Chapter 69: Using Someone Else to Kill [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Even her personal maids were beaten to death...
The Shen family was exterminated along with their entire clan...
Those who knew Madam Shen best in this world were now dead, unable to speak. Even maids like Wu Ling, though serving in the household, knew very little. This whole affair reeked of conspiracy; the Shen family… was no simple matter.
Shen Tang murmured, "Is the Shen family truly mediocre?"
She found herself increasingly unfamiliar with the "Doctrine of the Mean" that Tian Zhong spoke of.
Which school of thought would be so secretive?
Mr. Gu said, "Could it be that Madam Shen had someone she loved and chose to elope, and then, to cover up the scandal, Madam Shen killed several of her personal maids to silence them? And since they couldn't find Madam Shen and were short of a replacement, they found Shen Lang to marry in her place? However, the difference between men and women is too great. Gong Yunchi may be young, but he's not blind... Whether by water or land, he can't fool anyone on their wedding night."
Shen Tang: "..."
She tried to suppress the twitching at the corners of her mouth.
His tone was unfriendly: "Madam Shen is about my age, around eleven or twelve. She's an unmarried woman raised in seclusion. Where would she meet a man outside the marriage and elope with him? Don't read those clichéd, poor scholar's stories."
Mr. Gu realized he had spoken out of turn.
Regardless of the truth, whether Madam Shen is dead or alive is a matter of speculation concerning the reputation of women in the family, and such speculation should not be made lightly.
From both a moral and logical standpoint, he was in the wrong.
Mr. Gu changed his mind, his serious expression fading to a playful and inquisitive tone: "That Second Master Shen was a connoisseur of antiques and collectibles. Perhaps he saw this strange coffin somewhere, bought it on a whim, and ordered it opened to find you lying inside? You've been lying there for who knows how many years, but your face is still as fresh as a living person. What's even more surprising is that you're still alive and resemble Madam Shen. So Second Master Shen secretly transported the coffin back to the Shen residence. Coincidentally, Madam Shen needed to conceal her whereabouts for some reason, so she had you take her place in the marriage?"
Shen Tang listened to the whole thing without any expression.
"It's a shame you're not a storyteller with that kind of talent."
The first version followed a melodramatic love story—a rich girl eloped for love and wandered the world, while a poor boy endured hardship and finally achieved his goal. Perhaps later, a wicked mother-in-law would be added to torment her daughter-in-law, causing her clan to be wiped out and leaving her destitute. The second version is even more outrageous, directly incorporating fantasy and bizarre elements: a thousand-year-old mummy rises from the dead to marry a nobleman. Who knew this guy had such a heavy taste?
Mr. Gu: "I also feel it's a pity."
Shen Tang: "..."
Mr. Gu seemed to have lowered his guard and chatted with Shen Tang with a smile: "It's a pity that my lifespan is not long. If I had lived longer, I would have become a storyteller after the world was more settled. Over the years, I have been forced to listen to the inner voices of so many demons and monsters. It would be such a pity not to speak them out."
Shen Tang thought this guy was daydreaming.
"The world is somewhat pacified? Is the pacification of the Northern Desert the same as that?"
Mr. Gu avoided the topic.
"That would be a complete disaster."
"Shen Lang doesn't think it's a good idea?"
Shen Tang bluntly stated, "I've heard people say that the Northern Desert is not a benevolent place."
"Who told you that?" Shen Tang was about to say, "What's it to you?" when Mr. Gu asked, "Did you hear it from Qi Yuanliang?"
Shen Tang frowned: "Your investigation was quite thorough."
Mr. Gu smiled and said, "Shen Lang, you flatter me. After all, we are on Geng Kingdom's territory, so we must be discreet to avoid being discovered. The names Qi Shan and Qi Yuanliang are truly known to everyone in some places."
For example, erotic paintings that are extremely rare and valuable.
For example, the same number of enemies.
Mr. Gu was even more surprised that this guy was still alive.
The following eight characters were described in a dramatic and eccentric manner.
Shen Tang simply replied in a calm voice, "Oh."
Mr. Gu: "How did Shen Lang get involved with him?"
