On my second playthrough, they were full of malice towards me.

However, this also made things convenient for her.

Ah Xue pretended to be cleaning, but in reality she was secretly memorizing the structure and layout of the entire mansion. What surprised Ah Xue was that the defenses here were incredibly weak. No, it should be said that there were none at all!

Apart from the three of them, there wasn't a single guard in the entire mansion!

This was completely different from what Ah Xue and her revolutionary army had imagined during their meeting. This way, there was no need for any battle plan anymore. Ah Xue even felt that the revolutionary army could take action tonight!

Time flies, and before you know it, it's evening. Looking at the clock on the wall, it's five o'clock. Ah Xue clenched her broom tightly because, according to the contract, it was now their "off-get off work" time, and they were free to do as they pleased.

Furthermore, the noble youth has not yet returned, and there is only a strange maid in the house, which presents a perfect opportunity.

In that case

Ah Xue secretly returned to her room.

Looking at the spacious room, the soft bed, and even the single sofa and desk, this was a dream room that Xue could never have imagined. But she still made up her mind, locked the door from the inside, and pretended to be sleeping or resting there. In reality…

Ah Xue opened the window and leaped out. Her exceptional agility as a cat-person allowed her to remain completely silent throughout the entire process, without making a sound.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, the sky had begun to darken, leaving only the afterglow of the setting sun on the horizon.

Ah Xue crouched down, still wearing the cloak Liao Ji had given her, shrouding her entire body in shadow, and then sped toward the meeting place she had agreed to meet with her fellow revolutionaries.

Unfortunately.

She had assumed the maid was still cleaning inside, but now she was on the roof.

Her every move had been clearly seen by Number 86, who was looking down from above, so the maid made a phone call.

"Owner."

"Yes, that's right, Miss Xue has already gone out."

Chapter 82 Common Goal

The revolutionary army made an agreement with Ah Xue that if they could find an opportunity to sneak out, they would slip the intelligence under a marked stone brick in a small alley not far from Liao Ji's residence.

Of course, if the situation allows and things go particularly smoothly, once Ah Xue arrives at the agreed location, there is a simple pager hidden there. As long as she presses it, the Revolutionary Army will know that Ah Xue is available for a face-to-face meeting and will quickly send someone over to hand her over.

only

That's what they say.

But isn't this a bit too fast?

A revolutionary soldier who also used a cloak to conceal his demi-human identity quickly arrived at the agreed-upon location after receiving a summons from Yuki.

However, she did not appear immediately. Instead, she first scouted around Ah Xue and, finding no ambushes, then came to Ah Xue's side.

When she removed her cloak, her face was revealed to be that of the tiger-woman demi-human who was part of the revolutionary army's leadership.

"Ah Xue!"

"Huh!? Sister Hu Jiu! What, why did you come in person?"

Ah Xue was clearly very surprised by the visitor. Surely this kind of thing shouldn't require Hu Jiu to personally come out?

However, compared to Ah Xue, Hu Jiu was more curious and puzzled, and even felt a little helpless and sorry for her.

"Ah Xue, you didn't... escape, did you?"

It's understandable that Hu Jiu would have this thought. Xue contacted them too quickly, and she even ran away herself. So when the Revolutionary Army received Xue's message, they almost thought that Xue had been exposed and was being used by the noble youth to lure them to an appointment so that they could be caught in one fell swoop.

This also explains why Hu Jiu didn't go directly to see Xue, but instead scouted the surrounding area first.

"How could that be! Sister Hu Jiu, don't worry, now that I've accepted this mission, I will definitely complete it well! I won't let everyone down, and I certainly won't joke around with everyone's future!"

"Hmm! I believe you, Xue. So... that stinky human nobleman, was he really so careless as to let you slip away so easily?"

Hu Jiu's gaze swept up and down at Ah Xue, who had taken off her cloak.

how to say

Something felt off. Hu Jiu asked, sniffing the catgirl's direction, which only intensified the strange feeling. She could vaguely sense the familiar scent of Ah Xue.

But it has faded quite a bit now?

"No, he...he didn't do anything to me after he bought me back."

"What!?"

"Well, he just gave me a bath and then gave me some money," Ah Xue briefly summarized her afternoon's experience.

Meanwhile, Hu Jiu on the other side had already widened his eyes, looking incredulous and unable to believe his ears.

As proof, Ah Xue took out the money pouch from her bosom and handed it to Hu Jiu opposite her.

"Ten thousand dollars?! Goodness, that human is really a rich young master, always so generous. It seems like we'll make a lot of money off this job!"

The topic returned to the "this ticket" operation. After Ah Xue explained the layout, structure, and defensive capabilities of Liao Ji's residence to Hu Jiu, the expression on the face of the tiger-like demi-human opposite her could be summed up in one sentence:

It's like a pie falling from the sky.

Hu Jiu was extremely excited. He immediately grabbed Ah Xue's neck and shook her, saying happily, "Great! Well done, Ah Xue! What are we waiting for now!"

