Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 33

Lu Ni nimbly made her way from the Gonggong Hall headquarters to the dense forest outside Chungu Manor.

Tonight, she specially changed into an assassin's outfit, aiming for a fatal blow.

During the day, on the ridge of the field, Lu Ni, hiding behind her master, never took her eyes off Tian Zhong for even a second.

The professional assassin had a keen eye on every move, every word, every subtle change in expression, and even the hand gestures the other person exchanged with Tian Meng while harvesting wheat.

"The hardest thing to bear is the kindness of a beautiful woman." Having been observed for so long, Tian Zhong can disappear tonight!

Donning a metal mask, Lu Ni easily evaded the sentries within the manor and waited in the darkness of the Gonggong Hall alleyway.

All six hall masters of the Farmer's Clan were present in Chun Gu Manor. However, the current hall master had only been in office for a short time, and apart from the eldest, Zhou He, the others were not as skilled as him.

Having learned from his master that the leader of the bandits was not in the manor, Spring Valley Manor became a natural hunting ground for him, who had just learned the art of stillness.

Of course, every hunt requires utmost caution, as farm animals are not defenseless cats and dogs.

He couldn't be sure where the leader of the Farmer's Clan was, and the Earth Swamp Formation used by the six hall masters was something he couldn't possibly withstand.

Fortunately, the target was only Tian Zhong, whom he had observed closely many times without noticing.

If it weren't for the need to ensure the success of my first mission under my new master and to avoid being seen by others, I could kill this kind of person at least three times every time I observe him!

Judging from Tian Zhong and Tian Meng's gestures, they seemed to have agreed to take action at night.

The hand gesture code used by the two was a variation of a common hand gesture used in the martial arts world. Lu Ni, who had learned some decryption methods, could roughly guess it based on her own experience.

It may not be accurate, but it's okay if you misread it.

When the grand sacrifice was to be held, Tian Zhong would always have to go out.

After three rounds of rituals on a day like today, anyone returning home late at night would be too tired to be on guard.

At that time, it will be my turn to make a move!

Before half an incense stick's time had passed, the masked figure hidden in the darkness watched as Tian Zhong, short sword in hand, cautiously darted out of the window...

He had no idea what his fate would be in an hour.

Don't want to reveal your whereabouts? That's exactly what I'm thinking!

With a nimble leap, Lu Ni, like a ghost, unexpectedly beat Tian Zhong to the punch several steps ahead from another direction and hid in another alley inside the Kuiwei Hall.

Tian Zhong was unaware that he was being followed. He carefully reviewed what lines he should say when he caught Chen Sheng's "evil deeds," and couldn't help but nod and chuckle to himself when he thought of something that made him happy.

What a perfect script!

"What a perfect script!" Lu Ni sensed the other person about to pass by the alleyway she was in, and slowly drew her Jingni sword...

Suddenly, Tian Zhong noticed a faint reflection in the alleyway beside him. Without slowing down his light footwork, he curiously turned his head to look...

With a whoosh, the Jingni Sword, with its slender blade and pink sword aura, didn't look like a fierce weapon.

With a light yet firm touch, it slices through the skin, severs the bone, shakes off the blood, and then returns to its sheath—a series of fluid movements.

Tian Zhong's body continued running for another ten steps or so, but his head fell off the spot, rolled a few times, and got covered in dust, causing him to lose his thoughts and consciousness in a less-than-clean way.

The master said he wanted to confuse him, so he had to confuse him.

She retreated into the darkness in her killer high heels, and everything in the alley returned to calm.

Tian Zhong's eyes remained open, his curious gaze still fixed on the empty alleyway...

Mission accomplished. Lu Ni had barely left the Kuiwei Hall area when the deafening sound of shattering wooden planks echoed through the sky. The peasant disciples, carrying torches, lit up the surrounding area...

...

The Sixth Hall Master led his hidden disciples to check on Tian Zhong's situation, while Lu Wei mingled with the crowd of onlookers and left with them.

Upon returning to the Gonggongtang area, I immediately sensed a gaze fixed on me from the dark alleyway.

After exchanging a glance with the person wearing the metal mask, Lu Wei walked into his house with a normal expression.

As soon as the door closed, Lu Ni darted into the room through the window and knelt on one knee: "Master, the mission is complete!"

"I know you did a good job tonight."

Lu Wei sat down in the chair, and Lu Ni, understanding his needs, got up to pour him tea: "Then my next task is..."

"No rush, take a rest first. You don't need to do anything during the autumn harvest festival. Go see your daughter in your spare time."

"Thank you, my lord!" Lu Ni removed her mask, clasped her hands in a gesture of surprise and delight.

Chapter 46 Purpose Achieved

The anomalies in Chungu Village were ultimately known only to a small group of high-ranking members of the farming community.

The major hall masters jointly issued a gag order, and the disciples who participated in the grand ceremony were completely unaware of why only five hall masters presided over the ceremony that night.

However, the truth cannot be hidden forever. Of course, no one wanted to keep this a secret forever. The hall masters just didn't want the final sacrificial ceremony of the Autumn Harvest Festival to be delayed.

That would offend the ancestor Shennong.

Lu Wei, dressed as an assassin and with a peasant disciple's robe over his uniform, huddled quietly among the Gonggong Hall's main group, waiting for the ritual to end.

Tomorrow, there will definitely be a public trial and a major investigation.

Tonight, I am destined to have no sleep.

The next day, Lu Wei was notified early in the morning by a patrolling disciple that Zhou Hetang wanted to see him.

"I know, I'll be there right away."

The door was closed again. Lu Ni, who was meditating nearby, had obviously heard the disciples' words at the door. She got up, took her master's robe and fine iron sword, and was about to hand them to Lu Wei when he waved his hand and refused.

