The woman in red was overjoyed, hugging him and kissing and hitting him without any restraint, which gave me goosebumps.
Xiao Nuo struggled free and cried out in a disheveled state, "Um... Wife... You've come from a long way, you must be tired. Why don't you go and rest for a while? I still have business to discuss with Seventh Brother, and Little Chenchen..." As she spoke, she winked at me.
I coughed and said respectfully, "Madam, let me take you to rest first."
Unexpectedly, the man in black stepped forward and approached Mo Pingting, saying, "Let me escort Madam back to her room to rest." Without waiting for Xiao Nuo's agreement, he led her away. Judging from the expressions of those present, they seemed to accept Xiao Nuo and Zhang Xianfang's identities, but they still wanted to hold his wife hostage as a precaution.
This Seventh Brother is indeed very suspicious, and his actions are meticulous.
I just can't understand why Mo Pingting didn't expose Xiao Nuo. Is there some hidden secret here? But since things have come to this, I can only take it one step at a time.
Seventh Brother laughed and said, "Brother Zhang..."
Xiao Nuo suddenly stood up, feigning anger, and said, "I think Seventh Brother has no sincerity at all in this deal. There's no need to talk anymore. Xiao Chenchen, let's go!"
"Stop!" Seventh Brother shouted, then softened his voice, "Your wife is still here, Brother Zhang, do you think you can just leave?"
Xiao Nuo stopped in her tracks, her expression changing several times – from frustration and hesitation to gritted teeth – before finally letting out a dejected sigh and sitting down again.
Seventh Brother smiled broadly and said, "I know I was wrong about this. I deserve to die. I apologize. Brother Zhang, please don't take it to heart. I can always find an excuse to send your wife back later. Family matters are family matters, and business matters are business matters. Don't mix them up."
Xiao Nuo snorted coldly, her face expressionless as she remained silent.
Seventh Brother took a few steps closer and said to him, "Let's get back to the main topic and take care of the important matters first. As we agreed yesterday, you provide the formula, and I will assign people to buy the medicine and refine the pills. You will get 60% of the profits."
"No problem." Xiao Nuo agreed readily, and I saw that Seventh Brother and the others showed joy on their faces.
"Then let's sign this agreement." Seventh Brother waved his hand, and immediately a subordinate brought over a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. He picked up the brush and wrote a piece in one stroke, displaying excellent handwriting.
She handed the written agreement to Xiao Nuo and said, "Take a look, are there any problems with the terms?"
Xiao Nuo took it and glanced at it, saying, "The terms are fine. However—"
"But what?"
Xiao Nuo lazily placed the document on the table, crossed his arms, and looked at her, saying, "However, there's a problem with the person who signed it."
Seventh Brother's expression stiffened, and he narrowed his eyes slightly, asking, "What's wrong with the person who signed this?"
Xiao Nuo smiled but remained silent.
Seventh Brother's expression grew increasingly grim, and finally he slowly said, "So Young Master Zhang still doesn't trust me..."
I scoffed, "Likewise. You can doubt whether my young master is really Zhang Xianfang, so why can't my young master doubt whether you are really Seventh Brother?"
A flash of anger crossed Seventh Sister's eyes, but she quickly turned to a coquettish smile and said, "So Young Master Zhang is still upset that I invited your wife here. I just wanted to do business well and feel more at ease..."
I interrupted her: "Same here, my young master just wants to feel more at ease."
"You!" Seventh Brother glared at me and said sternly, "I'm discussing business with your master, what right do you, a servant, have to interrupt?"
Xiao Nuo smiled faintly: "What Xiao Chenchen said is exactly what I wanted to say."
Seventh Brother pursed his lips, and finally said coldly, "Whether you believe me or not, I am Seventh Brother!"
“Then there seems to be no need to continue this discussion.” Xiao Nuo made a move to stand up, but Seventh Brother said urgently, “Why do you suspect that Seventh Brother is someone else? I’d like to hear what your doubts are!”
"It's very simple." Xiao Nuo smiled slightly, "Because you are very beautiful, but your martial arts skills are not very good."
Seventh Brother's expression changed.
I was afraid she wouldn't understand, so I explained, "What my young master means is: it's easy for a woman to get a man to love her, as long as she's pretty, but to get a man to submit to her, she has to have some skills and martial arts. The followers behind you are all quite skilled in martial arts, some even better than you. Haven't you noticed that they all look at you with lecherous eyes?"
