Chapter 21: Kidnapping (Part II)

Hearing Yan Ruobing’s unquestionable command, Shuisheng was instantly stunned.

Take me away from my home? To your so-called Yan family estate?

What have I done? You barge into my home, kicking and beating people, and now you want to haul me away? Are you bandits?

Just because I saved that Mei Yulang and happen to know him, these people want to drag me off to the Yan family in Fuling City? This is far too overbearing!

If you have a grudge against each other, go resolve it yourselves! Don't drag innocent bystanders into it!

Taking Shuisheng back to the Yan estate was a sudden decision made by Yan Ruobing. It wasn't that she had any particular fondness for him, but for two reasons.

First, she hoped to use Shuisheng to lure out the lecherous fellow who had brought such shame upon her. She was certain that the scoundrel would have various ways to contact this boy. She had keenly observed that the boy wore a ring on his finger, and the faint aura emanating from it indicated it was a storage-type boundary stone ring. She felt as though she had seen this ring on that villain’s hand before. To bestow such an important and valuable object upon this boy clearly meant the two were closely connected. By keeping him under her nose and making preparations, she could eventually draw out that scoundrel and wash away her disgrace.

Second, the inexplicable bequest left for this boy in her grandfather Yan Yingjie’s will remained a mystery—a riddle within the family. Many people were still whispering about it privately, and there was all sorts of speculation. By keeping him close, perhaps one day she could solve this puzzle.

Besides, the Yan family was wealthy and powerful, with countless positions available; they could certainly afford one more person.

"Did you hear the eldest miss’s instructions?" With the order given, Wen Fengxian naturally complied, shouting, "Hurry up and pack your things! You're coming with us! What is there to be nostalgic for in this dilapidated shack? The accommodations the Yan family will provide for you are a hundred times better than this!"

Shuisheng looked at his worn-out wooden shack, the simple furniture inside, and the shelves full of books. This was the home where he had lived for many years. Although it was run-down, it was cool in the summer and warm in the winter—it was his own nest, after all.

"Better a dog’s kennel of one’s own than a palace of gold," he thought.

Wait, spit that out! You all are the dogs!

Shuisheng instinctively wanted to refuse.

Wen Fengxian cast a malevolent glance at him, and the long blade she had just sheathed was revealed once more.

The young man touched his still-aching chest and neck, sheepishly swallowing the words he had intended to speak.

"Being able to live in a big city like Fuling is, of course, wonderful," he said. "I’ve imagined big-city life before: living in apartment buildings, driving cars, working in offices within skyscrapers, and one day marrying a pretty, gentle wife who wears glasses. Life would be blissful."

The situation was stronger than the person; he had to listen to them. Damn it all!

"You're overthinking it," Wen Fengxian said coldly. "Pack your things."

In reality, Shuisheng had nothing to pack. He grabbed a small bag containing his phone, identification, bank card, perhaps a thousand or two in cash, a few essential cultivation texts like *Fundamentals of Immortal Power*, and some old clothes to change into. That was all he had to take—pitifully meager. Even the Yan family subordinates felt a pang of sympathy for the boy upon seeing this.

To be an esper living like this was unheard of.

Shuisheng wrote a note for Zhou Yudong, explaining that he had business in Fuling City and didn't know how long he would be away. He asked his good friend to look after his shack and the yard in his absence.

Then, he stood before the bookshelves, motionless for a long time.

Half a room of books was his most cherished treasure, the one thing he couldn't bear to leave behind.

"Don't tell me you want to take these books with you," Wen Fengxian said.

"Is it possible? Books are the food for the human soul," the boy said, looking at her pitifully, starlight seemingly shimmering in his expressive eyes.

Wen Fengxian wanted to refuse outright. Ridiculous. She was here to capture someone, not to help this kid move house. How many trucks would it take to move half a room of books?

"Move them," the eldest miss said. It was a command that even she couldn't believe she had given.

"Everyone, help him move the books to the cars! We're taking them back!" Although she didn't understand the eldest miss's reasoning, Wen Fengxian gathered the guards.

It wasn't just her who couldn't believe it; the subordinates were all baffled. They had come with such fanfare to capture someone, and in the end, they hadn't caught the villain but were taking back an orphaned fisherman? And moving half a room of books?

