Chapter 338: Hostage Exchange

Guan Fangyi cursed under her breath, but her hands moved quickly and she soon finished preparing herself. Then she turned around and drove Niu Youdao out of the room. She needed to change clothes.

Old Six Xu and the old man who was often seen sweeping outside the entrance of Fufang Garden had already arrived in the courtyard. The old man was Uncle Chen. Niu Youdao stood with his sword planted against the ground and looked first at one, then at the other. Before long, the door opened.

Guan Fangyi emerged with her cloudlike hair piled high, dressed in bright, splendid clothes. Her waist swayed gracefully as she walked, every movement full of mature allure. Niu Youdao stopped her at the foot of the steps.

"I'll go with you and take a look."

"No need. If you go, you'll only be deadweight!" Guan Fangyi swept one sleeve and pushed him aside.

Deadweight?

Niu Youdao was speechless. He had kindly offered to help, and somehow he had become a burden. Guan Fangyi walked over to Old Six Xu and gave another instruction.

"While I'm gone, keep an eye on him. Don't let anyone exploit an opening."

She pointed at Niu Youdao.

"Yes!" Old Six Xu answered.

White-haired Uncle Chen turned and followed Guan Fangyi away. A carriage was waiting outside the gate. Uncle Chen extended an arm to help Guan Fangyi aboard, then sat in the driver's seat himself. Niu Youdao walked to the window, lifted the curtain, and looked inside. The carriage was empty apart from Guan Fangyi. She sat there lazily fanning herself with her round fan.

Whoosh!

She blew a breath into his face.

"You look at me during the day. You look at me at night. I've let you look at me from every angle. Haven't you seen enough yet?"

Niu Youdao had long since grown used to her frivolous remarks. He ignored them.

"You're going alone?"

Guan Fangyi lifted her chin toward the front.

"Isn't Uncle Chen a person?"

"Just the two of you? Since you've already guessed the other side is setting a trap, don't be careless."

"I know what I'm doing. I don't need a pretty boy like you reminding me!"

Her round fan smacked him lightly across the face. Then Guan Fangyi called toward the front.

"Uncle Chen!"

Crack!

Uncle Chen snapped the reins and the carriage rolled away.

Pretty boy?

Niu Youdao did not know whether to laugh or cry. He really did seem a little like a man living off a woman. He turned toward Old Six Xu.

"Are just your Proprietor and Uncle Chen really going?"

He found it hard to believe.

Old Six Xu said, "Sir can rest assured. Under normal circumstances, nothing will happen. As long as the other side isn't someone we absolutely cannot afford to offend, there aren't many people who can stop the Proprietor and Uncle Chen. Taking more people would only burden the two of them."

That genuinely surprised Niu Youdao. Could Guan Fangyi have been playing the pig to eat the tiger all this time, hiding her true depths? Otherwise, how could Old Six Xu dare speak so confidently? Unfortunately, Old Six Xu refused to explain further no matter how Niu Youdao asked...

Outside the city, a large ship lay anchored along a riverbank overgrown with weeds. A carriage approached from afar. With no road leading all the way to the shore, it could go no farther and stopped at a distance. Uncle Chen climbed down, rolled up the curtain, and extended a hand to help Guan Fangyi out. Guan Fangyi slowly waved her round fan and studied the ship moored by the bank. Uncle Chen's cold gaze, meanwhile, swept the surroundings. Guan Fangyi flicked her fan.

The weeds ahead of her flattened in a continuous path, pressed down to form a road beneath her feet. She walked forward at an unhurried pace, gently fanning herself as she went. A gust of wind swept over the riverbank. The wild grass rolled like waves, framing the alluring figure moving gracefully through it...

Dong...

Ding, ding-dong...

At Fufang Garden, faint notes from a qin drifted through the air. Niu Youdao, lounging in his reclining chair, opened his eyes.

"Who's playing the qin?"

Fufang Garden was enormous. If the music could be heard here, it certainly was not coming from outside. Old Six Xu waved toward the courtyard gate. Someone immediately went to investigate. Before long, the man returned.

"The qin music is coming from Mr. Linghu's courtyard."

Niu Youdao's brows shifted. He rose and slowly walked out, heading in the direction of the music. The qin had reminded him that he ought to ask Hongxiu and Hongfu whether there had been any news from Linghu Qiu. Old Six Xu led four men after him...

On the ship, a man in splendid robes stood with his hands clasped behind his back before a cabin window, watching Guan Fangyi and Uncle Chen approach. He tilted his head slightly.

"Only the two of them?"

An attendant beside him replied, "Only those two. Our watchers around the area haven't discovered anyone else."

The richly dressed man muttered, "That woman has some nerve."

He turned and left the cabin, emerging onto the deck. Standing above them, he watched the pair draw near. Guan Fangyi and Uncle Chen stopped below. The latter kept watch over the surroundings while Guan Fangyi looked up toward the ship.

"Hongniang of Fufang Garden is here. I've come sincerely to resolve the problem. Have whoever is in charge come out and speak!"

The richly dressed man said, "I'm the buyer. Hongniang of the Qi capital. I've long heard your great name!"

"Oh?" Guan Fangyi said. "My apologies. May I ask your honored name?"

"That isn't important. What's important is who will compensate me for my losses."

He raised a hand and made a small gesture. A group of people immediately appeared on the ship.

At the same time, more than a dozen figures skimmed in from the surrounding area and encircled Guan Fangyi and Uncle Chen. Guan Fangyi slowly waved her fan and looked around.

"What should be compensated, I'll compensate. What should be replaced, I'll replace. Everything can be discussed. Where is my man?"

The richly dressed man snapped the fingers of the hand behind his back.

Snap!

