Chapter 0007: Confinement

"What do you want with Xiaodie?" the slightly older girl asked again, "Who exactly are you?"

Yang Ning was about to speak up to inquire when he suddenly heard faint sobbing sounds nearby. He quietly approached the source of the sound, which was coming from the room next door. As he reached the door, the sobbing became clearer, and it was evident that more than one person was crying. Peering through the crack of the door, Yang Ning saw several figures huddled together inside the room.

The little girl’s face was still filled with terror, yet she nodded slightly and said: "Sister Xiaodie... I used to live with Sister Xiaodie, she... she treated me very well...!"

Sister, you all stop crying...! I can faintly hear a delicate voice softly advising: "Even if you shed all your tears here, you still cannot go out... If they hear you later... if they hear you, they will whip you...!"

However, in order to reach that hole, one must first sneak out from this stable courtyard. As it stands, there are always guards watching over the stable courtyard, making it no easy task to slip out of the stable yard.

After much effort, I dragged Old Xing to the wall base in the courtyard, worried that this guy might suddenly wake up. I landed a few punches on his forehead, estimating that he would not be able to regain consciousness anytime soon

Yang Ning, upon hearing news of Xiao Die, let out a slight sigh of relief and asked, "Where is Xiao Die now?"

After Yang Ning entered, he closed the door behind him and then softly asked, "Is Miss Xiao Die here?"

While lost in thought, I suddenly saw Old Xing stand up from his chair and walk over this way

"So what?" The person who came out of the courtyard said irritably, "You can only look but not eat; it would be better not to look at all. I said, Old Xing, you must be careful. I see that you, you rascal, have ulterior motives. Today you sent over four more; do you have some ideas? You must know that if any of these young ladies lose even a single hair, your head will roll."

Yang Ning immediately shrank back behind the wall, secretly wondering if it was possible that this guy had discovered him

The man in black, who was being followed by Yang Ning, laughed and said: "What are you in such a hurry for? Accompanied by a large group of lively young girls, why are you still so angry?"

I... I don't know...! The young girl lowered her head, "I haven't seen her for several days."

Suddenly, I caught sight of Old Xing with a bunch of keys hanging from his waist. A small iron ring held five or six keys. With a quick thought, I reached out and yanked the keyring down, took it in my hand, and swiftly ran towards the row of houses in the left corner of the courtyard.

Yang Ning is not concerned about who is backing Xiao Yishui; he only cares about where Xiao Die is at this moment

Yang Ning walked out of the backyard, but for a moment, he did not know where Xiao Die was. The courtyard connected to the house was quite large, and at this moment, it was also unclear where Xiao Yishui was taking Madam Hua.

When Yang Ning unlocked the door and pushed it open, he found that the group of figures had already shrunk to the corner of the wall, clearly filled with fear.

Old Xing laughed heartily and said: "Enough of the nonsense, I am just worried that you won't follow the rules. If you can't control that thing down there, you might end up losing your life." He waved his hand and said: "Get lost, I will take care of this for now. Come over early tomorrow, and don't keep me waiting."

There are four small houses in a row, all of which are pitch dark inside. Yang Ning ran to the outermost house, which was locked. Peering through the crack of the door, he saw that it was very dim inside. He noticed that the items were quite cluttered and vaguely discerned what seemed to be percussion instruments, but he did not see anyone.

Yang Ning contemplated how to approach that row of houses

This flower residence indeed harbors deep mysteries

Yang Ning swiftly approached the front of the second room, where the Iron General was also guarding the door. Peering through the crack, he faintly discerned several figures crowded inside, yet there was an eerie silence, with not a single sound emanating from within.

Yang Ning crouched down, stealthily following behind, and after turning a few corners, he saw a courtyard gate appear not far ahead. The gate was wide open, and the man in black was unaware that someone was tailing him. As he approached the gate, Yang Ning saw someone coming out from the courtyard, also dressed in black, who immediately shouted: "Damn it, why did it take you so long to get here?"

The man in black stretched lazily and yawned before saying, "I am leaving. Be careful tonight; losing one person is something we cannot afford." He said no more and swayed as he walked over. Yang Ning was already prepared, hiding to the side, watching the man in black pass by him. When he looked back at the courtyard gate, Old Xing had already entered the courtyard.

After waiting for a moment, I did not see Old Xing come out. I leaned over to take a look and saw Old Xing humming a tune as he walked back, tying his pants as he walked. I immediately understood that this fellow had merely gone to relieve himself by the wall

You need not be afraid, I am not one of those in the house. Yang Ning moved a little closer, yet the young women remained on guard, huddled together in the corner.

