Everyone exclaimed in shock when they saw their comrades fell to the ground, then suddenly stopped breathing. Shang He and Meng Gui were also taken aback.

"Leader! Step back!" their subordinates cried and protected their respective leader.

Everyone fell into a panic and thought Ah Ke attacked airborne. But, when they turned to her, they only saw her smiling. Her smile is serene, and her eyes are like two pools of water. Their surface is calm.

"What did you do?" Shang He asked Ah Ke.

"I didn't do anything." Ah Ke answered. "It's them who did this onto themselves." She said.

"What do you mean?" Meng Gui asked. Unlike Shang He who was raged, he has regained his calm. After hearing Ah Ke's answer, he suddenly has an idea what had happened.

"To those who bed Du Xiang has contracted Du Xiang's illness." Ah Ke answered. "Then, when they bed those girls… those girls also contracted the illness from them." She clenched her fists, although her voice sounds dull. "And then, those girls made other men contracted the illness, and so on…" she looked at them.

Everyone's eyes widened before their faces paled. "YOU!!!! YOU! YOU BIT*H!!!" they cursed and raised their swords. They were about to attack Ah Ke when they suddenly stopped after they remembered something. "You… you also have the illness – " they said and stared at Ah Ke in horror.

"That's right." Ah Ke nodded.

"How can you live longer than Du Xiang?!" they asked.

"Du Xiang engaged in debauchery, which just sped up her illness. Meanwhile, I didn't." Ah Ke, whose life was numbered, generously answered their question.

"N-no way…!" they exclaimed and suddenly felt their body using their qi to find if they also bear an illness.

"It's useless." Ah Ke told them. "I used a special medicine on Du Xiang. Your qi can't trace it. Only your conscience will tell you if you'll die or not." She explained.

"YOU EVIL!!!" they said.

"Am I?" Ah Ke asked. "Or, are you speaking for yourselves?" she asked before blood trickled out of the corner of her lips.

They suddenly stepped back when they saw it.

"If you didn't commit the sin, you won't die." Ah Ke spoke. "But, you did. Now, you don't even know whether your have the illness or not, and when will you die." She chuckled.

"B*tch!" someone can't hold back anymore. "You only want for your lover to suffer retribution, but he has already died! Why are you taking it out on us?!" he asked.

Ah Ke turned to him. "I am taking this out on you?" she sneered. "Did I tell you to bed Du Xiang? Did I tell you to be debauched?" she asked.

The person shut up.

"Ahahaha… hahahaha!" Ah Ke laughed as she placed a hand on her forehead. "Each and every one of you is a hypocrite! This world is doomed to end!" she said. Then, she looked at them. Mockery is on her eyes.

They all gnashed their teeth in anger. They are itching to tear her to pieces! But, they are also afraid that they might contract her illness once they touch her, or just come near her.

"Scared?" Ah Ke evilly grinned. "Oh, right." She muttered when she remembered something. She looked at them all, then her gaze stopped on Shang He and Meng Gui's figures. "Did leader Shang and leader Meng forget something? Or… someone?" she asked.

Shang He and Meng Gui froze. "Ma Wen." They both answered.

"Yes." Ah Ke nodded. "He's not here, is he?" she asked. "Nor even one of his people." She added.

Shang He and Meng Gui didn't speak.

"Leader Ma, with the speed and span of his network, has found out Du Xiang's illness." Ah Ke spoke. "That's why he didn't arrive today, nor his people. He knows that through contact can the illness be acquired, thus they didn't come." She told them.

Shang He's jaw clenched in anger. Ma Wen played them! That old cunning fox! He'll kill him when he sees him! Meanwhile, Meng Gui's eyes flashed with killing intent.

Ah Ke saw her expected expressions on Shang He's and Meng Gui's faces. "Oh. One more thing." She said when she remembered something.

Everyone's eyes narrowed and they vigilantly looked at her. Before, they have never placed in their eyes this plain woman. But now, they don't dare underestimate her.

