Chapter 192 Deep Hatred: This is the principle I set.
"How so?" Wan Qixi instantly lost all her nonchalance.
"What's it to you?" Guan Ye tilted her head to look at him. "I asked Wushuang about it, and she didn't care. Why are you so concerned? You just told me not to make things up. What, do you want me to never leave this room?"
Wan Qixi breathed heavily, wishing he could strangle Guan Ye and force her to tell him everything. "You've said too much and too many things. If you don't explain everything clearly, I can make sure you don't leave this room. Hurry up and tell me!"
Guan Ye stared directly at Wushuang. At this point, she was ready to go all out. "Since I've decided who you are, you have an inextricable connection with Lu Chaoge. The Blood Crossbow case involves the Lu family and the Five Great Workshops, which is your family matter. I don't believe you'll be unmoved after hearing about it. I also bet you won't hand me over. Wan Qixi is in the Jingwu Pavilion, so he's probably someone you can trust. If we're going to die, let's die together. I'll be the one who gains by taking two people down with me."
“Before the New Year, Wan Qixi sent over the weapons for the Imperial Guards. They were for the Salt and Iron Bureau to use in Xingguo Workshop to refine brass. Wan Qixi reminded me at the time that I shouldn’t fail to refine the amount the Salt and Iron Bureau needed.” Guan Ye glanced at Wan Qixi. “Wan Qixi, you must have been to Xingguo Workshop today, right?”
Wan Qixi replied, "I went there, and just got back. I was thinking that the Salt and Iron Bureau was digging a hole for you, and that the brass would be shortchanged on time. Who would have thought... that the oxcart carried too little, and there were actually several hundred extra pounds of brass..." Wan Qixi suddenly stopped. Extra brass... several hundred extra pounds of brass in the sword of the tomb guard?
The Lu family is a family of weapon makers. Lu Xiaojun was young when the incident happened. However, as the young master of Tianhu Workshop, who was born and raised in the workshop and listened to people recite the "Casting Classic" every day, how could he not understand the most basic characteristics of various iron ores? Brass... how could brittle brass be found in weapons?
The extra brass, the guard's sword, the copper coins hidden by his sister, and the bizarrely exploding crossbow... all intertwined, causing Wanqixi a sharp pain in his head. The answer to the mystery was about to be revealed, but his mind was a complete mess, and he couldn't figure it out no matter what he did.
"Go on..." Wan Qixi placed his hand on the table, "Go on."
"The copper coins next to the skeleton are fake. The brass inside isn't heavy enough. These fake copper coins came from the Ma family's mint. It was Little Ma, the swordsman you saw. He was a descendant of the Ma family, named Ma Lin." Guan Ye continued in a deep voice, "The Ma family minted fake copper coins. Little Ma's grandfather was beheaded. Five hundred catties of brass were stolen from one batch of fake copper coins. This brass was hidden in the weapons of the tomb guards, refined by Xingguo Workshop, and then transported out by you, Wan Qixi..." Guan Ye glanced at him, "from Xingguo Workshop. If I'm not mistaken... it's already been transported to the Salt and Iron Bureau's treasury."
"Just among the weapons of the tomb guards?" Wan Qixi asked doubtfully. "It shouldn't be just that." Suddenly realizing something, Wan Qixi stood up and was about to break down the door. "The blood crossbow... the remaining curved crossbows from the blood crossbow case... are there any left in the inner workshop?"
Wushuang was also surprised by Wanqixi's strong reaction. She paused for a moment and said, "The inner workshop is just for show. There's nothing special in the storeroom. A crossbow? I've never seen one before."
"The Salt and Iron Bureau!?" Wan Qixi rubbed his hands and paced back and forth, sweat beading on his forehead. "Then it can only be the Salt and Iron Bureau. Where, where else could there be one?"
“You’re not exactly smart either,” Guan Ye said, still remembering how this person had called her stupid. “The brass was all melted down into the weapons of the tomb guards, so how could they have left you with such irrefutable evidence of the blood crossbow case?”
"Then what you've been saying is all nonsense!" Wan Qixi was furious, his knuckles cracking as he wanted to punch Guan Ye. "In the end, it's all just bullshit."
Guan Ye slowly reached into his robes, pausing deliberately. "What I'm about to say is something important, something that concerns your life. You're a businessman dealing with the imperial court, you've heard enough of that. Go outside, I'll continue."
"Hey?" Wan Qixi's eyes widened. "Aren't you afraid I'll report you as soon as I get out?"
