Chapter 221: Dark Secret
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
The assassination attempt in the Governor's Mansion practically did not set off any alarm bells. The fight between Gu Shenwei and the two assailants lasted for a very short time and did not attract attention from the patrolling soldiers.
But at the first glimmer of dawn, five assassins in black turned up at Kun Society.
With Maid Lotus and Slave Huan standing behind her, a pale-faced and tired-looking Shangguan Ru was leaning by her bedroom door. "What's the matter?"
"There's a small matter we'll like to verify with Liuhua and Slave Huan."
"Since it's a small matter, there's no need to disturb me."
The speaking killer appeared a little awkward. "It's not that small a matter. Someone tried to assassinate an important person in North City last night. We want to..."
"Now it sounds serious. I'm certain it has nothing to do with my people."
"About this... we're merely acting under orders."
"It was certainly not ordered by me."
"Uh, did Liuhua and Slave Huan not leave Kun Society last night?"
"Nope."
With an extremely unrelenting attitude, Shangguan Ru dismissed the Golden Roc Fort killers, but immediately after, her body turned soft and collapsed into Maid Lotus' arms.
This was the second time Shangguan Ru and Liuhua were "possessed", which few people understood. Furthermore, the symptoms this time were different from that of the previous time, and the condition lasted for a much longer duration. For three consecutive days, both of them could only lay in their beds weak all over, and could not stand up without assistance.
Neither Gu Shenwei nor Maid Lotus could do anything to help regarding this matter. As they did not want to bring in a physician who probably knew as much about the condition as them, they could only wait it out. On the other hand, an opportunity, perhaps the only opportunity there was ever going to be, to return to the Stone Castle and steal the Wayless Book arose. After the end of winter, their three-year deadline would not be far away.
Gu Shenwei still wanted to assassinate Wei Song, but not before questioning him why he assisted in the massacre of the entire Gu family. The killer also wanted to find out whether the person who saved him was Liuhua. However, for the time being, these objectives had to be put on hold. The Governor's Mansion was being heavily guarded, and crashing his way in would not do any good.
Shangguan Ru was sent back secretly to Stone Castle, such that even her elder brother Shangguan Fei was unaware.
Gu Shenwei falsely claimed that Bighead Kingpin had sent gifts once more. Riding a chariot together with Maid Lotus, he fetched the Tenth Young Master to the court of the Eighth Young Master. For a subsequent period of time, Shangguan Ru stayed together with Luo Ningcha.
This was a difficult compromise which Gu Shenwei expended a great deal of effort in order to achieve.
The first sticking point was Shangguan Ru herself, who would rather have died than agree to return in advance to Stone Castle and become a laughingstock. However, Gu Shenwei had already passed information to the Inner Residence, and as a result, Lady Meng dispatched her most trusted maid to beseech her daughter to return to the castle or else the lady herself would personally descend the mountain to invite her daughter back. Shangguan Ru had to relent.
Lady Meng subsequently approved Gu Shenwei's plan for the secret return when he followed the maid up the mountain and met her.
The most difficult person to persuade was Miss Luo Ningcha. She did not have a good opinion of either Lady Meng or the twins, and naturally refused to help. Gu Shenwei spent an entire afternoon explaining to her the principle of being adaptable to circumstances, and the benefits she would gain from this compromise. "You can't always allow your enemy to be guarded against you. The best time to attack your enemy is when they have let their guard down."
"Why do I feel that the things you ask me to do always benefit you but not always me?" Luo Ningcha was a little irresolute, but she was considerably smarter than before and could see that there were a few hidden things involved.
"Miss Luo, please think. If I openly stand on your side, I will, in fact, become useless to you. I have to protect myself first before I can serve you."
"Humph. In any case, you're making use of me. Mama Xue was right. You're a sinister and cunning fella. Alright, I shall agree, but you'll have to give me a chance to make use of you."
"I'm ready to carry out your orders at any time. I'm like a saber in your hands."
Nobody would have guessed that Shangguan Ru was hiding by the Eighth Young Mistress' side. In fact, not many among Lady Meng's personal maids knew about it.
