After Qiao Qingran returned home, Jin Shanyao patted the oxcart's sideboard and called out towards the street corner, "Hey... aren't you tired after following me all this way? Come and sit down."
As soon as he finished speaking, a dark figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
Fu Congzhao, dressed in a black, patterned outfit and wearing deerskin boots, stood tall and straight. His gaze swept over the person hanging in front of the Ji Residence, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Miss Jin, would you like to stay at my house?"
Jin Shanyao her head in confusion, "You've been following me all this way just for this?"
Fu Congzhao was caught off guard and met her gaze. Feeling guilty, he quickly looked away.
His grandfather instructed him to stand guard at the entrance of the Ji Residence, hoping to find an opportunity to bump into Jin Shanyao, and then naturally invite her home.
He was unhappy. It was the middle of the night; who would be awake yet? Where was he supposed to run into someone like that?
Upon arriving at the destination, they unexpectedly witnessed Jin Shanyao being kicked out of the Ji Residence. Before they could even approach her, Third Madam Ji chased after her, making it even more difficult to strike up a conversation.
Remembering his grandfather's instructions, he could only silently follow behind the oxcart, trying to find out where Jin Shanyao was hiding, but unexpectedly witnessed Jin Shanyao being assassinated.
Just as he was about to step forward to rescue the man, Jin Shanyao swiftly and cleanly knocked the assassin unconscious and threw him onto the oxcart. The speed and strength of Jin Shan left him speechless with astonishment.
What shocked him even more was that Jin Shanyao incredibly audacious, hanging the person directly in front of the Ji Residence.
He only came to his senses when Jin Shanyao called him out.
Jin Shanyao gazed at the assassins pacing back and forth under the eaves. "Go find Lu Chi for me and tell him to come and search the Ji Household's property tomorrow morning as the Prefect of the Capital."
Fu Congzhao was inwardly shocked. Even the powerful Prefect of the Capital wouldn't dare to confiscate the property of the Ministry of Rites. "Miss Jin, shall I invite my grandfather to come and help?"
Jin Shanyao gave him an approving look, "Not bad... I have high hopes for you..."
Fu Congzhao awkwardly twitched his lips, unsure how to respond.
Seeing that he wasn't moving, Jin Shanyao asked in confusion, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"
"There's a curfew in the capital. If the patrolmen see you..." Before he could finish speaking, Jin Shanyao flicked open, revealing a talisman. The fan seemed quite pleased with itself. "Don't worry... no one can see me."
"We can't let the two children sleep on the oxcart in the dead of winter."
Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci their hands, "Brother Fu, we're not cold." For some reason, they always felt that their own oxcart was the most comfortable and not cold at all.
Fu Congzhao was still worried, "I'll stay with you..." If the talisman didn't work, the city patrol officer would give the Fu Household some face and lock the two of them in a better cell.
He tugged at his clothes and sat on the oxcart. As he moved, a lean and muscular waist unexpectedly caught Jin Shanyao's eye.
Jin Shanyao, then clicked her tongue. The Fu Household was living such a miserable life; their clothes were so worn out, yet they were still dressing the child in them.
Fu Congzhao felt uncomfortable when she stared at his waist. This was a gift from his sister, and she would glare at him if he didn't wear it. He silently stood up from the oxcart.
Jin Shanyao and said that such tight clothes must be uncomfortable to sit down, so she stood up.
Seeing that she was still staring at his waist, Fu Congzhao wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground. "Um, Miss Jin, I..."
Jin Shanyao her hand to interrupt him, "Don't say anything more, I understand... Take off your clothes," she said, "Look how tightly you've strangled the child, his face is all red."
Fu Congzhao was struck dumb, his eyes darting around in panic as he stammered, "Here???"
"It's late at night and nobody's around, what's there to be afraid of..."
"I... I'm only sixteen years old..."
Jin Shanyao her head. It was a pity that he was strangled to death at such a young age. She was about to reach out to untie him when she suddenly remembered that the last person who tried to untie her belt had called her a pervert.
She gave Fu Congzhao an awkward smile and said, "Take it off yourself... I'm a pervert."
After saying this, he began to untie his cloak, intending to put it on Fu Congzhao so that he wouldn't freeze to death in the dead of winter.
