So!

Tang Si’s eyes flickered, contemplating for a long moment before she pouted and said, “Fine, I’ll ask you. I admit I can’t sweep all this by myself. Help me.”

Though she was asking for help, her tone remained arrogant!

Muruo snorted. “Is that any way to ask someone? Your tone should at least be a bit nicer.”

“You…”

“If you don’t want to ask, that’s fine too. I’ll just consider everything I said earlier as nonsense.”

Playing hard to get—he did it quite well!

He was just about to push himself up and leave—

Tang Si called out, “Alright, alright! I’m asking you, okay? Young Master Mo, at the very least I saved your life once. You can’t just stand by and watch me die!”

Her tone softened.

Muruo was quite satisfied and nodded.

But then he was startled to realize he must have grown fake ears—this stubborn, proud woman had actually opened her mouth to ask him for help, and in such a pleasant tone too. Amazing!

He slapped his thigh. “The great Miss Tang, asking someone for help over such a small matter—truly astonishing!”

“Don’t gloat. I, Tang Si, can bend and stretch. What’s the big deal about asking you with words? You’re not going back on your word, are you? I did ask you.”

She was somewhat anxious.

“My word is my bond. What I say, I won’t take back. Besides, being able to make you ask me—this debt is worth it!”

After saying this, he snapped his fingers!

Two guards entered from outside and bowed. “What are Young Master Mo’s orders?”

“You two listen. You’ll take over Miss Tang’s work. You must clean the inside thoroughly. All the broken tables, chairs, and benches should be thrown out. Whatever needs to be replaced should be replaced as quickly as possible.”

The two guards exchanged glances.

Hesitantly they said, “Young Master Mo, but the prince said Miss Tang must accept the punishment herself.”

“Did your prince say people couldn’t help her?”

They shook their heads. “Not exactly.”

“Since he didn’t, then is it good or not for you to take over this work for Miss Tang?”

Not good!

“Good.”

Having just spoken this word, the two guards wanted to slap themselves.

Really pathetic!

Tang Si immediately tossed the cloth on her shoulder to the side, along with the broom, then dashingly clapped her hands and said to those two guards.

“Thank you for your trouble.”

“No trouble.”

The two took the broom and cloth and began working with their heads down.

At this moment, a young attendant from the academy also ran in. After looking around, he said, “Miss Tang, since you don’t need to clean here anymore, you must go kneel in the Confucian hall.”

“What did you say?” Her eyes widened.

“Didn’t Master Yu say earlier that after you finish cleaning, you must kneel overnight in the Confucian hall?”

Damn!

She had actually forgotten about that part. She immediately looked at Muruo, seeking help.

But Muruo shrugged. “It has nothing to do with me. I only promised to have people help you clean the study hall. I never said I’d have someone kneel in your place.”

“You’re despicable!”

“Despicable? Where does that come from? What I said just now was very clear—I said cleaning, not kneeling in place of you.” Muruo was very reasonable, but his cunning eyes curved accordingly as he continued, “However, if you keep asking me nicely, perhaps I could also have someone kneel in your place.”

“Nonsense! I won’t ask you anymore, you despicable villain. It’s just kneeling, isn’t it? This lady isn’t afraid.” She turned to the young attendant and said, “Let’s go, take me there.”

Full of spirit!

The young attendant raised his hand. “This way.”

And led her away.

In the Confucian hall!

What was enshrined were all the sage ancestral teachers of Confucian learning. Every memorial tablet was wiped clean and arranged in orderly fashion, arranged in alternating heights.

The faint scent of incense wafted over!

The young attendant pointed at the ground. “Miss Tang, you can kneel here.”

The ground was completely empty!

“How come there isn’t even a mat?” she wondered.

The young attendant smiled. “How could there be mats in the Confucian hall? Normally the master and those students all kneel like this. Does Miss Tang think the floor is dirty? It’s fine—this floor was just wiped not long ago. It’s not dirty.”

“I’m not saying it’s dirty!”

“Then…”

She was worried about her knees hurting!

“Forget it, forget it.” She waved her hand. “You can go.”

The young attendant stood still. “Miss Tang, I must watch you kneel down before I can leave.”

Tang Si’s expression grew darker and darker. Suppressing the fire in her heart, she gritted her teeth and glared at the young attendant.

Then—

She knelt down!

“Satisfied now?”

Satisfied!

The young attendant nodded and left.

Tang Si twisted her angry, fierce face, looking at those memorial tablets enshrined before her, muttering, “How shameless. Why should people kneel to you? You’re all dead people, yet still so domineering.”

Her body softened, and her bottom sat directly on her heels. Then, bored, she began looking around.

Her finger hooked the red band on her belt, twisting it loose, then loosening and twisting again.

Back and forth dozens of times!

Suddenly, the window on the side of the Confucian hall was carefully pushed open.

Because Tang Si had spent years wandering in snowy mountains and forests, she was very sensitive to subtle sounds. Upon hearing it, she knew it wasn’t the wind pushing the window open, but someone sneakily opening it—either the behavior of a thief or behavior with a specific purpose.

She didn’t rush over immediately, only glanced covertly in that direction with her eyes.

She saw three pairs of eyes peering round into the window from outside.

It was Lin Shu and his two fellow students.

Foolish fellows courting death!

Lin Shu held a black bag in his hand, with some unidentified objects wriggling inside.

Just as he was about to throw the bag into the Confucian hall, the person beside him pulled him and said softly, “Lin Shu, let’s forget it. What if someone dies?”

“What are you afraid of? What could happen? These snakes are all domesticated. They don’t bite people.”

“If the teacher finds out…”

“Why are you so pathetic? That wild girl made such a mess of us. We must vent this anger. If you’re afraid, then get lost.”

He shook off that person’s hand.

Then—

He extended the black bag in his hand through the window, pinched one corner, and flicked it downward.

Three or four slender, wriggling snakes fell from inside onto the ground!

Their soft, slippery, slender bodies first twisted together in a heap, then slowly unfurled, sliding gradually toward Tang Si’s direction.

Lin Shu smiled sinisterly. “Let’s see if this doesn’t teach you a good lesson.”

So the three crouched at the base of the wall, waiting to hear screams from inside.

Little did they know that Tang Si had already seen this scene and watched Lin Shu release the snakes. Having walked for years through mountain forests and snowy peaks, she had seen countless fierce beasts. Just a few snakes—never mind touching them, she could catch them and gut them without hesitation.

When those four snakes crawled to her side, she took off her outer garment and silently wrapped all the snakes inside her clothes, then tiptoed to her feet and walked to the window.