Chapter 40: You Are All Dead

Fang Ning’s nose was sharp; she caught the faint scent of blood. She looked up and locked eyes with a pair of cold, sinister pupils. Feigning fear, she hurriedly shrank back to move out of the way. The two men strode past her and headed straight for the exit.

She followed the waiter to her room in silence. As soon as she sat down with Si Yuheng, he made a gesture for her to be quiet and pointed toward the left.

"Someone is eavesdropping?"

He nodded.

"Young Master, what is there to do in Donglin County? Why are you so insistent on staying here when we were supposed to head to Guining?" Fang Ning began to ramble. "You aren't really planning to redeem that woman from the Yihong Brothel, are you? That’s a thousand taels of silver! The Master will beat you to death for this!"

Si Yuheng’s face darkened. He glared at her, warning her to stop talking nonsense. Knowing he wouldn't expose her, Fang Ning acted with impunity: "Young Master, you said we share our fortunes. Can’t you help me redeem a girl, too? It’s not expensive, just three hundred taels. I know you definitely have it on you."

Si Yuheng rubbed his temples, suppressing the urge to strike her.

"Young Master, I beg you, I want a wife too," Fang Ning said, stifling a laugh. "My fiancée is not only fierce but also finds me disappointing. I don’t want her!"

"Shut up!" Si Yuheng could take no more.

Fang Ning grinned triumphantly. Si Yuheng gave her a death stare, then turned and walked to the window, pushing it open. A cool breeze drifted in, and voices from the neighboring room became audible.

"Boss, it’s a fat lamb. He’s carrying over a thousand taels. Should we just finish them off tonight?"

"How do you know they aren't bluffing?"

"Who cares? Better to kill them by mistake than let them get away!"

"Be careful. Don't let anyone notice."

"Heh heh, alright... Boss, I just saw those two lads. They look soft and delicate. How about..."

"Do whatever you want. Just kill them."

"Thank you, Boss."

Si Yuheng remained expressionless, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Fang Ning lacked his keen hearing and hadn't been listening intently, so she remained unaware of what had been said next door.

"Let's go for a stroll," Si Yuheng said, turning to her. He tucked several hundred-tael banknotes into a bundle he had prepared earlier, then walked out with Fang Ning.

Fang Ning immediately understood his intent. "Young Master, won't you just help me redeem that girl?" she began, putting on her act again the moment they stepped out.

Si Yuheng quickened his pace, having no desire to listen to her prattle.

"Please, Young Master," Fang Ning chased after him.

"We are heading out of the city," Si Yuheng said coldly.

As soon as they descended the stairs, a door in the room next to theirs opened. A figure peered out, and upon confirming that the two had truly left the inn, he slipped inside to steal the banknotes Si Yuheng had left in the bundle.

"Boss, it really is a fat lamb! There are five hundred taels in banknotes in the bag," the man said excitedly upon returning to his room, handing the notes to another man with a thick, unkempt beard that obscured his face.

The bearded man took the notes, verified their authenticity, and pocketed them. "Didn't they say they were leaving the city? Take the men and go check it out. Don't let this fat lamb escape!"

"Understood." The man immediately went to gather the others.

In reality, Fang Ning and Si Yuheng hadn't gone far; they were still at the counter asking the innkeeper about local delicacies. Si Yuheng had heard every word of their conversation before leaving the inn. The pair wandered slowly, giving their pursuers ample time to catch up.

Once outside the city, Fang Ning deliberately chose less-traveled paths. The men trailed them at a distance. Fang Ning was planning to find an opportunity to play a trick on them, but unexpectedly, a wild rice plant suitable for cross-breeding appeared before her eyes.

However, the blind bandits charged out and stepped directly on the plant!

Staring at the wild rice under their feet, a fierce killing intent erupted from Fang Ning’s small frame: "You are dead!"

With that, she kicked a stone, which struck the knee of the bandit standing on the plant. The man stumbled, clutching his knee and hopping in pain: "You brat, you're dead! Get him!"

The other three bandits charged.

"Young Master, they stepped on the parent plant we were looking for!" Fang Ning shouted.

Si Yuheng moved like a ghost, weaving past the men. One after another, they collapsed to the ground. Fang Ning rushed over and tenderly lifted the wild rice plant, but it had already been snapped and was useless. She searched the surroundings and, fortunately, found another one.

Only then did she walk over to the bandits, looking down at them from above: "In broad daylight, you dare to commit robbery? Speak! Who sent you?"

"Don't waste your breath," Si Yuheng said, stepping forward and tossing a small porcelain bottle to Fang Ning. "Feed them this 'Three-Watch Powder'!"

"Is this the poison that kills you before the third watch of the night?" Fang Ning asked, feigning surprise to play along with him.

Si Yuheng nodded.

"Young Master, this poison is so expensive. Isn't it a waste to use it on them?"

"Didn't you want to see if it really hurts until the very end? Here are some ready-made test subjects."

"Oh, right! That’s great."

Fang Ning poured out the 'poison,' and as the bandits clamped their mouths shut in terror, she forced it down their throats.

"There, now we'll soon see if you were lying to me."

Before long, the four bandits actually began to feel pain all over their bodies. In truth, it was a trick Si Yuheng had played when he knocked them down. What he had fed them wasn't poison, but the same medicine he had been taking himself—it wouldn't kill them, at most it would just cause some diarrhea.

"Who sent you here? Are you going to talk or not?" Fang Ning kicked them, continuing her charade. "Was it the Lian family of Le City who sent you to kill our Young Master?"

"Yes, yes, yes! They gave us silver to bring back the Young Master's head!"

"So you really are from Le City!"

"No, no!" The mention of Le City made them instinctively recoil.

Fang Ning smiled; she had guessed correctly. These men were indeed the thugs from Le City who had wiped out entire families.

"How many more of you are there? If you don't speak honestly, you can wait to die!"

"E-eighteen."

Fang Ning looked at Si Yuheng. He nodded; apart from the two men they had bumped into upstairs, there were exactly sixteen others in the inn.

"You dare lie to me?" Fang Ning kicked the man in the stomach, causing him to double over in agony.

"It r-really is eighteen."

"Forget it," Si Yuheng stopped Fang Ning. "We still have people to save. Let’s not waste time on them."

Fang Ning sneered, "Consider yourselves lucky."

With that, she and Si Yuheng walked out of their sight. The men finally managed to crawl up, eager to return to the city.

"When we see the Boss, tell him those two brats went to the countryside. If anyone mentions what just happened, you can wait for the Boss to kill you!" the one who had been kicked warned coldly. "If anyone has a death wish, go ahead and tell the Boss."

"But we've been poisoned..."

"Listen to those two brats bragging. If they’d really poisoned us, would they have run off so quickly?"

"Let's go back first, we'll find another chance to kill them later!"

The four of them supported each other and left. Fang Ning and Si Yuheng emerged from around the corner of the road. By then, the sun had already set.