Chapter 534 - 446: Success Is Not Mine to Claim (Part 2)

These people have blood debts on their hands and all deserve to die. Lin Miao never intended to spare them; after all, they’re quite valuable.

If he could hand them over to Pei Jian, that wouldn’t be bad either. At least it would save him some money.

Lin Miao didn’t have many people on his side, but he was a physician, and his greatest skill was concocting drugs, especially sleep-inducing ones.

Considering how dangerous tonight is, how could Lin Miao not prepare some sedatives for emergencies?

His people had naturally taken the antidote beforehand. As for the people from Scorpio or Pei Jian, it didn’t really matter; they’d all be knocked out anyway. What could happen?

Lin Miao also didn’t want to reveal himself in front of Pei Jian, even if everyone tacitly understood each other.

Pei Jian would take credit for the achievement, but Lin Miao couldn’t let him reap all the benefits. After all, no one despises having too little money.

Next, he was going to target the Ye Family, which would require spending money.

He had so many women and a whole family to support; how could he just rely on medical treatment and consultation fees to make ends meet?

But the effective range of the sleeping drug was limited and needed to be used when people were gathered together to maximize its effect.

Why not use it right from the start?

If he used it right away, they’d be scared off, and who would take the blame? Besides, they didn’t know each other’s plans at the beginning.

If they scattered to attack, it would be a waste of resources.

Only when everyone was gathered in one place for a one-pot stew would benefits be maximized.

Many people would die in the process, but there was no helping that. It’s not like he killed them himself, so why shouldn’t the karma of their deaths count against him?

"Master..." Guangmiao immediately recognized Lin Miao, and was about to shout out, but retracted the words just as they were about to leave his mouth.

Lin Miao had come masked because he didn’t want his identity revealed. Calling out would surely expose him.

"Mr. Pei, you take the credit, but I’ll gladly accept the valuables from these people. I came to help you, and can’t go away empty-handed. Also, I’ll be taking this Scorpio; I still have use for him. I’ll send his head over to you later!" Lin Miao said in a voice altered to be thicker and deeper.

Pei Jian gave an awkward smile; could he possibly object?

Though Lin Miao hadn’t brought many people, his speed at looting money and valuables from these people was incredibly fast. In no time, he had filled a canvas bag.

Those recruited by Scorpio lived their lives on the edge of a sword; most were loners with their fortunes hanging from their belts.

This time, Scorpio offered a high price, and the money had been distributed but not yet spent. Now, it was all swiftly taken by Lin Miao.

Entire life savings gone, along with the rest of their lives and even their heads.

As for how much was taken, it wasn’t clear, but it was certainly no less than a million taels of silver. This haul was a windfall.

Indeed, killing and looting sure made money fast. How else could people come to love reaping where they haven’t sowed?

"Amitabha!" Guangmiao softly chanted a Buddhist mantra. Even if Lin Miao hadn’t taken the floating wealth, it would have ended up in government coffers for sure.

Once it was in the government’s hands, who knew what would happen?

But if it went into Uncle Master’s, at least it would be better than the government. Every year, Uncle Master donated a sum to Shanglin Temple.

After finishing everything, Lin Miao, without saying much, simply carried off the unconscious Scorpio, along with the scorpion demon beast frozen into an ice sculpture.

The scorpions and other poisonous creatures it summoned did appear, but without its leadership, they were like headless flies, unable to receive next steps. In such cold weather, unless they wanted to freeze to death, they’d return directly.

...

Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion.

Mrs. He and Ye Shengyuan hadn’t slept all night either, knowing that after tonight, their fate would be decided.

If the fight outside the city was won, they could live without fleeing their homes and living under others.

If they lost, they could face utter annihilation.

"Ah Yun, how is it? Have you packed everything?" Ye Shengyuan asked. Even though the situation was unclear, they had to prepare for the worst.

"Yes, I’ve packed all the gold, silver, and valuables, along with our identity documents," He Yun nodded. At this point, she couldn’t care less about her husband, the Marquis Lingyang in the capital. After all, she hadn’t had children with that man, and her future reliance would have to be on Ye Shengyuan.