Guan Ye took her hand out and spread her hands, saying, "Words are meaningless, you can only rely on your words. Go ahead and do it."
"You brat." Wan Qixi poked her again. "We're all in the same boat, it's no harm in letting people know."
"The boat from the Ghost Market?" Guan Ye dodged his outstretched finger. "That boat is too small; it probably can't carry so many people."
Wan Qixi was so anxious that he was about to draw his sword. "I still have a big ship. Guan Ye, are you going to tell me or not? Are you forcing me to draw my sword?"
"You drew my father's sword. You're using my father's sword to kill me. Aren't you afraid he'll crawl out of his grave in the middle of the night and strangle you?"
Wan Qixi froze on the spot, his hand slowly lowering from the hilt of his sword. His eyes suddenly fixed on Guan Ye's fearless face. Her features were so delicate, bearing none of Guan Xiaotian's roughness, yet the air of authority between her brows was exactly the same as Guan Xiaotian's. Guan Xiaotian, oh Guan Xiaotian, you wielded a sledgehammer, knowing only how to forge iron and cast weapons, yet you gave birth to such a bold and meticulous daughter. If your spirit is watching from heaven, you can die in peace.
"When did you figure it out?" Wan Qixi asked in a low voice, but regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth. Could it be that this girl was trying to trick him?
“That time we tested swords at the Ghost Market,” Guan Ye said frankly. “Mu Chenbi and I asked you to borrow your swords, but you were hesitant and reluctant to take them out. You treasured that old horizontal sword so much, I had to take a second look at it. And once I did, I could tell.”
"You have some skill." Wan Qixi's praise came from the bottom of his heart. "You can see the intricacies in even the most ordinary horizontal sword."
Guan Ye snorted, "Don't you even know who forged it? That's my father. He said he forged a knife for himself, bigger and thicker than a regular sword. He left in a hurry and didn't have time to go back to the workshop to get it. He often talked about it afterward, saying what a fine knife it was, it would definitely be ruined if it were confiscated. I never thought..." Guan Ye lowered her eyes and looked at the sword in Wan Qixi's hand, "that it would end up in your hands."
As Guan Ye spoke, her gaze swept upwards, staring intently at Wan Qixi's not-so-ugly face, but she dared not utter the words.
"Speak up." Wan Qixi was very experienced and could tell at a glance what Guan Ye was holding back. "We've come this far, if we don't tell everyone everything, no one will get out of here."
“Father said that the Lu family has a son and a daughter. The eldest daughter, Lu Chaoge, also has a younger brother. When the Tianhu Workshop had the accident, her brother was only seven years old and his name was…” Guan Ye carefully examined Wan Qixi’s face. His features were sharp as if carved by a knife. He raised his chin slightly and his eyes were sharp. His dreadlocks were wrapped in a crimson headscarf. The corners of his mouth were slightly raised. He was a slovenly and crazy merchant who frequented the Ghost Market. He was also a wandering swordsman. He said he was Wan Qixi from the Western Regions. Guan Ye knew that he was also the young master of Tianhu Workshop—Lu Xiaojun.
“Your name is… Lu Xiaojun.” Guan Ye pulled a short sword from her sleeve, drawing it from its scabbard to reveal the engraving on the recessed part to Wan Qixi. “My father forged a short sword for Young Master Lu, and even engraved a picture of a bird leaning against bamboo, symbolizing his name. My father said that Lu Xiaojun was overjoyed when he found it, and probably wouldn’t have let go of it until the very last moment…” Seeing Wan Qixi’s dazed expression, Guan Ye knew he was being reminded of the past by the object. She paused and continued softly, “You’ve seen this short sword before. That day you barged into the Xingguo Workshop forge and saw it… The way you looked then, I thought… I thought…”
"You thought I would kill you all?" Wan Qixi did not take the short sword Guan Ye handed over. "This sword is not the same one as before. It can't protect me, it can't protect everyone. You can keep it to play with."
Guan Ye revealed a sharpened blade with a backhand motion. "This sword is already sharpened. You must believe that it can protect everyone."
Wan Qixi picked up the horizontal sword, stroking it inch by inch with his palm, and a carefree look appeared on his lips. "You might as well trust the horizontal sword your father left you."
Guan Ye didn't insist, sheathed her short sword and said, "Since you are Lu Xiaojun, you are entitled to listen to what I'm about to say."
