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墨書 Inktalez
In that moment, as the weight pressed down, I bit down hard on my tongue. The effect of the deadly drug would only last for six hours; I had to crawl out before the the Xiao Family nailed the coffin shut.
"Miss... Miss, wake up!" Qing Zhu's voice came from outside the earth, thick with tears. I felt for the iron piece hidden in my sleeve and began to saw through the ropes binding my hands.
Suddenly, with a loud bang, the coffin lid was pried open just enough for moonlight mixed with Qing Zhu's tears to hit my face. "Hurry! The secret passage is beneath the Peony Thicket!"
I rolled out of the coffin, my skirt snagging on a coffin nail and tearing half of it away. Xiao Jingyan certainly had money to spare; that nanmu coffin could buy half a street.
As we ran, Qing Zhu stuffed silver notes into my arms. "I took these when we dug up the grave; it should last us three months..."
I pulled her into the secret passage, a wave of putrid smell hitting us. "Xiao Jingyan won't discover the truth of my faked death for at least three days; that should be enough for us—"
Whoosh!
A crossbow bolt whizzed past my ear and embedded itself in the stone wall, sparks flying onto my sleeve.
Qing Zhu screamed as she threw herself onto me, and a second arrow pierced her hairdo. "Could it be that the the Xiao Family has discovered us?"
I had only sold the map of this secret passage to Old Liu... Damn it, black eating black!
I pulled out some poison powder and scattered it behind us; screams immediately echoed through the tunnel.
Dare to scheme against me? They should know who they're dealing with!
"Madam, go first!" Qing Zhu suddenly pushed me into a side path and turned to run in the opposite direction. "I'll draw them away!"
"Qing Zhu!"
"Remember to burn me some braised pork trotters—"
Her voice faded into the distance, and my eyes grew moist.
Silly girl, if you don't come back, who will I cook for...
I gritted my teeth and crawled into the sewage channel; the residual poison from the deadly drug made everything before me blur and darken.
The original story never mentioned that faking death would leave one weak! Those quack doctors have caused me trouble!
As I crawled out of the drainage outlet, I spotted a shadow standing under the moonlight. A figure in a dark iron mask glinted coldly, blood droplets slowly dripping from the tip of their sword.
"Su Wan?" The man's voice was rough, like sandpaper scraping against stone. "Madam Xiao, your escape is far more exciting than any tale."
I tightened my grip on the poisoned hairpin and sneered, "Are you here to rob me of wealth or beauty?"
"Both," he replied, lifting my chin with the edge of his sword. His eyes glinted with a crimson hue. "Especially this face... it resembles my mother when she was young."
Without warning, I raised my knee and aimed for his groin. "Call me 'Auntie'!"
In a flash, he seized my ankle, his palm hot as a branding iron. "The Youming Pavilion needs a puppet who can play the guqin; you're just right for the role."
"Dream on!" I retaliated by throwing out a cloud of poison powder, but he swiftly covered my head with his cloak.
"Using the same trick twice..." He pressed my neck against the wall, his breath hot against my ear. "Foolish."
You're the foolish one! The powder contained belladonna; inhaling it for three breaths would surely knock you out.
"Five, four, three..." I counted silently until I reached two when he suddenly staggered.
"You poisoned me?!"
"Thank you for your hospitality." I kicked him away and turned to flee down the alley.
The sound of galloping hooves grew closer, and the lanterns of the Xiao Residence pierced through the night.
"Sir! There's movement over there!"
Suddenly, iron chains wrapped around my ankles, and I fell heavily into a pit of filthy water.
The mysterious man rushed over, hoisting me up and leaping onto the rooftops. The iron mask pressed painfully against my shoulder blades.
"Let go! What do you want—"
"Do you want to be caught by Xiao Jingyan and forced to drink poison wine?" He scoffed. "I intend to take what belongs to him."
Tiles crumbled beneath us as I glared at the receding lights in the distance, gritting my teeth. Qing Zhu, it seems that our savory pork knuckle will soon turn into paper money...
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