allonlinenovel Chapter 2131 Prefect Ding
Chapter 2131 Prefect Ding
The two henchmen in the black cloak remained in the same position, each with a thin red mark on their neck, their faces pale, and they were no longer breathing.
The man in the black cloak stood frozen in place, his hand gripping the dagger trembling slightly.
Inside the car, Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe looked at him with smiles.
He came to his senses and, without further hesitation, wrapped his cloak tighter around himself and turned to run towards the dense forest behind the dilapidated temple.
The hem of the cloak swept across the ground, raising a cloud of dust, and footsteps rustled rapidly over the withered branches and leaves.
"Come save me!"
The men who remained in place were all stunned upon hearing this, but then they realized what was happening.
They all had curved swords at their waists, and now they drew their swords, the blades flashing with a cold light.
The group exchanged a glance and immediately rushed in the opposite direction from where the man in the black cloak had fled, managing to intercept the two men who jumped down from the carriage.
"You go after him, leave this to me." Huo Changhe's voice was steady. With a slight movement of his feet, he stood in front of Yan Ruyu, his gaze coldly sweeping over the person opposite him.
Yan Ruyu nodded, a faint smile playing on her lips: "Okay."
Before she finished speaking, she had already darted away like a swallow, chasing after the direction in which the man in the black cloak had fled.
Her steps were light, and in the blink of an eye she had chased after him for several meters.
Several henchmen in black cloaks swung their knives at Huo Changhe, the blades whistling through the air as they aimed straight for his vitals.
Huo Changhe remained calm and composed. With a flick of his wrist, his longsword was drawn, its light flashing like a bolt of lightning, precisely parrying the first attack.
With a crisp "clang," sparks flew everywhere. The thug felt a numbness in his hand, and the curved knife almost slipped from his grasp.
Huo Changhe continued his offensive relentlessly, wielding his longsword with ease, sometimes slashing, sometimes thrusting, each move aimed directly at the opponent's weakness.
His movements were slow but extremely steady, each sword strike carrying immense power.
Although the thugs were fierce, they were no match for him, and in no time they were in grave danger.
Some tried to detour to chase after the man in the black cloak, but were firmly locked in place by Huo Changhe's sword, unable to move even half a step.
On the other side, Yan Ruyu was moving extremely fast and was about to catch up with the black-cloaked figure.
The man in the black cloak sensed the footsteps getting closer and closer, and his anxiety grew. He quickened his pace, but in his panic, he stumbled.
Yan Ruyu's eyes darkened slightly, and her right hand quietly reached into the brocade pouch at her waist, picking up a silver needle between her fingertips.
The silver needles are thin and long, with a little anesthetic at the tip. They are not fatal, but they can make a person's legs go weak.
With a flick of her wrist, the silver needle shot out like a meteor, accurately striking the black-cloaked man's calf.
The man in the black cloak felt a tingling sensation in his calves, followed by a feeling of weakness spreading through him.
His body swayed, and he almost fell. He staggered forward a few steps before barely managing to steady himself.
But he didn't stop. He kept running forward, gritting his teeth, though his steps were uneven and his speed noticeably slowed down.
Yan Ruyu looked at his disheveled appearance and chuckled softly, her voice clear and crisp, with a hint of certainty: "Don't run away, you can't leave now."
"Prefect Ding".
The moment the words "Prefect Ding" were uttered, the figure in the black cloak abruptly stopped.
He stood there, his back to Yan Ruyu, his shoulders slightly tense, as if he had been frozen in place.
After a moment, he slowly turned around.
Yan Ruyu caught up with him in a few steps and stood about ten feet in front of him, looking at him calmly.
In the twilight, her eyes were clear and bright, as if she could see through people's hearts.
“Show your true colors, Your Excellency. This attempt to conceal your true nature only makes you seem petty.”
The man in the black cloak remained silent for a moment, then slowly raised his hand, first removing the hood of his cloak, and then taking off the mask from his face.
Beneath the mask was a familiar face, but now it was ashen, its eyes filled with shock and resentment.
Governor Ding stared intently at Yan Ruyu, his voice hoarse as he asked, "How did you know it was me?"
He thought he had acted discreetly and had never revealed any flaws, so how could this woman have seen through him at a glance?
Yan Ruyu sighed softly, her tone calm yet knowing: "That's a long story. Although Liu Jiulang has some influence, who would believe that he has someone helping him with the private keeping of so many top-quality warhorses?"
She paused, then continued, "These warhorses are all military-grade. Ordinary merchants have no right to move them, let alone raise them in large numbers without being detected."
"And in this place, the only one who could wield such power and control everything so quietly, besides Su Zhenhai who controls the local military, is you."
“Moreover,” Yan Ruyu’s gaze fell on Governor Ding’s calf, where the silver needles were still sticking out, “Wu Kun also told us everything he knew before he died.”
"It wasn't hard to guess it was you."
Governor Ding's face turned pale and then red. He gritted his teeth and finally managed to utter, "I have nothing to say. Now that I'm in your hands, do with me as you please!"
He knew his cause was lost and further words would be pointless; he only wanted to preserve the last shred of dignity.
Just then, Huo Changhe walked over.
Blood beads still clung to the longsword in his hand, slowly sliding down the spine of the blade and dripping onto the ground, spreading out in a small patch of dark red.
Clearly, he had dealt with all those thugs.
"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it." Huo Changhe walked to Yan Ruyu's side, his gaze sweeping over Governor Ding, and said calmly, "If you don't want to talk about it, then take her back and we'll talk about it later. There's no rush."
Governor Ding looked at the two men, his eyes filled with resentment, yet he was helpless.
He knew he couldn't resist, so he could only let Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe put him on the carriage.
The carriage sped along and soon arrived at the horse farm.
The horse farm covers a vast area, and at this moment, Yin Ding is leading a group of people to take over the horse farm in an orderly manner.
He gathered all of Wu Kun's former subordinates, servants, and laborers in the open space in the center of the horse farm.
Most of these people looked fearful and dared not look the silver ingot in the eye.
Among them were a few special individuals whose mouths were slightly open, yet they could not utter a sound, only occasionally letting out a few mournful whimpers, their eyes filled with pain and pleading.
These were the poor souls whose tongues Wu Kun had cut out.
Yin Ding stood before the crowd, his voice loud and clear, and said, "Gentlemen, Wu Kun has committed numerous evils and has now been brought to justice. My master is merciful and will grant you a way out."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Those who wish to stay and continue working at the horse farm will be paid twice the market rate. If you work hard in the future, we will forgive your past mistakes. If you want to leave, we will not stop you. Each of you will receive a settlement allowance, enough for you to find another way out."
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed surprise, followed by elation.
They originally thought that after Wu Kun's downfall, they would either be implicated or end up on the streets, but they never expected to have such an option.
“I’m willing to stay!” an older servant said first, his voice tinged with excitement.
"I'll stay too!"