Chapter 169 – How to Elegantly Deal with Meng Liang (Part Six)
Meng Liang is a complete fool, yet he prides himself on his supposed talents for assisting the kingdom.
But anyone who has heard his name knows better.
If one thinks that the rumors from the gambling house were released by Meng Liang to lure them into a trap, that would be asking too much of his intellect.
“But…” Someone nearby stammered, “Didn’t you say that little brat was hiding in Liu Residence? Since Liu Residence lost someone, they’ll surely put in efforts to find him to avoid being held accountable by the Meng Clan, right? Are we not risking getting nothing?”
Meng Hunyun lowered his gaze in thought and replied, “It’s not impossible, so we need to be quick… leave it to fate and see how lucky we are.”
To catch Meng Liang, Meng Hunyun led some physically healthy brothers down the mountain, disguising themselves as common people to blend into the city.
The group donned the guise of gamblers, wandering around the gambling house, and under the pretense of using the restroom, they began to understand the layout of the inner courtyard.
“I’ve gathered some intel; this gambling house often engages in unethical practices, locking up the captured people in the wood room. If that little brat is really here, he’s probably kept there. Here’s the general layout of the gambling house, and the wood room is located here…”
The speaker, formerly a scout, was responsible for reconnoitering ahead.
For him, gleaning information on the gambling house was not particularly difficult.
“There are plenty of thugs in this gambling house; if we storm in to rescue him, it might cause quite a ruckus, making it tough to leave the city tomorrow.”
One suggested, “Then let’s wait until it’s completely dark. Under the cover of night, we can sneak in and grab him?”
Meng Hunyun nodded, “Let’s do that; before we move, we’ll keep an eye on the front and back doors of the gambling house.”
As night fell, the wood room was shrouded in darkness, with visibility reduced to a blur, and the air thick with choking dust.
Meng Liang was bound with a rough hemp rope, lying sprawled on the ground, curled up into a small ball.
His long eyelashes trembled with unsteady breaths, while his brow occasionally knitted slightly, making his already slightly bruised face look even more pitiful, eliciting sympathy and affection from onlookers, despite knowing he was a man.
Outside the wood room, two thugs stood guard; one leaned against the wall while the other sat, idly bantering about matters concerning Meng Liang.
“Hey, that kid is still stubborn and won’t talk, huh?” One thug rubbed his arms to ward off the night chill and spat toward the corner, grumbling, “Why bother? If the boss gets mad, he could do anything.”
The other replied, “Oh, it’s not that the kid won’t talk; it’s that his voice is messed up, and with his hands tied, he can’t even write anything. The strange part is that the Young Doctor took a look and said there’s nothing wrong with him, which infuriated the boss.”
Meng Liang had lost thousands in silver, while his accomplices managed to flee with over four thousand taels, wasn’t the gambling house at a loss?
Running a small business, no credit extended.
Who would have thought that after working hard to operate this gambling house and earning a mountain of ill-gotten gains, they would end up being countered by a bunch of young rascals, putting all their earnings into someone else’s pocket, and that the gambling house owner wouldn’t be furious?
Under threats about Jiang Pengji and Nong Qin, that dainty little brat unexpectedly put on airs, refusing to spill anything.
Initially, the gambling house’s owner and the thugs thought Meng Liang was tough, giving him a good beating. Yet, he howled in pain after just a couple of hits, hardly bearing any resemblance to someone with backbone, kneeling and begging for mercy with swollen, tearful eyes.
Earlier thugs asked, “Isn’t this brat just pretending?”
The latter rolled his eyes disdainfully.
“Pretending? No way! He howls continuously after just a few hits, like a slaughtered pig. If we order him to kneel, he’s down faster than clay, no shred of backbone! You should’ve seen him clinging to the boss’s leg, crying like nobody’s business. Even a little girl wouldn’t be that weak!”
“But… didn’t they say he might be from a noble family?”
The thug mocked with another roll of his eyes, “Have you ever seen a noble from a family that pathetic? While he might not read much, he knows what real nobility looks like—better to stand and have their head chopped off than kneel and beg for mercy…”
“So, does that mean he’s a fake?”
Since it was the night shift, this thug had slept during the day and missed out on many things.
At that point, the other guy suddenly laughed, leaning closer to his companion and whispering conspiratorially, “What do you think? Of course, he’s a fake. Have you ever seen a noble more flamboyant than those young masters in the South Courtyard? That face is prettier than a fairy, but he sure acts like a total tease. The boss is furious and wants us to teach him a lesson to make him cave… Guess what happens next? Hehehe…”
Inside the wood room, a dazed Meng Liang slowly regained consciousness. Hearing the conversation, he was furious enough to nearly grind his teeth to dust.
“So what does the boss plan to do with him?”
Meng Liang heard one of them say, “What else can we do? Can’t catch the other two, and this one here isn’t saying anything. What good is he? The longer he stays, the more rations he’ll consume… But isn’t he quite a sight? Better looking than those top-tier young masters from the South Courtyard. If we train him properly, sell him off for three to five years, and get him in good with some nobles, maybe the boss could rake in a fortune.”
What on earth is the South Courtyard?
Commonly known as a brothel, a place selling male beauty, often frequented by men who prefer male company.
Meng Liang, upon hearing this, felt an overwhelming rush of anger, struggling to scream, but all that came out were hoarse “ahhs,” as if his voice had been stolen, unable to form a complete word.
Furious, he thumped the ground with his elbow, fire blazing in his eyes.
Meng Liang hated those thugs for degrading him in the gambling house, but he despised Liu Xi even more for trapping him!
The gambling house folks knew nothing about cherishing delicate beings; several hefty slaps woke him up, followed by a round of torturous questioning.
He attempted to speak, to scold those peasants, yet his voice was robbed, rendering him mute as if he was born a mute. To make matters worse, he had no feeling below his elbows, let alone the ability to write.
Unable to speak, unable to write, the gambling house thugs lost their patience. A few slaps later, he was nearly disoriented.
He was never one to endure hardships, nor did he take pain well, quickly losing composure, begging for mercy from those he looked down upon!
Not only that, there were many other actions he wished he could forget, any one of those scenes, if recalled, could stir a furious embarrassment!
