Chapter 123 The person died in the morning, but the body was found to have committed suicide in the evening.
Inside the Liu family study.
The group of people plotting fell silent for a moment.
A solitary lamp on the desk casts an orange glow that barely covers half the room.
The light shining on Liu Zian and Liu Zilin's faces was dim, while the Jade Cup Fairy, dressed in a black robe, habitually hid in the darkness behind the house.
However, all three of them froze upon hearing Liu Ziwen's words, as if they doubted that they had misheard.
After the three looked at each other and exchanged glances silently, they realized that it was impossible for all three of them to be experiencing auditory hallucinations at the same time.
"Brother, your best strategy is... to use someone else to do the dirty work?"
Liu Zian asked in a low voice.
"It's a case of substitution."
Liu Ziwen shook his head and said again:
"It doesn't count as using someone else to do the dirty work, because the knife is still essentially ours; it's just been secretly replaced."
Seeing that only Liu Zian seemed to understand, Liu Zilin and the Jade Cup Fairy were indeed still puzzled.
Liu Ziwen sat down at his desk, crossed his hands, and rested his chin on them.
The paper lamp on the right side of the desk illuminated his ordinary square face in every detail.
This put considerable pressure on the people inside who were watching.
It wasn't that the gaze of this Liu family head carried any aggressiveness or oppressive force.
On the contrary, his eyes were calm and undisturbed.
However, just like the young magistrate in Longcheng County, Liu Ziwen could exert a certain invisible pressure on those around him simply by remaining silent.
Because those around him must pay attention to and constantly observe his attitude and expression, this is actually a survival instinct of respecting the strong and admiring the wise.
Therefore, Ouyang Rong and Liu Ziwen are, to some extent, the same kind of people.
Possessing resources and authority, and being able to allocate and utilize them optimally, is like the queen ant in an anthill, able to build an order around herself that people depend on and cling to, gaining an advantage in the struggle for external resources.
The Jade Cup Fairy has always felt that these kinds of people are even more terrifying than Qi cultivators.
Because the vast majority of power in the Great Zhou Dynasty was in the hands of this type of person, and apart from the martial arts world, the order of the ten paths under heaven was constructed by this type of person, so they held power, not the other way around.
"The ribbon-cutting ceremony I told you about a few days ago wasn't exciting enough. I've made a slight change. Second brother, third brother, you can listen to it."
Liu Ziwen suddenly spoke, looking at everyone, and softly pondered:
"On the fifteenth of July, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Inspector Shen and Prefect Wang graced the Di Gong Gate with their presence. Magistrate Ouyang, along with all the gentry, local worthies, elders, and fellow villagers of the county, warmly welcomed them."
Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony even began, on the waterside platform, in full view of everyone, Magistrate Ouyang suddenly sprang into action, killing the Inspector Shen beside him with his bare hands. Then, taking advantage of the shock of the entire audience, he jumped into Butterfly Creek and fled in fear of punishment.
"The murder weapon was poisoned. Lord Shen failed to be saved and died on the spot. The wedding ceremony was in chaos. In his grief, Governor Wang of Jiangzhou calmly stepped forward and stabilized the situation. As the highest-ranking official present, he temporarily took charge of the situation in Longcheng. The gentry and local worthies, including the Liu family, actively cooperated."
"Lord Wang is wise and powerful, and his decisive actions have eradicated all the remaining influence of the former magistrate. He has directed the Longcheng County government to focus on investigating the heinous murder case, issued arrest warrants for Ouyang Lianghan throughout the county and prefecture, and meticulously handled the funeral arrangements for his colleague Lord Shen. He is very organized and efficient."
"Subsequently, with the assistance of kind-hearted people or the Liu family, a group of good citizens, the body of Ouyang Lianghan, who had committed suicide out of fear of punishment, was found in a certain place in Longcheng County. Corresponding witnesses and physical evidence were left at the scene, indicating that his motive for attacking his superior was either personal grudges or mental instability."
"Regardless of the circumstances, the evidence was already conclusive, and the murder of an official in public was a foregone conclusion. Lord Wang has completely solved the case and brought it to a perfect close."
"Lord Wang temporarily took charge of the affairs of Longcheng, listened to the voices of the people and wise opinions, corrected the various perverse actions of the former magistrate, abolished the Zheyi Canal, and restored a bright and clear world to the thousands of people of Longcheng County! Amid the reluctance of the local gentry and virtuous people, Lord Wang returned to Jiangzhou to report to the court and handle the follow-up matters."
"And the Longcheng County left behind, all the people who were in the way are dead. Ah, it's all white, so clean."
In the dim candlelight, Liu Ziwen sighed to the other three people in the room, his expression seemingly wistful for a moment, before letting out a long sigh and saying:
"How about it? Doesn't it sound pleasant?"
Liu Zian, Liu Zilin, and the Jade Cup Fairy exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a mixture of shock and bewilderment.
After a moment of silence, Liu Zian broke the silence.
His eyes were fixed on the jade cup fairy with a puzzled expression, but he asked Liu Ziwen, who was at the head of the table:
"First, steal the beams and replace the pillars, then use someone else to do the dirty work... Brother, how exactly do you steal the beams and replace the pillars? I think that's the key point. How do you replace the 'beams' with 'pillars'?"
"Good question."
Liu Ziwen gave his second brother an approving look, then turned his gaze to the black-robed priestess at the back of the room:
"I'll trouble you, Jade Fairy, to make the trip. Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, deal with Ouyang Lianghan first, then transform into his appearance to deceive everyone. Pick up Shen Xisheng and take him to Di Gongzha for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. You won't need to transform for too long. Shen Xisheng should be least wary of 'you'."
