Hearing the words "foreknowledge," the people outside also fell silent. It seed that these words not only resonated deeply with them but also invoked a deep-seated awe.
After a while, Jin Daji’s mocking voice rang out, "Isn’t that right."
"..."
"It’s precisely because my master has such foresight, knowing that you would pull such a stunt, that he specifically sent to bait you."
At this mont, Pei Xingyuan’s breathing also beca heavy.
This room evidently had previously been filled with a lot of spices. Even though the things had been moved out, the scent was deeply embedded in the walls, the ceiling, and even the floor beneath his feet. He felt as if he were sinking into a deep pool, almost drowning and unable to breathe.
He could only stretch out his hand, barely supporting himself against the door panel.
After a while, Pei Xingyuan sorted out his thoughts and slowly said, "So—you purposely delayed for so many days to make think you were hesitating."
"..."
"Raising the price, doubling the silver, was also to make believe that you’re only after money."
"..."
"And tonight, asking to co alone was all for—"
Before he could finish his sentence, through the door panel, there was a sound from outside, as if soone had placed sothing at the door. Pei Xingyuan, tornted by the scent to the point where he couldn’t breathe, had his thoughts delayed; he hadn’t yet figured out what was happening when a few shadows quickly passed outside the small window beside him.
They also piled things under the window.
Even with his mind blank, Pei Xingyuan followed his intuition and walked over. The window was barred with several iron grills, and he held onto the bars, barely looking outside—
The few remaining black-clad n who had accompanied him had sohow brought out large bundles of firewood and were stacking them beneath the window.
And outside the door, it was already stacked half a person’s height.
Pei Xingyuan’s eyes suddenly widened, "You, what are you doing?!"
He looked up and saw Jin Daji standing not far from the door, hands behind his back, smiling smugly. Jin Daji coldly said, "Mr. Pei, you can’t bla us. If you want to bla soone, bla yourself."
Pei Xingyuan’s face darkened, "Bla myself? Bla myself for siding with the wrong team?"
Jin Daji raised an eyebrow slightly. Such an expression might co off as disdainful or arrogant if it were soone else, but his appearance was so ugly that it only gave off a comical feeling, like a monkey wearing a crown. Yet, he seed completely unaware of this as he walked forward leisurely, looking at Pei Xingyuan, "I suppose so."
"I suppose?"
Pei Xingyuan’s heart stirred slightly, "Could it be that I’ve done sothing wrong?"
Upon hearing this, a glimr flashed through Jin Daji’s beady eyes, though his expression showed a trace of oddity. Although he had spoken the words himself, it seed as if he himself found them hard to believe.
Pei Xingyuan imdiately caught onto sothing and, using a subtle tone, asked, "Do you an, not sothing I’ve done—but sothing I will do?"
"..."
"Sothing I—will do!?"
At this mont, although there was no expression on Jin Daji’s face, the torch held high in his hand flickered suddenly, clearly betraying his dilated pupils.
Pei Xingyuan’s breathing also tightened.
Could it be—
However, now was not the ti for more reflection, for in just the span of a few exchanges, those black-clad n had already piled the prepared firewood outside the door and beneath the window. One of them returned to Jin Daji, saying in a deep voice, "Elder brother, it’s ready."
Jin Daji, hearing these words, resud his normal expression, looked up at Pei Xingyuan, and once again gave a sly and vicious cold smile.
"Mr. Pei, sorry about this."
With these words, he brought the torch over, first igniting the firewood at the door, and then tossing the torch beneath the window!
There was a muffled "whoosh" sound, as the dry wood imdiately caught fire, erupting into a fla half a person’s height. Pei Xingyuan suddenly felt the heat on his face as the flas leapt up, climbing along the window sill, advancing toward his face, forcing Pei Xingyuan to step back hastily.
At this mont, his mind also went sowhat blank.
Although Shen Wuzheng had warned him all along that coming alone was sure to be a trap and that there would be danger tonight, he had prepared extensively out of fear and worry.
Yet even so, he’d never imagined it would be like this.
The adversary gave him no opportunity for negotiation or escape, not even any chance to address this matter of the epidemic dicine. Instead, it seed similar to their previous attempt to push Yu Wenye to his death.
The opponent just wanted his life!
And the reason—it was likely connected to that hint Jin Daji inadvertently revealed.
What would he do!
