Siao Shi glanced at Chu Li, “You didn’t fight?”
Chu Li shook his head, “Saving him was more important.”
Siao Shi asked, “What kind of people were there?”
Chu Li frowned and heaved a sigh, “There are some problems with their history. I will need to investigate more attentively…Commander Zheng, notify His Highness and go to the third house of Spring Well Alley immediately. It will be best if the entire alley is sealed. That place is a nest of human traffickers.”
“Understood,” Zheng Lide agreed hurriedly.
Chu Li raised his hand to gesture him to stop, “Tell His Highness, there are two Grandmasters there.”
“Yes,” Zheng Lide’s expression turned somber.
Now that it involved Grandmasters, it is no longer a small matter. This case might not be as simple as it seemed.
Chu Li gestured for him to leave.
He was gaining momentum as the Head Chief. The people surrounding him obeyed him unconsciously and did not belittle him because of the empty position he held. The words he spoke were strictly adhered to. Either they feared his viciousness and his martial arts prowess or they respected his devotion and his way that he spared no effort in caring for Princess Siao.
The little boy rolled on the ground and cried, his screams splitting his lungs. Listeners would be moved and were unable to not feel sympathy for him.
But Song Liuying just looked at him coldly, without even the slightest hint of weakness.
The boy cried while looking around him. He saw that everyone was staring at him with interest but not sympathy. Seeing that none of them had the intention of helping him plead leniency, he could only stop crying and climbed up quickly.
Song Liuying painfully regretted pampering him in the past. As he was the sole heir to the Song family, she was terrified of anything happening to him or him getting into an accident. She spoiled him rotten – whatever he requested, he got it. Everything went according to his wishes.
That caused him to grow up with this kind of attitude. Whatever he wanted to do, he would do. No one would be able to stop him.
Song Liuying glared at him coldly, “You know very well that there are human traffickers outside but you still dare to go out and play. If the Head Chief didn’t save you, you would never be able to see Aunt again!”
“Aunt, I have Protectors who can fend them off,” the little boy hugged Song Liuying’s thigh, “Who would have thought that Lee Chuan and Lee Shui would be so useless? They almost died!”
“Now are you afraid?” Song Liuying scoffed.
The little boy nodded his head forcefully and looked up at her earnestly as if currying favor.
——
Zheng Lide went into the courtyard hurriedly and stopped in front of the study room and said in a low voice, “Your Highness.”
“What is it?” Prince An’s deep voice came from inside of the study room.
Zheng Lide said, “Princess Song’s niece has been saved by the Head Chief!”
“Saved?” Prince An opened the window with a ‘ping’, revealing his somber face.
“When did this happen?”
“Just now,” Zheng Lide said.
“Come in and talk!” Prince An scoffed.
Zheng Lide grumbled in his heart. It seemed like this piece of news was not to His Highness’s liking. He would have to be careful!
He entered the study room cautiously and maintained his bow with respect, not moving.
Prince An folded his hands behind his back and started to pace and asked in a low voice, “What happened?”
“I am not too sure. I only know Princess Song’s family came over to give the report that their Young Master had been taken away. Just as Princess Song started to get anxious, the Head Chief acted and brought the Young Master back,” Zheng Lide said.
“How did Chu Li do it?” Prince An asked coldly.
He was extremely furious. What he couldn’t do as a prince, Chu Li managed to do it. Furthermore, the person Chu Li helped was his own Princess. As a man, he was unable to raise his head. It was humiliating beyond all measure!
Zheng Lide shook his head and said, “Head Chief only called me over to keep watch when he said he was going out for a while. After ten minutes, he came back with the Song family’s Young Master. As for the rest, the Princesses should know more. At that moment, there were only the three Princesses in the courtyard.”
Prince An turned to look at the half-close-eyed Xu Ning, “Revered sir, what do you think?”
“I heard from Brother that Almsgiver Chu Li once stayed at the temple for a period of time and learned the All-Seeing Divine Power,” Xu Ning’s expression was tranquil, neither anxious nor slow, “Almsgiver Chu Li must have used the All-Seeing Divine Power.”
“Does your temple still practice the All-Seeing Divine Power?” Prince An asked.
