GBP Chapter 421 Ambush
Chapter 421 Ambush
The two walked through the courtyard and into the room. The roof had long been leaking, but the moonlight could be seen through the holes in the roof.
The room was in a mess; everything usable had been moved out long ago, leaving only some worthless trinkets scattered all over the floor.
By the firelight, you could see that it was covered with a thick layer of dust.
It seems that after Huo Qi escaped on his way to exile, his mother, a pitiful woman, did not live long. After her death, the belongings in the house were divided and looted by everyone.
If Huo Qi was truly framed and wronged by his classmates back then, then the plight of him and his mother is truly pitiful.
Fearing that Huo Qi might be reminded of the past, Lin Xiaotang boldly said, "Uncle Huo, it's getting late. The most important thing is for us to find clues as soon as possible and find your mother's grave to pay our respects."
Because they did not know where Huo's mother's grave was, the two of them did not buy incense, candles, or paper money for worship when they quietly left.
Huo Qi's eyes were bloodshot, and his gaze held a hint of hatred, likely because seeing this scene reminded him of the time he was framed.
“My family was poor and I didn’t have any relatives in the capital. Although my mother had a good relationship with the neighbors, she was sentenced to exile at the time, and everyone probably avoided her. I don’t know if anyone will even take her body.” His tone was slightly somber, and his voice choked with emotion.
Lin Xiaotang didn't want to urge him any further, so she could only follow him closely as he inspected the house.
There were no skeletons in either of the bedrooms or the kitchen, and no skeletons in the yard except for weeds, suggesting that someone must have collected Huo's mother's body back then.
The two left the Huo family and searched in a deserted area near the manor. After searching for a long time by moonlight, they finally found a solitary grave near a mass grave. By the moonlight, they could see that it was the grave of Huo's mother, with a wooden tablet on it that read "Mother of Huo Qi".
Huo Qi's father abandoned his wife and children when he was very young to follow a woman from a wealthy family, and there was no news of him for many years. Huo's mother brought him to the capital to study, and used most of her savings to barely buy a small, dilapidated house. Therefore, Huo's mother passed away, and there was only a lonely grave.
Looking at the small, lonely grave overgrown with weeds, the wooden tombstone eroded by the rain and the words on it were no longer clear, Huo Qi knelt down in front of the grave, covered his face, and wept silently.
Tears streamed down his face, and he stammered, “Mother, your son is unfilial. I was wronged and couldn’t clear my name, causing you to suffer and die young. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have studied. If I had just accepted my fate and lived an ordinary life to be filial to you, you wouldn’t have had to die. Waaah…”
Lin Xiaotang slowly walked over and knelt down next to Huo Qi, put her hands together, and kowtowed three times towards Huo's mother's grave.
"Grandma Huo, you must have been very worried about Uncle Huo when you passed away. Don't worry, I will definitely help him clear his name and let you rest in peace."
Huo Qi cried for a long time. He wanted to help clear the weeds from his mother's grave, but Lin Xiaotang, fearing that someone might discover Huo Qi's whereabouts, immediately dissuaded him.
Finally, after much persuasion and urging, Huo Qi reluctantly left with her, and the two found a carriage and quietly returned to the restaurant together.
The following night, the two bought incense, candles, and paper money and went to Huo's mother's grave together. But as soon as they finished paying their respects, a group of people rushed out from the surrounding area.
Judging from their clothes and appearance, they weren't soldiers or officers, but rather servants from a wealthy household.
Huo Qi has been on the run for many years, and even the grass on Huo's mother's grave has grown very tall. At this point, who would still be chasing after him?
Clearly, he is the murderer who framed Huo Qi back then!
Huo Qi secretly paid respects to his mother, only to encounter his old enemy. He slowly rose, his usually gentle and refined face now cold and his eyes sharp, as if he wanted to devour him.
The servants made way for a young man dressed in fine clothes and carrying a folding fan.
The other person had a smug smile on their face and spoke with utter contempt.
"Heh... Huo Qi, it must be unpleasant to hide like a stinking rat in a sewer. If you come out and face me obediently, I can give you a quick death. But you insist on being restless. So tell me, what should I do with you?"
Huo Qi was completely baffled and asked coldly, "Chu Mu, we have no grievances in the past and no worries today, so why are you still holding a grudge against me? I don't understand when I offended you at the academy?"
Chu Mu sneered, "Tsk tsk tsk, Huo Qi, you're just a poor scholar. You dare to study at the same academy as me? It's beneath my dignity. I just find you an eyesore. Back then, you stole everyone's money, and the authorities convicted you, but it has nothing to do with me, hahaha..."
Huo Qi was so angry that he gritted his teeth and his eyes were blazing with fury.
He said, "You know perfectly well that I didn't steal my classmate's money at all. You framed me. I've lost my right to study and I'm no longer a threat to you. Why won't you let me go?"
Back in the academy, Chu Mu had several followers, all of whom were wealthy young men, but none of them came from families with high social standing or power.
He was framed, and it was inevitable that his classmates would be involved. After all, they usually followed Chu Mu's lead, and if Chu Mu just said a word, they would run themselves ragged.
Seeing the resentment in Huo Qi's eyes, Chu Mu felt a surge of satisfaction.
He sneered, "Huo Qi, you are already a fugitive wanted by the government. No matter how much trouble you cause, it will be a waste of effort. It's not that I don't want to let you go, but a rat like you who can't see the light of day shouldn't live."
"If I help the government capture a fugitive who has been on the run for many years, but the fugitive is hoping to escape, and my men accidentally kill him, how will the government repay me?"
Huo Qi gritted his teeth and roared, "Despicable! Shameless!"
The other party just wanted to kill him to silence him. He thought that after so many years, a rich young master like Chu Mu, who was ambitious and unrealistic, would have long forgotten about him, a nobody with no influence. Even if they were to arrest him, it would be the government.
Unexpectedly, it was Chu Mu, that despicable scoundrel, who arrested him.
Chu Mu smiled and smoothed his clothes, his face full of arrogance. "Huo Qi, it's not like you've known me for the first time. It's just that you have this poor, pedantic air about you, yet you insist on acting high and mighty, as if you're the most capable among all the classmates in the academy. You look down on everyone. I'm kindly teaching you a lesson. In your next life, keep your tail between your legs and don't even dream of achieving great success."
He laughed smugly, his slicked-back hair and arrogant smile making you want to punch him.
Huo Qi clenched his fists and stepped forward, ready to fight him to the death, but Lin Xiaotang stopped him.
Chu Mu brought more than ten people with him, and Huo Qi couldn't even get close to him. It was likely that as soon as he made a move, Huo Qi would be surrounded and beaten up by Chu Mu.
She whispered her advice, "Uncle Huo, they outnumber us and are too powerful. It's not easy for us to fight them. We won't gain any advantage and will only suffer losses."
Yes, he has already paid respects to his mother. He's ready to fight Chu Mu today, even if it means his death. But Xiao Tang is innocent. With Chu Mu's despicable character, who treats human life like dirt, he will definitely not let Xiao Tang go.
At this moment, he was filled with regret, realizing he shouldn't have brought Xiaotang along to the memorial service!
He looked remorseful. "Little girl, it's all my fault for dragging you into this. I'll repay your kindness in my next life. They won't let you go easily. Hold them off while you run. Don't look back. Don't give them a chance to catch you."
Lin Xiaotang glanced around. She and Huo Qi were already surrounded by Chu Mu's servants. It would be difficult for them to break through and escape!