Volume One: Wandering Beyond the Paper Leaves Chapter Eight: The Black Web

The little girl suddenly called out “big brother,” and seemed to be quite familiar with him. Yang Ning asked curiously, “Do you know me?”

“Mm…!” The girl nodded excitedly. “I know, I know. Sister Xiaodie told me about you. She said… she said you’re her only family. Big brother, how did you come here?”

Yang Ning raised a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to keep their voices down. The girls all nodded obediently, and Yang Ning leaned in closer, asking, “Why are you all locked up here?”

The girls glanced at each other. The older one finally spoke, “I… I’m Xiu’er. We… we were all tricked into coming here.”

“Tricked?” Yang Ning was taken aback.

“A few months ago, my parents and I fled to this city. Someone found us and told my parents I could work as a maid, with food and lodging provided, and two silver coins paid every month,” Xiu’er explained in a low voice. “We were desperate, so we didn’t refuse. That person took me to another house first. When I arrived, there were already several girls like me waiting there. After two or three days, one night we were called onto a carriage, and… and brought here. Since then, we haven’t left. My parents have no idea where I am.”

“I see.” Yang Ning frowned and asked, “Do you know why they brought you here?”

The girls all shook their heads in confusion. Xiu’er said, “After we arrived, someone began teaching us to sing and perform. We weren’t allowed to do anything else, nor ask questions. If we performed well, they treated us better; if not, we weren’t fed and got whipped…” Her eyes reddened and her voice dropped. “I heard someone was beaten to death here once because she couldn’t dance well enough.”

“So Xiaodie also sings and dances with you?” Yang Ning’s brow furrowed as he whispered.

Xiu’er nodded. “Xiaodie arrived before us. When we came, her group had already learned well.” She paused, then lowered her voice further. “I heard those who dance best get to work in the kitchen at night.”

“The kitchen?”

“Yes. Madam sometimes wants food at night, so two girls are kept in the kitchen to serve her. Xiaodie dances well, so sometimes she gets to go to the kitchen.”

Yang Ning was relieved, thinking that Xiaodie must have slipped out while working in the kitchen, a risky but plausible escape.

“So Xiaodie is in the kitchen tonight?”

Xiu’er shook her head. “Even if they’re in the kitchen at night, we usually see them during the day. But this time, I haven’t seen them for days. Maybe… maybe they’ve already left.”

“Left?” Yang Ning frowned. “You mean they’re not in the house anymore? Who else do you mean by ‘they’?”

Xiu’er thought for a moment and whispered, “I heard them say many have come and gone here. Once they learn singing and dancing, they’re sent away, and no one can find them again. Xiaodie and her group came early and have been learning for a long time. Since we haven’t seen them for days… I think maybe they’ve been sent away.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Ning’s heart sank and his gaze grew cold.

He paused briefly, then asked softly, “How many people are here now?”

Xiu’er replied immediately, “There used to be more than twenty. Today…” She glanced at the girls beside her. “Today four more arrived, so there should be over thirty now.”

Yang Ning nodded slightly, thinking the number matched what Madam Hua had said. He lowered his voice, “If you leave here, can you find your parents?”

“Leave here?” Joy lit up Xiu’er’s eyes. “You… you mean we can leave?” The other girls were also excited and happy, no longer afraid of Yang Ning, but rather seeing him as a savior sent by heaven, crowding around him.

Yang Ning whispered, “To leave, we must first know how many guards are in this house. Do you know?”

The girls looked at each other. Xiu’er said, “I’ve seen four or five different ones, all very fierce. I know there are always two guarding the main gate, day and night. They… they have knives.”

Yang Ning thought for a moment, then handed Xiu’er the keys he had. He whispered, “These are keys to several rooms. Have everyone get ready, but keep quiet. Don’t act until I return. When I come back, I’ll lead you out.”

“But… but how will you get us out?” Xiu’er worried. “There are guards at the gate with knives. We can’t get past them.”

