Chapter 136: Who Was That Man Last Night?
“Master, be careful.” He Sheng cautioned from behind.
Lin Feng nodded and quickly went out.
After Lin Feng left, the maidservant by He Sheng’s side came in.
“Madam, everything has been done according to your instructions. There will be no survivors in the Buddhist Hall.”
He Sheng’s gaze was cold and aloof, without the slightest ripple, as if something as major as killing and arson had absolutely nothing to do with her.
“But Master went there. Won’t he suspect you, Madam?” Her maidservant still asked worriedly.
Killing her mother-in-law was such a major matter. She had always thought only someone with Jiang Ruanxi’s personality could do it, but she never expected that He Sheng, who had always seemed gentle and dignified, was actually the most ruthless one.
“Don’t worry, he won’t suspect.” He Sheng was very certain. “And even if he does suspect, for the child and for his future prospects, he will pretend not to know.”
He Sheng looked at the firelight outside, but her heart was filled with extreme hatred.
If it weren’t for Madam Zhou’s greed harming the descendants, she wouldn’t have come to this point.
She didn’t regret killing Madam Zhou amid the chaos, because she should have died long ago.
**
The fire at Guangming Temple spread throughout the entire Capital like a kite with a broken string.
A third-rank Madam died, and the Heir Apparent of a Marquis Manor also died.
It naturally alarmed Wei Chang at Guangming Temple.
“I heard that it was the Sun Family’s Concubine who started the fire?” Wei Chang said expressionlessly.
Jiang Rui respectfully said, “Indeed, when Lin Ningkun went there, he personally saw Concubine Lin holding a fire starter.”
“Since there is already evidence, give the Sun Family a proper explanation. When this palace returns to the Imperial Palace, I will report everything to His Majesty.”
After saying that, he turned and left directly.
After Wei Chang left, Jiang Linlei came in. “Third Brother, what does the Crown Prince mean?”
“What he means doesn’t matter. We should still go ask what Elder Brother means. If Second Sister really died, I’m afraid you and I won’t keep our heads.”
Jiang Rui looked very serious.
Jiang Rui’s expression was grave. “As for the Yongning Marquis Manor side, send someone to the door to explain the matter clearly. Remember, the Crown Prince’s intention is to keep this matter from blowing up as much as possible. If necessary, push the blame entirely onto the Lin Family.”
Jiang Linlei’s expression also became grave. “But Third Brother, the Lin Family has the He Family behind them…”
“The He Family got the news long ago. Do you think they won’t be prepared?” Jiang Rui said indifferently.
Hearing this, Jiang Linlei felt relieved and sat to the side with a smile. “Third Brother, don’t worry. Leave this matter to me. I will handle it beautifully.”
**
“Second Master, Madam likely has fluid accumulated in her abdominal cavity. She needs mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to have any chance of survival.”
The man didn’t move.
“Second Master, if you delay any longer, Madam will lose her life.”
The man gave a sidelong glance and only after a long while lowered his head.
“Cough cough cough…”
Soon, when Jiang Ruanxi regained consciousness, she felt the softness on her lips and her face flushed red with a boom. She wanted to lift her hand to push the man away, but she had no strength in her hands.
She soon felt dizzy and groggy again.
When she was fully awake, she found herself in a cramped and stuffy space.
“You’re awake?”
A deep male voice sounded, and only then did Jiang Ruanxi realize there was someone sitting beside her—exactly two people.
“Madam, you’ve finally woken up.”
Blinking, she realized one of them was someone she knew: the Nameless Daoist.
The Nameless Daoist’s words did not excite Jiang Ruanxi. She simply replayed the recent events in her mind and immediately understood the whole story.
After she jumped off the cliff, she must have been saved by the person in front of her and the Nameless Daoist.
“Daoist Priest, thank you.” Jiang Ruanxi said gratefully.
“Madam need not thank me.” The Nameless Daoist seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “This matter was largely thanks to Second Master. If he hadn’t anticipated that you would change your mind, we probably couldn’t have arrived at the cold pool in time.”
“Time is pressing. This is not the time to chat about these things.”
The man’s deep voice sounded, and only then did Jiang Ruanxi notice that the man who had just been intimate with her was wearing a mask on his face.
Although it only covered the upper half of his face, just looking at those thin lips made Jiang Ruanxi’s heart heat up.
Her cheeks unknowingly flushed red.
Having lived two lives, it was still her first time being so intimate with a man.
“You just came out of the cold pool and shouldn’t catch a chill. Put on this cloak first and follow the Daoist Priest south. When the time comes, I will naturally meet up with you.”
The cloak, carrying a special incense scent mixed with the man’s aura, instantly draped over Jiang Ruanxi, giving her the feeling of being tightly held by someone.
Her originally parched mouth now made her face even more flushed.
She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but she always felt that the man had a very familiar presence.
It was not yet dawn, and the light inside the carriage was dim, allowing only blurry outlines to be seen.
But Jiang Ruanxi didn’t know that for someone accustomed to the dark, everything inside the carriage was crystal clear.
“Stop the carriage.”
Suddenly, the man said coldly.
Before Jiang Ruanxi could understand what was happening, the man had already gotten out of the carriage.
After he left, Jiang Ruanxi thought about her reaction to the man just now and felt extremely regretful in her heart.
Why had she blindly trusted a strange man? Before she could think further, the Nameless Daoist seemed to know what she was thinking and slowly spoke.
“Madam, don’t worry. Second Master is the one with the Seven Killings Solitary Fate that I told you about.”
Jiang Ruanxi was shocked. This was the man she needed to remarry?
Thinking about the intimate contact between them just now, Jiang Ruanxi bit her lip. “Daoist Priest, since he is someone meant for true sincerity, why is he still hiding his face?”
“Second Master’s identity is noble and cannot be exposed for now, but Madam, don’t worry. Once you arrive in Lingnan, you will understand everything.”
The carriage moved slowly under the moonlight, but Jiang Ruanxi’s thoughts drifted far away. “Daoist Priest, who was that person last night?”
Her plan had clearly been to escape by fire, but who was that black-clothed person?
What was his objective in appearing?
To kill her?
But Jiang Ruanxi felt it wasn’t like that. If he really wanted to kill her, then the arrow shot into Sun Chengye should have been shot into her.
So, that person’s objective was not to take her life.
“To be honest, our plan was discovered by someone. That person went along with it, probably wanting to intercept halfway and capture Madam. Fortunately, Madam changed your mind at the last moment; otherwise, tonight’s matter might not have succeeded.”
Thinking about it this way, Jiang Ruanxi understood.
But recalling that black-clothed person’s gaze, her mood suddenly became heavy again. She always had a sense of familiarity.
“Daoist Priest, although I ‘died’ in front of outsiders, I am nominally the Mistress of the Lin Family. Even if I remarry, it must be clean and proper.”
“I understand Madam’s concerns. Second Master will handle the matters in the Capital cleanly.”
