Meanwhile, Wang Er, Ma Wu, and Zhao Liu left the palace with the silver notes in their pockets.

First, they each bought a set of ready-made clothes, looking quite presentable; then they went up to Binxianglou Restaurant, ordered a table full of fine wine and meat, and ate and drank to their hearts' content.

Wang Er shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brothers, do you know what happened in the palace today...?"

Before he could even leave the palace, Wang Er's neck was grabbed by Wu Shang.

A piece of fatty meat on Ma Wu's chopsticks fell onto the table with a "thud," and Zhao Liu spilled the wine from his cup all over himself.

"Those who don't want to die, come with me!"

Ignoring their fear and the curious stares of those around them, Wu Shang released Wang Er and used his gaze to coerce them into getting up.

Wang Er and the other two followed Wu Shang out of Binxiang Tower, their legs trembling. They boarded an inconspicuous carriage and, after a long while, mustered their courage before asking tremblingly, "Master, you're not going to take us away to silence us, are you?"

"Tch," Wu Shang glanced at the three cowards with the look of someone looking at idiots: "Do I need to kill you? I can just send a lowly soldier."

"Yes, yes, yes, a man like you, sir, would naturally not bother killing lowly commoners like us." Upon hearing that he wouldn't die, Wang Er immediately bowed and scraped, flattering him profusely. Finally, he asked, "Then, sir, where are you taking us?"

"I'm taking you to save your lives. Don't you know who you've offended?" Wu Shang glanced at the three of them sideways.

The three of them recalled what had happened in the palace, and their faces turned pale as they fell silent.

Wu Shang continued his threats and intimidation: "You guys are really something else! Big shots inside and outside the palace are looking for you, and you still dare to wander around outside. Luckily, I found you first, otherwise you'd probably be locked up in some dungeon right now, skinned alive, pulled out of your bones, and boiled in oil!"

"What, what do you mean, that female knight..." Ma Wu was so frightened that his mind went blank.

"What do you mean? The Sixth Princess is the Emperor's most beloved little princess, and the Ninth Prince is someone even the Emperor fears. You've offended both of them in one go, and you're asking others what they say?" Wu Shang raised his chin arrogantly: "It was that heroine who asked me to protect your lives. Otherwise, as someone who makes a fortune every day, how could I have time to deal with you little rascals?"

The three of them realized the seriousness of the situation after hearing this, and were so frightened that their calves cramped.

The carriage traveled over mountains and valleys, and stopped at a remote and deserted mountain manor.

Wu Shang led the way out of the car, pointed to the plaque at the gate of the courtyard and said, "You all stay here and do odd jobs, like carrying coffins, etc., and hide for three to five years. Once this is over, someone will come to pick you up and take you away."

Wang Er, Ma Wu, and Zhao Liu got out of the car, looked up at the plaque above the courtyard gate, and immediately knelt down.

On the pitch-black plaque, the stark white characters clearly read: Charity Estate.

That damned Lai Da, why did he have to drag them to sleep with those beautiful women?

They haven't even seen a glimpse of the beautiful woman, and now they have to sleep with a dead man for the next three to five years!

Three to five years? That's absolutely outrageous!

Before the wailing could even begin, they all suddenly stopped, their faces contorted in shock, staring blankly at each other like idiots.

A woman dressed in white mourning clothes walked out from the dark and gloomy door of the mortuary.

The woman wore no makeup, and although her features were not particularly beautiful, her clean and serene appearance possessed a purity and elegance that worldly women lacked. This made the three thugs, who were used to mingling in the streets, feel that she was the legendary fairy in the painting, unattainable and inviolable.