Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
After the carriage entered the city, Wang Jian bid farewell to Fan Ju. He hadn’t slept all night but didn’t feel too bad; after all, he hadn’t eaten dinner yesterday. As for how to proceed with the work ahead, it wouldn’t matter if he starved to death first. The aroma of meat wafting from not far ahead made his stomach growl uncontrollably.
He thought to himself that he needed to eat at least five pounds of beef! With that thought, he swallowed hard. Just as he lifted his leg, someone grabbed his arm, and when he turned around, he was taken aback. The two ragged figures before him were none other than Sun Thirteen and Li Xin. Confirming there was no one else around, he hurriedly asked, “Thirteen! Eighteen! Why are only the two of you back? Where is Luzi?”
Worried about exposing their whereabouts and attracting attention, Thirteen and the others had disguised themselves and scattered back home after descending the mountain. This was also Luzi's instruction: they must not reveal their identities until things became clearer. It was fine to return home, but going out was strictly forbidden.
Thus, Thirteen and Li Xin teamed up, enduring hardships along the way as they traveled long distances in hiding. They finally returned to Qin Capital this morning. Originally planning to part ways and head home after entering the city, they were about to say goodbye when they spotted a familiar figure jumping down from a carriage. Luzi’s advice to keep a low profile applied only to strangers; there was no need for that among themselves. Although the current situation was complex and there weren’t many trustworthy people, a few could still be relied upon. The two exchanged glances and quietly moved over to join Wang Jian.
Due to last night's murder scene, Wang Jian had been feeling uneasy ever since. If he initially thought Luzi had been ambushed on the way back, then based on the analysis of the scene, that conclusion could be dismissed. His heart calmed slightly upon seeing Thirteen and Li Xin dressed like beggars again raised his anxiety. However, knowing this wasn’t the place for conversation, he simply led the two brothers to a familiar inn for a detailed discussion.
Fortunately, it wasn’t far from there; they turned several corners and entered an alley. The time was still early, and the alley was extremely quiet. Wang Jian led the way and explained, “With your current attire... it’s inconvenient for us to go through the front door; let’s enter through the back instead.”
As soon as they entered the alley, Thirteen and Li Xin felt a bit uncomfortable. They came from wealthy families after all; what was this shabby appearance? Hearing Wang Jian’s words made them exchange glances and realize their clothes indeed looked rather poor. Having lived this long, how could they have ended up like this!
“Of course! We should keep a low profile!” Li Xin agreed while giving Thirteen a knowing look.
The three entered a sizable courtyard through the back door and made their way around a rockery to a secluded room near a pond. Wang Jian instructed a waiter to prepare breakfast for them and then gestured for the two to sit down and talk.
The location of this private room seemed intentional; it was surrounded by water on three sides, ensuring they wouldn’t be overheard nearby. If anyone passed by outside, they would immediately see anyone sitting inside.
“The food will probably take a while longer; let’s drink some water first to moisten our throats. You don’t know how busy I’ve been all night without a drop of water!” Wang Jian poured tea into three cups and drank several bowls himself. Feeling somewhat relieved in his throat, he noticed Thirteen and Li Xin staring blankly at their tea bowls. After swallowing some water, he asked, “Rest assured, brothers; this place is absolutely safe. Now drink some water and tell me what happened.”
Thirteen and Li Xin exchanged glances before slowly sipping their water in silence.
Wang Jian was clearly not in a hurry. After sitting down, he held up the teapot and waited. When he saw that the two had almost finished drinking, he walked over to pour tea. "Don't rush to speak; let me analyze this first." After saying that, he returned to his seat. "Luzi cannot abandon you and leave alone, and you certainly cannot leave him behind to survive. The reason you are dressed like this upon your return is likely because we have an insider among us!"
Just moments ago, when the two followed Wang Jian into the secluded alley, they regretted not heeding Luzi's warning. Concerned about a possible trap, they instinctively checked the position of their blades. Despite their ragged clothing, the Bronze Sword was still hidden within their garments!
Upon hearing the term "insider," Shisan turned to look at Li Xin. He had felt something was off when he saw Wang Jian disembark from the Chancellor's carriage. The reason for this suspicion was mainly that Wang Jian could not possibly know Fan Ju. Before Fan Ju rose to prominence, he was a typical Wei Kingdom citizen, and the person who had been pursuing him in Chu was also from Wei Kingdom. Could there be some sort of internal connection here? Both Luzi and Li Xin seemed to sense something at that moment; although they did not voice it, they tacitly acknowledged the situation. Had they already been mixed up with impostors? It appeared that the unfolding events were becoming increasingly intriguing!
Li Xin smiled slightly and raised his head to drink from his bowl of water. He gently placed it back on the table before asking, "Wang Jian! What do you mean by that?"
What does it mean!? You have committed a significant act! How dare you come back! Do you really think there are no capable people left in Qin Capital!? Wang Jian snorted coldly. "Wei Wujie's pursuit is a facade; the true aim is to target the Crown Prince! You can use an alibi to prove your innocence! Am I wrong?!"
"That's utter nonsense!" Li Xin slammed his hand on the table and stood up, shouting, "Where were you when we fought bloodily against Wei Wujie!? Luzi has been loyal; how could he betray Qin State? Yet you insist on treating him this way! For your own ulterior motives, you force a patriot to commit suicide—how can you expect us Great Qin soldiers to bear this? It's chilling! Absolutely chilling! To say we are insiders? You are the traitors who wish to see Qin perish!"
Shisan had followed through every battle during that time; one careless moment could have meant death. This person would become excited at the sight of blood, and it seemed Li Xin had yet to recover from that experience. He reached out to grab Li Xin's arm and urged him to sit down first. Taking a sip of water to soothe his throat, he addressed Wang Jian: "Death is not frightening; what is frightening is dying without knowing why. Wang Jian! You left Qin State for the Wilderness and stayed there for over a decade. Wasn't Fan Ju also herding cattle there back then? Our minds may not be sharp, but I still remember he should have been working under Xu Jia, a doctor in Wei Kingdom! When did he go to the grasslands? I have no idea!"
Seeing the two across from him bantering back and forth with their sarcastic remarks, Wang Jian stood up and laughed: "You truly won't shed tears until you see the coffin! Someone come! Arrest them all!" As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding walls opened with a thud. Archers who had long been lying in ambush revealed themselves, and several officials rushed forward intending to capture them.
"Bold!" Li Xin raised his hand to command the approaching officials to stop, standing up to pour himself more water from the teapot on the table. After taking a sip from his bowl, he declared, "We are King Qin's Royal Guard; let's see who dares to take us!"
Comment 0 Comment Count