How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

My second sister-in-law and second brother left the cave one after the other, and then they regretted it...

Guo Zixing and his men surrounded them, and he couldn't help but applaud them. "Not bad, they even know bone-shrinking kung fu. They don't seem like simple human traffickers. What kind of gangsters were they before?"

The second brother shielded his sister-in-law behind him, knowing he couldn't escape now, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "It's your grandfather, let's go!"

The second sister-in-law cautiously probed outside following his footsteps. Guo Zixing's side hadn't fired their guns yet, but they all held their guns pointed at the two of them.

"If you've got the guts, release the woman, and I'll fight you one-on-one!"

"Heh, do you think I care?" Put down your gun and fight one-on-one? Who would be stupid enough to put their disadvantage in front of someone else's advantage and get beaten up?

"shot."

At a command, several gunshots rang out. No matter how skilled the second brother and sister-in-law were in martial arts, they couldn't outrun the speed of bullets.

The two men quickly collapsed in agony, groaning in pain. Guo Zixing ordered his men to break their tendons and prevent them from moving. Zhang Xun immediately dislocated their jaws to prevent them from committing suicide out of guilt.

Guo Zixing looked at the two of them with disgust. "I already know everything about you two. Human trafficking is a heinous crime. Until those victims are found, you two should live well and try your best to remember where you took them."

The second brother and sister-in-law lay on the ground, blood gushing from their mouths, their eyes filled with extreme resentment, as if they couldn't believe they had been caught so easily.

Guo Zixing looked at the two men with murderous intent and said with disdain, "Let's go. We'll use these two to add some color to my achievements."

The others flipped the second brother over and pinned him down, while Guo Zixing walked towards the cave entrance.

He gestured up and down, realizing he couldn't get through. He then called Zhang Xun over, "Did you hear any noise coming from inside this cave just now?"

"I heard it. It sounded like a woman's voice, as if she had encountered something extremely terrible."

Everyone nodded in agreement; they had all heard the scream.

Zhang Xun went over and put his second sister-in-law's chin back up, asking, "Who else is in here?"

Despite the pain, the second sister-in-law spat out blood from her mouth and whispered something. Just as she was about to lean closer to listen, her older colleague pulled her away, saying, "Don't believe her. She's a heartless beast. She's going to bite off your ear."

Belatedly realizing the danger, Zhang Xun saw the lifeless, sinister look in his second sister-in-law's eyes, and his fear turned to hatred. He kicked her hard. His second sister-in-law slid several meters across the ice, laughing maniacally.

Everyone looked at her with disgust, but Guo Zixing was still thinking at the cave entrance.

"Smash the hole open and see what kind of monsters and demons are inside!"

The two prisoners, whose hands and feet had been broken, were tightly tied to a tree, and then dry, thick branches were broken off and used to strike the icicles at the entrance of the cave.

The ice blocks looked crystal clear, but they were actually as thick as a city wall. When they froze inside, they were mixed with dry branches and stones, making them even harder.

Half an hour later, the cave entrance was enlarged to the size of an adult male. He first plucked a hair to test the airflow inside, and when it was about right, he reported to Guo Zixing, "We can go down now."

After saying that, he took the lead and jumped down first.

Then Guo Zixing left a few people outside to watch over the prisoners, and led a few young and strong policemen into the cave.

"Whoosh." The faint candlelight illuminated the space; it was originally intended for searching the mountain, but now it came in handy.

Using this dim light, the group could see the interior of the cave. It was a natural, secluded cave, well-ventilated. The ceiling was a smooth, rounded mountain wall, resembling a dome. Underfoot was dry earth mixed with palm-sized pebbles.

This place resembles a cave, yet it lacks the bamboo shoot-like stalactites. The "stalactites" here are smooth, more like they've been sculpted and polished, or like pillars sculpted by water. Except for this relatively flat area in the center, the surrounding area is divided into small doorways by these rounded pillars.

Behind that small door was pitch black, and something was lurking in the shadows.

The stench of blood in the cave was so strong it was almost unbearable. Protecting Guo Zixing as they walked further in, they discovered a skeleton around a corner.

Despite being somewhat prepared, the one with the big head still instinctively cried out, "Ah!"

When Guo Zixing saw that he had discovered it again, he hurried over to take a look. He saw that the skeleton was still covered with fresh flesh and blood, and the bloodstains from being dragged were still visible. Judging from these bloodstains, it was impossible to tell how many pieces the owner of the skeleton had been cut into.

Despite his discomfort, this was the first time Guo Zixing had faced the scene directly.

"Hurry up and leave, there might be wild animals here."

The crowd was terrified at the sight of the skeleton and hurriedly followed them outside.

The cave returned to calm.

The monster continued chewing on its newly acquired food, and after finishing, it squeaked again.

Those who hadn't managed to grab any food earlier surged out, one of them carrying a small bronze token in its mouth. As it opened its mouth to gnaw on the meager amount of flesh, the token fell to the ground.

By the last ray of light from outside the cave, it seemed as if a small seal script character "吕" was written on it.

The little monsters, having enjoyed a delicious meal, fell silent. It's a pity; the place is quiet again, or perhaps it will remain so for a long time.

After locking the man in jail and keeping him under strict guard, Guo Zixing finally dragged his exhausted body home.

Back at the villa, Hongyu was overjoyed and delighted by Qingru's return. Although her face had changed and was no longer as dark and sallow as before, Hongyu recognized her features at a glance. Looking at Qingru covered in wounds, she was angry that she had left without saying goodbye, but she felt even more heartache.

Seeing Guo Zixing enter, Hongyu hurried over with a cup of tea, "Young Master, Cui'er, she..."

“Hmm,” Guo Zixing stopped her, “Cui’er is her nickname. From now on, you will call her Lü Xiaoji, Lü Qingru.”

Hongyu was somewhat surprised, "Then what about before? Wasn't she the maid you bought, young master?"

"No, there are some things I can't tell you about. From now on, just treat her like a young lady in the manor."

Hongyu obediently agreed, but her heart was in turmoil. Qingru's status was special, and the young master wanted her to serve her as a young lady, so she would treat her as a young lady. Although she had never served a young lady of the Guo family before, she could serve the young master the same way, and it couldn't be wrong.

"Oh, by the way, young master, Miss Zheng came by once today. Since you weren't here, I told her you were working and invited her in to sit for a while."

Guo Zixing became somewhat uneasy. He had been so busy with police affairs lately that he had neglected Zheng Peilan for a long time. He had intended to marry Zheng Peilan, but thinking of Qingru who was currently in the villa, he felt it wasn't the right time.

"I understand. Go to the market tomorrow and pick out a gift to give her as an apology. Once you're done with this busy period, go see her again."

"Yes, young master." Hongyu carefully noted it down. Seeing Guo Zixing's tired face and the faint smell of blood on his body, she thought he was injured. "Young master, what happened to you? Why do you smell so much blood?"

"No need," Guo Zixing stopped Hongyu from looking. "Is Lü Qingru awake? If she is, I'll go see her now."