"Hahahaha." Wan Qixi laughed loudly, "Guan Ye, in terms of seniority, you're my junior sister, you should call me senior brother. Now you're putting on airs and trying to put on airs. Okay, okay, keep going, where were we? I've completely forgotten what we were talking about..."
Guan Ye reached into her robes and pulled out Mei Xiaoqing's purse, carefully cradling the contents in her palm. "You're a swordsman, and you also have the blood of a blacksmith flowing through your veins. The things are here; do I need to say anything more?"
Wan Qixi stared blankly, then, as if possessed, leaned closer to examine the fragment. He picked it up with his fingertips, rubbing it to feel its texture. A fleeting look of disbelief crossed his narrow eyes. Wushuang's gaze darkened, and he too stepped forward to examine the fragment in Wan Qixi's hand. With just one glance, Wushuang's brows furrowed, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. "The crossbow has been tampered with. Brass, so that's how it is..."
Wan Qixi let out a low growl, his narrow eyes burning with rage, then suddenly sharpening like a blade, revealing a terrifying ruthlessness. One hand gripped the crossbow fragments tightly, while the other swiftly tightened around Guan Ye's neck. "Who! Who! Who did this!?"
Guan Ye was startled by his sudden outburst of rage. Her neck was being choked, making it hard to breathe. She frantically tried to pry open Wan Qixi's hand, glancing at Wushuang, "Let go...let go..."
"What are you doing?" Wushuang grabbed Wanqixi's wrist. "Are you trying to strangle her?"
"Who did it?" Wan Qixi still held the gesture of wanting Guan Ye dead, his eyes filled with barely suppressed resentment. "It was your father, it was Guan Xiaotian... It must be him, it could only be him... Guan Xiaotian, it was him who did it!"
Guan Ye's fingertips dug deeply into Wan Qixi's flesh. She knew everyone must die, and she had never been afraid of death, but she never imagined she would die so miserably at the hands of... Lu Xiaojun. Guan Ye protested, "No..." she managed to squeeze out, "It wasn't my father..."
"Not Guan Xiaotian?" Wan Qixi laughed through tears of anger. "I vividly remember the scene of three thousand crossbows being destroyed at the same time, rushing to complete them. The only person who could have tampered with them one by one was Guan Xiaotian. All three thousand crossbows passed through his hands. Only him, only him! That's why he was able to escape Rongdu, because he was an accomplice! Guan Ye, your father was involved in the blood crossbow case. It's not enough for him to die alone. You must die too. You must pay for Tianhu Workshop and the Five Great Workshops with your lives!"
Wan Qixi exerted force with his wrist, his anger unleashing boundless power. Guan Ye's feet slowly lifted off the ground, and she became increasingly breathless, her head feeling like it was about to explode. She gripped Wan Qixi's hand tightly; at this moment, she would rather die than beg for mercy.
"Let go!" Wushuang drew his sword. "Blood cannot be spilled in the Jingwu Pavilion. Release Guan Ye immediately."
Guan Ye kicked Wan Qixi with her raised heel, "It wasn't my father...it wasn't...if I die...you'll never know...you'll never know who did it..."
Wan Qixi felt a chill on his neck. Looking down, he saw that Wushuang's sword was already held horizontally beside his neck. Wan Qixi loosened his grip, and the dying Guan Ye fell heavily to the ground with a thud, startling Lou Cangyu in the courtyard, who couldn't help but turn around.
Wushuang rushed to help Guan Ye up, prying open her neck. The bloodstains were deep and purple, showing how ruthless Wanqi Xi had been. At least just now, he really wanted Guan Ye to die.
"You're insane!" Wushuang glared at Wanqixi. "Even if it really has to do with Guan Xiaotian, what does it have to do with his daughter? Does the grudge of the previous generation have to be passed on to the next? What kind of logic is that?"
Wan Qixi chuckled, his narrow eyes devoid of heart or emotion, and punched his chest. "If the world has wronged Tianhu, then I will kill them all. Anyone involved with them, I will make them all die. This is my principle."
Guan Ye caught her breath and looked up at the nearly insane Wan Qixi. He was Lu Xiaojun, the disciple her father had always cherished, and the young master of the Lu family, whom her father always lamented. He should have had a bright and promising life, but because of a wrongful conviction, he had to live in hiding and could not show his face to the world. Guan Ye did not know how he had survived that calamity, or whether he had lived in fear and hiding like her parents. Perhaps he had suffered even more than she had, and he was in so much pain that all he had left was hatred. But they could not have only hatred.
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