Why did you provoke me?

Yu Meng sat there quietly, and Jing Er and the others were also in a stable mood, busying themselves with their own tasks according to their assignments.

Half an hour later, Yu Er came in to report that everything was ready and they could set off now.

Yu Meng stood up and was the first to walk out. She didn't need to say anything; just her presence put everyone at ease.

……

Jing San and Zhang Zhen acted quickly, retreating along the route they had come from, following the pre-arranged plan.

Niannian didn't open her eyes the whole time; all her lines were scattered. This was the defensive warning that Yu Meng taught her. You can't wait until danger is at your doorstep before picking up a weapon to fight back. That's too passive and will catch you off guard.

After walking for half an hour, they came to a steep slope. The road was lined with dense woods on both sides, and along a section of the road, the mountainside had been largely dug away by local residents because the soil there was very sticky, and they often used this clay to build cowsheds or pigsties.

This resulted in a large flat area in this region.

Several cars were parked there at the time, and there were more than twenty people standing in front of them.

As Niannian and her car drove up the steep slope, a smile appeared on Niannian's lips, and she whispered a single word, "Let go."

This wasn't the first time Jing San and Liu Wei had worked together; without hesitation, they all fired shots at the legs of the people in the open space.

Even if it misses, it doesn't matter, since it's a tranquilizer dart and won't kill anyone!

Niannian didn't worry about what was happening here. There were also a few people lying in ambush in the woods on the other side, but they didn't move when Niannian's convoy came over.

Niannian used the communication bell to notify the last car of the prominent markers indicating the location of the people in the woods, and told them to deal with them when they passed by.

Screams rang out, and Jing San muttered under her breath, "What a pity about those cars."

Niannian looked at Liu Wei and said, "Brother Liu, I remember there's someone in your group who knows a lot about car mechanics. Let him sabotage it, and we'll come back for it later. This is a trophy; we can't let anyone else have it."

Zhang Zhen was meticulous. "There are no bone-drawing masters among these people. If I'm not mistaken, they're just stalling for time."

Liu Wei looked out the car window. "We know this, but there's nothing we can do. This is how the road is; we can't go any faster."

Jing San put down the gun in her hand. "It's okay. As long as we finish the fight quickly enough, it won't take much time."

Niannian suddenly spoke up, "How much ore do we have left? You can absorb it now to enhance your abilities. I estimate that the people who came this time are more powerful than the ones before us. Let's sharpen our knives first."

As evening fell, they arrived at an open riverbank. "Niannian, you've been on guard the whole way, now you can rest."

"Brother Zhang, did you anticipate they would ambush us here?"

"Yes, I calculated it by time. We should be able to get here before dark. It's open and there are no obstacles here, so we'll be easy targets."

"If we don't rest here, we should be able to meet Fourth Sister by tomorrow morning. Brothers, should we travel through the night and catch them off guard?"

Zhang Zhen shook his head, disapproving, "You haven't rested all day. If we continue on our journey and encounter the enemy, how long can you hold out?" He paused, then continued, "We can handle the warriors, but if their bone-drawing masters come, then we'll have to rely on you. If your stamina can't keep up, we might all be wiped out."

Niannian is someone who listens to advice, so she turned around and went to rest.

Jing San, Liu Wei, and Zhang Zhen all stayed.

"Zhang Zhen, do you think they'll definitely come tonight?" Liu Wei asked, somewhat skeptical.

"They'll come, and they'll be formidable. Have you finished making that fake tent I asked you to build? It could be their primary target."

"Everything's ready. If their bone-drawing artist comes, you and Liu Wei must hide well. No matter what happens, you have to believe in us. Remember that?" Jing San instructed again.

Liu Wei's face darkened. "Can you guarantee you can do it?"

"Niannian and I put some ingredients in that big tent, which was definitely a big surprise for the bone painter."

"Besides, even if you came, could you handle the Bone Painter?" Jing San didn't mince words. "If you faint, will I save you?"

"Then wouldn't I become a useless person?"

"How could that be? You're a good shot; you can shoot from a distance. As long as you can take them down, that'll be helping us."

Liu Wei lowered his head and remained silent, but Zhang Zhen's eyes lit up. "I can do that. Then I'll go with Brother Liu."

The group gathered together to discuss some arrangements. By then, it was completely dark, and they concealed themselves, moving away from the large tent.

……

Yu Meng and her group moved quickly, the car never stopping. As darkness fell, they passed through a small village, where sparse chimneys emitted the distinctive smell of hay.

Yu Meng scanned the area and suddenly spotted someone standing by the window. Perhaps due to a habit, his shoulders were not aligned. A name immediately popped into Yu Meng's mind: a cripple.

The car didn't stop; it drove past as usual.

The person by the window didn't sigh until the car had completely disappeared. Turning around, he took a step back. "Who are you? How did you get in?"

Yu Meng scrutinized the man; after the step he took back just now, she was certain he really was a cripple.

Why are you sighing?

The cripple looked at Yu Meng warily. "You still haven't told me how you got in?"

"Oh, your door wasn't locked, so I pushed it open and came in," Yu Meng said, pointing to the door.

"What are you doing here?" the lame man asked again.

"I just want to know, how many small bags do you have on you?"

The cripple's expression changed drastically this time, and he stepped back and leaned against the window.

"Don't even think about running away. If I can find you once, I can find you a second time." Yu Meng held a string in her hand, one end of which pointed at the cripple.

"It's nothing, just a smokescreen," the cripple said hesitantly.

Yu Meng nodded, not asking any further questions. Instead, she asked another question, "Why did you sigh when you saw our car pass by?"

The cripple's eyes changed, and he lowered his head slightly. "What did you say? I don't understand."

"You know. I don't like to force people to do things. But..." Yu Meng paused, "If I use underhanded methods, I'm afraid you won't even be able to keep your own background a secret, so..."

A threat, a blatant threat!

The cripple moved his hand, and a dagger appeared in his grasp. "If you leave now, I won't hold it against you for coming. If you don't leave, I'll have no choice but to keep you here."

Yu Meng stood there without moving, only chuckled softly, "How about we have a contest to see if my lines are faster or your knife is faster?"

The cripple looked at Yu Meng gloomily. "I'm not doing well, so what if I sigh? Does it bother you?"

Yu Meng nodded seriously, "It has nothing to do with me if you're not doing well, but..."

The cripple unconsciously swallowed; he dreaded hearing those two words. He asked nervously, "But what?"

"But the timing of your sigh was wrong. My car had just passed by, and you sighed, which—ruined—my—errand—delivery—was delayed." Yu Meng said, word by word.