Chapter 186 Danger

Lou Yue, still holding a spatula, trembled with anger: "Sheng Dahe, that brute, how could he do this!"

The messenger, upon hearing Lou Yue curse, glared fiercely and said, "Say it again!"

"We cursed him! He's not just a brute, he's utterly stupid! My young lady cleaned up his mess, and he's not even grateful. Humph, if we weren't afraid of getting involved, we wouldn't bother with him. It would be better if he got completely sold out and dragged to the market to be beheaded in the street!"

"You're asking for death!" The man drew his knife and was about to slash at Lou Yue.

Lou Yue had at least practiced with Lin Qiao and Nie Yun for a few days, so she raised the spatula to block the knife and wasn't afraid to go against him.

With a clang, a crisp metallic sound rang out.

Lou Yue's spatula broke.

Lou Yue's eyes widened, and before she could react, the man was about to strike with his second blade. Lou Yue couldn't dodge in time and seemed to have no choice but to take the blow head-on. Suddenly, a sword deflected the man's blade.

The clanging of weapons rang out, and a flurry of sword flashes filled the air.

Old Yu was so frightened that he hid by the door trembling, but he didn't run out to report it to the authorities.

Qingling watched coldly from the side until Nie Yun's sword was pressed against the man's throat, at which point Qingling spoke up: "Don't kill him."

She didn't stop Nie Yun from taking action, not to escalate the conflict, but to let Sheng Dahe know not to threaten him with a knife so easily.

They are partners. If he uses force, she will no longer be at his mercy as before!

Qingling said, "Tie his hands."

Lou Yue quickly went to find a rope and tied the man up tightly.

"Miss, what should we do next?"

Go get a chair.

"Huh?" Lou Yue hadn't recovered from the shock yet. She looked at the plum blossom pavilion in the corner of the courtyard. Wasn't there a place to sit there?

Qingling looked at her indifferently. Xia Chan brought over a grand chair and laid a soft cushion on it.

Qingling sat down and said, "You two take him to the dock and invite Sheng Dahe over to me."

Lou Yue and Xia Chan exchanged a glance.

Nie Yun was there to protect the young lady, so she couldn't be asked to accompany her. But if it were just the two of them facing Sheng Dahe... They weren't afraid before, but seeing the ruthlessness of these brutes who were about to draw their knives, they were starting to feel uneasy.

Qingling noticed the two girls' hesitation and said, "It's alright for you two to go this time; Sheng Dahe will know."

She glanced at the bound brute.

Lou Yue and Xia Chan didn't know why Yao Qingling was so certain, but since their young lady had said so, they followed suit.

The two men led the bound man to the dock.

Qingling sat in the courtyard and asked a servant to bring over a charcoal stove.

Lou Yue wasn't there, so she asked Nie Yun, "Do you know how to make grilled fish?"

Nie Yun: "..."

She had just begun to understand what the general had taken a liking to her, but now she couldn't figure it out.

Does she like eating?

"...I know you're from the south, near the sea. There's a saying, 'Those who live by the mountains eat from the mountains, those who live by the sea eat from the sea.' You must be very good at cooking fish. Do you slice it raw or grill it? I've read in my notes how the locals cook fish. They skin and debone the live fish, then slice it into thin slices. The book says they're as thin as cicada wings, translucent, and their fat is like jade; the dipping sauce is absolutely exquisite. Your swordsmanship is excellent, so your knife skills must be excellent too... The fish tail is called 'swishing water,' a nice name for this dish, really good..."

Nie Yun remained silent, but Yao Qingling kept talking incessantly.

Nie Yun: "..."

The general doesn't talk much, so how did he put up with her chatter?

Nie Yun couldn't take it anymore and got up to go to the kitchen.

In less than half an hour, she came back carrying a carp that had already been butchered.

The fish were skewered with sharpened willow branches and grilled on the stove.

