Chapter 905: Dr. Dong's Second Spring in Life (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
It was late at night, and the time had passed three quarters past midnight.
There are less than fifteen minutes left until the New Year.
This mansion occupies an extremely vast area, its interior brightly lit, adorned with dazzling jewels, a testament to the owner's immense wealth. The former master, however, had no time to appreciate it, and plunged into the artificial hill. The entrance was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time; the place was secluded and quiet, and the sounds of string and wind instruments emanating from the banquet hall faded from clear to indistinct.
He planned to leave through a poorly guarded side gate.
Reaching the depths of the artificial hill, he seemed to sense something and stopped. His right hand, hidden in his sleeve, quietly rested on the hilt of his sword, his eyes darting left and right, highly vigilant. After a few breaths, seeing no unusual movement around him, he hesitantly released his hand: "Was I being paranoid?"
"Didn't the headmaster just say he was going to the restroom? How did he end up here? Could it be that he's lost because he doesn't know the area well?"
The mocking laughter that didn't belong to me pierced my eardrums.
His tone was smiling, but there was no warmth in it.
A chill ran down the spine of the former host. He abruptly looked up in the direction of the voice and saw a languidly seated young man on the artificial hill, which should have been empty. The young man had eyes that were unusually round and youthful for a man, adding to his boyish appearance. His pure black scholar's robe blended almost seamlessly with the night, making his skin appear extremely pale. He was not one of the attendees at the gathering!
How did the strangers get in?
No, he is not a stranger.
The former host speculated: "Qi Yuanliang?"
The young man said calmly, "The boss has a good eye!"
Upon hearing this, the former master turned and ran. It wasn't that he didn't want to use his incantation, but rather that he had discovered someone had tampered with the area when he tried to use it, rendering it useless. He couldn't use it, and neither could the young man; the two were evenly matched…
A sudden pain shot through my thigh.
A section of the sword blade pierced through the hem of her clothes from back to front.
The back of my neck was gripped by a large, slightly cold hand.
A muffled thud.
Half of his cheek slammed into the rugged, cold rock face of the artificial hill.
Ignoring the stinging pain on his face, he shouted angrily, "Qi Yuanliang, don't be so arrogant! If you kill me now, do you think those people outside are stupid? Do you think they can't guess that you did it? You've already got the position of head of the society that you wanted, what more could you want? What good will it do you to kill me?"
The young man leaned close to his ear, his breath coming in shallower than normal, and his smile was somewhat sinister: "Boss, this isn't called 'exterminating the enemy,' this is called 'eliminating future troubles' and 'rooting out the problem completely'! Blame it on your arrogance!"
The former head of the organization gritted his teeth and growled a threat.
"Aren't you afraid your family and relatives will be slaughtered?"
He couldn't see the playful glint in the young man's eyes behind him.
"My relatives?"
The former leader felt emboldened and said sternly, "Pei Cheng, if you kill me today, tomorrow you can expect to collect the corpses of your entire Pei family, including the families of your married-out sisters!"
This Pei Cheng is Qi Yuanliang's true identity.
Born into poverty, his father was a villain, and his mother made a living by collecting scraps. He had six siblings, but only Pei Cheng managed to rise above his circumstances, being bought as a page by a wealthy family due to his exceptional talent. However, he remained wicked and, to compensate for his humble origins, stole the identity of "Qi Shan." At that time, the Qi clan was in decline, its population dwindling, and "Qi Shan" was exiled for harming a classmate.
This was the perfect opportunity for Pei Cheng to make his move.
No one knew that he had replaced "Qishan".
Given the current situation of the Qi family, it is difficult to discover the truth, and even if the truth is discovered, it will be impossible to clear the name of "Qi Shan".
Pei Cheng could deceive outsiders, but he couldn't deceive the Gods' Guild. He was thoroughly investigated on his very first day, but the Gods' Guild only considered ability, not background. According to internal rules, members' information was top secret, and only the head of the guild could see all of it.
"...You are indeed cautious, but nothing stays hidden forever. You went to great lengths to help your parents, siblings, and relatives in the Pei family, changing hands more than a dozen times. It was all so painstaking, but your good-for-nothing father couldn't keep his mouth shut... Ha, I never imagined such a cold-blooded 'evil scheme' would have a weakness, and one that was well hidden. Why don't you guess where they are now? It's a place you'll never find, you..."
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp pain shot through his throat.
Fresh blood soaked the young man's right hand through the wound.
He swept the water horizontally with a blank stare.
The former master collapsed to the ground, clutching his neck in agony. His difficulty breathing turned his face a deep purplish-red, and he desperately tried to escape, his other hand gripping the ground. The merciful young man drew his sword and pierced his heart, the blade cutting through his vital organs, finally releasing the former master.
Ignoring the pool of blood at his feet, the young man sat down beside his former master's body and said casually, "I've heard that the last thing a person loses is their hearing. So, even though you're dead, you can still hear my voice. What I want to tell you is—"
"Cough cough cough!"
A familiar cough came from behind me.
The young man turned his head and looked at the furtive Shen Tang.
