Chapter 34: Chapter 34: You can start what you want to do now.
 

“Sister-in-law, how are you? Step back inside a bit,”

Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue rushed over to pull her, nearly causing her to stumble and fall.

Qi Yue dusted off the dirt that had settled on her.

“I’m fine, how is mother? And your elder brother?”

“Mother is fine, and so is elder brother. They’re worried about you,” the two girls said almost in unison.

Seeing Shen Yu and the black mask looking over from afar, a warmth filled Zhao Jingjing’s heart.

After all, her worries for these people were not in vain.

“Go back, don’t wander off. There’s food in the bag, eat if you’re hungry,”

Qi Yue, like an elder sister, patted the tops of the two girls’ heads.

Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue were already terrified by the sudden turn of events but still tried to show their bravery.

“No, we’re not hungry. We’ll wait to eat with sister-in-law,” they said.

Qi Yue knew she couldn’t reason with them, so she sent them back to where they came from.

After a while, the commotion subsided, and the dust slowly began to settle.

Just as Qi Yue had expected, the cave entrance wasn’t sealed completely—there was a gap left at the top, just big enough for one person to squeeze through.

Qian Faliang’s intentions were clear now.

He was trapping everyone here, using the lives of the entire group of exiles as leverage to force her into handing over the complete antidote.

If she didn’t give him the antidote, he was ready to perish along with everyone else.

If she did give him the antidote, the lives of all those people would still be in his hands.

No matter who it was, as soon as they reached the gap, they would be captured by the people outside. Whoever Qian Faliang wanted dead, would die.

By then, Qian Faliang would have the poison cured, secured Zhao Xiyan for the Grand Tutor, and could kill her in the cave, a cunning plan indeed.

The exiles trapped in the cave couldn’t think so deviously; they were just panicking.

They had already resolved to spend the night there, but now they started screaming.

“Officer, what’s going on? Are we going to die here?”

“Officer, please find a way to get us out of here!”

“….”

The cave was already stuffy, and with everyone jumping up and shouting, it became even more oppressive.

Guan Yidao was not one to be easily persuaded; he simply had the government officials whip the crowd.

After a bout of crying and screaming, the cave finally quieted down.

Qi Yue glance at Qian Faliang, who remained in his original position without moving, and spoke coldly.

“Qian Faliang, what are you waiting for? You can start whatever you’ve planned.”

“Ha ha ha ha…”

To everyone’s astonishment, Qian Faliang slowly stood up.

He shed his past groveling demeanor in front of Qi Yue, revealing his sharp, predatory teeth.

“Worthy of being the Great General’s daughter, not a bit less intelligent than myself.”

Qi Yue’s lips twitched slightly.

She didn’t need intelligence to deal with the likes of him.

“You’re not wrong, this is my masterpiece!”

Qian Faliang walked arrogantly to the entrance of the cave, looking up at the rain pouring from the opening, brandishing his scrawny claw and pointing fiercely.

“Do you see? Do you see? That is the only way for you to survive!”

“Right now, that passage is in Miss Qi’s hands.”

“If she’s willing, I can let you leave immediately, right this second!”

“Do you understand? Do you know what you must do now?”

Qian Faliang yelled hysterically, his small, bean-shaped eyes bulging, frightening the children in the group into crying.

Qi Yue frowned.

“Qian Faliang, don’t mislead everyone. Even if I give you the antidote, you won’t let them go right away.”

Qian Faliang was taken aback initially, then burst into laughter again.

“Yes, Miss Qi is right.”

He laughed so hard that he seemed to be gasping for breath, as if having an asthma attack.

“I just didn’t expect Miss Qi, with such a generous figure, to be able to notice such a detail.”

Qi Yue ignored his roundabout way of calling her fat, merely smiling faintly.

“I’m just very clear that you’re not as kind-hearted as you claim to be with your words.”

“Hahahaha…” Qian Faliang burst into laughter again, “Miss Qi is indeed perceptive!”

He turned to face the crowd once more, shouting loudly.

“This lord has no interest in you ants, just give me the antidote, and if my poison doesn’t act up by this time tomorrow, you may all live!”

“Hurry, go beg this woman! Hurry!”

As Qian Faliang spoke, he suddenly clutched his head and knelt down, screaming in agony.

“Quick, give me the antidote! Give me the antidote and you can all live!”

“Give me the antidote! Give me the antidote!”

Aside from a very few individuals and the Zhao family, everyone began to stir.

Though they were also wary of the firewood chopping knife in Qi Yue’s hand, the promise of a way out made them stand up.

All three hundred or so people were staring straight at Qi Yue.

Their demeanor was as if they would turn into zombies and ghosts and pounce on her if she didn’t produce the antidote!

But Qi Yue just sneered.

Thinking they could threaten her with these people was simply ludicrous!

Still, she did have people she needed to protect, and herself as well.

She extended her hand, revealing a black pill that was already lying in her palm.

Upon seeing it, Qian Faliang lunged forward, only to be kicked away by her.

“Qian Faliang, how do I know you won’t go back on your word after taking the medicine? Maybe there aren’t even any of your people outside~”

Already on the edge of a breakdown, Qian Faliang struggled to pull out a black whistle from his chest and blew into it.

The next second, the sound of whistles came from outside as well.

The whistles were neat and powerful, causing Qi Yue’s pupils to shrink.

There must be at least thirty or forty people outside!

“Hurry, give me the antidote, or we’ll all die together!!” Qian Faliang cried out again, continuously banging his head on the ground, his face smeared with blood, mucus, and tears.

Qi Yue snorted coldly, and with a loosening of her hand, the black pill fell to the ground.

Qian Faliang scrambled over, grabbed the pill, and hurried to put it in his mouth.

“Aren’t you afraid it’s poison?” Qi Yue asked insincerely, pretending to be kind.

Qian Faliang hesitated for a moment but then stuffed the pill into his mouth without a second thought, chewing frantically.

Of course he was afraid.

But he couldn’t take it anymore.

He just wanted immediate relief!

What did it matter whether it was an antidote or not, everything was in his control anyway.

If he died, nobody would get out of this cave!

Unless Qi Yue truly didn’t care about the lives of these people or those of the Zhao family! Or she didn’t want to live herself!

Hahaha…

As the pill went down, Qian Faliang felt the discomfort slowly lessen!

Just as he was about to burst into laughter, he suddenly felt his stomach churn with excruciating pain.

He looked at Qi Yue with an expression of fear and disbelief in his eyes.

“You, do you want to poison me to death? If I die, none of you will get out! All of you will be trapped!”

Qi Yue curled her lips slightly, offering advice with seeming sincerity.

“Lord Qian, you worry too much. This is a medicine that can cure the root cause, naturally different from ordinary antidotes. Just endure it for a while, and all the poison in your body will be completely neutralized!”

Believing her words, Qian Faliang clutched his almost bursting belly, screaming miserably.

“How long is a while?”

Qi Yue pretended to recall.

“I think it was either four or six shichen, yes, that’s what my master said when he gave it to me. Hang in there, Lord Qian!”

Having said that, she paid no more attention to Qian Faliang.

Let him suffer! No one born yet had successfully schemed against her!

When she returned to where the Zhao family was, she saw their worried eyes upon her and smiled.

“I’m fine. We’ll get out tomorrow, let’s eat something and rest early.”

The current situation was clear to even Zhao Shuanghua and the others, but in the hearts of Zhao Yongzhe and company, it was as clear as a mirror.

— Qian Faliang might just have his way this time!

But in the end, their family still couldn’t escape!