Chapter 36: Your Cousin Smiles Like a Grim Reaper Claiming a Soul

Ji Ci shook her head and looked down to see that she was already dressed. She stood up, but as soon as she took a step, her legs went weak, and she collapsed toward the floor.

Dongfang Jibai hurriedly caught her. "Are your legs jelly?"

Ji Ci nodded, struggling to rise from his embrace.

"I’ll hold you while you eat."

Dongfang Jibai carried her to the bedside. There were no tables or chairs here, which made eating rather difficult. Ji Ci waved her hand, producing a table, and Dongfang Jibai immediately sat down with her beside it.

"Eat first. Later, you should return that wooden tub; things like that shouldn't be left out." As Dongfang Jibai spoke, his hands began to wander restlessly.

Ji Ci was famished. She frowned at his actions, but deep down, she didn't feel like anything was wrong. They had already done the deed, so there was no point in pretending to be innocent now.

"Keep it," Ji Ci mumbled, biting into a chicken leg.

Dongfang Jibai’s hand paused. He smiled and lightly nibbled on her ear. "I don't want it; it’s too precious."

"If you don't want it, I'll just use it to water the fields." Ji Ci spat out a bone and, with a wave of her hand, retrieved the tub. The water inside was poured entirely onto the farmland. Since the spirit spring water was inexhaustible, she had no fear of waste.

"A-Ci, just how many secrets do you have? I really worry that you’ll leave me one day." Dongfang Jibai felt insecure. He feared that once she finished her tasks, she would vanish, and he wondered if she had other missions elsewhere besides the one involving him.

"Don't worry, I won't leave." Ji Ci patted his arm, her eyes filled with warmth. Having such a handsome man by her side every day—and now another beautiful woman who doted on her—she had no intention of leaving.

"Then swear it."

"I said I wouldn't leave, so I won't." Ji Ci wiped her hands; fed and satisfied, she wanted to go out for a stroll. However, Dongfang Jibai wouldn't let her go, pulling her back onto the bed for another round of intimate caresses.

"A-Ci..."

Her nails dug into his back, clinging like vines to a tree trunk, while his breath burned hotter than thorns.

Morning light shone on the wildflowers in the mountains. The wind tilted the blossoms, and a bead of dew rolled off the edge of a petal, sliding past the sharp prickles on the stem before vanishing into the dust.

In the city, Dongfang Jibai had dressed Ji Ci like an elf, her pale yellow skirt adorned with tiny silver bells. Every step rang out, and every step stirred the heart.

She suddenly turned, the bells in her hair chiming. "Xiaobai, I have an idea."

Looking at his unfamiliar face, Ji Ci still felt a bit unaccustomed to it. It was too ordinary—the quintessential face of an NPC. It was as common as the thousands of people named Zhang Wei across the country.

"Let’s hear it."

The human-skin mask concealed his original appearance, but not the tenderness in his eyes. He stood with his arms crossed, waiting patiently. A man who was well-fed was certainly more patient.

"How about we trade high-quality seeds for their inferior ones? The seed quality here is too poor. We can trade pound for pound, and for every pound, we give the commoners five extra copper coins. This way, they can have a bountiful harvest next year, and we can collect a wider variety of seeds—a win-win situation. It solves the people's hunger, and you won't have any worries behind you, right?"

Ji Ci was a patriot at heart; she believed in putting the people first and letting them be the masters of their own destiny.

Dongfang Jibai nodded; his little fox seemed to have a whole theory on statecraft.

"We must come from the people and go to the people, using the countryside to encircle the cities, and step by step..." Before Ji Ci could finish, Dongfang Jibai stepped forward, his slender fingers pressing against her lips.

"We’ll discuss this in detail tonight."

Ji Ci nodded. If these rebellious words were overheard by the wrong people... it would surely cause trouble.

"What else do you want?" Dongfang Jibai asked with a smile.

"Candied hawthorn. I didn't get to have any last time," Ji Ci pouted.

"Alright."

In a distant alleyway, Zhao Qiaofeng stood with Wang Feng, squinting at the man in the distance.

"Wang Feng, is that my cousin?"

"Impossible," Wang Feng said firmly. "Your cousin smiles like a grim reaper coming to collect a soul; that man is smiling like a blooming chrysanthemum."

"Is that so? But I have a feeling it’s him."

"Definitely not. That man looks so sleazy, and the girl next to him is... just average." Wang Feng’s tone shifted abruptly. "Neither is good-looking. The man is a creep, and the woman... the woman is an ugly hag."

Zhao Qiaofeng’s eyes widened. Why did she think that girl looked quite beautiful?

"I think there might be something wrong with your eyes. If it’s that bad, you should go get them checked."

Zhao Qiaofeng ignored Wang Feng and continued scanning the street for targets to rob. As they walked into an alley, a large net fell from the sky, trapping them both. Before Zhao Qiaofeng could draw her soft sword, she was struck unconscious with a single palm strike. Wang Feng was knocked out just as quickly.

"Take them back!" Song Lecheng stepped out from the side, a cold sneer on his face. His money wasn't so easy to take! Since they had taken his ten thousand taels of silver, they would have to sell themselves to him. "Right, force-feed that woman more muscle-relaxant powder! I don't want to get hit by her again."

Song Lecheng’s eyes were filled with malice; that woman was truly hateful.

The dungeon was filled with the stench of decay. Zhao Qiaofeng lay on the floor, while Wang Feng was tied up like a piglet waiting to be slaughtered for the New Year. Fortunately, they hadn't been separated.

Wang Feng woke up first, his first thought being that they were doomed. Dongfang Jibai wasn't in the mansion; it would likely be tomorrow before he realized they were missing.

"Feng'er." Wang Feng shimmied over to Zhao Qiaofeng and nudged her with his head to wake her.

Zhao Qiaofeng had been forced to consume a large amount of the muscle-relaxant powder; her body was limp and powerless, and she couldn't even sit up straight.

"Wang Feng, what do we do now?" Zhao Qiaofeng bit her lip to keep her tears from falling, but they spilled out uncontrollably.

"Don't cry. I’ll poison them, but you need to help me untie the ropes first."

Wang Feng used his body to slowly prop Zhao Qiaofeng up. They sat back-to-back. Zhao Qiaofeng didn't have the strength in her hands to untie the knots.

"I have a soft sword at my waist. Can you grind the rope against it until it snaps?" Zhao Qiaofeng gave up, pulling her hands back as her body remained impossibly limp.

"Alright, forgive me for this, Feng'er."

Wang Feng’s hand reached toward Zhao Qiaofeng’s waist. She shuddered, biting her lip to keep from crying out. After fumbling for a long time, he finally felt a hard object. "Feng'er, can you lean against the wall?"

Since they were back-to-back, Wang Feng couldn't apply any leverage. Zhao Qiaofeng slowly leaned toward the wall, breaking into a sweat within moments. Once against the wall, she kept her hands behind her back and raised her arms to help Wang Feng reach the sword.

Wang Feng’s hands brushed against her waist, finally working the soft sword out from under her clothes. Zhao Qiaofeng arched her back to make it easier for him to maneuver. They held this position for a full hour before Wang Feng finally managed to saw through the ropes on his wrists.

He quickly untied his feet and pulled Zhao Qiaofeng into his arms to free her.

"I have an antidote for the muscle-relaxant powder, don't be afraid."

Wang Feng reached for his person, but in that moment, he panicked. Everything he had been carrying had been taken away.