Chapter 261: The Ruthless Boy

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, only three of the nearly ten people outside the gate were allowed inside.

The reason was simple—each of those who weren’t let in was found carrying weapons of some kind.

Hatchets, ropes, hoes—these items were all confiscated and discarded in a pile on the ground.

At first, the rejected villagers tried to argue, claiming the items were for self-defense.

But once Guo Teng flexed his “muscles” a little, they had no choice but to leave sullenly.

Of the three people who entered the front courtyard, there were two men and one woman. One of them was the boy named Niu Da, another was a girl named Huang Yu, and the last was an elderly farmer in his fifties with dark skin, surnamed Xu.

Feng Wei assigned the two men to one side of the courtyard and the girl to the other.

After Master Zhen had his servants bring them bedding, the unexpected guests finally settled in.

Throughout the process, none of them displayed any unusual behavior. The two men, one old and one young, were most concerned about how much silver they would receive.

When they learned they would each get a full ten taels of silver, their faces lit up with genuine smiles. The boy, Niu Da, was so overjoyed that he nearly knelt to kowtow to Master Zhen in gratitude.

As for the girl, Huang Yu, she barely spoke. Her face was pale, and she looked unwell.

When Feng Wei asked if she was alright, she quietly replied that she was having her monthly cycle before pulling the blanket over herself and going to sleep.

“How about it? I still feel like letting them in wasn’t a good idea.”

Guo Teng spoke in a low voice, sitting in the main hall while occasionally glancing toward the two corners of the front courtyard where the new arrivals were resting.

Feng Wei frowned. “Not sure. The boy’s eyes had an unusual look to them… but if they were really up to something, wouldn’t they have at least brought some weapons?”

“That’d be underestimating us a bit too much…”

Guo Teng waved a hand dismissively and chuckled. “Forget it. They’re already inside. We weren’t planning to sleep tonight anyway, so let’s just keep an eye on them.”

“Alright. You keep watch here—I’ll go make some brown sugar water for the girl.”

With that, Feng Wei headed to the kitchen, leaving Guo Teng to monitor the courtyard alone.

Before long, she returned with a steaming bowl of brown sugar water and sat beside Huang Yu.

The girl wasn’t asleep. A sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead.

For some reason, Feng Wei felt that Huang Yu’s complexion had worsened—it was even paler than before. She gently patted the girl’s back.

“Miss Huang, drink this bowl of brown sugar water. It’ll help replenish your energy.”

Huang Yu struggled to sit up, staring at the warm, sweet-scented drink in hesitation before finally taking it and downing it in one go.

The warmth of the liquid seemed to take effect immediately—her cheeks flushed slightly, and beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.

Taking the empty bowl, Feng Wei observed her improved complexion and spoke softly.

“Feeling better now? It seems like your period is hitting you hard. How about coming to the main hall to sleep on the floor? The cold air out here isn’t good for you.”

Just as Huang Yu was about to respond, a sudden, violent bout of coughing erupted from not far away.

Following the sound, she saw that it was the boy, Niu Da. He had been sleeping but had suddenly started coughing into his hands.

“No need, Lady Feng… I feel much better after drinking the sugar water… I’ll just sleep here.”

Huang Yu’s speech was slow and labored, as if speaking took great effort. After saying her piece, she lay back down immediately.

At the same moment, Niu Da’s coughing abruptly ceased.

Feng Wei took in the scene thoughtfully, tucking the blanket securely around the girl before returning to the main hall.

Meanwhile, Niu Da carefully lifted his head, glancing toward the main hall.

He saw Feng Wei whisper a few words to Guo Teng before disappearing into the inner chamber.

“Old Xu… Old Xu!”

“Don’t tell me you actually fell asleep!”

Niu Da stretched out a hand and gave the elderly farmer beside him a small shove.

The old farmer cleared his throat and whispered, “Stop shaking me. Don’t act recklessly yet. We’ll make our move once it gets deeper into the night.”

Niu Da clicked his tongue. “The longer we wait, the more things could go wrong. What’s the point of waiting? That male External Agent is already dozing off—we should grab the weapons, take care of those two quickly, and go claim our reward!”

“Those two External Agents…” The old farmer hadn’t even finished his sentence before Niu Da suddenly gripped his arm tightly.

“Don’t be foolish! Even if we each lost an arm and a leg, those two could still take us down with ease!”

“Fine… we’ll move quietly.”

As soon as the old farmer finished speaking, he and Niu Da began crawling toward Huang Yu, inching forward cautiously.

The first few meters, they moved carefully, afraid of being spotted by Guo Teng in the main hall.

But as they got closer, they realized that the External Agent had actually fallen asleep at the table.

That realization made them move much faster. Before long, they had reached Huang Yu’s side.

“Wake up!”

“With that thing inside you, you’re really able to sleep?”

Niu Da made no attempt to be gentle—he lifted Huang Yu’s blanket and yanked up her clothing, exposing her abdomen.

Her body trembled slightly. She covered her mouth, desperately trying to suppress any sound.

On her stomach, a hideous scar stretched across her skin. The wound had been crudely stitched together with thick hemp thread, resembling a grotesque centipede clinging to her body.

“What a pretty girl… shame she won’t live much longer.”

The old farmer shook his head and reached out with his rough hands. With surprising dexterity, he pinched one of the stitches, wrapped the loose end around his index finger, and pulled—

Snap! Snap!

Two sharp cracking sounds pierced the air!

Before Niu Da and the old farmer could react, they were sent flying backward!

The old farmer, weaker in constitution, lost consciousness instantly from the impact.

Niu Da, though appearing thin, somehow remained awake even after taking the blow.

Pain radiated from his back, but his eyes—filled with fury—also carried a trace of confusion.

As he watched External Agent Feng Wei slowly walk toward him, he couldn’t help but ask, “When did you come out?”

“And when did you realize we were up to something?”

Feng Wei’s gaze was icy. She replied flatly, “The moment you started coughing, I knew something was off.”

“I just didn’t expect you to be so ruthless despite your young age… Hiding weapons inside that girl’s stomach?”

Niu Da’s lips curled into a sinister smile. “Money can make even ghosts work for you. You think uncovering my plan means you’re safe?”

“Take a good sniff—don’t you smell something burning?”