Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 10: “I won't encounter danger.”

　　The sudden surge of affection almost made An Jiu gasp for air and die on the spot. Luckily, the tunnel was dimly lit, and she was wearing a mask. With her strong mental fortitude, she quickly adjusted her mental state, showing no sign of her inner turmoil. 

　　On the surface, everything appeared normal, but inwardly, she couldn't help but complain. 

　　She knew this crazy second male lead wouldn't obediently wait outside, but she didn't expect him to follow so quickly. 

　　And he was secretly spying on her. 

　　An Jiu inwardly grumbled, but her hands moved without the slightest hesitation.

　　She had already sorted the three medicine bottles in her pouch along the way, to prevent any delays or mistakes when she needed them. As she approached the men, she had already held the Softening Tendons Powder in her hand. 

　　Now, all four men were affected by the Softening Tendons Powder, their limbs weak as they lay sprawled on the ground. The effect was so thorough that it seemed to affect not only their tendons and bones, but their muscles as well, leaving them unable even to speak. 

　　An Jiu, indulging her anger, walked over and kicked the four men repeatedly, delivering especially vicious kicks to their lower bodies. She kicked them until they were crying and wailing, tears streaming down their faces, their bodies curled up into shrimp-like shapes on the ground. 

　　“You stupid bastards! You dare to plot against this lady? Have you lost your minds?!” 

　　Did he leave?

　　【Pei Ji's favorability towards you +5, current level: -84】 

　　“You dog! Didn't anyone teach you manners? You can't take your eyes off a woman? Women aren't allowed in the Red Mansion? This lady will go wherever she pleases, so what are you going to do about it?!” 

　　Still not leaving? 

　　【Pei Ji's favorability towards you +5, current level: -79】 

　　An Jiu: “...” 

　　Wow, it seems she's found another great way to boost his favorability! 

　　However, perhaps he'd had enough. After that, no matter how much An Jiu scolded or beat them, the favorability prompt didn't appear again. 

　　He probably really left. 

　　An Jiu, still feeling unsatisfied, stopped, patted the nonexistent dust off her hands, stepped on one of the men, and used his silk brocade clothing to wipe her shoes.

　　Whew, that was satisfying! 

　　The annoyance of being inexplicably transported here and forced to do missions has finally lessened a bit. 

　　“Remember, next time you see this lady, get out of my way! Do you hear me?!” 

　　The man she was stepping on whimpered and nodded repeatedly, not daring to cry out loud. Earlier, he had cried a little too loudly, and this vicious woman had grabbed his hair and kicked out one of his teeth. It was terrifying. 

　　An Jiu smiled in satisfaction, adjusted her mask, and walked back to the hall along the passage. 

　　Lin Qingyan was still standing where she was, anxiously watching the entrance to the secret passage. As soon as she saw An Jiu reappear, her tense body instantly relaxed.

　　“Where did you go just now?” 

　　An Jiu winked at her. “Don't you know?” 

　　The distance wasn't far, and Lin Qingyan's martial arts skills were not weak; she should have been able to hear. 

　　Lin Qingyan looked at her with a complex expression and said nothing. 

　　She did indeed hear something, but mostly An Jiu's string of curses. Those vulgar words were so hard to believe coming from the daughter of the Shangsu Mansion, the renowned scholar An Yushan. 

　　“You... are you really Minister An's daughter?” After a long silence, Lin Qingyan finally couldn't help but ask for confirmation. 

　　Behind the vibrant red spider lilies, the girl narrowed her peach blossom eyes, her gaze shifting. “Take a guess?” 

　　Lin Qingyan: “...”

　　An Jiu stopped teasing her and changed the subject. “I got some information from those men. The Red Mansion is run by a woman named Hong Niang. She lives in the back courtyard, which is also where the women are... trained. We should look for the person there.” 

　　Lin Qingyan said, “Let's go together after Brother He returns.” 

　　He Ziqing didn't take too long and returned soon, bringing good news—he had found the location of the Red Mansion's back courtyard. 

　　The three of them didn't delay and went directly to the back courtyard. 

