Chapter 191 Deception
The dim light of the evening poured into the carriage, illuminating the tragic situation of the unconscious master and servant inside. Jiang Qingning was lying in the carriage with his hair loose and his face pale.
She vaguely felt that there were two people standing outside the curtain, and the two figures were cast in the carriage by the setting sun.
One is Zhu Xi, who disguised himself as a coachman, was extremely indifferent along the way, and now reached out to lift the curtain of the carriage.
The other one was Xun Chen, who was wearing a navy blue brocade robe and had a frown on his face, as if he was troubled by trivial matters.
Xun Chen's gaze fell on Jiang Qingning, who lay unconscious in the carriage. His expression suddenly turned ugly, and he turned his head abruptly and growled at the person beside him, "Zhu Xi, who told you to knock him out? I just asked you to invite him over!"
Zhu Xi was stunned for a moment, looking at the two unconscious people inside, and then remembered the bumpy road and the terrified screams he had heard before. He subconsciously thought that he was driving too hard and scared the two delicate women into fainting.
He quickly knelt on one knee, bowed his head and apologized: "I have failed in my duty, please punish me! I just... just wanted to get there as soon as possible, I never thought they would be so careless..."
"Forget it!" Xun Chen interrupted him irritably, waving his hands grimly. "It's better that he fainted. It saves trouble. Be more careful next time."
He ignored Zhu Xi's apology and stepped onto the carriage, as if he wanted to personally carry the unconscious Jiang Qingning down.
He bent down and stretched out his hand towards Jiang Qingning.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch Jiang Qingning's clothes.
Jiang Qingning, who was originally unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes. There was no trace of drowsiness or weakness in his eyes, but a cold murderous intent.
Her right hand, hidden in her sleeve, stretched out as fast as lightning, and a slender, sharp silver hairpin with a cold metallic light flashed on her fingertips, which was pressed firmly against Xun Chen's throat.
The tip of the hairpin pierced the skin, and a trickle of bright red blood instantly oozed out.
At the same time, Zi Su, who had been lying limp beside him, suddenly stood up with an agile figure. In his hand, he held a dagger that gleamed with cold light. The tip of the knife pressed hard against Xun Chen's vital point on the lower back. His movements were clean and neat, with an undisguised threat.
Zi Su felt indifferent. Ever since her young lady was abducted, she had made up her mind to learn martial arts. Now that she could perform a few moves, it would not arouse suspicion.
Xun Chen's body stiffened instantly, and all his movements were completely frozen at this moment by the cold and stinging pain coming from his neck and lower back.
His pupils contracted violently, and he looked in disbelief at Jiang Qingning, whose gaze was as cold as a knife, and Zi Su, who was emitting a cold murderous aura behind him.
"You...you guys..." His voice became hoarse due to extreme shock and the feeling of pressure in his throat.
"Shut up!" Jiang Qingning's voice was low and cold, carrying an unquestionable command, "Back off slowly!"
Under the threat of the silver hairpin and dagger, Xun Chen did not dare to move at all.
His face was ashen, veins on his forehead were throbbing, and he could only obey his orders and backed out of the carriage very slowly, step by step.
Jiang Qingning and Zi Su stuck close to him, following him closely, and the weapons in their hands never left his vitals for a moment.
With their feet on the ground, Jiang Qingning and Zi Su quickly glanced around.
This was an extremely remote area, and the carriage stopped in front of a desolate two-story courtyard.
Dusk was falling, and there was no one around, only the sound of the howling wind.
The maids who were waiting outside the courtyard gate screamed in fear after seeing what the two of them did.
"Shut up!" Zhuxi shouted quickly, stopping the chaotic scene.
Jiang Qingning's eyes met Zi Su's very quickly, and a hint of understanding flashed in each other's eyes.
"Xun Chen," Jiang Qingning pushed the silver hairpin forward a little further, his voice chilling to the bone, "What are you doing? What's your purpose in tying me up here?"
Xun Chen felt the increasing pain in his throat and faced the threat of death, so he forced himself to calm down.
He swallowed hard and said in a hoarse voice, "Qingning... don't misunderstand... I don't mean to hurt you."
"I just want to invite you to stay here for a few days. Someone has been secretly watching you and may even harm you. I have heard that they may attack you. I just want to use you to lure the snake out of its hole, catch those villains in one fell swoop, and protect you..."
The words were half-truths, half-lies, and spoke with eagerness to justify himself.
Jiang Qingning heard this, but a hint of sneer appeared on his face. He glanced at Zhu Xi, who was staring at him with his hand on the hilt of his knife, and then looked at Xun Chen:
"Luring the snake out of its hole? Just you and him?"
Her tone was filled with undisguised contempt.
Xun Chen was provoked to laugh by her eyes and tone. Under Jiang Qingning's close gaze, his tense expression relaxed a little, and even a strange smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Of course... more than that."
He hadn't finished speaking.
All I heard was the sound of breaking wind all around.
More than a dozen black figures suddenly jumped out from behind the courtyard wall and from the half-human-high grass around it.
These people were all agile, with fierce eyes and sharp blades in their hands. In an instant, they surrounded Jiang Qingning, Zi Su, and Xun Chen who was held hostage by them.
Jiang Qingning's face turned pale in an instant, and the hand holding the silver hairpin seemed to tremble slightly. There was fear and disbelief in his eyes, as if he was completely frightened by this sudden change.
Xun Chen saw her reaction clearly, and the smug and controlling smile on his face finally widened without any concealment.
He felt the silver hairpin still pressed against his throat, but his tone became calm and even a little teasing: "Qingning, did you see that? I brought enough people this time to ensure that nothing goes wrong. I also want to keep an eye on this courtyard and not give you any chance to slip away."
"Put down your weapons, let's talk. I swear, I will never hurt you."
Jiang Qingning stared at the murderous warriors around him, then looked at Xun Chen, who was being held hostage by him but seemed fearless. His lips were tightly pursed, and his eyes were full of struggle and unwillingness, as if he was trying hard to face reality.
She was silent for a long moment, her voice tinged with despair. "If I lay down my weapon, won't I be like a fish on the chopping block, at your mercy?"
"I, Xun Chen, swear to heaven," Xun Chen immediately interjected, his tone sounding incredibly sincere. "If you lay down your weapon, I will treat you with courtesy. I will never harm you in the slightest."
"Don't worry, I just ask you to stay here for a few days. When the storm is over, I will personally send you back home. If you break this oath, you will be struck by lightning." His eyes were burning and urgent.
Jiang Qingning stared into his eyes, as if making a final psychological struggle.
After a long time, she seemed to be finally persuaded, and the silver hairpin against Xun Chen's throat fell down little by little.
Just as the silver hairpin completely left Xun Chen's skin and her arm dropped.
Zhu Xi, who had been lurking by the side like a poisonous snake, with his muscles tensed all over, suddenly moved.
He was so fast that only a shadow was left. He approached like a ghost, and with his right hand, his fingers were like a knife. With a sharp gust of wind, he chopped Jiang Qingning's slender neck with incredible precision.
At the same time, he kicked Zi Su's wrist with his left leg as she was about to stab him with a dagger.
Two short, muffled groans sounded almost simultaneously.
Jiang Qingning and Zi Su's bodies suddenly stiffened, the last light in their eyes instantly faded, and they fell down softly, completely losing consciousness.
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