Chapter 93 Before I lost consciousness, he immediately told me…
Chapter 93
The snow outside was already quite thick; each step left a deep footprint. Fortunately, the snow was still falling, and by daybreak, these marks would be completely buried.
Inside the Dali Temple prison, He Bufan, dressed in prison clothes and wrapped in a cold, hard blanket, huddled in a corner, with frost forming on the high windowsill.
Perhaps fearing they would freeze to death, a charcoal brazier was placed at the end of the dimly lit corridor, and jailers would patrol from time to time, adding a few pieces of charcoal to the fire.
He Bufan was suddenly awakened from his sleep, feeling as if his body had grown colder. The shackles on his hands and feet felt like blocks of ice. He tightened the blanket, turned over, and was about to go back to sleep when he suddenly realized that someone was standing by the straw mat. He was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the person was actually a prison guard on patrol. However, he was backlit and his face was obscured, making him appear like a ghostly shadow, which was quite frightening.
He Bufan snapped out of his daze, sneered, "Why did you patrol inside the gate? With your pathetic skills, aren't you afraid I'll run away?"
The shadowy figure didn't speak, but took a step back, stepping right into the light, where the candlelight finally illuminated his face.
However, upon recognizing the person who had arrived, He Bufan was immediately shocked. "Cui Rong?! Weren't you already—"
"Shhh."
Cui Rong put his index finger to his lips, a forced smile on his face, and said, "Master, keep your voice down, I'm here to get you out of here."
Even the voice was exactly the same. He Bufan was so shocked that he couldn't speak. After the initial shock, his rationality gradually brought him back to his senses. He looked at the face that was almost identical to Cui Rong's, his eyes slightly narrowed, and he remained silent, as if he was thinking about something.
"Cui Rong" took out a bunch of keys, walked over to him and unlocked the door for him. As soon as the key was inserted into the keyhole, He Bufan heard the sound of the lock being pushed open. Suddenly, he swung his hand back and used the chain on his hand to forcefully lock "Cui Rong" by the throat.
"Who are you? Why are you impersonating Cui Rong to deceive me!"
Cui Rong sneered, as if he had been prepared. He used one hand to hold down the chain around his neck, and with the other hand, he quickly turned the key. The force tightening around his neck eased a bit, and the unlocked end of the chain drooped down. He quickly grabbed it, twisted it around, and wrapped it around the back of He Bufan's neck, while simultaneously kneeing him down.
He Bufan groaned and knelt on the ground, his hands locked around his neck, unable to move.
"Who exactly are you?!" He Bufan was furious.
“Who I am is unimportant,” Shen Suining said, stepping on He Bufan’s calf and pulling the chain back, forcing He Bufan’s body to lean backward. Her voice was icy, each word distinct: “What is important is that everyone outside is looking for Cui Rong. If they find out that Cui Rong is already dead, Lord He, how will you deal with the situation that follows?”
"you--"
He Bufan tried to straighten his body, but as soon as he moved, Shen Suining pushed him back, forcing him to tilt his head back and show a pained expression.
What bothered He Bufan even more was Shen Suining's words; a hint of fear even appeared in his eyes, "How do you know Cui Rong is dead! I clearly already—"
"You clearly disposed of his body properly, didn't you?" Shen Suining continued, "Cui Rong was last seen two days before you went to prison, at an ironworks. Let me guess, Lord He, you didn't hide this loyal advisor who had served you for decades in the furnace, did you?"
After a long silence, He Bufan suddenly let out a cold laugh, his expression almost ferocious. "Loyalty? Only the dead are loyal! If he doesn't die, he'll surely betray me one day when he can't protect himself! Rather than that, it's better to just kill him and eliminate the trouble forever!"
Shen Suining sneered, "Do you think you can live if you kill him?"
“At least until you showed up, my plan was flawless. Nobody knew Cui Rong was dead, so they didn’t dare kill me.” He Bufan’s tone was somewhat smug. He didn’t seem to feel any regret or resentment that his life-saving trick had been exposed. On the contrary, he felt a sense of relief that he no longer had to live in fear, and a mad feeling that his worthless life was completely wasted.
