Chapter 139 Spirits

The original buzzing sounds of chatting, finger-guessing games, and bragging were all gone.

All heads, whether they were drinkers, waiters, the flirtatious Hu Ji, or the dozing rough man, turned in unison, their gazes focused on Xie Wuqi and Luo Zhaohan.

Xie Wuqi's scalp was tingling and his face was burning under the hundreds of gazes.

He cursed Luo Zhaohan, the crazy girl, a hundred times in his heart, but the show had to go on. Gritting his teeth, he recalled the jerk-like behavior of those dandy boys in the capital, stiffened his neck, and raised his voice, trying to drown her out:

"You...what nonsense are you talking about! Who cheated you out of your money? It's obviously you who's been pestering me! Let go!"

The acting is a bit exaggerated, but combined with the embarrassed and angry expression, it does look quite realistic.

"I'm talking nonsense?" Luo Zhaohan's acting skills exploded, tears came and went in his eyes, neither of them falling nor stopping. Seeing this, the rough guys around him felt sympathy for him.

"What did you say to me back then? You said I'd take me in as your concubine if I took care of that business for you! Now that you've got the money, you want to run away? No way! Everyone, please judge! There's no way in the world that this is right!"

While she was crying, she secretly exerted force and pinched the inside of Xie Wuqi's arm hard.

"Hiss—" Xie Wuqi gasped in pain. This time, his rage was truly overwhelming, and he didn't care about acting anymore. "You crazy woman! Let go!"

He swung his arms violently, seemingly trying to break free from Luo Zhaohan, but in fact, he quietly hooked his foot onto the wobbly wooden table leg next to him and pulled it hard!

"Clatter-clatter!"

The table fell over with a thud, and the wine bowls and plates on it fell to the ground, with fragments scattering everywhere and wine spilling everywhere.

This time, it was like dropping a drop of water into a pot of boiling oil, and it exploded instantly!

"Ouch!"

"My wine!"

"You can argue, but what are you smashing?"

The tavern was suddenly in chaos.

The drinkers who were nearby jumped away hurriedly to avoid the debris, and some of the bad-tempered ones stood up cursing.

The shopkeeper stamped his feet anxiously behind the counter: "My dear guests! Let's talk it over! Don't destroy my shop!"

In the chaos, Xie Wuqi glanced quickly out of the corner of his eye.

The guy who was wiping the table had his hand on his lower back. The rough man who was napping at the door stood up straight with sharp eyes. The girl Hu Ji on the second floor stopped winking at him and stared downstairs with a frown.

But they were obviously a little confused by this sudden farce, and hesitated for a moment, as if trying to determine whether this was a real accident or a deliberate trap.

Now is the time!

"You unreasonable shrew! I have nothing to say to you!" Xie Wuqi yelled, pushed Luo Zhaohan away, turned around and rushed towards the backyard.

"Stop right there! Xie Wuqi, you bastard! Don't run!" Luo Zhaohan screamed and pretended to chase him, but he was tripped by a bench that fell to the ground. He stumbled and bumped into the guy who was touching his lower back.

"Oh my!" She screamed, waving her hands and feet in a panic, grabbing the clerk's arm and practically hanging on him. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! Big brother, please help me stop that bastard! He cheated me out of all my dowry money!"

The guy was entangled by her and couldn't get away for a while. A trace of anxiety flashed across his face, but he didn't want to use force against such a "crying woman" on the spot, so he could only deal with it reluctantly.

Seeing this, the rude man at the door shouted, "Stop that kid!" and tried to chase Xie Wuqi with big strides.

But how could Luo Zhaohan let him have his way? She pulled the guy's arm, as if she couldn't stand steadily, and staggered a step towards the ruffian, just blocking his way.

"Brother! Please help me! I beg you!" She cried even louder.

During this delay, Xie Wuqi had already rushed into the narrow door leading to the backyard.

As expected, there were a lot of debris and empty barrels piled up in the backyard. His heart was pounding, and his eyes searched quickly, and he immediately found the largest oak barrel in the corner.

He rushed over and struggled to open it slightly. He didn't care about the smell inside and got in using his hands and feet. Then he carefully pulled down the lid, leaving only a tiny gap for air to pass through.

The space inside the barrel was cramped and filled with a strong and pungent smell of residual wine and moldy wood, which made him dizzy.

He curled up his body, not daring to breathe, and listened nervously to the noise outside with his ears perked up.

The chaos in the tavern continued. The roars of men, the screams of women, the wails of the shopkeeper, and the sounds of broken cups and plates intertwined, making it as lively as a vegetable market.

