Chapter 81: Killing and Burying
.png)
**Chapter 81: Killing and Burying**
With Chang Suining's shout, Ah Dian, who had been squatting nearby playing with grass and insects, leaped up and immediately lunged at the shadowy figure.
Ah Che, wielding a spade also rushed in to surround her.
The woman attempted to flee, but the three had blocked her path from three sides. Ah Dian was the fastest, and without a second thought, he charged forward to attack her.
His punch was incredibly powerful, and the woman's expression changed dramatically. Forced to retreat, she had no choice but to draw a short knife hidden in her sleeve to defend herself.
Chang Suining quickly reminded, "Capture her alive!"
"Oh!" Ah Dian nodded in acknowledgment, "Got it!"
While the two engaged in combat, Chang Suining quietly observed the young woman's moves from the side.
This person had some skills; if she encountered an ordinary person, she might have a chance to defeat ten of them. Unfortunately for her, she ran into Ah Dian.
Although Ah Dian was not mentally complete, he was a martial arts fanatic. His pure heart made him more focused in practice than a normal person, allowing him to grasp the subtleties of martial arts more easily.
More importantly, he had incredible strength.
One strength could overcome ten, and he himself was already "ten."
As expected, within a dozen exchanges, the woman's short knife was kicked out of her hand and fell to the ground, while Ah Dian had already captured her arms.
"Little A Li, I caught her!" Ah Dian jumped up happily, reporting to Chang Suining.
Chang Suining looked at him with approval and nodded, walking over.
Chang Sui'an had also approached by then and was now staring at the woman in blue, frowning warily as he asked, "Who are you? Why were you sneaking around here?"
Everything happened suddenly, from being discovered to being captured. The woman's eyes flashed with embarrassment as she explained, "I just accidentally wandered in here."
Chang Suining smiled slightly and reminded, "This is not a remote wilderness, but the Chang family's cemetery. You’re not a wandering spirit that mistakenly entered the graveyard. For someone so alive and skilled, to sneak in here while avoiding the gravekeepers and hiding in the shadows—if you call this wandering in by accident, then we can only proceed to unintentionally kill you."
As soon as Chang Suining finished speaking, Ah Dian's hand was already tightening around the woman's throat.
As if that wasn't enough, Ah Che also pointed his sword at the woman's heart.
The woman's face went pale, and she hurriedly said, "I truly did wander in by accident and mean no harm! If I had ulterior motives, I would have struck when you hadn’t noticed!"
Chang Suining seemed not to hear her and casually pointed at the ground beneath her feet: "Since this is also a burial place, let’s bury her right here; no one will check this spot anyway."
In the next moment, the woman suddenly felt dirt flying around her as mud splashed on her face.
Stiffly turning her head, she saw the boy with the spade energetically digging a hole.
“…!”
She had merely followed someone and suddenly found herself arranged for burial!
The intent to kill and bury her was indeed strong; the large hand gripping her throat was tightening, and the pit being dug for her was already taking shape.
The urgent sense of impending death was overwhelming, and the woman exclaimed, "Wait! I am a person of the Grand Princess of Xuan'an!"
"The Grand Princess of Xuan'an?!"
Chang Suining, Chang Sui'an , and Ah Dian exclaimed in unison.
Facing their intense gazes, the woman gritted her teeth and nodded.
Chang Suining looked at her brother, who was in shock: "Brother, do you know her?"
Chang Sui'an shook his head: "I don't know her."
Then he whispered, "But I’ve heard of her."
He had heard that the Grand Princess of Xuan'an lost her husband at a young age and had been living far away in her fief since the late emperor passed away. She was known to have many male courtiers and was quite flirtatious.
Chang Suining had also heard this rumor recently when learning about various powers, and Xi'er had mentioned it.
His aunt had been quite reckless since her youth.
Chang Suining pondered for a moment and then raised his chin slightly: "Xi'er, search her."
"What are you doing?"
Xi'er quickly found a token and presented it to Chang Suining.
Chang Sui'an looked over and couldn’t help but exclaim, "She really is from the Grand Princess!"
Chang Suining looked at the woman: "If that’s the case, did you follow us on the Grand Princess’s orders?"
Without pausing, Ah Che continued to dig, splattering dirt onto the woman, and she could only grit her teeth and answer, "…The lady of the house has reached marriageable age. I was sent by the Grand Princess to enter the capital to secretly observe the noble sons for her as candidates. I heard that the son of the Grand General Chang is handsome and exceptionally strong, exactly the type of man she would like, so I followed to take a look. I accidentally ended up here. While I may have overstepped, I mean no harm."
