GBP Chapter 423 Jumping into the River to Escape
Chapter 423 Jumping into the River to Escape
"You brat, why aren't you running away anymore? Let's see where you can run to. Come back with us obediently, and you might suffer less."
Lin Xiaotang was anxious. She retorted angrily, "Bullshit! You want to kill me to silence me? If I don't run away, do you expect me to stick my neck out for you to kill?"
The servants were all panting heavily, and Lin Xiaotang was in even worse shape because her physical strength was far inferior to that of these strong and robust servants.
Now her legs are almost broken from running, and even if they didn't chase her to the riverbank, she wouldn't be able to run anymore.
The servants knew their young master's temperament well; if they didn't bring the little girl back today, they would all be finished.
"Little girl, don't blame us. We were just following orders. The only thing to blame is that you got to know that fugitive surnamed Huo."
"Why argue with her? The important thing is to get her back quickly."
They dared not be careless at all, and panted heavily as they went to grab Lin Xiaotang.
Five or six people surrounded her, making escape impossible. Lin Xiaotang glanced back at the wide, seemingly endless river, gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and plunged in.
Jumping into the river offers a glimmer of hope; if you don't, they'll just catch you and take you back!
The icy lake water washed over her body. Lin Xiaotang opened her eyes. It was already night, and the river was even darker, so she couldn't see anything.
Lin Xiaotang immediately swam forward as fast as she could. She turned a corner by instinct, so that those people wouldn't jump into the river and find her.
The servants on the bank were stunned when they saw Lin Xiaotang jump into the river.
Someone exclaimed, "Damn it, she jumped into the river! What are you all standing there for? Jump in and chase her! We have to catch her and bring her back to report!"
The servants jumped into the river like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, but the water was so dark that they couldn't tell which way she was swimming.
In the river, Lin Xiaotang felt exhausted and had difficulty breathing. She struggled to swim to the opposite bank. When she broke the surface, she looked around carefully and found that no one was chasing her. She climbed ashore with difficulty, feeling completely drained, and lay in the grass, breathing heavily.
Torches suddenly appeared on the opposite bank of the river, and the people chased after them.
Upon realizing this, Lin Xiaotang immediately hid in the nearby reeds. This was not a safe place to stay; those people had torches and might find her soon.
She dared not delay any longer and carefully made her way through the reeds in the direction she had come from. She dared not touch the reeds, for fear that the swaying of the reed tips would alert those people.
When leaving the reed forest, Lin Xiaotang wrung out the river water from her clothes, just in case any water droplets on the road would give away her whereabouts.
Two hours later, Lin Xiaotang finally returned to Mingcui Tower. The back door of Mingcui Tower was already locked. She knocked on the door, and Lin Qingchuan and Liu Shi heard her knocking and went out to check together.
When Lin Qingchuan opened the back door and found it was his own daughter, he was surprised and a little angry.
"Xiao Tang, why are you up so late at night? Where have you been? Why are you all soaked?"
"Father, Mother, this is not the place to talk. Please come inside with me."
Lin Xiaotang looked around to make sure no one was there, then stepped over the threshold, closed the back door, and pulled her parents toward the room.
Ever since her daughter returned from the mountain, Huo Qi, who had taken on a scholarly air, had become eccentric. Given the opportunity to go down the mountain to the capital and sever ties with those people, why did she still want to go back? It was truly perplexing.
Inside the room, Liu took out a new dress and asked her daughter to change into it in the next room first. She also poured her a cup of hot tea.
"Xiao Tang, what have you been doing? Just tell us the truth, or you'll worry your parents to death!"
Lin Qingchuan was so angry he wanted to slam his fist on the table, but he was afraid the waiters and cooks living in the front would hear, so he could only sigh and put his hand down.
Lin Xiaotang had no choice but to honestly tell her parents what she and Huo Qi had done in the past two days and what had happened today.
Then, she said urgently, "Father, do you know where Manager Su is now? I want to contact him as soon as possible. He has a noble status and extensive connections. Maybe he can help me."
Lin Qingchuan's brows furrowed into the shape of the Chinese character "川" (chuan), his face full of worry.
"Xiao Tang, look at the mess you've made. If you hadn't asked Mr. Xue to help you with your identity and travel permit, Huo Qi wouldn't have been able to enter the capital smoothly, and none of this would have happened now."
The wife's nephew of that Vice Minister of Revenue is not someone to be trifled with. Since he framed Huo Qi back then, and was able to ambush and capture Huo Qi many years later, it proves that he was aiming to kill him to silence him. I'm afraid Huo Qi is now in grave danger.
Even if you find Manager Su now, and he does find him immediately, he might not be willing to offend the Vice Minister of Revenue for the sake of a completely unrelated person like Huo Qi. Besides, what if this matter implicates Manager Su? How could we face him then?
Lin Xiaotang was extremely annoyed. She thought that by helping Huo Qi get a new identity and a travel permit, everything would be foolproof.
Who knew that instead of being caught by the authorities, he was captured by that despicable and shameless Chu Mu.
It's likely that there are people bribed by Chu Mu near the Huo family's residence. Once they discover Huo Qi's whereabouts, they will notify Chu Mu to come and arrest him.
If Huo Qi was really killed by Chu Mu to silence him, and he came with her alive and well, but was gone before they even got back, how could she explain this to Scarface and the many elders on the mountain?
No, if we delay any longer, Huo Qi might die. She has to find a way to save Huo Qi.
Reporting it to the authorities is out of the question!
Back then, Huo Qi was framed, and it was only because Chu Mu bribed the government officials that Huo Qi was easily convicted.
Chu Mu's appearance and his act of killing to silence witnesses confirm that Huo Qi was wronged by him back then.
She said earnestly, "Father, Uncle Huo was a poor scholar. He and his mother depended on each other since he was a child. He studied very hard, but he was framed by his classmates at the academy. Chu Mu bribed the government to convict him of stealing property. His mother died with resentment. Uncle Huo not only did not see his mother one last time, but he did not even have the chance to collect her body."
I took him back to pay respects to Mother Huo out of momentary pity. Originally, this matter was kept quiet and no one found out. But Chu Mu insisted on killing him to silence him. Even after many years, he still secretly watched and took the opportunity to kill him.
"I brought him back; it was my oversight. I must find a way to save him, even if... he's gone, I must bring his body back. If Manager Su is in a difficult position, I'll see if I can find out anything about martial arts practitioners."
It is said that some江湖人士 (jianghu figures) will do things secretly and without anyone noticing, as long as they are paid money.
Liu was timid. When she heard that her daughter and Huo Qi had been encountered by Chu Mu, and that her daughter had escaped back while Huo Qi had been captured, she immediately became worried.
"Xiao Tang, now that Chu Mu has seen your face, and they haven't caught you, will they be looking for you everywhere? What should we do?"
The Vice Minister of Revenue wields considerable power, and with his uncle's influence, Chu Mu would find it very easy to locate someone in the capital.
With their car in Mingcui Tower, located in the heart of the city, it would be difficult for them to hide away.
She hurriedly said, "Xiao Tang, you should leave the city first thing tomorrow morning and hurry back to the mountain. As for Huo Qi, your father and I will arrange for someone to inquire. If Chu Mu has already killed him to silence him, we will secretly collect his body and bury him next to Huo's mother. If he is still alive, we will try to rescue him. You, as a young lady, must not get involved in this matter again."