Hot Potato

Chapter 15 – Hot Potato

Zhang Tong was sitting on the side of his bed, looking at the HUD map, frowning.

The red dot of the last otherworlder in this village was in the main hall of Zhang's resident.

'Uncle told me Hua Tuo and co. were here again and they are currently in the main hall.'

'Then Hua Shi should be here too.'

'She never appears in the history yet she exists here.'

'And the dot is in the main hall.'

'There's no other explanation. She's the last otherworlder!'

With the information Zhang Bao gave him, Tong made a conjecture. Tong guessed that the last red dot person should be Hua Shi whom he met yesterday.

'How should I deal with her? Kill her? Talk to her first? Or wait and see?'

'All otherworlders are sinners. They all once were wicked criminals.'

'She cannot be 100% trusted!'

'But that Hua Tuo … I need an exit plan just the case the Yellow Turban collapses in the future.'

'I can't offend him yet.'

Even though Tong made hypothetical scenarios in his mind, one of which if Hua Shi was an otherworlder then Tong would negotiate with her, he still couldn't force himself to make peace with Hua Shi.

But the situation had changed. Hua Shi should already be aware of his existence and the mission was still active until the end of today. She might be tempted to kill him for an extra reward. Tong had to adjust his plan.

'I'll negotiate first. If it doesn't work then I'll kill her, even if it means I have to offend Hua Tuo.'

…

Zhang Jiao leaded Hua Tuo and his family to Tong's courtyard.

Even though Zhang Jiao didn't want to play along with Hua Tuo, but having Hua Shi looking at Tong's injury and his body condition wouldn't hurt.

As a father, he concerned about his only son well-being. He knew he didn't behave like a good father to Tong all these years and they rarely talked to each other. At the very least, he wanted to ensure Tong good future and good health.

They found Tong sitting alone on a wooden chair in the middle of an empty field, glaring at the visitors. He had a sword hanging behind his back.

Hua Shi had a chill run down her spine. Tong didn't hide his killing intent. If she made a wrong move, Tong wouldn't hesitate to kill her on the spot in front of her father.

"Tong'er, you're here."

Zhang Jiao felt awkward. He didn't know what to start. He hadn't talked to his son for a long time.

Tong's grumpy face turned gentler. He looked at his father and smiled.

"Dad, master Huo, could both of you leave us alone? I have something important to talk to the young lady here."

Tong spoke with a calm and gentle voice but his killing intent enveloped the entire courtyard. The three visitors felt uncomfortable standing there.

Hua Tuo and Hua Shi were silent. This wasn't part of their plans. Why was Tong so hostile to them?

"Tong'er, I've brought the lady here to check on your injury. She has a special power. Why don't you let her see you wound."

"… A special power, is it? Okay, but could you leave us alone, please?"

Zhang Jiao nodded, but his eyes sadden. He wanted to talk with his son more. There were too many things he wanted to ask.

"Well, let's leave this to the younglings. You saw her power so you shouldn't be worried. She can treat his wound and even detect a disease that I couldn't even notice."

Hua Tuo laughed and left the courtyard. He already half-succeeded what he had come here for, dumping his immoral daughter to another family.

Zhang Jiao felt bitter. He turned around and were about to leave. But Tong spoke out.

"Dad, let's have a good talk after this. I'll explain everything to you."

Zhang Jiao nodded in relieved and left, following Hua Tuo exiting the courtyard.

Seeing that both Zhang Jiao and Hua Tuo left. Tong glared at Hua Shi.

"Now then, let's talk, shall we?" Tong spoke up.

"…"

Hua Shi couldn't speak. She was nervous.

"Why don't you start by telling me what you are doing here?"

Tong smiled. He pulled an object out from his sleeve. It was a grenade. Tong put his hand on the pin while watching Hua Shi's reaction.

"Oh, before you start. I need to remind you something."

"One, I believe in gender equality so I don't mind beating up any man or woman alike."

"Two, I already have a girlfriend so don't even bother seducing me. I'm not planning to be a Harem King."

"Three, I have a skill that makes me immune to this grenade in my hand. So if you try anything funny, I'll pull the pin. And I'll be sure to use every ounce of my strength to jump at you like a suicide bomber to ensure that you will be blown to pieces."

"Now I have finished introducing myself. It's your turn. Be sure to tell me about your skill in detail and your intention of coming here. You have 30 seconds and it starts ... now!"

Hua Shi was flabbergast, stunned and flustered. She expected a civil discussion since both of them already met their quota for the mission clear. But Tong downright threatened her like she was some kind of criminal.

"Umm … please calm down-"

"25 seconds."

"…!"

"23."

Tong pulled the pin and hold onto the lever. If he let go of the lever then the grenade would explode in a few seconds.

"Okay! Okay! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! Put the ring back in!"

Hua Shi narrated everything, about her skill, about her talk with Hua Tuo and about the misunderstanding which made Hua Tuo wanted to get Hua Shi to marry Tong.

Tong looked at Hua Shi with a complicated face. What kind of nonsense story was this? Was this some kind of cliché story from a harem novel on an online novel website?

"What crime did you do in your previous life, before you went to Hell?"

"Uhh … I don't remember I did anything wrong."

"Bullshit, only criminals were sent to Hell and only sinners in Hell were sent here. What did you do?"

"Eh? I'm serious. … Though I was told that my taste of the food was strange."

"Strange? What did you eat?"

"Umm … Human brains?"

"…"

"Oh, and women thigh muscles, women breasts …"

"…"

"Also liver, and sometimes chewy heart-"

"Stop! That's enough!"

"Okay. You believe me now?"

Tong had a headache. What in the blue world was this girl in her previous life? A zombie?

"And how did you procure your … your food?"

"I took it from my patients. Most of them were about to die so I took the liberty taking a portion of their parts since they wouldn't be able to use it anyway."

"When you took the parts, had they died yet?"

"Err … Nope!"

'You actually killed them, you sicko zombie!' Tong wanted to curse out loud. But he continued asking.

"… You said they were patients, what was your job in your last life?"

"A nurse."

The corner of Tong's mouth twitched. If she answered 'A doctor' then he would have thought that she was a reincarnation of H*nnibal Lect*r.

"Look, I've come in peace, okay? We don't have to fight anymore. We already completed the mission. Let's be friends, okay?"

Tong stared into Hua Shi's eyes as if he tried to read her mind. Then he sighed and put the pin back into the grenade lever, stopping the trigger.

Tong had a rough idea why Hua Tuo suddenly wanted to shove his daughter to him.

Hua Shi's hobby could incite an uproar and ruin Hua Tuo's reputation. As in ancient time in China, the reputation of a family was very important especially to nobles and top careerists such as physicians or officials.

If someone were to damage it even the slightest bit, the lowest punishment that the person would get would be beaten by a giant wooden stick a dozen times, which had a high chance to cripple or kill the person on the spot.

Such punishment was not just a tradition that was upheld within the ranks of the noble family. Even the law made by the imperial court would also have a similar minimum punishment, whipping by logs.

Tossing Hua Shi away to someone else's family like a hot potato could also be seen as a merciful act to protect a family member from such punishment by the family or the officials.

Tong was irritated by the plan of Hua Tuo for throwing away his own daughter to protect his own reputation as a physician. However, Hua Tuo's action sparked an idea for Tong.

'I didn't want to marry anyone but Friday or want to build a harem like one of those main characters in web novels. But I can use this zombie.'

'Hua Tuo may not want to work for anyone in the history. But this time, your heritage is mine.'

Tong withdrew his killing intent and grinned at Hua Shi.

"We can be friends. But I have a few conditions."