He expressed his interest, piqued by Wu Caiwei, and said he would bring people to find her in the afternoon. As Wu Caiwei nodded in agreement, a middle-aged official-looking man approached the Third Prince, his expression revealing surprise upon seeing Wu Caiwei.
"What a coincidence to meet you here today, Third Young Master. Since you have other matters, I will take my leave. I hope you will keep your promise regarding our agreed-upon matter," Wu Caiwei said, standing up quickly. She tactfully created space for them, her words not only explaining their seating arrangement but also reminding the Third Prince of his promised test.
The Third Prince immediately nodded in agreement, and the middle-aged official breathed a sigh of relief. When he first saw Wu Caiwei, his heart had sunk, fearing the Third Prince had invited several people, and he was just one of them. Now, it seemed the Third Prince still valued him.
The Third Prince, well aware of the official's emotional shift, looked at Wu Caiwei with renewed admiration. He realized he had truly found a treasure. Not only was she skilled in martial arts, but she was also incredibly adept at handling matters, unlike most young people.
Her objective achieved, Wu Caiwei returned to her shop in high spirits. As she reached the entrance, she heard Lu Zi arguing with someone. She involuntarily quickened her pace, parting the crowd of onlookers.
Upon seeing her, Lu Zi's face lit up with overwhelming joy. It wasn't that he wanted to push these matters onto his employer, but he was utterly incapable of handling such a situation. If he mishandled it, he would only create more trouble for her. Now that she was here, he could follow her lead and learn, so he could handle similar situations independently next time and not bother her.
As soon as Wu Caiwei stood there, Lu Zi came to her side and whispered an explanation. It turned out these people were local ruffians from the capital, claiming they hadn't paid protection fees despite doing business there for so long.
The dispute arose because, in his time in the capital, Lu Zi had never heard of such a thing as protection fees. So many shops in the capital had unimaginable backing; offending any powerful figure could lead to an unknown demise.
Someone had clearly learned that the owner had no backing and had come to extort them. However, these local thugs couldn't be offended. If they weren't appeased today, they would face endless trouble, possibly causing disturbances daily. If they were paid and allowed to leave, they might return later. But it was evident they intended to ruin their shop, and there was no way they could let them off.
During their earlier altercation, Lu Zi claimed he was merely an employee and couldn't make decisions, asking them to return another day, hoping to buy some time. But these people were here for them today and wouldn't leave until they achieved their goal. Although Lu Zi felt his employer had little chance against them alone, after so many days together, he knew his boss was no ordinary person and might indeed have a way to drive them away.
The thugs, seeing the expression on Lu Zi's face, knew the person in charge had arrived. They immediately turned their gaze to Wu Caiwei, fixing her with menacing stares.
A group of people threatening one person, their hands stained with blood, their murderous intent unmistakable. A normal person would have been terrified, not knowing what to do, perhaps even giving in to their threats and paying them, only to have them cause further trouble, making them afraid to continue their business. But what kind of person was Wu Caiwei? How could she be intimidated?
She calmly stepped forward, sizing them up from head to toe, a mocking expression on her face. "The person who hired you is pushing you into a fire pit. Don't you know I am skilled in martial arts, and ordinary people are no match for me?"
Seeing their bewildered expressions, she continued, "Judging by your appearance, your employer didn't tell you my actual capabilities. It's understandable; if they had, you wouldn't dare come here to cause trouble. Anyway, you've already been paid, and now you've kicked a steel plate. You'll suffer the consequences, and it will have nothing to do with him."
For a moment, the men panicked, then felt that with her slender arms and legs, how could she possibly be skilled in martial arts? Although the martial world had its share of strong practitioners, they had never heard of anyone outstanding in this area. If they had, would they have dared to confront her? Perhaps she was just trying to scare them off.
"You're too young to scare us. To tell you the truth, someone paid us to drive you away. If you're sensible, close your shop immediately and move elsewhere. If not, don't blame us for being impolite." The leader, though speaking boldly, felt a sense of unease. He found this person somewhat strange. If it were anyone else facing such a large group of men alone, they would at least show fear, even if not trembling. Yet, this person was not only calm but composed. If he wasn't mistaken, he could clearly see an eagerness in her eyes, as if she couldn't wait for them to cause trouble so she could practice her skills.
"Whether I'm scaring you or not, we'll know after a test, won't we?" Wu Caiwei crossed her arms, looking down at them. Doing business in this area, she was sure some of the onlookers had the same ideas as shopkeeper Liu but hadn't acted yet, remaining in an observation phase. Today, she would make an example of them, showing them she wasn't to be trifled with and that they should think twice before making trouble.
The men looked at each other, tempted to retreat. But from the crowd, someone shouted, "These guys are all cowards! They're intimidated by ordinary people's threats, yet they claim to be the strongest local thugs in the capital. Everyone should keep their eyes open and not hire them for tasks in the future."
The surrounding crowd immediately echoed this sentiment. They loved a good spectacle and wanted to see if this boastful shop owner truly possessed the skills she claimed. People skilled in martial arts were indeed a rare sight for common folk.
The men were like ducks forced onto a shelf, compelled to proceed. They closed their eyes; their reputation was already ruined. If they won, they might salvage some of it. If they were defeated today, they wouldn't lose much. To save face, they all charged forward simultaneously.
Some, seeing the menacing appearance of the thugs, couldn't bear to watch and squeezed their eyes shut or peeked through their fingers, not wanting to witness the young person being beaten. But what happened next made their jaws drop.