Chapter 060 Entering the Coffin

Chapter 060: Into the Coffin

With the first crow of the rooster, brilliant sunlight streamed into the Zhao family’s mourning hall, bathing Fang Rulai and Zhu Xishi, who had stayed awake all night.

“It’s been a whole night and still no word on whether Old Madam Lin has returned,” Zhu Xishi said, her eyes bloodshot as she propped herself up. “Rulai, I’m afraid something has changed.”

Fang Rulai sat in a meditative posture, her gaze fixed on the still-burning candle, replying absentmindedly, “Ah.” She knew all too well the abilities of Mu Zhijin and Banxia. If there was still no news by now, then something had surely gone awry.

“What do we do next?” Zhu Xishi pressed.

Fang Rulai leaned forward and blew out the candle. “We do nothing.”

“Do nothing?”

“That’s right—meet all changes by remaining unchanged. No matter who is behind these tricks, their aim can’t be anything but the Zhao family, and me. Just wait—the next move will walk right through that door.”

That was true, but, “But without Mu Zhijin and Banxia, how are we supposed to counter whatever they throw at us?” Zhu Xishi’s voice wavered.

Fang Rulai tilted her head, eyes flashing with deliberate provocation. “What, are you afraid?”

Zhu Xishi slammed her butcher’s knife onto the table. “I’ve lived this long and never learned how to spell ‘fear’!”

Fang Rulai’s eyelids drooped, thinking to herself that this was hardly a convincing reason. “That’s because you never learned to read in the first place!”

“…One day someone will shut you up for good. I look forward to that day!” Zhu Xishi nearly left five finger marks on the table.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside and the two immediately fell silent.

Two maids entered, each carrying a breakfast tray. “Ladies, these were specially ordered by the young mistress; please enjoy.”

One tray held meat dishes, the other vegetarian, yet both emitted an equally tempting aroma. The maids set the trays on the table and left.

Zhu Xishi pounced hungrily. “Braised pork, sauced pig’s trotter, chilled pig ears—ah, all my favorites! That crazy woman actually got it right! I can’t hold it anymore. Even if I die the next moment, I’ll die a satisfied ghost!” She wiped her hands on her clothes, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and reached for the braised pork.

“Stop! Don’t eat that!” Fang Rulai’s voice was low and urgent. She reached out and snatched the braised pork away just in time.

Zhu Xishi glared. “What, you think your tray’s all cabbages and tofu? Fine, you take the pork. I’ll have the pig’s trotter!”

She redirected her chopsticks.

“No, not that either!” Fang Rulai grabbed the pig’s trotter with her other hand.

Zhu Xishi froze, then quickly went for the pig ears.

With both hands full, Fang Rulai kicked the leg of the table. The tray holding the pig ears slid off. She caught the tray with her foot, so it landed silently without breaking, but the pig ears scattered across the floor—definitely inedible now.

Zhu Xishi slammed the table and jumped up. “What are you doing? I’ve been starving all night! If I don’t eat soon, I’ll die!” Why wouldn’t she let her eat?

“If you eat, that’s how you might die!” Fang Rulai scolded sternly. Only when Zhu Xishi’s face showed sudden understanding did she close her eyes and focus.

“Ah, you… you…” Zhu Xishi understood, but given Fang Rulai’s current condition, was this wise?

She looked at Fang Rulai’s pale face, concern in her voice. “Have you been burning through your power too much these days? We’re at the Zhao family now—it’s our turf. Why not relax a bit? Besides, there’s no one here who—”

Fang Rulai’s eyes snapped open. “Shh, quiet!”

“…Mmph!” Zhu Xishi slapped her own mouth. Fine, she’d keep quiet—better to be cautious.

After a while, Fang Rulai opened her eyes again, sweat beading on her forehead.

Zhu Xishi was startled. “Did you really hear some conspiracy?”

Fang Rulai shook her head and sat down, bracing herself against the table. “Not a thing.”

“Isn’t that good?” Zhu Xishi let out a relieved sigh and perked up. “Forget all that nonsense—just eat some meat and get your strength back. Look at how pale you are! I’m afraid you’ll collapse before anyone else gets to you.”

She picked up a piece of braised pork and offered it to Fang Rulai. “Here, let me feed you.”

But Fang Rulai caught the meat in her rice bowl instead. Meeting Zhu Xishi’s confused gaze, her expression turned grave. “I didn’t just not hear a conspiracy. I didn’t hear a single word!”

Zhu Xishi blinked, a sense of foreboding creeping in.

Fang Rulai pulled the vegetarian tray towards herself, closed her eyes, then opened them and shook her head. “Same.”

Zhu Xishi felt herself go weak. “Isn’t it possible that it’s just strict household rules? Maybe no one’s allowed to speak when preparing dishes?”

