Chapter 140: Human Traffickers Must Not Be Killed

The county town beyond the northern frontier was a small place, yet it was home to nearly one hundred thousand residents.

The frontier culture was open and unconstrained, allowing even young maidens to venture out and engage in trade. As Chu Bing and Li Haoran walked down the street, she found that a pair of eyes was simply not enough to take in all the fascinating sights.

The last time she came here, she had been accompanied by old Zhao, who constantly muttered about propriety and rules, ruining much of her enjoyment.

Now, with Li Haoran accommodating her every whim, she was naturally in high spirits and thoroughly enjoying herself.

"The restaurant is just ahead. Shall we go have a look?" Li Haoran shielded Chu Bing carefully, ensuring the surrounding crowd wouldn't jostle her.

The soldiers behind him kept a close formation around the two, their expressions tense and vigilant.

After all, the frontier was different from the interior; the folkways were fierce and unyielding, and physical altercations could break out at the slightest provocation, demanding a much higher degree of caution from them.

Chu Bing followed Li Haoran eagerly as he moved forward. Suddenly, a commotion erupted ahead of them. A ragged little beggar stumbled forward in a panicked run, closely pursued by a large group of burly men.

"Stop that little thief! He stole our things!"

Passersby quickly scattered to the sides, not daring to step forward.

Before Chu Bing could collect her wits, the little beggar crashed directly into her arms.

*Thud!*

Li Haoran’s expression shifted instantly. He hadn't expected this little beggar to slip right under his arm and barrel straight into Chu Bing's embrace!

A jolt of pain shot through Chu Bing's lower abdomen from the impact, forcing her to take a few steps back. The little beggar tumbled to the ground as the pursuing thugs caught up.

With terror written all over his face, the beggar scrambled on hands and knees to hide behind Chu Bing.

"Miss, please save me! I'm not a thief! They abducted me!"

His voice was dropped so low that only Chu Bing could hear him.

Chu Bing raised an eyebrow, sizing up the little beggar hiding behind her with a suspicious gaze.

He was covered in dirt and grime, revealing only a pair of dark, limpid eyes. Those eyes were full of intelligence and stared up at her with a pitiful expression.

A wave of sympathy stirred in Chu Bing's heart; this little beggar certainly had a lot of nerve.

Li Haoran frowned and strode toward the little beggar. Grabbing the back of the beggar's collar, he hoisted him into the air, ready to fling him right back at the burly men.

Chu Bing quickly stopped him.

"Wait a moment."

Although she suspected this little beggar might be hiding something, the ruffians on the opposite side clearly looked like bad news. If the beggar was indeed telling the truth about being abducted, Chu Bing could not simply turn a blind eye.

The burly men had already halted before them, but deterred by the guards trailing behind Li Haoran, they didn't dare to rush forward and snatch the person away by force.

***

"This princess, that brat stole our belongings. Please hand him over."

The burly men exchanged glances before speaking respectfully to Li Haoran.

Li Haoran remained silent. He set the little beggar back down on the ground and looked over at Chu Bing.

The little beggar immediately scurried behind Chu Bing again.

Frowning slightly, Chu Bing cast a skeptical glance at the thugs. "You claim he stole your things? What exactly did he steal, and where did he steal it from?"

The leader of the thugs changed expression slightly, then gritted his teeth and said, "He stole it in the alley just ahead. It was a jade pendant belonging to my family."

"I did no such thing!" The little beggar poked his head out from behind Chu Bing and shouted defiantly.

"You didn't? It was definitely you! All of us brothers saw it!"

"What are you squawking about?" Chu Bing irritably scratched her ear. "You say he stole your pendant—let's just search him and see if your pendant is on him, and we'll know the truth!"

Knowing that Chu Bing would protect him, the little beggar simply stepped out from behind her and patted his own clothes down. "Go ahead and search me! I never stole a thing from him!"

