Chapter 163
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After emerging from the well, Huo Luo wanted to free Yue Chen, but Yue Chen quickly stopped him, saying, “Don’t, I’ve extracted a lot of useful information using this method. We can continue when he come back. For now, let’s keep it this way. First, tell me the situation outside…”
Huo Luo looked at Yue Chen in disbelief. Not only did he see Yue Chen’s face turning blue from the cold, but he also noticed three bloodstains on his body. Instantly, rage surged through him uncontrollably. “Have you had enough? Are you not valuing your life? Every time you act on your own without telling me, if you want to die, I’ll gladly escort you there!”
Yue Chen blinked innocently, “I’m fine, aren’t I? Why are you so anxious? We’ve faced risky situations before while investigating cases; I know my limits.”
“You… always consider yourself clever. What if something goes wrong? Let’s see how you handle it!”
“But there’s still you, right? See, you came to rescue me after all.” Yue Chen pointed at Huo Luo’s stern face and smiled. After all, he gained more than he sacrificed, so he considered it a win.
Huo Luo, however, wished he could bite off Yue Chen’s finger. “What if I were one step too late?”
“I believe you’ll never be late. Didn’t you always say you’d keep an eye on me for your sister?” Yue Chen, aware that Huo Luo was upset, intended to make a light joke to ease the tension. However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he saw Huo Luo’s expression change.
Indeed, it had been a long time since Huo Luo brought up this matter.
“With your always unpredictable nature, don’t even think about harming my sister!” Huo Luo gritted his teeth, staring straight at Yue Chen.
Yue Chen’s eyes flickered slightly, suppressing the discomfort within. He hooked his hand on Huo Luo’s shoulder, giving it a friendly pat, “Really? Well, it seems my nature can only cause mischief for you. As the saying goes, if you don’t go to hell, who will?”
Huo Luo forcefully swatted away Yue Chen’s hand without any kindness. His gaze turned fiercely towards him, while Yue Chen’s eyes seemed a bit distant, yet he still maintained eye contact. It was as if there was some inexplicable force between them, neither of them looked away.
Eventually, the commotion outside with drums and gongs woke them up. Yue Chen was the first to avert his gaze. “What’s going on?”
“A wedding?” Huo Luo’s voice was dull.
“Huh? Who is getting married?”
“I don’t know.”
“You go check.”
“Together.”
“Tsk, I’m not skilled in martial arts. If you take me along, it’s easy to expose our presence. How about you check the situation first, and then we’ll discuss what to do next?”
“But…”
Yue Chen quickly frowned, “Be obedient. As long as the patriarch doesn’t come, I’m safe. A wedding at a time like this is really unreasonable. I’m afraid there’s a problem. Hurry and go.”
Huo Luo gritted his teeth but ultimately yielded under Yue Chen’s firm tone. It was a habit he had developed since childhood, a damn bad habit.
After a quick survey outside, Huo Luo returned, “It’s a wedding. Chu Lishu and the Second Master.”
Yue Chen: …
“What!”
Yue Chen immediately struggled to stand up, angrily asking, “Did you stop it?”
“Didn’t you say not to alert them?” Huo Luo frowned.
“But that’s… how can we let him endure such humiliation! We’re still friends!”
“But I saw he seemed quite willing. After the three bows, they even shared a cup of wine. The ceremony is done, and people have taken him away. Besides, he had two skilled guards by his side the whole time. They’re still there. They must have some plan.”
Yue Chen opened his mouth, looking completely dumbfounded. Even he, who considered himself clever, couldn’t figure out this situation. Chu Lishu shouldn’t willingly put himself in such a predicament, and the other party wasn’t even Lin Qingyang, right?
“What about Lin Qingyang?” Yue Chen quickly asked.
“There’s no news about him at the moment. He should be safe.”
“Dressed in a red wedding gown? Going through the formal ceremony? Getting married?” Yue Chen still couldn’t believe it, stumbling over his words.
“Yes. A real man doesn’t fuss over trivial matters. When it comes to matters of life and death, who cares about such things? If you’re really curious, come with me now to find them. We don’t know when the patriarch will be back.” Huo Luo said as he tried to free Yue Chen once again.