Chang Sui'an was alarmed by her words, stepping back and hugging himself tightly: "What are you talking about… I absolutely refuse!"
He had heard that the lady of the Grand Princess was her adopted daughter and that there were rumors that she was a love child born from the Grand Princess and a male lover…
But regardless of the truth, he could never agree to this!
In that brief moment, Chang Sui'an imagined a lot and had already hidden behind his sister: "My father is the Cavalry General; even if it’s the Grand Princess… she can’t just force a marriage!"
He had heard that the Grand Princess acted according to her whims, so he thought she wouldn’t care about his life or death; he could only invoke his father to bolster his courage.
Seeing him act like a good family girl who was about to be forcibly taken away, Chang Suining reassured him, "Brother, don’t be afraid; it’s still uncertain whether this matter is true or not."
"I swear I’m telling the truth! If you don’t believe me, you can send someone to Xuan Prefecture to inquire about my family master seeking a husband for the lady!" The woman hurriedly said, "I was presumptuous today; I apologize to you all, and I can swear by my family master’s name that I mean no harm!"
Chang Suining was momentarily speechless, seemingly weighing the situation.
She believed that she had no harmful intentions—regardless of her purpose, if her aunt had any intention to harm the fierce Chang family, she wouldn’t have sent just this one female bodyguard to her death.
Chang Suining didn’t speak, and the surroundings fell silent for a moment, with only Ah Che diligently digging the pit.
After a while, seeing the pit already dug to half a person’s depth, the woman could no longer hold back and suggested, "…Can you stop digging for a moment?"
After thinking for a while, Chang Suining finally said to Ah Dian, "Since it’s a misunderstanding, let her go."
Ah Dian loosened his grip, Ah Che also stopped digging.
The shadow of death finally lifted, and the woman breathed a sigh of relief.
“...Wait, I haven't made my conditions yet.” Chang Sui'an said softly to his sister.
Chang Suining glanced at the deep pit: “It's not too late for you to mention it now, elder brother.”
The woman shivered silently: “Lord Chang, please go ahead.”
Chang Sui'an , still shaken, said, “Though we won't pursue your sneaky act of stalking this time, once you return to Xuanzhou, you must not present me as a backup choice to the Grand Princess and your lady!”
The woman nodded: “Yes.”
She agreed readily, but Chang Sui'an was still not reassured: “No, you need to swear... make a poisonous oath!”
The woman fell silent for a moment, then reluctantly raised three fingers, solemnly swearing an oath.
Only then did Chang Sui'an feel somewhat at ease.
Chang Suining looked at the woman who had just sworn her oath: “I have a condition as well.”
The woman, somewhat numbed, replied: “Please, miss.”
“Please convey my greetings to the Grand Princess Xu'an for me, saying that I have admired her for a long time and wish to visit her. If there's a chance in the future, I hope she can allow me an audience.”
The woman's expression shifted as if cracking — this young miss admires the Grand Princess?
One must say, for a young girl to admire someone, it could have been anything…
But she could only respond: “Yes, I will certainly pass on your words.”
Chang Suining nodded: “Then you may leave.”
The woman bowed and turned to leave.
“Miss, should we fill in this pit?” Ah Che asked.
“Leave it, we might need it someday.”
Upon hearing this, the woman felt a chill down her back. After hesitating for a moment, she quickened her pace to leave.
This yard filled with ghostly energies could hardly suppress the eerie presence of the Chang family woman!
On the way back to the city, Chang Sui'an 's mind was still unsettled. He kept reminding the sword attendant to be more vigilant whenever they went out, ensuring not to give anyone a chance, especially to prevent scenarios where someone might knock him out and take him away.
They agreed that if he truly encountered danger, he would leave behind clues along the way, with different codes representing different meanings, instructing the sword attendant to memorize them carefully.
Though the attendant felt that the lord's concerns were somewhat alarmist and unreasonable, even Feng couldn’t help but shake his head at it, he still replied seriously.
Upon entering the city and walking through the bustling marketplace, the lively atmosphere finally lifted some of the gloom from Chang Sui'an 's heart.
Since they were already out, he suggested to Chang Suining, who was in the carriage, that they take a stroll before heading home.
This proposal immediately excited Ah Dian.
Chang Suining also wanted to familiarize herself with the city's happenings, so she nodded.
The group got down from the carriage and entered the lively market.
