The first step of the plan had succeeded. It seemed her guess had been right: the consciousness trapped inside Shecainv was Wang Fugui.
After she gave Wang Fugui's name, the real First Lady also stopped. If you ignored the strange shape of her head, she looked like a docile young wife.
She had heard Wang Fugui's words clearly before he was hit, but Lu Qin didn't trust him completely. She cautiously sized up the First Lady. There was no basket behind her, and aside from the veil that hadn't yet been lifted, Lu Qin was certain there was nowhere else on her body to hide the embroidered ball.
Under the invisible pressure radiating from the First Lady, Lu Qin edged closer, holding her breath. Everything came down to this.
Jiang Cheng and Yao Shunyu were also watching closely. Yao Shunyu gripped the pocket of his clothes; through the fabric, he could feel the hard, square object inside.
Jiang Cheng pulled a square object from his clothes. It was a wooden token bearing the character Jiang, its workmanship simple and old, imbued with the weight and weathering of history.
Clutching the token, Jiang Cheng tightened his fingers until his knuckles turned white. Whether they succeeded today depended on these tokens.
"Heh heh, you two, don't get so nervous. Take it easy."
An unpleasant voice came from behind them. Leaning on a branch, Shao Tong stumbled out from behind the bushes, his steps weak. It was obvious he was in poor shape, but a sinister smile tugged at his pale face.
Jiang Cheng didn't turn around. His tone held little courtesy. "Your condition isn't an act, is it? I told you before: if anything happens to the Fatty, you'll die a horrible death."
Shao Tong didn't answer. He came straight over and