Chapter 10: A gift presented to Master Shen upon meeting him.
Chapter 10
After Shen Fengyu was arrested, Shen Suining mobilized the Qianji Pavilion of Shuyu Manor overnight to search for Sheng Qingge's whereabouts.
Sheng Qingge fled for her life with injuries, constantly changing her disguises along the way and dealing with several groups of people. She was already exhausted. Shen Suining chased her on horseback for two whole days and finally found her discarded clothes and bloodstains on the ground in a pine forest.
Following the trail of blood, Shen Suining finally found Sheng Qingge leaning against a huge rock.
Sheng Qingge was dressed in white cloth, with a red stain on her left shoulder. Although her face showed signs of disarray, it did not diminish her reputation as the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan.
For such a beauty, some people are willing to commit murder and arson.
Shen Suining dismounted and walked towards Sheng Qingge.
She wasn't disguised today; she was dressed in white, with a warm black fox fur cloak over her body, and a blue mask on her face, revealing only the lower half of her face.
Even with only half of her face visible, one could clearly see the contours of Shen Suining's cheeks, which were as smooth and translucent as jade, without the slightest flaw. One glance was enough to tell that she was an exceptionally beautiful woman.
Sheng Qingge looked up and was stunned, then laughed out loud: "I never expected that Master Shen's true face would be so sweet and charming. If you had shown your true face earlier, I'm afraid the title of the so-called number one beauty in Jiangnan would have been yours, Master Shen."
"I promised Qianchunfang that I would not tolerate you during the pursuit," Shen Suining said calmly.
Besides Chen Shilin, Shen Suining also went to several managers of Qianchunfang to buy some time.
The unexpected death of Song San Niang made them feel a rare sense of shared hatred. They were not afraid of offending Shuyu Manor. After several rounds of persuasion by Shen Sui Ning, they finally relented and agreed not to put pressure on Chen Shi Lin until Shen Sui Ning brought back the real culprit. However, the condition was that Shen Sui Ning would cooperate with the people of Qian Chun Fang during the pursuit of the culprit and show his true face throughout the process.
The reason is simple: the people of Bifeng Hall are all highly skilled and proficient in disguise. If this requirement were not met, they could easily escape.
In order to successfully rescue Shen Fengyu, Shen Suining readily agreed, only using a mask to cover her true face.
"Aren't you afraid that if I see your face, it will ruin your plans in the future?"
Shen Suining leaned down slightly, looking at Sheng Qingge on the ground like prey waiting to be slaughtered, and said softly, "That depends on whether you have the fate to do so."
After speaking, Shen Suining struck Sheng Qingge with a palm strike. The latter was powerless to resist and took the blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood before collapsing onto the snow.
“I didn’t have to do this,” Shen Suining said, half-squatting in front of Sheng Qingge, lifting her face with her hand, her eyes cold. “But you killed Song Sanniang and framed me, causing my people to suffer undeserved misfortune in prison. I’ve always been petty, and since you’re so ruthless, I’m too lazy to pretend to be kind.”
Sheng Qingge burst into laughter.
She spoke with difficulty, "I originally wanted to use Song San Niang's death to turn Qian Chun Fang and Shu Yu Manor into enemies, but I never expected that the usually decisive and efficient Master Shen would actually stoop so low as to beg the people of Qian Chun Fang for the sake of a mere subordinate... cough cough cough!"
"Watch your words." Shen Suining used force to interrupt Sheng Qingge.
Sheng Qingge choked on the blood, coughing until her eyes turned red.
Blood flowed onto Shen Suining's hands. She released Sheng Qingge, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her hands clean. "So, why did you kill Song Sanniang? Just to make Qianchunfang turn against me?"
Sheng Qingge took a breath and said self-deprecatingly, "I didn't originally intend to kill her. But that day I hid in her room and overheard your conversation."
Shen Suining was slightly taken aback, then quickly recalled what she had said to Song Sanniang that day.
“Song San Niang is too sentimental. I know she was on good terms with Shuyu Manor in her early years, and I’m afraid she might betray me if she takes pity on you,” Sheng Qingge raised her face, tears welling up in her eyes. “Everyone wants to kill me, and Song San Niang is my only chance to live. Since she can’t even guarantee she won’t betray me, I might as well just kill her.”
"You're crazy."
"What's wrong with wanting to live!"
Sheng Qingge roared, then suddenly laughed bitterly, "I was born as lowly as an ant, my worthless life was never worth it. But I naively thought that even a lump of mud would be cherished by someone, treated like a treasure, and protected with utmost care. I entrusted my future and my life to him, but in the end, that person handed me over for wealth and glory, making me a plaything for those vile and powerful people to enjoy! I let them order me around and humiliate me in every way, but in the end, all I wanted was to live! I wanted to live! What did I do wrong!"
"Is the person you're talking about Princess Biyue's husband?"
