Chapter 60: A Battle of Wits and Courage

The two men's gazes collided, sparking a massive flame. Zhao Cheng inwardly sighed, acknowledging that this sick tiger was indeed not an ordinary character. The intense killing aura he exuded suggested he had taken countless lives, but how many had Zhao Cheng himself killed in his past life? Lu Xiaoyao, on the other hand, felt a chill. Even the bravest would turn weak in the knees and sweat profusely under his gaze, and the timid would wet their pants on the spot. Yet, he felt a bit uneasy under this child's smile.

"Little brother, we haven't eaten for two days. Could you spare us some food?" Lu Xiaoyao averted his gaze, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

"You've been a sect leader before, yet you lack common sense. We saved you, and you don't even say thank you, and now you have the nerve to ask for our food!" Zhao Cheng looked down on him, tapping the table with a chicken bone, showing no sign of being a hostage.

"Thank you, brother, for saving my life. I will repay you generously in the future!" Lu Xiaoyao, choked by Zhao Cheng's words, bowed awkwardly.

"I don't like empty words. Can you be more practical? You are a sect leader, a man of status, so—"

"Second Young Master, don't say more. We can't finish all this food either. Let's leave it for them!" Zhao Xin whispered, thinking the prince must be having a relapse, daring to extort even his kidnappers, truly valuing money over life.

"Prodigal son, do you think money grows on trees? We earned every copper coin. I see you'll only ever be a servant, fool, fool!" Zhao Cheng, hearing this, turned to Zhao Xin and shouted. Zhao Xin pouted, on the verge of tears, thinking the prince must have been hit too hard by the she-devil.

"Right, right, we'll pay for it. Xiao Mei, give the little brother some money!"

"Senior Brother—" Xiao Mei looked at Lu Xiaoyao in surprise.

"Give them money, we'll buy it!" Lu Xiaoyao shook his head, stopping Xiao Mei from getting rough.

"Hmph, here!" Xiao Mei angrily pulled out a silver ingot from her bag and threw it at Zhao Cheng.

"Hmm, about two taels. Get them two Hu Bing!" Zhao Cheng 'seriously' weighed the silver, put it in his pocket, and told Zhao Xin.

"Kid, are you crazy? In the capital, a Hu Bing costs two coins. Two taels of silver could buy all the dishes on your table!" Xiao Mei, first surprised, then angry, shouted.

"Second Young Master, that's too much!" Zhao Xin blushed for the prince.

"Tsk, Zhao Xin, you're the buyer now. How much does leek cost per catty?" Zhao Cheng asked with a sidelong glance.

"Second Young Master, leek is just in season, the good ones cost ten coins per catty!" Zhao Xin answered quickly.

"Then how much does our greenhouse leek cost in winter?"

"Second Young Master, two guan per catty, and you need to pay a deposit!" Zhao Xin replied.

"You call yourself smart? This is called rarity value. A Hu Bing in the capital costs two coins, would he dare buy it outside? He'd be killed. Considering the value of a life, two taels of silver is a bargain!" Zhao Cheng slapped Zhao Xin and said.

"You, you're taking advantage of our situation, adding insult to injury, you're a bandit!" Xiao Mei, enraged by Zhao Cheng's logic, veins bulging.

"Big Sister, you climbed over the wall and kidnapped me. Who's the bandit? Big Brother was a sect leader, you decide!" Zhao Cheng, 'angry,' stood up and pointed at Lu Xiaoyao.

"Xiao Mei, stop. We were wrong first. He's right!" Zhao Cheng, calling him 'sect leader' and 'big brother,' put him in a difficult position. Lu Xiaoyao couldn't say much.

"Fine, fine, how much for the chicken and mutton on your table? Name your price!" Xiao Mei, furious, seemed to accept the price.

"Hmm," Zhao Cheng pondered, estimating the price, "Big Brother looks pale, clearly from blood loss. His wound was just stitched, he needs nutrition. This chicken is a three-year-old hen, the lamb is from Shan Prefecture, both are high-quality. I won't ask for much, just one hundred taels of silver!" Zhao Cheng said, acting as if he was being generous.

"Hehe, this isn't chicken and mutton, it's dragon liver and phoenix gall! Even the crab buns from Cai's residence aren't as expensive!" Xiao Mei, amused by the outrageous price, had no choice but to pull out a gold ingot and exchange it for the two dishes.

"Zhao Xin, see how easy it is to make money. When you catch a rich person, you must take advantage. If you don't, you're a fool, and if you do, you're still a fool."

