Shen Qiyuan was driven to laughter by this person’s audacity.

Even knowing that she had used him to ward off the person outside, wasn’t she changing her attitude a bit too quickly? There wasn’t even a transition.

“My lord.” Zhou Tingchuan entered the door with guilt. “This subordinate only went downstairs for a moment, who knew they would…”

“Enough.” He flicked his sleeve. “Are the guards at the manor properly arranged?”

“My lord, rest assured. Inside and out, we’ve surrounded the place with three layers of purple-capped guards. No matter what kind of thieves or bandits, they won’t be able to break in.”

Those people weren’t ordinary thieves or bandits.

Shen Qiyuan pondered: “Tell the people in the manor to try not to go out recently.”

“Yes.”

With the major case about to be solved, those watching from the shadows would be unable to restrain themselves. He wanted to see what else they could use to threaten him.

“Achoo!”

Ruyi sat in her canopied treasure carriage and suddenly felt her back tingling with unease.

She looked left and right, muttering in confusion: “The weather is getting colder and colder.”

“This servant has hot soup simmering at the manor. Miss can drink it as soon as she returns,” Jian Deng said beside the carriage.

Return?

Sighing lightly, Ruyi laughed mockingly: “After such an incident, I’m afraid the Grand Preceptor’s Manor won’t be so easy to return to.”

Liu Ruyi had been throwing money at He Zeyou for four years, letting him use her profitable shops rent-free for four years, and had been running to the He family for four years. All of Lin’an knew she was half a daughter-in-law of the He family.

But now, He Zeyou said he wanted to marry Wen Zhenxue.

This news would spread everywhere within two days. By then, with Grand Preceptor Liu’s face-loving personality, he would beat her to death in public, using her blood to wash clean his noble family’s reputation.

Just as she was thinking this, the carriage suddenly turned around.

Ruyi felt it and was about to praise Jian Deng for her quick reaction when she heard her screaming outside: “Miss—”

The carriage suddenly began racing forward madly, the compartment swaying violently.

Ruyi steadied herself against the carriage wall and looked up, sensing that four or five people had landed on the carriage shaft. Shortly after, a masked man lifted the curtain and entered, tapping the low table in front of her with a palm-width blade.

If it were an ordinary woman, seeing such a scene would frighten her to tears.

But Ruyi looked on without feeling it was anything serious, even taking an extra cup from the small drawer and placing it in front of this person, asking with a smile: “Hero, are you seeking wealth or beauty?”

Probably because her reaction was too calm, the masked man was very displeased and said in a rough voice: “Don’t ask too many questions!”

Though he said this, his eyes still swept over Ruyi’s face.

She was a very charming little beauty with delicate features, long eyes containing allure, and a rose-pink, bright satin that wrapped her exquisite figure just right.

He couldn’t help but develop wicked thoughts, swallowing his saliva as he said: “Take off your outer garment.”

Ruyi raised her eyebrows, her slender hand supporting her chin, her eyes full of displeasure: “How crude. Can’t you say a few pleasant words before asking someone to undress?”

When she acted coquettishly, she was extremely beautiful, her eyes lifting at the corners, her cherry lips slightly pursed, both proud and enchanting.

The masked man was stunned, his first reaction being to mutter: “We who roam the jianghu, how could we know how to say pleasant things?”

Ruyi hooked her finger at him.

The masked man hesitated for a moment but still moved over to sit across from her. Just as he was about to say something, he saw this young lady suddenly pull down his face covering.

He was furious, immediately placing the blade at her throat again. The blade was sharp, and just touching it drew blood across her neck.

Ruyi acted as if she hadn’t noticed, not even lowering her head once. She only extended her fair hand past his blade, her index finger slightly curved, hooking up his chin.

“You’re fairly good-looking.” Her eyes sparkled with rippling light as she examined him with interest. “If you won’t say pleasant things, that’s fine too. Sing me a song instead.”

Bright red blood slid down her incredibly fair and tender neck, dripping into the overlapping folds of her clothing. She seemed completely unaware, her clear eyes only reflecting his features, shining brightly.

The masked man stared in a daze.

He had never seen such a young lady—imposing in presence, proud like the moon in the sky, yet not at all hateful.

She praised him for being good-looking.

Touching his face, he couldn’t help but soften his tone: “I don’t know how to sing either.”

“Then compose poetry to rhythm?”

“Don’t know that either.”

“How can you not know anything?” She furrowed her brows and withdrew her hand, a languid look rolling into her eyes.

The masked man inexplicably felt somewhat panicked and hastily said to her: “I can wield a blade, and I can cook too. It’s not that I don’t know anything.”

“Oh?” She said unhurriedly, “What a pity that with these two skills you mention, I won’t live to see them.”

“No, today we’re only kidnapping you to exchange with Shen Qiyuan for something. We won’t take your life.”

His mouth reacted faster than his brain. After saying this sentence, the masked man nearly bit his tongue.

He slapped himself in disbelief.

How could he tell a hostage such things?

But after he spoke, the young lady before him laughed, reaching out to caress his cheek: “Qingqing, who told you that using me could threaten Shen Qiyuan?”

Being called “Qingqing” made him dazed, and he couldn’t help saying: “We’ve been following him for three months. You’re the only woman who could enter his room, and he was the one who arranged to meet you.”

Ruyi: “…”

What was this called—one good turn deserves another? She had just been avoiding trouble, so how did she get dragged into muddy waters?

Shen Qiyuan galloped wildly on horseback along the small path leading to the western suburbs.

Zhou Tingchuan followed with difficulty, unable to help shouting: “My lord, please slow down! The guards are all behind us!”

Paying no attention, he rode like the wind, his lips pressed tightly together.

These people had truly gone mad, actually daring to involve the Grand Preceptor Liu’s manor as well. Kidnapping others would still be manageable, but they specifically kidnapped a woman.

When women fell into the hands of those bandits, how could they have any good end?

Seeing the ruined temple where they were hiding just ahead, Shen Qiyuan reined in his horse, dismounted, and walked in with his sword drawn. After walking only a few steps, a meaty fragrance wafted over.

Some unpleasant associations arose in his mind. He quickly circled the grass pile ahead—

“Fragrant, isn’t it? This is what cooking means. What you made could only be considered barely edible.” Ruyi picked up a piece of meat from the pot and placed it in the masked man’s bowl.

The masked man knelt beside her in a daze, motionless.

Shen Qiyuan’s pupils contracted slightly.

In front of the dilapidated City God Temple, twelve masked corpses lay scattered about. That person wore fine brocade, her jade-white wrists like snow. Hearing the commotion, she raised her head to look at him: “Lord Shen?”

Ruyi smiled: “I thought you wouldn’t come.”

Shen Qiyuan looked at her, then at the person beside her.

“Qingqing, Lord Shen has arrived. I can only hand you over now.” Ruyi patted the masked man’s shoulder. “When there’s time in the future, I’ll cook for you again.”

The masked man turned his face around, his eyes now containing only terror and panic.

He twisted his head to look at Shen Qiyuan, feeling that even this demon king of hell seemed more amiable now, and couldn’t help shouting: “My lord, my lord, save me—”