Chapter 16: Moving into the Prime Minister's Mansion (2)

Zhuo Qing could sense that the man didn't truly want to stand by and watch her die; otherwise, he could have just ignored her life or death and gone straight to grabbing his target without holding back. But did he really have to use such harsh words for his reverse psychology?

"Hiss—" Zhuo Qing only felt a pain in her neck. Although the cut wasn't deep, blood was still slowly seeping out. A faint, bloody scent drifted into the air. Zhuo Qing gasped; damn it, it hurt!

Damn it! Big brother, do you even know how to negotiate? If you don't, please send a negotiation expert, will you?!

The scent of blood stimulated the bearded man, who had been driven nearly insane by despair. The veins on his forehead bulged one by one, and his bloodshot eyes stared at the man as he shouted, "You forced me! You forced me!" As he yelled, the large blade in his hand swiped toward Zhuo Qing's fair, tender neck—

Oh no, Zhuo Qing's heart tightened. The bearded man's other hand had been gripping her shoulder tightly; Zhuo Qing couldn't move, and seeing the blade edge closing in, she could only wait for death.

Just as the bearded man moved to strike, the man in blue robes slightly raised his phoenix eyes. Seizing the moment the man lifted his hand, a Flying Dagger, thin as a cicada's wing and the size of a leaf, shot out from between the man's fingers. Zhuo Qing only felt a powerful gust of wind sweep across her neck, then a sudden heat, and a smear of fresh blood splashed onto her collarbone.

"Ah!" Following a scream like a slaughtered pig, the large blade in the bearded man's hand fell to the ground, but his other hand still gripped Zhuo Qing tightly.

Damn it!

With the threat of the blade gone, Zhuo Qing seized the opportunity—

Left hand grabs the elbow, right hand grabs the shoulder, plant the feet in a horse stance to lower the center of gravity, drop the right shoulder, twist the waist to the left, exert force vertically downward, throw—

Reciting the Shoulder Throw technique taught by Gu Yun in her heart, Zhuo Qing closed her eyes and used all her strength to throw the bearded man away fiercely.

With a thud, after a beautiful Shoulder Throw, the bearded man only felt his body lighten, the world spinning, and inexplicably he was thrown to the ground, his back slamming hard against the bluestone road, causing him immense pain.

Zhuo Qing didn't fare much better; from the desperate exertion just now, she seemed to have sprained her waist, and she winced in pain. Having finally escaped the restraint, she endured the ache and stumbled toward the man in blue robes.

The man shrugged his shoulders, shook his head gently, and with an affected, overly exaggerated expression, muttered with a clicking sound: "The Jianghu is treacherous, the Jianghu is treacherous indeed!"

Goodness, no wonder the old man said the most dangerous and terrifying thing in the Jianghu is a woman! With her small frame and thin arms and legs, she actually managed to throw a man nearly twice as sturdy as her; the old man was truly insightful!

This person could be even more affected! Zhuo Qing gave him a fierce glare.

At this moment, the bearded man on the ground also struggled to crawl up and ran away in a sorry state, leaving a thin trail of blood on the ground, showing that the Flying Dagger just now had hit a vital spot.

"Want to run!" The man in blue robes shouted, unhooked a piece of Hemp Rope as thick as a thumb from his waist, made a loop, easily snared the bearded man, and with a hard tug, knocked him to the ground again. Perhaps because the injury was too severe, the bearded man groaned on the ground and could no longer crawl up.

Tying the other end of the rope to his own waist, the man in blue smiled triumphantly: "Let's see where you run to this time!" He was worth five hundred taels! After chasing him for three months, if the person ran away, this business would be a huge loss.

Leading the bearded man back, the man saw Zhuo Qing still leaning against the stone wall, gasping for breath with a terrible complexion. Walking to her side, the man asked sheepishly: "Hey, are you alright?"

"I'm not." Rubbing the waist muscles that were still cramping, Zhuo Qing was sweating profusely from the pain. Her face was unusually pale, and the bloodstain on her neck was particularly striking.

