Soon, people rushed in.
Seeing the scene inside the room, they were stunned for a moment.
"Ma... Madam..."
As the man spoke, the Black Widow snapped back to her senses. She turned, glared at the group that had entered, and said:
"What are you 'Madam'-ing about?! Hurry up and untie me!"
In that instant...
The pitiful, wronged woman was gone.
The Black Widow who dominated Taiping City, the one who struck fear and terror into the hearts of countless people, was back.
...
「Around two or three in the afternoon.」
An exquisitely crafted carriage was parked on the side of the road.
Around the carriage, a row of people lay covered by white cloths.
Others sat in a circle, helping each other apply medicine from small vials to their wounds.
Lu Yuan was squatting by the carriage, scrubbing his face with a fragrant, damp towel.
The ink from the Ink Pot Thread had gotten all over his face earlier, making a complete mess of it.
Through the carriage window, he could see the Black Widow wiping her own face with a small mirror in hand.
She would occasionally glance outside, her gaze cold.
She was just like when Lu Yuan first met her—so cold, so unapproachable.
However...
The Multiplication Factor above her head hadn't changed.
'Since the Multiplication Factor can rise, it can naturally fall as well.'
'Since it hasn't budged, it must mean our relationship is still the same, or at least, her feelings toward me are.'
It was just that...
Lu Yuan looked at the Black Widow now and thought about how he'd not only yelled at her but also slapped her on the rear.
A shiver of apprehension went down his spine.
So he kept scrubbing his face with the towel, deciding to wait and see how things played out.
After wiping her face, the Black Widow took out a small rouge box and began reapplying the fine, fragrant powder to her cheeks.
Naturally, she also noticed Lu Yuan outside the carriage.
Just as she was about to say something to Lu Yuan, a middle-aged man walked over quickly.
In his hand was a bloody walnut... or something like it.
Lu Yuan couldn't see it clearly, but he could smell a nauseating, rotten stench.
"Madam, this was dug out from the bodies of several walking corpses. Someone planted these in them."
The middle-aged man was gaunt, with barely any flesh on his cheeks.
As the saying goes, a man with hollow cheeks is a tough foe even for the gods.
This man had been the fiercest fighter just now, cutting down enemies with brutal efficiency.
Others called him the old steward.
The Black Widow stared coldly at the disgusting object and said in a frigid tone:
"No wonder. I've had that bastard suppressed for twenty years and was just about to ensure he could never find peace for all eternity.
And yet, he suddenly became so malevolent.
So that's how it is..."
After speaking, the Black Widow looked at the old steward before her and asked:
"Did you catch that bastard?"
The old steward shook his head slightly.
"Liu Cheng has had something planted in him. He's incredibly vicious; I was no match for him."
Hearing the old steward's words, the Black Widow was taken aback.
"Even you couldn't handle him?"
The old steward nodded and sighed.
"Liu Cheng has been cultivated with that implant for at least five years. I couldn't defeat him, only force him to retreat.
But right now, Liu Cheng isn't my biggest concern.
It's that someone was able to do this to him right under our noses, and we didn't notice a thing.
The person behind this is likely far more dangerous.
The best course of action now is for you to return to the city at once, Madam, and notify the Provincial City to send for a Celestial Master.
Let the Celestial Master deal with him."
The Black Widow nodded.
The old steward sighed again.
"Ultimately, this was my mistake. I was careless. It was far too dangerous. It's a true blessing that you survived, Madam."
'A blessing?'
'This wasn't a blessing.'
'It was all thanks to my dear nephew.'
At that moment, the Black Widow came to her senses and looked out the window at Lu Yuan, who was still wiping his face.
A hint of a smile touched her icy lips.
But she feigned a cold tone as she spoke:
"My, how many times have you wiped that face?
Be careful not to rub all the skin off!"
Lu Yuan froze, then sheepishly lowered the towel and gave the Black Widow a wide, awkward grin.
The Black Widow simply rolled her eyes at Lu Yuan.
"Get in. Come back with your aunt."
Lu Yuan paused, then quickly said:
"Madam, I..."
