If the first time — when two thugs had shown up to make trouble — it was because they’d been unprepared.

If the second time — when fifteen or so had come — it was because Bai Youwei had outmaneuvered them from the start.

Then now, the third time, facing forty or fifty people — what could they possibly do? Unless Bai Youwei could make them all fly, today was the day they would die.

The tattooed leader strode into the courtyard and bellowed: “Every last one of you, get out here! Who the hell set fire to my brothers? The smart ones better roll your asses out right now!!!”

Yi Zichu tightened his grip on the kitchen cleaver, his expression rigid.

He wasn’t arrogant enough to think he could take on this many people. He was only thinking: what could he do to buy Ning Yao and the others enough time to escape?

What to do…

How…

How…

“Hey! What are you standing there spacing out for?” Bai Youwei’s voice cut through suddenly, interrupting Yi Zichu’s thoughts.

He looked up. Bai Youwei and Ning Yao were standing on the third-floor corridor. Beside them were three small heads — Youyou, Diandian, and Jiujiu.

Before Yi Zichu could say anything, Bai Youwei frowned in displeasure: “Is lunch ready? Go make lunch!”

Yi Zichu: “…”

“Brother Zichu! Go cook!” Ning Yao drew the bow with righteous determination, taking aim at the people below. “Leave this to us!”

Diandian and Jiujiu chimed in together: “Make food! Make food! Brother Zichu, make food!”

Yi Zichu: “…”

In the bullet comments overhead —

【The little puppy is deeply confused.】

【HAHAHAHAHAHA (hic)】

【He’s dumbfounded! He’s dumbfounded hahahaha……】

【(罒▽罒) Mom I split my sides laughing】

……

The tattooed leader noticed the group of children on the third floor and flared with rage.

Even talking about it was embarrassing — his men had been taught a lesson by a bunch of little runts. If he couldn’t reclaim his dignity today, how was he supposed to keep his standing in the future?

The tattooed leader roared: “Move! Get those little brats down here for me! You think a bow and arrow is going to intimidate me?! What the—…”

*Whoosh! —*

Ning Yao loosed an arrow! It shot straight through one of the large balloons below in an instant!

The balloon burst with a sharp *pop*!

The pepper powder packed inside scattered in every direction! Four or five young men in that immediate area were immediately choked — they doubled over, covering their noses, coughing violently!

Then came more *whoosh* sounds in quick succession! Ning Yao’s arrows flew without pause, striking one balloon after another!

Bai Youwei hadn’t told her to aim at people, so the girl had no psychological burden whatsoever — her arrows flew fast and true. Within seconds, the group was blanketed in pepper powder. A few unlucky ones were also struck by stray arrows, howling in pain.

The opposing side still greatly outnumbered them. Even with Ning Yao’s pepper-and-arrow assault buying a few seconds, a few seconds was enough time for them to charge from the courtyard to the base of the residence building —

Once they reached the corridor below, Ning Yao couldn’t see them anymore, and had no angle from which to shoot.

From the stairwell came the thunder of footsteps — carrying with it a blazing rage, as though they intended to sweep every last one of these children up in one go.

Bai Youwei frowned slightly. “Put on your masks.”

The three children produced their prepared rabbit masks and put them on, then all rushed to the top of the stairwell together.

At that exact moment, the thugs came charging up — and as they looked up, they saw three masked children crowded at the top of the stairs.

Each child held a small plastic bucket and upended it directly at them.

The buckets were full of glass marbles.

— Like the balloons, they’d been dug out from the orphanage’s storage of old miscellaneous items.

The men in front scrambled to stop, but the ones behind kept pushing and shoving. Glass marbles cascaded down the stairs — whoever stepped on one slipped instantly. Even those who grabbed the railing couldn’t avoid being dragged down by others.

On the narrow staircase, bodies toppled and slammed into each other in every direction. But the chaos still wasn’t over — because the stairs had already been coated in pepper powder. When people fell and the powder lifted into the air, it was breathed in through nostrils and mouths, setting the entire lining of their lungs ablaze, unleashing an uncontrollable storm of sneezing.

The tattooed leader lay sprawled on the stairs, pinned beneath what felt like several people’s weight. His hands ached, his feet ached, his back ached, and his nasal passages burned as though they were about to ignite. The pain was suffocating.

*Help!!!*

— That was the only thought left in his mind.

—