After a long while, He Bufan's strength dissipated, and he gave up struggling.
He exhaled a breath of stale air and asked, "And who is this hero who hired you to risk your life? With such skills, you must have been paid quite a price."
"What? You're interested too?"
He Bufan: "I can offer you three times the price, as long as you keep me alive."
"You think you can live for three times the price?" Shen Suining laughed. Perhaps she was a little tired. She locked the iron chain in her hand to the cell door, threw the key far away, and then walked to the extremely simple wooden table and brushed the dust off her face.
She sat on the wooden table, her feet hooked onto a stool for support, and shook her head at He Bufan, who was half-hanging on the door. "Too little."
He Bufan gritted his teeth, "Ten times?"
"Too little."
"Name your price. I'll pay whatever it takes to keep me alive."
Upon hearing this, Shen Suining clicked her tongue, rested her arm on her knee, and leaned forward slightly. She reminded her, "Your house has been ransacked, and you can still spout such nonsense?"
“I know many people’s secrets, and as long as I don’t die, they will give me a lot of hush money.” He Bufan was afraid that Shen Suining wouldn’t believe him. “For example, how exactly did Marquis Yong’an, He Changxin, die? The officials involved in his death certainly don’t want this matter to be exposed.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Suining was secretly alarmed: So the death of the Marquis of Yong'an was not only related to the emperor? Were there other accomplices?
But Shen Suining didn't show it on her face, as if she were just an ordinary martial arts person who was detached from the matter. She crossed her legs and her every move showed the mannerisms of a martial arts person. "Marquis Yong'an? He has been dead for more than three years, hasn't he? Besides, everyone knows that Marquis Yong'an died in the uprising of the refugees. You are trying to deceive me with this well-known old story in order to save your own life. Do you think I am honest and easy to fool?"
She lowered her voice, her tone clearly displeased. Fearing she would strike with her sword and leave no room for maneuver, He Bufan quickly said, "That was the Marquis of Yong'an! If he hadn't been ambushed, how could he have died so easily at the hands of a group of refugees!"
Shen Suining said "Oh?" and pretended to be interested, "Tell me about it."
He Bufan asked warily, "If I tell you, can you guarantee my life?"
“As a wanderer in the martial world, I only work for money and have no interest in your shady dealings. I only care about getting more money,” Shen Suining said with a smile as he stood up. “However, since you are unwilling to talk about it, I suppose this deal is off. Farewell.”
After saying that, Shen Suining made a move to leave, but before she could even step out of the cell door, He Bufan hurriedly called out, "Wait!"
Shen Suining stopped and lazily turned around, "What?"
He Bufan rolled his eyes down, glanced at the tightly locked hands, and gestured to Shen Suining, "Put me down first."
"Still trying to negotiate?" Shen Suining laughed angrily. She turned around, arms crossed in front of her. "Lord He, don't you understand your situation? I'm the butcher, and you're the fish on the chopping block. Whether I listen to your story or not, you're going to die. What right do you have to negotiate with me?"
He closed his eyes, adjusted his posture to ease his stiff body a little, and let out a long sigh. His stubborn and gloomy eyes finally revealed a bit of vicissitude and helplessness.
He recalled He Changxin, his cousin who had been kicked out of the house by his father in his early years because of his extraordinary talent. When he met him as a child, he only had the simple admiration and worship of a boy for this seemingly omnipotent cousin. But at some point, this admiration changed. It gradually turned from looking up to him into wanting to surpass him, and later he just wanted to trample him under his feet.
After a long silence, He Bufan finally spoke the truth that he had never wanted to admit: "He Changxin is very strong. The most hateful thing about him is that he is strong but does not know it. He can reach a height that others can hardly match in their entire lives without lifting a finger, but he is still not satisfied."
Shen Suining: "There are always people more capable than us, and there's always something beyond our understanding. What's wrong with pursuing a higher level?"
“You don’t understand,” He Bufan laughed, his expression mocking. “Mediocre people still outnumber the strong in this world. Besides, he’s just a subject, yet he’s so strong that people all over the country only remember his name. How can others tolerate him?”
