Then, she said something that shocked him: “But, Mr. Wen He taught me to do this?”

Zhao Kuo: ???

Are he and his younger brother really so brave?

Because Jia Xu had opened his mind to new ideas, the young man began to wonder if Jia Xu was a “descendant of a eunuch,” ^[1]referring to someone whose male ancestors were castrated. since he seemed so casually able to teach such cruel things to a girl.

_

Meanwhile, the little girl had told Cai Yan about the situation.

Jia Xu, who was seen as brave and fearless, even though he was a scholar, had been involved in battle and taught the girl how to fight. Zhao Kuo thought Jia Xu was so brave that he could even take a sword into battle. But Jia Xu also had a strange reputation as a descendant of a eunuch.

Jia Xu was in the middle of explaining plans for tomorrow, but got distracted when the system asked about drawing cards, causing him to forget for a moment.

He thought that anything he could forget easily wasn’t important, so he continued his explanation.

The little girl listened closely, repeating his words in her mind. She then said, “I remember.”

She thought for a moment and then told him, “By the way, the governor of Beidi County is not named Shen, but Wang.”

Remembering her earlier words, Jia Xu realized that the county magistrate’s real name was Wang, not Shen.

Jia Xu found this county magistrate to be quite clever. He had married into the Yue family to rise in status, but when the Yue family declined, he took advantage of the fact that Beidi County was far from the Yue family. He killed his wife and sold his daughter to survive.

But after tonight, it was unlikely he’d have such opportunities again.

Even though they might need him in the future, to avoid trouble, they wouldn’t leave him intact. Instead, they would make him a eunuch by cutting his tendons and ensuring he would die slowly.

To avoid causing trauma for Zhao Kuo, who was straightforward and hot-tempered, Jia Xu had taught Shen Shutan how to disable someone’s tendons.

Jia Xu thought to himself that he had sacrificed a lot for this cause, but he was just a weak intellectual who relied on his mind, not physical strength.

Then, he looked up at the sky, which seemed calm but held hidden dangers beneath the surface.

This night was destined to be bloody, laying the foundation for his lord’s future power.

_

At night, people divide the time.

He inspected the entire county magistrate’s mansion twice. With Miss Shen’s help, he also checked all the hidden places that outsiders wouldn’t be able to find at first. After making sure that no one who shouldn’t be there was alive in the mansion, Zhao Kuo returned to Ying Yue with Miss Shen.

When the young man saw that there was another unfamiliar woman with Jia Xu and Huo Qubing, he immediately reached for his sword.

But the little girl stopped him.

Then Jia Xu calmly explained Cai Yan’s “identity” to the two who had just returned. He didn’t go into details but simply said, “This is the girl who was about to commit suicide but was rescued from the mansion.”

He added that she was seeking death, which made people think about the reasons behind it.

Miss Shen got very angry and felt she had been too lenient with her scumbag father.

At the same time, she also felt afraid to look at Cai Yan. No matter how much she didn’t want to accept that man as her father, others saw them as inseparable.

Miss Shen’s behavior made Cai Yan feel sorry, but since her identity was out, it couldn’t be changed. However, thinking about how Ying Yue said she was rescued from the secret room in the mountain stronghold where she had been trapped for a few days, Cai Yan added, “Nothing happened, so the girl doesn’t need to feel guilty.”

The way Jia Xu and Cai Yan spoke left the little girl stunned, realizing that clever people think quickly.

Meanwhile, Ying Yue and a young boy named Huo, who had been with them, felt these scholars were very good at using words…

As for Zhao Kuo, since he didn’t know the full story, he didn’t find the conversation between Jia Xu and Cai Yan confusing. Instead, he was thinking about something more practical—he was planning to burn the bodies again.

_

Since the county magistrate’s mansion was large, Zhao Kuo and Huo Qubing worked until midnight moving the corpses. Finally, they set fire to the last batch of bodies, finishing the “afterlife” for the mansion.

Why were only the two of them doing this? They thought it would slow them down to ask the three girls and a scholar to help.

Also, compared to Bai Qi, who had to act alone and manage several places, it seemed easy for the two young men to handle the task together.

Wait… No, Bai Qi should be with those strong men who came to Bianchun Village. They likely snuck into the city in groups. Those strong men couldn’t do much, but they should be able to move a corpse.

Thinking about this made Zhao Kuo and Huo Qubing feel sadness and anger.

Afterward, as they continued to watch the fire they had set, they thought the fire couldn’t be allowed to spread.

Meanwhile, in places that the two young men couldn’t see, fires started to burn in several parts of the city.

That night, while everyone slept, fires broke out in all important buildings in Beidi County, including the county magistrate’s office, government offices, and military camps.

The fires burned through the night and only stopped by morning. The surprising thing was that the fire didn’t spread to other places.

_

The county magistrate’s mansion.

At four in the morning, following Jia Xu’s instructions, Zhao Kuo and Huo Qubing, who were near the fire, decided to take a short nap in a guest room to rest before starting their work during the day.

Miss Shen gave Ying Yue a beautiful dress to wear.

While Ying Yue changed, Shen Shutan also changed into his old clothes from the dungeon, which he had kept for this moment, as Jia Xu had suggested. He ruffled his hair, rubbed some dirt on his face, and then wiped it off, leaving some streaks of dust on his pale face.

When Miss Shen finished her look, Ying Yue was already dressed in the new clothes. Normally, Ying Yue was a beautiful girl who looked like a fairy even in simple clothes. Now, in this luxurious dress, she looked even more like a goddess.

Looking at Ying Yue’s appearance, Miss Shen thought Jia Xu’s plan made sense.

But there was still more to do… After checking Ying Yue’s appearance, Miss Shen helped her style her hair and put on gold, silver, and jewel hairpins.

At this point, everything was ready, except for the right moment.

Miss Shen offered her hand to Ying Yue to help her avoid tripping on her dress. Ying Yue smiled and, as they left the room, her smile faded. She was ready for the tough battle ahead.