Yang Ning realized they didn’t know about the hole under the garden wall, but said nothing yet. Once Xiu’er took the keys, he quickly left, first grabbing a broadsword from the table in the courtyard, then a wine pouch, and hurried to the wall where Old Xing lay. Seeing him still unconscious, Yang Ning poured wine over his face.

Old Xing woke with a start, his head throbbing in pain. Opening his eyes, he saw a masked figure. Just as he was about to shout, he felt cold steel against his throat and heard a chilly voice, “Speak only when asked. If you lie, I’ll slit your throat.”

Yang Ning pressed the blade to his neck for emphasis, making Old Xing shudder and grunt nervously.

Yang Ning had torn a piece of burlap to mask his face for safety. He held the blade to Old Xing’s neck and asked, “Why are so many girls imprisoned here?”

Old Xing was about to speak, but Yang Ning reminded him, “One wrong word and your throat is cut.”

Old Xing answered, “It’s… it’s not me. It’s Chief Xiao… Chief Xiao did this. I… I just want to eat. I’m a constable under Chief Xiao…”

Yang Ning was stunned, asking coldly, “Are the other men in black here also constables?”

Old Xing replied, “We are all constables from the yamen, under Chief Xiao’s orders. Including me, there are six constables in the house.”

Yang Ning drew a sharp breath.

He had thought these men in black were mere hired thugs, and that only Xiao Yishui and his trusted constable Feng were involved. Now he knew the guards were actually county constables.

Constables uphold order and protect the people—who could imagine they’d commit such crimes in secret?

“Did you trick these girls here?”

With the cold blade at his throat and Yang Ning’s icy gaze, Old Xing was much more honest. “Chief Xiao sends people among the refugees to find girls under fifteen, especially pretty ones. Once he targets one, he finds an excuse to hire them as maids, tricks them, and after a few days at another place, quietly brings them here.”

“And then?”

“Then Madam Hua teaches them singing and dancing,” Old Xing said. “Once they learn enough, they’re sent away.”

“Sent away?” Yang Ning most wanted to know where Xiaodie had gone. “Where are they sent?”

Old Xing replied, “I… I really don’t know… Please, don’t hurt me, I’ll tell everything…” He hesitated, then said miserably, “All I know is that when the time comes, Feng—the second Feng from the yamen—he takes them away by carriage. As far as I know, they’re sent to the capital.”

“The capital?” Yang Ning was startled. “You mean Constable Feng personally takes them to the capital?”

Old Xing nodded miserably. “Feng only takes them out of the city. Someone meets them outside, then takes them on to the capital. That’s all I know. Chief Xiao is careful—he never lets us know more than necessary. The capital part I only learned because Feng was drunk once and blurted it out.”

Yang Ning judged he wasn’t lying and asked in a deep voice, “How many girls have you sent to the capital? When did you start this filthy business?”

“It’s been… it’s been two years,” Old Xing dared not move. “After the Battle of Huai River, many refugees flooded in. At first, only wealthy merchants came, bringing gold and jewels before heading south. That’s when Xiao Yishui started using beggar gang members to target those merchants, stealing their wealth. Later, fewer rich merchants came, and more poor refugees arrived. Xiao Yishui started targeting the refugees.”

“You mean these girls?”

“Yes, it was his idea. In two years, over two hundred girls have come through this house. Most were sent away.”

“You’re a constable—your duty is to protect the people. Why do you collude with him and commit such unspeakable crimes?” Yang Ning was shaken, his eyes cold as steel.

Old Xing said, “We all became constables because of him. From the day we started, we were on his boat. If we disobey, we can’t feed our families, and we might lose our lives. Xiao Yishui is ruthless. He’s a chief by day, but has ties to both sides of the law. There are several bandit gangs in Huize County who survive only because of their relationship with him. Some gang leaders have even sworn brotherhood with him…”

“That’s collusion between officials and bandits.” Yang Ning sneered, but he knew Xiao Yishui had not only powerful connections in the capital, but had woven a terrifying criminal network in Huize County itself.