Trapped, Meng Wanshu in Peril!

Zhao Dafu stepped outside, gestured to Li Guanqi, and pulled him to the back to briefly explain what had happened. Li Guanqi's gaze sharpened, his fists clenching tightly. "It can't be... Definitely not... When has Wanshu ever come down the mountain?!" He looked up at Zhao Dafu, his voice heavy with grim concern. "Did you see what she looked like? How tall was she?" Zhao Dafu furrowed his brow, thinking hard for a moment, then gestured next to Li Guanqi's ear. "About this tall." "She was quite pretty, but I didn't get a clear look at her face. She passed by in a flash." Realizing that Li Guanqi likely knew the girl, the man tried to comfort him. "Ah, she left long ago. By now, she might already be out of town and on her way back." Yet the waiter behind the counter muttered, "I wouldn't be so sure. That Gou San is a no-good scoundrel. As a lapdog for that young master, most likely..." The waiter shook his head, leaving the rest unspoken. Li Guanqi slung the wine jug over his shoulder and crossed the street to the old vendor in swift strides. "Uncle Xiao! It's me." With eyes brimmed with tears, the old man slowly looked up and wiped them with his sleeve before finally recognizing Li Guanqi. "Oh, it's young friend Li." "You see... my stall... ah..." Seeing the old man at such a helpless loss made Li Guanqi's chest tighten, but now was no time for pleasantries. Li Guanqi asked urgently, "Earlier, was there a young girl—thirteen or fourteen, a bit shorter than me, wearing a skirt with little white flowers embroidered on the cuffs—who came to buy sticky rice cakes from you?" The old man searched his memory for a moment and recalled Meng Wanshu, who had bought four pieces of cake. "Yes, yes, yes! There was a girl like that!" "At first, she wanted three pieces, but then changed her mind to four. I had to repack them for her, so I remember very clearly." Li Guanqi's heart sank. It was confirmed—the person they had targeted was indeed Meng Wanshu! The thought of Meng Wanshu in danger sent his mind into turmoil. Grabbing the old man by the shoulder, he asked, "Which way did she go?" How could the old man remember such details now? He had not even realized Meng Wanshu had been among the crowd earlier. "East end of town!" the wine shop waiter called out, pointing in that direction. Li Guanqi gave a curt nod. Without even pausing to give thanks, he bolted into the crowd! *** Meanwhile. Meng Wanshu finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had shaken off the people tailing her. Looking up at the dimming sky, she hurried toward the town's outskirts, anxious that if she tarried any longer, she would not make it home before dark. Her parents would be worried sick. Before she had gone very far, however, she noticed an elderly woman lying weak and helpless by the roadside. At first, she intended to ignore the woman and keep going, gritting her teeth and quickening her pace. Just then, the old woman summoned the last ounce of her strength to snatch the hem of Meng Wanshu's skirt. Her pale face was framed by cracked, parched lips, suggesting she had gone without food or water for a long time. With trembling, withered hands clutching Meng Wanshu's skirt, the crone spoke in broken rasps: "Miss... spare... spare me a bite... to eat..." As she spoke, she pulled a jade bracelet wrapped in a rag from her bosom and offered it to Meng Wanshu. "This bracelet is mine... Miss, just give me a mouthful to eat." Tears welled in the old woman's eyes, making her appear utterly pitiful. Unable to bear watching the old woman starve to death on the street, Meng Wanshu took a piece of sticky rice cake from the oiled paper and handed it over. Besides, the crone held on so tightly that she doubtlessly could not break free otherwise. "Here, take this, and let go." The old woman took the cake and wolfed it down, yet still refused to loosen her grip. Frantic, Meng Wanshu tugged hard at her skirt, scolding with a frown, "I've already given you food. Let go..." Suddenly, the old woman forced the jade bracelet onto Meng Wanshu's wrist. "Ah! It hurts... I don't want this! Take it back!" A sharp gleam flashed in the old woman's eyes. Releasing her grip, she spat out the mouthful of cake. "Keep it on, young miss." No sooner had she spoken than a languid shout echoed from a nearby alleyway. "Mother! Where are you?" "That bracelet of ours is reserved for my bride!" A swaggering voice drifted out from the dark alley, laden with mockery and amusement. Meng Wanshu's face drained of color. She realized the trap at once. Dropping what she held, she struggled desperately to pry the bracelet off. It rubbed against her wrist until the skin was raw and red. Just then, several figures emerged from the depths of the alley. There were five men in total, led by none other than the leering Gou San! "Hahaha! Mother, is this the bride you picked out for me?" Meng Wanshu shrank back in terror, staring at them. However, several servants had already cut off her paths to the left and right. Meng Wanshu cried sharply, "I am not! Don't you dare talk nonsense!" Gou San tucked his hands into his sleeves and smiled slyly at her wrist. "Oh? How could you not be? You're already wearing our family's betrothal token." As he spoke, he stepped toward her, his gaze sweeping over her chest with undisguised lust. That sickening stare made Meng Wanshu turn pale. Though many neighbors poked their heads out to watch the commotion, not one dared speak up. Meanwhile, the old woman—Aunt Mei in disguise—played the victim to the onlookers gathered around. "This young lady agreed to marry into our family and accepted our heirloom with her own hands, yet now she wants to go back on her word..." Murmurs instantly erupted through the crowd. "Girls these days are really something... How can she renege after agreeing to it?" "Exactly. Look at that bracelet on her wrist—it must be worth a fortune." "Sigh... Gou San is an orphan. Where did he get a mother? This poor girl..." Though a few saw through the ruse, most were taken in by the old crone's act. The old woman kept her head down, her disheveled hair concealing the cunning glint in her eyes. She was already contemplating whether to take her reward and slip away to another town. Suddenly! A flash of resolve flared in Meng Wanshu's eyes. Raising her arm, she slammed her wrist violently against a stone on the ground! Gou San gasped in terror. That bracelet had come from Zhao Yuanlin and was worth a fortune! "Stop! Don't you dare!" Meng Wanshu paid no heed to his shout. *Crack! Clang!