“Zhou He’s investigation starts with me, so it wouldn’t be good to bring a sword.” He took the robe, casually put it on, and then gestured for Lu Ni to put the fine iron sword back in its place: “You stay in the room. If there are any special circumstances while I’m away, just do what you need to do.”

"Yes!"

...

He quickly arrived at the wooden house of the head of Gonggong Hall. The disciples guarding the door had been instructed by Zhou He in advance, so they did not search him.

Upon entering the room, the first thing that catches the eye is a burlap sack, under which lies Tian Zhong's corpse.

Tian Zhong was an orphan who was adopted by the Zhu family as their son when he was young. Later, he betrayed the Shennong Hall, changed his surname to Tian, ​​and joined the Gonggong Hall. After all this, the only people who would collect his body would be the official officials of the Gonggong Hall.

Zhou He, with his back to the door, didn't turn around when he heard Lu Wei enter and ask for instructions. Instead, he remained in place and calmly asked:

What's your opinion on Tian Zhong's death?

Of course, it would be wonderful, but I certainly couldn't say it out loud: "The timing is too clever... Could it be related to the Kuiwei Hall incident?"

Without hesitation, Lu Wei continued, "After examining Steward Tian's body, did the hall master find any clues on the wounds?"

"See for yourself." Zhou He remained noncommittal about his previous statement and gestured for Lu Wei to examine the body himself.

"I apologize." Lu Wei did not refuse. He clasped his hands in a salute to the burlap sack, then squatted down and slowly lifted the cloth.

There's not much to say about Tian Zhong's death, but the wound inflicted by the Jingni Sword was something I'd never seen before.

Just as he was carefully examining the shape of the wound, Zhou He suddenly spoke up: "If we're only talking about motives, who do you think would attack Tian Zhong?"

“If it’s limited to within the Gonggong Hall, then the Hall Master will naturally suspect me.” Lu Wei’s movements didn’t falter at all, and he was very direct and frank about Zhou He’s question:

"I was worried that I had no way to prove my innocence... but the boss asked me to examine the body, and the marks on the body actually cleared me of any wrongdoing."

"Indeed, as the biggest beneficiary of Tian Zhong's death, you are naturally the prime suspect..."

Zhou He finally turned around and squatted down beside the corpse, lowering his eyes: "But judging from the evidence of the wounds and the situation at the crime scene, you really couldn't have killed Tian Zhong like a real killer."

“I do have a grudge against Steward Tian…” Lu Wei gently covered the deceased’s face with the burlap sack again, and looked sincerely into Zhou He’s eyes:

"But after all, we are all fellow farmers. If even the ruthless Tian Zongguan wouldn't kill Zhou Zhang, Xu Qiu, and the others, why would I kill him?"

The eye contact lasted for several seconds before Zhou He finally nodded: "This matter occurred on the night of the Autumn Harvest Festival, which is no small matter. However, at the same time, such a disgraceful incident happened at the Kuiwei Hall..."

He stood up and paced a few steps outside: "Manager Lu Wei..."

"Your subordinate is here," Lu Wei replied, rising to his feet and respectfully clasping his hands in greeting as the hall master addressed him by name and title, awaiting his next words.

"This time... regarding Tian Zhong's death..." He paused, "the other disciples of the Gonggong Hall cannot escape suspicion."

"I now authorize you to conduct an investigation within the hall regarding the clues leading to Tian Zhong's death!"

Ask me to lead an investigation into whether Tian Zhong's death was related to the disciples of Gonggongtang.

Isn't this like inviting a wolf into the house?

Lu Wei remained expressionless, his fists clenched tighter: "Disciple obeys!"

------

“Murdering brothers and abusing their wives, according to our peasant precepts, must be punished by drowning in a pond.”

"We urge the leader to punish him according to the law, to give an explanation to the Kuiwei Hall and to the six brothers!"

After receiving the investigation assignment from the hall master, Lu Wei quickly realized that Zhou He wanted to take a strong stance on Tian Zhong's death but then let it go.

Rather than giving him the power to investigate, it would be more accurate to say that he was being prepared to accept the appointment as the chief steward.

Gonggong Hall is now in my possession!

After two years of planning, the goal was finally achieved in the most crude way.

This major internal investigation into the cause of Tian Zhong's death will turn into a thorough purge of Tian Zhong's remaining loyalists.

This will be a huge project, and we need to gather the resources of the Mountain Rain Leaf Village to fully implement it. There's no rush for now.

However, the show at Kuiwei Hall started earlier that evening, and he needed to go and watch it live.

After the Tian brothers, carrying Tian Mi's words, read out all of Chen Sheng's crimes and the way they would be dealt with at the trial, they immediately used the name of justice to apply to the leader of the knights for execution.

Yesterday, Tian Guang took away Wu Kuang, whose fate was unknown. Today, after appearing at the trial, he stared at Chen Sheng, whose limbs were bound and mouth was gagged, and slowly nodded.

Upon seeing this, Tian Meng revealed a smile that was rarely seen these days: "I will obey the orders of the chivalrous leader!"

"Men, tie the villain Chen Sheng to stones and drown him!"

The three non-family hall masters, Zhu Jia, Situ Wanli, and Zhou He, watched as Chen Sheng, who was struggling desperately, was carried away, each with their own thoughts.

Zhu Jia's mask turned a sorrowful blue as he stepped forward and bowed to Tian Guang: "Hero, how is Wu Kuang?"

With Chen Sheng deposed, if Wu Kuang hadn't died, the position of leader of the Kuiwei Hall would have been his for the taking. But if he had died... then Tian Mi would likely have succeeded him in her deceased husband's name...

In that case, with three surnamed Tian and three surnamed outside the family among the six families, it's hard to say whether this fragile balance can be maintained.