Chapter 304: Deep into the Tiger's Den

When Zu An caught the unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar faint fragrance, he knew he was in trouble. If he could identify her by her scent alone, how could she not recognize him, despite him only wearing the Plum Blossom Gang’s uniform? Unfortunately, he was a step too slow. In an instant, his vital points were sealed, rendering him completely immobile.

Plum Blossom Four's heart jolted. He quickly stood up and chuckled apologetically, "What is the gang leader doing?"

The young woman snorted softly, flicked her finger, and the claw-like thimble on her fingertip shot out, piercing directly through his forehead. Plum Blossom Four's body trembled, and he collapsed limply onto the table, the obsequious smile still frozen on his face even in death.

The other Plum Blossom Gang members were startled and immediately fled outwards. They didn't understand what had happened, but seeing the young woman suddenly attack, they knew something was terribly wrong. If Plum Blossom Four hadn't died, perhaps they would have had the courage to stay and fight. But now that Plum Blossom Four had been instantly killed with a single blow, they were terrified and scrambled to escape. They didn't believe they could outrun the formidable leader of the Giant Whale Gang, but if they could outrun their companions, it might delay the Giant Whale Gang members long enough for them to have a slim chance of survival.

Unfortunately, the young woman curled her slender fingers, and the tea scattered on the table seemed to be summoned by an unknown force, forming dozens of water droplets. Then, with a casual flick of her hand, the water droplets shot out instantly, striking the fleeing Plum Blossom Gang members. In almost the blink of an eye, the backs of those few people were a bloody mess, and their screams abruptly ceased.

"Gang Leader, what happened?" The Giant Whale Gang members outside heard the commotion and rushed in.

The young woman was now leisurely seated on a nearby stool, carefully putting on a new thimble. "Nothing, just dealt with them while I was at it," she said. Her subordinates said nothing. In the eyes of the Giant Whale Gang, casually killing a few people was too common to warrant comment.

"Ya Xiao, check what he brought," the young woman instructed, pointing to Plum Blossom Four's chest.

"Yes!" The burly, bearded man who was leading them walked over, rummaged through Plum Blossom Four's belongings, and pulled out a stack of papers, tossing them onto the table. "Damn it, except for a few real banknotes, everything else is fake! Let me kill these Plum Blossom Gang dogs!" As he spoke, he cracked his knuckles menacingly and advanced toward Zu An.

"I still have a use for this person. You all can leave first," the young woman said lazily. Despite her charming voice, the Giant Whale Gang members froze as if chilled, quickly tidied the room, and retreated. Ya Xiao, who had just been swaggering, also carried out Plum Blossom Four's body.

After the door closed, Zu An let out a long sigh. "I never imagined that you, who seem so frail and delicate on a daily basis, would have such an imposing side."

The young woman removed her veil, revealing a beautiful and familiar face. It was none other than Zheng Dan. "That's why you don't understand women," she said. "The prettier a woman is, the more easily she can deceive people."

Zu An scoffed, "I truly don't understand you. Usually, you wouldn't even step on an ant, yet now you're so ruthless, taking four lives with a mere flick of your hand."

"Are you talking about Plum Blossom Four and the others?" Zheng Dan chuckled lightly. "They've been bullying men and women and committing all sorts of evil deeds under the Plum Blossom Gang's backing for years. They deserved to die long ago. Not torturing them was already an act of mercy."

"So, should I thank you on their behalf?" Zu An mocked.

"There's no need to thank me. Rather, they should thank you," Zheng Dan said, rising and walking over to him. "If I hadn't been thinking about how to deal with you, they wouldn't have died so painlessly."

Inhaling her alluring scent, Zu An smiled. "So, have you figured out how to deal with me?"

"Not yet," Zheng Dan replied, rubbing her temples, clearly having a headache. "I never expected to meet you under these circumstances."

Zu An couldn't help but exclaim, "For years, everyone wondered who the leader of the Giant Whale Gang was. In some ways, they were even more mysterious than Chen Xuan. But who would have thought that the legendary, ruthless underworld magnate was actually Miss Zheng, who rarely leaves her family's compound?" As he spoke, he couldn't help but stare at the woman's beautiful face. "Which image is your true self?"

"Which image do you prefer?" Zheng Dan leaned closer, her fingertips lightly tracing his face, finally coming to rest slowly on his neck.

Zu An hadn't forgotten that Plum Blossom Four had just died by her thimble, and his throat felt a little dry. "Of course, I prefer the shy maiden I pinned against the wall a few hours ago."

Zheng Dan's face flushed, but she quickly masked it. "Hmph, don't try to charm me. I'm not the same person I was before. If I get annoyed, I'll cut off your tongue."

"If you cut off my tongue, would you really be able to go through with it?" Zu An asked with a grin.

Zheng Dan's eyes narrowed, and the murderous aura she exuded in that instant startled Zu An. Her fingertip hooked under his chin, and a dangerous smile played on her lips. "You can stick out your tongue and see if I can go through with it."

