On one side, the scene had already turned into a full-blown Liang Jingzhou bashing session.
On the other, Li Chen was still reeling from being bitten by Huo Fanjin when Jiang Fuyue came up behind him, twisted his arms back, and forced him halfway down in a bent position.
To be honest, it looked pathetic.
Whether it was pride or sheer stubbornness, he clenched his jaw and refused to make a sound as if his silence could somehow count as resistance.
Except… it was completely useless.
Jiang Fuyue asked, “Was this your idea?”
Li Chen said nothing.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Li Chen: “…”
Jiang Fuyue said calmly, “The idea wasn’t bad. The execution, though? Way too many mistakes.”
“……” He was furious!
“If it were me,” she continued evenly, “I wouldn’t have used Liang Jingzhou.”
From a short distance away, Liang Jingzhou: “?” What did I do? Why am I catching strays again?!
“And second, I wouldn’t have used such a trash fishing net.”
Li Chen: “…”
In her eyes, this was trash but he’d actually spent ages finding that thing, okay?
Now he felt insulted like the fishing net itself.
“Finally,” Jiang Fuyue said, “I wouldn’t be dumb enough to go after someone whose strength I don’t understand. The odds of losing are way too high.”
Li Chen’s eyes lifted coldly. “What do you want?”
“Oh, one more thing,” she said lightly. “If you end up as a prisoner, don’t act so cocky. When you’re not as good as someone, admit it or you’ll just suffer more.”
“You threatening me?”
She thought for a moment. “More or less.”
“Heh… and what if I don’t? You gonna kill me to keep me quiet?”
Jiang Fuyue shook her head gently. “Nothing that extreme…”
But there was a trace of pity in her tone.
Then she raised a hand toward Liu Sisi, who immediately understood. A sharp press on Gu Huaiyu and Cheng Lian’s shoulders and the sudden numbness hit again. They were completely immobilized!
The two men exchanged a glance, then glared at Liang Jingzhou.
Oh, so that’s where he learned that move!
No wonder he’d suddenly gone all “martial arts master” earlier and pinned them down, they’d never seen him so competent before! D*mn traitor!
A proper, textbook traitor!
Liang Jingzhou looked down, avoiding their eyes, and quietly edged away a few steps.
Mm, if I don’t look, I can still pretend I don’t exist.
Liu Sisi’s grip was way harsher than Liang Jingzhou’s. Gu Huaiyu’s face went white after one squeeze, while Cheng Lian was drenched in sweat.
Once both were subdued, Liu Sisi released them and stepped over to Jiang Fuyue’s side, waiting silently for orders.
“Cut the fishing net into ropes. Three pieces.”
Huo Fanjin and Cen Qiaoqiao blinked, confused.
Liu Sisi didn’t understand either but she didn’t ask. She just did it.
Two minutes later: “…All done.”
Jiang Fuyue took the ropes, gave them a test pull, they were sturdy enough. “Perfect.”
Perfect?
Everyone’s heart skipped a beat.
“Hang the three of them up,” she said casually, glancing around before pointing at a slanted tree nearby. “Over there.”
Li Chen: “?”
Gu Huaiyu: “?”
Cheng Lian: “?”
Liang Jingzhou: “!”
Thankfully, she said three ropes, not four!
Three people to hang, not four.
Suddenly, all the yelling, insults, and guilt he’d endured earlier felt worth it.
At least he wasn’t going to end up swinging from a tree branch like a slab of meat.
At that moment, all his guilt transformed into righteous justification.
What are brothers for?
Why, to sell out, of course!
As soon as Jiang Fuyue gave the order, Liu Sisi moved.
She grabbed Li Chen first, the mastermind needed to be tied extra tight.
Three swift motions later, he was hanging from the tree, swaying in the wind like a strip of dried meat.
Gu Huaiyu and Cheng Lian watched in horror. When their eyes met, both could see the same dread mirrored there.
“You still can’t feel your hands?”
Gu Huaiyu shook his head.
Cheng Lian swore under his breath.
Who was next?
Liu Sisi’s emotionless gaze swept over them before settling on Cheng Lian.
This one looked like the scheming type, the kind always plotting ten steps ahead.
Alright. Him, then.
“Let me go—!” Cheng Lian struggled, but half his arm and side were still numb. He couldn’t muster any strength.
In Liu Sisi’s hands, he was like a chick being lifted by the scruff.
A few movements, loop, hoist, and he was up, legs kicking uselessly in the air.
Gu Huaiyu watched and instantly lost all fight.
He cooperated meekly, like an obedient child.
Once all three were hanging securely, Jiang Fuyue gave the next order: “Move out.”
“Wait—!” Li Chen called from the tree.
Jiang Fuyue stopped and turned. “Something else?”
“Let’s make a deal.”
“Oh?” She arched an eyebrow, intrigued. “Go on, let’s hear it.”
“You’re way behind the main group by now. You’ll definitely be late. Knowing Hao Dazhi, he’ll punish you for it.”
