The guard handed over a sheathed sword and said: "The casino usually comes to pick up people in the middle of the night. At that time, you only need to correct the name of the gambler, put a hood on your head, and hand it over to the person. Just take it away." He then untied a bunch of keys from his waist and handed them over, "These are the keys on the two doors below. When you pick up someone, you must first stand in front of the door, call their name, and ask them to stand alone. Go to the door and then go down and open the door to prevent them from kidnapping you."
Chen Xiaomu nodded and took the key. As soon as the guard stepped onto the steps to the exit, he suddenly turned back and pointed at a round wooden stopper with the thickness of a bowl inserted into the wall not far from where the lantern was hung and said: "This wooden stopper is The plug must not be moved, as there is a water channel leading directly to the moat. As long as the plug is removed, the dungeon will be flooded immediately."
"Why should the dungeon be flooded?" Chen Xiaomu asked curiously.
Guard Ma Qiu sighed: "Member Wu is afraid that the family members of gamblers who have paid ransom and died will go to the government to complain. If the government finds out here, they will have to flood the dungeon! In addition, the dungeon will be flooded!" It’s also to prevent gamblers from causing trouble in the dungeon.”
"Oh, I understand." Chen Xiaomu nodded and asked, "Brother Ma, has anyone died in this dungeon so far?"
"Well, why are you asking about this?" Chen Xiaomu's question suddenly aroused Ma Qiu's vigilance.
"Haha, Brother Ma, you are thinking too much!" Chen Xiaomu took out a piece of silver and stuffed it into it, explaining: "Brother Ma, to be honest, I am born to be afraid of ghosts and things like that. If someone really dies in this dungeon, I will At dawn, I went to Yuan Wu to ask for a job transfer."
Ma Qiu weighed the broken silver that Chen Xiaomu had stuffed in. He estimated that it weighed one or two dollars, which was almost half a month's salary. He couldn't help but sigh at the generosity of the man in front of him. After thinking about it, he leaned close to Chen Xiaomu and whispered in Chen Xiaomu's ear. He said: "Brother, I'll tell you to tell you the truth, a lot of people did die in this dungeon, and most of those whose families couldn't come up with ransom money for more than a month were beaten and starved to death!"
"Ah! Where were the corpses thrown away?" Chen Xiaomu asked pretending to be scared.
"Alas!" Ma Qiu sighed slightly and said, "Brother, the Wu members paid one hundred coins for each corpse and gave it to my brother to drag it outside, tie it with stones, and throw it into the moat."
When Chen Xiaomu heard this, he couldn't help but secretly take a breath, and then asked calmly, "Brother Ma, how many corpses were thrown into the moat by your hands?"
"About..." Ma Qiu was about to answer, but he suddenly became suspicious again. According to what the other party said, he only needed to know that someone had died in the dungeon, so there was no need to ask in such detail.
Seeing Ma Qiu hesitate to speak, Chen Xiaomu knew that he was suspicious and hurriedly said: "Brother Ma, if it's inconvenient to say it, it's okay not to say it. I'm just curious."
Ma Qiu patted Chen Xiaomu on the shoulder and warned: "Brother, I also see that you are bold and fearful, so I told you such secrets. You must not tell a third person to know, otherwise, with the exception of Wu Yuan, I’m afraid you won’t be able to bear the tactics!”
Chen Xiaomu pointed to the dungeon below, "Brother, these gamblers are all locked up together. If they tell about the dead people here, it is none of my business!"
Ma Qiu shook his head and sneered: "They can't know, because if the ransom is not sent to the family within a month, they will all be taken out and held in solitary confinement. Do you understand?"
Chen Xiaomu pretended to be timid and nodded repeatedly, "I understand, I understand, but I have something unclear. There are so many people missing in Xinjing City, is it true that no one reported it to the official?"
"Report to the official?" Ma Qiu glanced at Chen Xiaomu and said show off: "Little brother, you are too naive. Our great Zhenglu does not protect slaves, otherwise we would not have a special human trading market in the city. These gamblers are When he owes a huge amount of gambling money to the casino, he will be required by the casino to sign a deed of sale, and then go to the government to make a fair bond so that he can be traded as a slave! Unless his family has enough money to redeem him, so First, the government can also charge a fee for removing the slave status, so why not?"
"Unless your brain is kicked by a donkey, who is willing to sign such a contract of betrayal!" After hearing this, Chen Xiaomu couldn't help but muttered in a low voice.
"Pfft." Ma Qiu couldn't help laughing when he heard Chen Xiaomu's muttering. He squinted his eyes and said, "Brother, you have probably never been to a casino, right? If those gamblers got jealous, who would be the only one at that time?" If they can give him money to make up his capital, not to mention selling himself, selling his son, daughter, wife, or even his mother, they will agree without blinking an eye."
"Oh!" Chen Xiaomu nodded and said, "If you put it this way, these gamblers' deaths are not unjust!"
"Okay!" Ma Qiu waved his hand, "Your brother is here to watch. He has to go find a place to have a drink first and then go to sleep. Regarding the job transfer, you can go to Wu Yuanwai and say a few good words. Well, just don’t mention what my brother said to you tonight, otherwise the consequences will be serious."
Chen Xiaomu cupped his hands and said, "Brother Ma, don't worry, I've written it down!"
"Okay." Ma Qiu nodded, turned around and climbed up the steps.