"Mmm-mmm-mmm," Zu An rapidly shook his head, not daring to open his mouth for fear that she might actually cut off his tongue, leaving him truly in despair. Feeling that the murderous intent she had just shown was not a joke, Zu An dared not provoke her further. He truly couldn't reconcile the dangerous, alluring woman before him with the gentle, graceful young lady he had known. He even wondered if this woman had a dual personality.

Just then, there was an urgent knock on the door. Zheng Dan's delicate brows furrowed, and she said coldly, "What is it?"

Ya Xiao's voice came from outside the door: "Gang Leader, a message from the island says there's urgent business to discuss. Please return to the island."

Zheng Dan put her veil back on, walked over, and opened the door. "Did they say what the message was about?"

Ya Xiao shook his head, handing her a slip of paper. "No, just that you should return quickly."

"Then we'll go back and see," Zheng Dan said gravely. Generally, since she had long played the role of Miss Zheng in the city, the island would not summon her like this unless there was an urgent matter. However, she wasn't overly concerned. They had already agreed on certain coded messages, and while this summons was urgent, it wasn't an emergency of the highest degree. There shouldn't be any danger on the island. She assumed it was likely some business deal or major decision that required her approval, as such things had occurred occasionally over the years.

Zheng Dan casually pointed at Zu An. "Bring him along too."

Zu An looked depressed. He had indeed intended to investigate the Giant Whale Gang leader and their stronghold information today. He had discovered everything, but in this manner... It was really hard to be happy about it.

Ya Xiao frowned, and couldn't help but make a gesture. "It's not very convenient for us to move around the city with someone in tow. Why don't we find a place to finish off this Plum Blossom Gang nobody?"

Zheng Dan shot him a sideways glance. "Are you telling me how to do my job?"

Cold sweat immediately broke out on Ya Xiao, and he hastily replied, "This subordinate wouldn't dare!"

Zu An secretly gave her a thumbs up in his heart. Majestic and domineering, truly worthy of being a gang leader. However, the difference from the gentle young woman in his memory was simply too vast.

Zu An was soon blindfolded with a black cloth bag. He vaguely felt himself being put into a carriage, and after a bumpy journey that seemed to involve changing vehicles four or five times, things finally became still. Feeling the rocking motion, he realized he had been placed on a boat. He had expected Zheng Dan to come and see him, perhaps to untie him. To his surprise, she showed no intention of coming to check on him from beginning to end. He was alone in the hold, as if forgotten.

"Damn it, is she worried I'll remember the way to the Giant Whale Gang's hideout?" Zu An, however, suddenly calmed down. This proved that she didn't want to kill him; otherwise, if he had truly seen everything, she would have no choice but to silence him. But then he immediately thought that he already knew Zheng Dan's identity. How could she possibly let him go?

While he was conflicted, Zheng Dan, at the bow of the ship, was equally conflicted. The clear breeze on the river didn't dispel even a hint of her vexation, for she, too, couldn't figure out how to deal with him. She hadn't anticipated meeting Zu An so suddenly at the First-Class Restaurant. The moment she noticed his nose twitch, she knew he had recognized her, leaving her no time to think but to act. It was all that guy's fault for tormenting her back at the academy, making her so anxious when changing her disguise that she forgot to alter her perfume scent. Normally, she would never make such a rookie mistake.

How to handle him next was truly a headache. Letting him go was certainly not an option; he knew her identity, and if it were exposed, not only she and the Giant Whale Gang but the entire Zheng family would face ruin. But killing him... seemed a bit of a waste. Never mind. First, she would see if she could get information about those IOUs from him. It wasn't just the Plum Blossom Gang's more than seven million taels; the gambling house where the Zheng family secretly held shares also owed him five hundred thousand taels! She had tried to use her charm several times before, but not only did she gain no information, she nearly compromised herself, resulting in a huge loss. So this time, she would change her strategy. If subtlety didn't work, she would resort to force. Under torture, this guy might just talk...

Both of them preoccupied with their thoughts, the boat unknowingly arrived at Giant Whale Island. Zu An was also brought ashore, his black hood removed, and he finally saw light again. He was on a small island. He looked around and saw vast, misty waters stretching to the horizon, with no shore in sight. He thought, *This Bright Moon River is quite large, to have a place like this, almost like the 800-li Liangshan Marsh.*

"Gang Leader, should we take this man to the dungeon?" Ya Xiao asked for instructions.

Zheng Dan hesitated. "Bring him with me." She was somewhat worried about what might happen to him if he left her sight. The Giant Whale Gang was full of rough men, and it would be troublesome if one of them suddenly got a wild idea and butchered him. She figured dealing with matters on the island wouldn't take long, and then she could settle accounts with him later.

The group walked towards the assembly hall. Just as they were about to arrive, a mocking voice suddenly rang out: "Oh, well, well, well, if it isn't Zu An, the Chu family's live-in son-in-law! What a pleasant surprise, finding something you've searched high and low for without any effort. Don't you usually have many masters protecting you? How did you end up in this state?"