Yue Chen, however, evaded once again. He swallowed hard, suppressing his own fear, but still spoke, “Since they have a plan, I can’t disappear randomly, causing trouble. Besides, as you said, a real man doesn’t fuss over trivial matters. If Chu Lishu is bold enough to get married, can’t I take a dip in the water?”
“Hey, you…”
Yue Chen interrupted directly, “I’m serious. Tell me, what’s the current situation with General Zhao?”
Huo Luo held his breath again before answering, “After escorting the Eldest Prince down the mountain, news from the court arrived. They will send a large army to support and will attack this place at the latest by tomorrow morning…”
“With a large army coming, they’ll surely try to escape.”
“How can they escape? The army will surround the mountain.”
“This is the result of Three Whips.” Yue Chen touched his own wounds with a hint of satisfaction. “They buried thunderous explosives in the fort.”
“They want to blow up this place?!” Huo Luo was shocked.
“Yes, otherwise, why do you think they dared to plunder disaster relief supplies, confront the court head-on, kidnap the princes, and not even care about me as a negotiator? All of this is because they’ve prepared for a clean getaway.”
“With the army surrounding the mountain, wouldn’t they have thought about it? They want to make a big move, blow up this place, bury the pursuing army and hostages sent by the court, cripple the court’s vitality. Then, with their masks off, they can completely avoid pursuit, taking the supplies that can be exchanged for gold and starting a new life.”
Huo Luo immediately said, “If they want to play the Empty City Strategy, we won’t be fooled so easily! Not to mention others, General Zhao is definitely not a fool.”
“Who said it’s the Empty City Strategy? The hostages are right here in plain sight. Can the nobles and the army ignore that? Besides, there’s still a group of people without masks, not their own people.” Yue Chen also saw through the dynamics of the three factions here. “The ones leaving are most likely the soldiers and the group from Tianheng Country.”
“The group from Tianheng Country wants to destroy us, and the soldiers… have really gone from deserters to traitors!”
“More accurately, they were already traitors. If their identities are exposed, the entire Great Zhou Dynasty might want them dead. They certainly won’t show any mercy.”
Huo Luo looked at Yue Chen, puzzled.
Yue Chen’s expression suddenly became serious. “Do you know who the patriarch is?”
“Who? Someone who has a grudge against you?” Huo Luo asked.
Yue Chen immediately explained to Huo Luo, and his face changed dramatically. In disbelief, he said, “Deserters from back then?! They betrayed the Crown Prince!”
“So, as I said, considering the charges, aren’t they traitors?”
Huo Luo was so angry that he almost crushed the iron chain he had been holding, ready to release at any moment.
Yue Chen patted Huo Luo on the shoulder. “I haven’t figured out where they buried the thunderous explosives or how they plan to escape. I guess they have secret passages, but where are they? It’s not something easily obtained from their mouths. That’s why we can’t give up this opportunity.”
Huo Luo looked at Yue Chen, who was earnestly speaking, and suddenly said, “Cut it out. You clearly want to know about what happened back then.”
Yue Chen rubbed his nose, unconcerned about being exposed. “I did say I want to investigate. It won’t delay us. After all, we can find other ways to investigate the location of the thunderous explosives and their escape plan. But for what happened back then, only thpatriarch who was the leading general back then can answer. The other soldiers just followed their orders, and they probably don’t know the specifics.”
“But you clearly said…” Huo Luo wanted to argue, but suddenly his expression changed, and he immediately reached out to unlock the chain.
Yue Chen quickly dodged. “Someone’s coming?”
Huo Luo’s face showed urgency. “Yue Chen, don’t make me knock you out. Don’t think I don’t understand what you’re saying. When we meet Chu Lishu, we can figure it out together. He’s so clever; he’ll surely come up with a solution.”
“No!” Yue Chen insisted. “This is clearly a golden opportunity. When did you become so cautious!”
“You! What if he wants to kill you?”
“You’re being foolish! Of course, you should rescue me! But if he just gives me a few lashes, you’re not allowed to interfere! Don’t ruin my plan! I might be able to sow discord between him and the people from Tianheng Country.” Yue Chen’s face also showed urgency, afraid that Huo Luo would stick to his own ideas.
However, Huo Luo was indeed being stubborn. He believed he could simply kidnap the patriarch and use force to extract information.
Knowing Huo Luo well, Yue Chen could immediately see what he was thinking. He directly pushed Huo Luo. “Go!”
