Chapter 264 Our young lady should also experience what it's like to be betrayed.
Zhong Lique led Zhong Liqi into the house. As they walked past the partition screen, she seemed to trip, and almost fell down with Zhong Liqi.
"Slow down, slow down." Zhong Liqi quickly grabbed Zhong Lique with his other hand.
Zhong Li Que immediately removed her hand from under Zhong Li Qi's clothes, hiding the Listening Wind Ruler behind her back. With teary eyes, she looked at Zhong Li Qi and said, "Uncle, please go and see Mother. Father and Brother are not here. I am all alone in the whole mansion. I am so scared."
Zhongli Qi repeatedly said "good" and stepped forward to treat Madam Sun.
Zhong Lique stepped aside and put the wind-listening ruler she had just received into the box on the table.
Two wind-listening rulers were placed side by side to spread the mountain spirit's influence.
This move was taught to her by Su Feng.
Su Feng will teach Yu Sui swordsmanship and martial arts at the Military Academy. Zhong Li Que, due to family reasons, cannot touch weapons and can only watch from the sidelines.
Seemingly sensing the longing in the little girl's eyes, Su Feng initially only wanted to cheer her up and teach her some pickpocketing tricks to amuse her. However, Su Feng couldn't bring himself to do it and always couldn't help but satisfy the longing in the little girl's eyes by secretly practicing swordsmanship with her.
Zhong Lique hid it very well; she didn't even tell Madam Sun about it.
If she were discovered, it would not only bring trouble to the Zhongli family, but also implicate Su Feng, so she was always very careful.
However, some unexpected things happened tonight.
Zhong Lique couldn't help but look towards the door. Fortunately, Changsun Zi didn't say she wanted to come in, otherwise... her courage to steal the Listening Wind Ruler would have been halved.
All we need to do now is stall for another fifteen minutes.
Zhong Lique stepped forward and lifted the curtain, saying to Zhong Liqi, who was slightly puzzled, "Uncle, please examine Mother carefully, checking for all her ailments, big and small. It should only take about fifteen minutes."
Zhong Liqi received a signal from Zhong Lique, and although he was puzzled, he nodded and did as instructed.
After Zhongli Que left for a while, she heard a maid come to report: "Miss, Physician Chu heard that Madam is critically ill and has come to see you."
Chu Jin?
Why is she here?
Zhong Lique frowned, opened the door and went out, only to find that Chu Jinren had already been brought to the front of the courtyard.
Chu Jin was dressed in plain white, her long hair tied back in a low ponytail. She held a plain blue umbrella, her lowered brows suggesting a gentle and amiable demeanor. Her eyes, which usually held a smile, now carried a hint of worry, making it clear that she was concerned about Madam Sun's health.
"Miss..." The maid hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
Zhong Lique lowered her voice and asked, "Who let her in? Is the General's Mansion a place where just anyone can come in?"
The maid bowed her head and said, "Please forgive me, Miss. Madam had previously granted Physician Chu permission to enter and leave the manor. Now that Madam is critically ill, Physician Chu is able to treat her, so..."
“Send Doctor Chu back,” Zhong Lique said, frowning. “Just tell him that Uncle is already here, so it’s inconvenient to trouble Doctor Chu.”
"Yes." The maid hurriedly did as instructed.
The night rain was so heavy that it created a hazy mist, making the lights in the courtyard dim and unclear.
Chu Jin stood at the courtyard gate, Changsun Zi stood in the path, and Zhongli Que stood in front of the main house. Although they were all in the courtyard of the main house, they were separated by a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
Changsun Zi did not interfere in the affairs of the General's Mansion, seemingly only keeping an eye on Zhongli Qi.
Zhong Lique stood at the door, watching the maids see Chu Jin off.
Since the General's Mansion was adamant, Chu Jin didn't want to make a fuss and quietly left the mansion under the guidance of a maid.
Only after she had walked a distance did a cold glint appear in the woman's eyes.
Chu Jin returned to the backyard of the clinic in the rainy night. She had already put away her umbrella before entering the door. The room was brightly lit and there were many people standing inside.
In the candlelight, the peony in the yellow hue appeared even more radiant and beautiful, and a long golden snake with its head raised from the peony was staring at Geng Hanfu, who was kneeling on the ground.
Geng Hanfu looked injured, with white bandages wrapped around his hands and neck. He also looked unwell and knelt on the ground with his head down, not daring to look at Chu Jin who had returned.
The moment Chu Jin placed the umbrella at the doorway, she was no longer the gentle female doctor. She walked into the house expressionlessly, her aura so low it felt like a heavy stone was pressing on one's chest, making it hard to breathe.
"Since Qin Chongxue and Wenren Xu haven't returned, what are you doing back here?" Chu Jin walked to the main chair and sat down, coldly looking at Geng Hanfu who was kneeling.
