Chapter 177 - 177 Profit
177 Profit
She used a questioning tone, her voice rising at the end.
However, she did not expect the other party to answer, and simply continued, “Young Master, since you’re from the State of Yue, it’s obvious the State of Yue will profit.”
“Unfortunately, the State of Yue and the Great Jin will not go to war.”
Her tone was firm, and the smile on her lips deepened.
Xia Houqing did not comment, and just gently twirled the blood ring between his fingers. Under the light, his thick eyelashes cast faint shadows, and behind the shadows were bottomless pupils.
Meeting his dark eyes, Gu Yanfei said indifferently, “The Sage of the State of Yue wouldn’t dare!”
“…” The old man outside the pavilion’s eyes twitched. This girl really dared to say it!
Gu Yanfei casually picked up a withered leaf from the oil lamp on the table and twirled it twice before continuing casually, “The Sage of the State of Yue is already old. He’s no longer the fierce tiger from before.”
“Even if Baili Yin dies in the Great Jin, as long as the Great Jin has a new flintlock, the State of Yue will not dare to start a war.”
She let go of the two fingers holding the dead leaf. In the blink of an eye, it was swept away by the powerful wind and snow and disappeared into the darkness.
Gu Yanfei met Xia Houqing’s eyes from the side and said seriously, “Actually, there’s no need to go through so much trouble if you want ‘profit’.”
“Oh?” Xia Houqing was still slowly spinning the blood ring, his charming eyes narrowing.
Gu Yanfei snapped her fingers crisply and suggested, with a relaxed expression, “Why don’t we consider occupying the State of Yue first?”
“I can help you.”
She smiled like a flower, as if she had no sense of life or death.
These words sounded like shameless boasting at first glance, causing the old man outside the pavilion to laugh mockingly.
Xia Houqing smiled again.
His eyes were beautiful and seductive, like the crescent moon in the night sky.
His hand that was spinning the ring stopped, as if he was bored. He turned his face slightly in Gu Yanfei’s direction and said softly, “There’s still half an hour.”
He only gave her half an hour.
Xia Houqing’s pupils were bone-chilling, not hiding his intention to slaughter the village at all. In stark contrast, there was a calm smile on his face.
The snow did not abate at all. Particles fell onto the roof of the pavilion, and the air was suffocatingly heavy.
The howling snow surrounded the pavilion like a ferocious beast.
“Have you heard of a saying, Young Master Xia Hou?” The smile on Gu Yanfei’s face did not fade, and her expression seemed to be extremely relaxed. Her eyes seemed to be smiling, teasing, and threatening.
“A cloud-piercing arrow, a thousand troops come to meet each other.”
She looked straight into Xia Houqing’s eyes and spoke slowly.
Everyone knew this sentence. It came from Emperor Taizu of the Great Jin.
Gu Yanfei raised her hand and pointed at the night sky above. “Look.”
In the next moment, with a whoosh, a bright red stream of light rose from the southeast. Like a huge bolt of lightning, it tore through the air and flew unstoppably into the snowy night sky above.
“Whoosh!”
A huge red firework exploded in the night sky, casting half the night sky in a fiery red light and even illuminating the farmstead below.
Xia Houqing’s expression changed slightly as he looked up at the huge red fireworks in the night sky. His enchanting smile froze on his lips, and his dark pupils seemed to be dyed with bright blood.
“…” The old man guarding outside the pavilion was shocked, and his pupils suddenly constricted, as if he had been struck by lightning.
He remained motionless, letting the snow drift over his frosty eyebrows. His wrinkled face was gray and gloomy, and his heart sank as if it had been dipped in water.
By now, Baili Yin and the others should already be four miles away. They would definitely see the gorgeous red fireworks in the sky. Unless he was blind or stupid, it was impossible for him to walk into the trap.
The plan had failed!
This thought clearly appeared in the old man’s mind.
He did not dare to look at Xia Houqing at all. He knelt on one knee in the snow, sweating profusely.
His mind was in chaos, and he had no idea what had gone wrong.
He had clearly sent people to keep an eye on everyone in the manor. Anyone who made any moves would be killed. Who shot this “cloud-piercing arrow” just now?!
What on earth had he missed out on?!
“Caw, caw…”
There was another noisy crow’s cry in the distance. It was hard to tell if it was mourning or cheering.
In the blink of an eye, the big red firework disappeared into the night sky without leaving even a trace.
Gu Yanfei gently knocked on the stone table with one hand, her eyes seemingly filled with a dazzling galaxy.
“Look, we can’t kill Baili Yin anyway.” She smiled slightly and asked “considerately” again, “Why don’t you consider my suggestion? Let’s take over the State of Yue first?”
She finished her sentence in one breath, and her posture was relaxed. From the beginning to the end, she had been smiling faintly.
She knew that Xia Houqing did not want to kill them for the sake of a simple massacre. He was just doing whatever it took to achieve his goal.
To Xia Houqing, the hundreds of lives in this manor were just ants. How could he care about stepping on a few ants when he was working toward his goal?
She had ruined his plan to assassinate Baili Yin, but that did not mean that he could let these people in the manor live.
Benefits and value were most important.
She had to provide the other party with enough benefits and value to pique his interest.
Xia Houqing stared at Gu Yanfei. His smile was still demonic and a little lazy. For the first time, he fell into deep thought and rubbed his thumb slowly on the blood ring.
“I can help you.”