Ah Dian walked along, eagerly accepting the enthusiastic offerings from Chang Suining, both hands full, her cheeks stuffed.
“Ning Ning, guess what I bought!”
Chang Sui'an ran back, holding a bamboo basket and presenting it like a treasure to Chang Suining.
Chang Suining lifted the blue cloth covering the bamboo basket: “...Elder brother, why did you buy duck eggs?”
“These are not ordinary duck eggs!” Chang Sui'an picked one up: “Look closely, these duck eggs are all square!”
Chang Suining took one and nodded.
Indeed, they were all square.
“Ning Ning, don’t you find it strange? I’ve never seen such peculiar duck eggs!” Chang Sui'an said, “The seller claimed these eggs are extraordinary; eating them can dispel disasters and ward off evil—he sold them to me because he felt a connection!”
After all, he really needed to dispel disasters today!
“...” Chang Suining looked at the extravagantly dressed boy, his eyes filled with naive innocence, and thought that on this street, anyone who tried to deceive him would find it hard to resist his fortune.
He emanated a vibe of “how come no one has come to swindle my money yet” that was truly hard to withstand.
Seeing the boy’s eager face, she couldn’t bring herself to criticize him. Instead, she gently said, “Elder brother, just buy one to try the novelty. Why did you buy so many?”
“I asked, and these eggs not only dispel disasters but can also alleviate our father’s leg ailment and even cure our sister’s brain issues. We will benefit from them too. I thought such an opportunity is rare, and I was afraid someone would snatch them from me, so I hurriedly bought them all.”
The servant quietly turned his face away.
Chang Suining looked at the square eggs: “...This miraculous effect can even be tailored to fit people?”
Chang Sui'an grinned, “Heh,” and chuckled: “Each one costs only a tael of silver. If they really have miraculous effects, it would be unwise to miss out. Even if they don't, they certainly won't harm anyone.”
Chang Suining nodded.
In his extravagance, he also revealed a certain refreshing sense of practicality mixed with naivety — this could be seen as a kind of great wisdom appearing foolish.
Chang Suining placed the egg back in the basket and casually asked, “Where did elder brother buy these eggs?”
Though these duck eggs had no miraculous effect, they were somewhat interesting.
“Right up ahead!” Chang Sui'an pointed ahead: “There’s a divination stall—”
Chang Suining walked over.
Chang Sui'an hurried to follow. When they arrived, he scratched his head: “It was just here... why is no one suddenly here?”
Chang Suining's gaze shifted slightly as she saw a corner of a gray Taoist robe disappearing around the alley.
A man dressed like a Taoist entered a deserted alley, swiftly took out a package hidden in a water vat, and smoothly took off his Taoist robe, changing into a long gown. He glued on a mustache and tied on a black gauze cap, walking out from the other end of the alley.
Just as the man exited the alley and mingled into the crowd, he was blocked by a thin, ragged boy kneeling in front of him.
Without saying a word, the boy started to bow down: “Guo Langzhong, I finally found you!”
The man jumped back in surprise: “What are you doing?”
“Please take a look at my mother again; she can’t even eat today. If she keeps getting worse, I’m afraid she...” The boy’s tears streamed down his dirty and cracked face: “Physician Guo, please show mercy and give my mother some medicine to save her!”
The man waved his hand impatiently: “I’ve already waived your consultation fee. You can’t even afford the medicine, and you dare to come find me? Get lost and don’t block the way!”
“Physician Guo, please!” The boy clung to his leg, pleading: “I’m willing to sell myself to you as a servant, just please save my mother!”
The man kicked him away: “Who wants you as a servant... how annoying!”
This commotion had attracted the attention of many people, who began to point and criticize.
“I say, how can this Physician be like this?”
“How can he lay hands on a child?”
“Hey, it’s just a few doses of medicine. A Physician should have the heart of a parent; how can he just stand by and do nothing…”
The man’s face darkened at the remarks.
The boy wiped his tears: “Physician Guo, I only ask for a few doses of medicine. I’ll do anything you say... I’ve lost my father; I can’t lose my mother too!”
The murmurs of disapproval from the crowd grew louder.
Chang Suining stood among the crowd, arms crossed, watching the scene with curiosity — she was genuinely interested in what would happen next.
Under the heckling and accusations of the crowd, the man known as Physician Guo’s face turned increasingly sour. Then he sneered and said to the boy: “In that case, I might as well give you a chance!”
(End of this chapter)
►►CLICK HERE FOR ADVANCE CHAPTERS◄◄
Comments
Post a Comment