Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1344: Chapter 1346 Burned Alive_1

Upon seeing Bai Ruozhu, Nilu’s face creased into such a smile it was about to turn into a chrysanthemum, and he said most respectfully, ”Master and young master are truly capable, even the monarch treats you as honored guests. It seems I’ve indeed followed the right master.”

Bai Ruozhu shot him a glance and said, ”Save those pleasant words. How’s the matter I asked you to handle?”

”How dare I delay it? I’ve negotiated everything with Boss Yakebu; we’re just waiting for your final say. Shall we take the goods over now?” Nilu asked.

Bai Ruozhu thought that she might be busy later and that there was no better day than today if she could meet with the other party.

She immediately ordered Jianqi to arrange for two men to take the goods and follow Nilu to the place of Boss Yakebu whom he had contacted.

Yakebu was a Ready-made Clothes Shop owner who supplied goods to the aristocrats of the Western Regions and the nobles of the Divine Hall, so he often purchased fine clothing materials transported from Danliang Country.

When Bai Ruozhu arrived at Yakebu’s shop, she quickly met the man himself, a merchant as plump as Jin Wanliang with a similar air of corpulence but appearing a bit shrewder than Jin Wanliang.

After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, they agreed on a price and settled the payment.

”Madam Bai, if you do business in Gaochang City again, please don’t forget about me, Yakebu,” the shop owner said with a laugh, his chubby cheeks trembling. He rarely met a merchant as straightforward as Bai Ruozhu. Even though the margins he offered weren’t large, she spared him the hassle.

”If I don’t come myself in the future, I’ll arrange for Nilu to come on my behalf. I just hope, Boss Yakebu, that you won’t bully my subordinates,” Bai Ruozhu said with a smile, indeed planning to have Nilu run the trade in the future—there really was a good profit in trading.

”Of course, of course,” Yakebu said with a laugh.

Suddenly, Jianqi’s expression turned stern, and he whispered, ”Master, someone’s coming, looks like they’re trying to surround us.”

Yakebu’s face changed slightly, ”How could this be? In broad daylight, who would dare be so audacious?”

Bai Ruozhu glared at him. Could it be that this fellow had tipped off the people from the Holy Hall?

Yakebu jumped, startled by Bai Ruozhu’s glare, and quickly said, ”I had no prior knowledge of your visit. Surely there’s no time to set up anything now?”

Bai Ruozhu paid him no mind, for the people outside had already rushed in.

The ones appearing were cloaked figures in black, but upon closer inspection, one could see they were using the Holy Hall’s fighting techniques. They covered their faces merely to avoid being too obvious.

The number of assassins far surpassed the guards Bai Ruozhu had brought with her. It wasn’t that she had been careless, but this was the Holy Hall’s territory. Even if she had brought all her dark guards, the Holy Hall could have arranged a much larger military force to assassinate her.

This was why she had agreed to the king’s proposition to temporarily stay in the palace; there were plenty of guards inside and outside the royal palace, and the Divine Hall would not overtly attack the palace in such an improper manner.

But no matter how much she had considered, she hadn’t expected the Holy Hall to attempt an assassination in broad daylight, otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared conduct this business.

”Madam, I will protect you as we leave!” Jianqi said sternly, and the other two guards, who had originally come to deliver the goods, showed a look of determination in their eyes. They were ready to sacrifice themselves and planned to fight to the death to help Bai Ruozhu escape.

A pain stabbed through Bai Ruozhu’s heart. These dark guards were her close confidants; ever since her master had given them to her, they had faithfully followed her. Even when she occasionally sent them on menial tasks, they did so without complaint, and had even protected her from danger multiple times. Although they weren’t always by her side like Jianqi, she had long regarded them as friends or even family.

How could she bear to see them face death for her sake?

Coldness flashed in Bai Ruozhu’s eyes as she shook off Jianqi’s hand, saying, ”I’m not leaving. If anyone leaves, we leave together. Since you followed me here, I won’t let anyone die in this place!”

Frightened to the point of shivering, Nilu was moved to tears by her words. Thankfully, he didn’t know that Bai Ruozhu didn’t include him in her statement.

Jianqi was somewhat anxious, but he couldn’t bear the thought of his dark guards being sent to their deaths. Maybe there really was a chance to fight back? He quickly sent out a signal outside; the other dark guards would come as soon as they received it, provided they could hold on for just a quarter of an hour.

With this in mind, he gripped his Treasure Sword tightly. Even if it meant fighting to the death, he wouldn’t let her suffer any harm.

At that moment, Bai Ruozhu raised her hand, scattering a powder into the air. Yakebu reacted quickly, hurrying to cover his mouth and nose, exclaiming, ”Mrs. Bai, why am I having difficulty breathing? I really didn’t harm you, you have to believe me!”

Bai Ruozhu snorted coldly, ”If you really didn’t harm me, I’ll naturally help you with the antidote later.”

The fine powder spread throughout the room. The first assassins to rush in didn’t last more than a few clashes with Jianqi and the others before they fell to the ground.

The attackers were also quick to react, with someone shouting, ”Get out quickly, the room is poisoned!”

The others who hadn’t been poisoned retreated out, and Bai Ruozhu immediately ordered, ”Quick, lock the doors and windows, and everyone hide under the tables!”

If they couldn’t enter the room, the next step would definitely be to attack from a distance.

As expected, just as everyone had found cover, the sound of arrows whizzing through the air came from outside. Arrows struck the doors and windows, some penetrating the paper and shooting into the room.

Yakebu, pulled under the table by Bai Ruozhu, watched as an arrow landed where he had just been lying. His legs trembled in fear, and he kept repeating, ”Thank you, Mrs. Bai, for saving my life, thank you, Mrs. Bai, for saving my life...”

”Shut up, and stay quiet, all of you!” Bai Ruozhu barked, scaring both Yakebu and Nilu into utter silence, neither daring to take a deep breath.

Bai Ruozhu pricked up her ears, listening to the situation outside, ready to respond to any changes at a moment’s notice.

”No good, they’re going to shoot fire arrows now,” Bai Ruozhu said hastily. They wanted to burn them alive.

”Madam, we can’t wait any longer. We will guard you and break out!” A dark guard said anxiously.

Crouched under the table, Bai Ruozhu pressed down on his shoulder, ”Don’t move. We hold on and wait for rescue.”

Mid-conversation, a fiery arrow was shot in, scaring Yakebu into letting out consecutive screams. Despite his heavy build, his screams were almost woman-like. Bai Ruozhu glared at him fiercely, saying, ”Don’t interfere with my listening to the outside situation, or I’ll throw you out to be used as an archery target!”

Yakebu hurriedly covered his own mouth, stifling the screams he almost let slip out.

Then, another scream rang out in the room. Yakebu looked at Bai Ruozhu pitifully, indicating that it wasn’t him this time.

Bai Ruozhu looked over to see a Holy Guard, who had been poisoned and lay unconscious, struck by a fiery arrow. Flames quickly spread across his body. As the poison left him unable to move, he could only endure the fire spreading over him, awaiting the fate of being burned alive...