Seventh Sister immediately turned around, her cheeks flushed crimson as if on fire. Several people quickly lowered their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.
Xiao Nuo said leisurely, "Little Chenchen, if you were a woman, and your subordinates dared to look at you like that, what would you do?"
“Glass out their eyes and throw them into the street to feed the dogs.”
"But they were all very good subordinates."
"The best subordinates are loyal, not strong."
“That’s right.” Xiao Nuo nodded. “Their eyes can show admiration, they can show worship, but they absolutely cannot be infatuated.”
I looked directly at Seventh Brother and slowly said, "Now you know where your weakness lies?"
Seventh Brother's hands trembled as he clenched them tightly at his sides.
Xiao Nuo picked up the teacup on the table and took two leisurely sips: "I am very sincere about this deal, so I am willing to give you another chance. Please invite the real Seventh Brother out within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
“That’s right!” I replied. “If Seventh Brother continues to hide and refuse to meet, then don’t blame us for being disrespectful in the future. Whether we choose the main road or the narrow bridge, it’s up to us to see what we can do!”
"Fine, fine...very good..." Seventh Brother trembled with anger.
The angrier she got, the calmer I became, and I smiled and said, "If this Seventh Sister-in-law is unsure of what to do, she can go back and ask Seventh Brother for his opinion."
The woman looked at me, and her face, which had been flushed, turned deathly pale.
Xiao Nuo and I exchanged a knowing glance—it seems we were right, she really is Seventh Brother's lover, she didn't even object to me calling her that.
Just when I thought I had completely controlled the situation, had the other side cornered, and victory was in sight, the woman suddenly turned around and sat back down in her seat, shrilly saying, "Sincerity, sincerity! You keep saying that I'm not sincere in not letting you see Seventh Brother, so what about you?"
His gaze was menacing as he stared at me, and I felt a jolt in my heart, as if I had a premonition of something ominous.
"You!" She pointed at me with her index finger, saying each word clearly, "And haven't you also been hiding your identity? Stop pretending, Feng Chenxi!"
As that name was called, her hand fell and slammed on the armrest of the chair. With a cracking sound, I thought to myself, "Oh no!" and then, with my feet dangling in the air, I fell to the ground.
There's a hidden mechanism in the basement of this Spring Night Pavilion!
What I didn't expect was that she actually saw through my identity!
In that instant, my body stiffened from the shock. I knew I should fight back to escape, but my hands and feet felt like they were entangled by something, and I couldn't move them at all.
I'm doomed. This is a mistake that will ruin everything. All my efforts will be in vain!
Just then, a hand reached down and grabbed my left wrist at the last second. As the hand tightened, a surge of heat shot straight to my heart, and my stiff limbs instantly regained their flexibility.
I looked up and met those dark eyes. My own eyes were reflected in their clear, still pupils. Eyes upon eyes, swirling and intertwining, made me almost doubt that I was in this world.
Xiao Nuo!
Despite his anxiety and panic, he still managed to smile at me!
This smile was like a ray of morning light breaking through the thick fog, illuminating the chaotic thoughts that had been deliberately or unintentionally concealed over the past few days. In an instant, a hundred flavors of sweet, sour, bitter and spicy surged up, gently immersing the body and mind.
Xiao Nuo pulled hard, and I used the force to fly up, bursting out of the mechanism and soaring straight up to the crossbeam. But when I turned around, there was nothing beside me, and a sudden chill ran through me—Xiao Nuo hadn't flown up with me!
Looking down, I saw the mechanism just closing, revealing a corner of a brocade robe on the ground. I was jolted!
Xiao Nuo!
My hand instinctively reached out, trying to grab him the way he had grabbed me earlier. But at that distance, a whooshing sound rang out, and countless hidden weapons rushed towards me. I was barely able to protect myself, let alone save him.
In that instant, several poisoned darts struck his left arm, the wounds burning painfully as if on fire.
Xiao Nuo!
I gritted my teeth, flicked my fingers, and kicked the beam while Seventh Brother and the others were dodging the poisonous smoke. I broke through the roof tiles and flew onto the roof. With a loud crash, a corner of the hall collapsed, and dust and smoke rose everywhere.
However, dozens of archers suddenly appeared from the small buildings on all four sides and in the shade of chrysanthemums, their arrows all pointing at me, their bows drawn at full strength, ready to fire.
Seventh Brother leaped out, raised his head and shouted at me, "Feng Chenxi, your accomplice has been caught in a trap. You'd better surrender obediently! I can spare your life and guarantee you won't die."
