Seeing that Lin Yuan still refused to give her an answer, Jiang Wan was about to teach him a lesson.
Lin Yuan, who was lying on the ground, frowned slightly. A trace of shock remained in his eyes, and his fingers quietly tightened. Yet his expression remained calm, only his breathing slowing for half a beat as he sensed the “threat of death” behind him. He hurriedly said, “Grandma, can we talk this out? We can discuss this! Don’t hit me. There’s no need for that, really, there’s no need…”
Jiang Wan relaxed her brows and calmly replied, “How do you want to discuss it?”
The moment she finished speaking, Jiang Wan placed one foot on his gray-clothed back.
Lin Yuan’s entire body immediately tensed, but he still tried to reason with her. “The manor is very dangerous. Besides, I’m just a low-level lackey. How could I possibly bring someone in whenever I want?”
“Besides, you don’t even know where your male companion is being held. If you go there alone, you’ll just be throwing your life away…”
“How about you let me go? I really can’t help you with anything…”
Jiang Wan wasn’t stupid. She could hear the meaning behind his words. Let him go?
That was impossible.
Lin Yuan had claimed before that he had escaped from that place. Given the circumstances, even if he hadn’t died, he should at least have been seriously injured. Yet here he was, running around perfectly fine.
It was hard not to wonder about his true identity.
Jiang Wan raised her eyes and glanced indifferently at the half of his face pressed against the ground. She wasn’t angry or impatient.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
Her demeanor was calm, and her refusal was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing that there was no hope, Lin Yuan simply relaxed all four limbs against the ground. He turned his head and glanced sideways at Jiang Wan, the corners of his lips curling into a careless sneer.
“Oh, whatever. It’s already come to this anyway. Do whatever you want.”
Jiang Wan stood there quietly with her foot still on him, her gaze casually sweeping over the man who had seemingly given up and resigned himself to his fate.
Her fingers paused almost imperceptibly before returning to normal.
There was no ripple of emotion in her eyes. She simply watched him silently, her emotions completely concealed.
“Forget it. I overestimated you.”
The moment Lin Yuan heard this, he began struggling desperately.
However, because Jiang Wan had struck one of his pressure points and the effect had not yet worn off, he could only wriggle around like a frog. After a few futile struggles, he finally stopped.
“How can you talk like that? I never said I wouldn’t help you! I only meant that it would be difficult. Your little master here still has some abilities. Don’t underestimate me!”
Lin Yuan retorted angrily.
Seeing that her provocation had worked, Jiang Wan’s pupils contracted ever so slightly before immediately returning to their usual calm. Nothing showed on her face.
“Mm.”
“How do you plan to do it?”
Lin Yuan snorted. “Wait until I deliver the people I recruited to their jobs. Then we’ll talk.”
Jiang Wan activated her mind-reading ability and sensed Lin Yuan’s emotions. She didn’t allow herself to be led by his words.
After thinking for a moment, she wanted to know what had happened to the people he had recruited before.
“Those people you recruited previously? Are they dead or alive?”
Lin Yuan gave a bitter laugh. “Alive, alive! Don’t worry, Grandma. I swear, if I’m lying, may I be struck by lightning!”
The moment he finished speaking, Jiang Wan sensed his emotions throughout the entire period she had been reading his mind.
There was no sign that he was lying.
However, she wasn’t reassured about letting Lin Yuan deliver the workers first.
What if he escaped along the way? She couldn’t guarantee that she would be able to catch him again.
“How can you guarantee that you won’t run away while delivering them?” Jiang Wan demanded.
Her question struck directly at Lin Yuan’s intentions.
He immediately became guilty and uneasy. That had indeed been his original plan. Once he found someone to contact, he would hand the people over to them and then immediately flee as fast as he could.
Jiang Wan noticed the subtle change in his emotions and knew she had guessed correctly.
She glanced at him calmly.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Lin Yuan was on the verge of breaking down.
