Chapter 177 A Swift Strike

Mu Xi concluded by saying, "Remember to keep the same story and make sure General Dai's funeral is grand and impressive."

"Yes..." everyone responded in unison.

With Dai Rong dead, many people can finally rest easy.

Just as Mu Xi thought she had settled a "family matter," a servant suddenly came to report: "Report... Your Highness, Madam, something terrible has happened... Zhu Mingjun and that pirate have disappeared..."

Bai Su immediately ordered: "Quickly... immediately seal off the entire mansion and surrounding streets. Don't let a single fly out. Search the entire mansion immediately. These two people can't have gone far. They are most likely still in the mansion."

After Bai Su finished making the arrangements, Mu Xi's first reaction was that there was a mole: "Disappeared? How could they disappear?"

Previously, when Bai Su proposed that Mu Xi and her party stay at the Zhennan General's Mansion and that Zhu Mingjun be temporarily detained there as well, his concern was that Zhu Mingjun's power in the southern region was deeply entrenched and long-standing, and that the Zhennan General's Mansion was the only place under Bai Su's control and therefore the most secure.

Bai Su didn't think too much about it and drew his sword, intending to arrest the people himself: "Don't worry, Your Highness. Even if they manage to escape from the mansion, we will make sure they don't leave Jiping Prefecture."

Mu Xi trusted Bai Su's abilities to some extent, which dispelled the idea of ​​an inside traitor, but she still had many doubts: "What ability do two people who are neither human nor ghost, who have been tormented by drug addiction for several days, have to escape?"

The guards on duty cried out, "We...we thought it was Zhu Mingjun...and he'd been suffering from drug withdrawal for days, so he wouldn't have run away...that's why we were lax in our watch, and he got away with it. When we brought him food and water, Zhu Mingjun knocked us unconscious instead..."

Mu Xi then understood.

Zhu Mingjun was not a criminal, so the guards did not dare to mistreat him or even neglect their duties. They were always on duty in pairs, and Zhu Mingjun could knock out one but not the second, unless there were not two people on duty at the same time.

But now is not the time to investigate these things; catching the person is the most important thing.

The South Courtyard has become the place where Dai Rong's body lies interred.

Mu Xi couldn't linger, but before Zhu Mingjun was found, it was also difficult to arrange Dai Rong's funeral.

For a moment, the entire Zhennan General's Mansion stood still.

But soon, a soldier came to report: "Report... the young master and the second young master... have been captured."

“Is that so…” Mu Xi came outside. “Quickly, bring the person over here.”

Before long, Zhu Mingjun and Guan Lan were escorted into the courtyard, and Bai Su, who had received the news, also followed them back.

"Let me go! You have no right to arrest me. I am still the dignified Zhu Mingjun, a first-rank marquis." Zhu Mingjun's swollen and pale face had even deeper dark circles under his eyes. His disheveled hair made him look neither human nor ghost, but he still had the strength to struggle, proving that he had managed to get by these past few days.

The woman behind her, Su Lan, also had disheveled hair and looked haggard, but her bewitching eyes remained lively, adding a touch of broken beauty to her effeminate and alluring face.

Unlike Zhu Mingjun, who made a lot of noise, he pursed his lower lip but slightly curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that was a mixture of madness and malice.

Mu Xi first asked Zhu Mingjun, "Are you trying to run away? Where do you think you can run to with your weakened body?"

Zhu Mingjun now emphasizes his identity in every sentence: "I am the dignified Zhu Mingjun, why would I need to run away? I am right here, what can you do to me?"

Mu Xi was not afraid of Zhu Mingjun's identity at all: "My lord, don't forget that although the king's order has not arrived, you, as the lord guarding the southern border, have not only been captured but have also lost a territory. This in itself constitutes the crime of 'absconding with stolen goods and neglecting your duties.' Moreover, you have colluded with pirates in private and committed crimes, which is equivalent to 'treason and rebellion.' Such a serious crime is only waiting to be brought back to the capital."

Zhu Mingjun showed no fear, and perhaps because he was already out of his mind, he spoke in a somewhat deranged manner: "In short, I don't need to escape. I came out just to find the 'Carefree Pill' to eat."

"You ran away just to find the pills?" Mu Xi asked the guards escorting them, somewhat suspiciously, "Where did you catch them?"

The guards were in a dilemma. One of the leaders stepped forward and bowed, replying, "Your Highness, it was in the east courtyard where you and the Second Young Master resided. At the time, it seemed... it seemed they were heading towards the Second Young Master's room..."

"What? You finally escaped, but then you went to my and the Second Young Master's courtyard. What are you trying to do?" Mu Xi immediately became alert.

“Isn’t it obvious…” Zhu Mingjun’s eyes darted around as if trying to hide something, and he answered quickly, “I was just looking for pills everywhere and happened to find them there.”

"Really?" Mu Xi looked at Guan Lan, trying to confirm something from Guan Lan's silence.

Su Lan glanced at Zhu Mingjun out of the corner of her eye, and then, as if she had thought of something, she raised her alluring phoenix eyes and said, "Your Highness doesn't believe me? Then you should have guessed it by now... Hehehe... What else could it be for? Of course, it's because I'm itching to go and see the Second Young Master."

As she mentioned "Second Young Master," she winked vigorously at Mu Xun with her alluring phoenix eyes.

Mu Xi felt a chill, but her mind was still clear: "Enough! There's no need to put on this disgusting act. You probably went there because you thought the Second Young Master was still seriously ill and wanted to take him hostage, right?"

Whether it is or not, it doesn't have to be a formal reason, otherwise it will always damage Mu Xun's reputation.

Su Lanmei's smile remained unchanged, and the smile in her eyes even deepened: "Oh, why did the young master get angry when I mentioned the second young master? If we're talking about men's looks, the young master is indeed not as good-looking as the second young master, so what's there to be jealous of? But if we're talking about women's looks... hehe... the young master is probably not as good-looking as me, is that why you're angry?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Bai Su, who had always disliked effeminate people like Guan Lan, rushed over to reprimand her.

Su Lan paid no attention to Bai Su, focusing only on Mu Xi and Mu Xun. After a while, she suddenly froze, as if she had noticed something.

Then a twisted smile appeared on his face: "Hehehe... Could it be that I'm right? You brothers... oh... no... it should be yin and yang reversed... dragon and phoenix upside down... it should be siblings..."

With a "whoosh," a slash stopped Sulan from saying anything more.

Bai Su raised his knife and struck with lightning speed: "Your Highness, it's better to kill this androgynous person than to keep him here spouting nonsense."

Mu Xi remained silent with a cold expression.

A bloody wound was slashed across Guan Lan's cheek. She wiped the blood from her face and laughed even more distortedly and seductively: "You've ruined my face? Are you feeling guilty? Because I'm prettier than you whether I'm a man or a woman? Hahaha... You're probably a woman, aren't you? Hahaha... A woman who's not as pretty as me..."

With another swift stroke, the sound ceased completely.

Triumph, madness, and twisted emotions all froze, and blood gushed from Sulan's neck as she fell backward to the ground.