A cool breeze swept in, making the old locust tree in the courtyard rustle noisily.
Xue Yao’s gaze was fixed rigidly on the three people in the kitchen, who were chatting and laughing merrily.
A chill surged within his heart, and his mind suddenly reached clarity.
So that was how it was.
The scheme that that scoundrel Pei had laid out this time was actually a chain of interlocking plots.
He sneered, thoughts racing through his mind, quickly sorting out and linking the entire plan from beginning to end:
First, a letter had been sent as bait to lure him to the northwest. Then, under the guise of bandits, an ambush was carried out along the way, leaving him gravely wounded and on the brink of death. Next, Lu Dantao appeared in the guise of a savior and brought him to this place that had long been prepared in advance.
So that while he was ill, he would be cared for by Lu Dantao and the others, lowering his guard, and once his body recovered, it would naturally follow that he would travel together with them.
After that, without lifting a finger, they could smoothly obtain intelligence about his former subordinates.
One link after another.
From the prison of the Eagle Guard in the capital all the way to Shouzhou in the northwest, the investment that scoundrel Pei had put into this operation could not be called small.
It seemed that the commotion stirred up by the Xue family’s former subordinates in Shouzhou was indeed significant, and moreover, Pei had yet to seize any concrete evidence.
Otherwise, that dog of a villain would not have gone this far, setting his sights on him.
Trying to keep him within his grasp, in order to lure the Xue family army into walking straight into the trap.
“…Then I’ll take some back and give it a try?”
Lu Dantao’s voice pulled his thoughts back.
Xue Yao’s gaze swept heavily across the three of them, a trace of cold mockery flickering at the corner of his lips.
Taking advantage of the moment before Lu Dantao returned to the room, Xue Yao shifted slightly and silently left along the path he had come from.
Since Pei Di had already set the trap and was waiting for this chess piece, him, to walk into it, then he would wait and watch, to see what that dog of a villain intended to do next.
*
Inside the kitchen.
Lu Dantao lifted the food box in her hand and secretly weighed it. The soup inside the clay pot was clearly filled to the brim, quite heavy in her grasp.
Her cheeks grew slightly warm, a bit embarrassed. “There’s really no need for this much, we won’t be able to finish it.”
She had just looked at the medicinal stew inside the clay pot. Although she could not distinguish what herbs were in it, the rich fragrance alone made it obvious that it was quite valuable.
It smelled like money.
Lu Dantao’s thoughts wandered for a moment. No wonder the consultation fees here were charged per visit.
But such expensive food was being given to her for free, and she was quite poor at the moment, with nothing to offer in return.
Lu Dantao truly felt a little embarrassed.
“Ah~” Liu Jin stroked his gray-white long beard and waved his hand. “Miss, please don’t say that. Since it is meant to nourish the body, one must consume a sufficient amount for it to be effective. If you only drink half out of frugality and end up prolonging your recovery, wouldn’t that be even more wasteful?”
That made sense.
Lu Dantao nodded, though the tips of her ears were still a little warm.
She glanced at Liu Jin, who looked like a kind and benevolent old grandfather.
She could not help but sigh that there were still more good people in this world.
Fortunately, she had read that analysis post, which allowed her to find this recovery point.
Liu Jin looked at her with a beaming smile, his eyes full of the affection an elder held for a junior, and gently urged, “Hurry along, take it back and drink it while it’s hot.”
Lu Dantao suddenly felt a sting in her nose, as a complicated surge of gratitude, grievance, and rootless loneliness welled up within her.
She nodded, softly said another “Thank you,” and quickly left.
Watching the young girl’s figure disappear, the bandit Liu Da, still holding a ladle, leaned closer to the old physician and lowered his voice. “Third Granduncle, letting them drink it themselves… isn’t that a bit risky?”
What if she didn’t drink it, wouldn’t that be a complete waste?
The old physician Liu Jin stroked his long beard and shook his head with the composure of someone who had everything under control. “It won’t be.”