If she was no longer the Marchioness, she could hardly lord it over the man in front of her.

"You didn’t alert anyone else, did you?"

"No, I didn’t tell anyone," He Yun nodded.

"Good," Ye Shengyuan nodded. Aside from her temper, He Yun was pretty good in every other respect, especially in certain areas where her charm exceeded that of many women.

Ye Shengyuan’s wholehearted planning for her was partly due to his infatuation with her. Plus, they had a son now, a descendant of the Ye Family, so he couldn’t just give up.

The Green Blade Sect had promised him that in the event of a sudden change, they would escort her out of the city through the back gate of the marquis’s residence.

The slaughter outside the city didn’t disturb a single blade of grass inside; people felt nothing and slept soundly. They woke up, living their normal lives without the slightest change.

For Mrs. He and Ye Shengyuan, no news was the best news.

Dawn was approaching.

Although a brazier was burning in the room, and He Yun wore an expensive fox fur coat and held a brass stove in her hand, she still felt a bit cold. She couldn’t help but lean closer to Ye Shengyuan: "Shengyuan."

Seeing this woman look at him with such gentle eyes for the first time, Ye Shengyuan couldn’t help but be mesmerized.

"Madam, Patriarch Ye, quick, prepare to leave the city with me!" Suddenly, a voice from outside broke in.

"Who?"

"Me, Lun San’Er."

"Lun San’Er, is it you? How are things outside?" Ye Shengyuan asked in shock.

"Mr. Fen instructed, if he hasn’t returned or sent word by daybreak, we’re to escort you and Mrs. He out of the city," Lun San’Er explained.

"Isn’t it still dark?"

"There are people in the streets already, and the city gates will open soon. We can return after going out. But if something really happens, leaving won’t be easy..."

"Ah Yun, Lun San’Er makes sense. We can go out first. If everything’s fine, we’ll just treat it as a trip outside the city and return," Ye Shengyuan reasoned.

"Okay, whatever you say." He Yun looked at Ye Shengyuan, nodded, and quickly turned to pick up the swaddled child and the packed bundles, swiftly heading towards the marquis’s residence’s back gate with Ye Shengyuan.

A nondescript, ordinary-looking carriage was waiting there.

The driver was an old servant of the Ye Family, someone Ye Shengyuan could trust. There were also four Green Blade Sect disciples in ordinary protector attire brought by Lun San’Er.

Ye Shengyuan helped He Yun, who was holding the child, onto the carriage, and opened the back gate of the marquis’s residence.

Just as the carriage was about to head out into the alley for a rapid departure, dozens of armored soldiers suddenly appeared front and back.

"Mrs. He, heading somewhere so early in the morning?"

"Bold knaves, who are you to dare block a carriage from Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion!" Lun San’Er drew his sword and shouted.

"Bai Feng from Lanzhou’s Su Family!" A dashing figure stepped through the armored men to the carriage.

"B-Bai Feng!" Lun San’Er instantly turned pale with fright.

"Mrs. He, Patriarch Ye, please get off and come with me to a place. You can’t leave today," Bai Feng gazed into the carriage and spoke slowly to the two inside.

"Bai Feng, I am the mistress of Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion. How dare you, a mere outlander, stop my carriage?" Mrs. He bit her lip and forcefully shouted for calm.

"Mrs. He, after today, who knows if you’ll still be the Marchioness? While I, Bai Feng, have my roots in the martial world, my husband is a court supplier with a third-grade official title, and I have at least a commendable title. What do you say?" Bai Feng smiled faintly. Finding the absence of the Green Blade Sect’s Fen Biao was a surprise to her.

But as long as she stopped He Yun and Ye Shengyuan, her mission was complete.

PS: I recommend a new work by my old friend and veteran author on Qidian, Eastern China Hero’s "Return to 1978, I Enrolled at Northwestern Polytechnical University." Don’t miss it!