Chapter 8: Framing and Scapegoating

  After hearing what Mi San said, Wang Long felt extremely angry. This Pu Ti was too despicable. In order to become the Witch God, he actually used Ai Li to coerce Mi San's uncle.

  Wang Long said to Mi San, "Mi San uncle, let's go back now and I'll go with you to find Aili." Mi San grasped Wang Long's hand and said, "Alright, kid, I didn't misjudge you. Let's go say goodbye to Ji Yue now and then we'll go find Aili together."

  As they stood outside the stilt house, Wang Long told Ji Yue that he had to leave. Ji Yue reluctantly agreed, and as Wang Long was about to depart, she handed him a small package and whispered, "This sachet is specially made for you, be sure to keep it with you at all times and don't lose it." Wang Long nodded, tucked the sachet into his clothes, and followed Mi San uncle away. From afar, he could still see Ji Yue standing in the doorway, gazing longingly after him.

  Back in Damiangcun Village, Misan and Wang Long stayed at home, unable to see Aili's figure, and both felt the room was gloomy.

  Wang Long suddenly thought of something, that Yipu might know where Aili was being held, and he could start by investigating him.

  Wang Long shared his idea with Mi San, who said: "This is a good idea, but it's too dangerous to do it this way." Wang Long shook his head and said: "Uncle Mi San, let me try, I'll be careful." Mi San thought for a moment, nodded, and said: "Okay, just be sure to be careful, don't confront him directly, I don't want you to get hurt like last time."

  Wang Long and Mi San arrived outside the house, Mi San continued to go to Dashan Village to search, while Wang Long asked a few young people and knew that Yipu was in Nanwang Village at this time, so he parted ways with Mi San to find Aili.

  When Wang Long arrived at Nanwang Village, it was already past two o'clock in the afternoon. Wang Long found a small wine shop, ordered two dishes, and asked the waiter: "Little brother, do you know where Yipu is?" The waiter smiled and said: "Sir, this morning Yipu was drinking here, I heard them say that they would go to the market this afternoon, you can find him there." Wang Long thanked him, hastily ate two mouthfuls, and rushed to the market.

  It's called a market, but it's actually just a place where several large villages are concentrated. There are also many fresh goods on display along the roadside. Wang Long cautiously searched for Yip, when suddenly, the pedestrians in front of him quickened their pace and rushed forward. Wang Long hurried to follow them.

  Only to see in the more crowded place ahead, Yip was there gesturing and gesticulating, with the two black-clad men who had injured him last time by his side. Wang Long hastily found a hidden footbridge behind which to hide, and stealthily looked over at Yip.

  Yi Pu yelled from over there, "Can't you watch where you're going? You dare to bump into me, don't you want to live?" He grabbed a 7 or 8 year old kid and slapped him. A woman in her thirties standing next to the kid quickly pulled Yi Pu's hand and said, "Sir, please don't hit my son again, he didn't do it on purpose, can I apologize for you?"

  Yip disdainfully waved his hand and said, "Get out of the way, if you let this little brat drill through me, I'll spare him." The little boy burst into tears, Yip slapped him again and said, "Hurry up, kid, or I'll beat you to death." He pressed the crying child's head down, and the child directly drilled towards Yip. Wang Long could no longer bear it and was just about to stand up to stop him.

  "Halt." A loud shout suddenly came, and a burly man with a full beard pushed through the crowd to stand in front of Yip, grabbing his hand. Yip was about to lose his temper, but when he looked up, it turned out to be Ah Qi, the leader of Nanwang Village. Yip hastily put on a smile and said, "Ah, Leader Ah Qi, hello. This is a misunderstanding, please let go first." Ah Qi's face was iron-gray, and he said loudly, "Yip, I'll let you off this time because of your father's face, but don't be too arrogant in my territory." Yip quickly replied in a low voice, "Okay, Uncle Ah Qi. I was just joking with them, please don't misunderstand." After finishing speaking, he quickly released the little boy, and the middle-aged woman took the child away, thanking him profusely.

  Yi Pu looked at the distant figure, spat on the ground and said: "What thing, if it wasn't for my dad telling me not to offend you, I would be afraid of you?" After finishing, he stomped his foot on the ground in dissatisfaction and continued: "One day, I will make you know my strength."

  Following Yip in the market for a few rounds, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. Seeing Yip walking towards Dashan Village, Wang Long hurriedly followed closely behind.

  After turning several corners, Yi Pu suddenly changed direction and headed towards a large mountain next to Nanwang Village. Wang Long cautiously followed closely behind.

  Seven bends and eight bends, followed by Yi Pu to the mountain waist. Wang Long saw Yi Pu open a place of weeds as high as his waist, revealing an entrance to a cave. Yi Pu and two subordinates quickly drilled in.