Before long, Old Thirteen of Fufang Garden was dragged out. He looked somewhat miserable and had plainly suffered a little. The moment he saw Guan Fangyi, emotion rose on his face. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He struggled twice, only to discover he was restrained and had no power to resist. One hand gripped his neck. His life could be taken at any moment. Guan Fangyi waved her fan.

"Let him speak. I need to confirm he's all right."

The richly dressed man gave a slight nod. Some of the restraints on Old Thirteen were released.

He immediately shouted, "Proprietor, this is a trap they set! The buyer and seller are almost certainly on the same side!"

"What's the point of shirking responsibility now?" the richly dressed man sneered.

The man was already in his hands.

"Shut up. Why so much nonsense?" Guan Fangyi snapped at Old Thirteen. "If you fell into a trap, then you fell into a trap. Blame your own eyes for being blind."

Then she asked, "Are you all right?"

Old Thirteen shook his head.

"Only a few minor injuries. I'm fine."

"Good." Guan Fangyi nodded.

Then she smiled toward the richly dressed man, fan still moving.

"I'm here now. Release him."

The richly dressed man said, "Easy enough. First we settle the compensation."

Guan Fangyi answered crisply, "Name your price."

The man said, "Excellent. I lost three million gold coins. What do you plan to do about it?"

Guan Fangyi tilted her head toward Uncle Chen. He immediately removed a bulging little pouch hanging from his waist and handed it to her. Guan Fangyi lifted the pouch.

"Three million gold coins are here. Release him."

The richly dressed man paused. He apparently had not expected Guan Fangyi to be so straightforward, handing over three million gold coins without hesitation. He exchanged looks with the men around him, then laughed.

"Haha. Hongniang of the Qi capital really does have deep pockets. Looks like three million is nothing to you. Three million settles the account for the transaction. But what about the trouble all these brothers of mine have gone through?"

Guan Fangyi smiled faintly.

"How would you like to settle that?"

The man's gaze traveled over her figure. Suddenly, a teasing smile appeared on his face.

"I've long heard of Hongniang's beauty and reputation in the Qi capital. Seeing you today, you truly are a creature of a thousand charms. Wouldn't it be a pity to let such an opportunity pass? How about this: stay and accompany me for one night. We'll call that compensation for the trouble we've suffered. What do you say?"

Suppressed laughter immediately sounded from the people around them.

Old Thirteen shouted angrily, "Shameless!"

"Shut up!" Guan Fangyi barked at him again.

Old Thirteen bit his lip and lowered his head. Uncle Chen remained perfectly calm. Guan Fangyi continued waving her round fan and smiled slightly at the richly dressed man.

"What kind of man hasn't this old lady seen? One more makes no difference, one less makes no difference. Spending a night with you isn't the problem. The question is, how do I know you'll keep your word afterward?"

The man lifted his chin toward the people encircling her.

"Do you have room to bargain here?"

Guan Fangyi remained unhurried.

"I've been able to stand firm as Hongniang of the Qi capital for all these years. Naturally, I know a few people who can be useful when needed. Since I dared come here, how could I come without preparations? Believe it or not, the moment fighting breaks out, people will immediately rush here."

The richly dressed man's gaze swept the surroundings. A trace of wariness rose inside him. That was exactly what he had found strange from the beginning. As far as he knew, Fufang Garden had its own manpower. Why had only two people come? If Guan Fangyi had made no preparations whatsoever, even he did not believe it.

Guan Fangyi continued, "I didn't bring people directly because I don't want trouble. Fighting and killing benefits no one. If this can be settled peacefully, there's no reason to make enemies. How about this? Release my man and let the two of them leave. I'll stay and accompany you for one night. The money is yours too. You get both the person and the money. But tomorrow morning, you must honor your promise and let me leave. How does that sound?"

This time, it was the richly dressed man's turn to become suspicious.

"You're not afraid I'll go back on my word?"

"I already told you. I wouldn't dare come here if I had no confidence. Since I dared come, I'm not afraid of trouble. If you and I both keep our promises, naturally we can part without incident. But if you dare break yours, don't expect things to end well for you either."

The richly dressed man hesitated and glanced left and right, weighing the opinions of the others. Guan Fangyi looked at him with contempt.

"With courage like that, you still want to sleep with me? I'm staying here alone. What are all of you afraid of? Even if something happens and fighting breaks out, dealing with me alone is easier than dealing with one or two more people, isn't it? Can't you even calculate that account? If I stay, I'll be a hostage in your hands. What else do you have to fear? Isn't that better than holding one of my subordinates hostage?"

The richly dressed man considered it briefly, then nodded.

"Fine! We'll do it your way. Release him."

An almost imperceptible sinister smile touched the corner of his mouth. As long as Guan Fangyi fell into his hands, his objective would be achieved. Everything else was secondary. Once that happened, how she was dealt with would no longer be for Guan Fangyi herself to decide. For now, he would let her remain self-satisfied. Old Thirteen was released. He was shoved outside the encirclement and stumbled to the ground. Guan Fangyi tilted her head toward Uncle Chen.

Uncle Chen bowed slightly, then turned to leave. The surrounding men opened a path for him. Uncle Chen helped Old Thirteen up, released the restrictions on him, then carried him away in a swift leap. The encircling men stepped forward, preparing to seize Guan Fangyi.

"What's the rush? They haven't gone far enough yet. How do I know you won't intercept them?" Guan Fangyi called toward the ship, still calmly waving her fan. "Don't force me so far that even a cornered dog has to leap the wall. Surely you can wait this little while?"

The richly dressed man raised one hand and stopped the people below. Only after Uncle Chen and Old Thirteen had vanished toward the capital did the man look down from the deck.

"Hongniang, please."

He extended a hand toward the ship in invitation.

[End of Chapter 338]