"The villain dies from talking too much. Some secrets should not be revealed even if the corpse is dead. Who knows if they will be resurrected?" Many stories follow this formula: the villain talks too much, and the protagonist, after being reborn, gains the upper hand and seeks revenge on the villain.
The young man lowered his eyes: "Wouldn't that mean you'd die with your eyes open in disgrace?"
Shen Tang looked at the corpse: "Ghosts, it's good to be confused sometimes."
The young man sheathed his longsword.
He stood up and then bent down to grab the former head of the society's collar.
Shen Tang was leaning against the stone wall, carefully staring at the young man's face.
She laughed and teased, "Yuanliang, I've discovered you're quite good at sculpting faces. Every single one is very distinctive."
The young man clearly didn't want to pay attention to Shen Tang, but Shen Tang did: "When did you start calling yourself 'Pei Cheng' again? The Gods' Council even misunderstood that Pei Cheng is your real identity?"
The young man, Qi Shan, could not withstand her harassment.
He began to explain, "Besides Pei Cheng, there were more than a dozen others with similar identities, all of whom died at my hands... Heh. The Qi family is now only left with the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled; we can't let anyone target them. To ensure absolute safety, we naturally had to arrange a few scapegoats as backup."
No matter how hard the outside world investigates, it's impossible to find out everything.
Even if the truth is found, it's impossible to distinguish between the real and the fake.
The identity of Pei Cheng was also carefully cultivated by Qi Shan.
The villainous father and the scrap collector mother both hail from the same town as Tan Qu. Without exception, their so-called "true identities" all stem from the lower rungs of society. He meticulously dismantled and edited all the real information about "Qi Shan" and "Tan Qu."
In the end, they each formed more than a dozen different identities.
The rumors circulating outside were also deliberately spread by him.
A mixture of truth and falsehood, reality and illusion.
Who can tell the difference?
Shen Tang retorted, "...Aren't you afraid of switching to the wrong account?"
Not only did he create countless alternate accounts, but he also stole other people's accounts to frame others. He wasn't worried about managing so many accounts all by himself. Most amazingly, he handled it all with ease, making even Chen Tang envious—who in a game doesn't envy unlimited skins!
Qi Shan continued to drag the former head of the society's corpse.
A long trail of blood was left on the ground.
Where do you plan to dispose of the body?
"Outhouse".
"Are you really planning to let him 'go to the toilet, fall in, and die'?"
A gentleman's word is as good as a swift whip.
You must do what you say.
Shen Tang: "...There's no need to keep such a promise."
In the end, it was Shen Tang who helped carry the body to the dumping area. As expected of a wealthy family, the outhouse was filled with herbs to mask the smell. After throwing the body in, Shen Tang came out pinching her nose: "Yuan Liang, I'm curious, what kind of grudge do you have against him?"
Qi Shan changed into another maid's face.
Her figure is much more graceful and slender than Shen Tang's.
"If you've made an enemy, why not kill him and keep him alive for Qingming Festival?" Qi, the maid, used the sweetest voice to say the coldest words. "As for how we made an enemy... he once served the Xin Kingdom, protected Yan City, and also had considerable interests with the Northern Desert."
Shen Tang immediately understood.
All other reasons are secondary; the real cause of the feud is protecting Yan Cheng, who killed the true Qi Shan. Poor former leader, he truly died without ever knowing why: "The body's been thrown in, what are you going to do now?"
Qi Shan, the maid, had almond-shaped eyes that resembled Shen Tang's. With just a casual glance, a thousand charms seemed to flow from her eyes and brows, making Shen Tang feel inferior. She was a genuine woman, yet her eyes weren't as alluring as Qi Shan's.
"Ahem, I understand."
Shen Tang made an OK sign.
He raised his hand to dispel the avatar of literary energy and returned to his original form.
The person in the rice bowl froze for a moment, then instantly returned to normal, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the calm-faced Qi Shan. She put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and had just put away her handkerchief when cries for help came from outside the hall, as if someone had died. Everyone in the hall turned pale with shock.
Qi Shan asked indifferently, "What are you all doing?"
"The person...the person is dead..."
They all looked at him as if he were the murderer.
Qi Shan calmly asked, "Have I left even a step?"
Everyone: "..."
Who personally committed the murder?
Using such an excuse to absolve oneself is far too perfunctory.
When everyone saw the former head of the organization again, the latter was a corpse that had been washed several times and was still emitting a foul stench. Shen Tang noticed that the wounds on the neck and heart had disappeared, but she didn't make a fuss. Dutifully playing the role of Tan the Mad Dog, Shao, she said, "Does anyone know how to perform an autopsy? Let's do an autopsy, so we can clear the head of the organization's name?"
"Is it even necessary to ask who killed him? Qi Zhushe had just said he would drown in the latrine, and he died less than a quarter of an hour later." A death during the New Year was not only unlucky, but it also made everyone realize Qi Shan's ruthless methods!
Instead of getting angry, Shen Tang laughed: "Are you saying that the Qizhu Society doesn't use the power of words, but can curse people to death with just a few words? That's absurd!"