Fu Congzhao's expression changed drastically, and he quickly moved three steps away from her. "Miss Jin, I'm going to find Lu Chi to raid his house... I'm going right now..." He staggered and fled as if his life depended on it.
Jin Shanyao sensed that he was hiding in the corner, clutching his belt and trembling.
I thought to myself, this child has a really strong sense of self-esteem. I'll give him some clothes when I have time.
After all, they are Old Madam Su's family members; we should lend a hand when they need help.
Fu Congzhao was worried about Jin Shanyao, so he stayed in a street corner all night to watch over them, and only went to find Lu Chi at the crack of dawn.
The next day.
A bloodcurdling scream rang out, and chaos erupted in front of the Ji Residence. Soon, a crowd gathered around. Master Ji rushed out and, seeing more than a dozen people hanging outside the residence, his legs went weak and he nearly collapsed to the ground.
Fear spread through his heart for no reason. He glanced around frantically, then stopped in astonishment. He saw Jin Shanyao standing on the mounting stone, waving at him with a smile in her eyes.
Master Ji's heart sank as if into a bottomless pit. His eyes, filled with terror, stared at Jin Shanyao. How could a woman with two children have escaped from this group of assassins?
"And how could you hang a dead body at the gate of the mansion?" Master Ji asked, forcing himself to remain calm. " Jin Shanyao, you hang a dead body at the residence of a third-rank official! Do you know what your crime is?"
Jin Shanyao's smile paused slightly. " Master Ji, why are you condemning me so readily?"
You don't even know if the person is dead or alive, yet you've concluded it's dead. Did I hang them up? Are you trying to frame me?
Master Ji subconsciously looked up and met the assassin's blood-red eyes. He was so frightened that he backed away and almost fell to the ground.
He swallowed hard, unsure of what to say.
Jin Shanyao down from the mounting stone, walked up to Master Ji with her hands behind her back, and said, "Didn't you want to have a magic duel with me? Let's begin."
Master Ji was stunned. "What kind of magical contest?" When did he say he wanted to have a magical contest?
Jin Shanyao noticed the dazed look in Master Ji's eyes and assumed he was trying to renege on his debt, which displeased her somewhat...
"A man should keep his word. Since you've issued this challenge, you should fight, even if it means death. Otherwise, I'll despise you..."
Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci in unison. Dahuang and Xiaoli stood beside the two children, their eyes filled with murderous intent. Such Evil Cultivator should not live in this world.
Master Ji cursed under his breath and ordered his men to remove all the assassins. Just as he was about to release them, he heard a jumble of footsteps in the distance.
Lu Chi and his group rushed over quickly and, without saying a word, tied the assassin up again; the ropes had just been untied.
Master Ji's face turned ashen, and he roared at Lu Chi, "Lord Lu, what do you mean by this?"
Lu Chi glanced at him coldly, "Does Lord Ji not know what I'm doing?"
Master Ji subconsciously looked at Jin Shanyao, and saw her smiling, drawing a copper coin sword with a swipe of her wrist, and then taking out a tailored yellow robe from the oxcart.
Hehehe... Her outfit finally came in handy; the money wasn't wasted.
She even asked Qing He to sew Bagua diagrams onto the front and back of her clothes, so that they would look more powerful.
Jin Shanyao his copper coin sword and roared, "Old thief... you have committed heinous crimes, showing no remorse, relying on your age to use underhanded tricks to ruin the lifespans of your descendants! Take this sword..."
Master Ji's face turned deathly pale, and he looked at Jin Shanyao with eyes full of terror. "You lied to me... Didn't you say there were no evil spirits in the Ji Residence?"
Jin Shanyao held the copper coin sword, its tip directly piercing Master Ji's forehead. "Bullshit... I never lie. There isn't even a ghost in your mansion, so where would any evil spirits come from?"
"But your act of setting up a secret formation to extend your own life by borrowing the lifespan of your descendants is a detrimental act that harms one's karma more than any evil spirit."
These words caused an uproar. Qiao Qingran held her husband tightly, preventing him from stopping her. Then, Jin Shanyao her sword and danced wildly in the air before rushing into the Ji Residence.
Old Madam Ji, overcome with anger, grabbed her maid and shouted, "Stop her immediately... I must send such a rude woman to jail!"