Originally, she hadn’t planned on doing anything too harsh to Feng Caiwei. After all, up until now, Feng Caiwei had never been caught doing anything truly deserving of death.
Until this time—when she set her sights on Shen Jialang and Qi Yunzhi.
People don’t live only for themselves. Nor can anyone live entirely alone.
Otherwise, she would just be the same cold-blooded assassin she was in her previous life.
But what joy is there in being a killer?
Of course she needed people to protect, and companions by her side.
It’s human nature to care—that’s what makes one human.
Unfortunately, Feng Caiwei didn’t seem to possess any of that.
Qi Yuan stepped onto the veranda—and immediately saw Xiuyi rushing toward her.
She couldn’t help but curl her lips into a faint smile.
When Xiuyi caught sight of Qi Yuan, her eyes flew wide with shock, her heart nearly skipping a beat. She instinctively stumbled back a step.
Qi Yuan looked at her, half-smiling, and raised an eyebrow. “Looks like your plan failed, huh?”
Xiuyi’s expression shifted drastically. Qi Yuan had clearly left earlier—so why was she here now?
And where was Miss Feng?!
She forced herself to focus, hunched her back, glanced around to make sure no one was nearby—and then suddenly dropped to her knees before Qi Yuan with a thud. “Miss Qi, we didn’t mean to! Miss Qi, we were forced to do it! Please have mercy…”
Qi Yuan frowned slightly and said quietly, “I’ve never wronged Miss Feng. I truly don’t understand—why does she want to hurt me?”
Xiuyi sobbed, snot and tears streaming. “Our lady lost her mind for a moment. Please, Miss Qi, I’m begging you… I’ll never do it again…”
She crawled a few steps forward, clutched at Qi Yuan’s skirt hem, and wailed, “I was just following orders. I never dared harbor any bad intentions. Please spare me… I still have elderly parents to care for…”
Qi Yuan sighed, bending slightly as though to help her up. “Look at what you’ve done. Why did you let those dogs out? Do you even realize how many more people could die because of that?”
Xiuyi choked back sobs and nodded frantically, tearfully looking up. “I know, I know! Please, Miss Qi, we were desperate…”
She gripped Qi Yuan’s hand and began to stand—but the moment she was up, a dagger slipped from her sleeve, and without a word, she stabbed straight toward Qi Yuan’s abdomen.
Die!
She’d picked the perfect moment—Qi Yuan had let down her guard. A clean stab to the gut, and no matter how skilled she was, she’d be done for.
Xiuyi exhaled in relief—
But the blade couldn’t go any further. Her wrist had been clamped in a vise-like grip.
Yes—clamped.
Qi Yuan had seized her wrist with one hand, smiling faintly as she slowly applied pressure. Her nails pressed into the artery under Xiuyi’s skin, locking her in place.
Xiuyi struggled with all her strength—but couldn’t move the knife even an inch forward. Desperate, she lashed out with a kick aimed at Qi Yuan.
But before her foot even connected, Qi Yuan raised her own leg and slammed it into Xiuyi’s knee.
Crack.
Xiuyi heard the sharp snap of bone—her kneecap fractured instantly—and she collapsed to the ground, unable to support herself, staring up in disbelief.
Qi Yuan leaned down and stared into her eyes. “This isn’t the first time we’ve dealt with each other. Didn’t any of your companions tell you what kind of person I am?”
As she spoke, she twisted Xiuyi’s wrist sharply—crack—snapping the joint out of place.
Xiuyi opened her mouth to scream, but Qi Yuan was faster. With a flick of her wrist, she tore a strip from Xiuyi’s clothing and stuffed it into her mouth, gagging her.
Her voice turned icy: “Trying to unleash my dog on people, is that it?”
Xiuyi froze, her body going cold, mind blank with fear.
She’d finally waited for a moment where no one else was around—only to realize it was a trap.
And now that no one was around, there would be no one to save her either.
She let out a muffled wail, eyes pleading.
But Qi Yuan wasn’t moved in the slightest.
She never trusted the remorse of her enemies—she’d seen too much of it.
They cried, they begged, they told tragic stories of desperation and helplessness. Swore they’d never do bad things again.
But it was always just a tactic to escape.
And if you believed them, they’d come at you harder next time.
So she picked Xiuyi up like a sack of grain, slung her over her shoulder, and carried her back to the kennel where the dogs were locked up.
She threw open the door, hurled Xiuyi inside, and shut it behind her without hesitation.
The moment the door slammed shut, the spotted dog that had mauled Feng Caiwei leapt out again, its mouth bloodied. Hearing the noise, it whipped its head up, spotted Xiuyi—and instantly abandoned Feng Caiwei to pounce on her instead.
Feng Caiwei was barely clinging to life. When she saw Xiuyi get thrown in, her eyes widened in despair. “Why… why are you in here?!”
No—this wasn’t right!
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go!
Qi Yuan should’ve been the one torn to shreds!
No—wait, that wasn’t the most important thing now.
The important thing was: Qi Yuan had pretended to leave just to draw them out—hadn’t she?
If that was the case, then not only Xiuyi—but all of the people Qi Wang had left for her—
No!!
She screamed.
But Xiuyi was already convulsing on the floor, blood pouring from her throat where the dog had sunk its teeth in. She couldn’t even scream anymore.
Seeing this, Feng Caiwei finally truly panicked.
She had always thought that death was no big deal. That killing people wasn’t such a big deal.
She’d known from the start that this plan might claim many lives.
But now, faced with this gore and carnage—she couldn’t accept it.
No, no, no!
She didn’t want to die in here. She didn’t want to be ripped apart by dogs.
She didn’t want revenge anymore.
She didn’t want to work with Qi Wang.
She didn’t want to fight with the Feng family anymore.
She sobbed hysterically.
But Qi Yuan couldn’t hear her anymore—she had already left the dog house and headed for the kennel yard.
There, she found the Prefect of Tongzhou kneeling on the ground, his face filled with despair.
Qi Zhen saw her and blinked in surprise. “Yuan’er?! You’re still here?”
Didn’t she already leave?
Qi Yuan replied casually, “I had something to take care of—figured I might as well finish the job. What’s going on here?”
Qi Zhen gritted his teeth and inhaled deeply. “Tian Baoci… he’s not even human. Calling him a beast is an insult to beasts!”
He pointed into the kennel yard, where it was now swarming with officers and soldiers. Lowering his voice, he said, “Inside—it’s nothing but bones. Look over there, they’ve piled up like a mountain! That b*stard had no conscience—who knows how many people he killed in this place over the years?!”
Qi Zhen had already sent orders to the capital to dispatch a thousand soldiers from the garrison to help with cleanup.
Even hardened soldiers were vomiting one after another.
It was inhuman.