“But this is something given by strangers…” Liu Da still had his doubts. Even the six or seven year old girls in the mountain stronghold knew to be wary of food from strangers, let alone a girl who looked to be sixteen or seventeen.
“Why don’t we just knock them unconscious and send them to that Lord Huang directly? That would be more foolproof.”
“You can rest completely assured.” Liu Jin looked calm and unhurried. “Not only will she drink it herself, she’ll even have that ‘elder brother’ drink it too. She might even be thanking us in her heart while drinking it.”
He had dealt with all sorts of people in this city for many years. He had seen the living, and he had seen the dead.
How could he fail to see through a little girl?
From the very first moment he saw that girl, he had already noticed it. That young lady carried an air of… clear and simple foolishness.
In the middle of the night, carrying that young man who was called her elder brother but was actually her lover, she had loudly declared that he had been stabbed by bandits, even exposing her money while begging him for treatment.
A pair of youths of similar age, with not a single resemblance in their features, how could they possibly be siblings?
And she had even casually shouted to strangers that she had plenty of silver on her.
Only a flower that had bloomed in a greenhouse, cherished and pampered since childhood, would act with such naïveté.
People like this were the easiest to control.
“But…” Liu Da was still uneasy.
The old physician cut him off, “As for that so-called elder brother of hers.”
“And you’re certain you’ve never seen him before?”
“….” Liu Da was momentarily speechless.
He could not be certain.
He muttered, “That day I killed so many people, who would remember who was who? If you’re worried, why not just kill him directly? Why go through all this trouble?”
“What do you know!” the old physician snapped.
He pointed upward and lowered his voice. “Someone important has been sent from above to suppress the bandits. If that young man happens to be the one, and we have not laid a hand on him, then he can be used by us instead, to get rid of that Huang fellow.”
Thinking of this, he spat lightly in annoyance. That damned old dog Cai had taken three whole premium wild ginseng roots from him before he was willing to leak even the slightest bit of information.
According to what that Lord Huang had said, the person sent from the capital was at the prime age of twenty, with striking looks and an exceptionally noble bearing.
By his side was always a beautiful childhood sweetheart, who had accompanied him since youth, almost never leaving his side. This time, he had even brought that childhood sweetheart along to Shouzhou. For that reason, the man surnamed Huang had made thorough preparations, hoping to curry favor with him.
Yet who would have expected that, until now, there had been no sign of that person arriving in Shouzhou.
The corners of Liu Jin’s mouth twitched. The pair of youths in his back courtyard, whether in appearance or in the timing of their arrival, matched perfectly.
If he really was…
Liu Jin smacked his lips. Bringing along a beloved wife and concubines to take up an official post, these noble young masters from the capital truly knew how to enjoy themselves.
After hearing this, Liu Da was shaken. “Isn’t this too risky?”
The old physician let out a scoff. “Too risky?”
“Are we supposed to remain under that Lord Huang’s control forever, letting him reap the benefits while we do all the dirty and exhausting work? And if something were to be exposed one day, would our entire stronghold become scapegoats for that man surnamed Huang? There’s no such good deal.”
Liu Da said hesitantly, “But Hu Ge’er is still in their hands…”
A trace of ruthlessness flashed through Liu Jin’s eyes. “Hu Ge’er’s matter will have to rely on ourselves. We can’t count on that man surnamed Huang.”
He instructed, “Go invite the Huang family’s steward over tonight. Tell him…”
“There’s new merchandise.”
*
Xue Yao leaned against the soft pillow, quietly waiting as he looked out the window.
Before long, a deliberately softened yet still cheerful set of footsteps reached his ears.
Then, a slender figure entered his line of sight.
The young girl was delicately beautiful, her red lips slightly curved upward. In a good mood, she hummed an off-key little tune, carrying a food box as she skipped into the room.
Seeing that he was awake, she paused, a trace of surprise flashing through her eyes. “You’re awake?”
