NCCnovel Chapter 257 Dragon Gate City
Chapter 257 Dragon Gate City
The sky gradually darkened, and the blood-red setting sun covered the earth with a strange red veil.
Yuan Zhiqiang and his subordinate Xiaoliu stood in a corner of the camp, surrounded by a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
Xiaoliu rubbed his hands nervously, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. His voice trembled noticeably, "Captain, please make a decision! One-third of our men have been killed. If the higher-ups track us down, we'll be in big trouble!"
Xiaoliu seemed to have seen the whip with barbs in front of his eyes. Every time it hit his body, his skin would be torn and his blood would flow.
Yuan Zhiqiang was already filled with irritation like a volcano about to erupt, and Xiaoliu's words were like a fire that instantly ignited his anger.
He turned around abruptly, his eyes wide open, staring at Xiaoliu viciously, and shouted, "Get out of here! Stop talking nonsense to me and keep a close eye on the rest of the people. If one more escapes, I'll hold you accountable, and the whipping you receive will be enough to make you suffer!"
After saying that, he kicked the stone next to him, and the stone rolled away. Yuan Zhiqiang turned around angrily, his back facing Xiaoliu, his chest heaving violently.
Xiaoliu was so frightened that his face turned pale and his lips trembled, but he didn't dare to say another word. He could only run away in shame to check on the female prisoners.
At the same time, at the other end of the team, Chifeng was also frowning and looking worried. He paced back and forth in front of his tent, leaving a shallow mark on the grass under his feet.
This city near Donghai Island is called Longmen City. Life there is really hard. Everything in the city is firmly controlled by the local tyrant He family, especially the ships on the sea, which are the only way to reach Donghai Island. The He family is like an evil dragon entrenched in the sea. If you want to cross the sea, you must pay a high fee, otherwise, you will be unable to fly away.
After much thought, Qi Feng felt that he had to discuss this matter with Murong Ling'er. She was resourceful and might be able to come up with a solution.
So he walked quickly towards Murong Ling'er's carriage. When he came to the carriage, he pushed hard with his hands, kicked his legs, and sat on the shaft neatly.
"Uncle Qi." Inside the car, Murong Chen was leaning against the window, looking at the scenery outside with interest. When he saw Chifeng getting on the shaft of the car, his eyes suddenly lit up. He quickly stretched out his little hand, lifted the curtain, and greeted him crisply.
Murong Ling'er had been resting with her eyes closed. When she heard her son's voice, she slowly opened her eyes, looked towards Chiffon outside the car window, and asked softly, "What's going on?"
Chifeng leaned forward slightly, with a serious look on his face, and said, "Miss Murong, there is something I have been thinking about, and I feel I must tell you in advance." He paused, his eyes revealing worry and helplessness.
"What's the matter?" Murong Ling'er sat up straight. She knew in her heart that Chifeng would not come to her easily unless he encountered a difficult problem.
Chifeng took a deep breath and said slowly, "Miss Murong, you may not understand why most of the people on Donghai Island are so cruel and vicious. Most of the reason is that many of the exiled criminals were already serious criminals, but another part of the reason lies in this Dragon Gate City."
"Oh?" Murong Ling'er frowned slightly, her eyes revealing confusion and inquiry.
Chifeng nodded and continued, "That's right. Longmen City is the He family's world. The He family is the local tycoon here, with absolute power! They control the entry and exit of all ships along the coast, and the tolls they charge are ridiculously high. No matter if they are high-ranking officials, ordinary people, or even officials like us escorting prisoners, if we want to cross the sea, we will be severely exploited by them."
"Those convicts were already penniless, and the exorbitant crossing fees practically drained them dry. By the time they finally reached Donghai Island, they were penniless. In such desperate circumstances, many convicts, in order to survive, either starved to death on the streets or resorted to desperate struggles. They were willing to kill and rob for a bite of food or a few resources..."
As Chifeng spoke, an indignant expression appeared on his face. He himself had personally experienced the exploitation of the He family. The feeling of being severely slaughtered but helpless made him still unable to let go.
Murong Ling'er listened quietly, her face gradually becoming gloomy.
She quickly analyzed the interests involved in her mind. Although Longmen City and Donghai Island were across the sea from each other, they were under the jurisdiction of different governments.
But now it seems that Donghai Island has turned a blind eye to Longmen City's actions. There must be something fishy behind this. It is very likely that officials from the two places have already colluded with each other and are in cahoots with each other.
She thought to herself, if this is true, the more harshly Longmen City oppresses the fugitives, the easier it will be to control the fugitives who arrive on Donghai Island. In order to survive, those fugitives will have no choice but to obey the manipulation of the Donghai Island forces.
She would never believe that there was no one secretly manipulating and obstructing her and her group of people being exiled to such a place.
Murong Ling'er looked at Chifeng with a determined gaze and said, "Captain Qi, now that we know about this, we can't just sit there and wait for death. Our most urgent task is to find a way to deal with the He family's exploitation and minimize our losses."
Chifeng frowned, looking worried: "But Miss Murong, the He family is very powerful in Longmen City, and we are so few in number. What can we do?"
Murong Ling'er thought for a moment and said, "If all else fails, then destroy the He family."
Qi Feng's eyes widened in surprise, and he said, "Miss Murong, this is easier said than done. The He family has been operating in Longmen City for many years. They have many retainers and thugs, and they are closely connected with the government. If we act rashly, we will probably be wiped out before we even start."
Murong Linger's lips curled up slightly, revealing a cold yet confident smile: "Captain Qi, you don't have to worry. Since I dared to do it, I naturally have a plan to deal with it."
Her voice was clear and melodious, yet contained a firm strength that could not be ignored.
Chifeng opened his eyes wide and his mouth opened in astonishment, looking at the woman in front of him who seemed weak but was actually courageous and resolute. He couldn't help but secretly admire Murong Ling'er's extraordinary courage and superior wisdom.
After a long while, Chifeng finally came back to his senses and frowned, saying, "But, Miss Murong! Even if we can successfully take down the He family, what should we do next? You know, those government officials are definitely not vegetarians. They will definitely not let us go easily!"
Speaking of this, Chifeng's face showed deep worry.
Murong Linger slowly replied, "If the government can be more understanding and stop pursuing us, then the past can be written off and we can all live in peace. But if they insist on getting to the bottom of this, then things will get really bad. If they really make these things public, we'll see who will be more afraid of being exposed!"
When saying this, Murong Ling'er's tone was as calm as water, but the powerful aura hidden behind it was enough to shock people.