Chapter 40: Abduction

Fang Wei stood up, and the constables hurried up from behind, looking at him at a loss. Taking a heavy breath, Fang Wei forced himself to calm down, turned around, and instructed, "An urgent family matter requires my attention. You all go ahead with your duties; once I'm done here, I'll join you."

Without waiting for their reaction, he sprinted away like a gust of wind. The constables exchanged glances, and an older one said, "Let's do as Captain Fang requested."

Fang Wei's heart pounded relentlessly. He tried to convince himself that this might just be a harmless joke, or perhaps merely his own oversensitivity in the early morning playing tricks on him. Yet, he could not control his pace. His hurried stride accelerated into a rapid march, and finally, he broke into a full run down the street. Passersby, unaware of what was happening, quickly stepped aside to let him pass.

After running for nearly half an hour, his home came into view. He slowed his pace, drew the iron ruler from his waist, and called out tentatively, "Xiuxiu?" His voice was hoarse, startling even himself.

There was no response. Pressing a hand against the door panel, Fang Wei pushed it open gently, lunged into the courtyard, and rushed straight into the house. Xiuxiu was nowhere to be seen. Trembling with panic, his eyes swept the room and locked onto the bed. Slowly stepping forward, he saw a dagger plunged into the headboard!

He yanked the dagger out fiercely and slowly unwrapped the strip of cloth bound around the hilt. Two stark, pitch-black characters were written on the pristine white fabric, striking terror into his heart: Mount Shao.

With a trembling hand, Fang Wei walked out into the courtyard and looked out into the distance. Mount Shao was only about a mile away from the Fang residence, a low hill within the city. From where he stood, its verdant peak was clearly visible. Tucking the cloth strip into his tunic, he strode away quickly.

At the Zhengyang Gate, with the assistance of the city patrol censor, Gu Yu pasted the wheat paste onto the wall, hoisting Li Fu's warrant high up. Passersby lingering at the city gate gathered around out of curiosity. Led by the patrol censor, Gu Yu squeezed his way out of the crowd. Seeing the oily sweat covering Gu Yu's face, the censor remarked, "Junior Constable Gu, the patrol censor's office has already dispatched clerks to all the city gates to post the proclamations. They must have finished putting them up by now. You've been running around all morning; you should take a rest."

Glancing at the faces of the passing pedestrians, Gu Yu replied indifferently, "This is not the time to rest. I won't feel at ease until I've inspected every city gate." As he walked up to his horse, the patrol censor grabbed the saddle and said sincerely, "You and your men have certainly been working hard."

Putting his left foot in the stirrup, Gu Yu replied, "And you have been out here under the scorching sun screening suspects. Once you enter official service, how can anything ever be easy?"

The patrol censor nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Gu Yu stopped, uttered a sharp "Huh?", and stared straight ahead down the street. At the end of the street, Zhou was hurrying over with his subordinates. Gu Yu dismounted and stepped forward to greet him. Moments later, Zhou reached the city wall. Recognizing Zhou, the patrol censor quickly bowed and saluted, "Captain Zhou, how have you been?"

Zhou smiled and said, "Old Zhang, are you on duty today? ... Ah, why are you here too?" He had just noticed Gu Yu.

Waving his hand behind him, his constables deftly unfolded the proclamations in their hands and posted the arrest warrant right beside Li Fu's. The curiosity of the crowd intensified, and they gathered around closely. Among them, someone literate read aloud, "The criminal Tang Haiqiu, nicknamed Flowing Butterfly, committed rape, robbery, and the abduction of women in the capital five years ago, resulting in multiple deaths..."

An uproar burst from the crowd. "Wasn't this man dead?" "Exactly! Could the officials be lying to us?" Shock and fear spread rapidly among the people.

Zhou pressed his hands downward, signaling everyone to calm down. "Fellow villagers, Tang Haiqiu faked his death five years ago and has now returned. There is no need for me to spell out his brutality; you all know it in your hearts. Please remain highly vigilant. If any suspicious person appears near your homes, remember to notify the authorities."

The crowd gradually dispersed. Watching the visibly tense atmosphere, Zhou's expression grew increasingly gloomy. He said to the patrol censor, "I still have three wards left to notify, so please excuse me." Turning to Gu Yu, he asked, "How are your arrangements?"

"I still need to inspect the remaining city gates," Gu Yu replied.

Zhou waved his hand. "Stay safe. Don't act recklessly if something happens; the brothers are all nearby. Shout out a warning if necessary." With that, he called to his constables and departed.

Gu Yu mounted his horse, cupped his fists in salute to the patrol censor, shook the reins, and spurred his horse forward toward the next city gate.

At Mount Shao, Fang Wei stood at the foot of the mountain, looking upward. The vegetation was dense and lush. Since it was midday and the sun was blazing, almost no one was in sight on the mountain. He began his ascent. After climbing for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he deviated from the main path and followed a winding, narrow trail toward the back of the mountain. The mountain path grew rugged, with branches crisscrossing the way. Yet, Fang Wei's objective was clear; it seemed he already had a destination in mind. Braving the scorching sun, he reached the waist of the back mountain. Half-hidden amidst towering, dense cypress trees, a thatched cottage abruptly came into view.

Fang Wei stopped, picked up a broken tree branch from the ground, and brought it close to his nose to sniff. The fresh, crisp scent emanating from the snap indicated it had been broken quite recently. Drawing the iron ruler from his waist, he crept stealthily toward the door. From inside, a voice rang out: "Captain Fang, since you're here, don't cower outside. Come in and speak."

Fang Wei's expression changed. Steeling his nerves, he pushed the door open. Inside the dim room stood two men. One of them was none other than Tang Haiqiu. The other person had their hands bound tightly behind their back, with a gleaming dagger pressed against their throat—it was his lawful wife, Lady Fang. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks swollen and red, and most of her clothes were torn, exposing her thin shoulders. Seeing Fang Wei arrive, tears streamed down her face. Staring at the scene, Fang Wei felt a mixture of heartache and fury, wishing he could tear Tang Haiqiu into a thousand pieces.

Tang Haiqiu wore a trace of a smile at the corner of his mouth, swinging the dagger in his hand with unfeigned arrogance. The tip of the blade pointed at Fang Wei, then traced threateningly across Lady Fang's delicate skin. With an iron-grey complexion, Fang Wei dropped his iron ruler to the ground. Seeing Tang Haiqiu's gaze shift behind him, Fang Wei said in a deep voice, "I didn't bring anyone with me."

"Captain Fang truly is a man who plays by the rules," Tang Haiqiu said, his tone impossible to read—was it praise or mockery? "Your memory is also quite remarkable, to still remember this thatched cottage on the back of Mount Shao."

Fang Wei sneered, "Back then, when you were driven to desperation and fled here to hide from capture, you were still hauled out by government runners in the end."

Tang Haiqiu chuckled, "The man charging at the very front that night was you. I was deeply impressed by Captain Fang's fearless valor. Who would have thought we'd meet here again five years later?"

Looking at him coldly, Fang Wei said, "Save the reminiscing for later. Release my wife, and we can discuss any terms you want."

Tang Haiqiu smiled. "Captain Fang still has such a hasty temper—prepare a set of official garments for me, and escort me out of the city by nightfall."

Gathering all her strength, Lady Fang shouted, "Don't listen to him! This depraved villain is utterly unforgivable. Arrest him at once!"