Before Lu Yuan could finish, the Black Widow shot him a glare with her beautiful eyes.
"Still calling me 'Madam'?!"
Lu Yuan faltered, then immediately corrected himself:
"Aunt..."
Hearing this, the Black Widow nodded in satisfaction before continuing:
"My name is Zhao Qiao'Er. You can call me Aunt Zhao or Aunt Qiao, whatever you like.
But just 'Aunt' sounds more affectionate."
Lu Yuan looked at the smiling Zhao Qiao'Er in the carriage and immediately grinned back.
"Aunt~"
Hearing Lu Yuan's clear, sweet-sounding call, Zhao Qiao'Er was naturally overjoyed, beaming as she acknowledged him.
But Lu Yuan immediately continued:
"Aunt, I really can't go back with you, and I can't stay at your place.
I have my own home. I can't just go and stay at someone else's house.
You should hurry back to the city, Aunt. It's safer there.
I should be getting home, too. My wife is waiting for me."
Zhao Qiao'Er saw that her dear nephew was determined not to go back with her.
She was about to try and persuade him again.
But, after thinking about it carefully...
'It's not a good idea.'
'This business of mine isn't over yet. That bastard ran off, but he's probably still watching me from the shadows.'
'If I bring my nephew into this, it'll probably be dangerous for him.'
After some thought, Zhao Qiao'Er looked at Lu Yuan and said:
"Once this is all over, we'll have a proper talk, you and I.
For now, your aunt is heading back."
With that, Zhao Qiao'Er looked at the old steward before her.
"Li Fu, you will escort my dear nephew home."
The old steward was stunned. Just as he was about to speak, Lu Yuan quickly interjected:
"Aunt, there's no need! I'm not far from home, and besides, that creature is after you. You need protection."
Li Fu also snapped out of it and said anxiously:
"That's right, Madam! That Liu fellow has been implanted. He won't target anyone else, only you. We mustn't be careless.
If he were to double back on the way and I wasn't there, it would be extremely dangerous."
Zhao Qiao'Er thought for a moment, then looked down at Lu Yuan, the corners of her lips curling up slightly as she said in a charming voice:
"Fine~
I'm just a woman, I'll listen to you, the man."
Lu Yuan was taken aback, unsure if she was being sarcastic about what happened earlier.
Lu Yuan lowered his head sheepishly and chuckled, not saying anything more.
Seeing this, Zhao Qiao'Er reached a delicate, pale hand out of the carriage window—a hand adorned with a Jade Bracelet and bright red nail polish.
She pinched Lu Yuan's cheek and said in a sweet, intimate voice:
"You big oaf. Your aunt is just fond of you."
Just then, someone came over and reported:
"Madam, we found someone among the group who isn't one of ours."
The man then waved to the side.
A fat Traveler was dragged over.
'Hey, isn't that the Traveler who came with me?'
'He didn't die?'
'He's got some skills!'
Zhao Qiao'Er looked at the Traveler. Even if she didn't recognize his face, she recognized his clothes.
Before the Traveler could speak, Zhao Qiao'Er gave a slight nod.
"Not bad. You've rendered a service.
What reward do you want from me?"
Hearing this, the Fat Traveler's face lit up with joy. He knelt on the ground and said loudly:
"Madam, I was originally a Traveler from the Five Doctors Guild, stationed with the East Village Chief.
I wish to enter the city to honor you and serve you, Madam."
Zhao Qiao'Er had little reaction to the Fat Traveler's words; granting his request would only take a single word from her.
She was about to agree, but then she saw Lu Yuan outside the window and immediately changed her tune:
"We can talk about you honoring and serving me later.
First, you will escort my dear nephew home. For the next few days, you will serve this sweetheart of mine well.
Whatever he says, goes. If you dare to neglect this sweetheart of mine, you'll have hell to pay!"
The Fat Traveler looked up, utterly bewildered.
He looked at Lu Yuan, whose cheek was still being pinched by Zhao Qiao'Er, as Lu Yuan looked back at him.
For a moment, the Fat Traveler felt deeply wronged.
'But... I was here first...'