There were sounds of footsteps and someone rushed into the backyard.

"Where are the people? Where did they go?" a hoarse voice roared. It was the rude man.

"Search! He must be hiding! There are people guarding the front and back doors, he can't run far!" Another gloomy voice sounded, like the guy who was wiping the table.

Then came the clanging sounds of someone rummaging through miscellaneous items, and footsteps moving back and forth near the wine barrels.

Xie Wuqi's heart was in his throat. He clenched the short blade tightly in his hand, his palms sweating. If he was discovered, he would be trapped in this small space.

At this moment, Luo Zhaohan's voice rose higher and higher from the front hall, drowning out all the noise: "What are you doing? Let me go! I'm going to find that heartless man! Are you in cahoots with him? Officials and businessmen are colluding to bully a weak woman like me! Is there still any law? I'm going to sue the authorities!"

Her ability to make trouble and turn the tables has reached the pinnacle, and she has only made the situation more muddy.

The two people searching in the backyard seemed to pause for a moment.

"Where did this crazy woman come from!" the brute cursed.

"Don't worry about her! The important thing is to find the target first!" urged the gloomy man.

But obviously, Luo Zhaohan succeeded in making them even more distracted, and the search became less detailed.

The footsteps gradually faded away, as if going to another corner of the yard.

Xie Wuqi held his breath and saw through the tiny gap that the two men's boots moved away from the edge of the barrel. The opportunity was fleeting!

He no longer hesitated, and suddenly pushed open the lid of the barrel. He crawled out as quietly as a civet cat, and landed on the ground with almost no sound.

Crouching down, he took cover from the shadows of the debris and quickly rushed to the wall.

As Luo Zhaohan had said, the backyard wall wasn't very high. He took two steps back, took a running start, tapped his toes on the rough earthen wall, grabbed the top with both hands, and swiftly climbed up!

Lying on the wall, he looked back at the tavern for the last time.

At the door leading to the backyard, a figure swayed, and Luo Zhaohan's conspicuous dress flashed by. It seemed that someone was pulling her, but her powerful shouting was still clearly audible.

"Xie Wuqi! Just wait for me--ah!" The voice seemed to be muffled, but soon turned into unclear whimpering and struggling sounds.

Xie Wuqi's heart tightened, knowing he couldn't delay any longer. He gritted his teeth, turned over, and jumped off the wall.

Outside the wall was a narrow, dark back street, deserted.

After landing, he did not stop, but identified a direction and ran with all his strength.

The night wind blew past his ears, bringing a hint of coolness, but it could not blow away the anxiety and worry in his heart.

He couldn't let her down and must send the information out immediately!

He shuttled through the maze-like alleys, choosing to walk in dark and deserted places. After going around in circles several times and confirming that no one was following him, he rushed towards the secret contact point outside the city.

As he ran, Luo Zhaohan's smiling face, which was obviously scared but forced to remain calm, kept flashing before his eyes.

"Don't let anything happen..." He murmured softly, and his pace increased a bit. "Luo Zhaohan, you'd better keep your word, otherwise I will never forgive you for the rest of my life!"

At this moment, order has gradually returned to the tavern, but the atmosphere has become more weird and tense.

A murder plot against Xie Wuqi was turned upside down by an unexpected woman.

The troublemaker herself was currently surrounded by several unfriendly-looking "guys", but there was not much fear on her face. Instead, there was a hint of pride in her eyes after her plan succeeded.

But amidst this pride, there is inevitably a hint of worry about one's own situation.

She knew that the real trouble had just begun, but she believed that as long as Xie Wuqi escaped successfully, she would always be able to find a way to deal with it.

After all, she is the eldest daughter of General Fuyuan's Mansion. This title is sometimes quite useful, right?

…

Luo Zhaohan was really rude that time. His fingers were like iron pliers, pinching Liu Yueli's slender wrist so hard that it hurt. His strength was not at all like that of a pampered young lady.

Liu Yueli hissed in pain, and the weak and pitiful expression on her face almost froze. A trace of panic and resentment flashed across her eyes, but was quickly covered by watery grievances.

"Sister Zhaohan..." Liu Yueli's voice trembled as she tried to break free, but her strength was like a kitten scratching its itch in front of Luo Zhaohan. "What are you doing? Let me go, it hurts..."

"Does it hurt?" Luo Zhaohan sneered. Instead of letting go, he added a little more strength and pulled her closer to him. The two of them were almost face to face.

