Chapter 90
Wrapped in the dark night, the Prime Minister's Mansion was like a dormant giant beast, quiet and silent.
A black shadow, like a ghost in the dark night, flexibly and quietly climbed over the wall and moved around among the tiles.
The guards and servants along the way seemed to be under a spell of immobilization and were completely unaware of the black shadow's intrusion.
In the prime minister's study, the flickering candlelight illuminated the solemn faces of several people.
The Prime Minister sat leisurely at the main seat, while Sun Xing stood upright beside him, his expression alert. Everyone seemed to have known about the night visitor's arrival and were quietly waiting.
After a moment, the study door was silently pushed open, and Gou Qi, dressed in a black nightgown, flashed in. He was hunched over, with a black scarf covering his face, revealing only a pair of eyes that sparkled with shrewdness.
The Prime Minister raised his eyes, his gaze like two sharp cold knives, sizing up and down Gou Qi. Then he spoke slowly, his voice as if coming from the underworld: "Gou Qi, Hongfeng will treat you well, but you betrayed your old master and joined me. How can I trust that you won't betray me again?"
Gou Qi, unhurried, bowed slightly, his voice low but firm: "Sir, I am but an ordinary man, believing only in the power of money. Whatever you ask for, I will do my utmost to help you achieve; and whatever I need, you will generously provide. Between you and me, this is nothing more than a fair transaction, with mutual interests. Why should we talk about loyalty?"
Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister nodded slightly and exchanged a meaningful look with Sun Xing. Sun Xing understood, turned around, pulled out a package from behind him, and placed it heavily on the table. The package landed with a dull thud, as if announcing the weight of the items inside.
Seeing this, Gou Qi's eyes flashed with greed, and he couldn't wait to stretch out his hand to grab the package.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the package, Sun Xing suddenly pulled it back, his eyes like an eagle, and he said coldly: "This is the gold I promised you, but you have to bring the girl here first. One hand pays the other hand receives the goods. It's fair and reasonable."
Gou Qi's movements froze, his brows instantly twisted into the shape of a "川" character, and a hint of displeasure flashed across his face.
He pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Okay, I promise you. However, the gold must be exactly the same, and I will definitely bring that girl back."
Meanwhile, at Luo Sanrong's home, the atmosphere was completely different. Ever since meeting Li Yin, Luo Sanrong seemed like a completely different person. The previous dazed and lonely look faded, and a radiance returned to her eyes.
Inside the house, the lights were dim. Xiulan sat by the bed, folding clothes intently. Luo Sanrong walked over to her mother and gently advised, "Mom, it's late, and you've been tired all day. Go get some rest."
Without even looking up, Xiulan kept moving her hands as she gently replied, "I'm not tired. I have to do these tasks every day. But you've been running around all day. Go and rest."
Xiulan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Luo Er, are you...blaming your father?"
Luo Sanrong was stunned when he heard this. His father's figure appeared in his mind. After thinking for a moment, he said seriously, "Is it because he made life difficult for my mother and me?"
Xiulan stopped what she was doing and nodded slightly, her expression full of fatigue and helplessness.
Luo Sanrong looked at her mother with a gentle gaze and said slowly, "Mom, if it's the right thing to do, someone has to do it. What Dad did might be what he thought was right."
Xiulan raised the corners of her mouth slightly, revealing a bitter smile: "You are right, but mother hopes that he can always be a family member by our side, so mother has resentment in her heart."
Luo Sanrong smiled mischievously and said teasingly, "Mom, I think you want to say that you miss him very much."
Xiulan's cheeks flushed instantly, and she pretended to be angry: "Okay, okay, stop talking nonsense and go to bed."
Luo Sanying smiled and nodded. Just as she was about to turn around and go back to her room, she suddenly remembered that the flowers and plants outside the house had not been brought in yet. She hurriedly said, "Mom, I'll go bring the flowers and plants in. I'll be back soon." After that, she quickly walked out of the house.
