Chapter 41: I Don’t Accept Threats
Hearing Meng Yichen’s voice, Lin Nan, who was sitting on Cui Shi’s lap, immediately lit up with excitement and looked toward the main gate. Lin Xin felt that if she kept Meng Yichen out, it would be a sin.
“Where are you getting that from, Mister Meng? Your visit to our humble home is an honor for us siblings.” Lin Xin forced a smile as she opened the door to welcome him in, only to notice his face was slightly… bashful?
Her eyes widened instantly. What was going on?
Before Meng Yichen could explain, four tall, burly young men burst out from behind him, all with rippling muscles, upright postures, resolute gazes, and barely suppressed killing intent. No need to ask—these guys were clearly from the military.
“Miss Lin, sorry for barging in unannounced. Please don’t blame us.” The four men, each a head and a half taller than her, stood neatly in front of her, each holding a different bloody prey. If Lin Xin hadn’t seen a lot of the world, anyone else would probably scream in fright.
“It’s fine, no blame. You… all come in.” Lin Xin was numb. Fine, they were already here—what could she do, chase them away?
She helplessly glanced at her family’s courtyard. The place that used to seem spacious now felt terribly crowded, especially those soldier brothers squatting head-to-head on the ground, each butchering, dismembering, and skinning their prey.
A thick bloody smell hung over the small courtyard. Lin Xin looked up at the sky, able to imagine how the village would gossip about it tomorrow.
“Girl, come here. I have something to tell you.” Cui Shi handed Lin Nan to Meng Yichen and pulled Lin Xin into the kitchen.
“Go ahead. What dish are you thinking of today? Just to be clear, only using the ingredients you brought today!” Lin Xin had given up resisting. This old man never knew what politeness was, and now with the title of Lin Nan’s master, he’d probably order her around even more easily from now on!
Just thinking that all this trouble stemmed from selling this old man a ginseng root made her hate her past self. Why couldn’t she have been content with poverty?
Sigh! One misstep leads to eternal regret!
As she was lamenting, her forehead was suddenly knocked with a knuckle rap. Turning her head, she saw Cui Shi looking at her with a toothache-like expression.
“What do you mean?” She was a bit confused. Could it be they weren’t here to mooch a meal today?
“I told you about Young Master Meng’s brother, right?” Cui Shi itched to knock her forehead again seeing her like that, but thinking of her nimble legs when climbing the mountain, he suppressed his urge and got to serious matters.
“He woke up once yesterday, for just a few breaths’ worth of kung fu, then gave an important clue. He mumbled something about ‘tiger’.” After speaking, Cui Shi’s old eyes fixed tightly on Lin Xin’s face, trying to read something from it. Unfortunately, Lin Xin’s cultivation was deep; he saw nothing.
“And then?” Seeing his deflated look, Lin Xin was satisfied. It couldn’t always be her feeling down, right! Hehe!
“And then? What then? I mentioned before that your family has a big tiger, so take a look—” Cui Shi pointed at the four big men in the courtyard. “That’s why they all came. Fu Jing said once General Meng is awake longer, he’ll come too.”
“Let them come!” Lin Xin gave up. “Anyway, my house has no room for them. They can come or not—it has nothing to do with me. That mountain isn’t mine, and the tiger isn’t mine either.”
“Ahem,” Cui Shi coughed uncomfortably. “They’ve already talked to your village chief and Lin Clan Leader, and marked out a plot next to the back mountain to build a house.”
“What? Build a house? Such a big investment? Is there a treasure from the previous dynasty in the mountain?” Lin Xin’s eyes lit up.
“Nonsense about previous dynasty treasure. What kind of things are in your head all day, girl?” Cui Shi first spat disdain at Lin Xin, then lowered his voice. “That one is fading. A few years ago, the Crown Prince was suppressed hard and doesn’t hold much advantage now. The princes are all gearing up for the succession struggle!”
“Isn’t that normal? If the top is too strong, the heir will have a tough time! Plus the top is old and muddled, unwilling to let go of power—how could it not turn out like this? I’d say, the top is just living too long…” Before she finished, Cui Shi immediately covered her mouth.
“My ancestors, you really dare say anything. Are you tired of living?” The little old man was scared pale, sweat beading on his forehead.
Lin Xin then remembered this wasn’t her previous life’s pre-apocalypse with free speech or post-apocalypse where she could speak freely. This was a feudal dynasty where imperial power was above all.
“I get it. You can let go now.” Lin Xin mumbled. She didn’t dare pry the little old man’s hand, afraid of breaking it if she used too much force.
“Speak carelessly again and I’ll give you a needle to make you unable to talk forever.” Cui Shi fiercely wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and glared threateningly at her.
“Got it, got it. I won’t say it again. Can you finish the story now?”
“Hmph! Listen properly and don’t interrupt again.”
“Mm-hmm, go ahead.”
“General Meng is the Crown Prince’s man. He intercepted intelligence about the Third Prince’s biggest supporter, Grand Tutor Feng Xing of the current dynasty. It collected evidence of his crimes like selling offices, taking bribes, embezzling court disaster relief funds, and more, plus a list of officials connected to him.
General Meng planned to rush the intelligence to the capital, but was ambushed midway. His thirty-plus escorts all perished, he himself was gravely wounded and near death. Just then a tiger passed by; he mustered his strength to stuff the intelligence into the tiger’s hind leg, then passed out.”
“Mm, and then?” Lin Xin asked.
“That intelligence is crucial. Last time I saw the tiger at your house, its hind leg was bandaged, so I wanted to ask—is that intelligence in your hands?”
Lin Xin looked up at him, suddenly curving her lips in a smile. Her aura shifted abruptly, a wave of killing intent surging straight at Cui Shi.
The little old man’s face paled even more, staggering back two steps and nearly falling on his butt. Lin Xin kindly grabbed him, saving his butt from intimate contact with the ground.
“You, you…” Cui Shi’s eyes bulged round, his speech slurring.
“Relax, I won’t do anything to you. After all, you’re Nan Nan’s master. But I’m not good-tempered either. We can talk about matters, but I don’t accept threats or manipulation—from you or anyone.”
Cui Shi’s old face flushed from pale to red, stammering without words.
“Miss Lin, this isn’t Old Cui’s fault. We forced him to come. Blame us if you must, don’t make things hard for Old Cui.” The four big men stood neatly at the kitchen door, with the most outspoken Ling Qing stepping forward.
“Right, it’s not Old Cui’s fault. Blame us if you must, miss!” The other three said in unison.
“You all leave! And don’t come back.” Lin Xin expressionlessly walked through them, picked up Lin Nan sitting beside Meng Yichen, and headed to the room. Passing the kitchen, she didn’t turn her head but softly asked: “Is your fondness for Nan Nan all an act?”
With that, she didn’t linger, going straight into the room and closing the door.
“Miss!” Gao Yong’s loud voice boomed in the courtyard.
“Get lost!”
