Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 133 The Wind Rises in Chunping Marquis's Mansion, Xiu Yuan Makes His Move

"Get up and talk."

At the Chunping Marquis's residence, Xiu Yuan raised his hand, and an invisible force lifted Xiao Lin up. Feeling the force on her knees, Xiao Lin's heart pounded like a drum.

Only now did she understand what the man in black armor had meant.

While in the Jade Flower Pavilion, she met many people, including some chivalrous heroes who had demonstrated the skill of crushing porcelain cups into powder with their bare hands, leaving many girls dumbfounded.

After seeing more of the world, she and Yao Yi learned a lot about the martial arts world. For example, she was fortunate enough to witness once the powerful masters in the martial arts world who could leap across rooftops and unleash sword and saber energy. It was in a bustling city.

The one who made the move was Black Stone from the Hidden Sun organization. That battle was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. In just a short while, dozens of strong men were all taken down by Black Stone. It was at that time that they realized that the world was very big, and what they had seen in Sanyang Village and Daicheng was just a drop in the ocean.

"My uncle was murdered."

After listening to Xiaolin's story, Ni Chang, who was standing to the side, gave a cold smile.

"You think leaving Jade Flower Pavilion will spare you from becoming a burden to Snow Maiden and Yao Yi? You think the powerful and influential will reason with you when they question you? How laughable!!"

Xiaolin's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, as this was exactly what she had planned, but she hadn't expected Ni Chang to see right through her.

"What, you don't believe it?"

With the mask covering her face, Ni Chang's voice changed.

At this moment, her voice was very low and carried an extremely strong sense of pressure.

"There must be quite a few people in Handan City eyeing that girl! There are even members of the royal family. If you really kill Marquis Chunping, are you sure no one will take advantage of your misfortune? At that time, not only you, but also Yao Yi and even Xue Nu will be implicated."

"Or you could say that your assassination attempt was orchestrated by someone else. Do you think Gongzi Jia would be willing to bear that infamy? Or even dare to bear it? If Guo Kai then uses this as leverage, do you think Gongzi Jia would still protect Xue Nu?"

Upon hearing Ni Chang's analysis, Xiao Lin plopped down on the ground.

"how so??"

Ni Chang shook her head. The methods used in the imperial court are often about weighing interests, a back-and-forth exchange. If one person is unwilling to give in, it's more likely that the price hasn't met their expectations.

"No, Young Master Jia also admires Miss Xue Nu, he wouldn't do that."

Xiaolin seemed unconvinced, after all, she could tell that Gongzi Jia liked Xue Nu. She didn't think Gongzi Jia would do something like sending the woman he loved to her death.

Upon hearing the other person's words, Ni Chang suddenly laughed. There are indeed people who love beauty more than power, but how many, if not all, existed during the nearly seven hundred years of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods?

"The reason they won't concede is simply because they don't have enough bargaining chips. What if we offered the entire state of Zhao in exchange?"

The girl in front of her, though scheming, is clueless about human nature. If that day really comes, she's sure that Young Master Jia will hand her over without hesitation, and might even personally act as a go-between.

Xiu Yuan sat in the chair, his gaze flickering uncertainly.

He had roughly figured out the general situation. Xiao Lin's uncle's death was related to Marquis Chunping. After she accidentally learned of this news, she had been making preparations. Later, because of Xue Nu, Marquis Chunping targeted her and Yao Yi. Yao Yi did not submit, but she pretended to comply and came to Marquis Chunping's mansion.

What happened next was actually quite easy to guess: Xiaolin approached Marquis Chunping with the aim of avenging her uncle by killing him.

But Xiu Yuan felt something was off about this matter. Although Marquis Chunping was not very reliable, he was still a member of the royal family. How could he possibly have contact with a merchant, especially a merchant who had fled from war?

"Xiaolin, where did you get the news that Manager Xu's death was related to Marquis Chunping?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaolin frowned.

"My benefactor, is there a problem?"

Upon hearing this, Ni Chang subconsciously looked over. If Xiu Yuan hadn't brought it up, she would have almost overlooked this point.

"Once, a guest was drinking at Yuhua Pavilion and mentioned that Liu Tong was indeed the steward of the Marquis of Chunping's mansion."

Xiu Yuan remained silent for a moment before speaking again, getting straight to the heart of the matter.

"Are you sure Liu Tong is a man of Marquis Chunping?"

Ni Chang crossed her arms, her eyes flickering uncertainly. In fact, this was the crux of the matter. If Liu Tong was a man of Marquis Chunping, then this matter was most likely related to Marquis Chunping. If Liu Tong was not a man of Marquis Chunping, then this matter was quite interesting.

"Isn't he the steward of Marquis Chunping?"

Xiaolin's face paled, as if she had guessed something, but deep in her eyes she still said with unwavering determination.

"He's the housekeeper, but that doesn't mean he's one of us. You should have known this a long time ago: you can't see into someone's heart."

Upon hearing this, Xiaolin suddenly fell silent.