His forthright and unperturbed demeanor only served to make onlookers trust him more.

Especially given his young age and the clear, resolute tone of his voice, it was easy for people to feel a surge of goodwill toward him.

At the very least, Chu Bing believed him.

Seeing the surrounding crowd begin to murmur, point, and cast suspicious glances their way, the ruffians’ expressions darkened. Gritting their teeth in desperation, they charged straight toward them.

"Stop talking so much nonsense! If I say you stole it, then you stole it!"

A sharp glint flashed in Chu Bing's eyes as her fingers instinctively brushed toward the soft whip at her waist. But Li Haoran was already moving; without even drawing his sword, he met the burly men bare-handed, trading heavy blows with them.

A portion of his guards stayed behind to protect Chu Bing, while the rest joined him in combat. The surrounding crowd quickly scattered, clearing out a wide space for the fight.

Although these thugs were burly and looked intimidating, none of them were truly trained martial artists. They were quickly defeated, ending up sprawled across the ground and groaning in pain.

Li Haoran withdrew his fists, turned around, and stepped back to Chu Bing's side with a protective posture. Chu Bing raised an eyebrow at him and remarked, "It seems your training has been paying off lately! You've improved!"

Li Haoran smiled gently. "It is all thanks to Miss Chu."

The moment he turned his head back toward the groaning men on the ground, however, his expression turned icy cold—a shift in demeanor so rapid it was truly breathtaking.

"Why on earth were you chasing a little beggar?"

A guard drew his blade and pressed it against the neck of the leader of the thugs.

A flicker of terror crossed the leader's eyes, and he stammered, "We... we just saw that this child had no one looking after him..."

"They're human traffickers!" the little beggar shouted, stepping forward to point an accusing finger at them.

As soon as those words left his mouth, the entire crowd erupted in uproar.

In any era, people held an absolute, deep-seated hatred for the trade of human beings.

For the sake of exorbitant profits, these scoundrels disregarded the lives and well-being of other families, and goodness knows how many human lives stained their hands.

The onlookers were genuinely enraged now. They began hurling whatever objects they held at the traffickers, and some even picked up stones, bashing them until blood ran down their heads and faces.

The thugs turned pale, knowing they were finished.

Seeing their condition, Chu Bing knew the little beggar had spoken the truth. A cold snort escaped her lips as she turned directly to Li Haoran. "Tie them up and send them to the magistrate's yamen!"

Li Haoran shook his head, a dark shadow crossing his eyes. "In this day and age, officials and bandits are hand in glove. Even if we send them to the yamen, they will likely be released and sent back before long."

Traffickers didn't just operate out of nowhere; they always had connections and backing.

For these men to brazenly abduct children right in the middle of a county town, they undoubtedly had reliance on someone, and that backing was certainly inseparable from the local officials.

Li Haoran's words struck a chord with the surrounding crowd. Many grew filled with righteous indignation, wishing they could execute these villains on the spot.

"Since they're only going to continue committing evil if they live, we might as well just kill them!"

"Exactly! Scoundrels like this are just wasting food by staying alive!"

...

Listening to the voices of the crowd, Chu Bing bit her lip.

There were five traffickers in total, and they undoubtedly deserved death. However, she couldn't be certain whether these men were holding any other abducted children.

If they were simply killed here and now, what would happen to those other missing children?

The little beggar at her side timidly tugged at her hem, a helpless sight that made it impossible for her to walk away.

Lowering her voice, she said to Li Haoran, "First, interrogate them to see if they are holding any unsold children, and if they know how to contact the buyers of the children already sold. We can try to help those victims return home."

Li Haoran instinctively frowned, wanting to refuse. After all, carrying out such a task would require an immense expenditure of time, manpower, and resources.

Yet, when he looked at the dense crowd surrounding them and saw their burning, impassive gazes, a thought suddenly struck him. He immediately raised his voice and declared, "Everyone, we cannot kill these traffickers just yet!"