"Yes, it's him! Gu Wenlang!" Sheng Qingge gritted her teeth as she uttered the man's name, her eyes filled with hatred and a hint of schadenfreude as she mocked, "He humiliated me to marry the princess, and in the end, he was humiliated by the princess himself! It's all retribution!"
Shen Suining remained silent.
Over the years, for her missions, she often disguised herself as a man to go in and out of various brothels to gather intelligence. As she met more people, she naturally came to understand how precious a chance encounter with love could be for a woman deeply involved in the world of romance.
Shen Suining has seen too many women like that, helpless and yearning for even the slightest warmth in the long, cold nights of love and being loved. That warmth given by others may be the only hope that sustains them through their long and tragic lives.
But for most of them, this hope was ultimately just a mirage, a pipe dream.
Shen Suining sighed softly, and after a long while, she finally spoke again: "Then do you know who wants to kill you? The princess? Or the prince consort?"
“Too much,” Sheng Qingge repeated with a low laugh, “I know too much, they all want to kill me.”
Just as Shen Suining was about to press for more information, several hidden arrows suddenly shot towards Sheng Qingge from above, aiming straight for her vital points.
Shen Suining reacted quickly, shoving Sheng Qingge away and turning to look up.
The pine needles were so dense that they formed a forest, and there was also snow on top of them, making it impossible to see where people were hiding.
Shen Suining cursed under his breath, picked up Sheng Qingge from the ground and put her on his horse, then mounted his own horse and rode back.
"They're here to kill me."
"I'm not blind, I can see," Shen Suining replied irritably. "You better hold on, or if you die before we get back to the government office, I'll chop you into mincemeat and feed you to the fish!"
Sheng Qingge: "..."
Seeing that Sheng Qingge had been rescued, the people in the tree chased after her, causing the snow on the pine trees to fall to the ground with a clatter.
The opponent was lurking in the shadows, and was there to take Sheng Qingge's life. Shen Suining wasn't entirely confident that she could fight the opponent while ensuring Sheng Qingge's survival.
Just then, two more horses galloped towards them.
After seeing the person's face clearly, Shen Suining gritted her teeth. Although she was unwilling, she still picked up Sheng Qingge and threw her over, then turned around and chased after the person in the tree.
"..." Sheng Qingge, who was already injured, felt dizzy and almost fainted.
Jiang Yuchu reacted quickly, leaping up to catch the person.
“Young Master, it’s Sheng Qingge!” Jiang Yuchu checked Sheng Qingge’s breath. “She’s still alive.”
He Hansheng felt a little relieved. "Take her back and hand her over to Chen Shilin." After saying that, he spurred his horse and chased after her into the depths of the pine forest without looking back.
Without Sheng Qingge as a burden, Shen Suining rode her horse much faster, and soon forced the person in the tree to reveal themselves.
Shen Suining loosened the reins, took out a long whip from his sleeve with his right hand, and then leaped forward into the air by stepping on the horse's back. The whip he swung accurately wrapped around the man's ankle.
Shen Suining landed steadily on the horse's back, and the whip tightened instantly. The man was violently pulled off by the force of the horse's forward charge, rolling several times in the snow behind Shen Suining, howling in pain.
But soon, the man pulled out a sharp weapon from his pocket and cut the whip in half. He then took the opportunity to attack Shen Suining from behind. He Hansheng, who was right behind him, immediately launched a flying kick, sending the man flying several meters away and crashing heavily into a tree trunk.
Shen Suining remembered the incident at Qianchunfang that day and gave He Hansheng a cold look, "Mind your own business!"
He Hansheng was puzzled, but not annoyed. He simply followed up, saying, "Everyone is just doing their duty. Why is Sister Cuihua unhappy?"
Hearing this address, Shen Suining became even angrier and launched a side kick at He Hansheng, yelling, "Get out of the way!"
He Hansheng was not to be outdone, and after a few rounds of fighting, the person under the tree had long since disappeared.
Shen Suining immediately wanted to vent her anger on He Hansheng.
He Hansheng didn't want to get entangled, so he took a few steps back to avoid Shen Suining's attack, mounted his horse, and chased after her.
Shen Suining immediately jumped onto the horse.
The two rode their horses, galloping and fighting one after the other through the pine forest, with snow falling all around them.
He Hansheng focused on defense. When he saw Shen Suining's horse catching up, he couldn't help but laugh in exasperation, "You're chasing me on my Akhal-Teke horse, and you're going to fight me. You lose and then complain."
"Then I'll give it back to you!" Shen Suining immediately launched a flying kick, forcing He Hansheng to leap off his horse as well.
She snatched He Hansheng's horse, and He Hansheng landed on the back of the Akhal-Teke horse she was riding.
With the Akhal-Teke horse, He Hansheng increased his speed and quickly left Shen Suining far behind.