Geng Hanfu lowered his head and did not argue: "I have failed in my duties. Please punish me, Miss."
“Punishment?” Chu Jin sneered, picking up a teacup with one hand and saying, “Taiyi Xuankui was investigated because of Ou Rushuang. He relied on his status as a Taiyi Saint, was arrogant and conceited, and repeatedly tolerated Mei Liangyu’s bad deeds without taking any action. Ou Rushuang deserves this fate.”
She stared at Geng Hanfu and smiled, "Tell me, what have you done this time that requires punishment?"
Geng Hanfu said in a deep voice, "It is my incompetence that I failed to get rid of Mei Liangyu for Miss."
Chu Jin lifted the tea lid and gently tapped the rim of the cup, producing a crisp sound that was particularly jarring in the quiet room.
“Three masters at the thirteenth realm tried to kill a tenth-realm sorcerer, but they were powerless and ended up getting injured themselves.” Chu Jin smiled, but there was no smile in his eyes.
Geng Hanfu cursed Wenren Xu in a low voice: "Back then, Old Qin was being chased by three instructors from Taiyi Academy and used Lan Poison, which weakened him. That's why that scoundrel Wenren Xu was able to successfully ambush him. If it weren't for that, Old Qin wouldn't have..."
With a crisp crack, the translucent, lustrous white tea lid shattered on Geng Hanfu's forehead, spilling a horrifying streak of blood.
"Wen, Ren, Xu," Chu Jin said coldly, "He has a problem, and you really don't know?"
"I truly had no idea!" Even with his head bleeding from the impact, Geng Hanfu remained motionless. "He wanted to eliminate me as well, which is why I was delayed in returning to report."
As Geng Hanfu said this, he recalled the conversation the two had had before leaving Taiyi:
The bald man stood on the riverbank, scratching his head and laughing, saying, "I'm not going back. You go and tell her that I killed Qin Chongxue. I want her to know."
Geng Hanfu was stunned, but met Wenren Xu's bewitching eyes and said with a smile, "She has been protected too well all these years. Our young lady should also experience what it feels like to be betrayed and learn how to calm down after being controlled by anger."
For Chu Jin, Qin Chongxue was his most loyal subordinate, a figure like an elder brother and a father.
Wenren Xu was Chu Jin's most admired and trusted subordinate, and in the past two years, she had even regarded Wenren Xu as a friend.
Both of these people were very important to Chu Jin, but Qin Chongxue died at the hands of Wenren Xu, who then betrayed her.
Chu Jin slowly clenched her fist under her sleeve, her face still restrained, not revealing the slightest bit of the overwhelming anger in her heart.
"Wenren Xu, a lackey of the Yan state, will regret making this decision today."
Chu Jin stood up from the chair, and with a wave of her hand, the cup of tea she was holding flew to Geng Hanfu's side: "You came back alive and told me what Wenren Xu did, this is your reward."
Geng Hanfu looked up at the emerald green tea in his cup and had no choice but to drink it.
He held the teacup with both hands, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
The tea burned unbearably as soon as it entered his throat, as if he were swallowing burning coals instead of water. Geng Hanfu instantly broke out in a cold sweat, his throat filled with the taste of blood. The burning, festering pain made his body tremble slightly, but he still forced himself to finish it, steadily holding the teacup and bowing his head to Chu Jin:
"Your subordinate thanks you, Miss."
There were six words in total, but Geng Hanfu opened his mouth and remained silent; no one heard him.
Chu Jin walked past him with a cold expression and asked the golden serpent, "What did the prince say?"
The golden snake shrank back into the peony flower: "The prince only said that he would send people to chase after Wenren Xu, but he did not mention Miss in this matter."
The fact that it wasn't mentioned didn't mean they wouldn't blame them; rather, it was the indifference that made Chu Jin find it hard to accept.
Chu Jin suddenly smiled, and a wave of energy emanated from her body, causing Geng Han, who was kneeling on the ground, to be thrown off his knees and fall to the ground, rolling twice awkwardly on the wet cobblestone path in the rainy night.
"Get out, all of you."
At Chu Jin's command, no one else dared to say anything and left as quickly as possible.
The golden serpent shrank its head and hid inside the flower.
Chu Jin walked upstairs alone. The limping Mr. Zhou stood by the second-floor railing, watching Chu Jin walk upstairs with a cold expression and sighing in his heart.
“Sir,” Chu Jin glanced at him and said calmly, “it’s cold tonight, you should stay out more.”
Mr. Zhou looked quite dejected, with dark blue stubble around his mouth, but his gaze toward Chu Jin was clear.
