Ba Bao and Liu Jin didn’t have much of a reaction.
But Han Ding instinctively edged a little closer to them.
Although he had witnessed the Eldest Miss’s capabilities before, he had never seen this side of Qi Yuan.
It was terrifying!
He felt like he might have nightmares tonight.
As for Xie Ying?
Xie Ying had no reaction at all.
He had already become numb to it.
He suddenly realized that he simply couldn’t view Qi Yuan as a normal woman.
If he thought of her as one of the female disciples from Longhu Mountain,
No, to be precise, as that woman who had once competed with Xiao Yunting for the Celestial Master’s true inheritance,
Then everything made sense.
That woman had gone alone to slay a flood dragon, had nearly succeeded, and had even killed two tigers.
Pressing his lips together, he thought bitterly:
Xiao Yunting really was bold.
But now was clearly not the time for jokes. Qi Yuan genuinely intended to kill.
She gripped the sleeve-arrow embedded in Liu Jiajun and slowly twisted it.
The barbs inside dug deeper into his flesh, causing Liu Jiajun to let out a miserable scream.
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow lightly. “It seems it still hurts quite a lot. Even an experienced and trained man like Lord Liu can’t endure it. I wonder whether the ordinary members of the Liu family could bear it?”
Everyone shuddered.
Liu Jiajun struggled violently. “What are you trying to do?! What are you going to do?!”
“I’m not doing anything.” Qi Yuan spoke softly. “I just want them to try out my new toy too, just like how you used us to test your gunpowder. Since you don’t treat my life as a life, I certainly won’t treat yours as lives either. Didn’t you know that?”
There was no reasoning with her.
No matter what they said, they could not reason with someone like this.
People like Qi Yuan had their own set of logic.
And no one could shake it.
Liu Jiajun finally understood why Zhao Xing and the others had failed.
He also understood why Qingyan had so solemnly warned them beforehand.
This woman really was that frightening.
Bitterness filled his heart, but Qi Yuan had already stood up.
“It seems you’ve made up your mind not to decide.” She smiled faintly. “Then I’ll take you all to the Liu family estate. I’ll kill them one by one right in front of you. When they’re all dead, I’ll start picking people from among your accomplices. I’ll keep killing until you talk.”
Several of the captives immediately cried out: “Big Brother!”
A normal person couldn’t go head-to-head with a madwoman.
Madmen feared nothing.
Liu Jiajun closed his eyes tightly. After a long moment, he slowly exhaled and finally gritted his teeth. “We’ve been looking too! The nunnery that took them in back then was burned down. They escaped somewhere afterward, and we don’t know where they went!”
Only after speaking did Liu Jiajun realize he was drenched in cold sweat.
He was in pain, terrified, resentful, and desperate.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined being pushed to this point by a young girl.
Qi Yuan dragged over another chair and sat down. “They couldn’t have completely vanished without a trace, could they? Maybe you don’t know their exact whereabouts, but surely you know the general area.”
She looked at him calmly. “Lord Liu, don’t make me go through more trouble. Tell me everything at once. Once I find them, I won’t kill you. I’m a woman who always keeps her word.”
Liu Jiajun remained silent for a long time.
Early the next morning, Qi Yuan and Xie Ying appeared refreshed and energetic in a small village thirty li outside Jinling City.
Beneath an ancient tree that had stood for several hundred years, a few elderly villagers were roasting food over a fire.
Seeing the newcomers, they looked curious. Qi Yuan smiled sweetly at them, crouched down, and asked gently: “Grandmother, may I ask where Maple Tree Under Lijiagou is?”
The young girl was pretty and adorable, and her voice was gentle and polite.
The old woman immediately took a liking to her. Smiling, she handed Qi Yuan two roasted chestnuts. “You’re already here!”
Qi Yuan laughed softly, accepted the chestnuts, thanked her, and then revealed two strings of copper coins from her sleeve, offering them to the old woman.
The old woman looked surprised. “Miss, what’s this for?”
“I really am here looking for relatives.” Qi Yuan pursed her lips and glanced shyly at Xie Ying beside her. “My… my cousin and I had some disagreements with our family, so we came to seek out an aunt we haven’t seen in years. We hope she’ll help reconcile us with our family.”
Cousin?
Xie Ying scratched his head.
The elders’ gazes swept back and forth between Qi Yuan and Xie Ying. Instantly, they exchanged knowing smiles.
Cousins?
Who would believe that?
They looked exactly like a pair of young lovers!
And obviously their families disapproved, so they had run away together and were now seeking refuge with relatives.
The elderly had lived long lives and seen plenty of such stories.
What was strange about it?
Chuckling among themselves, they teased: “And what if you do find her? Looking at those fine silks and satins you’re wearing, there aren’t many people in our village who could possibly be your relatives. Everyone here earns their living by farming.”
“Grandmother!” Qi Yuan bit her lip slightly. A pitiful, frightened expression appeared on her face. Leaning toward the old woman, her shoulders trembled as though she were crying. “Please, please help me. My aunt became a widow and didn’t want to stay at home anymore, so she left. She must be different from the villagers here. Please have pity on me…”
She wiped away tears that didn’t actually exist. “If I can’t find my aunt, my parents will beat me to death when I go back!”
Oh dear. The girl really looked pitiful.
The old women had only been enjoying the gossip; they had never intended to make things difficult.
Besides, the girl understood social etiquette very well.
She had offered two strings of coins right away.
Two strings of coins equaled two taels of silver.
Two taels of silver could support a family for two or three months.
The oldest woman coughed lightly. “Recently, there has indeed been a widow renting a courtyard in the village. She brought two maids with her. The place is kept spotless, and she even grows flowers. She’s different from the rest of us villagers. If that’s the person you’re looking for, it’s probably her.”
Xie Ying was amazed.
Miss Qi truly was a master performer. She could cry, act, smile, threaten people, and kill people.
And she switched between those roles effortlessly.
He stepped forward and cupped his hands respectfully. “Thank you, Grandmother.”
The old woman immediately looked displeased with him. “This young lady has terrible taste.” She shook her head. “When choosing a husband, you can’t just look at a handsome face. This young man may be good-looking, but when it comes time to ask questions, the young lady has to do everything herself while he stands there doing nothing. How can a man like that be dependable?”
Xie Ying: …
He wanted to take charge too. The problem was that in front of Qi Yuan, he never had any chance to.
Forget it. He had already accepted his fate.
The label of “kept man” was firmly attached now.
Still smiling, he bowed to the old woman.
Then he helped Qi Yuan to her feet.
And Qi Yuan, of all things, glanced at him and added: “My cousin is actually a very good person.”
…
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