Volume Two: The Great and the Small, Chapter Sixty-Six: They Are Coming for Me

The atmosphere in the hall grew even heavier than before.

This sudden kidnapping had caught everyone off guard. Xu Xingzhi, in particular, was so anxious that he could not even bring himself to sit down. The other party involved, Huang Ming, remained surprisingly calm. Having read the letter, he looked thoughtful, as if he had already grasped something.

The note left by the kidnappers was simple and direct: prepare eight hundred taels of gold and deliver it to West Mountain by dusk tomorrow. Money was to be exchanged for the captives, and they were strictly forbidden from notifying the authorities. If the officials were alerted, the kidnappers would kill the hostages and call the deal off.

Seeing that Huang Ming remained silent, Xu Xingzhi finally broke down. "Young Master Huang, you are the only one who can save my younger sister and brother now. Please, I beg you to save them... I cannot come up with eight hundred taels of gold on such short notice, but given time, even if I have to sell everything I own or work myself to the bone, I will repay this debt."

As he spoke, he stepped toward Huang Ming, ready to drop to his knees. The three siblings had lost their parents long ago and had relied on each other for over a decade; their bond was deeper than that of an average family. With both Xu Qingzhi and Xu Yunzhi in danger, Xu Xingzhi was naturally the most distressed.

Huang Ming regained his composure and quickly stood up to support him. "Commander Xu, what are you doing? Qingzhi is my good friend, and Miss Xu has helped me greatly in the past. How could I stand by and do nothing?"

"As for the ransom, do not worry yourself. I can manage eight hundred taels of gold."

Seeing this, Xu Xingzhi felt slightly relieved, but Huang Ming continued, "However, there are too many suspicious elements to this matter. We must think it through clearly before we take any action."

Liu Botao added, "Young Master Huang is right. This matter is indeed riddled with doubts." He turned his gaze to Zhang Han, who had brought the news. "Why were you the one to deliver the message? Do you know where they were taken?"

Zhang Han felt uneasy under their collective gaze until he saw Huang Ming nod at him, which helped him steady his nerves. "Two days ago, I arranged to meet Young Master Xu in the western suburbs to escape the heat. I heard they were planning to visit the Shuiyun Nunnery near there, as they do every year around this time..."

Xu Xingzhi, now calmer, added, "That is correct. The day after tomorrow, the nineteenth of the sixth month, marks the anniversary of our mother's passing. When she was alive, she visited the Shuiyun Nunnery outside the city every year to pray for blessings. After she passed, we made it a tradition to go there to pay our respects."

"If not for this official duty, I would have gone with them. Perhaps those villains wouldn't have succeeded!" he added, his face full of self-reproach.

"How many people are in the Shuiyun Nunnery? Is it usually busy with pilgrims?" Huang Ming, now fully focused, asked.

"It is a small nunnery with only seven or eight nuns and two or three women living there as lay practitioners. It rarely sees visitors."

"That is why it was so easy for the kidnappers to strike!" Huang Ming glanced at Zhang Han. "Continue."

Zhang Han swallowed hard, his respect for Huang Ming growing even further—the young man was able to sit as an equal with the Imperial Guards and seemed to be taking the lead. "Young Master Xu and the others left the city yesterday afternoon. I was delayed, so I didn't go until this morning. When I arrived at the nunnery, the doors were locked tight and there was no response. After climbing over the wall, I found the nuns and the others tied up and gagged."

"Then, in one of the rooms, I found this letter. It actually demanded that you, Young Master Huang, provide the money to save them. I was so anxious I didn't think twice and rushed here."

Huang Ming nodded. "It seems the kidnappers knew you would go there today, which is why they left the letter and specified that I should deliver the ransom tomorrow. But this only creates more questions."

"Exactly. First, why didn't they demand the ransom from Commander Xu, but instead sought out Young Master Huang, who is merely a friend?" Huang Bingkun, having gathered his thoughts, spoke up.

Encouraged by a nod from Huang Ming, he continued, "Second, why would these kidnappers target the Xu siblings, and why specifically at the Shuiyun Nunnery?"

"If we look at the results, they must have known quite a bit about your family to find such an easy opportunity without alerting others. But if that's the case, wouldn't they know that your household could not possibly afford such a ransom?"

Xu Xingzhi sighed. "Indeed, that is why they thought to ask Young Master Huang for the money..."

"Which brings us back to the first question: why me? If they were truly after my money, why go through all this trouble? Wouldn't it be easier to kidnap me or someone from my household?" Huang Ming asked.

Those present fell into deep thought. No matter how one looked at it, the situation was shrouded in inexplicable suspicion.

Liu Botao narrowed his eyes. "If we are to find the answer, there is only one possibility: the Xu siblings and the ransom are merely a smokescreen. Their true target has always been you, Young Master Huang!"

"They kidnapped them and left the letter; the ransom is a ruse, but luring you to West Mountain is the reality. The note explicitly states no officials are to be involved and that you must bring the gold yourself to trade for the hostages."

As an experienced commander in the Imperial Guards, Liu Botao had seen through to the heart of the matter.

Huang Ming agreed deeply. "Commander Liu is right. They are coming for me. They have been watching me for a long time, convinced that I have the gold and that I would risk my life to save others."

"Then, Young Master Huang..." Xu Xingzhi looked anxious, wanting to ask if Huang Ming would still take the risk, yet fearing that a direct question might cause him to decline for his own safety.

Unexpectedly, Huang Ming smiled. "I said it before: Young Master Xu is my friend, and Miss Xu has been a benefactor to me. Naturally, I will not ignore their plight."

"Young Master Huang..." Liu Botao attempted to advise caution, but Huang Ming raised a hand to stop him. "To be blunt, I am curious to see what these kidnappers are planning. I suspect that the remnants of the White Lotus Sect might be stirring up trouble again."

"They schemed against me last year, and I have yet to settle that score. Now that they are coming for me again, how could I possibly shrink away?"

Liu Botao could find no further reason to protest, so he simply reminded him, "Do not forget, you still have the grave responsibility of solving that other case."

"There is no rush for that. Also, I may need to borrow your elite Imperial Guards. Perhaps the kidnappers are unaware that you are currently in my residence. Later, leave through the back door and follow the plan: have those fifty elite guards slip out of the city tonight and hide in the vicinity of West Mountain!" Huang Ming had already made his own plans.

He was a former police detective in his previous life; he had handled many kidnapping cases. How could he possibly be led by the nose by kidnappers and go to deliver the ransom all alone?