Chapter 19 Strike First!
"Why is there so little? How can it be enough to eat?" Shen Conglian looked at the six cornbread buns in the bundle, wanting to stomp on them, but he couldn't bear to.
"Father, Mother, the eldest branch of the family is so stingy. Lanxi sent so many things over, and our eldest brother only gave us this little bit!"
Both Mr. Shen and Mrs. Shen had dark faces.
“Your older brother must be furious that you pushed him out today!” said Old Master Shen.
Shen Conglian angrily took two cornbread buns, eating one himself and giving the other to his favored concubine. Madam Shen Conglian immediately shoved him, turned around, snatched the bun from the concubine's hand, and gave it to her child.
"Liu, are you crazy!" Shen Conglian was about to start cursing when Old Master Shen slapped him with a stick.
"What time is it? Stop making a scene!"
Shen Conglian glared fiercely in Liu's direction, squatted down to grab the cornbread, and was immediately pushed by his two brothers.
"Second brother, there are only six in total. If you take two, how are we supposed to divide them among so many people?"
"Second brother, you can't just think of yourself and forget about Father, Mother, and the children..."
A commotion broke out in the other rooms of the Shen family home.
Things aren't peaceful on the main house either!
"Master and Madam, please, please give me two steamed buns! If I don't take them back, my mother-in-law and husband will surely beat me to death!" The young woman knelt before the eldest son's family, kowtowing repeatedly to them.
This woman had tried the same method to get money from the constables before and was beaten up. I didn't expect her to target them now.
"We don't have any more, you can ask someone else for some!" Shen Yuanjing quickly ate the steamed bun.
There were quite a lot of things, but when they were distributed to each person, there was only one for each person. Not enough for everyone, so they had to eat the dry rations given by the yamen runners to fill their stomachs. There was nothing left for others!
"Please, if I don't get it back, not only will I be beaten, but my three-year-old child will be beaten too." As she spoke, the woman rolled up her sleeves, revealing arms covered in bruises, some of which were broken and bleeding.
Shen Yuantang felt a pang of pity for the woman's desperate eyes, so he gave her the half-eaten steamed bun and the rations given to her by the constables.
"Take these back. This is a one-time thing; I definitely won't give them to you again next time!"
A flash of disdain crossed the woman's eyes, as if she were afraid Shen Yuantang would go back, and she quickly grabbed the food and ran away.
Nu Bai reported everything that happened on both sides to Shen Lanxi in detail.
"Master, actually, the injuries on that woman's arm were from her own pinching, not from her husband or mother-in-law!"
Shen Lanxi smiled, but didn't say anything for fear that Chunxue and Qiushuang would hear.
"Master, three groups of people are approaching this way from different directions!"
Shen Lanxi ate her steamed bun with meat at a leisurely pace, occasionally picking up a couple of wild vegetables that Chunxue and Qiushuang had picked from the mountains. After eating until she was half full, she was able to eat a bowl of rice porridge.
"You all need to keep watch over the Shen family members. No matter what sounds you hear, don't leave!"
Chunxue Qiushuang immediately stopped eating and looked at her.
"Mother Li, you and your family follow behind Qiu Shuang and Chun Xue. You and the children should stay away from the exiled prisoners!"
Shen Lanxi made the arrangements in an orderly manner!
"Young master, is something going to happen tonight?"
The group immediately tensed up.
Shen Lanxi: "Those people didn't succeed during the day, so tonight is the best time!"
Spring Snow and Autumn Frost quickly stood up and looked around.
The sky turned completely dark in the blink of an eye.
"Remember what I said!" After saying that, Shen Lanxi picked up her stick and walked into the mountains.
Chunxue wanted to follow, but Qiushuang grabbed her arm.
"I'll listen to you, young master!"
They'd already witnessed the young lady's skill with a stick; even a hundred of them couldn't match her. If anything happened, they'd only be a hindrance!
Shen Lanxi plunged headlong into the deep mountains, like a tiger entering the forest. With the help of Nu Bai, it was like adding wings to a tiger!
"Master, the closest group of people to us is in a ravine 500 meters away. There are 35 people in total, and two of them are on guard 30 meters away from us!"
"Angry White!"
"Yes, Master!"
"Take out both eyes first!"
"Yes, Master!"
Once she locked onto her target, only one word occupied Shen Lanxi's mind!
kill!
The moment he gripped the long staff, it was as if his bloodline had awakened, and a raging beast roared and howled within his body. The sound of air being torn apart was whistling. Without any unnecessary movements, he swung the staff cleanly and decisively, and as two figures fell to the ground, two lives were taken!
"Angry White reports: The locations of the remaining thirty-three people have been locked!"
Shen Lanxi swung her long staff and charged!
A figure as fast as lightning, gliding across the wind and moon like an eagle spreading its wings, darted to the location of the thirty-three. Before the thirty-three could react, a quarter of them were already dead beneath the blows.
Even after they realized what was happening, they couldn't withstand Shen Lanxi's overwhelming offensive, and in the blink of an eye, they were all wiped out!
The supplies they carried could not be let go; weapons, rations, and money were all confiscated.
None of the thirty-five men had anything on them that could confirm their identities; the poison hidden in their teeth was a tactic employed by assassins.
"Nu Bai, the remaining two teams!"
"Received. The remaining two teams have been located. The closest ones are in the hinterland on the other side of the hill, a total of twenty men. Two will be on lookout!"
With a few quick movements, Shen Lanxi had already flown a hundred feet away, disappearing into the forest like a ghost in the blink of an eye.
~
Liu Laohu had already noticed when Chunxue and Qiushuang arrived. His premonition was right; they were indeed going to make their move tonight.
Just as Liu Laohu was about to warn his brothers to be on guard, Chunxue and the others stopped at a distance that was neither too close nor too far. Liu Laohu waited for a long time, but they did not take another step forward.
Could it be that he made a mistake?
Soon, an arrow shot out dispelled Liu Laohu's doubts. That single slash killed the fake Wei family soldier tied to the back of the carriage.
Spring Snow and Autumn Frost immediately positioned the horse-drawn carriages and oxcarts horizontally in the direction from which the arrows flew, lining them up in a row to block the path of the exiled prisoners.
If Liu Laohu still can't tell who's friend and who's foe, he might as well quit being a gang leader.
"You lot, you've gathered all the prisoners together!"
"Listen up, you bunch of bastards! Anyone who dares to move will be shot to death with arrows, and don't blame your grandpa for not warning you!"
As he shouted, Liu Laohu ran quickly toward Chunxue Qiushuang.
The exiled prisoners immediately descended into chaos.
"They must be here to kill the Shen family. It's all the Shen family's fault!" Some prisoners took the opportunity to retaliate, beating the nearest Shen family member.
The constables drew their knives to intimidate the other prisoners who were eager to take advantage of the situation to deal with the Shen family.
The events of the day have left the Shen family terrified, too afraid to even cry out loud.
"Someone attacked! Where is your young master?" There were only a few people with Shen Lanxi. After looking around and not finding Shen Lanxi, Liu Laohu immediately rushed up to question the two.
Chunxue and Qiushuang were already extremely anxious and were just about to rush out to help when Shen Lanxi flashed and appeared in front of them in the blink of an eye.
When Liu Laohu saw it clearly, his heart skipped a beat.
Shen Lanxi held a long stick in her right hand. She was completely untouched by any petals, except for the long stick in her hand, which was dripping with blood, as if it had been fished out of a pool of blood.
(End of this chapter)
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