Chapter 427: Chapter 157: Provoking Him

The wind carried the pieces of wood like fallen stones on a deserted beach, haphazardly crashing into people’s hearts, leaving behind a chaotic trail of marks.

Lu Tong heard her own calm voice.

"Back at Prince Wen’s Mansion, I owed a debt of gratitude to your wife and Treasure Bead..."

Pei Yunmeng smiled noncommittally.

Lu Tong abruptly stopped talking.

The bonds forged through life-saving gratitude had been frittered away in the subsequent fragmented affairs at Yuxian Tower. To wield such indebtedness now seemed unrealistic, and besides, Pei Yunshu and Treasure Bead were no longer in mortal danger, making it easy for Pei Yunmeng to burn bridges.

Perhaps this hard bargaining was for future calculations.

Lu Tong thought for a moment and then said, "If next time Lord Pei wishes to obtain someone’s medical cases, I can take the task."

The incident of Pei Yunmeng sneaking into the Medical Officer Institute’s pharmacy to steal medical cases had happened just a few days ago. Lu Tong herself was guarding the Medical Officer Institute and had thus contributed.

Pei Yunmeng quietly looked at her and shook her head.

It still wouldn’t do.

After a moment of silence, Lu Tong lifted her face and spoke calmly.

"If Lord Pei is willing to tell me the secret recipe for Jin Xianrong’s health-preserving medicine, I am willing to prepare another recipe for you."

Upon hearing this, the calm demeanor of the person before her suddenly cracked.

Lu Tong smirked in her heart.

It seemed she was not entirely unresponsive.

She pressed on, "This medicine is precious, I guarantee you won’t find it anywhere else. Should the Marshal obtain it, the benefits will be endless."

Pei Yunmeng scoffed, "Thank you, but I do not need it."

"Lord Pei is unaware, men of a certain age often suffer from this condition, deficient in blood and deficient in yang. Although you look well now, as years pass, you may find your strength waning. Having this medicine will ensure you remain as vigorous as ever."

Pei Yunmeng looked at her as if she were unfathomable.

Lu Tong sat in front of the desk, her eyes clear, speaking earnestly, with very sincere eyes, as though a kind-hearted doctor was persuading a stubborn patient.

She always spoke the most shocking words with an ordinary and mild tone.

Pei Yunmeng pinched the bridge of his nose, almost grinding his teeth as he said, "I will not need it in the future either."

"You will need it very much in the future." She was persistent.

He suddenly felt a tinge of exhaustion or perhaps resignation, simply extending his hand to pick up a paperweight from the desk, and looking down, he asked, "Once you know, what does Doctor Lu plan to do?"

"Lord Pei," Lu Tong called out to him after a moment of silence, "you need only tell me this matter and do nothing more, it will cost you nothing. As for me, I am now at the Medical Officer Institute, and there are many ways I can help you. If ever you need me, or if there is an enemy..."

She said softly, "I can also kill them for you."

Her voice was light like a night breeze on the cusp of summer, softly brushing against one’s face, carrying a fine chill with it.

Pei Yunmeng sized her up, "Didn’t Doctor Lu say that you have never killed before and you will not kill in the future?"

Lu Tong paused for a moment.

These were the words she had said to Pei Yunmeng beneath Luoyue Bridge.

They had once briefly cooperated, staging a mutual charade outside the Military Patrol Shop to capture the person sent by Meng Xiyang. At that time, he didn’t know her depths; he probed step by step, and she defended at every turn, not wishing to reveal any clues to the man before her.

"Killing is also saving." Lu Tong’s expression remained unchanged, "I can be your assistant."

"Assistant?"

Pei Yunmeng smiled slightly, leaned back in his chair, resting against it, and looked at her indifferently, "Don’t you want to know what I intend to do?"

"That’s not important."

Whatever Pei Yunmeng was planning to do, his goals, Lu Tong had no interest whatsoever. This was just a transaction based on mutual consent, whether it could be completed depended solely on the other party’s chips being enticing enough.

Pei Yunmeng sighed.

His handsome features were captivating under the glow of the lantern, and his voice carried a subtle mockery as he began to speak deliberately.

"Making deals with someone whose background you do not know, Doctor Lu isn’t afraid of coming up empty-handed."

His laughter was faint, "No wonder you were fooled in the lantern market into shooting arrows. Doctor Lu, you are still not very good at business, are you?"

Lu Tong looked at him, "Does this mean Lord Pei agrees?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

After a while, Pei Yunmeng’s voice sounded.

"Outside Shengjing, beneath Tuoluo Mountain, there is a private tea garden."

"The Light-vented Bulbul you’re inquiring about is there."

A tea garden?

Lu Tong’s heart stirred.

She understood this was key to the message and persisted in asking Pei Yunmeng, "What is the name of that tea garden?"

"The tea garden has now been bought by a private party, inaccessible to the average person."

His words were somewhat disappointing.

Lu Tong fixed her gaze on him, "Can Lord Pei accompany me there tomorrow?"

Pei Yunmeng held an official position, and if she were to go rashly, she might alert others. If he would cover for her, it might actually be better.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read