dognovel Chapter 226 Rescuing Abducted Women
Chapter 226 Rescuing Abducted Women
Xia Li said, "Let's disguise ourselves as men and go in to investigate."
After a brief discussion, the group decided to split up and sneak into the village to gather information.
Xia Li and Li Haifei went to a large mansion in the center of the village. According to their observation, this seemed to be the core area of the entire village.
Zhao Jihua and Tao Yao went to explore the relatively scattered houses on the west side of the village.
Xia Li and Li Haifei cautiously approached the mansion and, using the shadow of the courtyard wall, quietly climbed over inside.
The courtyard was quiet, with only a faint light still on in the main house.
They crouched low, slowly approached the window, and peered into the room through the gaps in the window paper.
Inside the room, several men were sitting around a table laden with food and drinks, but what they were talking about sent chills down Xia Li and her companion's spine.
"Those out-of-towners we arrested this time seem a bit troublesome, but as long as we keep them locked up tight and don't let them escape," a burly man said menacingly, taking a large gulp of his drink.
“What’s there to be afraid of? This village has never had any problems in all these years. Those who were abducted have all obeyed.” Another man with a pointed face chimed in.
"Yes, yes, it's good to keep them locked up for a while longer. Once things calm down and buyers come, we can make a fortune."
Xia Li and Li Haifei exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with anger and shock. So this village really was a human trafficking den.
The little girl they had rescued earlier was squatting nearby, pouring tea and water for the group, clearly part of this chain of evil.
Meanwhile, Zhao Jihua and Tao Yao also made a discovery on the west side of the village.
As they passed by a house, they heard faint crying coming from inside.
Zhao Jihua quietly approached and peeked through the crack in the door. He saw a young woman tied to a chair with ropes, her mouth stuffed with rags, and her face covered in tears.
"Taoyao, you stay here and keep watch. I'll go check if there's anything else going on around here," Zhao Jihua said in a low voice.
Zhao Jihua walked around the house and found that the windows of the surrounding houses were all closed, and he could faintly hear women sobbing and children crying.
Her heart sank, and she became even more certain of the village's heinous deeds.
The group met at the agreed time in a grove of trees on the east side of the village.
Xia Li will tell everyone what she heard in the mansion, and Zhao Jihua will also recount what she saw.
Everyone's faces were very solemn, and flames of anger burned in their hearts.
“This village is a living hell. We must find a way to rescue the abducted people and not let these evildoers get away with it,” Xia Li said through gritted teeth, emphasizing each word.
Tao Yao was also indignant: "Every household is involved, and the stench of evil permeates every corner."
Zhao Jihua's eyes burned with raging fury: "I will destroy this place and make these evil people get the punishment they deserve!"
Xia Li quickly stopped her and said calmly, "Don't be impulsive. There are still many innocent women who have been trafficked and are hidden here. We must save them first."
The group returned to the grove of trees near the village, sat down with grave expressions, and began to discuss a rescue plan.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating the resolute expressions on their faces.
"The village is surrounded by watchtowers and has many guards patrolling, so a direct assault is definitely not an option."
Xia Li frowned and drew the approximate layout of the village on the ground with her finger.
Zhao Jihua nodded in agreement: "We need to lure away most of the guards before we can go in and rescue them."
She looked at Li Haifei and said, "You're good at light-footed skills, can you think of a way to create some chaos?"
Li Haifei pondered for a moment and said, "I can set fire to the warehouse on the east side of the village to lure the guards there, and you can take the opportunity to rescue people."
The group discussed the details and decided to take action at daybreak.
The next day, just before dawn, was the time when the guards relaxed their vigilance.
Li Haifei used her lightness skill to silently sneak into the warehouse on the east side of the village.
She quickly scattered flammable materials in the warehouse and lit them with a tinderbox.
In an instant, flames shot into the sky and thick smoke billowed.
The smell of burning chicken reached the guard's nose, and he thought he was dreaming of eating roast chicken.
He bit his own arm and instantly sobered up!
By then, he could see thick smoke billowing from the warehouse!
He shouted in a panic.
"Fire! Fire!"
Shouts immediately rang out in the village.
The guards rushed toward the warehouse, shouting to put out the fire.
Xia Li, Zhao Jihua, and Tao Yao took advantage of the chaos to sneak into the village.
Xia Li and Zhao Jihua, armed with sharp blades, rushed towards the place where the abducted women and children were being held.
They fought off several lone guards and arrived at a tightly closed courtyard.
Zhao Jihua kicked open the courtyard gate.
In the courtyard, several guards turned around in a panic.
Xia Li and Zhao Jihua exchanged a glance and acted simultaneously, first scattering a handful of sleeping pills into the air, knocking out most of the guards.
The two rushed forward again and engaged in a fierce battle with the remaining guards.
Tao Yao quickly went to untie the women and girls, shouting, "Don't be afraid, everyone! We're here to rescue you! Those who are untied, please help those around you. Everyone, untie quickly and then rush to the west side of the village. There are fewer people there, and there are soldiers to meet you."
When the abducted women and children heard the cries, hope ignited in their eyes.
They helped each other and even provided important information.
During the fierce fight, Xia Li noticed a guard trying to sneak away to report to the enemy, and she immediately gave chase.
The two weaved through the narrow alleys, and Xia Li, with her agile skills, eventually subdued the guard.
At the same time, Zhao Jihua dealt with the guards in the courtyard and, together with Tao Yao, untied the ropes binding the abducted women and children.
"Those who want to continue saving people can come with us!" Tao Yao whispered.
Led by some strong women, they rushed toward other parts of the village.
The remaining women and children evacuated to the west of the village.
However, some escaped and went to inform the other villains in the village.
A group of armed men chased after them, led by the man with a fierce face.
"Trying to run? Not so easy!" the man shouted viciously.
Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, the sound of orderly footsteps and horses' hooves came from afar.
It turned out that the person Xia Li had sent to report to the authorities had arrived with government troops.
The officers and soldiers quickly surrounded the village and engaged in battle with the villains.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the thugs laid down their weapons and surrendered.
Xia Li and his group, along with the abducted women and children, met up with the government troops.
Looking at the rescued people, Xia Li and the others felt a deep sense of relief.
"These evildoers have finally received the punishment they deserved," Zhao Jihua said with a long sigh of relief.
The officers and soldiers escorted all those involved in the trafficking to the slave market.
Xia Li and the others also left the sinful village with the group.
This thrilling rescue operation has finally come to a successful conclusion.