“The Taiyi Orchid Poison has been investigated. Although Ou Ru is seriously injured and unconscious, it is possible that she has been imprisoned by other saints of Taiyi. This matter will inevitably spread to the six kingdoms because of the Yulan Division. At that time, Qingyang will also take action. It is not safe for you to stay here.” Mr. Zhou looked at Chu Jin.
Chu Jin was silent for a moment, then asked, "Then, sir, where should I go?"
She glared at Mr. Zhou, her expression sharp: "Do you know how long I've waited to come to Qingyang Capital? Han Bing can openly follow my father, Su Feng can stay in the Nangong family even though he disobeys his father, and Sheng Fei has never been asked anything of him by his father! Even that good-for-nothing Nangong Sui has now received my father's expectations and cultivation. Why should I be the one hidden away from everyone else?"
"Sir, I am no less capable than any of them!"
Mr. Zhou's gaze held an unspeakable sigh: "In the Nangong family, being too sharp and outspoken is not a good thing."
"Do you, like my mother, think I should live a mediocre and uneventful life?" Chu Jin stared at Mr. Zhou with her bright black eyes, her expression mocking. "And what right do you have to make decisions for me and sway my thoughts and pursuits?"
Mr. Zhou fell silent.
As Chu Jin walked past him, she chuckled softly, glancing at the Wind-Listening Ruler in his hand. She said calmly, "You say my mother loves me so much, yet she always tries to stop me. If she truly loves me, why doesn't she try to fulfill my desires?"
"Madam Su's actions are only meant to move herself."
Mr. Zhou watched in silence as Chu Jin walked into the house. After a long while, he looked down at the wind-listening ruler in his hand, which showed that it was still transmitting sound.
The other wind-listening ruler, which is connected to the sound transmission device, is in the hands of Madam Su.
Tonight, a fierce wind and rainstorm broke all the purple bamboo in the courtyard. The light and shadow on the screen wall flickered, making it impossible to tell whether it was the shape of the wind or the shadow of the bamboo.
Madam Su stood by the window, feeling the fierce wind of the night. Her gaze was fixed on the wind-listening ruler in her hand. Every word Chu Jin had just spoken was like a sharp knife, cutting into the softest part of her heart.
Feelings of guilt and regret surged within her, making it difficult for Madam Su to control the impulse deep within her heart.
A single tear that slid down her beautiful face was quickly wiped away by the night's fierce wind.
Madam Su hung up the phone, her expression revealing her dejection.
At that moment, she began to think about what she could do for this child she owed so much.
General's Mansion.
After watching the maid see Chu Jin off, Zhong Lique glanced at Changsun Zi standing to the side and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, it's raining heavily outside. Why don't you come inside and rest?"
Changsun Zi gently shook her head and asked, "How is Madam?"
“Uncle is still receiving treatment inside.” Zhong Lique looked anxious. “I’ll go back and check on him right away.”
“Don’t worry too much.” Changsun Zi lowered her eyes and stared at the girl in front of her. “I don’t see any sense of crisis in her consciousness.”
Zhong Lique's heart skipped a beat. She realized that the person in front of her was a sage from the Fangji family. The Fangji family was skilled in divination. At the sage level, even through doors and windows, they could still perceive the divination signs of the people inside.
"Didn't you not see my mother?" Zhong Lique looked up, pretending not to understand anything.
Changsun Zi didn't offer much explanation, as it would be too complicated. She simply said softly, "It's not necessary to see the person."
She secretly consulted the oracle because she saw how worried the girl was about her mother's life.
"Thank you, Sage Changsun." Zhongli Que bowed his head slightly. The moment Changsun Zi reached out to help him up, the gale stopped halfway, the rain stopped in mid-air, and time and space were frozen.
But countless images flashed through the girl's eyes:
She saw that Changsun Zi had come to the General's Mansion again, and she was the one who received her.
Changsun Zi said in the Five Elements Academy that the young lady of the General's Mansion was exceptionally talented and had the potential to become a military strategist.
These words reached the mouth of Emperor Qingyang.
Emperor Qingyang summoned her to the palace, and the man on the throne looked her over with a disdainful expression.
Someone searched her bedroom and found a long sword. The maid knelt down and cried, saying that she had witnessed her secretly learning swordsmanship from the second young master of the Nangong family. Emperor Qingyang was furious and ordered the Golden Armor Army to lead a team to surround the entire general's mansion.
As the sound of the torrential rain reached Zhongli Que's ears, Changsun Zi's voice also rang out: "Go."
Zhong Lique turned and went into the house. The moment she closed the door, she could almost hear her heart pounding.
Changsun Zi, who was outside, looked up at the rain curtain with a thoughtful expression. It seemed that something had changed in the world just now.
Is it this torrential rain?
A flash of lightning streaked across the dark sky, followed by a thunderous roar.
[Author's Note]
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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