After all, she was a woman, and she had been injured because of him; he had at least some responsibility, he couldn't just leave her alone, right?! Finding countless reasons to convince himself, the man seemed to have made a monumental decision, carefully took out a small bottle from his chest, turned his back to fiddle with it for a long time before turning around and saying: "Here, for you."

Zhuo Qing looked up. The man grabbed her hand and placed a black Medicine Pill the size of a peanut into her palm, looking very reluctant.

Zhuo Qing was puzzled: "What is this?"

The man replied with great enthusiasm: "Let me tell you, this is a miraculous medicine for stopping bleeding, resolving stasis, calming the nerves, and detoxifying! Eat it quickly."

"Miraculous medicine?" Zhuo Qing looked down at the pitch-black pill in her hand that also emitted a strange odor. This thing looked like a knock-off product, didn't it?! She wasn't going to eat this stuff.

Zhuo Qing looked at it with disdain. The man became annoyed, reaching out to snatch it back while scolding: "Give it back if you won't eat it. If it weren't for the fact that you're a young girl, I wouldn't have given it to you anyway, you ungrateful thing! Just this one pill is worth fifty taels of silver!"

Although she would absolutely never eat it, seeing the man's money-grubbing nature, Zhuo Qing suddenly clenched her palm and hid it behind her back. The man tried to step forward, but Zhuo Qing raised a wicked, mischievous smile and tossed it away. Following her arguably beautiful gesture, the Medicine Pill disappeared into the rubble.

She, she, she actually threw it away?! The man stared at Zhuo Qing, his young face full of heartache. Fifty taels of silver! Fifty taels! I knew I shouldn't be a good person.

Her complexion was no longer so pale, and other than the blood from the blade cut on her neck, she was fine. She still had the energy to bicker with him; he shouldn't have been a busybody and helped her at all.

Walking back to the bearded man, he gave him two fierce kicks as if venting his anger. The man then pulled the bearded man along, whistling as he walked out of the alley, not looking at Zhuo Qing again.

This person was truly interesting. Slowly opening her other hand, the pitch-black Medicine Pill was still in her palm; she had switched it the moment she turned her back. Stuffing the Medicine Pill into a hidden pocket in her waistband, Zhuo Qing looked back at that swaying figure and asked loudly: "Hey, what's your name?"

"Qian Jing—" In the winding alley, the man's shout drifted over from afar.

"Money Essence?!" Zhuo Qing was stunned, black lines covering her head. How much could one love money!

Thinking of how he had money on his lips every word just now, Zhuo Qing had to admire that his parents were indeed far-sighted.

Sitting in the corner for a long while, she finally regained her strength. Supporting herself against the stone wall, Zhuo Qing walked slowly through the alley. However, after walking for only a moment, her waist began to ache faintly again. Leaning against the stone wall, Zhuo Qing gave a bitter smile; was she too unlucky? Having lived for over twenty years, these past two days were the most exciting!

Holding her waist, Zhuo Qing moved step by step toward the alley entrance. Suddenly, a pure black carriage appeared in the narrow alley. The wide carriage body almost blocked the road completely. The low-key yet exquisite carriage shed and the pitch-black, tall, spirited horse all indicated the value of this carriage.

Zhuo Qing looked around; there was no coachman and no one else in sight. Anyway, the carriage was blocking the road and she couldn't get past, and her waist hurt terribly. Zhuo Qing decided to rest in the carriage for a while, stretch her waist, and leave once she felt a bit better.

Once decided, Zhuo Qing acted immediately. She lifted her long skirt to her waist, grabbed the carriage frame with one hand, supported herself on the carriage shaft with the other, pushed off with her feet, and after much difficulty, Zhuo Qing climbed up. Lifting the cloth curtain, Zhuo Qing squeezed in and immediately bumped into a pair of smiling eyes.

There was actually someone in the carriage? Seeing the person's appearance clearly, Zhuo Qing regretted it so much her guts turned green!

Those narrow eyes that she already found displeasing were flashing with a mocking light, and the raised corners of his lips were even more annoying!

(End of Chapter)