Chapter 1227: Ye Qing Captured
Ye Qing and the leader exchanged glances, both filled with confusion, as the disappearance of the Gold Silk Armor was truly bizarre.
"When I took the opportunity for a convenience break, the Gold Silk Armor was still in the bag," Ye Qing said in a deep voice. "At that time, I even asked the Fatty; I asked him if the Gold Silk Armor was still in the bag, and he said it was."
"I heard that," the leader frowned, speaking in a low voice. "But your wooden box looks so much like the Gold Silk Armor, he could have made a mistake!"
"That fat guy has been tomb-robbing for years, handling more antiques than you've ever seen. Do you think he'd really make such a mistake?" Ye Qing frowned, speaking in a serious tone. "I got it, that dead Fatty must have switched it on me!"
"Really?" The leader still seemed puzzled. He stared at Ye Qing for a while but didn't say anything more. Not only had he placed a listening device on the Fatty, but he also installed a camera. In the afternoon, while the Fatty was asleep, he watched Ye Qing's side very clearly. The bag had always stayed on the table, and Ye Qing never touched it, so it was impossible for him to have switched the Gold Silk Armor himself.
The bag truly left their sight when Ye Qing and Handsome Fatty Wang were running through the forest. At that time, it was pitch black, and even though the camera was clear, it couldn't capture Ye Qing and Handsome Fatty Wang's situation. He could only rely on the listening device to assess Ye Qing and Handsome Fatty Wang's situation. He clearly heard Ye Qing ask Handsome Fatty Wang, during his convenience break, whether the Gold Silk Armor was still in the bag, to which Handsome Fatty Wang directly answered yes. That was why he was convinced the Gold Silk Armor was still in the bag. But who would have thought that what the bag contained was actually a fake?
"That dead Fatty not only double-crossed me but also played this trick on me!" Ye Qing's face was filled with indignation, and he said in a deep voice, "I knew this Fatty couldn't be trusted, but I didn't expect he would collude with Prince Wan Yan's people. Fine, let's see where you can run to!"
After saying this, Ye Qing turned and ran straight towards the edge of the cliff.
"Where do you think you're running to!" Prince Wan Yan's group immediately rushed up and surrounded Ye Qing.
"What do you want?" Ye Qing said in a low voice. "I don't have the Gold Silk Armor with me anymore, stopping me is useless."
"We will find the Gold Silk Armor. But, Prince Wan Yan said, we also must keep you here!" the leader said coldly. "Ye, I advise you to surrender quietly to avoid suffering!"
"What a joke, just you few think you can catch me?" Ye Qing glanced coldly at everyone and said, "Unless Prince Wan Yan himself comes, you alone can't keep Ye Qing here!"
"Hmph, Prince Wan Yan has known long ago that your strength is extraordinary, and just the few of us can't hold you. But Prince Wan Yan has long made two preparations." The leader sneered, suddenly stepping back and said in a deep voice, "Release!"
With that loud command from the leader, all the people who had surrounded Ye Qing suddenly turned and retreated. Seeing this, Ye Qing immediately chased after them, trying to retreat with the crowd. But after barely two steps, several large nets suddenly fell from above, trapping the five or six people in the middle, and Ye Qing was also caught in the net.
Ye Qing finally understood what Prince Wan Yan's two preparations were. As the net fell on him, Ye Qing felt that it was purely made of metal wires, extremely tough. Even with Ye Qing's considerable strength, it was impossible to break free from the net. Without a famed instrument in hand, it was impossible to destroy this net.
Trapped under the net, Ye Qing immediately grabbed the corner of the net, trying to lift it before it completely entangled him. However, before he could stand, a dozen people had already pounced on him, firmly holding the net's edges. Even with the strength of a thousand jun, Ye Qing was no match for so many people and couldn't even stand.
"Hahaha..." The leader laughed heartily towards the sky and said, "Ye, how does it feel? This is the iron net our Prince Wan Yan specifically uses to capture wild beasts, usually only for lions and tigers. Last time, after witnessing your capabilities, Prince Wan Yan specifically had someone bring this iron net from the Northern Desert, just for you. Prince Wan Yan values you so much, you should feel honored!"
Ye Qing frowned deeply and said in a low voice, "Despicable!"
"What's there to say about despicable? Winner takes all. You're in our hands now, that's a fact." The leader sneered coldly and gestured to the man beside him, saying, "Teach him a lesson."
The man beside him grinned maliciously and took out a stun baton, preparing to press it against the iron net. The leader glared, shouting, "What are you doing?"
"Uh?" The man paused, looking at the leader and said, "Didn't you tell me to teach him a lesson?"
The leader cursed, "Are you brainless? We're holding down this iron net with so many people, if you use electricity on him, won't our people get hurt too?"
