Chapter 677: I Love Killing in My Dreams [Star Upgrade]
"Just Gu Chi."
Tao said, "Gu Chi is nothing, but he is now working for Shen Youli, so he seems to be a confidant."
The woman understood: "You're wary of Shen Youli?"
She had never met Shen Tang, but she had heard of him more than once.
Qiu Cheng sought help from the Dragon Slaying Bureau's allied forces to jointly attack Shen Tang. Tao Yan was also tempted, but his territory was not adjacent to Shen Tang's, and even if he sent troops to support them and won, he wouldn't get much benefit. He didn't step forward, but Qian Yong did, only to run into a brick wall. He was even more glad that he hadn't rashly gotten involved.
He frankly admitted, "How can we not be wary? This Shen Youli rejected Qian Yong before and then destroyed Qiu Cheng. This time, she brought 30,000 elite troops to the alliance meeting, and Gu Chi has a grudge against my husband. We don't know when she will use Shen Youli to attack us... Under these circumstances, we can only strike first. However, it is not easy to openly attack Gu Chi. If we cannot do it openly, we can only act secretly."
If Gu Chi is eliminated, Shen Tang will no longer be a threat.
The woman disagreed.
"He's just a man..."
She didn't think it would be difficult to get Gu Chi to lower his guard.
Most men in the world are alike: inherently confident and arrogant, they find far less fulfilling in possessing a woman's body than in winning her heart. The former only proves strength, while the latter proves not only strength but also great charm.
Otherwise, how could a woman fall in love with him after only three meetings?
The story of her devoted and passionate elder sister was merely a tragic tale deliberately crafted to distract Gu Chi; it was nine parts truth and one part falsehood. As long as Gu Chi still cared about blood relatives, the jade pendant would remain fatally attractive to him.
Tao said, "He is a man, and also a scholar with a literary heart."
Gu Chi's talent is the strongest among the three generations of the Gu family.
To deal with Gu Chi's grandfather, all you need to do is appeal to his nostalgia for his homeland, stirring up memories of his past battles alongside the founding emperor. He'll be moved and sigh, falling for the trap without even realizing it. As for Gu Chi's father, that Junior Tutor Gu, all you need to do is exploit his feelings for his family, using his father's keepsake as proof, saying there's a hostage in hand. He'll obediently come to the appointment to rescue his father.
But Gu Chi was different. He would be on high alert around Tao Yan and those around him, making it difficult for them to even get close, let alone let their guard down for a moment. Although Tao Yan tacitly allowed his confidants to eliminate the threat completely, he was also worried about the matter.
The woman sneered inwardly.
She flicked her finger and pulled the man's collar outwards.
He said ambiguously, "Isn't the young master also a martial artist with courage?"
Tao Yan felt a surge of heat coursing through him from her little gesture, his gaze deep and intense. They stared at each other for a moment, then he laughed heartily and carried the woman behind the screen in the main tent: "Indeed, even I, your husband, am defeated by you. What is a mere scholar like him?"
"If news of Gu Chi's sudden death comes tomorrow..."
Tao Yan said vaguely, "Tonight is just a test. For the safety of the lady, we must wait three to five days before taking his life, no matter how urgent the situation may be."
If we make our move tonight, Shen Tang will definitely become suspicious.
If the investigation traces back to the woman and ends up back to him, that would be troublesome.
Judging from Shen Tang's past behavior, he is not a kind person.
Tao Yan looked at the woman's skin, which was slightly rough from her daily work in the military camp. Although her appearance was not stunning, she had a wildness about her. "The accounts in the warehouse have been quite complicated lately. If you have time tonight, madam, why don't you help me take stock of them?"
The woman gave a vague reply.
Auditing accounts is a profound skill.
The two work together, one as the main player and the other as the assistant.
It combines strength and gentleness, and harmonizes yin and yang.
Although Tao Yan was a brave and skilled martial artist, he was not a rough and unrefined warrior who lacked romantic understanding. He was meticulous in his accounting, carefully recording every single transaction. The woman couldn't resist his method, and began to feel dizzy halfway through checking the accounts.
What needs to be done today must be done today.
Tao Yan only stopped when the accounts were clear.
