Chapter 1078: If, suppose there was an if (1/2)

So speaking, Baii Yanqing tossed his sleeves and stalked off while Su Xiaoyu’s taut expression finally relaxed. She had no idea about the details of the punitive expedition to the north, much less that Manager Jin didn’t really count as their ally. In her mind, Mu Linger had already escaped, so she would definitely bring back reinforcements. She only had to pray for them to arrive in time so she and Ning Jing didn’t suffer in vain.

On this day, Su Xiaoyu fed Ning Jing medicine three times. At night, she finally regained consciousness. Her first reaction upon seeing Su Xiaoyu was to smile, but with her two front teeth gone, she didn’t look as pretty as the past. Sensing her missing incisors, she touched the gaps and mocked herself, “I’ve lost the baby and my teeth. Will the child’s father refuse to acknowledge me after this?”

“It’s already ten thousand fortunes that you’ve preserved your life,” Su Xiaoyu was ever pragmatic.

Ning Jing grinned. She liked hearing those words. As she prepared to sit up, Su Xiaoyu hastened to help and lowered her voice. “Watch what you say, be careful of the walls having ears.”

“What I know, Miss Jing,” Su Xiaoyu continued in an even softer tone, “Is that we have only half a month left. If my master comes, we’ll live. Otherwise, we...it’s hard to say.”

Ning Jing’s eyes flashed with a complicated expression before she murmured back, “Don’t worry, they’ll definitely come.” She instantly told Su Xiaoyu about the fine details of the northern expedition. Although Su Xiaoyu had heard it once from Mu Linger and Ning Jing in the past, she didn’t understand it all. Now the detailed explanation made her knowledgeable from head to tail.

Lowering her voice even further, Su Xiaoyu said seriously, “Miss Jing, you really don’t...look attractive like this.”

Ning Jing gave a start. Just what did she look like now with her two front teeth missing?

Quickly, Su Xiaoyu amended, “Miss Jing, no matter what, let’s make sure to pull out all of Bai Yanqing’s teeth if he falls into our hands someday. How’s that?”

Ning Jing had no idea where Su Xiaoyu’s sense of amusement came from, but her words made her anticipate their future revenge too. She muttered back, “Pulling out all his teeth is making things too easy for him. I won’t pry them out, but drill them out! I’ll have Tang Li make me a special little drill and bore all of his teeth clean!”

Su Xiaoyu felt all of her teeth hurt at the idea. Pulling teeth was just a moment of pain, but drilling into them was both ache and agony. How long would it take to clear out the insides of two teeth? Even someone as vicious as her couldn’t help drawing in a sharp breath. “Miss Jing, then that’s how it’ll be! No matter what, we can’t die!”

“Alright!” Ning Jing nodded empathetically. She couldn’t die--for the sake of revenge, for Tang Li, and the young daughter in swaddling clothes who still didn’t know about her father or mother.

Su Xiaoyu thought of something else and muttered, “Miss Jing, what was the agreement between your big brother and Bai Yuqiao? How could she betray Jun Yixie and join our side? She even gave up her life!”

Ning Jing had witnessed Bai Yuqiao’s tragic death as well. She too, saw the misery and reluctance in Bai Yuqiao’s eyes before she died. She assumed that Bai Yuqiao would acknowledge her little sister Su Xiaoyu, but in the end she took the secret to the grave.

Since Bai Yuqiao didn’t tell her or even begged Su Xiaoyu for forgiveness, how could Ning Jing say anything more? Some lies would turn into eternal enigmas with that person’s passing. No matter whether this was right or wrong, it was more important to them that the survivors didn’t cry, shed tears, or regret their passing.

Even if Bai Yuqiao was gone forever, Su Xiaoyu still had her family. Ning Jing counted as one, as well as Mu Linger and definitely Han Yunxi.

“I’m puzzled too. I think only Ning Cheng knows,” Ning Jing sighed lightly. “But I’m not sure whether we’ll get to see him again.”

They had already left Tiger’s Prison, so how could Jun Yixie give Ning Cheng an easy time? As for Manager Jin, they had been too rushed for Ning Jing to know whether he saved them for good intentions or other motives. Her only comfort was that Mu Linger and the baby were in his hands. That was a hundred times better than being stuck with Bai Yanqing. At least, Manager Jin would find Han Yunxi and the rest if just to get his indenture agreement.

It was the middle of the third lunar month, which meant the peach blossoms in the mountains were beginning to shed their petals.[1] Was the punitive expedition to the north about to begin? Would Han Yunxi and the rest come? And Tang Li as well? How were they supposed to pass Jun Yixie’s extensive array of traps and Bai Yanqing’s sinister schemes?

After Ning Jing pushed the question of Bai Yuqiao onto Ning Cheng’s shoulders, Su Xiaoyu stopped asking for more information...[2] While they were waiting, Manager Jin and Mu Linger were waiting as well. So were Jun Yixie and Bai Yanqing!

Meanwhile, Han Yunxi’s group had already arrived at Three-Way Black Market. When they reached East Origin Hall, Gu Qishao received a letter from the Medical Hut. He glanced at the contents before laughing out loud. “Poison lass, that matter’s done! Have Xu Donglin bring the man over!”

For the past few days, Xu Donglin had been occupied with tracking down Ye Xiao the blacksmith. Ye Xiao was extremely willing to help out Han Yunxi, so Xu Donglin told him to head for Medical City and wait there in secret. Somehow, Gu Qishao had written to Pill Furnace Master along the way, so this must be the reply with Pill Furnace Master’s agreement to let them use the Earthly Fire Kun Furnace to forge a sword.

“That’s a great meritorious service in your name!” Han Yunxi remarked.

Although this was good news, Han Yunxi couldn’t bring herself to feel any happier. Both she and Long Feiye had taken this trip to Three-Way Black Market with heavy hearts. That was because the situation at Tiger’s Prison didn’t look optimistic.

“Where’s Tang Li?” Long Feiye asked coldly as soon as he entered the door.

“Your Highness, the Tang Clan Head has lost control over his emotions for the past few days, so we subordinates took matters into our own hands and locked him in his room. May Your Highness mete punishment!” a shadow guard reported.

Long Feiye strode to the back courtyard without another word with Han Yunxi chasing after him. They had just reached the entrance when they heard someone pounding on a door. By the time they entered the yard, they saw “十”-shaped boards nailed over all the doors and windows.