Chapter 174: Stealing Fragrance (29)
The opposition had the advantage in numbers. Soon, the magazine of the gun Xiao Ji had snatched from Fu Hui was empty.
Pei Yinnian never expected that the Xiao Ji he perceived as fragile and cold would be so ruthless when it came to pulling the trigger.
But right now, he had no time to worry about anything else. After Xiao Ji’s bullets ran out, they swapped positions, and he began firing again.
Pei Yinnian’s marksmanship was already unparalleled. At this moment, for some reason, he recalled what Pei Xinyun had said when they first met Xiao Ji—that Xiao Ji’s accuracy in throwing chalk rivaled his own shooting.
In the past, Pei Yinnian wouldn’t have cared to prove himself against such a comparison, as it was meaningless.
But now, his never-ending competitive streak flared up. He was determined to put a bullet through every single head.
Unfortunately, two fists are no match for four hands. There were only five people on Pei Yinnian and Xiao Ji’s side.
Even if every bullet hit its mark, they couldn’t stand against dozens of people surrounding them.
For Xiao Ji, it wouldn’t be easy to block these bullets without revealing a power that exceeded the world’s norms.
Fortunately, they were in darkness, allowing Xiao Ji to subtly deflect the stray bullets.
As the five of them dodged and ran, Pei Yinnian pulled a firework from his coat, lit it, and threw it out.
Colorful sparks burst into the night sky.
Before long, the sound of heavy footsteps and vehicles echoed as they rushed toward the alley.
As more gunfire erupted, Pei Yinnian licked his lips and cursed:
“Did you think I was some pushover?”
Ever since the last time he had gone out with only Lin Shu and gotten attacked—causing a rift with Xiao Ji—Pei Yinnian had learned his lesson.
He would never fall into the same pit twice.
Xiao Ji’s concern wasn’t without merit. Luck had been on his side last time, but that didn’t mean he would escape every time.
This time, he had dared to follow Xiao Ji because he was uneasy and had prepared for Fu Hui’s antics.
Better safe than sorry; he would never put Xiao Ji’s life at risk.
Now the tide had turned. Quickly, the opposition was surrounded.
Pei Yinnian took Xiao Ji’s hand and said to Lin Shu:
“Clean it up. Leave no one alive.”
Lin Shu turned around from the front, worried. “Master, those are people sent from Jinghua…”
By now, Pei Yinnian had no more reservations:
“Anyone who targets Xiao Ji—even if it’s the Emperor of Heaven himself, I’ll make sure he doesn’t return.”
Xiao Ji squeezed Pei Yinnian’s fingers. “The plan needs to be moved forward.”
Pei Yinnian couldn’t go head-to-head with the higher-ups.
Firstly, he didn’t have enough men or firepower to sustain an uprising. Overthrowing his own father was easy; overthrowing an entire regime was hard.
Secondly, this was his own choice. He had long planned to dump this mess and go live a quiet life; he couldn’t waste lives and resources by letting innocent people die for him.
Normally, Fu Hui had seven days before returning to Jinghua. But now that his men were wiped out, he obviously couldn’t go back.
In other words, they only had seven days to leave Huating.
Pei Yinnian’s desire for power was low. The more he craved freedom and stability, the more he felt bound to his high position, every move monitored.
Before meeting Xiao Ji, he had lived like a walking corpse, just living day to day.
When he first met him, he was glad he had the power to manipulate and coerce him.
Now, he just wanted to throw it all away and take Xiao Ji far away.
Whether their future was wealthy or not, at least they wouldn’t have to worry about every little thing being put in the papers for everyone to know.
He pursed his lips. “We need an opportunity, preferably a way to leave without a sound.”
Xiao Ji hadn’t decided how to create this opportunity yet when 037, who was quite experienced in such matters, suddenly chimed in:
[Burn it. Burn the Pei Residence and the Xiao Residence.]
Once the decision was made, Xiao Ji arranged their retreat and tallied their assets that night.
On the following night, when the darkness was thickest, the Pei Residence and the Xiao Residence caught fire one after the other.
As the flames spread and lit up half the sky, Xiao Ji and Pei Yinnian were already boarding a ship bound for the other side of the ocean with Mother Pei, Mother Xiao, Pei Xinyun, and Xiao Ran.
While the once magnificent estates were reduced to rubble, Lin Shu made a call to Jinghua.
He denounced Fu Hui’s atrocious and malicious behavior. He claimed that because Fu Hui had taken an interest in President Xiao—who happened to have a past with Pei Yinnian—an argument had broken out at Chief Zhao’s birthday party.
A resentful Fu Hui had gone mad and burned down both the Xiao and Pei Residences.
When Lin Shu’s men arrived to rescue them, they were obstructed by Fu Hui, leading to a clash where Fu Hui was accidentally killed.
As Pei Yinnian’s deputy, Lin Shu was “devastated.” Realizing his failure to protect his master, he voluntarily resigned to return to the countryside and farm.
He organized a grand “funeral” for Pei Yinnian, causing a stir throughout Huating.
The higher-ups had sent Fu Hui to investigate Pei Yinnian.
Although the matter was suspicious, since Fu Hui, Pei Yinnian, and Xiao Ji were all “dead,” there was no need to investigate further.
What the higher-ups feared wasn’t Pei Yinnian’s life or death, but that he would lead the Huating soldiers in a rebellion.
Now that the threat of rebellion was gone, they only needed to arrange for someone more obedient to take over Pei Yinnian’s position.
Leaving one’s homeland is no easy task.
The journey was long and the days drifting at sea were countless.
Needless to say, Xiao Ji was completely unfazed. If there hadn’t been people with him, he could have just jumped into the sea and clung to the bottom of the ship.
Pei Yinnian had a strong constitution and had suffered on the battlefield; he could endure this hardship.
The two pairs of mothers and daughters, however, suffered.
Mother Xiao was filled with worry about the unknown; she couldn’t eat or sleep well, and her mental state was poor.
Mother Pei had been a wealthy socialite for years; her physical suffering was nothing compared to the bitterness in her heart. She was full of complaints, unable to understand why Pei Yinnian would give up being the Governor to suffer across the ocean.
Pei Xinyun started suffering from seasickness soon after boarding, vomiting until she was dazed.
Though Xiao Ran had the weakest constitution, she adapted quite well and even found the strength to look after Pei Xinyun.
The six of them arrived at their destination nearly two months later.
After more travel, they finally reached a manor.
Looking at the manor he had spent a fortune on, the few neighboring houses, and the flat, endless grassland, Pei Yinnian began to feel dazed:
“What the hell is this place? I probably can’t even find a place to spend my boxes of gold here!”
Translator’s Note:
Next is the conclusion of this arc! Things moved fast, didn’t they?
See you in the next chapter!
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