Chapter 13: Xiao Ling’er is a Hidden Weapon Master

“Go!” At Gu Er’s command, he grabbed Gu Yi’s body, and with a gust of wind, several dark shadows swiftly vanished into the distance.

“Big sis, are you okay?”

“Lingling? Lingling?!”

Xiao Yuhao and Mu Xiya, who had been woken by the commotion, rushed over and looked at Xiao Ling’er with worry.

“I’m fine, Haohao, Niang. I’ll take the second half of the night watch. You two go back to sleep.”

Xiao Yuhao wanted to argue, but seeing his sister’s serious expression, he obeyed just like Mu Xiya and lay back down.

Xiao Ling’er added more firewood to the flames and leaned against a large tree, replaying the day’s events in her mind.

She had already noticed those people following them and knew they were Gu Yunting’s guards.

Though she didn’t know what Gu Yunting was planning, she hadn’t sensed any malice from the group, so she decided to wait and see what their true intentions were.

But after her mother killed those refugees, she felt a sudden, subtle shift in one person’s gaze—it turned sinister.

And that gaze was directed at her. Over time, that subtle malice transformed into intense killing intent.

That person wanted to kill her!

Xiao Ling’er quickly pinpointed the source—it came from someone hiding in a tree about two hundred meters away.

Thanks to drinking spiritual spring water recently, her hearing and eyesight had improved significantly. She had even caught fragments of their conversation.

Words like “master”… “escort”… “kill” drifted to her ears, though the wind made it hard to catch everything clearly.

That was why she had readily agreed to let Xiao Yuhao take the night watch earlier—she wanted to observe their final move.

And when she heard the word “kill,” she pretended to fall asleep, while a pistol silently appeared in her hand, ready to attack at any moment.

Sure enough, it didn’t take long before the man made his move, charging directly at her.

To someone who wanted her dead, Xiao Ling’er would show no mercy. She raised her pistol and, without hesitation, pulled the trigger.

Even though she knew his master might be someone hard to deal with, and killing him could lead to trouble later—

So what?

Anyone who tried to take Xiao Ling’er’s life—she would shoot without blinking, even if it were the King of Hell himself.

Besides, no matter how skilled Gu Yunting might be in martial arts, he was still a mortal. No level of lightness skill could outrun her bullet.

And she still had the lottery system—who’s to say she wouldn’t draw better weapons later, like a machine gun or even a cannon?

If he dared come, then he’d better be prepared not to return.

“Achoo—”

Far away, dozens of kilometers from there, Gu Yunting suddenly sneezed for no apparent reason. A pair of cunning, jet-black eyes flashed across his mind.

He looked back in the direction they’d come from. After a brief moment of silence, he turned to the side and asked calmly, “Gu Xi, have Gu Yi and Gu Er reported back?”

Gu Xi paused slightly. Since when did the master ever take the initiative to ask about the status of his subordinates’ tasks?

Usually, it was the guards who would voluntarily report their progress. The master always trusted them completely and rarely inquired unless something unusual had occurred.

They had only separated from Gu Yi and Gu Er that very afternoon—not even a full night had passed. Unless something urgent had happened, they weren’t expected to check in until the next morning.

“Master, Gu Yi and Gu Er haven’t sent any messages,” Gu Xi reported honestly, still puzzled as to why the master seemed so concerned about this mission.

After delivering his report and receiving no further instructions, he prepared to retreat into the shadows to continue his night watch—only to hear the master say:

“Report to me the moment Gu Yi and Gu Er send word.”

“Yes, Master!” Gu Xi vanished into the darkness.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ling’er was thinking about the lottery system, her heart brimming with anticipation for the next prize.

In her mind, she fantasized: “I hope I can draw a laser gun next time… or a cannon, martial arts manuals, or even an immortality pill!”

The more she thought, the more excited she became. She glanced at her current Reputation and Evil-Cleansing points: Reputation: 38, Evil-Cleansing: 10.

Her burning excitement immediately fizzled out. Neither value was enough for a single lottery draw.

Hmm?

Pouting in disappointment, Xiao Ling’er’s gaze lingered on that “10” behind the Evil-Cleansing value.

Why is it 10? She fell into thought.

Previously, Er Lai and his mother had only contributed a total of 2 points. But today, just that one man had given her 10 points. That must mean—he was a major villain.

Maybe he would’ve done far worse things later on?

Xiao Ling’er still hadn’t figured out exactly how the Evil-Cleansing and Reputation values were calculated.

But she could roughly deduce that the more evil a person was, the higher the Evil-Cleansing value would be—just like how in games, defeating regular mobs, elite enemies, or bosses gave varying rewards.

As for the Reputation value, she still wasn’t sure if it was generated solely from direct gratitude of those she saved, or if others’ appreciation counted too.

After thinking for a while, she decided to stop overanalyzing. She’d figure it out in time.

She entered the spatial interface, harvested mature crops like potatoes, cabbage, and sweet potatoes, and replanted them again.

Once done, she exited the space, leaned against the tree, and pretended to sleep.

At the same time, elsewhere, Gu Yunting—also resting against a tree—suddenly heard a faint sound in the distance and opened his eyes sharply.

A dangerous glint flashed through his eyes as he glanced toward the nearby carriage. In a cold tone, he ordered toward the darkness:

“Gu Xi. Watch over the Madam and the young lady.”

“Yes!”

With a gentle tap of his foot, Gu Yunting disappeared with the breeze. The tree branches rustled slightly, and then—nothing.

Three hundred meters away, behind a large boulder, four men dressed in black were kneeling silently on the ground with their heads bowed low.

Beside them lay a corpse, long since cold and stiff. His black clothes had been thoroughly soaked in blood, now looking more red than black.

Under the pale moonlight, the scene looked eerie and chilling.

“What happened?” Gu Yunting’s voice remained cold, emotionless.

“Master, it was Gu Yi who acted on his own and attempted to kill the girl. But she turned the tables and killed him instead,” Gu Er reported crisply, head still bowed.

“She doesn’t know martial arts,” Gu Yunting said with certainty.

Gu Er understood what his master was implying and elaborated further:

“That family is not ordinary. The woman appears frail and skinny, but she has terrifying strength—she killed eight men on her own.”

“The girl may not know martial arts, but she’s a master of hidden weapons. Her attack was as fast as lightning, and she killed Gu Yi in just one move.”

“As for the younger boy, we haven’t detected anything unusual about him—yet.”

“Lastly… the girl asked me to pass on a message: Regardless of your intentions, if you dare send anyone to follow her again, none of them will return alive.”

“She also said that one day, she will return with your waist token to claim the favor you owe her—and she hopes you’ll keep your promise.”

Gu Er reported everything in one breath, not daring to exhale too loudly. Then he quietly waited for his master’s response.

But after a long silence, Gu Yunting said nothing—no reprimand, no new orders.

This silence made Gu Er even more uneasy.