At this moment, he has already understood that the greatest mystery of the Flower Mansion is the imprisonment of these young girls, but he is still unclear as to why the Flower Mansion has confined this group of young girls here

"Old Xing, come here for a moment...!" The voice repeated itself, not far away, somewhat indistinct. Old Xing could not immediately discern who it was, thinking it was one of his companions. He did not suspect that someone would intrude into the house at this late hour. He swaggered out the door, looked around, but saw no one. Frowning, he asked, "Who is it?"

A few young women initially thought that the burly man outside had come in upon hearing the sound of sobbing. When they vaguely saw that it was a rather slender young boy, they were somewhat taken aback, their fear diminishing significantly, yet a sense of confusion arose. One slightly older girl mustered her courage to ask, "Who... who are you?"

Sister Xiaodie is not here... From behind came a timid voice. Yang Ning looked over and saw an eleven or twelve-year-old girl. From her tone, it was evident that she knew Xiaodie. Yang Ning approached and asked, "Do you know Xiaodie?"

Yang Ning hesitated for a moment before saying: "I am a friend of Xiao Die, um, I suppose... I should be considered his elder brother!"

Although he still vividly remembers the combat skills he acquired during his previous life as a soldier and is able to skillfully utilize this body to demonstrate them, unfortunately, this body is still immature, lacking in strength, and although his soul is attached to this body, it cannot generate strength out of thin air

Do not ask me first, I will ask you, is Miss Xiaodie here? Do you know Miss Xiaodie? Yang Ning, seeing the situation of these young ladies, felt even more worried about Xiaodie.

What he had seen and heard before had already made him feel that the Flower Mansion was quite remarkable; now, seeing that the man in black was actually armed with a sword, he was even more certain that there was something very suspicious going on inside the Flower Mansion

Yang Ning confirmed that there was no one else around, approached the courtyard gate, and peered inside. He saw that it was a rather spacious courtyard, with a row of small houses in the left corner, probably three or four in total, while in the right corner there was a stable, which housed two fine horses.

He does not know whether Xiao Die is among them; he only wonders how Xiao Die left the stable that night if she was indeed there.

In front of that row of houses, there was a chair, and in front of the chair, there was a small table. At that moment, Old Xing was leaning back on the chair, with his legs resting on the table. Under the moonlight, Yang Ning surprisingly noticed that there was a gleaming unsheathed broadsword placed on the table.

Suddenly, the surroundings fell silent. Yang Ning furrowed his brows, thinking to himself that the man in black had mentioned a group of lively young girls in this courtyard. Could it be that Xiao Die is among them?

"Do not cry, since we have come this far, do not think about leaving now." Another youthful voice, filled with sorrow, said: "I have been here for three months and have not stepped outside this house even once. When they brought me here, they promised my father that I could go out to see him twice a month, but... but now I do not even know how my father is doing."

A burly man in black, with a knife hanging from his waist, walked past Yang Ning not far away, with his hands behind his back, humming a tune, and turned onto another path

Yang Ning is currently unaware of how many people are inside the residence. Once the people inside are truly alerted, it is uncertain whether he will be able to escape.

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a heaviness at the back of his head, and for a moment, he felt dizzy and his vision blurred, before he collapsed to the ground.

To approach the house and find Xiao Die, one must inevitably pass the test of Old Xing. At this moment, Old Xing is sitting firmly in the courtyard, and as soon as I enter the courtyard, I will be immediately noticed by him. If he shouts even once, the others inside the house will surely rush over quickly

The night has deepened, and the interior is enveloped in tranquility

Then... then did you sneak in from outside?" the young girl said: "This residence is heavily guarded, how... how could you get in?

Old Xing fastened his belt and was walking towards the chair when he suddenly heard a call from behind. He couldn't help but turn around and frowned as he asked, "Who is it?"

He cautiously made his way along a narrow path, when suddenly he heard a sound ahead. His figure flickered as he hid behind a tree, peering out. By the light of the moon, he saw a tall man in black clothing humming a tune as he emerged from a small path at an angle.

At this moment, Yang Ning suddenly understood; he could ascertain that within that row of houses, there must be a group of young women confined, and Old Xing and the others were taking turns to guard them, much like watching over prisoners.

This girl originally intended to persuade others not to cry, but after saying those words, she herself began to choke up and sob.

Ah? The little girl, who had been looking down, suddenly raised her head, her face filled with surprise, and exclaimed: "You... you are the young man?"

Yang Ning furrowed her brows, and without hesitation, took the key to unlock the door. This ancient style of lock was somewhat different from what she was familiar with, and with five keys at hand, she had no idea which one belonged to this door, so she could only try them one by one. The sound of her attempts echoed inside, and the crying within quickly ceased.

Sneaking out from this house, the hole behind the flowerbed in the backyard should be the only flaw

Yang Ning held a brick in his hand and sighed, "How can someone as tall and strong as me not withstand a single brick?" He tossed aside the brick and grabbed Old Xing's leg, trying to pull him inside. Old Xing's body was heavy, and Yang Ning found it quite difficult to lift him up.