The smile on Luo Zhaohan's face was icy, and there was no warmth in his eyes. "This is just the beginning, my dear sister Yueli. Compared to your backstabbing, this little pain is nothing."

These words were spoken so bluntly and directly, like a slap in the face to Liu Yueli.

There were still a few guests who had not had time to disperse, as well as the waiters in the tavern, all staring at this sudden scene with wide eyes.

Wow, this pub is really lively today. Just after a "heartless man" left, here comes a "falling out" drama between a pair of sisters?

Liu Yueli's face turned red and white, and tears fell without warning, crying like a pear blossom in the rain: "Sister, how could you wrong me like this? When did I ever hurt you? There must be some misunderstanding. We grew up together, and I treat you like my own sister. How could it be..."

"Stop!" Luo Zhaohan interrupted her impatiently, scratching her ears with her free hand, with an expression that said, "I'm tired of hearing this." "Liu Yueli, there's no one else here, who are you acting for? Put away your tears and snot, I'm not one of those stupid men who get fooled by your tears."

Her gaze was like a knife, scanning Liu Yueli up and down. "You're dressed like a white lotus, and you came to this deserted tavern on the border just to run into me? Are you kidding me? You failed to set a trap for your father in the capital, and you also failed to persuade that idiot Third Prince to frame my father. Now you're up to something bad, ready to do it yourself and set a trap for me here?"

Luo Zhaohan's words simply exposed Liu Yueli's past, and every word hit her right in the heart.

Liu Yueli's expression really changed now. She even forgot to pretend to cry. Her eyes were full of fierceness. She obviously didn't expect Luo Zhaohan to know so much, and dared to tear her face in front of her like this!

This lunatic! How dare she?

"You... you're slandering me!" Liu Yueli retorted sharply, her voice distorted by agitation. "Luo Zhaohan! Stop your lies and slandering my innocence! I was just here with my family's caravan to buy some local specialties. I happened to stop by to rest, and who would have thought I'd run into you! You come right up and humiliate me like this? Are you relying on the power of the General's Mansion to bully us, the daughters of merchants?"

She would turn the tables, instantly putting herself in the position of the weak, and trying to stir up the natural dissatisfaction of the people around her towards the powerful.

Sure enough, some people nearby started whispering, and there was something wrong with the way they looked at Luo Zhaohan.

Luo Zhaohan, however, wasn't buying it at all. She laughed out loud twice, her voice clear and full of sarcasm. "Caravan? Buying local specialties? Liu Yueli, are you kidding a three-year-old? Your Liu family is engaged in the imperial business. Silks, satins, jewelry, spices, which one of them isn't top-notch? Do you, a legitimate daughter, need to come to this small border town that has just been cleared of war to buy these crude kumis and furs? Do you think I'm stupid, or do you think you're too clever?"

She grabbed Liu Yueli's wrist and dragged her to the corner of the tavern.

Liu Yueli was wearing a dress and staggering, unable to struggle.

"Come on, come on, since we've already met, let's not talk about whether it's a coincidence or not." Luo Zhaohan forced her to sit down at a relatively intact table, and he sat across from her with a dagger in his hand, his hand welded to her wrist, not letting go. "Sister, I'm in a good mood today, let's just catch up! Boss! Bring me a pot of the strongest Shaodaozi to calm my dear sister down!"

The shopkeeper had a bitter face and dared not say no, so he quickly asked the waiter to bring a pot of liquor.

Luo Zhaohan poured a bowl for himself and Liu Yueli respectively. The smell of alcohol made Liu Yueli frown and subconsciously wanted to shrink back.

"Why are you hiding?" Luo Zhaohan shoved the wine bowl in front of her. "Weren't you quite talkative just now? Drink! Drink and talk! Tell me, how did you know I'd come here? And how are you going to treat me?"

Liu Yueli looked at the bowl of turbid and strong Shaodaozi in front of her, and her stomach churned.

She forced herself to remain calm and forced a smile: "Sister, you must be joking. How could I know your whereabouts? This wine is too strong. I can't drink it..."

"Not used to it?" Luo Zhaohan raised an eyebrow, picked up his own bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped down a few mouthfuls. Then he slammed the empty bowl on the table and looked at Liu Yueli calmly, "Are you used to it now? Or do you need me to help you drink it?"

The threat in her eyes was too obvious. Liu Yueli had no doubt that if she didn't drink, Luo Zhaohan would definitely do something as shameless as pinching her nose and forcing her to drink!

This savage woman! A shrew!