Seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune: Starting with death row inmates

Wei Xiong seemed unconvinced, but still insisted, "What if I insist on going?"

He was a true bandit, always either committing arson and robbery or killing while drunk. Aside from sleeping, he was never able to lie peacefully in bed.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Shen Chen didn't press the issue. Instead, he said, "If you really insist on going out to do something, never go to the northern desert. Once the Great Qin and the Great Yan make peace, and their respective armies join forces to wipe out the bandits, it will be a situation where you have no chance of survival."

Wei Xiong thought for a moment and said, "Alright, then I'll go to Beiyuan."

"Brother Wei, if you ever reach the Northern Plains, remember these four words," Shen Chen instructed him. "Barbarians are untrustworthy."

Wei Xiong pondered these four words, nodded, mounted his yellow horse, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Qin Pi and Shen Chen: "Brothers, farewell!"

Shen Chen and Qin Pi mounted their horses and waved to him, saying, "See you another day!"

The three parted ways, their figures gradually disappearing at the end of the path.

…………

Inside a thatched hut outside Pingyang County.

Fang Yu stared at the two blood-red characters "Mo Jiu" on the letter, looking at them again and again. She recalled what Shen Chen had said at the inn earlier, and her brows furrowed: "Could it be that Yuan Ying is really still in the city? If I were to take the initiative to break him out of prison, wouldn't I be like a lamb entering a tiger's den..."

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly folded the letter and put it back in her bosom.

"No matter what, he's still my brother," Fang Yu thought. "If I don't take this risk, I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life..."

She suddenly heard a knock on the door. She pushed the door open and saw her younger sister, Fang Xue, standing in the doorway. Fang Xue's eyes were filled with tears, and she was biting her lip, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"What's wrong?" Fang Yu asked, puzzled.

Fang Xue barged into the room, sat on the bed, and cried, "Sister, have you ever treated me like your own sister?"

Fang Yu's face darkened with anger: "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Fang Xue cried, "I heard everything that Luo said: after Fang Yong is rescued, you will betroth me to him!"

Fang Yu listened quietly to her sister's cries without arguing. She had indeed made such a promise in order to recruit the "Golden Bear" Luo Xiong.

Luo Xiong, just like his nickname "Golden-haired Bear," was incredibly ugly. He was fat and had white hair on his face, so his sister Fang Xue would definitely not want to marry such a person.

"Xue'er, listen to your sister." Fang Yu patted Fang Yu's back, her voice gentle, "I did say that to him. Jinmao Xiong has already reached the fifth level of the Essence Refinement Realm. If he can help us rescue your brother Fang Yong, our chances of success will more than double."

Fang Xue couldn't stop crying. She never expected that her own sister would use her as a gift to recruit powerful people. Her eyes were full of hatred and disappointment as she looked at Fang Yu.

"So you should hurry back to the mountain stronghold and tell them that you've fallen out with me and severed all ties." As Fang Yu spoke, he took out a letter from under the table, on which were three large characters: "Letter of Severance of Relationship".

The air froze for a moment.

"Sister... I don't understand." Fang Xue looked at the letter severing ties and stammered, "Are you asking me to break the contract? Aren't you afraid of Jinmao Xiong's revenge after breaking the contract?"

There were twelve notorious bandits in Quanya Mountain, collectively known as the "Twelve Bandits of Quanya Mountain".

"Jinmao Xiong" is among them, ranking ninth. He holds a pivotal position in the mountain stronghold and is someone the Fang sisters cannot afford to offend.

Fang Yu, however, spoke calmly, "If we successfully rescue Fang Yong on this trip, and Jinmao Xiong dies, then we can simply deny our promise. If Jinmao Xiong doesn't die, then I will marry him in your place, and that won't be considered breaking our promise..."

"What worries me most is, what if Fang Yong and I both die in Pingyang County, and Jinmao Xiong comes after you forcibly? What will you do then?" Fang Yu stroked her younger sister's delicate face and sighed softly. "Therefore, you must sever all ties with me. That way, Jinmao Xiong won't be able to use the promise I made as your older sister to pressure you... On the other hand..."

Fang Yu paused for a moment, then said, "Qin Pi is a tough guy. You can use his conflict with Luo Xiong to ask him for protection. Besides, after what happened during the day, he should know how unreasonable I am. Although he seems tough, he has a soft heart. You should try to persuade him..."

"I don't."

Fang Xue was already in tears. She choked out, "No, I'll go with you to Pingyang County to save Yongdi."

"Xue'er, the Fang family bloodline cannot be severed." Fang Yu wiped Fang Xue's face with her hand. "That man surnamed Shen is right. Going to Pingyang is a perilous journey. You cannot go."

"Besides, this is also Yongdi's wish." Fang Yu took out the blood-written letter from Fang Yong from his bosom and handed it to Fang Xue. "You must listen to me."

Fang Xue looked at the words "Don't save me" on the letter, and tears streamed down her face. The bloodstains on the paper slowly spread, like plum blossoms.

Fang Yu added, "That Brother Shen from Qinpi is a first-rate smart man. You should definitely try to get to know him better, so you can ask for his advice if you encounter any difficulties..."

After giving her instructions, she called Zhao's trusted confidant into the room and said to him, "Zhao Wu, take Fang Xue back to Quanya Mountain tonight. She will need to rely on you a lot from now on."

Zhao Wu solemnly kowtowed and swore, "Eldest sister, rest assured, I guarantee your safety with my life!"

After Zhao Wu took Fang Xue away, Fang Yu slowly exhaled.

She picked up the blood-written note on the bed that read "Don't save me," and her gaze immediately hardened: "No, I insist."

She pushed open the door, and the sadness on her face vanished instantly.

"Brother Luo, it's time." Fang Yu smiled and took Luo Xiong's arm affectionately. He was a man with a burly build like a bear. He had white hair on his cheeks, a bulbous nose, and an ugly appearance. He looked at Fang Yu with intense desire in his triangular eyes.

Luo Xiong chuckled: "Miss Fang is really eager to save her brother. Actually, we could spend the night here and then go save my brother-in-law."

Fang Yu calmly took Luo Xiong's unclean hand and smiled, "Brother Luo, aren't you being a bit too greedy? Having my sister isn't enough for you, you want me too?"

Luo Xiong laughed heartily: "Haha, I couldn't bear to see you two sisters separated, so I simply took you both in... Speaking of which, where's Xue'er?"

"Xue'er has returned to the mountain stronghold to prepare for her wedding with you. Once this matter is successful, she will marry you," Fang Yu said softly.

Upon hearing this, Luo Xiong nodded in satisfaction: "Good, good. There's no time to lose, let's hurry and rescue my brother-in-law who's suffering in prison..."

Luo Xiong's men led over a thin, black-and-white horse. The horse's face was half black and half white, and it was as ugly as its owner.

Luo Xiong mounted his horse, a lewd smile on his face, and extended his hand to Fang Yu: "Miss Fang, would you like to ride with me?"

Fang Yu shook his head and refused, then mounted his mount: "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Luo, but I'd better not."

Luo Xiong narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, "Hmph, what an ungrateful wretch..."