Chapter 6: Holding Dian Wei Back, Abducting Lady Zou

When Dian Wei was stopped by Cao Peng once again, his expression was one of utter helplessness. Though usually stone-faced, he forced a grim, awkward smile.

"Young General, with your strength alone, you cannot stop me. Why bring this upon yourself?"

After hearing this, Cao Peng smiled slyly. Just moments ago, he had checked the contents of the starter reward he had received, the items in his hiking backpack. He had only hoped to find something useful, and to his surprise, he actually did.

"General Dian, forgive me!"

Dian Wei’s gaze sharpened, ready to strike again. But then, he saw Cao Peng hurl two unknown black spheres.

Could these be concealed weapons?

Dian Wei nearly laughed. Mere hidden weapons could never harm him, especially when tossed so openly. This young general was being hopelessly naive.

However, what happened next defied all expectations.

Dian Wei swung his blade, shattering the unremarkable black spheres to bits. Upon breaking, one released a thick white smoke, the other a cloud of pungent pepper spray.

"Ah-choo..."

From within the smoke, sneezes erupted one after another.

"Shameless! Young General, a commander must act with honor. How can you stoop to such disgraceful means? Young man, you have no sense of martial virtue!"

Dian Wei was so furious he wanted to curse, but doing so only drew more pepper spray into his lungs, making his discomfort worse.

"Hahaha..."

"I told you that dark mark on your brow was a sign of bad luck, but you didn’t believe me!"

Cao Peng sprinted away at full speed—he had begun his escape the moment he’d thrown the black spheres. After being thrown so harshly by Dian Wei earlier, he finally had his revenge. And as for the self-satisfied Hu Che'er, let’s see if he could still laugh now.

Those two black spheres were actually pepper spray grenades Cao Peng found in his hiking backpack. After reading the instructions, he understood their purpose. His unorthodox move bought him precious time.

He had to act before his opponents and seize Madame Zou.

Outside the city gates, the night sky was scattered with stars.

Madame Zou resided in a manor outside Wan City; her living there had been arranged by Zhang Xiu. In everyone’s eyes, Madame Zou had just lost her husband after entering her new home—not an auspicious omen. Moreover, with her stunning beauty and fair complexion, it was deemed inappropriate for her to reside within the city.

After careful consideration, Zhang Xiu had settled her in a country estate.

Arriving at the manor, Cao Peng discovered there were guards patrolling at night. He observed for a while and finally found a weakness in their patrols, scaling the wall quietly.

He had worried about how to find Madame Zou among so many buildings, but inside the wall, he immediately spotted a faintly lit window casting the silhouette of a woman.

Without hesitation, Cao Peng slipped in through the window.

"Ah...!"

"Who are you?!"

Startled, Madame Zou cried out, only to have Cao Peng quickly cover her mouth. The sudden appearance of a strange man in her room nearly made her faint from fear.

"Shh, don’t make a sound. I’m not here to harm you..."

Even as he spoke, Cao Peng felt awkward at his own words.

Breaking into a widow’s room in the dead of night, and claiming not to mean harm?

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his palm—Madame Zou had bitten him. He let go at once, and she retreated like a startled fawn, cowering in a corner by the table. For a moment, Cao Peng hesitated to act.

In the dim lamplight, he could see her clearly: her delicate face sculpted with exquisite features, truly a beauty carved from jade. Dressed in a pure white gauze gown, she seemed as noble and elegant as a swan.

"Don’t be afraid... I’m here to save you..."

He did not know who was more nervous—himself or her. Staring at this fair-skinned, beautiful woman, Cao Peng was momentarily dazed. No wonder Old Cao had set his sights on her; she was indeed captivating.

Just then, torches flickered outside the window.

"Who are you?!"

"Do you know where you are? How dare you act so arrogantly!"

"Ah...!"

Shouts of anger and cries of pain rang out in succession. Madame Zou recognized the earlier voice—it was the captain of the guards. The subsequent screams made clear that disaster had struck.

Blades were drawn and guards were cut down, the sounds of slaughter outside setting a grim scene.

There was no need to guess—Cao Peng knew that Dian Wei had arrived.

Time was running out. Ignoring Madame Zou’s protests, he seized her hand.

"This is a matter of life and death. If you want to survive, come with me—now!"