The person realized and blushed, hurriedly putting away the electric baton, and picked up a wooden stick from the side, rushing over and swinging it at Ye Qing without thinking.
Ye Qing was trapped inside the iron net, unable to dodge, let alone resist. He took a few hits and could only barely use his arms to shield himself. Although the strikes landed on his arms, Ye Qing wasn't injured because his Internal Breath was circulating in his arms.
However, Ye Qing acted as if he was in severe pain, which greatly satisfied the leader.
"I already told you earlier, if you surrender, you can suffer less. But you wouldn't listen, and now look, it hurts to be hit, doesn't it?" The leader sneered and said, "You won't drink the toast and instead opt for the penalty, you deserved this!"
Ye Qing gritted his teeth without speaking, slowly squatting down. The pressure from the dozen people holding the iron net was immense.
"Today, I'll teach you a little lesson first. When we return to the Northern Desert, Prince Wan Yan will have some fun with you." The leader coldly smiled, then turned and said, "Split half of the people and pursue Handsome Fatty Wang with full force. No matter what, we must get the Gold Silk Armor back!"
"Yes!" someone beside him replied, nodding, and took a group to chase after Handsome Fatty Wang.
Meanwhile, Wan Yan's group used the iron net to securely trap Ye Qing and then brought him into a vehicle, driving away from Shen Family Manor's outskirts. Meanwhile, the people inside the manor were still unaware of this event.
This group didn't dare linger in Xi Hang, and with Ye Qing, they headed straight to a nearby county. They had rented a house there in advance and brought Ye Qing inside. The iron net was very sturdy, and Ye Qing was unable to move within it. Despite this, the group remained extremely cautious, specifically assigning three people to guard Ye Qing to prevent any accidents. As for the others, most were tracking Handsome Fatty Wang, as he had taken the Gold Silk Armor, and they wouldn't let him off.
At this time, Handsome Fatty Wang was speeding in another nearby county around Xi Hang. The box belonging to Ye Qing was placed beside him, but it was already open, and there was nothing inside but a pile of clothes.
"Damn it, Ye Qing, you bastard, you dared to trick me!" Handsome Fatty Wang cursed as he drove, "Playing a swap trick on Fat Lord, deceiving me into taking this box, obviously trying to frame me. Damn it, don't let me see you next time, or I'll fight to the death with you!"
The purpose of Handsome Fatty Wang's visit to Shen Family Manor was precisely the Gold Silk Armor. He had pretended to cooperate with Prince Wan Yan, but in fact, he intended to use the opportunity to steal Ye Qing's Gold Silk Armor. So, he cooperated with Wan Yan's people to lure Ye Qing out of the manor. Then, during the fight between Wan Yan's people and Ye Qing, he seized the opportunity to take the box, intending to steal the Gold Silk Armor. The rope by the cliff was something he had prepared long in advance. This fatty had engaged in tomb-robbing for years, encountering many dangers, and habitually made multiple preparations. This time, his preparations paid off, allowing him to truly take the box.
However, he never dreamed that the box didn't contain the Gold Silk Armor. Earlier, when Ye Qing went to relieve himself, Handsome Fatty Wang quietly covered the camera, opened the bag and took a look, confirmed that the Gold Silk Armor was in the box. But now that the box was empty, he finally realized he had been tricked. Only now did he realize that it was too late.
Amidst Handsome Fatty Wang's angry cursing, his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and glanced at the screen, and his brows instantly furrowed. After hesitating for a moment, he still connected the call.
"Fatty, you have some nerve. You dared to steal from Prince Wan Yan, do you think you can run far?" came the leader's voice from the other end of the call.
Handsome Fatty Wang almost spat blood, complaining, "Hey, don't misunderstand, I didn't take the Gold Silk Armor; it's not in the box. We've all been fooled by that bastard Ye!"
The leader sternly said, "The Gold Silk Armor isn't in the bag or the box, where else could it be?"
"It's not in the box either," Handsome Fatty Wang hurriedly said, "Ye Qing never took the Gold Silk Armor out; we've all been tricked by him!"
"Nonsense!" the leader angrily shouted, "While you were sleeping, I kept monitoring the bag with a camera; no one touched it. That means Ye Qing left Shen Family Manor with the Gold Silk Armor. And midway, you admitted the Gold Silk Armor was in the bag, and now you're telling me Ye Qing didn't take it out? Do you think I would believe you?"
Handsome Fatty Wang wanted to cry but had no tears. At the time, he said the Gold Silk Armor was in the bag, first to avoid raising Ye Qing's suspicion, and second to make Wan Yan's people believe it was there, so he could steal the box smoothly. But now, his statement had become evidence that Ye Qing left with the Gold Silk Armor, and he was now stuck in a situation he couldn't clean up from, even if he jumped into the Yellow River.