Palace Fighting Naive Concubines’ Ascent to Power
Chapter 580 Captured

Chapter 580: Chapter 580 Captured

A part of the group plunged into the water while others on the shore quickly retrieved the bags, their actions swift, the only sounds being the splashing of the water and the clinking of taels of silver as the bags landed.

Before long, the ground was piled up with bags, all filled with Silver, each packed as per their requirements, not too large, yet heavy.

Those in the know only accepted unmarked genuine gold and Silver, never silver notes; only a fool would take a silver note.

After amassing a batch, they carried it away in stages as planned, spreading out to minimize risk.

Two lads on the shore loaded the freshly retrieved batch onto a wheelbarrow, which was lined with oil paper to ensure it wouldn’t leak. They chose only the hardest ground to travel on, one pushing from the front, the other erasing their tracks from behind, both vanishing into the riverside shortly after.

Each time, two lads would carry away a load, each time heading in different directions. Upon emerging from the water, the soaked lads instantly changed into dry clothes, tossing their wet outfits into the river to be swept away.

Uncle Ma’s nerves were taut as he kept watch on the main path for any signs of movement, watching his own side transport the Silver methodically until the last batch was moved before he allowed himself some relief.

He left the main path and hurried over; this last trip, he was to take with Wang San.

Wang San fished the Silver out of the water, seized a silver bag with one hand, and heaved it ashore, his face unable to hide his excitement.

Uncle Ma took over the Silver, throwing it directly onto the wheelbarrow, preparing to pull Wang San up.

Wang San said, "There’s one more bag below, I’ll fetch it, and then we’re done."

With that, he was about to dive back in.

Uncle Ma stopped him, "We’re about out of time. The Young Master said we can’t go over a Shichen. Leave that bag; we’ll come back for it when it’s safe. If it’s still here, we’ll fetch it then."

The drift of Silver to this spot had taken more than half a Shichen, and retrieving it now had nearly taken three quarters of an hour; they could afford no more delays.

Wang San wiped his face in the water, clearing off the droplets, disagreeing, "Uncle, if we don’t take it now, it might get swept away later. The Yongding River is so long, we’ll definitely not find it again."

Uncle Ma’s face showed hesitation; he looked around, feeling a sense of unease.

Seeing this, Wang San immediately insisted, "Uncle, just let me go down one more time. It’ll be quick, I promise it won’t delay us."

Without waiting, he plunged into the water once more, Uncle Ma unable to stop him in time.

He sighed inwardly; well, it should not yet be a full Shichen, and since it was their last trip, let him fetch it then.

Uncle Ma positioned the wheelbarrow, all set for departure; he just needed Wang San to emerge so they could leave this place of trouble.

Suddenly, he sensed something off; the surroundings were too quiet, something unsettling stirred.

His hand went to the hilt of his knife at his waist, he crouched lower, and took slow steps forward, his hand firmly grasping the knife handle as he slowly drew the blade, holding it with both hands, his gaze sharp as he fixed on that direction.

Underwater, Wang San held his breath, searching for the spot they’d found earlier. After groping around, he found it, grabbed it, and it was indeed that bag of Silver.

His heart rejoiced; this was the last bag, retrieve it and the night’s work would be complete!

The Guo family was rolling in wealth; this haul was a hefty sum of Silver, enough for all the brothers to squander lavishly.

He had it all planned out; he would throw an even grander feast upon his return, indulging in a massive drinking spree.

Breaking the surface, he excitedly called to the figure on the shore, "Uncle, time to wrap up!"

As he said this, he swam towards the bank.

As he prepared to climb ashore, he tossed the silver bag onto the land. Just as he was about to follow, he sensed something was wrong.

There was no response!

He stopped his movements, his body sinking back into the water, and called out tentatively, "Uncle? Did you get angry because I didn’t listen to you just now?"

Still no response.

Wang San’s heart began to race uncontrollably, his feet hidden underwater started to paddle, drifting him through the river.

He looked around, and everything was the same as before, except for Uncle Ma.

He knew something was amiss. After a few moments of struggle, he clenched his teeth fiercely and swam back toward the shore.

Even if it was a mistake, he had to go ashore to see what was happening and to figure out where Uncle Ma was and if he had gotten into trouble!

Just as he was halfway up the bank, sudden noises came from the underbrush, and a voice screamed urgently, "Sanzi, run for your life!"

It was Uncle Ma’s voice!

Wang San was shocked: "Uncle!"

Several dark figures darted out from the bushes on both sides, moving incredibly fast toward him. Knives were also flung in his direction.

Wang San’s pupils shrank, and with a powerful kick against the bank, he propelled himself backward.

With a splash, he fell back into the water. The bank where he had been just a moment ago now had two knives stuck in it.

He couldn’t care less about anything else and swam back towards the shore, shouting, "Uncle, are you all right? Uncle!"

A desperate scuffle came from the underbrush: "Don’t worry about me, go back and find..."

Followed by sounds of kicking and a muffled groan, Uncle Ma’s voice suddenly stopped.

"Shut up!" a sinister curse came through, "Piece of trash, can’t even watch one person properly."

Wang San’s eyes became bloodshot with rage: "Damn you bastards, dare to touch him, I’ll kill you all, dig out your ancestors’ graves, wipe out your whole family."

Several dark figures had already reached the nearest bank, and two more knives flew his way.

Wang San swam quickly, stirring up splashes, avoiding them in shock and urgency.

The cold voice from the underbrush taunted again with a sneer, "You yellow-haired little thief, you dare to defy Young Master. Having this old thief is enough. Kill him, whoever succeeds gets Five Hundred Taels!"

"Yes, Young Master."

More dark figures burst forth, rushing towards the bank closest to Wang San.

The first few figures, apparently unable to swim, threw a few more knives and then picked up stones from the bank to smash them into the water.

Wang San dodged left and right, in a very awkward situation. His mind was buzzing as he recognized the voice: "Guo Neng!"

Guo Neng walked out from the underbrush, a surge of bloodthirsty pleasure rising from his heart, his face twisted into a malevolent smile: "Dare to stir trouble on the Young Master’s turf, I shall have you all dead!"

He had already sent some guards to search the surroundings, and it wouldn’t be long before they had results. These bandits were cunning, but even if they couldn’t be found, it didn’t matter as long as there was a captive to interrogate. They would be able to find their hideout eventually, and then not one would be spared.

As he saw the dark figures who arrived later, some of them leaped into the water, swimming towards him.

Behind Guo Neng, three more people appeared. Two stood by his side, while another dragged someone along. The person being dragged on the ground was Uncle Ma.

Wang San was furious to the point of rupture, a surge of rage shooting to his head. In the water, he pinched himself hard to stay calm, resisting the foolish impulse to rush ashore and attempt a rescue alone.

He roared: "You bastards just wait!"

He dove into the water, submerging to the bottom and swam downstream.