Seeing the expression on the leading strong man's face, Bai Zheng subconsciously took a step back and shook her head tremulously. "No, I won't go."
The strong man raised his eyebrows and looked at Bai Zheng meaningfully. "Little beauty? You seemed quite willing just now. How come you're not willing anymore after such a short while?"
Scared by his expression, Bai Zheng leaned into Feng Linyuan's arms and didn't even dare to raise her head. With her eyes downcast, she said, "I, I'd better stay with the marquis."
Hearing this, the lame man quickly chimed in. "Since this young lady has said she's not willing, if the second-in-command forces her, it might really affect our chances of getting that 100,000 taels of silver. I won't be able to explain it to the brothers in the stockade later."
The second-in-command rubbed his hands and ignored the lame man. He just smiled at Bai Zheng. "Little beauty, it's so stuffy in this room. Don't you want to go out and get some fresh air? Big brother may look fierce, but I'm actually the most gentle and considerate person in the stockade."
Bai Zheng was so disgusted by his repeated calls of "little beauty" and "big brother" that she almost couldn't keep up the act. She had to bury her head in Feng Linyuan's clothes so they wouldn't notice anything.
Biting back her nausea, Bai Zheng pinched herself and said with a sob, "No, I won't go out. I'm scared..."
The lame man smiled awkwardly. "Second-in-command, you see..."
"What do I see!" the strong man called the second-in-command finally couldn't bear it anymore and roared. "This little girl is clearly playing with me!"
"She said she wanted to go just now. But as soon as this lame guy came and said they'd use her to exchange for 100,000 taels of silver, she refused no matter what. This girl really thinks highly of herself!" The other strong man also looked indignant.
"Second-in-command, please calm down. It's the boss who gave the order. I really have no choice. It's just..." Seeing this, the lame man quickly explained.
But the three strong men didn't listen at all. The second-in-command stepped forward and pushed the lame man to the ground. "Stop being so wordy."
Then he looked at Bai Zheng again, his eyes full of coldness. "You don't appreciate a toast but opt for a forfeit. Come on!"
Saying that, he pounced on Bai Zheng in Feng Linyuan's arms.
"Courting death!"
Feng Linyuan, who had been silent all this time, narrowed his eyes. He slightly turned his body to protect Bai Zheng more tightly. With his other hand, he punched the second-in-command in the face. Then he kicked out and sent another strong man who was following right behind flying out of the small house.
Bai Zheng only heard a dull groan from outside the door, and then there was no sound. Obviously, the man had been knocked unconscious by Feng Linyuan's kick.
Nestled in Feng Linyuan's arms, Bai Zheng followed Feng Linyuan as he deftly turned around and got behind the last strong man. With a chop of his hand, he knocked the man out. The tall and strong man immediately went limp to the ground without even making a sound.
Seeing this, the lame man scurried out of the small house in fear. Obviously, he had gone to report.
The second-in-command, the only one who was still conscious after being beaten, covered his injured cheek and looked at the people he had brought in horror as Feng Linyuan easily took them down.
Bai Zheng looked at the second-in-command who was huddled on the ground, his lips trembling but unable to say a word. She smiled sweetly. "Do you still want to take me out now?"
"No, no, no..." The strong man quickly shook his head.
Bai Zheng hooked her foot, turned around and sat on the stool. Looking down at the strong man from a high position, she asked, "Are you the second-in-command of this stockade?"
The strong man quickly nodded instead of shaking his head.
Bai Zheng smiled crookedly. "You're really the most useless second-in-command I've ever seen. I'm afraid anyone in the stockade can use the boss's order to stop you."
The strong man's expression froze, and a hint of unwillingness flashed across his eyes.
Seeing this, Bai Zheng laughed even more heartily, but the disdain in her eyes became even stronger.
"If it weren't for that lame guy coming here and using the boss to suppress you, I wouldn't have recognized that you actually wanted to harm me. Come to think of it, I really should thank him. Otherwise, I'd have been taken out and harmed by you by now."
Hearing this, the strong man finally understood what Bai Zheng meant. He looked up warily. "You want to sow discord?"
Bai Zheng nodded cheerfully. "I'm just analyzing the facts for you so that you won't be confused being in the middle of it. With two useless subordinates, you really think you're the second-in-command of the stockade."
"How am I not the second-in-command!" The strong man was enraged by Bai Zheng's words and blurted out.
"Do you know why the boss captured us?" Bai Zheng asked with a faint smile.
This question stunned the strong man.
Bai Zheng curled her lips and said leisurely, "Because he took the silver from my cousin."
The strong man's eyes widened in shock.
"You probably wouldn't have known that my marquis and I are worth 100,000 taels of silver if that lame guy hadn't mentioned it to you just now." Bai Zheng leaned against the table and continued.
Hearing the words "my marquis", Feng Linyuan, who was about to sit down slowly, suddenly paused. He looked up at Bai Zheng and a smile involuntarily spread across his lips.
The strong man frowned tightly, and for the first time, a look of doubt appeared in his turbid eyes.
Bai Zheng looked at the changing expression of the man in front of her with satisfaction and continued, "A man who is tall and strong but is willing to be a second-in-command under others. I already look down on you very much. Who would have thought that you're such a useless second-in-command. You might even be sold by your boss and still count the money for him happily."
"I didn't!" The strong man suddenly raised his head. His eyes were filled with unhidden shock and anger. He stared at Bai Zheng intently, his chest heaving violently as if he was about to fly into a rage the next moment.
Bai Zheng hooked her index finger and tapped on the table lightly. Her cherry lips parted slightly. "If I were you..."
"If you were me, what would you do?" the strong man quickly asked.
Bai Zheng smiled calmly. "I'd swallow the 100,000 taels of silver all by myself."
The strong man's face changed. Before he could react, he heard Bai Zheng continue, "The boss will be here soon. If you can send us out before that, Dingyuan Marquis Mansion will send the 100,000 taels of silver to you."
Obviously, the figure of 100,000 taels of silver instantly tempted the second-in-command. The hesitation on his face was quickly replaced by surprise. Looking at Bai Zheng, he asked, "Really?"
Feng Linyuan chimed in. "I, the marquis, always keep my word."
The second-in-command's heart skipped a beat, but he still asked somewhat uneasily, "But you've already made an agreement with the boss that you'll give him the 100,000 taels of silver and he'll let you go. Why did you change your mind and make this deal with me?"
"Because I don't like him. And," Bai Zheng said with a smile as she looked at Feng Linyuan. Feng Linyuan nodded.
"Your boss has already taken someone else's silver to harm me, but he easily changed his mind just because I offered more silver. It shows that he's not a reliable person.
In contrast, the second-in-command is a man of his word. Naturally, I'm more willing to make this deal with the second-in-command."