Chapter 23 - 23 - The Thugs

"Dad what shall we do now" the inn keeper's son said looking at the unconscious man on the bed.

"Silly kid, do I have to spell it out? Go to the Shen's say that we have found a Yin constitute. And tell them the price can be negotiated." The innkeeper said, slapping his young son's head.

"Ow dad, don't hit me all the time or I might become silly for real," the young man said and walked out of the room grumbling.

"Why does my dad treat me like that? I know for sure that I am intelligent," he muttered as he walked through the crowded streets.

"Ah Ren, where are you going? Aren't you going to try my egg tarts?" the nearby store aunty called.

"No, sorry aunty I am going to the Shen's," the innkeeper's son cheerfully waved.

"Oh my, did he hit the jackpot and find a Yin Constitute?" The store lady mumbled. And so by the time the innkeeper's son reached the Shen's, the news about Yin constitute being in the innkeeper's hands was spread.

As the innkeeper's son was about to reach the doors of the Shen's mansion, he heard a small murmur. A small group of the nearby village thugs were waiting right in front of the door. "Hey Ren, come over here" they called and pulled the pitiful young man towards them.

"Wha..... what do you want," shivering, the innkeepers son questioned the thugs.

"We heard that you have the Yin Constitute with you." a bulky man with a long scar on his face said. His scar twitched as he spoke, creating a more terrifying image.

"I..I... I don't know... know what you are talking about," the pitiful Innkeeper's son said.

"Hahaha nice joke kid," the burly man laughed out loud and took a small dagger out of his pocket to the trembling mans neck, "Now tell me where the Yin constitute is, if you do I might even spare your stupid fathers life," the thug threatened pulling the Ren's collar.

"He.. He.. He is in the inn," Ren shouted, closing his eyes in fear. "Oho, then take us there" the Burly thug gave a sinister smile.

On the way to the inn, one of the thugs looked at their leader and asked, "What are we going to do after we get that person boss? Shall we sell him to the Shen's for a higher price?"

With an obvious look in the face their leader turned and answered, "Hell no, we are going to take Yin Constitute to the auction hall!" he gave a hearty laugh at the thought of bags of gold they would get for selling this person.

"But boss, heavens pavilion does not accept trafficked humans," one of the thugs hesitantly whispered.

"Huh, who said we are going to sell there? We are selling this person in the Black Auction Hall," the leader proudly said with his chin held high.

Their Heavens Auction hall in this town never deals with dirty business like trafficking and stolen goods. For that, people visit the Black market. A sinister market that is known only to open in the No moon days of the month. Anything and everything that you want can be found there. Trafficked or not, the auction hall does not care, they sell anything that is auctioned.

Thankfully for the thugs, tomorrow was a No Moon day and if they acquire the Yin constitution, they would be able to sell that person for thousands of gold.

"Boss that is genius! We can sell that person and also not get caught by the authorities." One of the thugs cheerfully said.

"Of course who am I? I am super intelligent after all," he said with his nose held up high.

The innkeeper's son listened to all this and thought, 'Why didn't my dad come up with this idea? We could have gotten more money than from the Shen's. Secretly, my dad is stupid as well,' he thought with a silly look in his eyes.

"You better not be planning something to deceive us," the thug pulled Ren closer, with a raised fist, he shouted at his face.

"I.. I don't sir. Please don't hurt me," the pitiful Innkeeper's son begged.

******

"What is taking him so long?" the innkeeper thought, looking out Xia che's room. "My silly son did he should be back by now," he mumbled fondling his long beard.

He gazed at the unconscious Xia Che and said, "Recently the young son of Shen died unmarried and they think that his ghost his haunting his family. Marrying you into their family's little soon would help alleviate the situation a little. But don't worry sir, the Shen's will keep you very happy."

He gently removed the man's veil and took a longing glance at his face. 'Ah, what a beauty, if it hadn't been for your condition it would have married you myself,' he thought with a slimy smile on his face. A greasy finger levitated right above Xia che's delicate face.

"What, you think your father can keep that person from us?" a vague conversation snapped him from his dirty Acts. 'Who is that making so much noise in front of the inn??' he thought, moving to the window to take a look.

"What why is my son with them? Shit" he thought rapidly moving towards the unconscious Xia che. "Looks like you are a calamity rather than a treasure." He mumbled, lifting the heavy Crayfish.

The Innkeeper stumbled as he walked towards the nearby wall. He pulled a small lever on the wall and a small passage opened. This passage way had been in this building the day he had bought it but no one knows where it ends. It's just a jumbled mess of pathways. One day he entered it by mistake and could not find the way out for 30 days.

The sight of the cold dark pathway made him shiver unconsciously. 'I hope this guy doesn't wake up' he thought as he hastily threw the unconscious Xia che into the pathway and closed the door.

*****