Xu Ning shook his head, “This Divine Power is remarkably difficult to cultivate and it is of very little use. At that time only Master senior Kukai managed to cultivate and now there is Almsgiver Chu Li.”
“As expected of the Temple of Titanium!” Prince An laughed coldly, “Chu Li is already formidable enough but he managed to enter the Temple of Titanium and even succeeded in learning the Divine Power! Enough, since he has already saved the boy, that’s fine. Did he say where he saved him?”
“Head Chief said it was at the third house of Spring Well Alley. He said it would be best to surround the entire Spring Well Alley and that there were two Grandmasters inside,” Zheng Lide said hurriedly.
“Very good. Round up all eight of my masters here and follow me to capture them!” Prince An said, revealing a slightly pleased expression.
Fairy’s Capital prefectural magistrate had been humiliated completed by this fiasco. They were reprimanded painfully by the Chancellors until they were unable to raise their heads anymore. Even though he was a Prince, he did not get scolded any less, and he could not escape from the word ‘useless’.
Currently, they had a great opportunity. As long as he crushed the nest of traffickers, his contribution would be enough to make the whole dynasty pay attention to him and he would gain the gratitude and praise from the Chancellors.
Thinking about this, his spirits rose, and he took large strides outside.
After four hours, Prince An returned to the Imperial Residence, his face fresh like the spring breeze and his steps lithe. He looked as if he had suddenly become ten years younger.
When Chu Li saved the Young Master of the Song family, he did not startle anyone and did it without noise, so the people inside did not notice at all. That was why when Prince An brought his people, it was like a force had descended from the Heavens itself. In one fell swoop, they captured all the people and not even one got away.
In the alley, they found more than twenty children, all of which were previously kidnapped children from the courtiers’ families.
Saving these children was akin to saving twenty or so Chancellors. Without a doubt, those Chancellors must be grateful beyond measure to him. In the future, they will become his own people and he will be able to get their help in crucial times. The gains were alarming. The trials and tribulations he went through all these years had finally been paid off!
Suddenly, he felt a sliver of gratefulness towards Chu Li but it was immediately shrouded in hatred again.
Chu Li was useful to him but more than that he was harmful. It felt wrong no matter how he looked at it as he might have been a little too tolerant. If Chu Li were to go against him, the hassles would be unending. It would be better to get rid of him as soon as possible.
The grand hunting event would be the best opportunity. He would have six Grandmasters surrounding him and even have Qiu Er as a hostage. Chu Li would have nowhere to escape and he definitely would be able to kill him. Chu Li would not even know he was standing at death’s door.
Thinking about this, Prince An’s mood became better. He went back into the study room and chuckled twice lightly.
Xu Ning stood by the side quietly, not uttering a word. He saw through the Prince’s thoughts but did not voice his opinion.
——
Around evening, Song Menglin personally came forward to bring the mischievous boy and made the boy kowtow to Chu Li and thanked him for saving his life.
Chu Li laughed and declined and raised his hand in regards.
Song Menglin did thank him too much, only closed fist saluted and bid goodbye.
Princess Song and Princess Xue both left and the courtyard quieted down.
Chu Li and Siao Shi basked in the sunset, chatting idly with each other.
“You saved Princess Xue’s daughter and then you saved Princess Song’s niece. Everything is going smoothly for you, isn’t it?” Siao Shi laughed.
Chu Li laughed, “That was also just a stroke of fate.”
Siao Shi scoffed and rolled her eyes at him, “Then why did you let Prince An take all the credit?! Raiding the nest of the human traffickers is akin to an immense contribution. The Prince must be basking in joy now!”
Chu Li smiled and said, “Why don’t you guess, my Lady.”
“What is there to guess?” Siao Shi said unpleasantly, “You must have knocked your head!”
Chu Li smiled and said, “I have contributed a large service. For one, I have proven that I am loyal to His Highness. If he dies, it would have nothing to do with me. Second, he is forced to act only from the shadows, but on the surface, he must treat me politely. Is giving the cold shoulder to someone who performed meritorious deeds the appropriate behavior of a virtuous Emperor?”