Abandoning Wife and Selling Daughter? Turning Around to Marry a Powerful Minister and Wiping Out Your Entire Clan! - Chapter 27

“No need for that yet. First, accompany me home. Then, we’ll see how well you’ve learned your martial skills.”

Han Boguang was slightly surprised, but Zhang Xiaolan was neither surprised nor flustered. She simply smiled faintly as she gave the order.

“Yes,” he replied softly, lowering his head.

Under the cover of night, the two slipped out through the back door, with two figures trailing behind them at a leisurely pace.

A young girl and a half-grown boy—what was there to be afraid of?

The two men following them were carefree, occasionally whispering to each other, sometimes laughing maniacally, and at times pointing at the pair ahead, spewing obscene words.

The setting sun had vanished, leaving everything in a hazy twilight, as if a thin veil had draped over their vision.

Turning a corner, the two pursuers suddenly realized—their targets had disappeared!

“Where did they go?” The taller man panicked.

“They were just here! They can’t have vanished into thin air,” the shorter one said anxiously. “Brother, they must be hiding somewhere. If we search carefully, we’ll definitely find them.”

The two men, like headless flies, frantically searched around the alley but found nothing.

Their limbs went weak, and they collapsed to the ground.

“Brother, what do we do now?” The shorter man was filled with despair. “If we don’t complete our task tonight, they won’t let us off.”

“Stop with the defeatist talk! W-we’re just tired,” the taller man stammered, his hands and feet trembling at the thought of their employer’s methods. “We’ll rest for a bit, then keep searching! No way those two can grow wings and fly away!”

Hiding in the shadows, Han Boguang took a sharp breath, afraid he wouldn’t be able to protect Lady Zhang tonight.

Earlier, when Lady Zhang pulled him into hiding, he’d felt relieved.

But now, hearing their conversation, he unconsciously assumed a defensive stance.

“Heh.”

A soft chuckle escaped from Zhang Xiaolan in the darkness.

Han Boguang was momentarily stunned by her laughter, but he quickly refocused and fixed his gaze on the two men.

“When I give the signal, take them down one by one. Gag them and knock them out. Then, bring them back to the courtyard,” Zhang Xiaolan’s words echoed in Han Boguang’s ears. He did not respond verbally, only nodding.

The two men rested for a moment before getting up to search again.

Soon, the shorter one wandered close to their hiding spot, while the taller one moved in the opposite direction.

Zhang Xiaolan’s lips curled slightly as she watched the shorter man scanning the area—until their eyes met.

“Now!”

At the command, Han Boguang instantly lunged at the short man.

With a pre-prepared dirty sock, he stuffed it into the man’s mouth, then struck his neck with a hand chop. The man’s eyes rolled back as he passed out.

Dragging the unconscious man into the shadows, Han Boguang was about to report back when the taller man, having heard something, began approaching.

“No rush. Take care of him too,” Zhang Xiaolan said calmly.

By now, Han Boguang could no longer see her face clearly—only hear her voice.

Focusing all his attention on the tall man, Han Boguang struck again—same spot, same move—but this time, the tall man dodged.

Missing his mark, Han Boguang saw his opponent retaliate. He immediately countered with a swift kick, striking the tall man’s head and knocking him to the ground.

To prevent him from shouting, Han Boguang stuffed another dirty sock into his mouth.

“Before night falls completely, drag them both back to the courtyard.”

“Yes,” Han Boguang responded respectfully, grabbing the two men and hauling them away.

At the courtyard, he knocked on the gate—a short tap followed by a long one, their secret signal.

The door opened, and Han Changshu took one look at his brother’s burden without a word, stepping forward to help him drag the captives inside.

Behind them, Zhang Xiaolan observed in silence, nodding to herself. Their master had been right—the two brothers were learning fast. Han Boguang had immense strength, while Han Changshu was agile. They complemented each other well. With such talent, their future was bright.

In the backyard, Zhang Xiaolan instructed the brothers to tie up the captives and leave them there.

Hunger outweighed all else.

Why interrogate them on an empty stomach?

It was the Han brothers’ first time doing something like this, and they were visibly nervous.

Zhang Xiaolan reassured them, “No need to worry. We have the advantage here—this is our courtyard. Do you think they can escape?”

The Han brothers, faces flushed with embarrassment, nodded in agreement and sat down to eat.

After the meal, Zhang Xiaolan tested their lessons and was surprised by their progress. Curious, she asked how they were learning so quickly.

Heart pounding, Han Boguang lowered his head and answered, “Our third brother is gifted in reading, and our fourth sister is skilled at managing the household. When we don’t understand something, we often ask them for help.”

What a family of talents, Zhang Xiaolan thought with amusement. Was this their turn of fortune?

Since they were progressing well, she assigned them even more advanced exercises, increasing both the difficulty and duration.

“By the way, when you have time, take a look at the shops in the South and North markets. Observe how others do business,” she reminded them.

“Also, think about what kind of business you two could run on your own. Once you’ve got an idea, write up a proposal for me.”

“If your idea is viable, you can start your own shop. Once the first store is running smoothly, opening more will be much easier. Of course, at that point, your focus will shift from running a single shop to managing people.”

Zhang Xiaolan smiled, and the Han brothers were thrilled, immediately kneeling to thank her.

She stopped them and sent them to rest in the front yard.

She always stayed in the back courtyard—she used the front only for guests.

Still stirred by excitement, Han Boguang paused at the door to ask what they should do with the captives.

Zhang Xiaolan, even more pleased, simply said, “Wake them at the third watch of the night, then begin the interrogation.”

The Han brothers cupped their fists in acknowledgment, and Zhang Xiaolan retired to the back courtyard.

The whole compound gradually fell into silence.

The autumn night was cold.

The two bound captives slowly woke up, shivering.

Before they could figure out where they were, they saw each other—both tied to pillars, gagged with filthy socks, trembling in the wind.

Suddenly, voices approached from not far away. The two men quickly shut their eyes and pretended to be unconscious.

Han Boguang brought a lantern close to their faces, noticing how their eyeballs darted beneath their closed eyelids.

He turned to Zhang Xiaolan and whispered something.

She tapped the table. “Douse them with foot-washing water.”

Good water shouldn’t be wasted on scum.

“Yes,” the Han brothers replied. Each grabbed a basin of dirty water and dumped it over the captives.

In the chilly night, the men gasped awake.

“Ah, there you are,” Zhang Xiaolan stood up as the Han brothers shone the lanterns on their faces.

“I’ll ask the questions. You only need to nod or shake your head—no speaking. If you answer honestly, there will be rewards. If you lie, well… No one will ever find your bodies outside the city walls.”

“Do you understand?”