To hand over the antidote just like that—Ji Yunshu wasn’t that foolish!

Her shrewd eyes lifted slightly, the corners of her mouth curling upward as she said, “I can give you the antidote, but I don’t trust that after receiving it, you won’t come back to cause trouble at the inn in the future. The innkeeper has elderly parents above and young children below. If you want to vent your hatred and take it out on his entire family, old and young, wouldn’t that be losing both the lady and the soldiers?”

Zhao Qing, forcibly enduring the terrible itching all over his body, said with a face full of anger and viciousness, “When I, Zhao Qing, promise something, I always mean what I say.”

Patting his chest!

Ji Yunshu no longer doubted him. “Fine.”

With that, she pulled out a small bottle from her waist, handed it to Zhao Qing, and said, “Just hold it up to your nose and smell it.”

Zhao Qing snatched it away, first smelling it at his own nose, then tossing it to Ba Hu. It was passed around among the bandits one by one.

Soon, after the bandits had all smelled it, the itching on their bodies stopped. The medicine worked quickly—the small red rashes that had just appeared immediately subsided, and the group instantly became full of vigor again.

In the crowd, naturally someone shouted angrily, “Boss, kill these people!”

“Right!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

The bandits all became heated up, each one seemingly killing with bloodshot eyes, holding up their large sabers in their hands, just waiting for Zhao Qing to give the order before swinging their blades down.

Ba Hu also quickly walked over, moving close to Zhao Qing’s side, saying, “Boss, this group of people is just asking for death. As long as you give the word, we’ll kill them.”

The next moment—

Zhao Qing smiled, his gaze fixed directly on Ji Yunshu.

Then, with a backhand motion, he drew a blade from Ba Hu’s waist and stabbed it toward Ji Yunshu.

Ji Yunshu didn’t dodge. When that blade stabbed over, Jingrong stepped forward in two strides, pulling her behind himself with one hand, while his other hand, as he stepped forward, smoothly drew out the sword that Lang Bo had originally sheathed back into the hilt.

One blade, one sword!

They scraped and collided in mid-air!

Invisibly, it seemed sparks flew in all directions!

The two men confronted each other, cold eyes meeting fierce eyes, their strength evenly matched!

Jingrong said, “If you dare to harm her in the slightest, I will kill you.”

As he spoke, the force in his hand also increased considerably!

Those eyes that had originally emanated coldness now held anger and killing intent.

Anyone who harmed Ji Yunshu absolutely could not be shown any quarter.

The strength in Zhao Qing’s palm was clearly somewhat insufficient, his feet forced to slowly shift backward.

This was the first time he had encountered such a formidable opponent. His originally tightly furrowed brows now showed a bit more strain.

Fortunately—

Zhao Qing’s wrist flipped to the left, withdrawing the confrontational force. The sword and blade also broke free from their hostile state.

He glanced at the young scholar behind Jingrong, then said disdainfully, “Just a young scholar, yet someone is actually willing to risk their life for her.”

Jingrong replied, “Yes, if you harm her even slightly, today this inn will be your burial ground.”

Zhao Qing suddenly burst into loud laughter. “Truly an expert—even your words are so hard. No wonder Zhao Huai’s bunch of useless subordinates were all killed by you.”

“If you don’t want to end up with the same fate as those people, then take your men and leave quickly.”

“Fine, I’ll take my men and go, because I, Zhao Qing, always keep my word. If I said I won’t come here again, then I absolutely won’t come again.”

Behind him, Ba Hu quickly said after hearing this, “Boss, are we really just leaving like this? We…”

Smack—

Zhao Qing backhanded a slap right onto Ba Hu’s head.

Then he commanded his subordinates, “Listen up, all of you! From now on, whoever dares to come to this inn and cause trouble again, if I find out, I’ll skin them alive and throw them into the mountains to feed the wild dogs.”

Everyone naturally didn’t want to agree, but while grumbling that their boss had actually compromised like this, they still submissively responded.

“Yes!”

Their voices weak and powerless!

Zhao Qing turned around and picked up a jar of wine from the table, pouring two cups of wine into bowls and picking them up as he walked toward Ji Yunshu.

He pushed one cup of wine over, saying, “This young master is truly formidable. Surely you’re no ordinary person. If you don’t mind, how about we become friends?”

Become friends with a bandit?

Ji Yunshu found it novel.

This Zhao Qing was a bandit leader—whether judging from his attire or his behavior, he was simply the epitome of one. But it had to be said that this person also exuded a certain masculine righteousness and carefree spirit that couldn’t be associated with “killing without batting an eye.”

She looked at the wine in her hand and pressed her lips together.

Big sister doesn’t know how to drink!

And so—

Holding the bowl of wine in her hand, she neither put it down nor drank it.

On the contrary, Zhao Qing, holding up his wine, said, “I’ll drink, you do as you please.”

With that, he drained the bowl of wine in one gulp.

Just when Ji Yunshu was in a dilemma, Jingrong took the bowl from her hand and drained the wine in the bowl in one gulp!

Then he tossed the bowl onto the table.

Seeing this, Zhao Qing laughed and said, “Good! Today can be considered coming to know each other through fighting. Tonight’s matter, let’s just let it pass.” With that, he waved his hand and commanded his subordinates, “Move out!”

Zhao Qing walked around Jingrong in front of him, preparing to leave. But when he walked to Ji Yunshu’s side, he stopped again, leaning his body and moving close to Ji Yunshu’s ear.

He said softly, “Young scholar, if we have the chance to meet again in the future, we must have a good drink or two.”

Having said that, he led his men away!

But some bandits, before leaving, being unwilling to accept this, overturned all the tables, chairs, and benches in the inn, and even smashed several jars of wine.

Crash and clatter!

The entire first floor of the inn was in complete disarray.

After those people left, Jingrong grabbed Ji Yunshu’s hand and lifted it up, questioning, “Didn’t I tell you to stay in your room?”

Ji Yunshu raised her eyes to meet his gaze and retorted, “You mean you wanted me to rest peacefully in my room while you slaughtered people downstairs?”

“Who told you I would slaughter them?”

“You wouldn’t have killed those people?”

He would!

Definitely would!

After all, those people were bandits.

Jingrong’s Adam’s apple rolled up and down for a long moment. Finally, he released Ji Yunshu’s hand.

Just at this moment, the innkeeper came up from behind, his eyes red-rimmed as he bowed to Jingrong and Ji Yunshu.

While saying, “Thank you, both young masters. On behalf of my entire family, old and young, I thank you.”

As he spoke, he was about to kneel down.

But his elbow was supported by Jingrong. “This isn’t the capital.”

Huh?

The innkeeper didn’t understand his words, but still, with tears and choked sobs, he bowed several times.

Then, walking in front of Ji Yunshu, he asked with concern, “Young master, what if those people come back again? How about you tell me the secret formula for that antidote, in case…”

“There’s no such thing as an antidote,” Ji Yunshu said.

“No antidote? Then that poison?”

“That wasn’t poison at all, just a colorless gas that makes the body break out in red rashes. It disappears after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.”