TNIBFT -Chapter 169 These Idiots Are Looking for Death

A deep male voice rang out from behind, and Ye Yunting turned his head.

Not far behind him stood a thin middle-aged man, his expression anxious as he looked at him. He took a few quick steps forward and reached out, trying to grab his hand.

Ye Yunting dodged and coldly scolded, “Rude! What are you doing?”

The man in front of him froze, surprised at how quickly the boy reacted.

He had done this many times before—kidnapping children. Most kids didn’t even have time to react before he carried them off.

Sun Cang’s face was full of worry. “It’s your father, Ye Tian. Something happened to him. You need to come with me right away.”

However, the boy in front of him didn’t move, his clear eyes staring at him unnervingly. Sun Cang felt this was tricky; if the boy didn’t fall for it, they couldn’t make a move.

No wonder this kid was a prodigy—it would be difficult.

Ahead, Tao Ling’er vaguely heard someone mention Ye Tian. She quickly ran over, anxious. “What happened to Ye Tian? Where is he now?”

The bait was ready to be taken.

Sun Cang’s eyes flickered. Suppressing the excitement rising in his chest, his voice quivered as he said, “He passed out in that alley over there. Hurry and follow me.”

Following the direction of Sun Cang’s finger, there was a quiet, narrow alley. Tao Ling’er suddenly calmed down. She straightened slightly, nervously pulling Ye Yunting along. “We don’t know you. You’re lying to us, aren’t you?”

“Little lady, the whole city is full of soldiers right now. How could I dare lie? If you don’t believe me, bring people with you. If it weren’t for Ye Tian being a decent man and letting me run up a tab for food recently, I wouldn’t even bother with this,” Sun Cang explained.

Tao Ling’er glanced at the soldiers lining the street, feeling half convinced.

In broad daylight, they wouldn’t dare lie to her.

Seeing Tao Ling’er hesitate, Sun Cang pressed on, “If you keep hesitating, it could be life-threatening. Didn’t Ye Tian open the city gate? I don’t know who he angered, but he got beaten badly—I thought he was done for. Miss Xiao was with him earlier, but she rode off first. This group then turned on Ye Tian.”

The man’s story had all the right details; he even knew who had been with Ye Tian.

Tao Ling’er immediately believed about seventy percent of it. She gritted her teeth and looked at Ye Yunting. “I’m going to check on him first. You call the soldiers over there to come quickly.”

“What if it really delays things…”

She didn’t dare think any further.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Sun Cang’s mouth. Seeing Tao Ling’er glance his way, he instantly changed his expression and angrily scolded Ye Yunting, “Isn’t Ye Tian your real father?”

“You’re such a cold-hearted child—I’ve never seen one like you. Filial piety comes first. And you’re supposed to be a scholar, not even afraid of being ridiculed…”

Sun Cang’s face showed utter contempt.

Ye Yunting frowned, trying to stop Tao Ling’er. “Sister Ling’er…”

“Yunting, I know you’re cautious. Let’s call the soldiers over there and go together—they won’t dare play tricks,” Tao Ling’er said. She waved to the soldiers by the roadside. The middle-aged man, understanding Tao Ling’er and Ye Yunting’s identities, didn’t object and walked with the three of them into the alley.

Sun Cang led the way.

Tao Ling’er held Ye Yunting in the middle, with the lead soldier following behind.

The alley was ordinary to the extreme—narrow and damp. Ye Yunting felt something was off. Tao Ling’er anxiously urged, “Where’s Ye Tian? Why isn’t he here yet?”

“Right up ahead.”

The guide, Sun Cang, didn’t even look back as he walked forward. Ye Yunting thought for a moment, took a bite of his candied haw, chewed it, and spat it onto the ground. They twisted and turned through the alleys for what felt like an eternity. Finally, the four of them stopped in front of a courtyard gate. Sun Cang, abandoning his earlier impatience, gave a meaning-laden smile: “We’re here.”

“You may go in.”

This…?

Tao Ling’er finally felt something was off. The city guards immediately stepped forward, drawing their sidearms, and shouted loudly, “Who goes there? You dare trick Miss Tao? Have you no fear of death?”

Before their words even finished, a burly man lying in ambush nearby plunged a knife into the guard’s stomach.

Blood ran along the silver blade, dropping…

Drop by drop, onto the snow.

The guard’s eyes rolled back as he collapsed. Tao Ling’er’s eyes widened in horror. She wrapped her hands around Ye Yunting’s head and stepped backward, trembling.

Seeing Sun Cang approaching with a malicious grin, Tao Ling’er stammered, “W-what… what do you want to do?”

“Hahaha…” Sun Cang laughed lecherously, stepping on the corpse at his feet. “What do you think I want to do?”

“I originally planned to kidnap only Ye Yunting, but you insisted on bringing him right to me. Tsk tsk… Miss Tao, if your identity were sold in the capital, it would probably fetch a pretty penny.” Sun Cang lecherously rubbed his chin as the others hidden nearby surged forward, their faces twisted with wicked grins as they surrounded the two of them.

Ye Yunting’s face remained calm as he said, “Buying and selling children in Daliang is a capital crime punishable by extermination of three generations. And I hold official status—don’t you fear the court coming after you?”

“Miss Ling’er is the daughter of an official—you’re committing a capital crime!”

“Capital crime?”

Hearing Ye Yunting, the group laughed brazenly, showing no fear.

One sneered, “What’s official status in Sifang City? You can even buy offices in the capital now. I heard the dog of the National Uncle’s household is already a fifth-rank official. Hahaha…”

“Once this deal goes through, I’ll buy an office too!”

“If you don’t have the skills, you can’t handle the porcelain work. Don’t worry, kid, we’ve got connections above, so just behave and go inside!”

Their expressions darkened as they prepared to use force.

Tao Ling’er’s legs went weak. She hugged Ye Yunting’s head, sobbing, “I was so foolish… it’s my fault, Yunting. I’ve put you in danger.”

“Take me, just me! Yunting’s still a child—let him go!”

Tao Ling’er shouted.

“No one escapes!” Sun Cang bellowed arrogantly.

The courtyard gates swung open. Several fierce-looking men emerged, surrounding Ye Yunting and Tao Ling’er like predators closing in on their prey.

Sun Cang stepped forward to grab Ye Yunting.

But Ye Yunting’s reflexes were sharp. Summoning all his strength, he drove the bamboo skewer from his candied haw into Sun Cang’s left eye.

“Ah!” Sun Cang was caught off guard, clutching his bloodied eye and screaming, “You little brat! I’ll kill you!”

Seizing the moment, Ye Yunting pulled the terrified Tao Ling’er and fled.

The alley was narrow and deep.

They hadn’t gone far before their path was blocked on all sides. Ye Yunting calmly scanned the area. Sun Cang, covering his wounded eye, charged over with a long knife in hand, grinding his teeth and pointing at Ye Yunting: “Grab the little one first! Don’t kill him—I still want to torture him!”

Several of them surged forward.

Ye Yunting prepared to play dead, waiting for the right moment, hoping Ye Tian would discover their predicament and come to rescue him.

In a flash, a flexible sword, like a dragon, pierced through the crowd. Screams erupted wherever it passed. Ye Yunting looked up to see the familiar, refined young man who had previously broken into his home, sword in hand, standing in the center of the chaos. Ye Yunting’s cold voice rang out:

“You idiots are asking to die!”