How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Three days passed in a flash, and Guo Zixing finally informed her that she could set off.

"You're coming with me?" Qingru asked in surprise as she looked at Guo Zixing getting into the car with her.

"What, am I not on your itinerary?"

"No," Qingru initially thought that only she and Chief Zhang went.

When did you pack your luggage?

"When I tell you."

Seeing Guo Zixing's confident and determined expression, Qingru swallowed her words.

"Alright, let's go together."

According to the information provided by Niu Da, he sold Xin Wu Hui to the owner of a coal mine, at the foot of Wushan Mountain, a hundred miles away from Sifang City. Qing Ru's trip was to bring him back.

The journey was relatively peaceful; with Guo Zixing by my side, we didn't encounter any real danger.

"arrive."

As soon as the car came to a stop, Qingru heard a voice. She looked up at the window and saw that Zhang had already gotten out of the car and was looking at the scenery in front of him.

"We can't drive any further down the road, so we have to park the car in town," Sergeant Zhang explained.

"Let's go then." Guo Zixing nodded and stepped out of the car first.

Seeing this, Qingru quickly got out of the car, and the driver stopped the car in the town. The three of them looked at Wushan Mountain not far ahead. "It really is a geomantically auspicious place. I heard that it is surrounded by green mountains and trees all year round. If we didn't know in advance, who would have thought that there would be a large mine behind this scenery?"

Guo Zixing nodded, agreeing. This area also fell under Commander Guo's jurisdiction. Only one businessman surnamed Fan had contracted the mines here; the other small mines were privately operated by people from nearby villages. Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake; Boss Fan controlled the majority, so the others didn't bother with him.

"However, Boss Fan has a bad temper, so we'd better be prepared to be harassed by him," Chief Zhang warned.

Qingru was slightly taken aback. "Do we need to contact Boss Fan first?"

Seeing the doubt in Qingru's eyes, Guo Zixing smiled calmly, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since we're going to snatch people from the coal mine, how can we do things without paying homage to the local deity? Let's go, let's pay a visit to the Fan family first."

Seeing this, Qingru nodded. Although she was not familiar with the place, she should prepare some gifts since she was going to visit.

The group arrived at the Fan family's house, where a middle-aged woman dressed in coarse linen clothes greeted them with a broad smile, saying, "Welcome, distinguished guests! Please come inside and have a seat!"

Qingru looked at the woman, who appeared to be in her forties. She had dark skin, deep wrinkles on her face, and rough, dry hands, and looked like a peasant woman.

"I am Wang, a woman surnamed Fan. Who are you?" Wang Cuilian asked Guo Zixing. It was clear from the group that Guo Zixing was the most respected person, so they naturally looked at him first.

"This is Zhang Gong from the Sifangcheng Police Station. These two are my colleagues," Chief Zhang stepped forward and said.

"Oh? Women can become officials now?" Wang looked incredulous.

"Don't look down on people. These days, there are many more women working outside the home."

Wang pursed her lips noncommittally, took the gifts the group had brought into the house, and said, "You all wait here. My husband won't be back for a while. If you want to eat, go out to eat. We don't have any food at home."

After the group sat down in the living room, Madam Wang poured several cups of tea and placed them on the table before turning and leaving.

Qingru watched her departing figure with some surprise.

"This lady has a very strange temper."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Chief Zhang didn't seem to care. The file said that Boss Fan had a bad temper, so it wasn't surprising that his wife also had a bad temper.

However, judging from the woman's demeanor, she didn't seem interested in their purpose.

“This person doesn’t seem easy to deal with,” Qingru said.

"She's just a country woman, not very educated, so don't mind her. Let's find her first."

"Yeah, I didn't mind."

The three of them sat in the living room drinking tea, and Wang Shi really didn't come out to entertain the guests. The tea was almost finished, but Wang Shi didn't come out to refill it, which showed that she wasn't welcoming them.

"There's no more tea here," Qingru whispered. Guo Zixing nodded and was about to speak when he heard Wang's arrogant voice, "Old Zhang, hurry up and tidy up the living room, the master is coming back."

"Yes." A rough voice came, muffled as if it had water in its mouth. Only then did the group notice a short, stocky man who had appeared in the corner of the living room at some point. He was dressed like a farmer, with short, graying stubble on his head, looking quite capable.

A dangerous warning glint flashed in Chief Zhang's eyes; this man was definitely a trained fighter.

Old Zhang seemed not to see the group of people. He moved to the doorway, and now he appeared to be disabled, walking with a limp and unable to keep up with the other foot even when he was on tiptoe.

