Qin Zheng and Lin Zhao were tied back to back on the mast.

Lin Zhao’s arrow wound at the shoulder blade hadn’t been treated in time, and by now, her upper body clothes were almost entirely soaked dark with blood.

Qin Zheng could even feel the warmth of blood slowly dripping onto her hand after Lin Zhao’s sleeve had been soaked through with blood.

She couldn’t imagine how much blood Lin Zhao’s wound had shed. Worried, she asked, “Azhao, how are you?”

With a pale face, Lin Zhao reassured Qin Zheng through gritted teeth, “I’m fine, Sister Zheng, don’t worry. I can’t use my right hand right now, but once I recover a bit, I can break free from these ropes.”

Qin Zheng quickly said, “Don’t exert yourself; it’ll only make the bleeding worse.”

Losing too much blood could be fatal.

Qin Zheng called out to Wu Xiao, “We need something to stop the bleeding.”

The leader of the water bandits was dead, and Wu Xiao was currently troubled about how to explain to the other leaders of the water bandits who hadn’t made it back onto the ship.

Upon hearing Qin Zheng’s voice, he turned his head to look them over and chuckled, “Stop the bleeding? Right now, there are only men on this ship. If Miss Lin doesn’t mind giving the brothers a feast for the eyes, I can administer medicine to Miss Lin.”

The water bandits on the ship had just gone through a life-and-death situation, and those who hadn’t managed to get back onto the ship didn’t return at all.

They knew very well what fate awaited those water bandits who hadn’t returned.

Now that the ferocity had dissipated, they felt a hint of fear.

As desperate fugitives, they usually went to find some pleasure after completing a job.

Now, Wu Xiao was talking lewdly on the ship, and there were two beautiful young ladies whom they could freely exploit.

The water bandits were suddenly stirred up, cheering and whistling.

Their eyes were filled with greed, vulgarity, and ugliness.

Being surrounded by a pack of wolves, Qin Zheng didn’t show any sign of fear.

She knew that showing fear at this moment would only make this group more arrogant, even to the point of taking advantage further.

There wasn’t a trace of emotion on her flawless face, her gaze cold and calm. “Give us a room. I’ll stop her bleeding and administer medicine. I have no martial arts skills. If you’re still not reassured, just untie the ropes on my hands.”

Her words were neither humble nor arrogant, showing no sign of being intimidated by the lecherous faces of the water bandits.

Although the people were right in front of him, there was a sense of unreachable distance, like the cold moon hanging high in the sky over the water or the dimness reflected in the mirror at midnight.

Before, Wu Xiao had only coveted Qin Zheng’s beauty, but now he admired her courage a bit.

He had kidnapped many rich girls from the mountains before, and none of them could negotiate with him in such dire circumstances like Qin Zheng did.

He sneered, “Madam Cheng seems to have not yet figured out the status of her prisoners.”

Qin Zheng replied, “It’s Leader Wu who hasn’t figured it out. If you want to use Miss Lin from the Qiyun Village as a hostage, you should at least ensure that she can survive until the Qiyun Village comes to rescue her, right? If her wound doesn’t stop bleeding, when Leader Wu takes her, would you want to use a corpse to threaten the Qiyun Village?”

Wu Xiao had a long-standing grudge against Lin Zhao.

She had broken three of his ribs before, so he wouldn’t easily let go of these matters.

He took out a bottle of herbal medicine from his pocket and walked over, sneering, “Fine, then let’s strip Miss Lin naked on the deck and administer the medicine to stop the bleeding.”

The water bandits on the ship burst into excited laughter, their lewd gazes brazenly scanning the two girls.

A chill ran through Qin Zheng’s heart, her nails digging deep into her soft palms.

Looking at Wu Xiao with eyes as cold as winter snow, she said, “If you dare to touch Azha, I’ll bite my tongue and die before letting you get the reward from the government!”

Lin Zhao suddenly chuckled, her face pale but full of defiance.