* The priceless jade bracelet shattered instantly, its sharp shards slicing a deep gash into her wrist. Wherever the shards had cut her, blood poured out in a steady stream. Rising to her feet, Meng Wanshu breathed heavily, her chest heaving with turmoil. Gou San's expression darkened as he looked at the broken bracelet. Glaring up at Meng Wanshu, he strode forward and swung his palm across her face. *Smack!* "You wretched wench, you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" Meng Wanshu collapsed onto the cold flagstones, skinning her hands. Her cheek instantly swelled, stamped with five angry red finger marks. Seeing Gou San turn violent, the murmuring crowd fell hushed. Under his intimidating aura, the onlookers even took several paces back. Her face contorted in pain, Meng Wanshu looked around and opened her mouth to plead for help, but not a sound came out. The callous crowd did not even dare meet Gou San's gaze. As the man swept a chilling glare across them, many simply walked away. Sneering, Gou San crouched down and looked at the red-rimmed eyes of Meng Wanshu, his voice turning cold as ice. "Since you smashed the bracelet, and it was worth three hundred taels of silver, you either pay up or come back with me to get married!" Yet Meng Wanshu's unyielding nature refused to show weakness before him. Though her cheek burned with pain and waves of throbbing radiated from her hands, she held her chin high and snapped coldly, "In your mother's dog dreams!" "I'd rather smash my head open on these stones today than ever leave with you!" Gou San scoffed. "Heh, quite a fiery little thing, aren't you?" "Come on, brothers, haul her off!" The moment the words left his mouth, Meng Wanshu snatched up a blood-stained stone from the ground and smashed it straight into his face! *Thud!* Blood splattered everywhere. Gou San's nose collapsed instantly, his face turning into a bloody mess. Meng Wanshu scrambled up to run, but a youth dressed in Zhao Manor livery caught her by the hair and threw her back to the ground! "Trying to run?! Brother Gou, are you all right?" Meng Wanshu struggled desperately. "Let me go! Let me go!" Yet held between two grown men, the girl was simply too weak. No matter how hard she fought, she could not break free. Others helped Gou San up. Blood blurred his vision, and the excruciating pain in his broken nose drove him nearly insane. "I'll kill you!" Flipping his wrist, he produced a dagger from his sleeve, but two hands reached out to restrain him. "Brother Gou, you can't! If anything happens to her, we won't be able to answer to the young master!" Gou San caught his breath, his chest heaving violently. Glaring daggers at Meng Wanshu, he licked the blood from the corner of his lips and rasped chillingly, "Wretched wench... Just you wait. Once the young master is done with you, I'll take good care of you myself!" "Take her away!" Panic seized Meng Wanshu, and a deep despair engulfed her. "Help me! Please, help me! I don't know them!" "That old woman is with them! I gave her food!" "She forced the bracelet onto me! Help me!" Yet her cries drew no sympathy; nor did anyone possess the courage to cross the Zhao family. Everyone turned a deaf ear to her pleas. The group shoved their way through the crowd, dragging her toward the town. No matter how Meng Wanshu dragged her feet against the ground, she could not halt the strength of the men flanking her. Suddenly! A figure she knew better than anyone stepped into view... The tension holding her together shattered in an instant, and all her held-back grief broke through. Tears poured down her cheeks like a broken dam. Pressing her lips together to stifle her sobs, her tear-stained face was heartbreaking to behold. Standing thirty paces away, Li Guanqi looked upon the scene, his expression utterly dark. His gaze fell especially upon Meng Wanshu's blood-soaked wrist and the stark finger marks across her swollen cheek. A surge of fury rushed straight to his head. His hands and feet grew numb, and blood surged through his veins, filling his eyes with broken crimson threads. Spotting the youth in the distance, Gou San frowned and drew his dagger, stepping forward slowly. "Where did this beggar crawl out from?" "Get lost! Mind your own damn business!" Li Guanqi's lips trembled slightly as he muttered under his breath, "Grandpa, scold me later..." Turning a gentle gaze upon Meng Wanshu, he forced a warm, reassuring smile onto his face and said softly, "Wanshu, close your eyes. Don't open them until I tell you to." Pursing her lips, Meng Wanshu nodded vigorously, then slowly shut her eyes. Li Guanqi lowered the wine jug from his shoulder, his knuckles popping with a menacing crackle. From the moment he saw the harm done to Meng Wanshu, the killing intent in his heart had swelled beyond all restraint! Though some people in Fulong Village were obnoxious, many had treated him with genuine warmth! Meng Wanshu chided him every day, yet whenever her family made good food, she always saved a portion for him. With a vicious sneer, Gou San waved his hand at Li Guanqi. "Cripple him!" The throbbing pain in his face kept him in a foul, explosive temper, and Li Guanqi's appearance provided the perfect outlet for his rage. Three men charged at Li Guanqi together. Yet in the very next instant, a dull thud rang in their ears!