Using torture to extract information wasn’t an easy task, especially in a situation where the factions were not united. One wrong move could alert the enemy, leading to a catastrophic outcome.
Huo Luo, once he became stubborn, was like a rock, unmoving. At this moment, Yue Chen heard the outside guards already saluting the patriarch.
Time was running out.
Yue Chen abruptly turned around, squinting at Huo Luo. Huo Luo knew that whenever Yue Chen showed this kind of look, whoever caught his attention would be in trouble. However, Huo Luo wasn’t afraid. If Yue Chen didn’t go with him, then he would just…
Huo Luo was in the midst of his stubborn thoughts, completely disdainful of Yue Chen’s sudden attempt to grab him.
However, in the next second, Huo Luo trembled all over, instantly becoming limp. His once defiant gaze turned round, and his body instinctively cowered, as if avoiding something.
In reality, the most vulnerable part of him was already under Yue Chen’s control.
“I can’t threaten you anymore?” Yue Chen sneered, still gaining the upper hand in this conflict between rivals. Like a millennia-old fox, a cunning aura filled every word. Taking advantage of Huo Luo’s bewilderment, Yue Chen leaned in and whispered in his ear, “If you don’t cooperate, be careful about the legacy of your Huo family.”
Huo Luo felt a tingling sensation in his ear, but his whole body seemed to be frozen, unable to move. Yue Chen’s hand seemed to be grabbing and pinching, giving Huo Luo a breathless feeling.
“Since you don’t want to go, just accompany me down!” Huo Luo hadn’t reacted yet when Yue Chen, with a single hand, embraced him and tilted backward, falling into the well.
Emerging reluctantly from the water, Huo Luo’s face turned red as he glared at the silhouette in the darkness. Unable to discern any expression, he instinctively moved away, fearing Yue Chen might reach out again. If he did, Huo Luo would certainly feel the changes in his body. Huo Luo was bewildered by the sudden developments. Suddenly, Yue Chen approached, seemingly wanting to say something. Huo Luo awkwardly retreated, but then, he could feel something soft brushing against his cheek.
A shiver ran down Huo Luo’s spine as he instinctively raised his hand to embrace the approaching Yue Chen. He heard Yue Chen’s slightly stern voice near his ear, “Behave, just this once.”
Instantly, Huo Luo’s momentum dissipated. This darn bad habit.
Soon, Yue Chen was pulled back up.
Even from below, Huo Luo’s keen hearing was enough to catch the sound of the whip cracking. Each lash felt like it struck his heart, fueling his anger.
However, an unexpected turn of events occurred. Yue Chen miscalculated, and Huo Luo sneered. He genuinely wanted to witness Yue Chen’s failure after being too clever for his own good. Yet, in that instant when Yue Chen came up, the first thing he noticed was the newly added wound. Nevertheless, Yue Chen still seemed eager for another round.
Threaten him?
Did Yue Chen want to use that rogue way to threaten him again?
Simply courting death!
Seeing that he had really angered Huo Luo and not daring to push the boundaries further, Yue Chen could only apologize with a forced smile, “I was just driven to urgency by you. It’s your fault for not being obedient. I couldn’t find any other weak points on your body, and I…”
“You’re still talking!” Huo Luo directly grabbed Yue Chen’s wrist and twisted it, causing Yue Chen to grimace in pain.
“Alright, alright, I won’t say anything. My bad. Can we go now?” Yue Chen quickly said, “The fire at the Second Master’s place is definitely not accidental. Chances are, Chu Lishu and the others have already started their move. Let’s go join them.”
Following Yue Chen’s instructions, Huo Luo secured the other end of the iron chain directly at the bottom of the well. This way, even if the patriarch came back, they could maintain the illusion for some time.
On the other side, the patriarch and the others finally managed to extinguish the fire. Seeing his brother’s tightly closed door, the patriarch was furious, breathless with anger. There was no sound outside despite the commotion, which was simply outrageous.
“What’s going on with the Second Master? Isn’t he afraid of burning himself? This is like living in a dream!” Dai Xueyang, accompanied by Dai Heng, appeared here, naturally arranged by Chu Lishu.