Jiang Fuyue: “And?”
“I know a shortcut,” he said. “It’ll cut the time in half. If you take it now, you can still catch up.”
Of course, there was no free lunch.
“Your condition?”
“Let us go, and I’ll show you the way.”
Jiang Fuyue didn’t respond.
Li Chen gritted his teeth. “You don’t have time to hesitate. Delay any longer, and even with the shortcut you’ll still be late.”
“One.”
“…What?”
“I’ll release only one of you. You get to choose who. Yourself included.”
Li Chen’s face darkened. “You’re doing this on purpose, trying to sow discord!”
Jiang Fuyue smiled openly. “Of course. I’m curious, will Young Master Chen look out for himself, or for his brothers?”
Li Chen trembled with rage.
Not that you could tell, he was trembling anyway, hanging up there.
“Thirty seconds,” Jiang Fuyue said coolly. “If I don’t hear an answer, I’ll drop it. I’ve never been interested in shortcuts that break the rules. Only, there’s just some people who rely on them and still think they’re clever.”
That stung.
It made her superiority clear while stomping them into the mud.
“Five seconds left.”
Li Chen took a deep breath and shouted toward the other two hanging beside him, “Sorry, brothers! I’ll get down first then I’ll come back for you!”
He bellowed, “I pick myself! Let me down now!”
Jiang Fuyue laughed softly. “So, in the end, you still chose yourself?”
She nodded. “Fair enough. I just wonder how the other two feel about that.”
Veins popped on Li Chen’s forehead. “Cut the cr*p! Let me down already!”
“Sorry,” Jiang Fuyue said with a smile, “I’ve changed my mind.”
He froze.
She smiled brightly. “I suddenly don’t feel like letting you down anymore. Liang Jingzhou—”
“Ah?” Liang Jingzhou, who had been trying his best to fade into the background, nearly jumped out of his skin. He wished he could shrink into an ant and disappear.
Too bad, no such luck.
A bad feeling surged in his chest.
Then Jiang Fuyue asked, “You know the shortcut, right?”
“Do I—? Uh, I mean, no? Probably not?” His mind went blank, and his voice wavered.
Jiang Fuyue could see right through him. “Good. You’ll lead the way.”
“No! Wait! I—I really don’t know!” he yelped.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t argue. She just glanced at Liu Sisi.
Liu Sisi stepped forward, her hand was already reaching for his shoulder.
He’d experienced that numb, paralyzing pain before when training with her like drowning in mud, every nerve screaming.
He really didn’t want to go through it again.
He staggered backward, waving his hands frantically. “Wait, let’s talk! We can discuss this like civilized people, okay? There’s no problem we can’t solve!”
Liu Sisi: “So, you know the way now?”
“Yes! Yes! I totally know the way!”
Jiang Fuyue: “Good. You lead. Liu Sisi, keep an eye on him.”
“Got it.”
And so, Jiang Fuyue’s group, four girls and one terrified boy, walked off, disappearing into the darkness.
The three men hanging from the tree finally processed what had just happened.
Li Chen: Did… did I just get played?
I actually got played by a woman?!
Gu Huaiyu and Cheng Lian said nothing.
They were probably still processing being not chosen by their so-called brother.
Cold wind moaned. Frost settled.
“Achoo!” Li Chen sneezed pitifully.
At last, he broke the silence. “Old Gu, Old Cheng… you guys okay?”
After a long pause—
Gu Huaiyu: “Still alive.”
Cheng Lian: “Won’t die.”
But something between them had changed.
Knowing Jiang Fuyue meant to provoke them was one thing.
Hearing Li Chen actually choose himself was another.
—
Meanwhile, under Liang Jingzhou’s reluctant lead, the five of them crossed a field of dry stalks, descended three steep slopes, and finally caught up with the main group landing near the front.
Liang Jingzhou gathered his courage. “Sister Yue, what about those three? It’s pitch dark out there, what if it’s dangerous? Should I go back and let them down?”
He even started turning back as he said it.
Sure, he’d sold them out but he still cared, okay?
“Stop,” Liu Sisi said coldly. “Did anyone tell you to go?”
Liang Jingzhou froze, then turned pleading eyes toward Jiang Fuyue. “Sister Yue, please?”
“Don’t worry,” she said evenly. “They’ll be fine. The race isn’t over yet, and quitting halfway isn’t a good habit.”
“But… what if there are snakes, or bugs, or ants on that tree? They’re tied up, they can’t even move!”
Jiang Fuyue’s gaze turned frosty. “I said, they’ll be fine.”
Although the area looked wild and untouched, it clearly bore signs of regular pest control. The grassy borders were fenced with wire.
It was all part of the training field, designed to look primitive, but controlled for safety.
In a place like that, there wouldn’t be any poisonous snakes or insects. Their lives weren’t in danger.
Seeing that she wouldn’t budge, Liang Jingzhou could only swallow hard. This woman’s heart was stone-cold.
He didn’t dare say another word.
Before long, the finish line was within sight…