Checking accounts is an even more laborious task.
The two paused for a moment, and after catching their breath, they were about to examine the second book when Tao Yan suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching from outside the tent. He could only suppress his thoughts, tidy himself up slightly, put on his clothes, and step out from behind the screen: "What is it?"
"My lord, I have something important to report."
The person who came in from outside the tent was one of Tao Yan's confidants.
He was also the one who had previously persuaded Tao Yan to kill Gu Chi.
Tao Yan was puzzled: "Come in."
What urgent matter could happen at this hour?
It couldn't possibly be Zheng Qiao's troops launching a surprise attack on the camp in the middle of the night.
The confidant entered the tent, and by the candlelight, Tao Yan could see the anxiety on his face. Just as he was about to ask, the confidant dropped a bombshell. The confidant, his face ashen, said, "My lord, the old strategist Li just... just... has passed away."
Tao Yan crushed the ceramic bowl in her hand, spilling the water all over the floor. The woman, startled, emerged from behind the screen, not caring that she was only wearing a thin nightgown. Her eyes were filled with shock, fear, and anger as she demanded sharply, "Who did you just say died?"
The woman's voice helped Tao Yan regain some composure.
His deep voice betrayed a hint of panic.
"Tell me in detail, what exactly happened!"
Why did Tao Yan and the woman react this way?
Because Li, the old strategist, was the one Tao Yan sent to assassinate Gu Chi, and one of only two scholars under Tao Yan who possessed the principles of literature. In terms of age, he was of the same generation as Gu Chi's father, but due to his background, he had never been given important positions and eventually became a staff member in Tao Yan's household. After the fall of the country and the destruction of his family, he helped Tao Yan with many plans and was a staunch supporter of the restoration movement!
If it weren't for this person, Gu Chi's grandfather and father wouldn't have been killed so easily. Tao Yan and the woman knew his abilities well and couldn't understand why he would suddenly die. In a flash, the woman thought that the death of the old strategist Li might be related to Gu Chi...
He asked, "Was it Gu Chi who killed him?"
The confidant's answer surprised them both: "No."
The two asked in unison, "No? Then who is it?"
"Given Gu Chi's character, it's impossible for him to let that jade pendant leave his person. How could the old strategist Li have failed in his assassination attempt and been killed instead?"
This jade pendant carries a very heavy significance.
From Gu Chi's grandfather to his father, then to his mother, and the unfortunate woman who was destined to be with him but ultimately fell in love with him, Gu Chi could never abandon this jade pendant, neither emotionally nor logically. Even if he didn't keep it close to his body, he would keep it nearby.
The confidant took a deep breath and said, "I don't know."
He heard a scream come from the tent of the old strategist Li and rushed in immediately, only to see the other man's head rolling on the ground, his eyes wide open, but his body was nowhere to be seen. There were no suspicious people inside or outside the tent, and no signs of a struggle.
This scene is too bizarre.
but--
All three of them knew perfectly well why.
Li Laojunshi's way of the scholar is somewhat special, officially called "A Dream of Yellow Millet," which, in simpler terms, is to make people dream. Scholars/martial artists drawn into "A Dream of Yellow Millet" will dream of the moment when they first condensed their literary and martial talents, while those who practice the way of the scholar can enter the dream, transforming into any person around the dreamer to seize an opportunity to kill them.
This scholar's way can be both useless and incredibly powerful. The old strategist Li used it to help Tao Yan clear countless obstacles, including those from Gu Chi's grandfather and father. After all, they never imagined their son/father would kill them.
Even in a dream.
Of course, if the old strategist Li were to be seen through in his dream and then turn the tables on him, he would also die. As cautious as he was, unless the situation was extremely urgent, he would always test the waters several times before actually taking action, secretly studying the interaction between the dreamer and those around him.
They'll only take action if they can fool people for a while.
He was going to test Gu Chi tonight.
Tao Yan's face was colder than ever before: "Go and take a look."
Losing a trusted right-hand man for no apparent reason—how could he not be furious? The old strategist Li's head had already been cleaned of its blood and placed neatly on the table. The woman and Tao Yan entered and were met with those unseeing, lifeless eyes; their hearts pounded.
