Tattletale

"Young Master!"

"Greetings, Young Master Qin!"

Seeing Qin Yang, Uncle Qian and the other guards all called out.

"Uncle Qian, come with me. I have important matters to discuss with you."

Qin Yang's expression was solemn.

After Qian Hai told the guards to continue their training, he followed Qin Yang to the Small Courtyard.

Sun Erhu's eyes darted around, then he suddenly clutched his stomach. "Damn, must've eaten something bad. My gut's killing me."

"Erhu, you trying to slack off again?"

One of the guards laughed and scolded.

"No, really, it hurts! I'm heading to the latrine to sort it out!"

Sun Erhu hurried out of the main courtyard, running toward the outhouse.

The guards paid him no mind.

But they didn't know that halfway there, Sun Erhu changed course, slipped into the garden, and hid in a corner behind the outer wall.

"Uncle Qian. You've sold off all the property, right?"

A voice drifted into Sun Erhu's ears.

He recognized it as Qin Yang's.

"All of it."

The voice was older, clearly Qian Hai's.

"Good. My father ran into trouble and was badly injured—he can't fight now."

"On my own, I'm probably no match for Mangy Snake. Selling off the property and leaving Linjiang City is the only way."

"Lucky that coward Mangy Snake was too scared to make a move when I came knocking before. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to drag things out this long."

Qin Yang's voice.

"When do we leave?" Qian Hai asked.

"The sooner the better. We have to go before Mangy Snake catches on."

"We'll slip out of Linjiang City tonight and head to the Prefecture City."

"Just bring a few guards. The servants and maids can stay behind at Qin Manor."

Qin Yang's voice was urgent.

"Understood. I'll go back and make arrangements."

Qian Hai said gravely.

Crouched in the corner, Sun Erhu clenched his fists tightly.

"So that's it!"

"I was overthinking it!"

"Qin Dongsheng and Qin Yang's so-called plan is just to sell off the property and flee Linjiang City!"

Sun Erhu finally understood.

He quickly slipped out of the garden corner.

This news was too important. He had to find a way to notify She Qing as soon as possible.

Inside the Small Courtyard.

Qian Hai had come back again.

He smiled bitterly. "Young Master, next time you want to say something, give me a heads-up first."

"I'm getting old—my mind might not keep up."

Qin Yang smiled. "Uncle Qian, you're still spry as ever. How could that be?"

"So, what's the plan this time?" Qian Hai knew that if Qin Yang had him put on an act, there had to be a scheme behind it.

"For tonight, let's leave it at that." Qin Yang began explaining his plan to Qian Hai.

At the Twin Snake Gang headquarters.

She Qing looked at the note Sun Erhu had sent over and laughed three times. "Good! Good! Good!"

"Why is the boss so happy?"

Jiang Mei asked, puzzled.

"Take a look."

"Sun Erhu finally brought me some good news."

She Qing handed the note to Jiang Mei.

Jiang Mei's expression shifted after reading it.

"I've been wondering these past few days why Qin Dongsheng hasn't shown up to steady morale, knowing full well I wouldn't fall for it. I was about to send someone to probe further."

"But this note clears things up."

"Turns out we had it all wrong."

"Qin Dongsheng is badly injured and doesn't dare show his face."

"The Qin Family has been selling off their assets all this time, planning to slip away from Linjiang City tonight."

She Qing was thrilled.

Zhao Mengzhuang finished reading the note too, grinning savagely. "Boss, let's wipe out the Qin Family tonight!"

"Damn it, they've had us on edge. I'm going to chop off Qin Yang's head myself tonight!"

The Twin Snake Gang's morale had been low lately, even mocked by nearby gangs, and Zhao Mengzhuang was fed up.

"Boss, should we confirm it first?" Jiang Mei hesitated.

A woman's intuition told her something was off.

"I don't think so. There's no hole in this explanation."

She Qing shook his head.

Jiang Mei fell silent.

She really couldn't find a reason to argue.

"Hall Master Jiang, we can't miss this chance. After tonight, Qin Yang will be gone with the Qin Family's money."

Zhao Mengzhuang was a bit annoyed, thinking Jiang Mei was too cautious.

"Fine." Jiang Mei nodded reluctantly.

"Tonight it is."

"Wipe out everyone in Qin Manor!"

She Qing flashed a sinister smile.

Night fell.

A carriage and a few fast horses set out from Qin Manor, thundering toward the Prefecture City.

Inside the carriage sat two large wooden chests, with Qin Yang and Sun Erhu facing each other.

Uncle Qian and the other guards rode alongside, galloping hard.

"Erhu, when did you come to the Qin Family?"

Qin Yang seemed bored and asked casually.

"Young Master, about three years ago."

"I fled here from North Mang Prefecture back then. The family head took me in and gave me a meal to eat."

Sun Erhu's face showed gratitude.

"So it seems my father had no eyes either."

"Taking in an ingrate like you."

Qin Yang smiled warmly.

For a moment.

Time inside the carriage seemed to freeze.

Sun Erhu's expression was locked in place.

After three or four seconds, he forced a smile. "Young Master Qin, what do you mean by that?"

"Don't get it?"

"Made a pretty penny tipping off the Twin Snake Gang, didn't you?"

Qin Yang kept smiling.

But that smile, in Sun Erhu's eyes, was terrifying.

He'd seen it at Laifu Inn—Qin Yang wearing that same smile as he bashed a man's head in.

Cold sweat poured down Sun Erhu's back. He didn't care when he'd been found out.

Thud.

He dropped to his knees before Qin Yang.

"Young Master, Young Master!"

"It's my fault. I lost a lot of money gambling outside."

"I had no choice."

Sun Erhu knocked his head frantically against the floor.

"Get up first, then speak."

Qin Yang seemed to soften a little, rising to help Sun Erhu to his feet.

The moment he stood up—

Sun Erhu's eyes turned vicious. A short dagger slid silently into his palm, and he drove it with all his strength toward Qin Yang's abdomen.

Thud~

The instant he struck—

A fist like a heavy hammer smashed down onto his crown.

Thud~!

The entire carriage shuddered violently.

Both horses pulling it neighed and came to an abrupt halt.

Qin Yang stepped out of the carriage with a blank expression.

"Dismount. Move forward a bit more."

"That should be where She Qing and the others are lying in wait for us."

Qin Yang said indifferently.

Ahead lay a dense forest—perfect for an ambush.

"Young master, what should we do?"

Qian Hai asked as he dismounted.

"Simple. Whatever they do, we do the same."

Qin Yang grinned. He hauled a wooden crate out of the carriage.

When he opened it, Qian Hai sucked in a sharp breath.

Inside were rows of pitch-black crossbows.

"I didn't expect Li Baling to get his hands on such heavy goods."

Qin Yang pulled out another large crate.

This one was filled with bolts.

Crossbows were military weapons strictly banned by the Imperial Court.

Their greatest strengths were lethal power and simple operation.

Even without training, a bit of fiddling was enough to figure them out.

After Qian Hai and the few guards familiarized themselves, a cruel smile spread across every face.

Time trickled by.

Inside the dense forest.

She Qing, Jiang Mei, and Zhao Mengzhuang lay hidden, waiting for Qin Yang's party to pass.

But the night grew deeper and deeper.

Still, no sign of movement.

"Strange... Could Sun Erhu have tricked us?"

Jiang Mei frowned.

"Probably not. We've got too much on him."

"Let's wait a little longer. Maybe something held them up."

She Qing said in a low voice.