After drinking two bowls, Chen Fang felt dizzy.
"This wine has a strong kick," Chen Fang said, shaking his head. He felt like he could barely sit upright.
"You're telling me. I felt dizzy after just one bowl," Su Fan also felt a bit lightheaded, as if he could fall asleep at any moment.
"Hmm?"
Chen Fang and Su Fan suddenly felt something was wrong.
What kind of wine could take effect so quickly?
Su Fan quickly looked at the wine in his bowl.
[Three Feet Deep - Meng Han Yao Version]
One bowl can cause a person to fall asleep for three hours.
It's over!
Su Fan immediately felt that things were bad. Despite all precautions, he had still been caught. The other party had drugged the wine when he let his guard down. Damn it!
Bang!
Chen Fang's head hit the table, and he completely passed out.
Su Fan, in a daze, could no longer hold on and collapsed onto the ground.
Niang San walked out from behind with a cold smile.
The other diners rubbed their hands and walked over.
One of them kicked Su Fan.
"Damn it! You dare to hit me? Let's see how you hit me now! Get up!"
"Stop messing around! Search their belongings. According to the old rules, take them to the mass grave and finish them off," Niang San ordered them.
These people were all part of the same group, all from the Yi Jian Inn. Niang San was their leader. Although it was called an inn, they were actually a group of bandits who robbed passing travelers under the guise of an inn.
As soon as Su Fan and Chen Fang arrived nearby today, they were targeted because of their luxurious clothing, which clearly indicated they were wealthy.
They quickly found a large amount of valuables on Chen Fang, but Su Fan had nothing on him.
"Niang San, what's this?"
A subordinate found a token and a scroll on Su Fan and handed them to Niang San with a puzzled look.
Niang San took them with a frown.
One side of the token was inscribed with "Dutong" (Commander). Niang San flipped it over to the other side, which read "Yu" (Imperial).
Niang San's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the token.
"What's wrong, Niang San?" the bald man asked, noticing her unusual reaction.
"Yu... Imperial Guard!"
Niang San recognized the token's identity. It was an Imperial Guard token. These two were Imperial Guards! And the token also had "Dutong" written on it, meaning one of them was an Imperial Guard Commander!
Niang San's heart was immediately unsettled.
"Imperial Guard?"
The bald man frowned.
Although they were in this line of work and didn't fear ordinary officials, they had to be careful about who they offended. If they angered a high-ranking official, they could be wiped out.
"What should we do?" the bald man asked Niang San worriedly. They were in a difficult situation, and any decision seemed inappropriate.
If they let them go, what if the Imperial Guards didn't show gratitude and instead destroyed their operation? They would still be doomed.
If they didn't let them go, these two must have been on a mission, and their superiors would surely send people to look for them if they didn't report back. If they were discovered, they would still face death.
"How about we go all the way? Kill them, bury their bodies, and leave no trace. Dead men tell no tales!" the bald man said fiercely.
Niang San's eyes lit up. It seemed like the only option.
"Wait, there's still this scroll," Niang San suddenly remembered the scroll she hadn't looked at yet.
This should contain the mission the two were on.
Niang San opened it and her frown deepened as she read.
The content detailed Su Fan's assignment as Commander of Beiling.
"Bandit Suppression Squad..."
Niang San glanced at Su Fan deeply.
This identity meant they were, in fact, enemies.
"Kill them!"
This time, Niang San didn't hesitate.
The bald man nodded solemnly and began to drag Su Fan and Chen Fang outside.
"Niang San! Someone's coming from outside!" a subordinate rushed in to inform them.
They had lookouts at all times, partly to guard against officials and partly to spot passing travelers for their business.
"Take them to the back first!"
Niang San couldn't let anyone see their activities.
The reason they had survived this long was their caution. No one knew about their illicit dealings, and those who did were already in hell.
Therefore, in the eyes of outsiders, this was truly just a normal inn.
Su Fan and Chen Fang were quickly taken to the backyard and hidden.
At this moment, a carriage arrived outside. It was quite luxurious, and four people alighted from it.
If Su Fan and Chen Fang were conscious, they would have recognized these four as the ones who had escaped last time.
The four swaggered into the inn.
The inn was still occupied by the same people.
The bald man sat at one table with three others, while the remaining two occupied another.
Seeing the fierce-looking bald man, the four immediately lost their bravado and, with their heads slightly bowed, walked to a table.
They were just petty thieves, primarily engaging in theft. They had never killed anyone, so how could they compare to these bloodthirsty executioners?
"Are you gentlemen here for a meal or to stay?" Niang San asked, walking over with a graceful posture.
The leader of the four, seeing that the proprietress was also a young widow, had wicked thoughts again.
Last time, it was because the owner was a woman and there weren't many people in the inn that they dared to attack Su Fan and Chen Fang. This time, the situation was similar, and their wicked intentions resurfaced.
Last time they were unlucky and encountered two martial artists. This time, the guests looked difficult to deal with, but they had tasted the sweetness of their previous success and decided not to steal valuables. Instead, they would steal the carriage, which was simpler and safer.
"We'll stay. Serve us some wine and food first," the leader said to Niang San.
"Certainly, please wait a moment."
Niang San immediately went to the kitchen and ordered the food to be prepared.
Soon, their dishes were served.
"Esteemed guests, this is our inn's exclusive brew, Three Feet Deep. Please try it," Niang San said, opening a wine jar. This was the same jar Su Fan and Chen Fang had drunk from. Since it had been drugged, it couldn't be wasted, so it was perfect for these four.
"Thank you, proprietress, but we don't drink," they replied.
They had a habit of not drinking before carrying out their tasks. Since they planned to steal the carriage tonight, no matter how good the wine was, they wouldn't drink it.
Niang San was taken aback. It was the first time she had encountered men who refused good wine.
"This is a rare and fine wine. If you miss this village, you won't find this shop again?" Niang San patiently persuaded them. As long as they could get them to take a sip, it would be enough.
"No, thank you for your kindness, proprietress. We really don't drink." Although they were tempted by the wine, they absolutely could not drink it.
Niang San was somewhat speechless. There was nothing she could do, so she had to take the wine back for the time being.
"Proprietress, are the rooms ready?" the four asked after they had eaten and drunk their fill.
"Yes, yes, please follow me!" Niang San hurried over and enthusiastically led them upstairs, secretly giving the bald man a look.
She signaled him to take care of the two people quickly.