In the guest room, Qin Zhao said to Qi Yan Su Luo, "I just saw a fabric shop across the street. You stay in the room, I'm going to buy some local clothes."
Qin Zhao kissed her on the cheek, "I'll be back soon."
Qi Yan Su Luo was used to Qin Zhao's kisses. She said, "Be careful."
Qin Zhao went out of the room and downstairs.
The shop errand boy's gaze lingered on her.
Across the street, Qin Zhao walked into the fabric shop.
Seeing a beautiful girl come in, the owner hurriedly greeted, "Miss, you come to buy clothes. See if you like any style."
Qin Zhao pointed at two sets of grey men’s clothes, “Just these two.”
The owner said, "It's too wasteful for a girl with such a good figure to wear men's clothing."
Qin Zhao glared at her, "None of your business what I wear."
The owner smiled apologetically, “Sorry for the offense. I’ll wrap them up for you.”
The owner wrapped up the clothes with coarse fabric scraps and handed them to Qin Zhao, “Forty-five coins in total.”
Qin Zhao gave her a broken silver coin.
The owner took it, gave Qin Zhao the change, then called her back, “Miss, wait!”
She looked back, “What?”
The owner said in a low voice, “Seeing you bought clothes from me, let me warn you, don't stay at the shop across.
A girl like you is like a little fat lamb to them.”
Qin Zhao simply said, “Thanks.”
Then she returned to the inn.
As for what the owner said, Qin Zhao didn't take it to heart. After all, it was hard to say who would slaughter whom.
Back in the room, Qin Zhao and Qi Yan Su Luo changed into their local clothes and put on headscarves to block the sand. They looked quite like locals.
Qin Zhao turned around in front of Qi Yan Su Luo and asked, "How do I look in these clothes?"
Qi Yan Su Luo said, "You look good in anything, but these clothes are too plain. Just a few more looks and it gets boring."
"Then just look at my face."
As they chatted, the shop errand boy's voice came from outside, "Esteemed guests, the owner has brought your lunch."
"Come in."
The errand boy came in carrying a tray with four dishes, one soup and two bowls of rice.
He put the food on the wooden table, "Please eat slowly."
After the errand boy left, Qi Yan Su Luo said, "There's something wrong with this inn. For safety, we'd better just rest and not eat their food. If you're hungry, I can go to an ordinary family and buy some local staple food for you, sesame flatbread."
Qin Zhao said, "Okay, but first let me try if I can eat this food. The sesame flatbread you mentioned sounds harsh on the throat."
She made a show of smelling the dishes one by one, "502, are any of these edible?"
502 said, "Don't eat the rice or drink the soup, the rest can be eaten."
So Qin Zhao picked up a piece of chicken.
Before Qi Yan Su Luo could stop her, she had already put it in her mouth and started chewing.
"You really dare to."
Then she asked again, "How's the taste?"
Qin Zhao swallowed the food, "Apart from being a bit salty, not bad. These dishes have no poison, but the rice and soup can't be eaten."
Hearing this, Qi Yan Su Luo picked up her chopsticks and put a fern in her mouth.
The two ate slowly.
Halfway through the meal, there was a commotion outside!
Two men mumbled, "Did they both eat it?"
"Yeah, must've eaten it."
"You saw it?"
The other fell silent.
"Never mind, even if they didn't eat it, can two men like us not handle two women?"
Saying so, they charged in.
Qin Zhao watched the shop errand boy and fat man come in with leisure, making them quite embarrassed. Their momentum immediately weakened.
To ease the embarrassment, the fat man giggled and said, "Sorry, we came to the wrong room."
Qin Zhao pointed to the door, "Then get the hell out quickly."
The fat man bowed his head and scraped, “Leaving, leaving now.”
He and the shop errand boy retreated to the door, only to be blocked by several smelly drunk men.
A big bearded man slurred, "You said there was good stuff. How long will you make me wait?!"
Another added, "We'll take them ourselves!"
The other men laughed silly and squeezed in.
Seeing Qin Zhao's predicament, the fat man looked at her gloatingly, dropping his previously cowering attitude. He arrogantly stood aside to make way for them.
Seeing Qin Zhao and Qi Yan Su Luo, the five men of different shapes, reeking of foul smells, instantly sobered up. Drool almost flowed from their mouths!
The big bearded man exclaimed, "Never seen such beautiful women in my life!
Seeing two at once, I can die with no regrets!"
Qin Zhao suddenly smashed a plate at his head. The big bearded man was instantly smashed and bled profusely.
Qin Zhao said indifferently, "Since you want to die, I’ll fulfill your wish.”
Seeing their big brother’s misery, the remaining four charged at Qin Zhao in anger!
Qin Zhao stood up and said to Qi Yan Su Luo, "Stand farther away in case you get hurt."
Qi Yan Su Luo backed away a few steps accordingly.
Qin Zhao was surrounded by the four men, at ease holding her ground against them.
Seeing Qin Zhao’s exceptional martial skill, the fat man's expression changed dramatically!
He then thought of breaking through from Qi Yan Su Luo, who looked weak.
He pushed the shop errand boy, "Go grab that woman!"
The shop errand boy nodded, circled around Qin Zhao and others, and came up to Qi Yan Su Luo, "Miss, I don't want to hurt you. Be smart and come with me..."
Before he finished, Qi Yan Su Luo kicked him in the face. The shop errand boy bled instantly from his nose and fell to the ground wailing!
Seeing this, Qin Zhao felt relieved.
She knew Qi Yan Su Luo had some martial power. Though not high, it was enough against a common shop errand boy.
Qin Zhao said to the four men, "If you want to live, get lost quickly!"
She didn't want to dirty the room and so didn't use her sword.
But the men refused to listen, shouting, "Less nonsense, we must avenge big brother and torment you arrogant woman properly!"
Qin Zhao's face darkened. She drew out her Zhan Jin sword and casually lopped off a man's head!
As blood gushed out, the fat man shrieked and his legs turned soft, falling to the ground!
The three survivors were drenched in blood. They halted and looked at Qin Zhao in horror!
Qin Zhao's sword pointed at the man opposite her. He instantly knelt down shouting, "Heroine, spare us. We were wrong. We won't provoke you again!"
But his pale plea didn't sway Qin Zhao's killing intent one bit. She thrusted out her sword, piercing through the man's heart!