She stared at Wu Xiao and said, “I thought this outsider dog raised by the He family had some skills, but it turns out he still only knows these despicable tricks? Miss, I’m not some delicate young lady from a noble family. Do you think I would beg for mercy? It’s just a matter of digging out dozens of pairs of eyes when the time comes!”

With her last words, Lin Zhao’s wild gaze swept over the water bandits on the ship, as if memorizing each of their faces.

The water bandits caught by her gaze subconsciously avoided her eyes, showing signs of fear.

They had all witnessed Lin Zhao’s martial arts skills.

If it weren’t for their greater numbers and having bows and crossbows in hand, it wasn’t certain they could subdue Lin Zhao.

When Lin Zhao mentioned digging out their eyes, the water bandits on the ship believed she was capable of doing it.

People tend to bully the kind and fear the wicked.

Lin Zhao wasn’t a kind-hearted person to begin with, and she also had the backing of the Qiyun Villa.

Although Panlong Gou was known as the largest den of thieves in Qingzhou, most of the people under it were a bunch of rabble.

They had clashed with the Qiyun Villa several times, always returning in defeat. This time, after raiding government weapons and attacking the villa, they lost most of their men before bringing back two hostages.

The water bandits themselves felt ashamed to call this a victory.

Wu Xiao intentionally said this to embarrass Lin Zhao, but she didn’t care at all, so there was no need to continue.

As long as the Qiyun Villa stood, Wu Xiao didn’t dare to do anything to Lin Zhao.

After all, it was known that he kidnapped Lin Zhao, and when the people from the Qiyun Villa sought revenge, he would be their primary target.

He took Lin Zhao as a hostage to save his own life, not to insult her and provoke her brother to make his own death come faster.

Even though he hated Lin Zhao to the bone, Wu Xiao restrained himself.

He instructed a lackey nearby, “Untie her and let them go to the lower deck for medication. Don’t close the door to the cabin, just stand with your backs to the cabin door.”

The lower deck of the ship had no windows to prevent them from untying the ropes and escaping through the windows.

Not closing the cabin door was to be able to hear any commotion inside and be able to respond promptly to any emergencies.

Lin Zhao was severely injured and on a river, and Qin Zheng never even thought about taking this opportunity to escape.

She was purely concerned about Lin Zhao losing too much blood.

Wu Xiao finally compromised and agreed to let them go to the lower deck for medication, which relieved Qin Zheng.

After they were taken to the lower deck, Wu Xiao pondered for a moment on the deck before instructing a lackey, “Go inform the Qingzhou authorities that the woman from the wanted notice is in Panlong Gou and demand five hundred taels of gold for ransom.”

They had to hand over the hostages as soon as possible.

Once the man surnamed Cheng came to Panlong Gou to demand people, and the people had already been sent to the authorities, he could lead the group from the Qiyun Villa to fight the authorities!

The lackey swallowed nervously upon hearing Wu Xiao’s words, thinking he misheard, “F-five hundred taels of gold?”

Wasn’t the reward on the wanted notice only one hundred taels of gold?

Wu Xiao kicked the lackey, “Idiot, just go! If the authorities can offer a reward of one hundred taels of gold, it means that the woman is important to them. I’ll ask for one thousand taels of gold. They might even bring it to me. We are bandits, what’s taking the authorities’ reward? We have to make the authorities pay the ransom!”

Feeling convinced, the lackey’s heart raced at the thought of a hundred taels of gold instantly becoming five hundred taels, and he didn’t follow the ship back to Panlong Gou but went to report to Qingzhou City.

---

Qingzhou Prefecture Office.

After the rain, the courtyard’s vegetation seemed greener than usual.

Unidentified birds chirped on the branches, but the atmosphere in the study of the prefectural office was heavy.

“…The water bandits in Panlong Gou have been causing trouble in Qingzhou for a long time. Many fishermen on the river are their informants.

Every time the government sends troops to suppress them, they disappear without a trace, only to come out and cause trouble again later.

I really don’t know what to do!”

The prefect of Qingzhou spoke while stealing glances at the face of the imperial envoy sent by the court, occasionally wiping the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Shen Yanzhi calmly flipped through the files about the water bandits in the Qingzhou Prefecture Office.