Shen Suining chased after He Hansheng for most of the day, but had long since lost sight of him. Furious, she punched the air and turned her horse around to look for the man who had just escaped.
Since the purpose of this trip was to take his life, Shen Suining anticipated that the other party would not give up easily and would definitely chase after Jiang Yuchu in the direction he had just left.
If Sheng Qingge can't get the answer out of him, then once the assassin is caught, Shen Suining will be able to find out who the mastermind behind Sheng Qingge's murder is.
Shen Suining rushed on his way and came across a dilapidated temple.
A bonfire was lit in the temple, and smoke was rising from it, as if people had just entered.
Shen Suining jumped off her horse, gripped the hidden knife in her hand, and went inside. Sure enough, she saw the assassin from before sitting panting in front of the Guanyin statue, looking at her with a resentful expression.
"Four legs chasing me on two legs, how unethical!" Zhu Wuyan was still out of breath and weak.
Shen Suining stepped forward and punched Zhu Wuyan in the face.
"Ouch!" Zhu Wuyan cried out in pain, covering her face and lying on the ground. "Killing in front of Guanyin will bring retribution!"
"I don't know if I'll suffer retribution, but your retribution has come," Shen Suining stepped forward and punched again, stepping on Zhu Wuyan's shoulder, leaning down to mock, "Your martial arts aren't any better, are they? You've been secretly playing tricks for so long, using your decent lightness skill as an excuse. What kind of tricks are you planning to pull now? Hmm?"
Zhu Wuyan raised his head and chuckled lightly, seemingly pleased, "To be trampled by Master Shen's jade feet, I, Zhu, would die for it."
"Stop disgusting me!" Shen Suining stomped on Zhu Wuyan's mouth. "Tell me, what sect are you from? What's your name? Who sent you to kill Sheng Qingge?"
Zhu Wuyan's mouth was gagged, so she couldn't speak and could only make strange "uh-huh" and "ah-ah" sounds.
Shen Suining released him with disgust and rubbed her toes hard on the ground.
Zhu Wuyan lay on his back on the ground, spitting out the foreign object in his mouth, seemingly satisfied. "I, Zhu, am a wandering wanderer of the martial world, without any sect or affiliation. As for who ordered me to kill Sheng Qingge... Hall Master Shen, you can't just rely on your prestigious background to lead the way in breaking the rules, can you?"
"I'm not interested in the sugar daddy behind you. I just don't want to get into trouble for no reason. It's always better to be cautious when you're in the business world."
“Then there’s no need for Master Shen to ask any further. This matter has nothing to do with Shuyu Manor,” Zhu Wuyan said, propping herself up as she looked at Shen Suining. “It’s just that Sheng Qingge offended someone she shouldn’t have, and accidentally learned too much that she shouldn’t have known. Someone was in a hurry to take her life, so she desperately came to the usually cautious Shuyu Manor. Otherwise, Sheng Qingge and Shuyu Manor would have absolutely nothing to do with each other.”
"Does the person we shouldn't offend refer to Princess Biyue, her husband, or other powerful figures in the capital?"
Zhu Wuyan called out "Hey" three times, protesting, "Isn't this unreasonable? Why do you have to make a fuss about things that have nothing to do with you?"
These words were largely the same as what Song San Niang had said, but Shen Sui Ning always felt that things were not so simple. After all, how could someone who had no dealings with Shu Yu Manor carry three boxes of gold directly into the manor gate so easily?
After a moment of contemplation, Shen Suining spoke again: "Shuyu Manor does not wish to interfere with your transaction, but Sheng Qingge cannot be killed yet. Once she has exchanged my people from prison, Shuyu Manor will absolutely not participate in this matter again."
"Master Shen, are you kidding me? Sheng Qingge has been taken into custody by the authorities. All my hard work over the past two weeks has been for nothing!"
Zhu Wuyan got up from the ground, shook off the dust, and said, "Alright, I know that Hall Master Shen wants to buy time so that Sheng Qingge can be sent to Suzhou smoothly. Thinking about it this way, Hall Master Shen and I are in sync."
Shen Suining instantly became alert. "What do you mean?"
"Judging by the time, the effects of the medicine in Master Shen's body should be kicking in soon," Zhu Wuyan said, glancing at the campfire beside him. "I know that ordinary medicines are not very effective for Master Shen. This 'Red Beauty's Calamity' is a gift from me to Master Shen, guaranteed to make him feel better."
Shen Suining froze, immediately feeling a burning sensation all over her body as if countless ants were gnawing at her, and her heart started racing instantly.
The sound of horses came from outside. Zhu Wuyan smiled with satisfaction and patted Shen Suining on the shoulder, "Sect Leader Shen, you're welcome!"
After saying that, Zhu Wuyan burst out of the roof.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Updates will be based on the rankings this week, with a total of three chapters. The next chapter will be released at midnight on the 18th, so come early! (You know what I mean.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com