From a slave to the Great Qian Martial Saint

"Ah~!"

The next morning, a heart-wrenching wail came from the courtyard.

A moment later, Lu'er's body was carried out through a door panel.

Jia Shun followed beside him, his eyes bloodshot as he scanned his surroundings, as if questioning who had killed his son.

The servants outside the second gate stepped aside, not daring to meet Jia Shun's gaze.

Chen Shi mingled in the crowd, his expression unchanged, as if he had never seen Lu'er last night.

It was only then that he realized how strong his mental fortitude was.

"Alright, that's all. Everyone, go home and do what you need to do."

After Jia Shun left, Yun'er came out and gave instructions to everyone.

Those not on duty here simply left, which still caused a stir and some gasps of surprise.

Chen Shi happened to be on duty this morning, so he came over and asked a question.

"Was that Lu'er just now? How did she die?"

"Killed by an assassin."

Yun'er sighed, a look of pity on her face.

"Although Lu'er is a bit spoiled, he is still so young, it's a real pity. Alas, it's just that he was unlucky and ran into an assassin."

"Yes, he was just unlucky, he can't blame anyone else."

Chen Shi nodded, then asked another question.

"Is Second Grandma alright?"

"She's fine, just a little frightened last night and hasn't gotten up yet. Why did you suddenly think of asking about her?"

After Yun'er finished speaking, she suddenly looked at Chen Shi warily, her eyes filled with a hint of jealousy.

"Oh, it's nothing. The assassin was too fierce. I was thinking of avoiding hurting Second Madam."

Chen Shi gave a casual reply, but he was puzzled.

Yun'er said that Xiao Fengxiao was just frightened?

Who did he encounter last night? Xiao Fengxiao's experience last night was not as simple as just being frightened.

Did Xiao Fengxiao manage to deceive Yun'er? How did she do it? After all, Yun'er was her personal maid and was always by her side.

Or perhaps Yun'er was intentionally covering for her.

Although puzzled, Chen Shi did not delve into it, after all, it was not his concern.

He learned from Yun'er that Lu'er was killed by an assassin, which meant that Jia Shun should not suspect anyone else, which put him at ease.

"The authorities will definitely be checking things closely these next few days, so don't wander off."

After giving Chen Shi a word of advice, Yun'er turned and went back.

"understood."

Chen Shi agreed verbally, but he didn't really take it to heart.

The morning passed without any tasks being assigned. It seemed that Xiao Fengxiao was probably resting in bed due to the "fright" and therefore had no instructions.

Gu Chengze returned from outside around 9:00 AM, but there was no further news.

After all, it was just the death of a servant.

Although he was his personal servant, given Gu Chengze's cold-hearted nature, he wouldn't care about Lu'er's death at all.

To Chen Shi's relief, since Gu Chengze showed no unusual behavior, it meant he probably hadn't noticed the key had been tampered with.

The morning passed peacefully, and no one suspected Chen Shi of anything. Chen Shi breathed a long sigh of relief and was finally completely at ease.

After the afternoon shift ended, I ate lunch in the kitchen and then walked out of the Marquis's residence.

As expected, the gate was heavily guarded, and even servants from the mansion were questioned when entering or leaving.

Chen Shi made an excuse that he was going out to buy something for his second grandmother, and that's how he was allowed to leave.

After leaving the Marquis's residence, Chen Shi glanced at the soldiers patrolling the streets and was secretly amazed.

Sure enough, it wasn't that easy for the woman to escape the Marquis's mansion.

The best arrangement is for her to stay with Mu Yunsheng to recover from her injuries. Once she recovers, the guards at the Marquis's residence should relax their vigilance, allowing her to slip away.

Stopping thinking about these things, Chen Shi deliberately walked around the streets for a few more days, found a stranger locksmith, and had the three keys that had been copied the night before made into copies.

"Very good."

Holding the key in his hand, Chen Shi felt a surge of excitement.

Then came another wave of anxiety, and he silently prayed that one of the three keys was the one he wanted!

Chen Shi wasn't on duty in the afternoon, and he figured there wouldn't be much to do today, so there was no need to assign him any tasks. Seeing that it was getting late, Chen Shi simply went back to Sweetwater Lane.

"Why are you up so early today?"

Seeing Chen Shi return, Cui Nong smiled and said something.

As usual, I wrung out a wet towel.

Chen Shi took the towel, wiped his face and hands, and said with a smile.

"Go buy some wine and food."

"Why spend that money? If you're hungry, I'll make you something. How about some noodles?"

As she spoke, Cui Nong headed toward the kitchen.

"Let's go buy some."

Chen Shi reached out to stop Cui Nong, a broad smile on his face.

Let's celebrate tonight.

"Another celebration..."

Upon hearing those two words, Cui Nong's cheeks instantly flushed red.

After each celebration, the two inevitably engaged in some playful antics.

This has almost become a secret code between them.

"understood."

Cui Nong brushed a stray hair behind her ear, nodded, and then happily slung her shopping basket over her shoulder and headed out the door.

As usual, more than half an hour later, the food and wine were brought back from the restaurant.

It was getting late, so the two set out a drink together.

As night deepened, less than half of the wine remained in the pot. Cui Nong was already slightly tipsy, her cheeks flushed, her hand supporting her chin, gazing at Chen Shi with seductive eyes.

"What's the reason this time?"

Chen Shi finished the remaining half glass of wine in one gulp, took out the three keys from his pocket, and placed them on the table.

"...You bought a house?"

Cui Nong blinked and couldn't help but ask a question.

But the key's size doesn't seem to match the lock on the front door of the house.

"I don't have the money to buy a house."

Chen Shi chuckled softly, leaned slightly towards Cui Nong, and whispered mysteriously.

"This key has another purpose."

"Tch, what other clever uses can a key have besides unlocking locks?"

"Exactly! Now guess which lock this key opens?"

"How am I supposed to guess...?"

Halfway through her sentence, Cui Nong suddenly stopped, then stared at Chen Shi with wide eyes, and after a moment asked a question tentatively.

"It's not this one I'm wearing, is it?"

"Sister Cui Nong is indeed incredibly intelligent."

Chen Shi smiled and nodded, then looked at Cui Nong with anticipation.

Cui Nong couldn't help but feel nervous, and the effects of the alcohol immediately wore off.

"I'm going to wash up."

After a long pause, Cui Nong said something and slowly stood up.

"I'll go boil some water."

Chen Shi also stood up and, in perfect unison, went to fetch water and start a fire.

Once a pot of water is boiled, as before, grab a handful of mugwort and add it to the bathtub along with the cold water.

After finishing, Chen Shi came out from the inner room.

Hearing the sound of water coming from inside, and seeing the three keys on the table, I felt a surge of anxiety.

He filled his glass and started drinking.

A good half hour passed, and the rest of the wine was long gone, before Cui Nong finally spoke from inside.

"Come in."

Chen Shi couldn't wait any longer, so he grabbed the keys from the table and rushed into the inner room.

As soon as I entered, I was stunned.

Cui Nong not only changed her clothes but also put on makeup, no wonder it took so long.

Dressed in a thin gauze dress, under the dim yellow light, her snow-white skin was highlighted, and her exquisite figure was faintly visible.

At this moment, Cui Nong was sitting on the bed, leaning back with her arms supporting her, her knees raised, her legs slightly apart, and a pair of pink embroidered shoes on the side of the bed.

She lifted the thin veil, revealing the iron underpants that had been washed until they shone.

"bring it on."

"Um."

Chen Shi responded, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

……

Click!

A moment later, a slightly hesitant voice rang out, exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

The lock is open.