These words touched a nerve with Shen Suining. She restrained her emotions and retorted, "Doesn't a military commander who has fought for more than a decade for the stability of the country and the peace of the people deserve to be remembered? Just because he is too strong, as the backbone of the court, as a man of unyielding integrity who is willing to sacrifice himself for the peace of the world, can he just die so easily from the unfounded suspicion and scheming of the emperor and villains?"
He Bufan laughed a few times, then looked up at the roof with a mix of mockery and sarcasm. "Throughout history, those who overshadow their masters rarely meet a good end! He was so powerful that everyone knew about it, which just shows how stupid he was! He deserved it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Suining delivered a flying kick to He Bufan's chest. Caught off guard, the latter let out a muffled groan and was almost pinned to the cell door, unable to move. He could only endure the blow and spit out a mouthful of blood.
He Bufan had been in prison for over a month and was already quite haggard. Shen Suining's kick made him vomit blood, and he was practically seeing stars. Before he could even recover, Shen Suining grabbed his collar, forcing him to look directly at her, facing the rage and questioning of this mysterious woman who looked exactly like Cui Rong: "Besides that incompetent and heartless emperor and you, you hypocritical wretch, who else is there?"
"Ha," He Bufan sneered, "A hypocrite? Although I, He Bufan, may not be a gentleman, my hatred for He Changxin has always been written all over my face! And some people, on the surface, call He Changxin brothers and treat him like a sworn brother! But behind his back, they secretly engage in despicable acts, relying on their high position and power to do all sorts of shady things! A hypocrite? Those two-faced scoundrels are the real hypocrites!"
Impatient, Shen Suining grabbed He Bufan and slammed him against the cell door. "Stop playing games! If you tell the truth, I'll spare your life for now! If you refuse to talk, then—"
He Bufan interrupted Shen Suining and uttered two words: "Xie Chang".
"What?" Shen Suining wondered if she had misheard.
“The former prime minister, Xie Chang,” He Bufan grinned, his expression ferocious, “He and He Changxin had a friendship that lasted for more than 20 years, supporting each other. Xie Chang was also the teacher of his son. In the court, he was the person He Changxin trusted the most. He was also the only one who could stab He Changxin in the back without him even realizing it.”
Shen Suining suddenly released He Bufan, in disbelief.
She had met Xie Chang, an elderly man with white hair and a penniless life. He had no wife or children and spent his days with poetry and books. His Yizhu Garden contained no luxury items. Both Shen Yan and He Hansheng spoke of him with great respect and admiration. In addition, Xie Chang had a long-standing friendship with Shen Yan and He Changxin, so Shen Suining could not easily believe him.
She sneered, "You think I'll believe you just because you casually mention the name of some important person?"
“I know you won’t believe it easily. If most people knew that Xie Chang had done such a vicious thing as scheming against loyal officials, they probably wouldn’t believe it either, because Xie Chang is such a good at disguising himself. And it is precisely because he is so good at hiding that he doesn’t want anyone to know. He will willingly fulfill any request I make, including giving me money.”
Shen Suining: "Since you hid it so well, why did you have to find out?"
“That’s because…” He Bufan paused for a moment before revealing the truth: “The person who was ordered by His Majesty to ambush and kill He Changxin was my brother-in-law, Zhou Quan. He was originally the Minister of War, and he had a long-standing grudge against He Changxin over the military system. His Majesty was very dissatisfied with He Changxin’s proposal to change the military system, and he got angry about it several times. It was Zhou Quan and Xie Chang who persuaded him. Zhou Quan, like his brother, has always been indecisive and likes to consult me on everything, so I know that very well.”
"What about Zhou Quanren?"
"He died. He died of a strange illness not long after He Changxin's death."
Shen Suining fell into deep thought.
He Bufan shrugged, then changed the subject, "I've let you know so many secrets, enough to guarantee you a life of wealth and luxury. If you let me live, I'll give you ten times the price soon. How about it?"
“The conditions offered by Lord He are indeed tempting, but,” Shen Suining said, emphasizing each word, “it depends on whether you have the fate to accept them.”
...
...
After leaving the prison cell, Shen Suining wrapped her cloak tightly around herself and ran through the wind and snow.
