RWNEFE -Chapter 50 Darkness Under the Light!

The two maids immediately looked back in panic, but all they could see was the tightly shut door.

Shen Lanxi deliberately raised her voice: “You two don’t focus on your work and instead get curious about what the exiles look like? They’re all hardened criminals—one glance and you’ll lose a chunk of flesh. You sure are bold!”

Qiushuang quickly reacted and said: “Master, we’ve never seen what exiles look like in our lives. Can’t we be curious?”

Shen Lanxi snapped: “Curious, my foot! You have the time for that, but you could spend it massaging your master instead. You two little wretches, were you just looking to ogle some wild men?”

Chunxue shivered violently and hurriedly replied: “Master, our hearts belong to you alone. No man compares to you!”

“You little wretches, your mouths are sharp indeed~”

The watchers outside had left, but it still wasn’t safe to linger.

There were surely guards at the city gates now; staying inside the city was actually safer than going out.

But they couldn’t stay at the inn either—where to go?

Her eyes brightened as she thought of a perfect spot.

“Master, why did you bring us to this abandoned house?” Qiushuang, Chunxue, and Nanny Li’s family had all come along.

She had previously checked the four underground tunnels. One was frequently used, while the other three were rarely used. Among those three, this particular one had the most debris and dust at the entrance.

This tactic was called “Darkness Under the Light”!

“You, along with Nanny Li’s family, hide here for now. Don’t make too much noise when moving around!” The bundle she brought contained water and food enough for three days.

“Master, we’ll go with you!” Chunxue and Qiushuang said.

Shen Lanxi replied: “I’m going to gather information, not rescue anyone. More people make us a bigger target. Wait here for my report.”

Reluctantly, they nodded.

Shen Lanxi left and headed straight to the post station.

The station was busy. She noticed that about half the people passing through were martial artists, hurrying in and out.

She followed different people three times, and each time, they ended up in the same place outside the city: the soup kitchens for refugees.

A large crowd of refugees happily queued for porridge.

Shen Lanxi disguised herself and blended into the crowd, waiting until nightfall.

A team entered the city, greeting the soup distributors like old friends, then began giving orders: “All of you come with us! Sleep in the tents set up by the government. Don’t sleep at the city gates, or you’ll all be treated as fugitives and thrown in prison!”

Some refused, but officials immediately dragged them away. Terrified, they begged for mercy and obediently followed.

Shen Lanxi had been blending in with the crowd for nearly half an hour when the destination still hadn’t appeared. Some began to grumble and turn back. The person leading them didn’t hesitate—he stabbed one of them on the spot!

Screams erupted instantly. The refugees panicked, running in all directions, but sharp weapons forced them to back up.

“Behave, or you’ll end up like him!”

The refugees cried and wailed, no one daring to run. They were herded like animals. Those who cried too loudly were beaten; those who tried to escape had their hands chopped.

After nearly two hours, they reached the foot of a mountain. Several men carrying swords descended and took over from the guides, then herded the people up the mountain.

Soon, they arrived at a cave.

She overheard someone say: “Another fifty-six black rats have been delivered. Distribute them. Old Six told me some of his rats fell into the rat holes, so arrange a few more!”

“Got it. Old Six is too damn ruthless. His rats die the most, yet he still wants more!”

“Can’t help it; he’s the nephew of Manager Zheng. If you could have family connections like that, you could sleep with women too!”

“No one’s that lucky. Born under a good star…”

Soon after, the group was split.

“The next twenty stay in this cave; the rest follow me!”

She stayed with the group in the middle.

Not long after, they arrived at another cave.

“Twenty stay in this cave, the rest keep following me…”

She and nineteen others stayed in the second cave.

“Get inside, start work at dawn!”

They were herded inside, the cave pitch black.

“Master, there are Shen family people inside!”

Shen Lanxi heard choking sobs—it was Shen Yuanxin’s voice.

The cave was crowded. As she approached Shen Yuanxin, she almost stepped on someone.

Shen Yuanxin was pressed into a corner. When Shen Lanxi reached her, she shrank further into the shadows, terrified.

Shen Lanxi acted quickly, covering her mouth with one hand while slipping a boiled egg into her hand.

“Don’t make a sound, it’s me!” she whispered in Shen Yuanxin’s ear.

The girl froze, then sobbed even louder the next second.

Low curses were heard: “Stop crying! If they hear you, we’re all dead!”

Shen Yuanxin, hearing this, stopped crying and tightly held the egg.

“Do I smell eggs?”

“You must be dreaming.”

“Right, it must be a dream. There’s no way there are eggs here!”

Shen Lanxi led Shen Yuanxin quietly further into the cave.

“Big sister…” Shen Yuanxin’s voice trembled with tears.

Shen Lanxi: “What happened? How did you end up here?”

Shen Yuanxin hurriedly explained: “Late last night, we were taken from the post station. The people there are in cahoots with those here! Big sister, go save the other sisters—they’ve all been taken to Xiaoyao Cave!”

“They said Xiaoyao Cave… it’s a place where women are abused!”

“I was disguised as a man. They thought I was male, so they made me work here breaking stones!”

Shen Lanxi: “Are there any other Shen family members in this cave?”

Shen Yuanxin: “A few Shen family servants too.”

Shen Lanxi: “Hide here for now. I’ll go find Xiaoyao Cave.”

“Big sister, I want to go with you!”

Shen Lanxi: “It’s safer here than with me.”

She left swiftly.

It was already late at night. The guards at the cave entrance were all slumped asleep. Using the cover of darkness, she vanished into the night.

“Nu Bai, find the cave with women!”

The Shen family women were all beautiful. In the hands of these people, none would survive unharmed.

Following Nu Bai’s guidance, she quickly located Xiaoyao Cave.

Inside, the light was dim, and screams, laughter, and curses mixed together.

At the entrance, a dozen people were gathered, discussing the order of who went first. Shen Lanxi drew her curved blade, and one by one, she took them down, slitting their throats.