Ji Xinhe was stunned. The man had just told her during the day that he was leaving, and now he was being attacked by robbers?
Of course, she didn’t believe it was a robbery, but another attempt on his life.
When that man deliberately told her so, didn’t he already have precautions in place? Why wouldn’t he leave and wait for the night-time attack instead?
He definitely was not a foolish person.
Ji Xinhe felt a bit uneasy, but Ji Dong wouldn’t let her go to see the scene. She could only wait for the car to leave before sneaking out.
When Ji Xinhe arrived, she saw a large crowd had already gathered at the scene. The quiet mansion was bustling with activity for the first time.
"Where are the robbers? Have they been caught?"
"What robbers? I saw it myself. There was so much blood inside, who knows how many people died? The master seemed to have escaped, and the robbers chased after him. It seems this is not a robbery but a vendetta!"
"Ah, a vendetta? No wonder he hid in the house and dared not go out. I thought he was too ugly. Now it seems that he was afraid of being targeted by his enemies. What a pity, he was still targeted in the end. Alas, such bad luck."
It wasn’t long before government officials arrived, as the situation had caused quite a disturbance and had alerted the authorities.
The mansion was sealed off, and the officials were let in to search.
Ji Xinhe couldn’t go in and had to ask others: "Where is the master of the house?"
"Who knows? I heard it’s a bloody mess inside, bodies everywhere. We don’t know which one is the master of the house. Maybe he’s dead."
Ji Xinhe’s heart trembled. Although she didn’t believe it, she couldn’t help but be shocked by these words.
How could that man possibly die? With his high cultivation level, it would be strange if he couldn’t protect himself.
Yet she heard bystanders say: "The officials just announced that there are only dead people inside, not a single survivor."
Everyone gasped, and Ji Xinhe’s eyes gradually deepened.
Just by the fact that he had deliberately told her about the matter in the afternoon, it showed that he had already made arrangements. This man was definitely not someone to be slaughtered at will. So what was his intention now?
However, the current situation didn’t rule out the possibility that he might have encountered misfortune.
Ji Xinhe felt a bit suffocated in her heart. Although they had only met by chance, it was the first time she had faced life and death in this era, and it made her feel inexplicably sad.
"Xin He, why did you come out? You should stay at home. Let’s go back soon. The officials have sealed off this area, and they are driving people away, not allowing anyone to approach. We should leave quickly." As soon as Ji Dong saw Ji Xinhe, he immediately pulled her back.
Having learned all the information, Ji Xinhe had no choice but to go back, feeling restless after returning.
Meanwhile, the pursuit was still ongoing on the back mountain.
The assassins were practically seeing red: "His Highness has ordered us to kill Marquis Mu Houchu and bring his head! We must not let him escape this time!"
"Yes!"
"He’s injured and won’t be able to run far. Chase him!"
The assassins soon spotted the scarlet bloodstains in the night, scattered on the fallen leaves below.
"He escaped in this direction. Keep chasing!"
As expected, they saw a dark figure riding a fast horse in the distance not long after.
"Chase!"
The assassins rushed forward, relentlessly pursuing him.
After they passed, a tall figure emerged from a hidden clump of bushes, watching the backs of the assassins chasing after them, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
Lure the enemy away from their base.
He had deliberately pretended to be defenseless and injured while secretly planting a fake fleeing figure in his place just to lure away the prince’s forces.
The prince knew that Marquis Mu was aware of the secret of the iron mine, but he didn’t know how much he had discovered. Desperate to kill him as a top priority, they wouldn’t give up halfway this time. Instead, they would chase after him relentlessly until he was dead.
As for the order he gave to his secret guard, it was simply to lead them on a futile chase.
If the prince found out about Marquis Mu’s plot, he’d probably spit out blood.
Marquis Mu looked at the wound on his chest, a sword wound he had taken on purpose to make it look like he was hit. If he wasn’t injured, it would be hard to deceive them. Although the wound looked ghastly, only he knew that it was just a superficial injury, and he controlled the situation perfectly.
Now that the prince’s attention had been diverted, he remained in place to investigate the secret behind the iron mine but couldn’t deliberately expose his identity. Otherwise, it might draw the prince’s attention. He needed a new identity.
With a slight curve of his lips, Marquis Mu decided to meditate on the spot. Looking up at the sky, he saw that it was almost dawn.
Ji Xinhe didn’t sleep well that night, as the man’s situation troubled her. Her heart was filled with guilt and unease, especially after knowing that everyone in the mansion was dead. She was worried that something might have really happened to him, and if so, she might be partially to blame.
As soon as it was dawn, Ji Dong got up to chop firewood in the mountains, and Xiao Bei followed quietly, trying not to disturb Ji Xinhe’s sleep.
But Ji Xinhe was already awake and knew they had gone out. After they left, she sat up in bed and pondered.
However, she felt stifled. What did the life or death of that man have to do with her? Why was she the one to regret it now?
Feeling resentful, Ji Xinhe turned over and buried herself under the covers.
Nevertheless, she still felt a lingering discomfort in her heart. Today, she had been melancholic since waking up. At noon, she thought Ji Dong and Xiao Bei would be back soon, so she went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
While she was busy, Ji Dong’s voice came from outside: "Xin He, we’re back."
Ji Xinhe quickly wiped her hands on her apron and peeked out: "Why are you guys back so early? I haven’t even finished cooking..."
Before she could finish her sentence, her face froze.
The man who should have been dead was now walking brazenly into their courtyard, following Ji Dong and Xiao Bei!
Ji Dong noticed Ji Xinhe’s unusual expression and explained: "I met him on the official road behind the mountain. His carriage was attacked by robbers last night, and he was injured. Now he’s alone and penniless in a foreign land, so I brought him back. Xin He, go call Doctor Li Lang from our village to check on his injuries later."
Ji Xinhe glared at the hidden smile in Mu Houchu’s eyes and could barely speak. Grinding her teeth, she asked: "Why did you bring him to our house?"
"He has nowhere else to go now. Let him stay with us for a while until his family finds him. We can’t just leave him to die, right?"
Ji Xinhe’s mouth twitched, and she turned to look at the "unfortunate fugitive" who had the audacity to look innocent!
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