CHAPTER 2039: CHAPTER 2038: DEFEATED SO EASILY?

Tong Zhengye glanced at Jianqi, sighed, and said, "Don’t kill him just yet."

Bai Ruozhu raised an eyebrow, "Didn’t expect you to care about family ties. Don’t all of you believe in eradicating the roots?"

Tong Zhengye gave a bitter smile, "We should figure things out first. Besides, my family doesn’t have many heirs."

Bai Ruozhu looked at Sui Sheng with his square face, and then at Tong Zhengye with his jade-like fair skin. It was impossible to tell they were brothers, their appearances were too different.

She tilted her head in thought. It’s said that sons resemble their mothers, just like her Little Dengdeng looks like her. If both of these men resemble their biological mothers, it shows the stark difference in their mothers’ appearances.

"Was your mother a servant in the Tong family?" Tong Zhengye looked at Sui Sheng and asked. He had just noticed that Sui Sheng’s biological mother had a low status.

"Your mother was the servant!" Sui Sheng gritted his teeth, only to spit out a mouthful of blood.

At that moment, footsteps sounded from outside. Tong Zhengye’s subordinates had woken up and arrived.

"Young Master, be careful! The Antidote Bai Ruozhu gave us has issues!" someone shouted.

Tong Zhengye raised his hand to stop them from speaking, "If she wanted to poison you, you would’ve died unknowingly, without the need to eat anything."

Bai Ruozhu glanced at Tong Zhengye, surprised by his knowledge. Could it be that he’s aware of the "Poison Classic" and knows how someone skilled with it can poison others without them realizing?

Yizi waved her hand and released Wan Liang, who was trapped in the Maze, "Ask him yourselves!"

Wan Liang, dizzy and disoriented, fell to the ground, then looked at Tong Zhengye with a ghostly pale face.

"Spare me, Young Master! It was Sui Sheng who tricked me into the casino, made me lose several hundred taels of silver, and coerced me into doing this."

"Several hundred taels of silver for my life? Is that how little I’m worth?" Tong Zhengye laughed.

Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Tong Zhengye really could keep his humor.

Those who had pursued them saw this and guessed what was going on.

"Wan Liang, when your mother was seriously ill, it was the Young Master who brought a renowned doctor to save her. Yet you betrayed him. Have you no conscience?" someone said angrily.

Wan Liang lowered his head, feeling regretful. He hadn’t wanted this, but he couldn’t repay his gambling debts and dared not tell the Young Master. If the Young Master knew he was gambling, he’d surely have his hands chopped off.

"Sui Sheng, it truly was your wicked scheme," many people angrily pointed at Sui Sheng.

By this time, Sui Sheng was extremely weak, with a sword wound in his stomach, close to death.

Tong Zhengye sighed softly and looked at Bai Ruozhu, saying, "Lady Bai, save him this once."

Bai Ruozhu said coolly, "Consider it a token of gratitude, as my medicines are worth a fortune."

She tossed a pill into Sui Sheng’s mouth and then used a Needle to stop his bleeding, preventing him from continuing to spurt blood.

On a closer look at Sui Sheng, Bai Ruozhu noticed that his eyes bore some resemblance to Tong Zhengye’s.

"Alright, he won’t die for now," Bai Ruozhu stated.

Tong Zhengye looked at his three dead confidants, his eyes slightly red, "Bring their bodies back and bury them properly."

Someone went to move the bodies, while others supported Tong Zhengye, asking, "Young Master, has everything been handled? Should we leave now?"

Tong Zhengye’s expression became stiff, "Alright, let’s leave here first."

Bai Ruozhu observed everything and felt something amiss. What kind of reaction was that from him?

Wan Liang was still kneeling on the ground; Tong Zhengye hadn’t said how to deal with him, but others gave him a kick and tied his hands behind his back.

More than two hours later, the group found a resting place, the nearest small Inn, and Tong Zhengye, with his severe injuries, fell asleep immediately upon arriving.

Bai Ruozhu wrote a Formulas for medicine and handed it to his subordinates, instructing them to prepare it and have him drink it upon waking.

Perhaps with matters on his mind, Tong Zhengye woke after only an hour and drank the medicine brought by his subordinates. He then asked them to invite Bai Ruozhu to his room.

"You all stand guard outside," Tong Zhengye said, sounding weary.

Bai Ruozhu frowned. Why did he want to be alone with her again? It was rather inconvenient.

Once the door was closed, he revealed a despondent look, aging several years in an instant.

"Bai Ruozhu, I’ve always prided myself on being clever, but I’ve been played like a fool," he said slowly.

Bai Ruozhu blinked, then widened her eyes, "Don’t tell me you went in there and found nothing?"

She was quick-witted. Seeing his reaction and recalling his earlier stiff reaction when questioned by his subordinates, she guessed the truth.

Tong Zhengye gave a bitter smile, "I exerted so much effort, lost so many loyal subordinates, yet it was all for nothing. Do you think I’m foolish?"

He coughed, clutching his chest, and spat a large mouthful of blood.

Earlier, Bai Ruozhu had noticed his external and internal injuries and his frustration. She initially thought it was due to Sui Sheng’s betrayal, but now she realized it was from failing to find the treasure, leaving him unable to swallow his anger.

A previously graceful gentleman had transformed into a feeble-looking figure, eyes ashen, completely devoid of his past confidence and vigor.

Bai Ruozhu frowned, "Is such a minor setback enough to break you?"

She sneered, "If that’s the case, you’d better return to Jiangnan to recuperate and spend the rest of your life letting your descendants revive the family business."

Her words were sharp, catching Tong Zhengye off guard, as he didn’t expect her to be so harsh.

"So, someone tricked you, and you found nothing. Go find out who did it and clean up where you stumbled. Where you suffered a loss, reclaim it. If you’re down over this, how will you avenge your fallen subordinates?"

"I found the poison suspicious earlier on. It seems the person who took the treasure planted it deliberately, indicating a formidable opponent. Are you afraid and think you can’t outpace them?" Bai Ruozhu continued.

"I..." Tong Zhengye opened his mouth but was interrupted by Bai Ruozhu.

"Don’t make any promises to me. We’re not that close yet. You’ve helped me, and I’ve saved you. We’re even. Your injuries require proper recuperation. I won’t wait for you to leave first, but I hope next time we meet, you’ll have avenged this loss."

She turned to leave, but Tong Zhengye called after her.

"Wait, take this." He handed over a wooden box.

Bai Ruozhu took it and found it contained a stack of silver banknotes. She nodded and accepted them, knowing it was the agreed payment, and saw no need to refuse politely.

She then called Jianqi and Yizi, saying, "Tong Zhengye needs to recover. Let’s head back first."

Yizi beamed, "Great, Young Master Dengdeng must miss us. Let’s hurry back."

Bai Ruozhu smiled, congratulating herself for deciding to keep Yizi. Little Dengdeng was now learning how to set formations from Yizi, becoming a sort of Teacher for Dengdeng.