She walked quickly, leaving shallow footprints in the snow, determined to get back to Ta Mei Garden before dawn to avoid arousing He Hansheng's suspicion.
Shen Suining didn't intend to avoid He Hansheng, but now was not the right time to tell him. Otherwise, given He Hansheng's personality, he wouldn't have let her bear it alone.
However, now that she was certain that Cui Rong was dead, she could report this matter to the emperor and have him issue an edict to deal with He Bufan, which would settle the score between He Bufan and the Yong'an Marquis's family. This was probably the last thing Shen Suining was willing to do for the emperor.
After that, she was able to tell He Hansheng all about these things.
The sound of footsteps on the snow made the night in Huadu seem especially quiet. Apart from the occasional patrolling city guards, the streets were almost deserted. The snow fell thicker and thicker each time, and the weather grew colder and colder. At this time of year, even the most playful Shen Suining was unwilling to go out.
As she walked along the road, Shen Suining suddenly felt a chill. She paused slightly, and before she could turn around, she saw a flash of cold light. Startled, she immediately leaped to the side, dodging the cold sword that was thrust at her from behind.
With her shoes covered in thick snow, Shen Suining's movements became somewhat clumsy. After she stood still, she looked up and saw the golden-bronze demon mask. The person was wearing a cloak and had a huge figure, standing in the snow like a wall.
Just as Shen Suining saw clearly, the man immediately swung his sword at her again.
He held a slender, snake-shaped sword in his hand. The sword's aura was sharp, and when he swung it, the blade was covered in ice and snow, stabbing straight at Shen Suining. Shen Suining had no time to dodge and could only draw a short dagger from his sleeve to defend himself with difficulty.
Her opponent's martial arts skills were already superior to hers, and now that he was also carrying murderous intent, it was extremely difficult for her to deal with him.
Shuyu Manor enjoys a great reputation in the martial arts world, which naturally makes it many enemies. However, being far away in the capital and with her identity yet to be exposed, Shen Suining couldn't imagine who was so eager to take her life.
The two faced off for a long time in the wind and snow. Shen Suining gradually lost ground. Her human skin mask was soaked with snow water, and some of it peeled off at the edges. She finally remembered that she had changed Cui Rong's face and immediately realized the other party's purpose.
But Shen Suining didn't have a chance to speak. The opponent's sword was fast and ruthless. She was only slightly distracted when the sharp, serpentine blade pierced into her body.
Half of the blade was gone from her left shoulder, and warm blood gushed out. Shen Suining felt no pain, only a tingling, numb sensation. She knelt on the ground, staring blankly at the snake-shaped sword that had pierced her shoulder, and then looked at the other person in confusion.
The demonic eyes on the mask glared like copper bells, fierce and ruthless. Shen Suining felt the sword move forward a little more, and she felt a tightness in her chest. She vomited a mouthful of blood that flowed into the snow.
Seeing that she seemed to have given up struggling, the masked man finally stopped.
He reached out with his other hand and lifted Shen Suining's chin, his slender fingertips tracing the edge of the human skin mask. After a moment of stunned silence, he suddenly drew his sword and took two steps back.
Blood splattered on the snow, like withered plum blossoms battered by the wind and snow. Shen Suining knelt in the snow, clutching her left shoulder, and chuckled to herself, her head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.
Perhaps she will die here today, or perhaps she will be lucky enough to survive. Her only thought now is that the winter in this capital city is truly bone-chillingly cold.
Noticing the masked man take half a step forward, Shen Suining exhaled lightly and said calmly, "If you want to kill me, you can just do it. I'm too lazy to struggle. But if you've mistaken me for someone else, apologize to me immediately before I lose consciousness."
Shen Suining didn't know how she managed to say those words in a daze. She felt the heat surging from her body through her palms, and it was impossible for her not to be furious. After all, that sword had stabbed her quite hard. From childhood to adulthood, apart from being badly beaten a few times when practicing martial arts with Shen Sui'an, she had never been injured so badly.
The commotion from their fight was so great that it attracted the attention of the city guards patrolling the streets. Upon seeing this, the masked man didn't say a word and immediately leaped into the night.
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