“But besides the words those two maids just said to us, there was nothing—not a single sound. Does that seem normal to you?” Fang Rulai fingered her prayer beads. “Usually there’d be at least some idle chatter about cooking, wouldn’t there? But there was none. How do you explain that?”

Zhu Xishi’s expression changed. “You mean these dishes didn’t actually come from the kitchen staff? In other words, the origins are suspicious? Poisoned, maybe?”

“I can’t find any proof that they’re safe, at least.” Fang Rulai recalled the events of the previous night. “It was the same then. I sensed everything I could, but found nothing. If it’s not because they anticipated my abilities and took precautions, then it means we’re dealing with a highly professional team, possibly with an insider.”

“An insider?” Zhu Xishi was stunned. “After that Strongman’s gang was wiped out or fled, I thought the Zhao family was finally clean! Now there’s still an insider? Who?”

Fang Rulai stared at the two trays in front of her, then suddenly laughed. “Who was the only one left at the scene last night? Who insisted we stay in the Zhao house instead of returning to our quarters? And who, so early in the morning, has the authority to order maids about? Other than the so-called old master—who legend says is more dead than alive—who else could it be?”

No sooner had she finished than Zhu Xishi blurted the name, “Wang Suzhi!” Yet, thinking it over, she found it odd. “If Wang Suzhi had such a team, why would she have been at a disadvantage against Xu Chunhua last night? The group that showed up after were far more efficient and left no trace, but they only appeared after Xu Chunhua’s side had won a round. Why?”

Fang Rulai drummed her fingers on the table, and with her suspicion as a guide, began to untangle the threads. “Maybe we should look at this separately. This shadowy group may now be allied with Wang Suzhi, but only after the first victory in the ruined temple last night.”

“New alliance? Why? The Second and Third branches are dead; Zhao house is bound to belong to Wang Suzhi alone. Why would she need to form an alliance?”

“It’s not that she wants to—she has no choice.”

“Why?”

“Zhao Xiaobao!” The Zhao family’s sole heir—the one variable she had failed to account for. Fang Rulai finally pinpointed the central issue that validated all her deductions. “After the fiasco at the ruined temple, that group must have threatened Wang Suzhi with Zhao Xiaobao. That’s why she insisted we return to the Zhao house and allowed them to deliver this special ‘clean’ food.”

As the truth became clearer, a smile played at Fang Rulai’s lips, but Wang Suzhi felt a chill run down her spine. “How can you still smile? We’re practically in their jaws now!”

“In other words, we’re only one step away from striking at their most vulnerable point.”

“And then what? With only your and my limited skills, how could we possibly strike back?” Zhu Xishi wasn’t trying to dampen their spirits, but with Mu Zhijin and Banxia missing, her confidence was shaken. She wasn’t afraid of dying—she just hated all this scheming. If given a choice, she’d rather charge in with her butcher’s knife and settle things face-to-face.

“Who said it’s just the two of us?” Fang Rulai’s eyes shone. “We have plenty of allies behind us.”

Zhu Xishi brightened. “You mean Mu Zhijin and Banxia are still safe?”

“If anything had happened to them, would our enemies still be so cautious? The moment they confirmed their victory, we’d have already been dead. But look—we’ve survived the night, and this morning we’re served such a gentle, harmonious breakfast. If I’m right, these dishes are laced only with something to make us unconscious. They want to use us as bait to lure out Mu Zhijin and Banxia.”

“Enough with the intrigue—just tell me what to do next. My brain can’t keep up.”

“What to do?” Fang Rulai arched a wicked eyebrow. “Like this.”

She gave the breakfast trays a shove, sending them tumbling to the floor. This time, she didn’t bother to cushion them. Plates shattered, food scattered everywhere.

At once, hurried footsteps sounded outside. “Something’s happened in the back hall—quick, someone come!”

Fang Rulai, who had just relaxed her face to play dead, nearly broke character from laughter. The line was so familiar, as was the voice—must have been the same person as yesterday. Well, she admitted, she wasn’t very original—this would be the second time she had to play dead. At least this time she had a partner: Zhu Xishi.

The door burst open, and Fang Rulai cracked open one eye, seeing a crowd pour in. Leading them was, just like yesterday, Wang Suzhi.

Wang Suzhi wore the same mask of feigned concern. “Master? Sister Zhu?”

Zhu Xishi dug her nails into her palm, resisting the urge to retch at the “Sister Zhu.” If this kept up, she’d break character for sure.

Luckily, Wang Suzhi didn’t keep up the act for long. Once she confirmed that Fang Rulai and Zhu Xishi were truly unconscious, she waved her hand. “Quickly—put them both in the coffins!”

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