MTSAMAPOC Chapter 23

The little rabbit was quite good at pretending.

Jiang Shouzhu poured herself a cup of tea.

The carriage continued on its way.

Inside the carriage, besides the occasional sound of tea being poured, there was no other noise.

Or maybe there was.

Ying Wutu’s heart was pounding.

Before Jiang Shouzhu got back on the carriage, he had heard the Fifth Prince’s voice outside, but the Fifth Prince was a fool. Who knew if he had been betrayed by him?

“Don’t you have something to tell me?” Jiang Shouzhu teased him intentionally.

“Tell… tell what?” Ying Wutu’s tongue rolled in his mouth, the bitter taste of the pill still lingering. Had he been betrayed by the Fifth Prince?

“Think for yourself,” Jiang Shouzhu said ambiguously.

“Say… thank you for letting the Fifth Prince help me.” Ying Wutu came up with an excuse, feeling that the wicked woman was already suspicious.

But if the Fifth Prince had truly betrayed him, the wicked woman would have acted immediately upon entering the carriage, not waited until now…

“Alright then,” Jiang Shouzhu said no more.

The carriage returned to silence.

Ying Wutu’s heart was in turmoil.

The carriage traveled until nightfall, stopping for the night as the snow grew heavy.

At night, Jiang Shouzhu slept on the couch, while Ying Wutu curled up on the floor with a blanket.

Just after midnight, Ying Wutu carefully moved to the bedside, seeing the wicked woman with her eyes closed, breathing evenly, seemingly fast asleep.

He had to take a risk.

Delaying any further meant there would be even fewer chances later.

After four days, most of his external wounds had healed, the slap mark on his face had faded, but his chest wound, hand injury, and broken finger still hurt.

His hand rested on the carriage door, carefully pushing it open a crack…

The howling cold wind rushed in, making Ying Wutu quickly close the door. He turned to check the person on the bed.

She hadn’t woken up.

Was she pretending to sleep?

The wicked woman had been marching and fighting for years; how could she sleep so soundly?

Ying Wutu shrank back into the corner of the carriage, hesitating.

But after the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the wicked woman was still asleep.

Was he overreacting earlier?

Indeed, he couldn’t hesitate; he had to act decisively!

So Ying Wutu pushed open the carriage door once more, seeing no guards outside. Deputy General Yan and the carriage attendant were likely asleep.

Apart from the surrounding tents, there wasn’t a single soldier.

Ying Wutu carefully jumped off the carriage, moving his heavy body through the snow, which had been falling all night, forming a thick layer.

He was wearing thin shoes, which belonged to the Fifth Prince, and soon they were filled with snow, making his ankles icy cold.

He was on his period, and the cold made his lower abdomen hurt, but he ignored it, trudging through the snow.

After about ten steps, two women came running towards him.

They were his secret contacts.

“Commander, why are you… dressed as a man?”

The two soldiers, holding a small box, became cautious upon seeing him, even drawing their daggers.

Ying Wutu felt a chill in his heart but knew it couldn’t be worse than his current state.

“No time to explain. Give me the gunpowder; this is our only chance to kill Jiang Shouzhu.” Ying Wutu extended his scarred hand.

The two soldiers exchanged glances, puzzled, “Commander, are you sure…”

“Don’t waste time, give it to me!” Ying Wutu had been out too long, fearing he might be discovered.

The two soldiers finally placed the box in the snow.

“Escape while you can,” Ying Wutu said, picking up the box and turning back.

The box felt light, lighter than he expected.

Probably not much gunpowder.

But it didn’t matter; the carriage space was small. As long as the gunpowder ignited, Jiang Shouzhu would have no escape and would surely be killed.

As for himself, he was prepared to die with the enemy.

After all, escape was never an option.

Ying Wutu returned to the carriage with the box, seeing the wicked woman still asleep.

Great.

Even heaven seemed to be helping.

Ying Wutu rubbed his frostbitten hands, warming them near the brazier.

That felt much better.

He had no source of fire, but the carriage had a brazier with burning coals to ignite the gunpowder.

But…

Ying Wutu faced a dilemma; he couldn’t lift the copper cover off the brazier.

How strange.

Even with injured hands, he should have enough strength for this.

By the firelight, he found a small lock under the copper cover, fastening it.

When had it been locked?

He had been in the carriage the whole time and hadn’t noticed.

Had the wicked woman been prepared all along?

Fortunately, he knew how to pick locks…

He searched around.

The silver hairpin was gone.

Had the Fifth Prince taken it?

Unwilling to give up, Ying Wutu, with gunpowder in hand, wondered if he had to go out again for a fire source.

There were torches outside, easily brought in.

Right, the wicked woman had a fire striker; he’d seen it during the day.

Soon, Ying Wutu found it in a small cabinet, lighting the striker…

Jiang Shouzhu opened her eyes.

She decided it was time to wake up.

“What new act is this in the middle of the night?” Jiang Shouzhu sat up, smiling at him.

Ying Wutu sneered, his eyes fierce, like a judge of life and death: “Jiang Shouzhu! Tonight is your end!”

“Oh, so powerful.” Jiang Shouzhu’s interest peaked, treating it as a game.

“You think I’m joking? Jiang Shouzhu, you killed my people. Tonight, I will avenge them!”

Ying Wutu had many grievances, hating the wicked woman’s torment, but there was no time to judge her. She was skilled; if she took the striker, he’d lose his chance to kill her. But he’d take her with him, walking the Yellow Springs together, speaking later.

With righteous fervor, Ying Wutu opened the box.

“Let’s go together!”

But he didn’t throw the striker in.

He froze.

The box didn’t contain gunpowder.

It was filled with various whips and chains.

The striker still burned, but Ying Wutu’s heart turned to ash.

“Ha ha ha…” Jiang Shouzhu couldn’t help but laugh, taking the striker and extinguishing it. Looking at the petrified little rabbit, she invited playfully, “The little rabbit is disobedient again. Choose one. The long night awaits, let’s savor it slowly.”