"I'll go back and tell everyone that we'll take action tonight. Oh right, Xue, you don't need to go back to the nobles anymore. Just come back with me. I'm sure everyone will understand!"

After learning of Liao Ji's lax defenses, Hu Jiu felt much more at ease. And despite her seemingly carefree personality, many subtle details in her words, such as telling Ah Xue not to go back to Liao Ji's side, reveal that this tiger clan demi-human is actually quite shrewd despite her rough exterior.

Ah Xue could understand what Hu Jiu meant. Hu Jiu must still think that the noble youth would "eat" her. What happened during the day was just a prelude. It's like some diners have no manners and just start eating with their hands, but some diners will lay out a tablecloth and set out the tableware in advance, and then slowly enjoy their meal.

Liao Ji became the latter in their eyes, and tonight Ah Xue would probably still not escape her fate, which is why Hu Jiu urged them so much and suggested speeding up.

Possible

"No, Ninth Sister Tiger, I don't think that will work!"

Hu Jiu never expected that her suggestion would be rejected by Xue first.

"No? Why not!"

"Because I always felt that the two servants beside that noble youth had a dangerous aura!" This reason popped into Xue's mind in her desperation.

"A sense of danger?"

"Yes! And Sister Hu Jiu, don't you think it's too strange? A nobleman really doesn't have any guards at all? I think we can't be so hasty. I should... I should investigate more, right?"

Ah Xue's words made sense, especially since the cat people always relied on their quick wit to get ahead. Ah Xue's senses made Hu Jiu take them seriously and calm down.

But then, Hu Jiu looked at Ah Xue with a reluctant gaze, because

"So in that case, you... you'll get..."

"If I could sacrifice my life for everyone's future, I would be willing!" Ah Xue shook her head at Hu Jiu and said firmly.

They couldn't meet for too long, so Ah Xue sneaked out.

After exchanging information, Hu Jiu gave a few more instructions and quickly left, leaving Xue alone on the spot.

She watched Tiger Ninth Sister's departing figure, then lowered her head and looked at her hands.

Was it really because she sensed the danger posed by the two servants beside the young man?

Or

Ah Xue had participated in several revolutionary army operations, and because of this, she knew how much everyone hated those corrupt officials and the noble class of the Dragon Kingdom. Once the sons of officials fell into the hands of the revolutionary army, almost none of them were left with a whole corpse, let alone survive.

People like Liao Ji, who are now wealthy, will probably have to endure torture by Leng She and his gang to force out the remaining value of their assets. The torture is so brutal that even Ah Xue can't bear to watch; it's clearly a case of settling personal scores.

So

Ah Xue wrapped the cloak Liao Ji had given her even tighter around herself.

Ah Xue didn't know

She even somewhat longed for that noble youth tonight to do something more for her, to tear off his disguise and reveal the ugly face that was just like the other nobles.

That way she wouldn't have to hesitate anymore. No, she wasn't hesitating, it was just her sixth sense warning her. Yes, that's right!

These are all for the sake of caution.

Let's wait until tomorrow. After she observes the two servants beside the young man again, tomorrow night, if there are no problems, she will definitely call the entire revolutionary army to take action!

Having made up her mind, Ah Xue didn't linger any longer and quickly headed back to Liao Ji's residence.

And that was about five or six seconds after Ah Xue's figure left.

Liao Ji and Yi Lin emerged from the shadows around the corner.

"So, old fogies, are we really still going to join the Revolutionary Army?" After listening to their entire conversation, Irene couldn't help but ask, a little annoyed.

The young man shrugged.

"The revolutionary army wants to overthrow the empress, and my purpose in coming to the Dragon Kingdom is also to overthrow the empress. Since we have the same goal, why not do it together?"

"However, it seems that we will have to put in more effort to control this power."

Liao Ji smacked his lips and then turned to leave.

"Let's go, go back."

"Are we going to arrest that Ah Xue?" asked Irene, who was following behind.

"No"

"It's time for dinner."

Chapter 83 The Empress's Dinner Tonight (Part 1)

Two banquet tables, each several tens of meters long, were laden with all sorts of cold and hot dishes.

Almost any dish in the Dragon Kingdom that you can name and that has even a little bit of fame can be found here; it's all available.

The aroma of various delicacies filled the Dragon Palace, and the mere smell was enough to make one's mouth water. Not to mention that, thanks to the meticulous craftsmanship of the kitchen, each dish was incredibly tempting in appearance, truly achieving a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste.

The Empress had finally emerged from seclusion, so a grand celebration banquet was a must. Even though they were still at war with the outside world, the outward appearances had to be maintained.

However, in principle, the Dragon Palace is an office venue for deliberation and hearings, and banquets should be held in other side halls. But obviously, the Empress doesn't care about these rules and regulations. To put it bluntly, Jiu You is very annoyed by them. So, the ministers below were forced to move the banquet to the Dragon Palace in order to have a meal with the Empress.

They clinked glasses and exchanged toasts.