  Wang Long hid himself not far from the entrance of the cave and waited for half an hour before Yi Pu came out with two subordinates, heading down the mountain.

  Wang Long saw that Yip and the others had walked far away, so he quickly got up and headed towards the cave. He pushed aside the weeds and found that it was a well-ventilated cave with a huge natural stone bed inside. Ah Yi Li was tightly bound by her hands and feet, with a piece of rag stuffed in her mouth, lying on the stone bed.

  Wang Long couldn't help but feel great joy, and hastily ran towards the stone bed. Just as he was about to help Aili loosen her rope, he heard a loud "haha" laughter coming from behind. Wang Long turned his head to look, and found that it was Yipu who had returned.

  Yip Dei burst out laughing: "Little kid, I knew you were following us all along. Now we've finally caught you!" Actually, when Wang Long was following Yip Dei, the two experts beside him had already discovered someone tailing them, but they didn't show it. They waited until Wang Long entered the cave before making their move, trapping him like a turtle in a jar.

  Wang Long continued to untie Ayli, but before he could finish, a strong gust of wind blew from behind, and Wang Long felt his head spin as he was knocked unconscious by a large stone. Yipu burst out laughing beside him.

  At midnight, Ah Qi was sleeping in bed, and the outside of the house seemed unusually quiet. Suddenly, a faint sound came into his ears, and if he didn't listen carefully, he really couldn't hear it. Ah Qi had practiced the witchcraft passed down by the previous generation since childhood, so his senses were particularly keen. Ah Qi gently pushed away his wife's hand that was placed on him and got up.

  He stealthily approached the window, and from the gap in the window, he looked out to see a black shadow sneaking towards his daughter A Xiang's room. Ah suddenly burst into flames, quickly pushed open the window, and jumped out, chasing after the black shadow.

  He could see from the window that the black shadow had chased into his daughter's room, but now it was gone without a trace. Ah Jiu suddenly shouted loudly: "A Xiang, A Xiang." There was no reaction at all. Ah Jiu instantly became extremely anxious, fearing that something had happened to his daughter, and didn't even bother to look for the black shadow again. He quickly rushed to the door and turned on the light in his daughter's room.

  A scene that made Ah Qi's blood boil: one Buddha ascended to heaven, and two Buddhas were born. All he saw was his daughter lying on the bed with a man, both of them naked, only covering their lower bodies with a quilt.

  The two of them seemed to be fast asleep, not moving at all. He called out loudly several times, but there was still no response, it was extremely strange, usually when his daughter slept she was very sensitive and would wake up with the slightest movement, what was going on today?

  Ah Qi quickly picked up a basin of water that his daughter had placed in the room for washing her feet, and with a "whoosh" sound, he rushed over to pour it on the heads of the two people on the bed. After being drenched by the water, both of them slowly came to. Suddenly, Ah Qi's daughter, A Xiang, let out a loud, ghostly cry, and quickly grabbed the quilt to cover her entire body. The man was still standing there, stunned and at a loss for what to do. Ah Qi swiftly threw a punch, hitting the man and causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood. Instantly, a flower of blood bloomed on A Xiang's mosquito net above her bed.

  "Who are you? How did you end up on my daughter's bed?" The man, who had been punched by Ah Qi and was now fully awake, shouted loudly: "Ah, how did I end up here?" Ah Qi was furious and heard his daughter sobbing uncontrollably in the corner of the bed, which made him think that this man had taken advantage of her.

  He suddenly shouted and said: "Quickly, who are you? How did you end up here?" The man said: "My name is Adan, I was knocked unconscious by someone and ended up here. I don't know what's going on either."

  The noise had already awakened the servants in the house, who were now surrounding Ah Xiang's room. Without their leader's instructions, they didn't dare to make a move. Ah Qi quickly grabbed Wang Long's neck and pulled him off Ah Xiang's bed, throwing him out of the window into the courtyard with a loud "thud".

  "Take him to the basement first, I'll interrogate him later." The two subordinates responded and quickly took Wang Long away to the basement.

  He looked at his daughter, Ah Xiang was still crying there, looking very sad. The fire in Ah Jie's heart burned more and more fiercely, he let out a loud roar, turned around and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut with a "bang".

  Wang Long only now realized what had happened to him, but no matter how he explained himself, the two men didn't listen and silently locked him to a wooden pillar in the basement before walking out and locking the door behind them, leaving Wang Long to shout until his voice was hoarse without anyone paying attention.

  Wang Long thought carefully for a moment, things have come to this point, even if he tells the truth, who would believe him? It seems that this time, jumping into the Yellow River won't be able to wash it clean either.