It's not that scoundrel Kang Jishou.
The group had a wide range of backgrounds, and some of them even knew how to perform autopsies.
After thoroughly investigating from top to bottom and inside to outside, the conclusion was—he really choked on too much thick feces, which stuck in his throat and suffocated him.
Everyone: "..."
The person who performed the autopsy and Qi Shan were known to be at odds, and there was no way they would cover for each other. So, it really was an accident?
Qi Shan is not enthusiastic about the "truth".
He said calmly, "Give him a proper burial."
This farce was considered unlucky by many, and as fewer and fewer people were not of Qi Shan's faction, the few remaining felt uneasy and went to the guest quarters to rest early. In the end, only Qi Shan's group remained, with several hours still to go before dawn.
Some were playing chess, others were playing cards.
Shen Tang refused to sit at the same table as Kang Shi.
Shen Tang played her card: "How did you do that just now?"
How are the wounds on a corpse concealed?
How could the autopsy results be concealed?
Qi Shan glanced at the two IOUs Shen Tang had written—"So bad and loves to play, that's the lord for you. He lost right from the start, and Qi Shan couldn't even let him win." Qin Li played his cards slowly, and while Qi Shan waited, she casually replied, "Drawn using the way of the scholar."
Qin Li appeared to be studying the cards, but in reality, he was distracted and lost in thought.
Shen Tang looked around at the others: "The way of the scholar?"
Few people know that Qi Shan possesses the two principles of a scholar.
Has he changed his ways by talking about this in public?
"How could they fool so many people?" he exclaimed in surprise.
"After all, it is the perfect path of the scholar."
Shen Tang: "???"
When did this happen?
Qin Li finally made his move, albeit reluctantly.
Don't let his slow pace fool you; he's evenly matched with Qi Shan.
When Shen Tang suggested that sitting around all night to celebrate the New Year was too boring, and suggested they play a few rounds of games, Qin Li took the initiative to sit down at the table, almost making her jaw drop.
He smokes, drinks, and gambles—he can do all of those!
All that's missing is a perm _(:з」∠)_
Qi Shan said sarcastically, "If Gong Su could perfect such a complex scholar's way, what's a little bit of this useless method? I haven't used it much, I've forgotten when."
Shen Tang: "..."
Qi Shan actually has the nerve to say that "Miraculous Hands and Painted Brushes" is used infrequently?
None of the people present believed him.
This New Year was spent in a chaotic and noisy atmosphere.
As the rooster crowed, Shen Tang's debts had ballooned, accumulating a mountain of IOUs. At first, she felt the pinch, but later she became numb. What's one more problem than another? So be it. With Kang Jishou present, it would be a miracle if she won.
The first day of the Lunar New Year.
Avoid slacking off; it's better to go to work.
The once bustling mansion was now eerily quiet this morning, devoid of any joy, as if the events of the previous night were nothing but a dream. The messenger of the gods departed with the lead box, the members scattered, and Shen Tang and the others returned to their original appearances and headed back to camp.
Qi Shan has been promoted to head of the society, and has obtained the list of members of the branch in the Northwest, as well as the intricate relationships between them. Shen Tang wants to completely control the borders under his rule, and some people need to be eliminated.
"Wu Hui, was there any unusual activity at the camp last night?"
I had just returned when I saw that Chu Yao had brought me a new set of clothes.
"All is well, my lord. Shall we try on the new clothes?"
"I have enough clothes." She said that, but she still tried them on. The parts that didn't fit needed to be altered. However, "There are no tailors in the camp, so why don't I buy some from outside?"
"I made it myself."
Shen Tang's almond-shaped eyes widened: "You made this yourself?"
"With the New Year over, my lord will be eighteen, coinciding with the change of reign title. This is a double celebration, and its significance is extraordinary." Chu Yao's needlework skills had been honed over the years at Yuehua Tower, and he could do all the mending himself. "Has my lord decided on a reign title?"
Saying it was a suggestion was really just letting Shen Tang choose.
She's just been busy lately and completely forgot.
When Chu Yao mentioned it, she lied through her teeth: "After thinking it over, I still feel that the name 'Yuan Huang' is the most appealing."
“Then let’s call it ‘Yuanhuang’.” Chu Yao noted down the dimensions to be modified. “This year will be the first year of ‘Yuanhuang’.”
Shen Tang rambled on, sharing her experiences from yesterday with him.
Chu Yao wasn't very interested in the other topics, but he was quite concerned about Wu Yuan's desire to buy grain seeds: "The Northern Desert wolves are ambitious. If we can outmaneuver them in this matter, we must seize the opportunity."
Shen Tang smiled and said, "Of course."
Chu Yao continued to talk about the day's events.
"A group of military doctors will be on duty this afternoon."
|ω`)
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! Have you eaten mooncakes yet?
Sigh, poor Shiitake Mushroom is on a diet now, so she can't eat mooncakes and has to eat boiled purple sweet potatoes, cabbage, and shrimp every day.
(End of this chapter)
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