“Spring night’s fleeting moment is worth a thousand gold. The Second Master must think it’s a trivial matter. If he doesn’t come out, we can handle it ourselves. We can’t stop halfway through the fun, can we?” The Master laughed heartily, but he was already feeling somewhat uneasy. In fact, the poison he administered should have been instantly fatal, but they left, making him think the poison had lost its potency. Could it be that it’s only now taking effect…
Dai Xueyang, however, interrupted, “A trivial matter? When the servants informed us, half of the house was already burnt. They said they couldn’t open the Second Master’s door. This can’t be considered trivial… Wait a moment, could the Second Master be bewitched by some enchanting beauty and gotten into trouble? Otherwise, why hasn’t there been any movement for so long? Now that we’re all here, he…”
The patriarch, originally very dissatisfied, suddenly changed his expression and walked towards the door. The Master quickly followed, saying, “That captive is still under the effect of the soft-bone powder. The Second Master has strong martial arts skills; how could he be in trouble? Let’s not disturb the Second Master’s enjoyment. Let’s go back and continue drinking. The brothers are all waiting!”
However, the patriarch paid no attention and continued forward. It wasn’t that he thought his brother was in trouble, but he felt that ignoring everything happening outside for the sake of a captive was too much. As the older brother, he felt the need to give a warning.
So he approached and directly knocked on the door, calling for someone to come out.
But there was no response for a long time, and at this point, everyone outside turned pale.
The patriarch ordered his men to forcefully open the door.
The moment they rushed in, the patriarch saw the Second Master, who was dressed in festive attire, lying on the ground with a darkened complexion, lips turning purple, and black blood filling his mouth.
“Second Brother!” The patriarch shouted, rushing over to save him. However, the moment he embraced the body, his heart sank. The patriarch, enraged instantly, naturally directed his fury towards the bed, where he saw Dai Xueyang already examining the situation.
“Patriarch, this captive is also poisoned, but it seems to be mild, so he’s currently unconscious,” Dai Xueyang said at the bedside, diverting the patriarch’s anger away from Chu Lishu. This also made him abandon the idea of seeking revenge through violence.
“What exactly happened? Who injured my Second Brother?”
The Master, unable to approach the furious patriarch, could only get closer to examine Chu Lishu’s condition on the bed. Observing the symptoms on his face, it was indeed the outward manifestation of the poison the Master had administered. Based on the circumstances of drinking the cup of wine earlier, it could be reasonably concluded. However, when looking at Second Brother, there seemed to be some different symptoms, leaving the Master puzzled for a moment.
“Darn it! Could it be that someone infiltrated here and committed murder?” Dai Heng spoke out with an angry expression.
Dai Xueyang, however, retorted, “Impossible. If that were the case, why would our own people also be poisoned, and not rescued!”
“In that case, what’s the situation? They’re all poisoned. Could it be that they were simultaneously poisoned by someone? But how did one end up with severe poisoning and the other with a milder case?” Dai Heng questioned in disbelief.
The patriarch had long been enraged, his mind clouded by anger. In this moment, he was entirely led by the analysis of the Dai siblings. Meanwhile, those around him were also contemplating. At this point, the Master, too, became anxious, instinctively moving closer to the door.
Suddenly, another leader from the fort exclaimed, “It’s the wine toast! The toast that Second Master drank more of and then fed to this captive. So, the captive might have only touched a bit, indicating that the toast was poisoned.”
The man who shouted was yet to realize the situation, but the patriarch abruptly turned to look at the Master.
Poisoning, wine toast—the most likely culprit for poisoning was the Master.
“Is it you?!” The patriarch immediately acted, seizing a blade from his subordinates and pressing it against the Master’s neck.
The Master remained composed, saying, “Do you think I have a reason to act, Patriarch? If it were me, I would have escaped long ago, instead of waiting for you to take my life.”
Although the patriarch was extremely angry, he was not entirely irrational. His gaze at the Master changed several times.
Observing this, the Master immediately asserted, “The enemy always has methods. Perhaps it’s a tactic to confuse us, leading to internal strife. After all, there are only the two of them here, and no one knows what happened. Let me wake up this captive, and then you can use severe measures to interrogate?”
The Master pushed aside the patriarch and approached the bed, intending to deal with Chu Lishu. However, suddenly, Dai Heng reached out to stop him.
“What are you doing?” the Master angrily questioned.
“What are you doing?” Dai Heng countered, “It seems to me that you want to kill someone! Silence them permanently?”
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