"Guarantee my survival?" A cold laugh ripped out! Judging by this setup, it was clearly premeditated to kill me. As long as I escape, and the Cold-Taming Powder formula isn't handed over to them, they won't dare do anything to Xiao Nuo. Am I so foolish as to surrender?
I turned my head and said, "If you want to keep me here, we'll see if you have the ability!" Now that they know who I am, there's no need to hold back for fear that they'll recognize my origins. So I waved my right hand, and a cloud of purple mist appeared.
In the mist, the crowd cried out in alarm, "Ziyu Xiangman! It's Ziyu Xiangman..."
Indeed, the fragrance of the purple dogwood is slow-moving, flowing when it encounters air, and spreading with the wind. As long as the wind does not stop, the fragrance will not cease, and those who smell it will instantly fall into a coma—the most famous and rare poison of my master back then.
He always saves my life at crucial moments! But I hate him for not thinking of using it when I fell into the trap, for being so slow to react! It would be bad enough if he harmed himself, but he also dragged Xiao Nuo down with him!
He wouldn't have fallen if he hadn't tried to save me! I hate him so much!
I staggered out of the heavily fortified Spring Night Pavilion, my ears and mind filled with only one voice, one thought—
Save Xiao Nuo! Save Xiao Nuo!! Save Xiao Nuo!!!
But—how can we save him?
The streets on both sides rushed past me like lightning, blurring my vision. For the first time in my life, I hated my own stupidity and powerlessness. The world was vast and desolate, everything faded, a gloomy expanse devoid of light.
Xiao Nuo's last smile flashed before my eyes—a smile so anxious, so flustered, yet still joyful. Was he happy that he had caught me?
Fool! Fool! Xiao Nuo, you big fool!
I learned my skills from the master craftsman since I was a child, and ordinary traps can't trap me at all. Even if I fall in, I won't be hurt. Besides, if you escape, you can go back to the city and ask for help to save me. Now I'm all alone, and I don't even know the way to Baili City. What do you expect me to do? How can I save you?
My eyes stung, and tears welled up. I knew perfectly well that this was not the time to cry, but I couldn't hold back the tears, and they fell down in a flurry.
Xiao Nuo, why are you suffering for me? Why? You really are an idiot! The biggest idiot in the world!
I hurried towards the Hundred Mile Inn, but stopped halfway there, a sudden realization dawning on me: Something's not right! If I could think of seeking help from Jin Yidou, Seventh Brother must have thought of it too. If they had already laid an ambush at the inn, wouldn't I be walking right into a trap? Besides, who could guarantee that Jin Yidou hadn't been bribed?
At this critical juncture, I cannot afford to make a mistake. If I do, not only will I be finished, but Xiao Nuo will be too!
The hidden weapon was poisoned, and the poison spread even faster as I ran. Even though I have a natural resistance to poison, I was still in excruciating pain. I hadn't paid attention to it while running, but now that my pace slowed down, I realized that my clothes were soaked with cold sweat. And my face was icy cold, covered in tears.
I need to find a place to detoxify first, otherwise, let alone save Xiao Nuo, I won't even be able to save myself. But where is a safe place where I can heal my wounds?
Perhaps it is in desperate situations that people are more inspired, and I finally thought of a wonderful place—the hanging coffins of the Bo people outside Baili Town.
Even if Seventh Brother and his gang are cunning, they wouldn't have thought of that, would they?
He immediately turned north and rushed toward the hanging coffin.
Xiao Nuo, you must hold on until I come to save you! You absolutely, positively cannot be hurt! If anything happens to you, I will not forgive you, I will never forgive you!
because--
From the day I met you, you have ruthlessly and unreasonably stolen my peace.
From then on, my heart was filled with ups and downs, and I could never find peace again!
The Secret of Secrets
"Didn't find it?" As the charming voice rang out, the light gauze curtain was lifted, and a beautiful young woman poked half her body out. Although she was no longer young, she possessed a mature charm that no young girl could match. Who else could it be but the woman who called herself Seventh Brother?
At this moment, she was only wearing a blood-red undergarment, which made her skin look like cream and her face like a peach blossom.
The subordinates kneeling on one knee, including Black Tiger, were immediately filled with excitement and their throats went dry upon seeing him. They dared not look any longer and hurriedly lowered their heads and said in unison, "We have searched many places, but we still do not know where Feng Chenxi is hiding. Please punish us, Seventh Brother."