Chapter 163 – Looking for Trouble (Part Seven)
She said, “This won’t do. If the three of us run together, none of us will make it. I’ll lure some people away first. Take care, cousin!”
As Meng Liang fled, he seethed with indignation, “I see you want to use me as bait, huh?”
Jiang Pengji just laughed, “Cousin Meng Liang has been foolish for so long, yet unexpectedly, you got clever just before death!”
What?
Meng Liang’s heart raced in shock. At that moment, the three of them dashed into a pitch-black alley, the stench around them thick and foul.
Just as he realized something was off, he saw Jiang Pengji lift her hand and swiftly struck the back of his neck.
With a jolt of pain, darkness enveloped his vision, and his consciousness faded into a fog. Before he fully lost consciousness, he vaguely felt a sharp pain in his throat that made his body twitch uncontrollably.
Nong Qin was so startled by the sudden turn of events that she couldn’t utter a word, yet the assailant showed no signs of remorse.
“Young Master, don’t worry about this one…”
Nong Qin was terrified as she watched Jiang Pengji casually toss the unconscious Meng Liang to the ground like trash.
Even though she didn’t particularly like Meng Liang, he was still a valued guest in the Liu Residence. If anything happened to him, they’d be in serious trouble.
“Forget him; we just need to run. Hold onto the gold tightly. There’s a tenth of it that’s your dowry for your future husband.”
“What?”
Nong Qin looked utterly bewildered.
Jiang Pengji shrugged, dismissing Nong Qin’s slow pace. She grabbed her hand and, amid her startled cries, scooped her up—one arm around her shoulder, the other through her knees. Despite Nong Qin not being heavy, weighing around ninety pounds, Jiang Pengji still dashed ahead effortlessly.
Using her momentum, she leaped onto the wall, bouncing lightly off the bricks, then effortlessly jumped into a nearby deeper alley.
“All done.”
Setting the still-dazed Nong Qin down, Jiang Pengji’s voice carried a rich, merry tone, as if she’d released the pent-up frustration inside her. She had originally intended to tease Meng Liang a little longer, letting the kid live for a few more days, but now?
Heh, she changed her mind.
Nong Qin landed on the ground, finally coming to her senses. She turned slightly and focused her gaze, faintly recognizing the outline of the Young Master’s profile; he’d carried her quite a distance, sweat-free, breathing steady.
Nong Qin felt a tinge of shame. Having done hard labor since childhood and being quite strong, she found herself outperformed by the pampered Young Master.
“Young Master… leaving that ‘cousin’ behind, won’t the Lady blame you? If he says something reckless, those gamblers might come after the Liu Residence, and then…” Her voice trailed off, her face as pale as a ghost.
Jiang Pengji scoffed coldly, “Our so-called ‘cousin’ is right next to me, isn’t she? As for whether Meng Liang will babble nonsense, hehe, relax. He can’t say anything for a while, nor can he write. He’ll just obediently wait at the Gambling House.”
She had plenty of ways to temporarily numb someone’s arm or render them mute, unable to write or speak—simple as pie.
Meng Liang’s skills compared to hers?
She could take him down with her eyes closed.
Right next to her?
Nong Qin couldn’t help but look around, realizing it was just the two of them. Where was this third person, anyway?
Was there a third person?
Suddenly, a chill crept through the air, a strange, eerie sensation shooting from her feet to her brain.
“We need to buy a woman’s outfit. You’ll dress up as the ‘cousin’ for now.”
Jiang Pengji spoke up again, and it finally dawned on Nong Qin what she meant: to disguise herself as the ‘cousin’?
“But if I do that, my identity will be exposed, right? A lot of people have already seen the ‘cousin’s’ face…”
Nong Qin felt it was tricky, but since it was her Young Master’s orders, she had no choice but to comply.
However, just when her mood began to improve, the System beeped with notifications.
[System: Self-check initiated, scanning tasks… Beep beep… Scan successful, task established.]
[Meng Liang, son of Governor Meng Zhan from Cangzhou, is currently in crisis. Please rescue him within two hours. Completing this task will reward you with “Willow-like Waist: Slim and Bewitching,” failure will result in a level five electric shock punishment!]
Jiang Pengji’s expression froze, and instantly, a bloodthirsty grin appeared on her face.
“System, are you looking for trouble?”
The System hurriedly tried to explain, panic evident in its voice.
“No, wait, let me explain—Tasks are automatically generated after the event meeting, based on your circumstances. But trust me, these tasks are beneficial for you! It’s all calculated, and it won’t harm your interests. I’ve checked the data; neglecting Meng Liang will cause you significant losses!”
“Beneficial? Yeah, right! If you can understand human speech, then shut up!”
Jiang Pengji’s anger flared. She was already thoroughly annoyed by this system, and now it revolted her even more.
The System, taken aback by her rebuke, sulked in frustration.
“Host, while I’m your system, I hope you can respect me. We need to support each other, not drag each other down. The human brain can’t compete with a quantum system. The analysis concludes that saving Meng Liang is the right move!”
Jiang Pengji snorted, “I said, shut up!”
The System felt helpless against her stubbornness, growing increasingly irritable.
“If you ignore the task, you’ll receive a two-hour countdown buff. Once time runs out, it’ll automatically be deemed a failure! Do you understand? Failing the task means you’ll face a level five electric shock punishment, and that could be fatal!”
“Then die already!”
Jiang Pengji’s single retort sent the System’s protests right back.
At this moment, the unconscious Meng Liang was already captured—bound tightly.
“Have you found the other two?”
Those who won big had fled, while those who lost big and racked up debts got caught. What kind of logic was this?
The Gambling House owner’s face twisted in rage, turning a grotesque shade of purple.
The thugs employed by the Gambling House trembled like quail. They had really tried to chase after those two, but not only did they slip away like eels, it was as if they evaporated into thin air—there wasn’t even a strand of hair left behind.
They were utterly puzzled; that alley had been a dead end. How on earth did those two get away?
“Useless! A bunch of useless fools! What’s the point of keeping you around? Even a dog can guard the house and bark a few times, but you can’t even let out a peep! Besides standing there like idiots, what else can you do? Get out, you worthless scum! Get to looking!”
