Aunt Yang tiptoed into Shen Youchu’s room and gently nudged her a few times.
“Miss? Miss?”
When Shen Youchu showed no response, Aunt Yang finally began carrying her downstairs.
Zong Huaiyu had somehow gotten hold of a handcart. To avoid attracting attention, he and Aunt Yang stuffed Shen Youchu into a large burlap sack before laying her flat on the cart.
“Master, are we really doing the right thing to Miss…” Aunt Yang looked at the sack containing Shen Youchu, unable to suppress her guilt.
“Hmph. Stop pretending to be the good person in front of me. Don’t forget, you’re the one who drugged her.” Zong Huaiyu shoved her roughly. “Quit wasting time and move.”
Aunt Yang sighed and pushed the cart forward with difficulty while Zong Huaiyu followed behind.
It was dusk. Taking back roads under a light drizzle, they fortunately encountered almost no one along the way.
Constantly glancing around, Zong Huaiyu remained nervous until they finally reached their destination.
The residence was neither large nor small—a neat quadrangle courtyard. Though completely deserted, its decorations and landscaping were first-class. Golden-thread nanmu wood and glazed roof tiles could be seen everywhere, exuding luxury and prestige.
“So this is the foundation of the Fu family,” Zong Huaiyu marveled, stroking a golden nanmu bed. His gaze then shifted to Shen Youchu, whom Aunt Yang had just placed on it.
“This girl really resembles her mother—beautiful and delicate. What a bargain for that Fu brat.”
The more he thought about it, the more resentful he became. Looking outside and seeing that Fu Boda had not arrived yet, he rubbed his hands together greedily.
“Since she’s going to end up with someone else anyway, I might as well get a little compensation first. No sense letting benefits go entirely to outsiders.”
Aunt Yang narrowed her eyes and turned her head away.
The instant Zong Huaiyu lunged toward the bed like a starving beast, Shen Youchu’s eyes snapped open.
“Get lost. Disgusting.”
Her fist shot out mercilessly.
Bang!
Zong Huaiyu crashed to the floor. He didn’t even have time to scream before passing out, sporting an instant black eye.
Startled by the noise, Aunt Yang turned around only to find Shen Youchu already standing before her.
“M-Miss…”
Smiling calmly, Shen Youchu first shut the door. Then, using her powers unnoticed, she transferred some medicinal ginseng tea from her storage space into the empty teapot on the table.
She righted an upside-down teacup, poured the tea, and slowly approached Aunt Yang.
“Come, Aunt Yang. You’ve worked hard today. I specially poured you a cup of tea. Drink it.”
Aunt Yang’s face twisted in fear.
Step by step she retreated until her back hit the wall, leaving nowhere to go. Terror made her legs give way, and she dropped to her knees.
“M-Miss, I was wrong! Master forced me! I only wanted—”
Shen Youchu bent down and placed a finger to her lips.
“Shh. No talking. Just drink the tea.”
“No! I won’t drink it! Miss, listen to my explanation! I’ll never do it again! I was forced—”
Before she could finish, Shen Youchu seized her by the throat and pinned her against the wall.
“Too late.”
She forcefully poured the tea down Aunt Yang’s throat.
The moment the tea entered her system, Aunt Yang’s eyes grew unfocused. Within moments she collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Shen Youchu tossed her onto the bed, then dragged the unconscious Zong Huaiyu up beside her.
Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, she mused,
“If only I had some kind of drug that could cloud a person’s mind. Feeding it to that short Fu fellow later would make for quite the show.”
As she regretted not having such an item in her space, the voice of Niu Bi Jushi echoed in her ears.
“Master, perhaps I can help.”
A chant immediately appeared in Shen Youchu’s mind.
Without hesitation, she recited:
“Metal of Geng as the vessel, fire of Ding as the spirit. Niu Bi Jushi, heed my command and reveal yourself!”
The moment the incantation ended, a thunderous boom echoed through the sky.
Niu Bi Jushi made his dramatic entrance.
“Holy crap, you can actually come out?” Shen Youchu jumped in surprise as he suddenly appeared.
“Of course. But I only get three chances per month, Master,” he replied with a smile.
Shen Youchu rolled her eyes.
“And you couldn’t have mentioned that earlier?”
Although she still wasn’t entirely sure what Niu Bi Jushi was capable of, using one of those precious opportunities on a bunch of insignificant pests seemed rather wasteful.
Niu Bi Jushi shrugged.
“You never asked.”
As they chatted, sounds came from the courtyard gate.
Fu Boda entered while whistling, carrying a large leather suitcase.
Shen Youchu raised an eyebrow at Niu Bi Jushi.
“He’s all yours.”
With a mischievous grin, she slipped into her storage space.
Niu Bi Jushi flashed an OK sign and instantly turned transparent.
The moment Fu Boda opened the room door, he felt as though someone brushed over his eyes. His vision blurred slightly.
The suitcase dropped heavily to the floor.
“What the hell was that?”
The discomfort vanished almost immediately.
In its place appeared intense excitement.
From his perspective, Shen Youchu and Zong Sisi were both lying on the bed waiting for him.
His throat bobbed wildly as drool nearly spilled from his mouth.
Like a madman, he tore off his clothes and opened the suitcase, revealing an assortment of strange props and equipment.
Watching from her space, Shen Youchu quickly decided she’d seen enough.
She emerged, quietly left the room, and thoughtfully closed the door behind her.
Fu Boda, completely bewitched by Niu Bi Jushi’s illusion, had no awareness of what was really happening.
Just after she shut the door, Zong Huaiyu—who had not been drugged—was jolted awake by the chaos inside.
His screams immediately rang out:
“What are you doing?! Ah! Ah! That hurts! That hurts!
I never thought you were this kind of person!
Help! Help! Ahhh!
It hurts! Damn it!”
The room erupted into complete pandemonium, and even the door rattled violently.
Shen Youchu burst out laughing.
Still, she had no interest in staying to enjoy the “symphony.”
This mansion was obviously extravagant and valuable. Since she was already here, she intended to thoroughly loot the place.
No sooner thought than done.
Just as she was about to start searching, Niu Bi Jushi suddenly sniffed the air.
“Master, I smell gold.”
“Gold? Where?”
Shen Youchu stopped and turned toward him.
Without hesitation, he pointed toward the well in the center of the courtyard.
“Right underneath there.”
Half skeptical, Shen Youchu walked over and peered inside.
It was a dried-up well.
Before she could react, Niu Bi Jushi jumped in first.
Seeing this, Shen Youchu stopped hesitating and leapt down as well.
The moment she landed, she noticed a tunnel entrance about half a person’s height tall.
Standing inside with a flashlight, Niu Bi Jushi waved excitedly.
“Master, hurry! It’s a huge treasure vault! We’re rich!”
At the mention of treasure, Shen Youchu’s enthusiasm surged.
But when she crawled through the tunnel into the hidden chamber, she froze in shock.
Gold bars were piled into a small mountain.
Beside them sat gold ingots, silver ingots, silver dollars, priceless paintings, and even a jade cabbage the size of a washbasin.
Along the walls stood rows of wooden chests.
Faced with the dazzling collection of treasures, Shen Youchu couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hah. Looks like I really should thank that short little Fu fellow today.”