Chapter 120: The Letter

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"This is wonderful; washing up is much healthier." She slipped her foot into the water, and soon a cool sensation washed over her—utterly refreshing.

"After traveling for days, I smell awful," the Miss Chen sniffed her clothes, puzzled. "Huh? This definitely isn’t me. I’m not that dirty."

"This water is surprisingly clear," she remarked.

"I wonder if there are any fish. Maybe it’s time for some meat," the other girl said, and the two began splashing about.

Not far off, several heads peeked out from the bushes along the shore.

"Master, are we really going to do this?" one asked.

"Enough nonsense—hurry up. They’ve embarrassed me so badly. I’ll teach them a lesson," the masked man growled. Hidden in the grass were several masked men.

"What are they doing? Why are they taking off their clothes?" one of the masked men called out loudly.

The horned man looked puzzled. Bathing without undressing?

"Master, it seems they’re bathing. Hehe, wonderful," the trumpet-mouthed man chuckled lecherously.

"If they’re bathing, that complicates things," the masked man said.

"Why?"

"Have you seen Red Wing?"

"Red Wing? Where is Red Wing?" The two horned men suddenly realized their tool for the mission was missing.

"Quick, find it!" The horned men began searching frantically for the snake.

The masked man rubbed his forehead, already knowing the snake had relapsed into its usual mischief—a lustful snake.

Meanwhile, Fubao was playing in the water with Miss Chen. The four men traveling with them, including Little Ginseng, kept their distance, as the saying goes, a gentleman should not cast a sideways glance.

Little Ginseng, left on the cart, was still crying—she wanted to wash too.

Fubao was beginning to regret entering the river. Damn it, how could there be so many fish in this river?

Every time Fubao approached the riverbank, it attracted countless fish; her nature hadn’t changed at all.

Surrounded by a swarm of fish, Fubao looked down at her feet, while Miss Chen had already climbed ashore, mysteriously pulling out a large iron pot to catch fish.

"What’s that?" Fubao felt something brushing against her foot, repeatedly.

"What’s wrong?" Miss Chen asked, bending over to pull a long object from the water.

"This is..."

"A snake."

"Oh."

"Ah!"

"What!" Miss Chen screamed and instantly ran away.

Fubao looked down at the red snake in her hand, eyes sparkling with affection. Steamed or braised?

"Master, I found it! Found Red Wing!" the trumpet-mouthed man reported excitedly.

"Good! Quickly arrange the plan. Hmph, let them taste the price of being bitten by a snake. Ha ha ha," the masked man laughed proudly.

"But..." trumpet-mouthed man hesitated.

"But what? What’s the problem?" The masked man’s expression darkened.

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"Red Wing is right there in those people’s hands."

"What?"

"Well, that’s nothing strange. The little snake can infiltrate the enemy camp first, then cut off their source," a sharp-faced man said.

"Good idea. Let’s meet up with it when they’re not paying attention," the masked man raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Master, don’t you think the girl in the water looks familiar?" The broad-faced man, who hadn’t spoken until now, said.

"Familiar? What do you mean?" The masked man turned to him.

"Could she be the person our lord is looking for?"

"You mean that one..."

"Yes."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We all know how agile Red Wing is. It shouldn’t be so easily captured... especially by two women."

"Heh, interesting."

The masked man thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. Soon, a bird flew over and perched on his shoulder.

"Go, tell our lord the whereabouts of those people."

The bird flew off immediately.

...

Gu Li was staring at the red snake tightly coiled around Fubao’s leg, feeling something was odd.

"Where did this snake come from? No matter how I try, it won’t let go. So strange." He poked the chubby snake with a wooden stick, provoking it to bare its teeth threateningly.

"Ah! The snake’s teeth are so long!" Miss Chen exclaimed.

Master Yu glanced over. "I’ve seen this before, at the Imperial Medical Office."

"Then toss it away quickly," Miss Chen said. The only snakes seen in the Imperial Medical Office were venomous.

"No, this is food," Fubao said, pinching the snake and lifting it up.

Everyone was speechless.

Back on the donkey cart, Ya Ya immediately noticed the snake in Fubao’s hand and became excited—what a feast!

The red snake trembled in fear at the sight of such a large bird.

"Why does this thing act so strange?" Little Ginseng approached, no longer fussing, looking at the wildly struggling snake.

"Looks like it’s drunk."

"No, no, it’s springtime."

"Hmm?"

The girls chattered animatedly.

The red snake thought: You’re the one in springtime.

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Actually, the red snake had been drawn to Fubao. According to the plan, it was supposed to bite a few people once in the water, but the moment it entered, it couldn’t help but submit beneath the woman’s feet. In the distance, it vaguely saw a particularly large fish playing in the water.

By the time it recovered, it was already being lifted ashore.

"What should we do with this snake?" Gu Li looked at the red snake, dumbfounded by Ya Ya’s presence.

"Make snake soup tonight," Fubao said, holding the little snake.

"Ew, I’m not eating that," Gong Shaoyu said with disgust.

"Me neither," Miss Chen said, goosebumps rising all over her body.

"Fine, what about Li and Master Yu?" Fubao asked the two men.

"No need, I’m not hungry," Gu Li declined.

"Me neither," Master Yu waved his hand.

"Alright, you’re really missing out," Fubao said regretfully.

Everyone: Heh heh!

In the end, the little snake wasn’t eaten; it slipped away unnoticed, of course bearing the mark of Ya Ya’s sharp beak.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the capital, an ordinary little bird flew in and landed on a table. A woman reading stopped her motion.

After the bird flew off, she smiled faintly. "Where did they run off to? Hmph! Back then, they were fond of the mortal world. Now, with a chance, they won’t let it go."

"Go, find a way to send this news to the front courtyard."

"Yes." A shadow disappeared into the darkness.

"Aiyo! No matter how far you run, you always come back. What’s the point?"

"Uncle, do you think Fubao has news?" Meng Yun tightly grabbed Bai Zhanshuang’s arm. That girl had run off silently; they’d been searching for over a month, her eyes nearly swollen from crying.

"Yes, the news came today, along with Master Yu and the others," Bai Zhanshuang said.

"This girl, if she comes back, I won’t spare her," Lin Sanlang said fiercely. She’s too troublesome.

"Uncle, did you send someone to look for her? When can I see Fubao?" Meng Yun only wanted to see her daughter. As for what happened after, well...

"Don’t worry. People have already been sent to find her; news will come soon."

"Mm."

...

"I say, we were just tied up and taken back like this?" Master Yu, also bound, sat inside a luxurious carriage. He hadn’t expected that Chancellor Bai would send secret guards to capture them—if open tactics failed, then covert ones.

"Waaah, when we go back, my parents will kill me," Miss Chen cried nonstop.

"Why isn’t he tied up?" Gong Shaoyu looked at Gu Li, who was leisurely sipping water, feeling unfair. The stable boy outside said,

"Young master, the madam said that the young master’s health is weak and must be carefully tended. Also, since you secretly took the weak young master out without considering his safety, and to prevent your escape, we had to bind you tightly."

Gong Shaoyu retorted, "Hey! It was my cousin’s idea to go; why blame me?"

"Young master, calm down. Madam says she’s waiting for your return."

Gong Shaoyu immediately backed down.