Xiulan stood up, put on a coat, opened the door a little, and shouted to Luo Sanrong through the crack: "Hurry up, it's cold outside, don't catch a cold."
Luo Sanrong was tidying up the flowers and plants skillfully. Just as she picked up the last pot of flowers and was about to go into the house, she looked up inadvertently and saw that Xiulan's face turned pale in an instant, and her lips opened and closed quickly, as if she was calling her name anxiously.
Luo Sanrong was startled and instinctively turned around to see a dark shadow approaching her like a wolf pouncing on its prey. At that moment, she felt frozen in place, her mind blank. Then, a shrill wail pierced the night air. It was her mother, Xiulan.
Luo Sanrong was extremely anxious and wanted to run towards her mother, but the sharp blade in the black-clothed man's hand behind her was flashing coldly and was only a hair's breadth away from her back.
At the critical moment, another black shadow shot out like lightning, swung the long sword in his hand, and accurately blocked the fatal blow. Then, the black shadow flicked his wrist, and the long sword stretched out like a spirit snake, deflecting the opponent's sword.
The man in black who launched the sneak attack obviously did not expect Cheng Yaojin to appear halfway. He was slightly stunned, but quickly reacted, quickly changed his target, and attacked the man in black who came later.
The man in black, who had come later, had sharp swordsmanship and agile movements, and after a few rounds, he had the upper hand. The man in black, who had attacked from behind, saw that the situation was not good and knew that today's mission would be difficult to complete, so he decisively abandoned his plan to kidnap Luo Sanrong and fled like a stray dog.
Seeing this, the man in black who was "protecting" Luo Sanrong wanted to chase after him, but before leaving, his eyes swept over Luo Sanrong who was hugging her mother tightly. He paused, and finally turned around and chased in the direction the man in black fled.
Luo Sanrong's mind was completely consumed by her unconscious mother, and she had no time to think about anything else. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed freely down her cheeks. She was completely unaware that the look in the black-clad man's eyes as he left was filled with complexity and familiarity.
A cold moon hung like a hook, slanting over the dark eaves, casting a cold light on the bluestone slabs in the courtyard. Veins bulged in Weidao's hand as he gripped the longsword, the tip of the sword pointed directly at the black-clad man before him, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "What are you doing?"
The night wind picked up the dead leaves on the ground, swirling them down at their feet.
"Are you the one who betrayed the Red Maple Society and became Ji Ke's lackey?"
"Yes, it's me." Gou Qi took a step forward, his tone somewhat provocative, "What do you want? If I die here today, the Red Maple Society's base hidden in the dark will be uprooted by Lord Ji tomorrow. What good will happen to you and Lord Shang?"
Wei Dao's sword moved forward another half inch, the tip of the sword almost touching Gou Qi's collar, but Gou Qi remained calm and composed: "So, what can you do to me?"
He paused, his eyes sweeping across Wei Dao's tense profile, his tone growing sharper. "You've been placed in front of the Crown Prince your entire life, watching him treat you like a brother every day, yet you have to constantly pass on messages to the Red Maple Society. Doesn't the mere thought of it make you feel choked up?"
"Didn't I tell you? The prince is not your friend after all." Before he finished speaking, he turned his wrist and the long sword was about to stab Weidao's heart.
"stop!"
A deep shout came from outside the courtyard gate, and Weidao and Gou Qi turned their heads to look at the same time.
Wei Zheng, dressed in armor, walked quickly towards them with a group of guards. Seeing the tail knife, Wei Zheng was surprised. He bowed and asked in confusion, "Sir, why are you here?"
Wei Zheng walked up to Gou Qi and signaled the guards to take him down. Then he turned to Wei Dao and explained, "I received orders from His Highness to arrest this man. His Highness has long been aware of his involvement with the Red Maple Society, and today we must bring him to justice."
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