She thought that by enduring and lying low, she could get revenge, but after hearing Xiu Yuan's words, she suddenly realized that she seemed to have become someone else's pawn. Just as she had said before, she thought she had entered the game herself, but she didn't expect that she had already been controlled by someone else.

"So what should I do now?" Ni Chang stood to the side, her gaze subtly shifting. She turned and glanced at the young man beside her, her heart rippled. She had mentioned the matter of the Zhao court to him before, but he didn't seem interested.

She had a guess at the time, and now it seems that she was right. Just because the other party was not interested did not mean that the other party did not understand. This young man had reached a level that was difficult for ordinary people to reach in terms of understanding people's hearts.

"Then let's play along. I'm very interested to see who this bastard hiding behind the scenes really is."

Xiu Yuan then looked at Ni Chang.

"You can survive being wounded, right?"

Ni Chang shrugged. Dealing with an ordinary person was naturally not a problem for her.

Moreover, the guards in this mansion are all at least at the Houtian level. If she doesn't want them to notice, even if Marquis Chunping dies, they won't be able to find out.

Then Xiu Yuan said to Xiao Lin, "Find anyone who can testify for you, whether you're close or not. Once inside, find a reason to cause a scene, and it would be best if they sustained some injuries."

Xiaolin was confused when she heard this. What exactly was this young man planning to do?
However, Ni Chang understood, but there was one thing she didn't quite understand: how could the butler trust her if she did this? But when she saw the coldness in the boy's eyes, she couldn't help but shudder.

"Soul Transference!"

She had completely forgotten about it.

Today I want to see just how deep this pool of water in Handan really is.

After a moment of silence, Xiaolin seemed to realize what the boy in front of her wanted to do, but she was also curious.

"My benefactor, will Marquis Chunping believe me?"

Xiu Yuan narrowed his eyes.

"The person they're trying to deceive isn't him, but the steward Liu Tong. If the other party isn't one of Marquis Chunping's men, they would definitely take other actions upon receiving the message. If they didn't go out themselves, they would arrange for someone else to go out as well."

Thinking back to the arrangements she had made for Xiaolin, Ni Chang chuckled.

Alibi
Actually, it didn't have to be so complicated. At worst, she could just kill Chunping Hou as well. Anyway, she had no good feelings towards him. However, she didn't intend to go against Xiu Yuan's wishes this time. Wouldn't it be too boring if the main character died at the beginning of such a grand drama?

Soon the two split up. In a secluded courtyard, Xiaolin knocked on the door. The person was none other than Han Ji, the one who had previously ostracized her. Upon seeing this person, a cold glint appeared in Xiaolin's eyes. They had no grudges against each other, yet Han Ji had targeted her the moment she arrived at the Marquis's residence. Today, she would settle scores and seek revenge.

On the other side, Ni Chang arrived at a bedroom, silently opened the door, and then slipped inside.
Before long, the Chunping Marquis's mansion was in an uproar. The guards went crazy, carrying torches and searching for the murderer. Outside the north wing, a guard rushed and smashed open the door of the steward, Liu Tong.

"Butler, something terrible has happened! Xiao Lin has gone mad! She's killed the Marquis!!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Tong's expression changed drastically.

"How could this be?! How could Xiaolin assassinate the Marquis?! You must be mistaken?!"

The guard, panting heavily, hurriedly replied, "It's true, absolutely true! Everyone's searching for that little bitch right now!"

"Steward Liu, the manor is in complete chaos and needs someone to take charge. Madam has sent me to invite you over. Quickly, tidy yourself up and come over!"

Liu Tong sized up the newcomer's clothes and appearance, and after confirming the newcomer's identity, he waved his hand.

"Go back and tell Madam that I'll pack my things and head over right away."

Upon hearing this, the visitor seemed hesitant, but ultimately nodded.

"Steward Liu, hurry up! The manor is in complete chaos right now!!"

After saying this, the guard ran out without looking back.

Then Liu Tong heard a commotion coming from afar. Seeing the situation, a strange look appeared on Liu Tong's face. He then turned around and went back into the house. He then went to the north gate, called out a servant, whispered a few words in his ear, and the servant left the gate without looking back.

Watching his entourage's departing figures, Liu Tong clapped his hands and slowly walked towards the backyard.

Outside the door, a young man stepped out from the void. He first glanced at Liu Tong's back, then took a step and disappeared from the spot again.

In an alley, a man dressed as a servant turned into a very ordinary courtyard, and a little while later, two more people ran out one after the other.

One of them was the attendant who came from the Marquis's residence, and the other was a very ordinary-looking man. He first looked around, then lightly touched the ground with his feet, leaped into the air, jumped onto the house, and then disappeared into the distance in a few flashes.

"interesting!"

On a rooftop, Xiu Yuan pinched his chin, a playful smile playing on his lips. The second messenger was not an ordinary person, but a martial arts master. Then, he took a step in mid-air and disappeared from the spot once again.

"Heaven can be measured, earth can be fathomed, but the human heart cannot be guarded against! The ancients were indeed wise."

(End of this chapter)