Chapter Seventy-Four: This Is Your Last Chance

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This was a trap, one designed to imprison them both until death.

Wu Yue, panic-stricken, said, “Brother Chen, how did it come to this? I met Li Yuanpei in the city—he clearly told me I could find my father.”

“Later, he said he’d bring you all here, so we could look for my father together. I’ve been waiting here ever since.”

“Yue’er, don’t worry, don’t be afraid. Am I not right here with you?” From the moment the door closed, Jiang Chen had remained calm, as if he had expected all of this.

“Perhaps Li Yuanpei was coerced into deceiving us. In any case, with me here, you’ll be safe. We’ll find our way out soon.”

Suddenly, a mocking voice sounded from outside, a man’s: “Well said.”

“You truly are a man who’s eluded me for so long, never giving me a chance to strike. Your ability, intelligence, and cunning are impressive—a talent worth cultivating, if not for one fatal flaw.”

Jiang Chen immediately recognized the voice—it belonged to Zhao, the Justice Commissioner, who had pursued him relentlessly and was now finally making his move.

“Yue’er is not my weakness. The fact that you use her as bait to catch me only proves your own weakness.”

Despite the grave danger, Jiang Chen’s composure in conversing with Zhao was a testament to his unshakable resolve. His tone remained level, his voice steady, as if it wasn’t him trapped inside.

Zhao laughed loudly outside the door: “Enough talk. Was it you who killed my three colleagues on Tiger Head Mountain?”

“What, are you here for revenge? But you don’t strike me as such a sentimental person.”

“To murder imperial officials is a crime punishable by law. That much is certain. One more question: where is Han Yuyang?”

Jiang Chen replied bluntly, “The name sounds familiar, but I don’t know him. How could I know where he is?”

Zhao sighed in disappointment. “Your answer displeases me greatly. Look at those thick, black iron chains beneath your feet—do you know what they’re for?”

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“Jiang Chen, if you persist in your stubbornness, I’ll have no choice but to treat you both cruelly. Can you bear to let that girl die with you?”

Wu Yue, though bewildered by the exchange between Jiang Chen and the man outside, was not a weak woman when faced with matters of life and death.

“Brother Chen, whatever happens next, I won’t be afraid. As long as I’m with you, I’m content.”

She tightened her hold on Jiang Chen’s hand.

With her words, Jiang Chen felt a surge of heroic determination—how could he allow harm to come to Wu Yue?

As they spoke, the black iron chains beneath their feet began to shift, pulled by some external force. Soon, they formed a taut net, filling much of the room.

The space, already small, became even more constrained, severely limiting their freedom of movement.

But this was far from the greatest danger. As creaks echoed from above and below, Jiang Chen had a sense of what would happen next.

Suddenly, the room’s only window was boarded up, plunging the space into near darkness.

“Jiang Chen, I’m sorry—I truly had no choice. Don’t hold a grudge after you’re gone. I never meant to harm you,” Li Yuanpei’s voice called from afar, tinged with remorse. But given what he’d done, Jiang Chen had nothing to say to him.

The room began to move, dragged by some force. Even the roof started to tilt. Jiang Chen realized their captors intended to drag the whole house into the river, drowning them alive.

Zhao shouted, “Jiang Chen, this is your last chance—tell me where Han Yuyang is!”

Jiang Chen’s reply was as sharp as ever: “I don’t know.”

And he truly didn’t. Han Yuyang had once said he’d travel north from Ziyang to Long River, but never revealed his exact plans.

Jiang Chen guessed Han Yuyang might have headed toward Flag Mountain—but that could mean disaster.

Who knew what strange allure Flag Mountain held for them? Now, Jiang Chen had no time to ponder such things; his only concern was how to escape this sealed house.

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With a violent jolt and a deafening crash, the house tilted and was dragged into the water. Jiang Chen shielded Wu Yue with one arm while grabbing a black iron chain with the other.

In an instant, river water surged in, battering them ruthlessly. Jiang Chen’s endurance far exceeded that of most, but Wu Yue was quickly overwhelmed.

“Yue’er, you must do as I say. If you trust me, we will escape.”

From the moment Jiang Chen entered this house, he had prepared for anything. Li Yuanpei’s evasive gaze and hesitant manner had revealed his lies.

Li Yuanpei’s acting was poor. Jiang Chen had seen through the trap, yet had stepped in without hesitation—for he needed to know if Wu Yue was truly here.

Even if finding her meant facing life and death, he had no regrets.

“Brother Chen, I’ll do as you say. I don’t want to drag you down. If you—”

Jiang Chen knew what she meant to say. He quickly covered her mouth. “Don’t say such things. Now I’ll lift you up so your feet rest on these chains.”

“Keep your head raised and breathe. As long as the water doesn’t fill the house entirely, you’ll be able to breathe.”

With that, Jiang Chen plunged into the water, using his body to support Wu Yue so she could find footing and endure as long as possible.

“Wait for me.”

He left her with those words, diving beneath the surface to search. If his memory was correct, there was a woodcutting axe in the house, perhaps unnoticed by Zhao and the others.

They believed trapping Jiang Chen this way was foolproof, but their oversight had given him an opportunity.

If he could find the axe and break open a gap in the wooden walls large enough for them to escape, both he and Wu Yue could survive.