Xie Wenrui paused at this point, then continued, “She cursed Big Brother for being blind to kindness and for betraying her goodwill. She said she wanted him to personally watch his own family members die one by one, so he could see whether he would regret it or not.”
The more Xie Wenrui spoke, the angrier he became. “And what’s even more excessive—she didn’t even spare her own grandfather. She cursed him as an ungrateful old fool who couldn’t tell good from bad, and even wished that he would be killed by bandits tonight.”
Of course, there were even uglier curses, but Xie Wenrui left them out.
Most of Song Shishi’s vicious insults were aimed at Tang Qingluo, and he really didn’t want to dirty his sister-in-law’s ears with them.
After hearing this, Tang Qingluo was completely stunned.
Then she forcibly swallowed back the words that were about to burst out of her mouth.
So she hadn’t merely transmigrated.
She had transmigrated into a book.
And not only that—she was a cannon-fodder character.
No wonder.
No wonder her treatment had been so terrible.
So she really was the disposable kind.
Seeing Tang Qingluo’s expression turn strange, Xie Wenrui hurriedly tried to comfort her. “Sister-in-law, don’t be angry. Please don’t hurt your own body over someone like her. She’s not worth it.”
Xie Lanyi, who had long felt that Tang Qingluo had been acting off these past few days, had been watching her closely. When he saw her body swaying as if she might collapse, he called for Xie Wenzhang to help carry him over.
“Wenrui, what happened? What’s wrong with your sister-in-law?” Xie Lanyi stared at Tang Qingluo’s pale face.
Xie Wenrui thought for a moment. The only explanation he could come up with was this: “Sister-in-law was probably angered by that woman, Song Shishi.”
“What happened?” Xie Lanyi asked.
With no choice, Xie Wenrui repeated everything he had just told Tang Qingluo, then added indignantly, “No wonder Sister-in-law is furious. Who wouldn’t be after hearing such vicious curses? Big Brother, you should also persuade her—not to let herself get so angry that she ends up making Song Shishi happy instead.”
“No need. I’m fine,” Tang Qingluo said. “But Wenrui, hurry and keep an eye on Song Shishi. Go—quickly! Make sure you write down everything she says.”
Seeing how anxious Tang Qingluo was, Xie Wenrui nodded and ran out at full speed.
After he left, Xie Lanyi rested his hands together and looked at Tang Qingluo with a meaningful gaze.
A cannon-fodder ex-wife? A major villain?
Between her and Song Shishi, there seemed to be—
Tang Qingluo felt her scalp prickle under his stare. “I’ll go outside and see if Wenrui has come back yet.”
She found an excuse and slipped away from Xie Lanyi’s side.
Outside, she paced back and forth, glancing around repeatedly as she waited for news from Xie Wenrui.
She didn’t know how long had passed when she finally spotted him within her line of sight. She rushed over in three quick steps and grabbed his hand. “How is it? Did Song Shishi say anything else? For example—did she mention anything that would happen tonight?”
Xie Wenrui stared at her in shock. “How did Sister-in-law know—”
Tang Qingluo cut him off. “Don’t ask pointless questions. Just tell me what information Song Shishi revealed.”
Xie Wenrui’s expression immediately darkened. “She did say something bad. The inn we’re staying at is a black inn. They’re in cahoots with the bandits from Bagong Mountain—one side passes on information, the other kills people and robs goods.”
So the system’s mission must be referring to the bandits of Bagong Mountain.
“Then Wenrui,” Tang Qingluo asked again, “has the black inn already sent out the message?”
Xie Wenrui nodded. “The moment we entered the inn, they sent a carrier pigeon to the bandits on Bagong Mountain.”
“There are only a hundred li to Jizhou City. If we pass the message to Jizhou and have them send troops to deal with the bandits, do you think there’s enough time?” Tang Qingluo proposed.
Xie Wenrui shook his head. “Sending word to Jizhou is even more dangerous. According to Song Shishi, the magistrate of Jizhou, Peng Chun, has long been colluding with the Bagong Mountain bandits. Otherwise, the bandits wouldn’t dare be so bold.”
“Enemies in front and behind,” Tang Qingluo said. “Looks like we can only fight the bandits ourselves.”
Borrowing outside help was impossible.
She thought for a moment. “Wenrui, how about we rob Song Shishi?”
Xie Wenrui was confused. “Why?”
“Let Song Shishi clear the path for us. We’ll go to Bagong Mountain and wipe out the bandit den.” While completing her mission, she’d also be ridding the people of a scourge.
“Just… just the two of us?” Xie Wenrui pointed at himself with his index finger.
“Too many people would get in the way. Two are enough. You handle the poisoning, I’ll keep watch. If anything happens, I’ll help you deal with it.”
With the poison the system had rewarded her and the silenced firearm she had purchased, it was manageable.
To convince Xie Wenrui, Tang Qingluo even showed him her trump cards. “Look—this is the poison. Colorless and tasteless. Just one drop in water is enough to take care of all the bandits. And this—this is my mysterious weapon. No matter how skilled the opponent is, you don’t need to be afraid. I just pull this gently, and they’ll be eliminated without anyone noticing.”
Perhaps because he trusted the poison and weapons Tang Qingluo provided, Xie Wenrui’s blood rushed to his head—and he agreed.
“Let’s go. We’ll find Qian Ge first.”
Tang Qingluo took Xie Wenrui to Qian Ge and made her request. “Qian Ge, I need to gather a medicinal herb. Could you help remove the shackles from Wenrui and me? It’s inconvenient to carry these up the mountain. Don’t worry—I won’t put you in a difficult position. We’ll definitely be back at the inn before dawn.”
Qian Ge hesitated only briefly before agreeing. “Alright. I’ll unlock the chains.”
One of his subordinates tried to step forward to persuade him—once the chains were removed, the prisoners could easily escape.
If they didn’t return before dawn, the escort officers would be held responsible.
But Qian Ge trusted Tang Qingluo. Since he had made the decision, his men could only obey.
Before leaving, Tang Qingluo reminded him, “Qian Ge, I think there’s something wrong with this inn. Be more alert tonight—I’m worried something might happen.”
This time, Qian Ge took her warning very seriously. “Don’t worry. We’ll take turns keeping watch.”
Seeing that Qian Ge had taken her words to heart, Tang Qingluo felt much more at ease.
Of course, aside from Qian Ge, she also deliberately went to warn Xie Lanyi, reminding him to be cautious of the inn.
After doing everything she needed to do, Tang Qingluo and Xie Wenrui split up and began their respective actions.