"Spit, I'll kill you!" Already feeling humiliated, Xiao Mei couldn't hold back her anger, jumping up to curse, but was rudely interrupted by Zhao Cheng.

"Best keep quiet. If you say those last two words, the price will be different. The son of the governor of Gongzhou said this, and his father gave me two hundred hectares of land to spare him. The son of Chancellor Cai also said this, and it cost him ten thousand guan to save his life. If you think you're richer, go ahead and say it!" Zhao Cheng, playing with the gold ingot, smiled.

"You really think you're someone. If it weren't for saving the sect leader, I'd kill you!" Xiao Mei, though tough, was hesitant. She knew Cai You, who, relying on the emperor, only bullied others. This child could make him back down, suggesting he might be more powerful. She decided to hold back.

"Hehe, killing me will cost you!" Zhao Cheng, emboldened, taunted her.

"Hmph, I can kill anyone in the palace and come and go freely. Those guards are like wooden stakes to me. What can you do if I kill you?"

"Killing Zhang Kangguo, Cai Jing might protect you, but killing me, they'll dig you out of a rat hole and kill you!" Zhao Cheng, suddenly serious, said coldly.

"How do you know we killed Zhang Kangguo?" Today, Xiao Mei had seen too many 'miracles' from this child, but this revelation shocked her.

"Indeed, it was you!" Xiao Mei's words confirmed his suspicion. Zhao Cheng, unsure at first, had bluffed, and Xiao Mei, enraged, had blurted it out.

"I—I mean, you're lying. Zhang Kangguo died of a sudden illness, how could we have killed him!" Xiao Mei, realizing her mistake, tried to deny it, but only made it worse.

"Xiao Mei, stop!" Lu Xiaoyao, holding his wound, stood up. Xiao Mei quickly supported him. "Little brother, I already thought highly of you, but we, two old hands, were outsmarted. Now that you know, we have no choice. Xiao Mei, kill them!" Lu Xiaoyao knew the stakes were too high. If this got out, many would die, and he would never have peace.

"Yes, Senior Brother!" Xiao Mei drew her twin knives and approached them.

"You're ungrateful. Second Young Master saved you, and you want to kill us!" Zhao Xin, hearing this, was terrified.

"Zhao Xin, stop. Not everyone follows righteousness, especially not hired killers." Zhao Cheng pushed Zhao Xin aside. "It's a pity this gold just arrived, and I haven't spent it. I'll have to use it to bribe the ghosts in the underworld to avoid the eighteenth level of hell!" He put the gold back in his pocket.

"You little brat, even the King of Hell would be annoyed by you!" Xiao Mei mocked.

"Hmph, who knows who will die. Keep the gold to buy paper money!" Zhao Cheng, seemingly angry, reached for the gold again.

"Xiao Mei, be careful!" Lu Xiaoyao, watching Zhao Cheng, realized something was wrong. It was too late. Two sharp sounds, two 'clangs,' and a woman's scream filled the greenhouse, followed by silence.

"See, not everyone with a knife can kill!" Zhao Cheng smiled, blowing the smoke from the gun, pointing at the two stunned people, now three, including Zhao Xin, who was hugging his head on the ground.

"Sigh, how did you get the thunderfire? We're done. Kill or maim, as you wish!" Lu Xiaoyao, seeing the deep dents in the steel blades, knew the legendary weapon was formidable. With his injuries, he was no match. He sighed.

"Senior Brother—" Xiao Mei, trembling, sobbed. Her hands shook not from fear but from the impact of the bullets on her blades. Her wrists were intact, but Lu Xiaoyao, silent, waved her to stay still.

"Put your hands on your heads, face the wall, and don't move, or I'll make your death slow and painful!" Zhao Cheng kicked Zhao Xin, who was still on the ground, but kept the gun trained on the two.

"Zhao Xin, stop pretending. Search them, take their knives, darts, medicine, and money. Leave nothing behind!"

"Second Young Master, they didn't kill us!" Zhao Xin, looking at the two obediently, said.

"Enough talk. We're the ones who will kill them. Go, leave them one copper coin, and I'll starve you for three days!" Zhao Cheng, stepping back, said menacingly.

"Yes, Second Young Master!" Zhao Xin got up, thoroughly searched the two, and brought over their belongings, which took two trips.

"Check their collars and cuffs for hidden items. Don't let them choke on something they shouldn't!" Zhao Cheng, sorting through the items on the table, instructed.

"Second Young Master, how did you know? They really had something in their collars and cuffs!" Zhao Xin, feeling, found two pills and a small blade, which he cut out.