In the name of preparing gifts for her father and husband, Luo Ningcha recalled Maid Lotus and Slave Huan. The former would attend to Shangguan Ru while the latter served as the killer protecting the court.
Although Liuhua had been similarly "possessed", his importance was much less. He was the only one of the three killers to remain in Kun Society of South City, where he continued to "protect" the absent Tenth Young Master and handled daily affairs on her behalf.
On the first night after returning to the castle, Maid Lotus accompanied Shangguan Ru secretly into the Inner Residence to meet Lady Meng.
Luo Ningcha summoned Slave Huan to the court of the Eighth Young Master, and upon seeing him, ordered her maids to torture him. "Pull his ears, and don't you dare be soft."
Xu Yanwei, who was one of the maids, seemed to have become very familiar with the mistress. She came forth and tugged the Gu Shenwei's ears a few times before asking to be pardoned. "Miss Luo, Slave Huan is a killer. I'm a bit scared."
After the uninvolved people left the room, Luo Ningcha habitually threw a few teacups and appeared to be in a foul mood. "Audacious slave, what do you take me for to order me like that?"
Gu Shenwei could not tell where the mistress' anger came from. To welcome Shangguan Ru was something which they had agreed upon. Could she be going back on her word already? "Miss Luo, nobody on Earth dares to order you."
"It's you who keeps asking me to do this and that, and after I've done what you said, you don't even listen to me and I have to wait for your next idea."
Gu Shenwei finally realized that the mistress' grievance had nothing to do with Shangguan Ru. "Miss Luo, you've got something on Lady Meng?"
"Hee, that ogress thinks I'm stupid. I want her to suffer a shock."
Luo Ningcha once more had a new name for Lady Meng. Gu Shenwei listened quietly and did not interrupt her, but she became unhappy again. "You have to ask me questions, otherwise how would I have the interest to speak on?"
"Yes, Miss Luo, what have you discovered that can cause Lady Meng a shock?"
"Don't fret, I shall tell you all about it." Luo Ningcha was pleased. She took a sip of her tea and prepared to narrate the most intriguing part of the story. By her side were placed several tea sets which Maid Cui would replace as soon as a sound was heard.
"Miss Luo, say it now. I can't wait," Gu Shenwei replied, although his mind was actually preoccupied with thinking of how to pry the Wayless Book secret manuscript from the temple guards.
"The ogress has a woman surnamed Tong by her side. Do you know her?"
"I might have met her."
"Well, she has voluntarily pledged allegiance to me and now does as I command."
Gu Shenwei was truly astonished. Serving Lady Meng were several people she had brought with her from her parents' home and thus favored and trusted. One of the twins was called "Aunt Tong". It was this woman who ran back and forth and attempted to rescue Shanggu Ru and the other people. when they were trapped in the house by Mister Guo. She was apparently a highly trusted subordinate.
"She's the..."
"That's right, it's her. There's only one person serving the ogress whose surname is Tong. There can't be a mistake."
"How can it be?" Gu Shenwei shuffled through his mind rapidly. He suddenly recalled that during the process of killing Eldest Young Master Shangguan Chui, it was indeed strange that Aunt Tong never appeared beside the lady.
Luo Ningcha had succeeded in piquing Slave Huan's curiosity and became even more pleased. She wished she could pull Slave Huan over to her side and tell him everything softly and in the most mysterious tone. "When that Tong-surnamed woman was pregnant, the ogress got rid of the child and even asked her to sweep the floor. She hates the ogress to death, and said that she's willing to pledge loyalty to me because I'm the only person in all of Stone Castle who can stand up to the ogress."
"Could it be a ploy?"
"You think I haven't thought of that? I've inquired about it already. The story of the child is definitely true. Many people saw her pregnant belly."
This Aunt Tong certainly had enough nerve that she dared to do this sort of thing in the Stone Castle. Gu Shenwei even felt that Lady Meng's anger was justified. "Whose child was it?"
