Qiao Zhao showed a relieved smile. “A bit lucky.”

Hypnosis techniques could utilize nothing more than the practitioner’s voice, gaze, and some rhythmic movements.

Mean-spirited people were mostly greedy for money, so she had smoothly used a small pouch to attract the young woman’s attention, making the young woman meet her eyes.

Of course, the environment when performing hypnosis techniques was also crucial. The dim lighting in the small alley provided her with tremendous convenience.

“You’re not planning to get that little pouch back?”

Qiao Zhao glanced toward the alley and shook her head. “Forget it. It was originally just a small pouch for loose silver coins, plain with no special decorations. I had planned to retrieve it when the woman wasn’t paying attention, but since that boy picked it up, let’s leave it for him to buy a few strings of candied hawthorn.”

When the young woman and man were struggling and fighting, the small pouch had fallen to the ground. At that time, Qiao Zhao saw the boy bend down to pick it up and quietly leave.

From the boy’s behavior, she didn’t think he would let that couple benefit from the pouch.

Physician Li nodded. “That’s fine too. But Zhao girl, you must remember—you’re a young lady. When performing this technique on people in the future, try to use such personal items as little as possible to avoid leaving clues for people to trace afterward.”

“Don’t worry, I understand. Today was my first time performing it, and I wasn’t confident, so I borrowed such small objects. I’ll try to avoid it in the future.”

Grandfather Li’s reminder was right. Such mystical techniques she would not use lightly. The targets she would use them on in the future would certainly not be ordinary people, so naturally, she couldn’t leave such hidden dangers.

“Physician, Miss Li, the General sent this humble officer to say it’s time to go.” Ye Luo walked over.

Qiao Zhao nodded and supported Physician Li’s arm as they walked forward.

Ye Luo followed behind and was suddenly grabbed by Chen Guang.

What?

Ye Luo didn’t speak, raising his eyebrows to express his question.

Chen Guang pulled Ye Luo into a corner and said mysteriously, “I think Miss Li is somewhat strange.”

Ye Luo frowned.

“What’s that expression?” Chen Guang asked, dissatisfied.

Ye Luo said flatly, “As subordinates, talking behind the back about the future general’s wife isn’t very appropriate, is it?”

Chen Guang rolled his eyes hard. “What talking behind backs? I’m discussing this with you, discussing—understand?”

Don’t forget how Miss Li became the future general’s wife—it was all his contribution! Now these bastards keep saying “future general’s wife,” this and that. Taking such ready-made credit, don’t they have any shame?

“So what do you plan to discuss?” Ye Luo asked expressionlessly.

“Just now, there was a man in the alley beating and scolding a child. Miss Li walked over and said a few words, and as a result, the man stopped beating and scolding the child and started beating and scolding his wife instead. Don’t you think that’s strange?” Chen Guang stroked his chin with a puzzled expression. “Miss Li didn’t say anything particularly special either.”

As a subordinate protecting his master, Chen Guang naturally wouldn’t eavesdrop on Qiao Zhao and Physician Li’s quiet conversation. However, when Qiao Zhao went out and interacted with strangers, Chen Guang didn’t dare be careless and needed to pay full attention to Qiao Zhao’s situation, so he remembered clearly what she said at that time.

Precisely because of this, the young guard who didn’t know the cause and effect but only saw the result was completely bewildered.

“Say something!” Chen Guang pushed Ye Luo.

Ye Luo maintained his expressionless appearance. “Nothing to say. Whether it’s strange or not, as long as our General likes it, isn’t that fine?”

Chen Guang was startled, then nodded. “That’s true, too.”

So he didn’t need to report to the General? Ah, this was a troublesome problem.

Magistrate Pang escorted Shao Mingyuan and the others to the dock. Watching everyone board the ship and leave, he finally returned home.

As soon as he returned to the government office, he immediately wrote an urgent report, sealed it with fire wax, and sent it to Xing Wuyang.

“Finally sent those plague gods away.”

Chief Secretary Li smiled obsequiously and cupped his hands. “Congratulations, sir. Having sent away those plague gods, we can sleep peacefully. This humble official said so—once those young masters from the capital finished their business, they definitely wouldn’t want to stay long in our godforsaken place.”

Magistrate Pang glanced at him. “How can you talk like that?”

“This humble official is just happy for you, sir.” Chief Secretary Li smiled on the surface but snorted coldly in his heart.

Can’t even say the jurisdiction is a godforsaken place now? If he thought this place was good, why did he ally with Xing Wuyang’s side so early? When Xing Wuyang points east, Pang Sheng doesn’t dare go west!

Pang Sheng was a county magistrate with a jinshi background. If his performance evaluations were good, he could be transferred elsewhere. Chief Secretary Li, however, would most likely grow old and die in this place, so he harbored resentment about his superior making the Haimen people suffer terribly, worrying that after retirement, he wouldn’t be able to get by in Haimen.

“Alright, we’re happy today. Let’s go to Wanchun Tower for a drink. How could we possibly eat the food from Haimen Ferry Tavern?”

Magistrate Pang called his trusted subordinates to go to Wanchun Tower.

The ship carrying Qiao Zhao and the others gradually moved away from Haimen Ferry. All the women they had previously rescued surrounded one woman who was crying incessantly, wanting to comfort her but not knowing how to begin.

Everyone had already heard the report from the guard who had escorted this woman home. Hearing the woman’s crying now, their faces all looked unwell.

The woman suddenly stood up and rushed out from the circle of women toward the edge of the deck.

The women all cried out in alarm.

“Stop her.” Shao Mingyuan ordered calmly.

The guard closest to the woman leaped up and pulled back the woman, who already had half her body over the railing, bringing her before Shao Mingyuan and the others.

The woman collapsed to the ground, covering her face and crying loudly. “Why did you save me and bring me back? Just let me die! It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, my parents and brothers wouldn’t have lost their lives—”

“Enough!” Xie Shengxiao, who had been silent all along, suddenly shouted coldly.

The woman’s crying stopped abruptly as she looked at Xie Shengxiao through tearful, blurred eyes.

Since it was Xie Shengxiao who had led the women out of the pirates’ den at that time, the women unconsciously depended on her greatly. Seeing her angry now, the woman couldn’t continue crying and silently shook her shoulders.

Xie Shengxiao secretly took a breath and asked coldly, “When I led you to escape from the pirates’ den, encountering so many difficulties and dangers, have you forgotten all that? To speed up the rowing, whose hands weren’t worn raw? Without water to drink, whose lips weren’t cracked beyond recognition? If we hadn’t met Miss Li and the others, didn’t we agree that rather than be captured by the pirates, we’d jump into the sea at the final moment?”

By this point, Xie Shengxiao’s eyes were already filled with tears.

She disdained crying and closed her eyes to suppress the tears, saying hoarsely, “We survived with the determination to die—not so you could seek death now! Your family members suffered misfortune because they went to seek justice from those who forcibly took you away. So you want to seek death to repay them? You’re truly confused!”

Xie Shengxiao’s deafening words finally made the woman stop crying. The despair in her eyes was gradually replaced by determination. She suddenly kowtowed to Qiao Zhao. “Miss Li, please take me in. I want to go to the capital with my sisters and live well.”