He didn’t say a word in response to the Qingzhou prefect’s explanation.

After finishing the last volume and throwing the files on the desk, the Qingzhou prefect was drenched in cold sweat, startled by Shen Yanzhi’s actions.

Shen Yanzhi lifted his sharp phoenix eyes. The crimson official robe contrasted with his increasingly pale and slender face.

His gaze was as cold as icicles hanging from the eaves in winter, sending a chill down one’s spine.

“Such incompetence. Minister Zhou has been an official in Qingzhou for eight years, yet he hasn’t even located the water bandits’ lair?”

The sweat on the Qingzhou prefect’s forehead increased.

He defended himself, “Even a clever rabbit has three burrows. When those water bandits hear any news, they disguise themselves as riverside villagers and hide the stolen goods elsewhere. When the government goes, there are only a few dilapidated houses left, and sealing them off is of no use…”

Seeing that Shen Yanzhi’s expression remained unchanged, the Qingzhou prefect took something out of his sleeve. “After the government weapons were stolen, I have been diligently investigating the whereabouts of the water bandits. Although there hasn’t been much progress, we stumbled upon a clue about the wanted criminals mentioned in the warrant.”

After the rebel army took control of Bianjing, in order to stabilize the people’s hearts as soon as possible, the news of the former prince and princess fleeing was concealed.

Therefore, the warrant did not mention that they were remnants of the previous dynasty but simply labeled them as wanted criminals.

However, how could the Qingzhou prefect not know who the two people on the warrant were?

He presented the jade thumb ring to Shen Yanzhi. “This belongs to the royal family and should have belonged to the former prince…”

“Where was this item found?” Shen Yanzhi interrupted the Qingzhou prefect, clutching the jade thumb ring tightly, his voice as cold as an icy string stretched to its limit.

They had searched for days, only finding a hairpin with the palace emblem engraved on it at a pharmacy in the capital.

Despite locking down the city gates almost entirely, they couldn’t find any trace of the former prince and princess.

They had finally traced their whereabouts to the waterways.

Last time, they exchanged the hairpin for medicine.

What were they trying to exchange this time with the thumb ring?

Seeing Shen Yanzhi’s complexion change upon seeing the jade thumb ring, the Qingzhou prefect breathed a sigh of relief quietly.

He knew that his own position was temporarily safe.

He explained eagerly, “Today, a man took this jade thumb ring to a jewelry shop to exchange it for a jade hairpin.

The shopkeeper found the palace emblem inside the thumb ring and was afraid of getting into trouble, so he handed it over to the authorities.”

Upon hearing that it was a man who exchanged the thumb ring for a hairpin, Shen Yanzhi’s face darkened suddenly.

His grip on the thumb ring tightened, and his voice turned icy, “Have you caught the man who bought the hairpin?”

The Qingzhou prefect wiped his sweat again with his sleeve.

Half of his sleeve was already soaked.

He replied nervously, “The shopkeeper said that the man was wearing a mask at the time, and his appearance couldn’t be seen clearly.

But I speculate that the person should be the former prince.

I’ve ordered people to search Qingzhou city with his portrait from door to door. I believe we’ll have results soon.”

“By the latest tomorrow, Minister Zhou, we’ll have the results of the search.”

Shen Yanzhi had not slept well for days.

His eyes, bloodshot and tired, looked at the Qingzhou prefect, who felt a chill running down his spine, as if he were being stared at by a demon.

He hurriedly agreed.

Just when he thought that today’s ordeal was finally over, urgent footsteps sounded outside the door, “My lord! There’s a man outside claiming to be a water bandit from Panlong Gou. He says they have the woman from the wanted notice and demands five hundred taels of gold for her release!”

The Qingzhou prefect was momentarily stunned, not knowing whether this was good news or bad news.

Before he could react, Shen Yanzhi had already strode out of the room, grabbing the collar of the guard. “Where is the person?”

Startled by his uncharacteristic behavior, the guard pointed outside, “The guards at the main gate have apprehended the water bandit. He’s currently detained in the side hall.”