Chu Yao is no pushover—although losing his literary talent makes many things inconvenient, it doesn't mean he's lost his mind, and it doesn't affect his ability to devise strategies—there's the infamous Qi Yuanliang, and this Shen Lang who possesses literary talent but whose murderous intent is stronger than his martial prowess.
They are all evil people.
It's hard not to have ulterior motives.
Shen Tang wanted to roll her eyes, finally understanding Qi Shan's pain.
She said, "You ask so many questions. I don't even know you. What business is it of yours who I'm with?"
Mr. Gu said, "Even with white hair, we remain strangers; even after meeting for the first time, we feel like old friends."
Shen Tang: "..."
I believed your lies.
Mr. Gu didn't care whether Shen Tang believed him or not: "I took an instant liking to you, Shen Lang, and that's why I said this out of concern for you. If you don't believe me, Shen Lang might as well go back and ask Qi Yuanliang about the 'Way of the Scholar'."
You know?
Mr. Gu smiled but said nothing.
Shen Tang felt extremely bored and didn't want to stay there for even a moment longer. She got up, dusted off non-existent dust, and prepared to leave.
"What should be done with this dancer?" Seeing that Shen Tang didn't respond, Mr. Gu clicked his tongue twice, feigning provocation, "If Shen Lang were not a man but a woman, and also lacked literary talent, her fate... would probably be worse than death. Can Shen Lang forgive such a grudge?"
Shen Tang glanced at the bewildered dancer who was still under the control of the Word Spirit, then looked at Mr. Gu, and her lips twitched slightly.
He simply said, "I'll have to pay compensation if I kill her."
How much money did I make selling alcohol on this trip?
Most importantly—
Even if she didn't kill him, Mr. Gu would have done it anyway, and he would have handled it cleanly without leaving any evidence. Why would she bother to do it herself and get herself covered in blood?
Why are they so certain they can "use someone else to do their dirty work"?
Because Shen Tang spoke of Mr. Gu's "way of the scholar," Wu Ling heard it clearly from the side, and based on that alone, she would not survive.
"Anyone who can associate with Qi Yuanliang is definitely not a good person."
Not long after Mr. Gu left Yaoling Pavilion, the dancer committed suicide by jumping into a well.
Moonlit Pavilion.
The servant was reading a thick stack of letters.
Seeing Mr. Gu return, she didn't put it away and asked without any hesitation, "Mr. Gu, have you found anything? Is there anything wrong with that Shen Tang?"
Mr. Gu: "I checked, and there's nothing wrong with it."
The official was secretly surprised: "Is it really a coincidence?"
However, since Mr. Gu had already said so, he didn't delve into it further. It was best if Shen Tang was alright, as this would give the Northern Desert another reason to send troops to Geng Kingdom. When Geng Kingdom was embroiled in internal strife and unable to attend to its own problems, that would be the best time to send troops.
"Sir, you've worked hard. Please go and rest."
"Yes." Mr. Gu bowed and left.
He only revealed a different side of himself once he returned to his room.
A man was studying a chess game, muttering to himself.
"I should go and meet Qi Yuanliang..."
At the same time, Shen Tang also returned to the farmhouse.
Chu Yao was still teaching students, while Qi Shan was sitting under the eaves, weaving bamboo strips with a pile of scraps of cloth and needles and thread beside him.
She recalled her recent ordeal and felt utterly exhausted.
She plopped down and let out a loud groan, trying to get everyone's attention, but only Chu Yao paid her any attention. Qi Shan was still weaving bamboo strips, and it was clear that it was an exquisitely crafted bamboo frame.
"Goro, why are you sighing?"
"I was bullied outside."
Qi Shan chuckled, amused: "You were bullied?"
A single sword strike to the throat, yet no blood stains the clothes.
Young Master Shen is doing a good deed every day by not bullying others.
Shen Tang slapped her thigh in a "wailing" tone and shouted in a accusatory tone towards Qi Shan, "I've been bullied by your old flame."
Qi Shan: "???"
Shen Tang added quietly, "Someone surnamed Gu."
Qi Shan, without looking up, said, "I know at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, people with the surname Gu. Which one are you talking about?"
Shen Tang: "So you really do have an old flame surnamed Gu?"
Qi Shan: "..."
Tomorrow at midnight.
(End of this chapter)
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