Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 141

She had just risen from the flowerbed when a man suddenly leaned against her shoulder, mumbling drunkenly, “Why the hell did you take so long just to take a piss? Hurry back to guard the back gate, I’m about to burst here!”

Ying Su quickly nodded, deliberately lowering her voice and making it sound hoarse, imitating a drunkard, “Then I’ll… I’ll go back first…”

Saying that, she staggered off toward the back gate, but her eyes stayed sharp, carefully scanning her surroundings. When she reached the back gate, she saw another man standing guard there. Ying Su tilted her head slightly to the right, keeping herself hidden in the shadows.

The man waved her over impatiently, muttering in disgust, “You and Wang Wu are both lazy bastards, always pissing around. Sober up and guard this gate, I’ve got to go find Master Ma San!”

With that, he hurried away.

Ying Su glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then put her fingers to her lips and blew a whistle. Moments later, three long knocks and two short ones sounded against the gate.

Ying Su opened it quickly, and a figure slipped inside, it was Wang Yuan.

“I’ll go in to rescue him instead. You stay here and cover the escape!” Wang Yuan said anxiously, clearly uneasy.

Before coming, they had already made a plan, Ying Su would sneak into the private dungeon to save Wang Ba, while Wang Yuan guarded the back gate. Once Wang Ba was freed, Wang Yuan would open the way and the other six would be waiting outside to provide backup.

“Stick to the plan.” Ying Su stripped off the outer robe she was wearing and tossed it to him. Dressed all in black, her figure disappeared from Wang Yuan’s sight almost instantly.

The guards inside the gang were mostly rough men of the rivers and lakes, so defenses weren’t particularly tight, though patrols in the courtyard never stopped, out of fear that Heiwutang Hall Master might suddenly attack with his men.

Ying Su slipped past the patrols and soon had a clear grasp of the compound’s layout. She even located the courtyard where the Qinglong Hall Master was holding those who had openly supported Heiwutang Hall.

At that moment, she crouched atop the courtyard wall, clutching a small stone in her palm. She hurled it hard toward the back of an osmanthus tree to the right. A loud clatter echoed, immediately drawing the attention of the two guards at the gate.

“You, go check it out,” one said to the other.

But they didn’t both go, at least they were somewhat cautious. Ying Su quickly flicked another stone toward a different spot.

This time, however, the stone struck someone in black clothing hidden in the shadows. The man caught it in his hand with lightning speed, making not a single sound.

Not hearing the expected noise, Ying Su frowned. She casually tossed the remaining four stones as well, yet each one was silently caught by the hidden figure in the tree.

That black-clad man had already spotted her. He frowned slightly. “So, there are other forces sneaking in too?” But since his master had ordered that their goal in coming to the gang was simply to stir the waters as much as possible, he decided he might as well lend a hand.

The man blurred into motion, hurling the stones in all directions at once. The sudden noises drew away the other guard as well.

Though puzzled, Ying Su didn’t stop to think further. She swiftly vaulted the wall and dropped inside, melting into the shadows of the courtyard.

There were guards inside too. Ying Su tossed a homemade rope up onto the roof and scaled it noiselessly. She carefully pried away a few tiles and peered inside.

There were eight men in total. Four were seated around a table, gambling with dice. Two guarded the door. The last two were whipping a man tied to a wooden post.

Ying Su’s gaze sharpened. The one holding the whip was none other than Liu Huang. She immediately guessed the man bound to the stake had to be Wang Ba. If she wanted to rescue him, there was no way to do it without alerting them all. That meant speed was her only option.

She would have to take down all eight in a single strike, before anyone outside realized something was wrong, and spirit Wang Ba away.

Just as she was about to act, a commotion suddenly erupted in the distance. Soon, someone ran in, panting heavily and shouting, “Grab your weapons and get out there, Heiwutang Hall Master is coming with his men!”

The gamblers immediately dropped their dice and seized the weapons at their sides, rushing outside. Liu Huang lashed Wang Ba once more with his whip, leaving another bloody mark, and sneered, “When I’m done with the Heiwutang Hall Master, I’ll come back and give you a proper lesson!”

They left behind only one guard.

Ying Su’s lips curved in a cold smile. “Perfect timing, Heiwutang Hall Master.”

She agilely climbed down from the roof. The moment her feet touched the ground, she flicked her sleeve, launching a dart at the oblivious guard.

A sharp hiss split the air, followed by a brief cry of pain. The man collapsed instantly, lifeless.

Ying Su hurried to the stake where Wang Ba was bound. His body was covered in blood, and he appeared unconscious.

Just as she was about to untie the ropes, a chill wind slashed at her back. She spun and rolled aside just in time, avoiding the blade aimed for her chest.

At the same time, more than a dozen men suddenly poured out of the shadows in the corners of the room. Leading them was the same lewd man who had stopped her and Wang Yuan at the dock earlier that day.

Liu Huang stepped forward with a cruel smile. “Heaven has a road you refuse to take, but hell has no gate and you barge right in! I was waiting here just for you to walk into my trap!”

Realizing she’d been caught in an ambush, Ying Su sneered coldly. “What’s the matter? My blade didn’t cut your throat clean enough last time, and you’re still itching for more?”

At that, Liu Huang’s expression darkened. He glared at her viciously and snarled, “Bitch! You cost me dearly! Because of you, Wu Huang is still rotting in prison! This time, I’ll settle both his score and mine with you!”

Liu Huang was notoriously petty. He and Huang Wu had always been favored by Qinglong Hall Master, holding considerable influence in the gang. They’d never suffered real humiliation until they crossed paths with Ying Su, nearly losing their lives to her.

“Since you’ve got some looks, we’ll have our fun first,” Liu Huang grinned wickedly. “Then we’ll cut you into pieces, slut!”

At his signal, more than a dozen men lunged at Ying Su at once.

But the greater the danger, the calmer she became. Her sleeves flicked out, sending a flurry of arrows slicing through the air with deadly precision. Four men collapsed instantly, each shot directly through the heart.

The rest froze in shock.

With a swift motion, Ying Su drew the short blade strapped to her leg. Twisting aside, she kicked off, evading their encirclement, and in the same movement slashed across a man’s throat. Blood sprayed in an arc, spattering across her masked face and the men around her.

The sight sent panic through their ranks.

“Get back! Shoot her down! Turn her into a pincushion!” Liu Huang roared. He knew her skills well from their past encounters. Even with these elite fighters, she couldn’t be subdued. So he waved for the hidden archers in the corners to unleash their arrows.

In the next instant, a rain of arrows filled the room, all aimed straight at Ying Su.