"Haha, it seems that you also have times when your mind is a little slow. Who else could it be? Unless someone wanted to die?"
"The lord!" Gu Shenwei exclaimed in a low voice.
This was exactly the reaction that Luo Ningcha hoped for. She had, on several occasions, wanted to talk about this issue, but had been unable to do so. The satisfaction and relief in her heart were difficult to describe in words. Finally, she could not refrain from standing up and walking over to a wooden wall. "Come over here."
Gu Shenwei walked over and sniffed a delicate fragrance. He immediately held his breath and turned his body sideways.
Luo Ningcha was about to resume speaking when she turned her body and plugged the ears of Maid Cui. She had forgotten to do this earlier due to carelessness. She then continued in a very soft voice, "The lord is a dirty old man. In order to preserve her status, the ogress offered him all of her maids, and even asked her parents to choose beautiful women to send over periodically. But if anyone became pregnant, she would force them to abort the baby, and sometimes would kill the mother along with the child."
There was an irrepressible excitement in Luo Ningcha's voice which enabled her to narrate such a tragic story in a high spirited manner.
Gu Shenwei suddenly understood why the Meng family purchased young female slaves every year, and also why there were rumors that the slaves did not live long. They were actually all sent to the Stone Castle. Lady Meng could certainly be said to spare no efforts in order to ensure that her twins were the Supreme King's final children.
But the killer was not really excited. This matter was not of much use to the revenge. Even if it was spread, the Supreme King's reputation would not be affected a whole lot. Shangguan Fa was one of the overlords of Western Region, and thus nobody would dare to do anything even if he was openly lecherous.
"So... that's why you asked Bighead Kingpin to send those female slaves?"
There were twenty female slaves among the gifts sent by Big Head Kingpin, and Xu Yanwei was one of them.
"You finally understand. If the ogress can send women, why can't I? The ogress doesn't want the lord to have any more kids. I'll absolutely make sure that these women give birth to a whole generation of them."
Gu Shenwei was both shocked and amused. The information which Luo Ningcha had uncovered certainly surprised him. However, the idea she came up with was simply too childish. Even if she raised the most beautiful girls in Western Region, they would never come into contact with the Supreme King when Lady Meng was around, let alone bear the lord's children.
"Miss Luo, you can't be reckless about this matter."
Luo Ningcha thumped heavily on the wooden wall. "Cautious, cautious, cautious, when do I have to be cautious until? I have to make good use of this opportunity while the ogress' daughter is in my hands."
Gu Shenwei did not try to persuade her further. From her perspective, there were indeed not many opportunities left. Bighead Kingpin was currently facing the betrayal of his son-in-law and a conspiracy from the Central Plain. Once he toppled, Luo Ningcha would immediately fall from the clouds into the mud, and might not even preserve her life.
Gu Shenwei decided that he would distance himself from this woman as much as possible so that he would not be connected to her plan of offering beauties.
"By the way, that Maid Wan whom you sent has indeed been a great help. What did she do originally? She seems to be adept at flattering men."
Maid Wan was Xu Yanwei's new name in the castle. Though Luo Ningcha had called her not a "proper person" the first time they met, it was actually just a casual comment not based on any genuine flaws in her appearance.
"Prostitute." Gu Shenwei had no intention to hide the truth.
"Oh." Luo Ningcha did not get angry. Instead, her response could be taken to mean "So that's how a prostitute looks like."
"Have you found out anything about the Lord's illness?" After listening to the mistress for half a day, this was actually the only question Gu Shenwei was concerned of.
"No, it's too soon. However, the Lord has indeed become more reclusive than before. Few people have seen him over the past few months."
As if someone had recited a curse, a maid cried out from outside as soon as Luo Ningcha finished speaking. "The Inner Residence has sent men to see Slave Huan."
"What's the matter?" Luo Ningcha was displeased at being interrupted while she was still waiting for Slave Huan's advice.
"The lord wants to meet him."
In Gu Shenwei's impression, the Supreme King summoning an ordinary killer to meet him was something which had never happened before.