"I have said that through contact will the illness infect you. Since that is so – " Ah Ke spoke and looked at the pale faces of the men around her. Then, she cynically smiled. " – won't you kill them, for you to be safe?" she asked.

Everyone's pupils constricted and their hearts clenched in fear. They fearfully looked at their comrades, then their leaders. As expected, Shang He's and Meng Gui's faces darkened. This is what Ah Ke has planned.

"Leader/boss…" they all called, trembling in fear.

"Yes, yes, also – " Ah Ke said as she slapped her forehead. " – you should also burn them, just to be safer. Fire can make the diseases go away, right?" she asked before she raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

Suddenly, the Tianyi Brothel was aflame.

"AAAH!!!" those who were standing near or surrounding the brothel screamed when their clothes were caught in fire. Unfortunately, there was no water around. So, they can only wet themselves with the pools of blood on the ground.

"Oh, I advise you not to do that." They heard Ah Ke spoke.

Suddenly, fear swallowed their heart when they heard her voice that's life the voice of death.

As expected, what Ah Ke said made their heart sank. "Not only through skin contact can the illness be contracted." She said. "It is also through saliva… and blood." She told them with unkind intention.

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" they all screamed as they were filled with panic and fear. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!!" they screamed.

Shang He and Meng Gui's faces paled when they saw the blood-soaked people running around the plaza and hacking their comrades to death. Now, they realized that they have fallen into a trap. How can they suddenly easily enter the Plum Blossom City, if Du Xiang doesn't want to die? What happened, instead, is that Du Xiang not only wanted to die, but she also wanted to drag them all down with her!

And Ma Wen… he knew this, yet he happily watched them walk into the trap. He can kill them all today without raising a finger!

"Leader/boss, please hurry and leave the city!" Shang He's and Meng Gui's subordinates spoke.

Meng Gui's subordinates immediately pushed him inside the palanquin. Meanwhile, a person suddenly rushed towards Shang He!

"Boss, watch out!" Shang He's subordinate cried and pushed Shang He away before he raised his sword to block the attack.

They thought Shang He is already safe. Who knows who started it, but someone splashed blood on them.

"BOSS!!!" Shang He's subordinates screamed.

Shang He's eyes widened and his pupils constricted as he watched the blood descending on him. Suddenly, he felt something wrapped around his waist before he felt his body was pulled back and his back hit something. He watched as the blood fell on the place where he stood before, narrowly missing it.

"How long are you going to be in a daze?" Meng Gui asked.

Shang He snapped out of his daze when he heard the other's voice. Then, he saw the whip slipped out of his waist and returned inside the palanquin. He turned, then pulled up the curtains. He saw Meng Gui was frowning.

Meng Gui turned and glared at him. "Get in." he told him. Although the palanquin was wide for him, but with another person, they have to squeeze together.

But, Meng Gui didn't say this out of kindness. Now, Du Xiang has died. Ma Wen is also very cunning to let him and Shang He fall in Du Xiang's trap. Meng Gui, before, has Shang He as an enemy. But, now, he and Shang He are in the same boat. They have now only one common enemy left. Meng Gui doesn't want to have another enemy, and neither Shang He. Thus, Meng Gui told Shang He to get in the palanquin for Shang He to be indebted to him.

Shang He stared at Meng Gui's face before he get in the palanquin. "Thanks." He said.

The palanquin was lifted up and started to be carried. Shang He's people also saw Shang He get in the palanquin, and they helped Meng Gui's people in carrying the palanquin for their leaders to leave the city faster.

"I didn't do this out of kindness." Meng Gui frankly spoke.

"I know." Shang He said. Meng Gui was about to speak when he spoke. "But, even if I owe you a favor, if I want to kill you, you can't stop me." He told Meng Gui.

Meng Gui's face became red because of anger and humiliation. "Ingrate!" he said. He knows that what Shang He said is a fact. But what can he do? He is weaker than Shang He.

Shang He stared at him before he laughed. "Who told you to be dishonest?" he asked before he paused. "Such a dishonest mouth1, too." He added.

Meng Gui froze, before his face became redder.

yep. Meng Gui is a tsundere~~~