Shen Yanzhi let go of the guard and headed straight for the side hall.

The Qingzhou prefect was left behind, running after him but failing to catch up.

When they reached the side hall, the Qingzhou prefect attempted to enter but was stopped outside by the guards Shen Yanzhi had brought with him.

Thinking that Shen Yanzhi might want to conduct a secret interrogation, he wisely waited in the courtyard.

---

The water bandit who came to report to the government was quite clever.

As soon as he saw the high-ranking official in the room, he adopted a threatening tone, “You better release me before tomorrow at You hour, or you’ll receive a severed finger from that woman.”

Sitting in the hall, Shen Yanzhi raised an eyebrow at the threat.

His previously scholarly demeanor was replaced by a fierce one. “A severed finger?”

Despite being intimidated by the aura emanating from Shen Yanzhi, the water bandit, kneeling on the ground and flanked by two guards, remained defiant. “If you don’t release me today, my brother will cut off another finger from the woman tomorrow!”

Shen Yanzhi’s aura grew even more terrifying, but his questioning seemed casual. “Is the woman you captured the same as the one depicted in the wanted notice?”

The water bandit, sensing Shen Yanzhi’s skepticism, confidently replied, “She’s even prettier than the one in the notice. If we weren’t sure she was the one, my brother wouldn’t demand five hundred taels of gold!”

Shen Yanzhi’s personal guard, sensing something amiss, whispered, “Master, be careful. This could be a trap.”

Since the wanted notice had been posted, many had falsely claimed to have captured the person or found the body, all in hopes of claiming the reward.

A cold smirk played at the corner of Shen Yanzhi’s mouth. “I don’t know if what you’re saying is true or false, but the last person who threatened her in front of me is now just a pile of bones. You, insignificant ants, dare to threaten her?”

Although he didn’t refer to himself as “official,” his words sent shivers down the water bandit’s spine.

Feeling terrified, the water bandit raised his head.

Shen Yanzhi called out, “Chen Qing.”

His personal guard responded promptly, “Here!”

Shen Yanzhi stared at the water bandit with cold eyes. “Cut off all the fingers on his left hand.”

Realizing the severity of the situation, the water bandit begged for mercy, claiming they hadn’t harmed the woman and he was only delivering a message to the authorities.

Ignoring his pleas, a guard pressed his left hand against the ground.

The water bandit clenched his fist tightly, refusing to open it.

Chen Qing glared coldly. “If you don’t extend your fingers, we’ll chop off your entire left hand.”

Forced to comply, the water bandit sobbed as he opened his hand. With each cut, his screams echoed through the room.

Throughout the ordeal, Shen Yanzhi remained indifferent. After Chen Qing finished, the water bandit was in excruciating pain.

Shen Yanzhi spoke again, “Now, tell me the truth. Is the woman from the wanted notice really in your possession?”

Before the water bandit could respond, Shen Yanzhi continued coldly, “If I catch you lying, you won’t have the remaining five fingers either.”

Clutching his bleeding left hand, the water bandit, now in tears, insisted, “I’m telling the truth, sir! The woman from the wanted notice is truly in my brother’s hands. He just brought her out of the bandit’s den today…”

Bandit’s den?

Shen Yanzhi’s already pale face seemed to turn even whiter at that moment, his phoenix eyes burning crimson as if blood were about to spill from them.

Had his A-Zheng really fallen into the hands of bandits?

What had she been through?

All the resentment he felt upon learning someone had exchanged the former prince’s jade thumb ring for a jade hairpin vanished, replaced by overwhelming anger.

He should have realized it earlier.

Someone as useless as the former prince—what could he do to protect A-Zheng?

A vein protruded from his neck due to his intense anger.

His eyes were ferocious, as if he were about to devour someone, yet a chilling smile hung on his lips. “Fine, I’ll pay the five hundred taels of gold for her release.”

Although he agreed, the water bandit became even more terrified.

To him, Shen Yanzhi looked less like someone paying a ransom and more like someone preparing to massacre.