He was so frustrated that he could barely stand it. He felt like prey caught in a spiderweb, unable to escape no matter which direction he tried.
Jiang Wan immediately sensed the change in his emotions.
She tried to read Lin Yuan’s thoughts, but there was nothing.
The Mingjing System promptly appeared to explain:
“Host may activate only one of the three mind-reading functions at a time. The others cannot be activated simultaneously. Each function lasts for two minutes and has a cooldown period. Host is advised to take note.”
“……”
Jiang Wan suddenly had the urge to beat up the system.
As if sensing something, the Mingjing System simply said, “Goodbye,” and disappeared.
After remaining silent for a long while, Jiang Wan suppressed her unpleasant thoughts and patiently waited for Lin Yuan to speak.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore.
He knew that if he couldn’t come up with a solution, there was no way he would be getting off the ground.
“Grandma, how about this? You’re a transmigrator too, so you must have a system. Ask your system to exchange for an item that can restrict me. If I violate the conditions, I die immediately.”
Jiang Wan really wanted to agree after hearing this.
But asking the system for help came at a price.
It would cost her lifespan.
She hesitated.
The Mingjing System appeared at just the right moment.
Its deep, cold, mechanical male voice sounded at an even pace, completely devoid of emotion.
“If the host requires it, the system currently has a newcomer benefit. It can be obtained by deducting 0.50 lifespan points.”
Jiang Wan lowered her eyes and remained silent for a moment.
She quickly weighed the pros and cons.
When she looked up again, her gaze was calm and indifferent. Her fingers relaxed, and her voice remained perfectly flat, without the slightest emotional fluctuation over the 0.50 lifespan she was about to lose.
“Fine.”
The next second, the system’s crisp, cold voice sounded.
“Ding. Congratulations, Host. Exchange successful. The reward is now being issued.”
A yellow talisman appeared out of thin air in Jiang Wan’s hand.
She immediately felt something leave her body, and her strength suddenly diminished. Her body swayed slightly.
After steadying herself for a moment, she barely managed to stand upright.
Jiang Wan picked up the yellow paper and carefully examined it.
Suddenly, a pale-blue screen appeared before her.
It displayed the item’s instructions:
[Item Name: The Talisman of Truth—Those Who Break Their Word Shall Be Struck by Lightning]
[Usage Instructions: This talisman can be attached to any part of the target’s body. After applying it to the target, raise three fingers, state the contents of the oath, and swear upon this talisman. If the target breaks the promise they have made, they will be struck by heavenly lightning, never reincarnate, and have both their life and soul completely destroyed.]
Jiang Wan continued reading and noticed another line of small text at the very bottom:
[This talisman can be used on the target three times. It can only be used on the same individual. After three uses, it becomes ineffective.]
Jiang Wan felt that the exchange wasn’t too bad.
She bent down and stuck the yellow talisman onto Lin Yuan’s back.
“Raise three fingers and swear.”
Lin Yuan didn’t dare hesitate. He immediately became serious and raised three fingers.
“I, Lin Yuan, swear that after delivering the workers I’ve recruited to their jobs, I must return to Fengde Village within three days without stopping. If I violate this oath, may I be struck by lightning from the heavens and die a horrible death!”
As soon as Lin Yuan finished his oath, Jiang Wan saw the yellow talisman sink into his body.
Only then did she remove her foot from his back.
“When you return to Fengde Village, wait at the center of the village.”
After saying that, Jiang Wan prepared to leave without looking back.
But Lin Yuan’s frantic shout stopped her.
“Grandma, wait! Don’t leave yet! Untie me first and let me get up! Don’t leave me lying here eating dirt!”
Jiang Wan thought for a moment before calmly saying, “Sorry. I’ve only learned how to seal pressure points. I don’t know how to undo them. You’ll have to figure it out yourself.”
Lin Yuan heard her footsteps gradually receding.
He returned to his usual carefree attitude and mocked himself inwardly.
