Chapter 142: A Gilded Cage for a Beloved

After Pei Wangshu waited for Song Yao to retrieve the family letter from Mother Wang, the two of them returned to the home of Zhao Zhigao’s parents-in-law to bid them farewell, informing them that they were leaving Peach Blossom Village. Their next destination was Yancheng.

"Sister Wangshu, once we reach Yancheng, just wait for me at the city gates. I’ll run inside to deliver this letter and then come right back out to meet you," Song Yao said.

Song Yao was well aware that Pei Wangshu was only accompanying her into danger not because she had any interest in going on a blind date with the constable’s "little brother." After all, since ancient times, suitors had always visited the woman’s home; there was no precedent for a woman to deliver herself to a suitor’s doorstep. Furthermore, ten days had passed, and the constable had never brought his supposedly stellar young friend to meet them in the village. It was likely that the constable himself had forgotten all about the matchmaking.

Pei Wangshu was simply uneasy about letting Song Yao go to Yancheng alone and had used the date as a convenient excuse. Over these past ten days, the two had eaten, slept, and hunted pheasants together, inadvertently forging a deep friendship and a sense of mutual reliance. Pei Wangshu felt that, being six years Song Yao's senior and her direct supervisor in the real world, it was her duty to look after her little sister—even though, in truth, it was Song Yao who had been guiding and helping her all along.

"Yancheng is so large; what if you get lost? I’ll go into the city with you. I’m not worried about running into any danger," Pei Wangshu insisted.

Just then, a carriage rattled toward the village entrance. The man driving it was none other than the constable. Both Song Yao and Pei Wangshu now knew that this NPC constable was named Zhao Zhigao. Seeing them at the village gate, he pulled the carriage to a halt.

"Where are you two ladies headed?"

"To Yancheng," Pei Wangshu replied.

"What a coincidence. I was just coming to pick you up," Zhao Zhigao said with a grin. "My little brother has been dying to meet you both and wants to show you around the city properly. He even paid for this carriage and asked me to bring you there."

Pei Wangshu smiled. "Then we are in your debt."

They boarded the carriage, both feeling that Zhao Zhigao was a remarkably competent "newbie guide" NPC. He had appeared exactly when they needed him, providing transport that would have taken them until nightfall on foot.

***

More than an hour later, Zhao Zhigao delivered them to Yancheng. The two finally witnessed the prosperity and bustle of this northern city of the Li Kingdom. Within the walls, carriages and horses flowed like a river, and the streets were filled with common folk going about their daily lives. Song Yao could not fathom why the game developers had labeled a city teeming with so many ordinary people as a "dangerous zone."

Zhao Zhigao took them first to the home of Mother Wang’s daughter, allowing Song Yao to deliver the letter and complete a side quest. For her efforts, Song Yao received a rare "Spirit Pet Gacha Ticket." She decided to hold onto it; based on her years of gaming experience, midnight was the optimal time for pulling cards. After all, when it came to metaphysics, belief was everything. The quest also granted her ten thousand experience points, boosting her three levels to reach Level 13—a testament to the fact that even in this realistic game world, luck often trumped hard work.

Finally, Zhao Zhigao led them to a vacant residence in Yong'an District. It belonged to a friend of his who had fled to the capital city of Luocheng five years ago, fearing the fallout from the conflict between the immortals and the demons when the three major sects of the Yun Kingdom announced a public execution in Yancheng. Before leaving, the friend had entrusted the property to Zhao Zhigao. Zhao thought to himself that this might be a perfect place for Song Ye to hide a mistress in the future.

"Wait here, ladies. I’ll go fetch my young friend right away to meet you." With that, Zhao Zhigao departed, closing the heavy gates behind him.

Song Yao’s brow furrowed. "Sister Wangshu, are we trusting this constable NPC a little too much?"

She had a nagging feeling that this was a trap. Perhaps a dozen vicious, lecherous men would soon burst through the doors to accost them. She had seen this scenario play out in plenty of dramas.

Pei Wangshu understood her concerns but summoned the resolve of a big sister. "We are here now; we must stay calm."

She began to look around the elegant courtyard. She could tell it hadn't been lived in for a while, though there were faint signs of maintenance. Suddenly, she noticed a few drops of fresh blood on the floor in front of one of the rooms. Driven by curiosity, she pushed the door open.

She gasped. Inside lay a long-haired woman, unconscious and covered in wounds. The blood outside must have come from her. Even with her face deathly pale, the woman was undeniably stunning—a beauty who rivaled Pei Wangshu herself.

"Song Yao, come look at this! There’s a severely wounded woman here!"

Song Yao entered, and upon seeing the woman’s injuries, her anxiety spiked. *Is she being held captive by the constable’s accomplices? Is this what they did to her? If we stay, will we end up the same way? The constable is a wolf in sheep’s clothing!*

"Sister Wangshu, something is very wrong. We must take this poor woman and leave immediately."

Pei Wangshu nodded in agreement. However, at that exact moment, a dozen figures landed in the courtyard with a series of sharp, whistling sounds.

Hearing the commotion, Song Yao and Pei Wangshu froze, their faces drained of color, not daring to draw a full breath. The dozen ruffians had arrived after all!

Pei Wangshu couldn't help but think: *I’ve been single for twenty-six years. If I’d known this game world was so treacherous, I should have listened to my parents and married that honest, wealthy second-generation heir before logging in.*

The sixteen figures in the courtyard wore purple-jade robes. One of them, clearly the leader, barked, "The Princess is gravely wounded; she cannot have gone far. She must be hiding in this residence. Even if you have to tear the place apart, find her! If we don't capture the Princess to complete our mission, every one of you will lose your head!"