"Sir, there are several strangers in the hall."

Old Zhang was reporting when a man walked in.

The light at the doorway dimmed for a moment, as if a black bear had entered. A burly man walked in, who looked to be at least two meters tall and had a strong build. Qingru had no doubt that he could kill her with a single punch.

She secretly swallowed, and Qingru even had time to observe Guo Zixing and the other person's reactions.

Guo Zixing and Sergeant Zhang naturally adopted a highly vigilant stance to prevent this person from suddenly launching an attack.

"Who are you?" The man's voice was also deep and rough, and when he spoke, it was like a booming bell. If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, Qingru would have really wanted to cover her ears.

Chief Zhang stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "I am Zhang Gong from the Sifangcheng Police Station. This is my younger brother, Zhang Xun, and this is my colleague, Lü Xiaocui. May I ask if you are Boss Fan?"

Qingru glanced at Chief Zhang. The name "Lu Xiaocui" was unavoidable; she used this pseudonym almost always when she was out in public.

"Don't know him? Get out!" Boss Fan was unusually irritable, seemingly unwilling to listen to Sergeant Zhang's words.

"Boss Fan, we've come here to ask you for a favor..."

"Enough with the nonsense!" Boss Fan attacked without warning, unleashing a sudden Tiger Fist strike aimed straight at Sergeant Zhang's face.

"Watch out!" Qingru exclaimed.

Boss Fan was very fast. Before he could land his first punch on Chief Zhang, he threw another punch straight at his chest. Chief Zhang barely dodged it, and with a loud bang, his punch shattered several tables and chairs.

"Boss Fan, let's talk this out," Chief Zhang said, trying to persuade him.

Boss Fan ignored him completely and delivered another sweeping leg kick, the wind whistling as it came.

Sergeant Zhang dodged the attack, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and leaped to the wooden cabinet inside the room, grabbing a stool to defend himself.

With a "crack," the stool was kicked and snapped in two. If that blow had landed, it would likely have caused serious injury.

Boss Fan seemed to have some martial arts training; his punches were powerful and fierce, each one faster than the last, and each kick more vicious than the last. Qingru watched with trepidation; it seemed Chief Zhang's chances of winning were slim.

However, although Boss Fan was incredibly strong, Sergeant Zhang was much more agile. While dodging, he seized the opportunity to deliver a spinning kick. Boss Fan was caught off guard and was swept away by the kick, staggering back several steps and almost falling to the ground.

Old Zhang hurriedly helped Boss Fan up, and then prepared to attack Chief Zhang again.

"Wait a minute," Boss Fan interrupted, "The people I admire most in my life are heroes with superb martial arts skills. It seems you are quite skilled, as you have actually beaten me by a few moves."

Sergeant Zhang cupped his hands and said, "You flatter me. I am no hero."

Boss Fan suppressed his hostility and apologized to the group, saying, "I'm sorry for offending you. I didn't know your background, so I was testing you."

"It should, it should."

Mr. Fan said, "What are you doing here, the police station? I, Mr. Fan, have not committed any crime."

“You misunderstand. We were also ordered to capture a runaway slave. He stole his master’s property and fled all the way to Wushan. We heard that he accidentally fell into a coal mine in Wushan. We thought that you, Boss Fan, are the leader in this area, so we thought we would pay you a visit first.”

"Oh?" Boss Fan squinted and sized up the group.

"We're here to verify something. We hope Mr. Fan can help us find the person. If we find them, we'll pay you. If we can't, that's fine too. We just hope Mr. Fan can cooperate," Chief Zhang said, bowing.

“That’s alright, but I, Fan, am just a coal miner. I don’t even know what the fugitive you’re looking for looks like,” said Boss Fan.

"His original name was Xin Wu Hui, he was about eighteen or nineteen years old, eight feet tall, with regular features, and looked like this," said Chief Zhang, handing over the portrait.

Boss Fan took it, glanced at it a few times, and then tossed it aside, saying, "The person you're looking for isn't here. I've never seen him before."

Chief Zhang said, "It doesn't necessarily mean they're working under you, Boss Fan. It could be some private kiln nearby. I'm not familiar with this area, so I hope you'll put in some extra effort, Boss Fan. Our police station will reward you handsomely."

Mr. Fan stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "Okay, but I, Mr. Fan, have principles. If I can't find the person, your money won't help."

The three of them exchanged glances. It was already quite good to receive such a promise from Boss Fan on their first meeting. They couldn't rely on Boss Fan for everything else.