Forget it. I’ll just treat this as sleeping. There are other places where this young master wouldn’t even be willing to sleep.
After leaving, Jiang Wan happened to pass by a household whose door had just opened.
The moment the person inside saw her, their eyes lit up.
The elderly resident hurried over.
“You must be Miss Jiang, right? I need your help with something. My son just had a letter sent back through someone. Could you take a look at it and read it to me?”
Jiang Wan immediately agreed.
The old man handed her the letter.
She read it at a steady pace, pronouncing every word clearly and reading every single character on the letter without missing anything.
The old man was delighted after hearing it.
He hurried inside and brought out her payment—four boiled ears of corn and two roasted sweet potatoes.
Jiang Wan thought it was a little too much and tried to give some back.
But the old man immediately refused.
“Just take them. There aren’t many people in my household, and we can’t finish all of this anyway. Otherwise, it’ll just go to waste. Take them. Don’t be polite.”
Jiang Wan couldn’t refuse any further, so she accepted the old man’s kindness.
Only then did he let her leave.
As for Lin Yuan, he fell asleep barely fifteen minutes after Jiang Wan left.
Fortunately, the road was rather secluded. Otherwise, anyone who saw him might have thought he was dead.
By the time he woke up, it was already dark.
When he discovered that he could move again, he cursed under his breath, got up, dusted the dirt off his robes, and swaggered away.
…
Three days later, Lin Yuan arrived at the center of the village right on time. He sat on a chair and waited for Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan arrived half an hour after he had sat down. The moment she arrived, the first thing she saw was Lin Yuan sitting there with his legs crossed, wearing a bluish-green robe and a silver crown on his head. He still looked every bit as smug and carefree as ever.
Seeing her arrive, Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly and drawled lazily, “Oh, Grandma’s here. You certainly kept me waiting.”
Jiang Wan ignored him and instead said, “At least you’re punctual.”
“Of course. I don’t want to die young.”
“In that case, let’s leave immediately.” Jiang Wan got straight to the point.
Lin Yuan dragged out his words. “Sure~ Grandma~ I’ll do whatever you say~”
Jiang Wan frowned. “My name is Jiang Wan. Jiang Wan.”
Lin Yuan: “Oh.”
The moment the two of them left the village entrance, they disagreed over whether they should walk or take a carriage.
Jiang Wan said, “Walk.”
Lin Yuan said, “Take a carriage!”
“Do you know how far this place is from the manor? And you still want to walk? Even if your legs broke, you wouldn’t make it there!”
Jiang Wan fell silent at that.
She only asked one thing: “What about the money?”
Lin Yuan immediately puffed himself up like a peacock showing off its feathers.
“Hmph. When it really matters, you still have to rely on your young master here.”
And so, Lin Yuan rented a horse-drawn carriage from somewhere, along with its driver.
Once inside the carriage, Jiang Wan remained as quiet as usual. She simply turned her head and watched the scenery passing outside the window.
Lin Yuan was unusually quiet as well and didn’t say much.
When they passed along the main road of a town, there were refugees lining both sides of the road, begging passing carriages for food and other necessities.
Jiang Wan instinctively reached into her pocket.
It was completely empty.
Beside her, Lin Yuan untied the money pouch from his waist and handed it to the carriage driver, telling him to distribute the money among the refugees.
Jiang Wan found him somewhat complicated.
He acted carefree and was obsessed with money, yet he was willing to give his money to refugees. It was difficult to figure him out.
Lin Yuan happened to notice the puzzled frown on Jiang Wan’s face, but he had no intention of explaining anything.
The sunlight outside wasn’t as harsh anymore, and the carriage continued traveling smoothly.
Five or six days later, they arrived at a town.
Lin Yuan stopped there and paid the carriage driver.
After the driver left, he casually explained, “It’s not that easy to enter the manor. We need to disguise ourselves first. Follow me.”
Jiang Wan nodded.
“Okay.”