"As for how to perform the play at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, you heard what I just said. Just follow the script. Just pay attention to one thing: kill someone in front of everyone, wearing Ouyang Lianghan's face, and then jump into the water and run away. Someone will meet you. Lord Wang and I will handle the rest."
The Jade Cup Fairy frowned, but her face was covered in colorful paint, so the wrinkles were not immediately visible.
She spoke in a cold voice:
"It's possible. Killing a scholar who can't even kill a chicken is a piece of cake. I can kill Ouyang Lianghan and Shen Xisheng with ease. But the problem is that I might not be able to defeat that Confucian Qi cultivator named Xie Lingjiang for the time being."
"It seems she's been following Ouyang Lianghan all day. As I just told you, this woman may have taken some strange shortcut and has already advanced to the seventh rank."
"Unless... you now fully assist this immortal in his cultivation to break through to the next realm?"
Liu Ziwen frowned slightly and interrupted, "Even if you reach the seventh rank, you can only manage a draw at best. Can you guarantee a victory?"
"..."
The Jade Cup Fairy's face seemed slightly flushed in the darkness, and her voice grew colder:
"Hmph, my lineage of immortals has never been known for vulgar fighting... Fine, you've said it yourself, I can't defeat Xie Lingjiang. Then Patriarch Liu, go and think about what to do, how to kill Ouyang Lianghan. Anyway, I don't have that ability."
Liu Ziwen didn't go to look at her, but looked at Liu Zilin and asked:
"How is that swordsman from Chang'an doing lately?"
"Big brother, it's the same as always. He eats fish and meat every day in the Nanxuan Courtyard, and drinks osmanthus wine to his heart's content. I, the third brother, envy his life. He is quite fond of the sword forged in the Jia San Sword Forge, but he has never urged us to hurry up. He just lives a life of debauchery on the roof."
Liu Ziwen was silent for a moment, then nodded and made the decision:
"There's no need to delay any longer. A sword is just an external object; important matters are more important. The Liu family doesn't lack this one, even if it's a little divine... Go and find it first thing tomorrow morning."
"Yes, brother."
Liu Zilin still looked a little pained and reluctant.
That sword forged by the old man—let alone hiring a mid-level Qi cultivator, it might not be too difficult to even hire the legendary head lady of Yunmeng Sword Marsh, whose hair is as black as candlelight.
Facing the jade cup fairy with a suspicious expression, Liu Ziwen said casually:
"You won't go alone. A swordsman will accompany you to take Ouyang Lianghan's head. Whether it's a diversionary tactic or a swift and decisive crushing attack, the two of you can decide."
"A top-tier mid-grade Qi cultivator swordsman, plus an eighth-grade sorcerer, to deal with a Confucian Qi cultivator who is suspected of having just advanced to the seventh grade... It's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
"But if you can spare Xie's daughter, do so; if she gets in your way, don't hesitate to kill her. Once Ouyang Lianghan is beheaded, you can substitute her for him, do you understand?"
"Alright. As long as the ox knife that Patriarch Liu found is reliable, that's fine."
The Jade Cup Fairy snorted coldly, seemingly somewhat displeased.
Liu Zian glanced shrewdly at the black-robed priestess and made a promise on behalf of his elder brother:
"Rest assured, Immortal, the Liu family will give you everything you are entitled to. As long as the matter is accomplished, you will have the opportunity to use the family's special bloodline for a blood sacrifice."
At this point, he immediately changed the subject and went straight to the point:
"Brother, there's one part in your wonderful performance that needs a little discussion."
Liu Ziwen's expression showed no surprise as he asked:
"Second brother, are you referring to the place where Ouyang Lianghan 'committed suicide out of fear of punishment'?"
"That's right."
Liu Zian nodded and sighed:
"The claim that he fled and committed suicide after the ribbon-cutting ceremony is clearly false; he was assassinated and beheaded before the ribbon-cutting ceremony."
His face turned serious as he checked and filled in the gaps, saying:
"Brother, the Jade Cup Fairy and the Chang'an Swordsman should make their move as close as possible to the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the afternoon of the 15th of July, ideally on that day."
"This will save the Jade Cup Fairy time in disguise and reduce the risk of being discovered."
Liu Ziwen's tone was approving:
"What my second brother said is very true. In the next few days, I will find someone to obtain Ouyang Lianghan's schedule before the ribbon-cutting ceremony from elsewhere."
"The spies still in Longcheng County government can no longer be used, as they have likely already been exposed. The fact that Ouyang Lianghan discovered the Burning Sky Shark Oil ahead of time is a good example of this. We can no longer afford to be complacent with such a formidable opponent."
Liu Zian nodded slightly, then lowered his eyes and pondered for a while, exhausting his brainpower, until he had no omissions.
His face was grim, and he sighed deeply.
"Brother, this plan is truly the best strategy. Not only has the crisis tonight been averted, but the most wonderful thing is that the Burning Heaven Shark Oil, which is already lying in the Di Gong Gate, has become Ouyang Lianghan's reassurance, stabilizing him and the county government."
"Until the Chang'an swordsman cut off his head, Ouyang Lianghan probably never imagined that we would make our move on the eve of the ribbon-cutting ceremony..."
Liu Zian turned his head and said seriously:
"Brother, what a brilliant plan to deceive everyone!"
Liu Ziwen shook his head indifferently:
"It was just a lucky coincidence."
Liu Zian was somewhat amazed:
"The person died in the morning, but the body was found to have committed suicide in the evening. How interesting."
...
I'm here! Still awake, catching the last bit of the early morning! I wrote a bit too much, so it's a little late... The next update will be tonight.
(Brothers, these past few chapters have been a bit depressing... We're approaching a crucial plot point, so I'll try to speed things up!)
(End of this chapter)
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