After Ma Qiu left, Chen Xiaomu was about to take the key and go to the dungeon below to let the imprisoned gamblers out, but then he thought that if he opened the dungeon door rashly and the gamblers inside suddenly got into trouble, it would be troublesome. Got it! After all, he was alone, and while he was hesitating, he heard the sound of dense footsteps on the steps above. Within a moment, Yi Fang appeared in front of him with a dozen soldiers and Wei Yuxin, Zhou Huanhuan, and Lian'er. The steps leading up and down the passage were full of people.
As soon as they met, Yi Fang clasped her fists and said, "Sir, the guard surnamed Ma who just left here has been captured by his subordinates. Do you want to bring him in for interrogation?"
Chen Xiaomu shook his head and said no, then he repeated what he had just learned from Ma Qiu, and at the same time took out the dungeon key left by Ma Qiu. Yi Fang took the key and said: "Sir, you have been down here for a long time. It’s been a long time, so why not go up and get some fresh air, and leave the matter of releasing the gamblers to my subordinates.”
Chen Xiaomu did feel a little dizzy and stuffy at this time, so he agreed to Yi Fang's suggestion.
After walking out of the dungeon, he was blown by the cold wind outside and his mind suddenly became clearer. Chen Xiaomu saw many soldiers holding torches in the yard. They moved many wooden boxes from all over the yard and stacked them in the open space in the middle of the yard. Driven by curiosity, , he was about to walk over and pry open a wooden box to see what was inside, when Lian'er's cry of joy and sorrow suddenly came from the dungeon, "Godmother, Godmother, it turns out you're not dead!"
Chen Xiaomu was startled when he heard the sound. He turned around and realized that Wei Yuxin was the only one following him at this moment. Zhou Huanhuan and Lian'er did not come out with him just now.
"Let's go take a look." Chen Xiaomu immediately made a move in his heart, called Wei Yuxin, and walked quickly towards the entrance of the dungeon. Before he could step onto the steps of the dungeon, he saw Zhou Huanhuan and Lian'er, one on each side. A paralyzed woman struggled up the steps.
Upon seeing this, Chen Xiaomu hurriedly stepped aside and said to Wei Yu urgently: "Quickly find a doctor."
Wei Yu said calmly: "It's okay. I am the best at treating bruises and injuries. When we were injured in the battle with the Qi army, we all treated the injuries ourselves."
"Oh!" Chen Xiaomu said curiously: "I didn't expect Miss Wei to have such a skill!"
Wei Yu glanced at him heartily, "Why, Master Chen, don't you believe it? Why don't you break one of your legs and let me try it under you?"
"No, no" Chen Xiaomu quickly shook his head and said, "Believe it, can't I believe it?"
While they were talking, Zhou Huanhuan and Lian'er had already carried the woman out of the dungeon. Wei Yuxin hurriedly stepped forward to take down the staggering and helpless Lian'er. Then, several people together carried the woman into the room where the old man opened the door at the beginning, and carefully lifted her into the room. She lay flat on the bed.
Through the light in the room, Chen Xiaomu could see clearly the appearance of this woman. She was about thirty years old. Although her eyes were closed and her face was pale, her sharp eyebrows and straight nose made her look rather cold. The feeling of handsomeness.
Chen Xiaomu was looking at the woman on the bed. Wei Yuxin got up from the bed and walked over, teasing: "Master Chen, I am going to heal her injuries. How about you come in and take a look later?"
Chen Xiaomu blushed when he heard this, and pulled Lian'er out of the room regardless of whether he wanted to or not.
At this time, it was already dawn outside the house, and the wooden boxes found in the yard were piled up like a mountain, with many iron boxes and exquisitely crafted copper boxes mixed in among them.
Chen Xiaomu was really bored. He walked around a lot of boxes and then stood down. He put his hands on his hips and looked up and down at the boxes in front of him. The soldiers were still taking boxes out from all over the courtyard and stacking them up. Lian'er followed absentmindedly. Behind him, it was finally midnight. The sun was shining brightly and the sky was white. Wei Yuxin opened the door and left the house. Lian'er trotted up and asked, "Sister Wei, how is your godmother?"
Wei Yuxin touched his head lovingly and said softly: "Don't panic, Lian'er. Apart from some skin injuries, your godmother is fine. She will recover in two days of good care."
Lian'er said with tears in her eyes: "Sister Wei, can I go see my godmother now?"
Wei Yuxin shook his head gently, "Lian'er, dear, your godmother is weak now. Let her have a good rest in the house. Later, my sister will go to the market to buy an old hen, and then go to the drug store to buy some Gastrodia stew soup. After she has replenished her vitality, can you go in and see her again, okay?"
"Yeah," Lian'er nodded sensibly.
"Sir" The three of them were talking when Chen Xiaomu suddenly heard Yifang calling him from behind. When he turned around, he saw that behind Yifang was an old Taoist who was over sixty years old and wearing a ragged Taoist robe.
"What's the matter?" Chen Xiaomu asked with a slight frown.
Yi Fang pointed to the old Taoist behind her and said, "This Taoist with the same longevity has just been released from the dungeon, and he begged his subordinates in every possible way to bring him to see you."
Chen Xiaomu looked at the old Taoist who looked like a bamboo pole and asked doubtfully: "Is this Taoist also imprisoned in the dungeon by Wu Guanglu because of his gambling debts?"
The old Taoist cupped his hands and said: "The official is joking, but the poor Taoist is just trying to save thousands of gamblers from the misery of gambling!"
"Oh!" So, the Taoist priest was imprisoned in the dungeon by Wu Guanglu to persuade gamblers to stop gambling? "Chen Xiaomu asked with interest.
"This..." The old Taoist paused and said vaguely: "The poor Taoist sacrifices his life to seek the Tao!"