Tao Yan asked, "Why are you so sure it's not Gu Chi?"
The confidant pointed to the neat cut on the old strategist Li's neck. Tao Yan stepped closer to examine it carefully and saw the clue: "Because the residue on the wound is not literary energy... but martial energy. The old strategist Li must have been killed by a martial artist in his dream."
There's a huge difference between literary and martial spirit.
Tao Yan and his confidant turned to look at the woman.
To drag someone into a dream requires a medium, and this medium must be something the target carries close at hand, and it must be completely unguarded. The conditions are demanding, but that jade pendant perfectly fits the bill. Tao Yan stared at the head of the old strategist Li, his heart bleeding: "Shouldn't that thing be in Gu Chi's hands? Why is it in the hands of a martial arts master? When did Gu Chi begin practicing martial arts?"
The woman never expected things to turn out this way.
She murmured, "Could it be that he discovered it?"
No, that's impossible.
Although she was an ordinary person, she was meticulous and knew that some literary figures had tricks to read people's minds. Years ago, she deliberately trained herself not to overthink. Although controlling her instincts was difficult, she succeeded and made it ingrained in her bones, turning it into instinct. The woman's mind raced, recalling every detail of her meeting with Gu Chi, reviewing it carefully.
The woman was certain: "He couldn't possibly find out!"
Tao Yan suppressed his anger: "If he didn't discover the flaw, how did that thing end up in the hands of a martial artist? Didn't you say that jade pendant was of great significance to Gu Chi? Would he easily give it away? Especially to a man?"
As is widely known, there are no female warriors in martial arts.
Naturally, Gu Chi was giving the jade pendant to a man.
The woman's lips moved, and she stammered, "...Or perhaps, this Gu Chi really does have homosexual tendencies?"
Otherwise, it doesn't make sense.
Tao Yan's face turned a deep purplish-red.
The woman said, "Only an accident can explain it."
Tao Yan's face darkened upon hearing this, veins throbbing uncontrollably on his forehead, and his mind buzzed. He pointed at the old strategist Li's head, his anger turning into a mocking laugh: "An accident? You mean my right-hand man, he died by accident?"
This is truly a case of dying before even getting started.
This is absolutely absurd!
The woman stood still, unafraid of the fierceness in the man's eyes.
In this tense and suffocating atmosphere, Tao Yan took a few deep breaths, venting all his emotions in his clenched fists, as if using the strength of his fists to suppress the boiling anger and killing intent in his chest: "Send someone to investigate Shen Tang's camp!"
He needs to know who killed Military Advisor Li!
This debt will be collected back, doubled!
Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.
A group of people gathered in Bai Su's tent, taking up little space in the already small area. The tent's owner stood in a corner, his nightgown splattered with blood beneath his cloak, and the tent reeked of a nauseating stench of blood. Shen Tang squatted beside a headless corpse, his face grave, and said, "The body is still warm and fresh; it just died."
This is nonsense.
"Judging from this person's attire, he is a scholar... Have any of our camp members gone missing?" Shen Tang poked the corpse's severed neck. The skin under her fingers had little elasticity, indicating severe loss of collagen. She estimated that the headless corpse's owner was not young.
Upon hearing this, Bai Su's face turned as white as her surname.
The fatal wound on the headless corpse was clearly her doing, and the remaining martial energy proved it—ironclad evidence she couldn't deny. But she clearly remembered killing someone in a dream; however, that was a dream, not reality.
This only proves one thing—
Xu Quan deliberately brought up the very thing he didn't want to talk about.
"...Did Shao Xuan kill someone in his dream?"
Isn't that sleeping posture a bit too fierce?
Bai Su glared at him, and Xu Quan shrank back, carefully moving behind his companion—Bai Su was so fierce in her dream that he was somewhat intimidated.
After a struggle between heaven and man, Bai Su stepped forward to apologize.
"My lord, things have come to this, this humble general is willing to accept punishment!"
