Meng Yuxiu was interrogating Chuntao in the room. Although he already knew who sent her, Meng Yuxiu also wanted to know how the prefect knew his whereabouts.
Chuntao cried with tears streaming down her face, saying that she had only received the money and knew nothing else.
Meng Yuxiu knew that Chang Lili would definitely go back to join the poetry gathering downstairs, and he originally wanted to wait for Chang Lili to come back and act as if nothing had happened.
He only believed half of what Chuntao said.
“Your accent isn’t local. I don’t care if you’re from the PRC or not. If you don’t tell me the truth, I’ll walk out alive, but I don’t know if others will let you continue to live.”
Chun Tao's face, streaked with tears, was deathly pale, and her lips trembled as she seemed to be pondering Meng Yuxiu's words.
Meng Yuxiu touched the cold blade of the Mengli Sword, his attention diverted to listen to the sounds downstairs.
He arranged for people downstairs, and no one knew that Chang Lili had come with him. Even if someone knew his whereabouts, they wouldn't know about Chang Lili, so it was actually safer for Chang Lili not to be by his side.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Meng Yuxiu stared at the figure outside and recognized the person. He then opened the door.
The person who came in was Xu Yuandao. He wasn't surprised, and just smiled faintly, saying, "You still came."
Xu Yuandao glanced at Chun Tao, who was sitting blankly to one side with tears on her face, and roughly guessed what had happened. He frowned slightly and whispered to Meng Yuxiu, "I saw barbarians."
Barbarians frequently come and go from this place, since there's a business of buying women from other tribes here.
But after Xu Yuandao said that, Meng Yuxiu knew that things might not be so simple.
Sure enough, Xu Yuandao said in a low voice, "I saw wolf head tattoos on them."
Wolf head tattoo!
Meng Yuxiu's expression immediately turned serious.
Having dealt with barbarians for many years, he naturally knew what that wolf head tattoo was.
They are either barbarian warriors or barbarian nobles!
These two individuals could never appear in the Central Plains, firstly because they had killed too many people from the Central Plains, and secondly because they had a grudge against Meng Yuxiu.
—The tens of thousands of people that Meng Yuxiu killed on the battlefield were their own brothers and sisters.
"I followed them up to the second floor and saw tattoos on their necks under their scarves. Why did they find their way here?"
It's not surprising that they found this place; what's surprising is that Meng Yuxiu happens to be here!
Meng Yuxiu's pupils contracted as he looked at Chun Tao, who was standing silently with her head down, and said, "It seems I was wrong from the start. I didn't expect the person who sent you. You're deliberately stalling for time here?!"
Chun Tao was trembling all over, too scared to utter a complete sentence. She just stared at Meng Yuxiu, her pale lips quivering.
Meng Yuxiu couldn't figure out what these people were doing here, but then he suddenly realized something and turned to ask Xu Yuan, "Where's Lili?"
Xu Yuan said, "Together with white tea."
Meng Yuxiu's expression hardened, and he took the Mengli Sword and pushed open the door to go out.
Xu Yuandao also realized something, but he still had to keep an eye on Chun Tao, so he stayed in the room with a solemn expression and his hands clenched slightly.
On the other side.
Chang Lili suddenly realized that something was wrong.
It's candlelight!
Having dealt with weapons for so long, she was very sensitive to the cold light reflected from any weapon. When she entered the room, there were red curtains and bright candles, and a faint fragrance wafted in the air, but she vaguely noticed something reflecting a swaying red bead that flashed by.
That was the cold glint of swords!
There's a second person in this room!
The thought struck Chang Lili's mind like a cold needle, causing her hand holding the teacup to tremble violently. She froze on the spot, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Bai Cha's face, her fingers tightening around the teacup.
"Hmm? Young master, are you friends with the young master downstairs?"
Chang Lili swallowed hard, her back covered in cold sweat, and said, "He's a friend. I was just passing by and we got along quite well. Miss Baicha, we've been here for a while now, shouldn't we go out? Otherwise, the people outside are getting impatient, and I still want that 100,000 taels of gold."
Chang Lili's mind raced as she tried to come up with a solution, her palms sweating.
She saw it!
The assassin was behind the softly draped veil, a sharp knife already protruding from his hand.
Without having time to think about whether there was any possibility of running away, Chang Lili stood up and grabbed Bai Cha.
Bai Cha was startled. Before she could utter a sound, she felt her other hand being grabbed. Chang Lili exclaimed, "Watch out!"
The assassin patted Chang Lili on the shoulder, then held a cold blade to Bai Cha's neck, warning, "Don't make a sound, or I'll kill her!"
Chang Lili coughed a few times and said, "Big brother, big brother, everything can be discussed. If you want money, I'll give it to you. But there are so many people downstairs, and the magistrate's guards are all around. Isn't it too risky for you to do this?"
"Shut up and get out."
Chang Lili couldn't bear to leave Bai Cha, such a beautiful young woman, alone here. She quickly said, "How about this, I'll be the hostage. If you want money, let Bai Cha go get it. We promise not to make a sound. It's all about money, after all..."
"go out!"
Chang Lili pretended to take a step back, but her rapidly thinking mind suddenly caught something strange. In a flash, she looked at the assassin with the knife and said, "You are not from the Central Plains."
A fierce glint suddenly flashed in the man's eyes.
“You are not from the Central Plains and have a special status. Bai Cha is someone the governor wants. If something happens to her, all of you living here will suffer. If you just want to take someone hostage for money, it would be better to take me with you. My family are merchants and we brought some money with us. As long as I am safe, my family will give you money.”
After Chang Lili finished speaking, the assassin frowned and looked at her, seemingly not understanding why she was not afraid of death, or perhaps not understanding what she was saying.
Bai Cha spoke, seemingly in a few words of barbarian language. The assassin's expression shifted, and he looked at Bai Cha with a strange smile: "Meng Yuxiu's woman, truly..."
Chang Lili: "?"
Could this group have come for Meng Yuxiu?
Bai Cha asked a few more questions in the barbarian language, but the barbarian ignored her and instead warned Chang Lili again to leave the room, leading Bai Cha toward the window.
Chang Lili took a step forward and said, "Your target is her? She's not Meng Yuxiu's woman. You've arrested the wrong person."
Chang Lili said to Bai Cha, "Quickly tell him that he arrested the wrong person!"
Bai Cha glanced at Chang Lili with a mixture of panic and confusion, then spoke quickly to the barbarian who was holding her hostage.
While the barbarians were suspicious, Chang Lili touched the hidden weapon in her sleeve and quietly approached.
But the sudden sound of footsteps outside the door broke the balance inside the room.
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