However, everyone knew the eldest miss’s uncompromising nature, so no one dared to question her. They quickly got to work, stuffing the books into the trunks, stack by stack. When the trunks were full, they piled them onto the seats.

With the guards no longer standing watch outside, the villagers began to gather. At first, it was just a few people watching from outside, then a dozen, and eventually, almost everyone who hadn't gone out to sea had arrived, including the village head, Old Zhou.

"Shuisheng, what is all this..." Old Zhou asked, puzzled.

"Answer properly," Wen Fengxian whispered, poking Shuisheng in the back with her hilt. "Or else."

"Uh, Village Head, I... I'm moving away," Shuisheng said. "These are friends I know from the city. They are kind-hearted people with traditional values who appreciate my temperament and talent, so they want me to move to Fuling City for a while."

The Yan family members: "..." Are you being sarcastic?

Old Zhou believed him, because he saw Shuisheng's "friends" working hard to help him load books into the cars. This boy cherished books like his own life; if they weren't true friends, they wouldn't do this.

"Shuisheng, going to the city might be a good thing for someone with no ties like you. Live well, and come back to visit the village when you have time," Old Zhou said in a perfunctory manner.

"I will, I certainly will. Thank you for saving my life fourteen years ago, Village Head. I'm going out to make a living now, and if I succeed in the future, I will definitely return to repay you and the villagers," Shuisheng replied in kind.

He scanned the surrounding villagers, but Zhou Yudong was not there; at this hour, he should have been at school in Ting'ao Town.

Due to his family's circumstances, Shuisheng had barely finished primary school before quitting, while Zhou Yudong had persisted through middle school, even if he attended sporadically.

Zhou Yudong’s father was present.

"Shuisheng, don't worry. Even if you leave the village, you'll always be Yudong's best friend," his father said.

After the exchange of polite, half-hearted pleasantries, Shuisheng prepared to leave with the Yan family. By then, the majority of the books had been packed, but a small portion remained, and all the cars were already filled to the brim.

"Eldest Miss, the cars are full. There’s still a small portion of books left," Yan Ning reported, wiping sweat from his brow. "Should I find a moving company truck?"

Yan Ruobing glanced at the cars; they were packed so tightly with people and books that there was no room left.

"Put them in my car," she said.

"What!" Yan Ning doubted his own ears. No way. The eldest miss said to put those books in her car! Her exclusive RV had never allowed a fourth person inside, aside from the driver and Wen Fengxian! And now she wanted to put books in there for a fishing village boy!

"Put them in my car!" Yan Ruobing’s frustration erupted in those four words.

Seeing her like this, no one dared to delay, and they scrambled to move the remaining books into the RV. Finally, Shuisheng, who had nowhere left to sit, was ordered by Yan Ruobing to be crammed into a seat in the RV’s workspace.

Seeing the boy sitting openly in Yan Ruobing’s workspace, the Yan family subordinates all looked as if they were suffering from extreme constipation.

Moments later, the convoy set off.

"This car is amazing, just like a house. No, it's much better than a house," Shuisheng said, looking around the interior of the RV with envy.

"Don't misunderstand, kid," Yan Ruobing said, sitting across from him with a face as cold as ice. "The reason I let you and your books on board is not out of respect for you, but out of respect for knowledge—for these books."

"Thank you for respecting knowledge and these books, Eldest Miss," Shuisheng said with earnest gratitude. "Although you have kidnapped me, I must still thank you for your respect for knowledge."

"You think this is a kidnapping?" Yan Ruobing’s voice rose an octave.

"No, of course not a kidnapping. You said it was moving, so moving it is," Shuisheng said.

But in his heart, he thought: Whether it's a kidnapping or not, you know the truth yourself.

"You don't actually need to worry too much. The Yan family is a reasonable clan. You are merely a lead, a lure. Once we catch that villain, we will release you," Yan Ruobing’s tone softened slightly. "Until then, your movements will be somewhat restricted. However, I can guarantee in the name of the Yan family eldest miss that even with those restrictions, your standard of living will be a hundred times better than in the fishing village."

Shuisheng didn't reply. He turned his head and looked out the side window toward the rear. Under the morning sun, Wang'ao Village grew smaller and smaller.

He knew that a different chapter of his life had begun today.