“Sir, what is the meaning of this?”
As the two men slowly approached and stopped in front of them, Wan Qing, while soothing Hong Lian, turned her head and asked calmly.
“We don’t wish to trouble you, miss. Just hand over the Wan Chuang Ling—the miraculous healing elixir you acquired at Linglong Pavilion the other day—and we’ll leave you be,” the burly man in front said, his thick brows fixed on her.
“That’s right. If you give us the medicine, we brothers won’t cause you any trouble,” the younger man chimed in.
“Oh, so you’re here for the medicine. But with such an attitude, what if I refuse?”
Hearing him mention Linglong Pavilion, Wan Qing, under the dim moonlight, suddenly recognized the burly man as the one who had fiercely competed with her for the Wan Chuang Ling during the auction. She recalled his tense, determined demeanor back then.
Truth be told, the Wan Chuang Ling was of little use to her. Had they asked politely, she might have even been in a good enough mood to give it to them. But their forceful approach was unmistakable.
Wan Qing nodded faintly in understanding, a slight smile playing on her delicate lips as she posed her question.
Her words caused the two men to stiffen slightly.
“In that case, we have no choice but to offend,” the burly man remained silent, but the younger one behind him lunged toward Wan Qing and Hong Lian.
“You think you can force me to hand over the medicine? If you dare move even an inch, the poison on my silver needle will rot your muscles and kill you within moments. Go ahead—try me.”
Exchanging a glance with Hong Lian, Wan Qing swiftly dodged while flicking a silver needle from her hand, striking the young man’s pressure point and pressing the needle against his throat. Her voice was icy as she issued her warning.
“You—” The young man hadn’t expected these seemingly delicate women to be so skilled. Frozen in place and staring at the gleaming needle inches from his throat, he dared not move another muscle.
“Miss, please calm your anger. Someone in our group is gravely injured and urgently needs this medicine. If we’ve offended you, we sincerely apologize. Please, let’s talk this over calmly,” the burly man said hastily. He had hesitated to intervene when his companion attacked, but now, seeing him subdued and at the mercy of the women’s needles, he could only offer repeated apologies, his tone pleading as he observed his subordinate’s terrified expression.
“Calm? If you were walking peacefully and suddenly got ambushed for your belongings, then attacked when you refused—would you stay calm? I’m not some benevolent saint. Your people’s injuries are none of my concern. And with your attitude, even if I were inclined to give away the medicine I paid a fortune for, I wouldn’t now.”
Wan Qing let out a mocking laugh at the burly man’s words, her prideful demeanor making her disdain for their actions clear.
“…Miss, we were wrong about the medicine. Please, release my man…”
The burly man hadn’t anticipated her being so formidable. Though he briefly considered rescuing his subordinate by force, their skill made him swallow his pride and plead instead.
“You block my path, nearly harm me, and now expect me to let him go? Do you think I’m some pushover you can bully at will? Fine—I’ll release him if you cut off one of your arms. Otherwise, I’ll have to remove his.”
Wan Qing simply wanted to return and rest to regain her strength. These men had tried to strong-arm her for the medicine, failed, and now demanded she release their companion.
Since when had Mu Wan Qing ever allowed herself to be truly bullied? Her cold smile deepened as she laid out her terms.
“Miss, he doesn’t seem like a bad person. Perhaps we could…”
Hong Lian, surprised by her mistress’s severity, glanced at the burly man’s conflicted expression and tried to intercede gently.
“Whose side are you on? I’m already injured and just want to rest and recover. Yet they attacked us outright. If we weren’t skilled, would we even be standing here bargaining with them? Those who provoke me must pay the price—especially those who dare target me. Make your choice. I’ll count to three. If you don’t act, I’ll remove his arm for you. One… two…”
At Hong Lian’s words, Wan Qing’s face turned frosty. She silenced her maid with a sharp reprimand, then turned back to the burly man and began counting firmly.
“I’ll do it… Just swear you’ll release him once I cut off my arm.”
As Wan Qing’s “two” hung in the air, the burly man lifted his head resolutely. Gripping his sword, he took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and swung it toward his left arm.
“No—!” The young man, unable to move, cried out in horror at his leader’s sacrifice.
Just as everyone braced for the gruesome sight, the burly man’s sword froze mid-swing, mere inches from his arm.
“You—” The sudden halt left the burly man, the young man, and even Hong Lian staring at Wan Qing in confusion.
“Since you care for your subordinate, I’ll grant you this mercy. Go. Hong Lian, let’s leave.”
Wan Qing calmly withdrew her silver needle. The burly man’s arm slowly lowered, and the young man gradually regained his mobility. With a final dismissive glance, she turned and walked away with Hong Lian.
“Boss, the medicine…” Watching her depart, the two men exchanged bewildered looks. The young man, snapping out of his daze first, thought of their urgent need for the elixir and turned to his leader in reminder.
“We’re no match for them. That girl may seem frail, but her skills are unnaturally unpredictable. Her red-clad companion is no slouch either. If we pursue them and anger her further, we’ll lose more than just the medicine—our lives will be forfeit. We’ll have to find another way. What a pity.”
The burly man stopped his companion’s impulsive suggestion, sighing deeply as he watched Wan Qing’s retreating figure. The thought of their failing mission weighed heavily on him.
“Boss, what if we steal it from Linglong Pavilion? Who knows how long our master can hold on…”
The young man hesitated, then proposed desperately.
“We’ve tried Linglong Pavilion before—their medicine vault is impenetrable. Let’s gather what herbs we can and report back to the master. He’ll decide our next move.”
The burly man rejected the idea with a resigned shake of his head. Leading the way, he headed toward a nearby pharmacy that was still open.
“Mrs. Niu, here for more medicine?”
As they entered, they saw a woman stepping inside ahead of them. The shopkeeper greeted her warmly—it was the same Mrs. Niu whom Wan Qing had treated earlier.
“Yes, thanks to that miraculous healer, my Da Mao is recovering well. A few more doses, and he’ll be fully healed.”
The woman pulled out a cloth bundle from her sleeve, carefully counting out some copper coins to hand to the shopkeeper.
“Indeed! Last time, he could barely move, coughing and wheezing nonstop. Today, I saw him playing outside and nearly couldn’t believe it. Here’s your medicine, Mrs. Niu.”
The shopkeeper accepted the payment, checked her prescription, and began preparing the herbs as he spoke. Once wrapped, he handed them over.
“Thank you, shopkeeper. Take care.” Mrs. Niu accepted the medicine gratefully and left.
“Shopkeeper, may I ask—who is this Da Mao that the lady mentioned…?”
The burly man and the young man had initially planned to wait their turn for some basic herbs. But overhearing the conversation, they approached the counter after Mrs. Niu left. The young man smiled ingratiatingly, curiosity lacing his tone.
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