Qingling stopped talking and just stared intently at the fish.

After a long while, Qingling finally spoke: "Aren't you going to add some spices or something? The book says there's a kind of herb called lemongrass, which removes fishy smells and enhances freshness, making the cooked meat incredibly delicious."

Nie Yun: "Do you have lemongrass here?"

Yao Qingling: "No."

A slight thought crossed her mind.

Yes, there aren't many spices in the capital. If the large ships went further south and transported spices from the south to the capital, wouldn't they be able to make a fortune?

Just as the two-pound carp was cooked, Lou Yuexia returned.

Accompanying the two of them were Sheng Dahe and his gang of brothers.

There were about ten people.

It filled the yard in one go.

Qingling, however, sat in a chair, slowly munching on the grilled fish.

Sheng Dahe: "..."

This woman was quite calm; even though she was about to die, she was still eating.

That's fine. We'll send her on her way later so she won't starve to death.

The man stepped forward with his hands behind his back, his sinister eyes fixed on her: "Madam Yao, is it delicious?"

What he really meant was, "Would it taste good to eat steamed buns soaked in the blood of those who killed him? Could you stomach it?"

Qingling glanced at him indifferently and said, "Whether it's good or not, you'll know once you go in and take a bite."

She stood up, holding a willow branch with half a fish still hanging precariously from it.

She let out a burp.

Sheng Dahe's temples throbbed with rage, and he wished he could kill Yao Qingling right now.

"Yao Qingling!" he shouted, stopping the woman who was walking inside. "How could you do this to me!"

His rough voice almost pierced the sky.

Yao Qingling glanced around and said speechlessly, "If I shout so loudly, the neighbors will think I've done something shameful."

That's not quite right either; she was indeed doing something shameful.

She glanced at Sheng Dahe, casually tossed the fish aside, and picked up the dagger lying nearby.

She stepped forward.

Sheng Dahe was on high alert and instantly drew his sword, the tip of which was pressed against Yao Qingling's chest.

"Miss!" Lou Yue cried out. Xia Chan gripped her wrist tightly, preventing her from rushing forward, but her eyes were fixed on the tip of the knife.

The gleaming broadsword, if it were just half an inch closer, would draw blood!

Nie Yun stared coldly at the burly man.

Cooperating with bandits is like asking a tiger for its skin; they should be killed on the spot!

Yao Qingling didn't even blink.

Her dagger pressed against the knife, slowly moving downwards until it was pressed against her stomach.

Lou Yue was nearly scared to death, and Xia Chan could no longer remain calm. She couldn't help but step forward to stop her: "Miss, please don't—"

Yao Qingling's cold, emotionless voice rang out: "Sheng Dahe, do you hate me for killing your brother and sacrificing someone else to rise to power?"

"I have a child here. If you want to vent your anger and avenge your brothers, then stab him here. Two lives lost, is that enough to compensate you?"

Sheng Dahe gripped the hilt of his knife tightly: "Yao Qingling, don't think I wouldn't dare! I've fallen for your tricks. What 'righteous path'? Bullshit! You're just slowly cutting flesh with a knife, first dividing us up, then tricking us into coming down the mountain. You swindled our money, then coaxed us to our deaths, fulfilling your two scoundrels' desire for wealth and glory!"

"Bah! Back then, when Lin Shiyuan wanted to become an official, you wouldn't let me kill him. Actually, you've always been in cahoots! The person you wanted to kill was me!"

Sheng Dahe's eyes reddened, while Yao Qingling frowned in pain.

She looked down and saw that the fabric near her stomach was gradually seeping red.

She looked up at Sheng Dahe, gritted her teeth, and said, "If that's really what you think, do you think you can make it ashore alive?"

"If I wanted to kill you, I would simply set up my men at the dock and strike before you knew it. You would have no chance of surviving."

"And your messenger, I only need to have him thrown into a mass grave, there's no need to have two maids send him back to you!"