　　He Ziqing led them to a very hidden opening. Following the secret passage behind the opening downwards, they walked at least a hundred meters before they could no longer hear any sounds from the Red Mansion.

　　“Is this really the right way? Why isn't there anyone around?” The passage was extremely quiet, only the faint sounds of their footsteps. An Jiu unconsciously lowered her voice. 

　　He Ziqing said, “I asked the guard, and he said this was it.” 

　　An Jiu questioned, “How did you ask? He just told you honestly? Maybe he was lying.”

　　He Ziqing, with his thick eyebrows, big eyes, and righteous face, said solemnly, “Impossible. If he didn't tell the truth, he would have died.” 

　　An Jiu was momentarily speechless. It seemed that even the righteous male lead had a very unrighteous side. 

　　The world of martial arts is really scary. Whoever has the bigger fist is right. 

　　After leaving the Dark Village, I'll go find Pei Ji. I really need to learn some martial arts. 

　　Suddenly, He Ziqing stopped, gesturing for the two of them to fall back. 

　　An Jiu immediately stopped, and Lin Qingyan placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, her expression alert. 

　　There was a small turn ahead. He Ziqing cautiously approached, his figure flashing behind the stone wall. A moment later, two muffled groans echoed through the air. He poked his head out from behind the wall. “You can come now.” 

　　An Jiu rounded the corner and saw two unconscious guards in black clothing lying on the ground. 

　　They continued forward, and the deeper they went, the more guards they encountered—almost every three or five steps, there was a sentry.

　　Unfortunately, these guards weren't very skilled; they were just ordinary martial artists, their martial arts skills far inferior to the male and female leads. 

　　Therefore, their journey was smooth and uneventful, and they safely reached the back courtyard. 

　　The Red Mansion's back courtyard was smaller, only one story high. Unlike the main building, it wasn't bustling. Two separate passages led to rows of rooms on either side. The passages were empty, and the surroundings were silent, suggesting that everyone was asleep. 

　　Lin Qingyan said, “There are two paths. Let's split up and search. Brother He, you go alone, and I'll go with Miss An.” 

　　None of them had any objections. 

　　An Jiu knew she was the weakest and didn't try to be strong, staying close behind Lin Qingyan. 

　　There was no movement from the rooms on either side; everything was quiet. Lin Qingyan whispered, “There are people in these rooms. Judging by their breathing, they're ordinary people.” 

　　The layout of the back courtyard was similar to a modern hotel, with a circular corridor. The three of them split up and walked to the end of the corridor, then rejoined each other.

　　At the end of the corridor was another passage, and a guard in black, wearing a half-silver mask, stood guard. The two parties met, both momentarily surprised. 

　　“Who's there?” The guard reacted quickly, immediately realizing something was wrong. In the blink of an eye, he raised his hand and attacked. 

　　“Back off!” He Ziqing shouted, drawing his long sword from his back with a sharp clang. 

　　Without him needing to say anything, An Jiu, sensing danger, had already run far away! 

　　She widened her eyes, cautiously peeking from behind the corner of the corridor, secretly observing the fight. 

　　The guard's dagger clashed with He Ziqing's long sword. In the flash of sparks, the two exchanged dozens of moves! 

　　The sound of clashing steel, ‘ding ding ding,’ filled the air.

　　This guard's martial arts skills were strong; every move targeted vital points, his attacks ruthless and deadly. 

　　The corridor was narrow, not ideal for using a sword. A sword was too long, not as nimble and versatile as a dagger. At first, He Ziqing struggled, but luckily Lin Qingyan was there. Lin Qingyan was clever; she immediately saw that using a sword would put them at a disadvantage. She drew a short sword, about the length of her forearm, from her waist. 

　　The girl in green joined the fight, greatly relieving the pressure on He Ziqing. The two seemed to have a perfect understanding, cooperating seamlessly, quickly subduing the guard.

　　The brief but intense fight had already attracted attention. Doors along the corridor opened, and people emerged to see what was happening. 

　　An Jiu, completely engrossed in watching the fight, was oblivious. 

　　Only when someone gently touched her shoulder did she snap back to reality, turning her head sharply. 

