-they are to be sent to the prison in the n-nearby city for investigation. I-it is the emperor's decree. You can't defy it!" The soldier said as he looked at the sword at his neck and swallowed his saliva with difficulty.
" Nearby city? Why are you capturing them? What are you investigating through them?" Ling Xue asked with a frown.
" T-the emperor only mentioned that there were spies sent from enemy countries among the slaves in his decree." The soldier answered.
"Spies...just because of that you are killing and capturing so many innocent people? Capturing is okay but why are you killing them without discrimination?" Ling Xue asked coldly.
"W-we are only following orders! T-those slaves who try to escape are to be killed is what we were ordered. We can't go against it!" The soldier replied anxiously.
"Followed orders? But why did I hear you saying that their lives were worth nothing and that they deserve to be killed?" Lan Xing asked with a sneer.
"I-I...I didn't.." The soldier panicked and denied.
"Lan Xing....kill him." Ling Xue only commanded coldly then went down the roof.
"N-no! Y-you said you won't kill me!" The soldier shouted in fear.
Lan Xing didn't even look at him and cut off his head from his shoulders with her sword, blood gushing out like a small fountain. She then shook off the blood from her sword and sheathed it as she followed Ling Xue.
" Master, what should we do now? They must have already gone far from here." Lan Xing asked worriedly.
"Which city is the nearest from here?" Ling Xue asked after staying silent for a while.
"Hmm..it should be Huaxi city. It takes 5 days to get there from here through carriage. While other cities takes more than a week to get there. It might be faster if one rode a horse and get there in just 3 days." Lan Xing explained after thinking a bit.
" 3 days...when will Lan Ying and others get here?" Ling Xue asked with a slight frown on her forehead.
" They should get here tomorrow morning. Master, are you planning on rescuing Ah Heng and others after brother Ying and others get here?" Lan Xing asked.
" Good. Let's wait till tomorrow morning then set out for Huaxi city right after they get here. Ah Heng and others must be safe till then." Ling Xue nodded and said.
"Yes. I will make preparations for it." said Lan Xing.
Ling Xue touched the bamboo flute on her waist and caressed it gently.
'I will definitely save them!'
Weekly Power Status
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