Leaving the thatched hut, Yunyi was relieved to find it had stopped raining. A person who believed in finishing today’s tasks today, she crossed the river and headed directly towards the Zhiqing Point.
In the dead of night, the sound of snoring drifted from the female educated youths’ dormitory. Yunyi was inwardly relieved that she had moved out.
She took out the Sleeping Drug she had previously found on Qiu Baolin and blew some into the room. Then, after some effort with her dagger, she managed to slide open the door bolt. Locating Qiao Yuxiang’s bunk, she lifted the unconscious woman and carried her outside.
With a few leaps, she reached the rear mountain.
Fearing Qiao Yuxiang would wake up and scream, Yunyi carried her deep into the mountains, stopping only when she felt certain no sound would reach the village.
Using her Inner Strength, Yunyi snapped off an arm-thick tree branch and struck the still-unconscious Qiao Yuxiang with it.
A sharp "AH!" erupted, scattering the birds in the forest.
Yunyi gathered her energy, leaped into a tree in an instant, and, altering her voice with her Inner Strength, asked, "Awake now?"
Qiao Yuxiang had been jolted awake by the pain. Dressed only in her undergarments, she shivered from the cold. The eerie voice terrified her, and she stammered tearfully, "Who... who’s there? Who’s speaking?"
Using her altered voice, Yunyi said coldly, "Answer my question. If you tell a single lie, you’ll stay here as fertilizer."
Although Qiao Yuxiang had been trained, she was, after all, a woman. The pain from her leg filled her with terror. "What... what do you want to ask me?"
Yunyi wasted no words. "Who is your master? Think carefully before you answer."
Though terrified, Qiao Yuxiang dared not betray her backer. "I... I don’t understand what you’re talking about?"
She had barely finished speaking when a branch pierced her wounded leg, making her scream again, "AH! It hurts so much!"
Before she could utter another word, a branch shot towards her face. She instinctively jerked her head aside but was a fraction too slow; the branch grazed her, taking a small piece of her earlobe.
Qiao Yuxiang was truly terrified now; she knew this person was serious. "I’ll talk! I’ll talk!"
Yunyi reminded her coolly, "You only have one chance. If you dare lie in the slightest, don’t blame me for being merciless."
Shivering uncontrollably from the cold, Qiao Yuxiang stammered, "I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare."
Not wanting to die an unknown death in these mountains, she spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube, daring not to hide a single detail.
It turned out that Qiao Yuxiang was the illegitimate daughter of Third Master Qiao of Hai City. She had been sent to this rural area five years ago by Third Master Qiao’s wife.
Two years ago, someone had delivered a handwritten letter from her biological father. It outlined a task for her and promised, "If you succeed, I will arrange for your return to the city."
Subsequently, she received secret training.
Not long after, Yuan Yuxun was sent to Nanbai Village, near Songling Village. She had tried to approach him multiple times, but Old Sir Yuan never even gave her a proper look.
A year ago, when Old Sir Yuan’s grandson was sent here, she changed tactics and targeted the child. However, Old Sir Yuan was exceptionally vigilant, and she never managed to succeed.
A few days ago, her contacts issued an ultimatum: if she failed to complete the mission soon, she would be left here to fend for herself. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel·fire.net
In desperation, she kidnapped Yuan Zining.
After hearing her out, Yunyi felt there was too little useful information; it was hardly different from Qiao Yuxiang having said nothing at all. "Who has been your contact these past two years? Does Third Master Qiao know about this?"