　　Standing behind her was a girl with loose hair, wrapped in a thin gauze robe, as if she had just gotten out of bed. She looked at An Jiu timidly, her expression fearful and questioning. 

　　“Y-you... are you from upstairs?” 

　　An Jiu nodded and asked, “Who are you?” 

　　A glimmer of light appeared in the girl's eyes. She whispered excitedly, “I'm Zhou Yuru, the young lady of the Zhou family from the east of the city. Are you here to save us?” 

　　Zhou Yuru?

　　The name sounded familiar. An Jiu thought for a moment and finally remembered that this morning, there was a Mr. Zhou who had come to the dilapidated temple with He Ziqing. 

　　An Jiu glanced around and saw that some of the doors on either side were open, while most were still closed. She could hear knocking coming from inside. 

　　Noticing her gaze, Zhou Yuru explained, “The women locked in the rooms are all new arrivals. If they disobey, Hong Niang won't let them eat. Those who obey are allowed to go out, but we're not allowed to leave the back courtyard. We have to... we have to wait until we're ‘trained’ before we're sent to the Red Mansion to... serve guests…” 

　　Towards the end, Zhou Yuru's face showed clear humiliation. 

　　An Jiu patted her shoulder, her tone gentle. “Don't be afraid. We're here to save you. Your family has been looking for you.”

　　Hearing this, tears immediately welled up in Zhou Yuru's eyes. 

　　“My family... they're looking for me?” Her voice trembled. 

　　“Of course. See those two heroes? They came here after receiving your family's bounty notice.” 

　　Zhou Yuru covered her face with her hands, tears finally streaming down. 

　　During her time in captivity, she had been filled with despair. After learning about the Red Mansion, she understood that once she entered such a place, there was almost no chance of escape. 

　　Her father was just a wealthy merchant, without power or influence, except for his money. Even if he found out she was in the Dark Village, he probably wouldn't be able to rescue her. 

　　Moreover, having entered the Red Mansion, she was considered a fallen woman in the eyes of others. Even if she were found, who would want her? It would also ruin her family's reputation and dishonor the Zhou family.

　　Her younger brother would be taking the imperial examinations in a few years, and her younger sister would soon be of marriageable age. Even if she were lucky enough to return home, wouldn't it ruin their futures? 

　　Considering all this, Zhou Yuru had given up hope after being captured. She appeared obedient and docile to Hong Niang, which is why, after only half a month, she was allowed out of her room. 

　　After crying for a while, she quickly realized something and quickly wiped her tears. She said to An Jiu, “Hong Niang only manages the Red Mansion, but the true master of the Dark Village is in the Black Mansion. Hong Niang calls him the ‘Lord.’ Last night, Sister Miao Xue was taken away. Sister Miao Xue was very favored by the Lord; she only served the Lord. The Lord must still be in the Black Mansion. You must go find him, and don't let him hear anything and escape!”

　　An Jiu's spirits lifted. The Lord of the Black Mansion? This was the person that even the male and female leads in the original story hadn't captured! 

　　The book mentioned that the male and female leads had caused too much commotion, allowing the Lord of the Black Mansion to escape in the chaos. By the time they reached the Black Mansion, it was already deserted. 

　　An Jiu turned to look for He Ziqing, but when she turned around, the corridor was empty, only the unconscious guard lying on the ground. The sounds of fighting could be heard from deeper within the passage. 

　　Her mind raced, and she instantly had an idea. She asked Zhou Yuru, “Miss Zhou, do you know how to get to the Black Mansion?” 

　　Zhou Yuru nodded, saying with difficulty, “I can only show you the way. There are many guards there.” 

　　An Jiu said, “That's enough.”

　　Zhou Yuru said, “Wouldn't it be dangerous for you to go alone? Shouldn't you wait for the two heroes?” 

　　An Jiu waved her hand nonchalantly. “I won't be in any danger.” 

　　She needed to give someone a chance to appear, a heroic rescue. 

　　Right?

________________ 

Author's Note:

Don't think the favorability is rising quickly... It's actually just a change from “a disgusting woman” to “disgusting, but with some redeeming qualities”... 

Pei Pei likes strong women and hates delicate, clinging vines. The author testifies to this!

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