Qiao Huali was very satisfied with Luo Wenwu's attitude. "What am I afraid of? Can anyone touch my things? Since you opened the box, then these hands of yours are no longer needed."
As he spoke, two people stepped forward and pulled out Luo Wenwu's hands, looking as if they were about to chop them off.
"Ah…" Luo Wenwu struggled, it would be a lie to say he wasn't afraid, but he still had to vent his anger. "Your things? What right do you have to say they're yours? You don't even know where he put them, and you call them yours? Bah, you shameless old bastard."
Qiao Huali chuckled twice. "Curse all you want, curse while you still have the strength. I'm afraid you won't have the strength to curse later. Who told you to have such bad luck to be the first to open that box?"
"I'll curse your mother!" Luo Wenwu cursed loudly. "That was clearly Uncle Hu's thing! It was you, you killed him, right? You killed him because you wanted to find this box."
"Hu Shilong's?" Qiao Huali laughed heartily. "You saw what was inside, do you really think it would be Hu Shilong's thing?"
"Why not? I…" Luo Wenwu was speechless.
"What is it? What was inside? You also saw that it didn't seem like Hu Shilong's, right?" Qiao Huali leaned in.
Luo Wenwu immediately calmed down. This was truly strange, like a monk not eating tofu.
He had first gone to Yongchuan to rescue the Xie family mother and son, then hid in Jiangjin, and then came to Yongchuan again, only to be captured by the overwhelming numbers of the enemy.
This had taken nearly a month, and he had no idea what had happened to Hu Jia and the others in the meantime.
However, Sixth Master was now asking him about the iron box. Did this mean that Sixth Master actually didn't know that Luo Wenwu, like him, knew nothing about anything, and even knew less than himself?
Realizing this crucial point, Luo Wenwu immediately understood that this Sixth Master was here to trick him into talking, mistaking him for someone who knew something.
But Sixth Master had been talking about opening the box all along, and in the end, he even asked what was inside. Did this mean he didn't know what was in the box at all?
But even if he didn't know, why would he need to trick me into talking about it? After all, he said he was going to trade with the boss soon, didn't he?
Once the trade was done, wouldn't it be clear what they had?
Luo Wenwu's head spun. He felt his brain was like a ball of mush. Most importantly, he knew the other party was trying to trick him, but he didn't know what exactly they were trying to trick him into.
"Give me something to eat." Since that was the case, he would just have to "stall."
Sometimes, too much talking led to mistakes. So now he would try his best not to speak to the other party.
Seeing that there was no reaction, Luo Wenwu coughed twice. "You want to use me for a trade, right? Do I look like I can walk in this condition? I've been starving for days."
Sixth Master, though a bit surprised by Luo Wenwu's changing reactions, waved to the guard beside him, as if agreeing.
"Bring some water, I'm very thirsty," Luo Wenwu shouted to the guard. The guard was already annoyed. If Sixth Master weren't here, he might have even wanted to kick him.
The atmosphere that followed was a bit strange. Luo Wenwu, such a big man who usually didn't look like a refined person, surprisingly ate slowly and methodically.
He chewed shredded meat one strand at a time, picked up rice one grain at a time, and drank soup as if he had just applied lipstick, as if afraid of smearing it if he opened his mouth too wide.
"This carrot isn't crispy enough; it doesn't make that crunching sound when you shake it."
"The cabbage is too old; look, I can't even chew the stems."
"Good heavens, aren't these beans stringy? Aren't you afraid of getting them stuck in your teeth?"
"And you even prepared bitter melon. It's bitter enough being locked up here, and you still want me to taste other bitterness. You have truly wicked hearts."
Luo Wenwu complained as he ate. Not to mention the guard, even Qiao Huali felt that he might have misunderstood this bald man before.
"Eat if you want to eat, or I'll take it away," the guard finally snapped. Damn it, not only did I get beaten by you, but now I have to serve you food and drink. I'm truly wronged.
Luo Wenwu glanced at him, then at Sixth Master. Sixth Master seemed not to have heard the guard and didn't reprimand him for his lack of manners. He simply crossed his legs and leisurely smoked his pipe.
Luo Wenwu inwardly groaned. He had intended to stall for time by eating, but now it seemed Sixth Master wouldn't leave without getting an answer.
"When is the trade?" Luo Wenwu asked.
"Soon!" Sixth Master replied.
"Then this trade of yours won't be completed," Luo Wenwu said.
"What? You think Hu Jia won't bring the box for the exchange?" Sixth Master asked in surprise.
"No, I won't let you trade me," Luo Wenwu grinned, baring his teeth. "That thing is very important to you, and it's also very important to us. I would rather die than let you get it."
Qiao Huali smiled. "Oh, but that's not up to you. Besides, you saw what was inside. It's not that important to you all. So I believe Hu Jia will bring the box for this transaction."
"How do you know it's not important to us?" Luo Wenwu asked.
"Is it important? If it's important, why did you smash the lock?" Qiao Huali retorted.
"Lock?" Luo Wenwu instinctively asked.
Sixth Master stopped talking, his eyes fixed on Luo Wenwu. He sensed a probing look in his eyes.
It's over, Luo Wenwu thought with a start. He had a premonition that he had said something wrong, otherwise Sixth Master wouldn't have reacted like this.
Lock?
What lock?
Right, the box. He had been talking about the box. So, this lock must refer to the lock on the box.
Since Sixth Master didn't know what was in the box, it meant the boss hadn't revealed the contents.
But would Sixth Master believe that the boss hadn't opened the box?
He definitely wouldn't.
Unless the boss found an excuse to gloss over it.
What excuse would that be? A lock!
The boss must have said the box had a lock and couldn't be opened!
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Luo Wenwu broke out in a cold sweat. This Sixth Master was too terrifying. He didn't know what was in the box, yet he came here to trick him into talking.
Fortunately, he truly didn't know what they had, or he would have been in grave danger.
Sixth Master just said they smashed the lock, which surely meant he didn't believe the boss's claim of not opening the box. If he mentioned smashing the lock, it would undoubtedly cause great trouble for the boss.
Since the boss chose to conceal the contents of the box, he would go along with this act.
Luo Wenwu feigned a look of having spoken carelessly and being frightened.
"You don't know about the lock?" Qiao Huali asked.
"I do! How could I not know?" Luo Wenwu pretended to be stubborn.
"So you smashed the lock?"
"Yes. I smashed it. I picked up a rock and smashed it."
"Ah, what a shame. The good brass lock is gone just like that."
"What's wrong with a brass lock? It had to be smashed!"
After a few exchanges, Sixth Master sighed slightly and said to the person beside him, "Keep an eye on him, and make sure he's well-fed and watered for the next few days."
With that, he strode away.
Luo Wenwu glanced at the last sliver of light obscured by the large door and breathed a slight sigh of relief. It seemed he had passed this hurdle.