Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 142

At this moment, the sleeve crossbow on her wrist came into play. Its range wasn’t far, but it was enough for her to hit those archers.

As soon as she made her move, four men went down. Ying Su flicked her robes and rolled across the ground. Just as she was about to strike again, someone suddenly ran in from outside. He rushed straight to Liu Huang and said anxiously, “Master Liu, the Hall Master of Heiwutang Hall has brought men to attack! They even set fire to our compound. The Hall Master says we must gather all our forces and wipe them out completely!”

Liu Huang cursed aloud, “Damn it! Take care of this woman first!” He shoved the messenger aside, grabbed a bow, and shot straight at Ying Su.

Ying Su raised her sleeve crossbow and aimed at Liu Huang. The two arrows collided in midair and clattered to the ground.

“Master, what is she using?” One of the men in black, crouched on the rooftop, asked.

The black-clad leader’s gaze fixed on Ying Su, his voice thoughtful, “It’s a sleeve crossbow.”

The man in the black bamboo hat was astonished. “How could a sleeve crossbow knock an iron arrow aside?”

The leader gave no explanation, but his eyes lingered on Ying Su, with a trace of curiosity.

“Master, the Qinglong Hall and the Heiwutang Hall have already started fighting. Our ploy to sow discord is working.”

The leader nodded. “Shen Yi, keep an eye on this one. The rest, with me.”

The courtyard was already in chaos, with the Qinglong and Heiwutang Halls fighting furiously. Just then, a troop of soldiers poured through the gates and surrounded the compound. The entire Canal Gang was thrown into confusion.

A man in dark crimson official robes entered through the gate. With a wave of his hand, he commanded, “Seize them all!”

The soldiers rushed forward, confiscating all weapons. The Hall Masters of the Heiwutang and Qinglong exchanged glances. Though enemies among themselves, they still stood united against outsiders.

“Wait! Who are you? This is the Canal Gang’s internal affair. The court need not interfere!” The Qinglong Hall Master declared.

“You colluded with the Vice Minister of War and privately forged weapons! Vice Minister Yang Wei has already confessed. Will you still deny it?” The man in crimson robes, handsome and striking, allowed himself a faint smile. “You ask who I am?” He pulled a command token from his sleeve and held it high.

“What—? You’re… the Heir of the Su family?!” The Qinglong Hall Master’s face fell like a frost-bitten eggplant. If it were anyone else, he might have blustered. But for the Su heir, who commanded the northwest armies, to personally come here, clearly the court had been watching him for a long time.

The Heiwutang Hall Master quickly interjected, “Lord Su, I had no knowledge of the weapon forging! It was all his doing!”

“A den of bandits, your crimes are countless. Rape, looting, seizing the docks, extorting protection fees, trafficking women and children!” Each charge spilled from the Su heir’s mouth. He casually slipped the command token back into his robes and said coldly, “Take them all! Kill anyone who resists!”

The soldiers swarmed forward. In the 49th year of the Daqing Xihe reign, the once-rampant Canal Gang was brought to an end. Much credit went to the Su heir, who removed a thorn from the merchants’ side. Truly, it was the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Meanwhile, Liu Huang was still locked in deadly combat with Ying Su, unaware the compound had been sealed by soldiers. An arrow had already struck Ying Su’s shoulder. Luckily, it wasn’t poisoned, and with her unusually high pain tolerance, she snapped the shaft off cleanly. It hardly hindered her movements.

But now she had only one sleeve arrow left. Her black eyes darkened, phoenix gaze sweeping coldly over Liu Huang. With a fierce glint at the corner of her eyes, she suddenly surged forward to counterattack.

“Shoot her! Shoot her!” Liu Huang shouted frantically.

Ying Su rolled across the ground as a volley of arrows rained down. She lifted her sleeve crossbow and aimed at Liu Huang. Terrified, he ducked behind another man. The bolt buried itself in that man’s chest, and he collapsed. Liu Huang exhaled in relief, only for a short blade to fly straight at him. Before he could react, it struck him squarely in the forehead.

At that moment, soldiers burst through the doors. Ying Su swiftly retrieved the dagger from Liu Huang’s brow and warily faced the soldiers.

The Su heir in crimson robes stepped inside. He halted before Ying Su, his handsome, jade-like features carrying an ambiguous smile. “Take off your veil,” he commanded.

Ying Su’s phoenix eyes flickered, it was him! That man she’d met in the mountains, and he turned out to be an official?

After a moment’s hesitation, she pulled off her veil. Su Yan’s dark eyes narrowed, his expression shifting slightly. “So it’s you?” He said.

Ying Su pressed her lips together in silence. Shen Yi, who had just descended from the rooftop, stared at her with a strange look, his eyes fixed on her, several times almost stepping forward.

“What are you doing here?” The Su heir asked, stepping closer, his narrow eyes locked sharply on her.

He was deeply suspicious of her identity. From the mountains to Tongzhou, had she deliberately crossed paths with him? Could she be a spy sent by the Western Depot? Thinking of her ruthless aura, his gaze hardened. Suddenly, he lunged, reaching for her throat.

But his hand caught only air. Ying Su dodged nimbly, instantly shifting into a defensive stance.

Su Yan frowned, his wide sleeves swirling as a gust of inner force swept toward her. In a flash, his two fingers clamped her chin with impossible speed.

She tried to block but was too late. Grabbing his wrist with both hands, she squeezed hard, trying to crush his arm.

Su Yan felt no pain. To him, her strength was no more than a scratch. He realized she had no internal force at all. Could the cunning Western Depot have deliberately sent a powerless woman to lull him into lowering his guard?

His phoenix eyes locked on her. Leaning close, his voice was low and deep. “Who exactly are you?”

His grip was iron; she couldn’t break free.

“She’s my sister, she came to save me!” a weak voice shouted. It was Wang Ba, just waking from unconsciousness.

At that moment, soldiers marched in, dragging Wang Yuan and the others. They reported to Su Yan, “Your Highness, we caught them at the back gate.”

Wang Yuan’s face paled at the sight of Ying Su being restrained.

Su Yan cast him a glance. He remembered seeing this man at the Tongzhou docks earlier, claiming to be her husband. Withdrawing his hand, Su Yan asked coolly, “So, you’re together?”

Two pale bruises marked Ying Su’s chin from his grip. Inside, she cursed him as her nemesis, every time they met, he was a torment. Still, she forced a smile. “Yes, we came together to rescue someone.”

“You two are husband and wife? You don’t look it…” Su Yan’s lips curved in a faint, mocking smile as his eyes swept Wang Yuan up and down with clear disdain.