Chang Xiuying fixed her clothes before removing the gas mask on her face to inhale the smoke. But to her surprise, she didn't pass out. Her eyes widened with disbelief as she threw the gas mask on the ground.
"I wasted 375 Rubies on this!! I also wasted some for the sleeping gas! I thought it was like the Earth's sleeping gas that will have to take 3 to 4 cans to knock out a lot of people."
[You asked for it.]
"At least you have to tell me that I won't pass out in this sleeping gas…"
[Money]
She threw a tantrum on the ground and just let herself fall asleep out of frustration. It was 375 Rubies! 375!
Despite how she still has a lot of Rubies in her hands, it still meant a lot of money to her. Although she was a past millionaire, every cent is still precious.
Meanwhile, Steven was inside the hideout while looking at how Chang Xiuying acted like being knocked out by the sleeping gas. He was carrying Feng Yi under his arms as the latter looked confusingly at the girl who just threw a tantrum on the ground.
"Chang… is?" He looked up towards the deadpan Steven while watching outside.
"Ying is what?" His eyes suddenly widened as he surprisingly looked over the surprised and conscious Feng Yi. He suddenly sent his hand down on Feng Yi's neck as he knocked out the tied kid.
He ruefully scoffed, "Oh sht…"
…
The people slowly got up as they groaned and held their aching head. Somehow, they slumped again to sleep more as the drowsiness won over them. The sleeping gas truly has a strong effect.
However, Jiang Hao was the first one that regained a complete consciousness as he scanned through his surroundings. There was a deep depression and a small figure with his eyes rolled to the back as residual froth came off from his mouth.
He suddenly saw Chang Xiuying at the edge of the depression ready to roll down with just a slight movement. He quickly went to pick her up but right at that moment, she turned around and there it is. She rolled down.
A silver figure appeared behind him as he said, "The Young Lady is so cute, right?"
Jiang Hao was in disbelief as he never sensed the silver figure approached him from behind. But wait a minute... Chang Xiuying rolled down and it's cute? Shouldn't he help rather than compliment? ...
"Yes, 'Ying'Er' is very cute." He made sure to emphasize her nickname towards the man in front of him.
"Heh. You'll know sooner on how beautiful she is when she sleeps and her cute gesture was so adorable that it made me want to squish her cheeks all over. You'll be even more surprised that she's old- woah! Careful, I say!"
"You and your filthy mouth," a red figure appeared as she smugly pats a thin tree branch as her newly found weapon when the silver figure snatched her precious weapon away. She has to say, this weapon is so good. In just this little thing, you can do anything with it.
"Yingying- woah! Seriously! Stop!" Elodiaren dodged continuously as he doesn't want to fight with the red-head.
Hong Ruoying took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself and not lose her composure over this simple gesture. Though she kind of like it when Elodiaren calls her that little nickname.
Elodiaren was dumbfounded. In this kind of time, Ruoying would snap out on him but she didn't right now. He tilted his head as confusion took over his face. He coughed slightly and turned his attention towards Jiang Hao.
"That is not what we're here for. Renyi, the Blanche already took their move. The children inside the portal will be teleported to their branch and there will be no more hope of taking them back. The only thing you can do for now is monitor Jiang Li if there will be interactions between her and the members. Do not take actions more than needed. I repeat, do not take actions more than needed."
"I understand."
"We will try our best to take back the children here."
"I have a question."
"Speak."
"What did you do while the children were being kidnapped?"
Hong Ruoying and Elodiaren both looked towards Jiang Hao's eyes to see a little fury in his emerald eyes. They can't really say that they can transform their bodies into little children and act like kids.
"We were undercover in trying to save the children, when we're about to succeed in our plan, the rabbit beast was out of our calculations. Thus, we failed." Elodiaren reasoned out with a straight face. Though he kept on asking himself if what he said was reasonable or whatnot…
Jiang Hao looked at the little kid with half white and half black hair at the center of the depression. He never thought that such a little and fragile kid can kill lots of people. Although the reason will be good to heed the kid as innocent and as a form of self-defense considering that the villagers do not know the reason behind, murder inside the village is still murder. If he let the kid wander around the town, it'll not be peaceful for Yao Yun as he may receive a form of bullying.
"Ah Hao?" A small voice sounded out behind him. Her figure was wobbly as she held her head with pain. Jiang Hao gently caught her and hugged her little figure.
"Yeah?" He glanced around to see the two mysterious figures gone as he inwardly sighed in relief.
"What happened?" She buried her head in Jiang Hao's chest to seek for the comfort that she needed. The throbbing pain in her head was slowly being taken away when she felt her husband's warmth.
"I do not know too, but we have to do something. We'll have to bury the corpses and banish Yao Yun from the village."
"But he's still a kid! He can't live that a peaceful life if we did! We just have to say that Yao Yun is not that monster hare! Please? Please, husband?"
"But murder is still murder-"
"Please? Hubby? For me?"
"… I'll try." What in the world happened to his wife…?
What they didn't know was that Chang Xiuying was still awake and was suffering from being unable to sleep.
…
At the South Garden Pagoda, Chang Xiuying was watching the village with blank eyes. She remembered the city lights at night, how she saw people arguing back in forth, how the cars honks, and how the sounds of the cicadas.
With what happened earlier with Yao Yun, it was tragic to be banned inside the village and 300 meters of proximity away from it. His family was instantly seen as a ruthless and cold-blooded one. Even Yao Chen, his mother, was banished for safety purposes. Though some tried to defend his side, the majority wanted them gone because they won't be able to sleep at night if they will be remembered by that gruesome sight through Yao Yun.
She suddenly remembered how she attended a case in court as a jury for one time. The child killed his family but his little sister. Although his parents are the one that tried to kill his sister, he let his rage consume him as he also killed those that neglected their situation and laughed at their misery.
In the end, the kid was sent into an Asylum and his sister in a center to be taken care of. The crime that his brother did will be forever etched in their life records.
She sighed as she recalled how the boy was emotionless while hearing all of the words thrown to him in the stone platform which serves as a court.
Chang Xiuying turned her gaze on the green lake below for how long; a soft flint suddenly appeared slowly blinding her. She jumped away from the window then she waited before the blinding light disappears its luster before looking at the green lake again.
She tilted her head confusingly towards the lake. "What the heck was that…?" She spat out before going to bed.
Of course, she didn't forget to train before sleeping.
Morning came when her body erupted out of the bed to rush downstairs.
"Auntie Irene! Uncle Jiang! Why didn't you didn't wake me up?! Is there even a lesson today?!" She shouted at them.
Well… she has a habit to wake up early 2 hours before school when she's still in Earth.
"But there really are no lessons today. The Pavilion informed all of us because of the attack yesterday. Lessons will be back after 1 week." Jiang Hao approached the little child as he took her in his strong arms. Irene peeked through the kitchen and wanted the same too… she decided to just continue what she was doing, cooking for them with all her love.
After eating a good 10 serving of food, Chang Xiuying decided to stroll around the forest to enjoy the greenery that she didn't do in all the years she has been here. It is such a breathtaking sight and a warm feeling enveloped her that she never felt before.
However, she turned into one particular spot with a smile on her face as she called the little boy over.