"Yes," Madam Sheng said gently. "I thought about how you've been troubled by this for a long time, so I planned to help resolve it. Fortunately, the outcome is good."
Sheng Lengshuang affectionately hugged her arm. "You've been troubled, Mother. I was actually planning to find time to resolve this matter myself recently."
Madam Sheng understood Sheng Lengshuang a bit and knew that her idea of "resolving" meant using unconventional means. "Alright, you talk with Prince Mingrui. I'll go check on Xiao Feng with your father..."
Before she could finish, a familiar, sinister male voice was heard.
"Qi Shi!"
Sheng Lengshuang, Mo Lingxi, and Madam Sheng came out of the room and saw Zhou Wenxing sitting in a chair, being held up on the wall by someone.
The moment Zhou Wenxing saw Qi Shi and Sheng Lengshuang, his face contorted. "Qi Shi, I'll ask you one last time, are you not coming with me?"
Madam Sheng refused to look at him, her words filled with hatred. "I will not go with you. Zhou Wenxing, I wish you would die sooner."
Zhou Wenxing laughed maniacally. "Good, good, good! Qi Shi, I never expected you to be so heartless and cruel. After I fell into despair, you hitched yourself to Sheng Tianchun, disregarding our affection."
Madam Sheng rolled her eyes ungracefully and offered no further explanation. No matter how much she said, this madman Zhou Wenxing would not believe her, so it was better not to waste her breath.
Mo Lingxi protected Sheng Lengshuang and Madam Sheng. Just as he was about to order the hidden guards to capture Zhou Wenxing and his accomplices, he heard Zhou Wenxing's words.
"I advise you not to move. I'm covered in gunpowder."
As soon as these words were spoken, the person holding Zhou Wenxing lifted his outer garment, revealing the gunpowder tied to his body.
A dense expanse of gunpowder caused the expressions of Sheng Lengshuang and the other two to change. Was Zhou Wenxing trying to die?
Zhou Wenxing stared at the three of them with bloodshot eyes. "I can't survive, and I won't let you live. I'll take you down with me as my companions."
Sheng Lengshuang and the other two could tell Zhou Wenxing was serious; he truly intended to perish with them.
"Are you sure you can kill us?" Sheng Lengshuang said very calmly. "With the hidden guards here, we can escape at any time. But can you?"
With a swish, several hidden guards appeared. Some were responsible for protecting Sheng Lengshuang and the other two, while others surrounded Zhou Wenxing and his accomplices.
Zhou Wenxing smiled sinisterly. "I know you have many hidden guards, but this is specially made gunpowder that will explode in an instant. Do you think you can run faster, or will the gunpowder explode faster?"
Upon hearing this, Sheng Lengshuang retorted, "Can you ignite the explosives yourself? You can't, so someone next to you has to light it for you, which makes it convenient for us!"
Suddenly, a hidden guard, without any warning, pierced the heart of Zhou Wenxing's accomplice with his sword.
Blood dripped onto Zhou Wenxing's body, but he laughed maniacally. "You will all die together!"
At that moment, the accomplice used a flint to ignite the gunpowder on Zhou Wenxing's body.
Mo Lingxi's pupils contracted violently. Holding one person in each arm, he ran towards a safe place at the fastest speed. "Quick!"
Several hidden guards stepped forward, carried Mo Lingxi and the other two, and ran even faster.
More hidden guards formed a human wall behind Mo Lingxi and the other two, preventing them from getting hurt.
Sheng Lengshuang saw this and wanted to stop it, but in the end, she said nothing. She couldn't accept the hidden guards acting this way, but she knew that in this era, this was how things were, and her stopping them would be useless.
Just as the thought flashed through her mind, a deafening boom echoed.
The gunpowder exploded!
Centered on Zhou Wenxing, a massive wave of heat expanded in all directions, turning everything in its path into ruins.
The hidden guards who were close by were either blown to death or injured. Those who acted as human shields suffered heavy casualties, yet they did not retreat, all to prevent Sheng Lengshuang and the other two from getting hurt.
The hidden guards ran even faster, their legs blurring.
Even so, the speed of the hidden guards couldn't outrun the heatwave.
With a boom, the heatwave struck with lightning speed.
With a bang, Sheng Lengshuang and the other two were knocked to the ground by the heatwave.
Mo Lingxi, disregarding his own safety, acted as a human cushion, taking the impact for Sheng Lengshuang and Madam Sheng. Beneath him, hidden guards rushed forward, steadily catching the three of them.
"Mother, are you alright?" Madam Sheng quickly helped Madam Sheng up, then pulled Mo Lingxi up and examined him carefully. "Are you hurt?"
Noticing that his clothes were scorched in places, she quickly took his pulse and ordered the injured hidden guards to go for treatment. "Hidden guards who are not injured, help clean up and see if Zhou Wenxing is completely dead."
This time, if not for the protection of these hidden guards, the three of them would have been severely injured, if not killed.
The lightly injured and uninjured hidden guards quickly processed the scene, checking if Zhou Wenxing and his accomplices were dead.
"Mother! Mother!" At this moment, Xiao Feng, protected by General Sheng and a group of hidden guards, rushed over. "Mother, are you alright?"
Sheng Lengshuang shook her head, indicating she was fine. "Father, were you and Xiao Feng injured?"
General Sheng picked up Xiao Feng and said to Sheng Lengshuang, "No. As soon as the hidden guards informed me, I took Xiao Feng and ran to a farther location. Neither of us sustained any injuries."
"How about you all? Are you alright?"
Sheng Lengshuang confirmed that Mo Lingxi was unharmed and withdrew her hand. "Father, don't worry. Under the protection of the hidden guards, the three of us are unharmed, although the hidden guards suffered heavy casualties."
The bloody and tragic scenes before them testified to the ferocity of the recent events and proved that the three of them had truly escaped death.
General Sheng sighed. "Bury these hidden guards with proper respect, give their families more money, and take good care of their families."
This was all they could do.
Sheng Lengshuang understood this principle and was also aware of the rules of this era. "For those who are injured and can no longer serve as hidden guards, can they be employed in our shops? Find them relatively easier jobs."
General Sheng nodded in agreement. "I will arrange it later. If they don't want to work in the shops, we can help them find other jobs. Don't worry, your mother and I will handle it."
Sheng Lengshuang hummed, understanding that her ability to help was limited, and she hoped these hidden guards would have better lives in the future.
"Sir," a hidden guard with bloodstains on his body approached, bowed, and said, "It is impossible to determine if Zhou Wenxing and his accomplices are still alive. However, given the situation at the time, Zhou Wenxing and his accomplices could not have survived."
General Sheng said, "You've worked hard," and patted his shoulder. "After we finish here, you will have three days of rest."
The hidden guard replied, "Yes," and continued with his tasks.
General Sheng said to Sheng Lengshuang and the others, "Zhou Wenxing is likely dead."
Sheng Lengshuang frowned. "Zhou Wenxing is dead, but there's still Sima Min and Black Hand. We cannot be careless."