Immediately, a bright smile bloomed across her face. Like presenting a treasure, she lifted the food box and gave it a little shake, the joy in her voice undisguised. “Perfect timing, come drink some soup. The old physician gave it specially. It’s very, very good for your body.”
Xue Yao’s gaze lightly fell upon the dark-colored medicinal stew, then shifted to Lu Dantao’s face, which was filled with delight.
“You drink it first,” he said.
Lu Dantao blinked, her expression somewhat surprised. She tilted her head and looked at the young man on the bed.
At this moment, his expression was gentle, completely different from the annoying person he had been before.
The gentle-looking annoying person smiled faintly and explained, “What I mean is, Miss Lu carried me back in the middle of the night, which must have been extremely exhausting. Meanwhile, I’ve already been resting in bed for two days. This medicinal stew should naturally be taken by you first.”
Hearing this, Lu Dantao’s eyes curved into crescents.
It seemed that after the male lead had slept and recovered his strength, his rationality had also returned.
Having encountered good people, the male lead had also become normal again. Everything was back on track, and her good days were truly just around the corner.
“Alright.”
She agreed readily, took out the medicinal jar, and poured out two large, brimming bowls.
“In that case, let’s not keep pushing it back and forth. We’ll use soup in place of wine and celebrate the founding of our Avengers Alliance!”
Xue Yao: “……”
He glanced at the two full bowls, then cast another look at Lu Dantao’s little face. His expression, for once, creased slightly out of control.
He was genuinely curious how that scoundrel Pei had brainwashed her, or rather, what kind of scheme lay behind all this that made her believe she could achieve her goal in one go, which was why she was so… fervent.
But in the end, under Lu Dantao’s bright, expectant gaze, he still picked up his bowl and lightly clinked it against hers.
Then,
He watched as she, full of bold enthusiasm, drank an entire bowl of the medicinal soup in one go.
The night was deep, and the dew was heavy.
No candle was lit in the guest room.
Xue Yao stayed on the bed for quite a while. Only after confirming that there was indeed no movement outside the room did he lift the blanket and get up.
As he passed by the table, he lowered his eyes and glanced at Lu Dantao, who was slumped over it, unconscious to the point of not knowing heaven from earth.
He reached out and lightly patted her face.
There was no response at all.
He increased his strength slightly and pinched her jaw.
Still no response.
Xue Yao: ……
Her reaction had completely exceeded his expectations.
Seeing how boldly she had drunk earlier in the evening, he had thought that she had already taken an antidote beforehand, so that after he was drugged unconscious, she could act together with that scoundrel Pei to carry out their scheme.
But now it seemed…
Pei Di had not given her even the slightest bit of antidote.
Xue Yao’s gaze slowly swept over Lu Dantao’s cheek, which was puffed up from being pressed by her arm. He let out a soft scoff. She was also a pitiful fool.
He did not know whether her memory loss was an accident, or something deliberately arranged by that scoundrel Pei.
And why had the Prefect of Jingzhao agreed to let his precious darling leave the capital and come to this remote little city?
But regardless of the reason, since she was an accomplice of that scoundrel Pei, she would naturally die under his blade in the future.
Her blood, together with his, would be used to honor the heroic spirits of the Xue family army.
At most, before she drew her last breath, he would ask her whether she wished to be buried together with that scoundrel Pei.
Whether she wanted it or not, he would follow her wishes.
He did not look at her again. Blending his figure into the night, he quietly moved to the door, bringing two fingers together to lift it open just a crack, peering out through the narrow gap.
There was not the slightest sound in the courtyard.
Only the old lantern under the eaves swayed back and forth in the night wind.
Xue Yao’s thoughts churned. What kind of backup plan would make them rather have Lu Dantao fall unconscious than risk her making even the slightest mistake?
He waited quietly for a moment, just about to open the door and go out to investigate.
When suddenly, he heard a soft “click” from the small gate in the courtyard.
Someone was slowly pushing the door open from outside.