With this thought, his mind turned into another whirl of confusion. After all, he hadn’t truly grasped the concept of "foreknowledge" and the opponent’s vicious ans. Now, flas were burning, licking the dark window sill, constantly rushing inside. Smoke quickly filled the room, mixing with the strong scent, imdiately making it hard for Pei Xingyuan to breathe.
"Cough, cough, cough—"
Pei Xingyuan coughed violently, his eyes red from the smoke.
And amidst his coughing, Jin Daji’s mocking laughter rang out, growing distant. Pei Xingyuan raised his head, his red eyes fixated outside, as he saw Jin Daji slowly turn, preparing to leave.
As he walked, he said, "Mr. Pei, enjoy yourself here."
"Wait a minute!"
Seeing them about to leave, Pei Xingyuan gritted his teeth, shouting, "I have one last question for you."
"..."
"Who exactly is your master?!"
"..."
Jin Daji paused, turned his face slightly, and looked at him with impatience and a mocking sneer, saying, "At this point, Mr. Pei, you’re still not willing to give up?"
Through the flas, Pei Xingyuan’s eyes were blood-red, and at this mont, his gaze looked as if it ca from the fires of Hell, causing Jin Daji’s heart to tremble slightly.
He said, "Yes, it’s co to this point, what else can I ask for?"
"..."
"Except to die understanding, that’s all."
When he said this, he was choked by thick smoke, coughing violently, his voice already hoarse, sounding like a desperate roar from Hell, and Jin Daji seed slightly shocked, furrowing his brow and glancing at him.
But he still said nothing.
Unexpectedly, as he turned to look, Pei Xingyuan suddenly thought of the expression he had grown accustod to seeing on his face these days—that cunning look, yet more filled with greed.
For a mont, his mind suddenly beca clear.
Pei Xingyuan coughed as he slowly reached into his coat and pulled out those two silver notes.
Then he raised them high, shaking them twice at the part of the window not yet touched by flas.
"...!"
Jin Daji’s eyes suddenly brightened.
It was the familiar greedy glow, now even clearer and more intense under the firelight.
Pei Xingyuan said, "These one thousand taels, if left with , will be nothing but ashes."
"..."
"Brother Jin, today, I will certainly die here."
"..."
"So, I use this one thousand taels to buy understanding."
"..."
You only need to tell now, that this one thousand taels belong to you, and I—after all, I will turn to ashes, knowing or not knowing, it makes no difference to you all, does it?"
The more he spoke, the more Jin Daji’s eyes flickered.
The roaring flas seed to be the greed pounding in his heart, about to leap over the windows, devour the entire room, and also devour his reason.
Though Jin Daji didn’t move yet, he clenched his teeth, showing a struggling expression on his face.
After a while, he said in a deep voice, "You—"
He seed uncertain about how to ask this question, or even what to ask, while Pei Xingyuan was coughing urgently, saying, "I have no other choice."
"..."
"Now the only choice is you!"
"...!"
Upon hearing this, Jin Daji’s eyes brightened even more.
Now the only choice is him!
Indeed, Pei Xingyuan is already as good as dead, with no escape, and no choice, but he still can choose, stepping forward, uttering a few words, and getting one thousand taels of silver, where for a dead man, even knowing the truth, it’s completely useless!
This is more tempting than a millionfold profit!
With this in mind, Jin Daji couldn’t help but take a step forward.
A gust of wind suddenly blew from behind him, towards the house, the flas at the window already forming a sheet, threatening to engulf the whole window, with fire tongues licking Pei Xingyuan’s sleeves.
Just a little more and it would burn the silver notes!
At this mont, the heat of the flas burned through Jin Daji’s heart, he clenched his teeth, darting forward to grab the silver notes in Pei Xingyuan’s hand.
But just as he stretched out his hand, Pei Xingyuan suddenly let go!
The silver notes wavered down, swallowed by the flas in the blink of an eye.
"Ah—!"
Jin Daji let out a scream, the sound not yet spreading when he felt a weight on his wrist!
It was Pei Xingyuan, holding onto his wrist.
"Ah!"
The scream turned into a gasp, Jin Daji instinctively trying to pull his hand back, but felt the wrist being forcefully pulled, as Pei Xingyuan grabbed tightly and jerked back, pulling his whole arm into the window, where Jin Daji fell against it, trying to struggle, but Pei Xingyuan bit his teeth and refused to let go.
The flas imdiately engulfed half of Jin Daji’s body, burning him to scream repeatedly.
"Ah! Let go! Let go!"
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