Killing someone in a dream is still killing someone, especially since it was the inexplicable killing of a scholar who appeared to be from our own camp. Bai Su is willing to bear all the consequences! Shen Tang, however, was not in a hurry at all: "Shao Xuan, don't worry about taking the blame yourself yet. First, determine whether it was ours or someone else's. If it was someone else's, what were they trying to spy on by breaking into Shao Xuan's tent in the middle of the night? We'll bring the corpse to their door and demand compensation for emotional distress, extorting a hefty sum..."
As she spoke, she remembered Jiang Sheng again.
"What can we expect from Xian Deng?"
Jiang Sheng told a chilling joke in a serious tone: "This person has no head, no breath, how can you tell if he's breathing?"
This is simply putting his scholarly ways in a difficult position.
Shen Tang responded with an "Oh," and said, "That's true."
It wasn't difficult to check if someone was one of our own, but before the results came out, Gu Chi said firmly, "It can't be one of ours."
Shen Tang asked: "Reason?"
Gu Chi bent down and lifted the corpse's wide-sleeved robe, asking, "Who could afford to wear this kind of heavy brocade with intricate patterns that symbolizes certain victory?"
Everyone: "..."
Shen Tang was shot hard in the knee.
Before long, Xun Dinghao's eldest son hurried over.
"My lord, the camp is not short of men."
Shen Tang stared at the corpse, lost in thought. The others stared at the corpse, contemplating a conspiracy—which force had come to spy on them?
Jiang Sheng speculated, "Their target should have been our lord, but they unexpectedly went to the wrong camp and were killed by General Bai in his dream?"
Bai Su had no memory of killing anyone, so everyone concluded that the incident was a dream-induced murder. In this light, General Bai is truly formidable!
Shen Tang clenched his fist and lightly tapped his palm with his other hand, then enthusiastically suggested, "The most urgent thing is to find out which family he belongs to... Carrying a corpse to their door to demand an explanation, doing this on the very first day, who knows if he'll betray us on the battlefield."
Unfortunately, this person had no items on him that could identify him.
As for the literary monogram?
That thing is the embodiment of the owner's literary spirit. When the owner dies, the literary spirit dissipates, and the literary monogram naturally ceases to exist. However, wealthy families who pay attention to funeral culture will hire craftsmen to carve an identical literary monogram as a burial item.
This is not easy to find.
The group identified the suspects one by one.
This included Wu Xian and Gu Ren, and even the alliance leader Huang Lie was dragged into a conspiracy theory discussion. Gu Chi, however, brought up Tao Yan, whom no one else seemed to care about. Shen Tang said, "He has a grudge against you, not me. Why would he sneak into my camp at night..."
Gu Chi corrected his lord: "It is General Bai's camp."
Shen Tang said, "Then didn't we go to the wrong place?"
They went to the wrong camp and got caught.
What a muddle-headed literary scholar!
Gu Chi was speechless.
His intuition told him that Tao Yan was highly suspicious!
After some speculation, almost everyone was considered a prime suspect.
Chu Yao suggested, "Why don't we hang the body up for people to claim? Tomorrow, whoever makes a move will be the one who claims it."
Shen Tang hesitated for a moment: "This is an open declaration of war."
Chu Yao said, "So what?"
If things escalate like this, it's hard to say who's in the right.
Shen Tang finally nodded in agreement with the suggestion, ordering the body to be carried out and washed in Bai Su's tent. Bai Su had suffered an undeserved calamity tonight, and had been frightened on Shen Tang's behalf. However—killing in one's dreams was hardly a good habit…
"Shaoxuan, have you been under too much pressure lately?"
Shen Tang had reason to suspect that Bai Su's recent stress caused her to sleepwalk—although one is unconscious during sleepwalking, the instincts of a martial artist are ingrained in the body. If an enemy was spying on her, Bai Su would instinctively kill in self-defense, which is a perfectly normal explanation.
Jiang Sheng carefully examined Bai Su's complexion: "Does the lord suspect that General Bai is under too much pressure during the day, causing her to suffer from dissociative identity disorder?"
He wasn't quite sure, so he took another look.
\(￣︶￣*\))
La la la la, five stars! Five stars! I got five stars as soon as the achievement points updated on the morning of the 18th. Finally, I can get close to the Empress! Waaaaah!
(End of this chapter)
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