Chapter 846
If you die, you die.
“This place is very important,” Zheng Yi said. “Since your third brother likes to raise poisonous insects and has connections with the Poison Sect, there are likely some secrets hidden in his villa. If we can infiltrate there, we might find useful evidence.”
“Sir, you are right,” Guo Tianyou nodded, “but Third Brother’s villa is heavily guarded; ordinary people simply cannot get in.”
"No matter how tight the defenses are, they can't stop me," Zheng Yi said calmly.
Looking at Zheng Yi's confident expression, Guo Tianyou felt a little more at ease.
The eastern sky gradually turned white, and the faint light of dawn shone through the window, casting a pale golden hue on the ground.
The old locust tree in the courtyard swayed gently in the morning breeze, and a few withered yellow leaves drifted down, swirling on the stone pavement.
Zheng Yi stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the sky that was gradually brightening.
“I’ll go into town during the day to check on things,” he said. “Tonight, I’ll visit your third brother’s villa.”
“Sir, I will accompany you,” Guo Tianyou said.
“No need,” Zheng Yi shook his head. “You’re a wanted criminal now, the whole city is looking for you. It’s too dangerous for you to go out; it’s safer for you to stay here.”
"But."
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful,” Zheng Yi interrupted him. “Tieshan, Tianxing, and Wanqing will stay here to protect you. If anything happens, have Lao Zhou come find me.”
"Alright." Guo Tianyou had no choice but to nod.
After breakfast, Zheng Yi changed into an ordinary gray robe, concealed his aura, and went out alone.
The streets of Hongyun City were much wider than those of Qingyun City, with shops lining both sides of the street and signs everywhere. Although the Guo family was in turmoil, commercial activities in the city had not completely stopped, but were much more desolate than usual.
Zheng Yi walked down the street, observing his surroundings.
Several vendors were hawking their wares along the street, their voices weak and listless. Most passersby hurried by, few stopping to chat. A tense atmosphere permeated the air, making one feel oppressed.
He arrived at a teahouse and looked up at the signboard—"Drunken Immortal Pavilion".
The teahouse had a grand facade, and two waiters stood at the entrance, trying to attract customers.
"Please come in, sir!" A waiter saw Zheng Yi and hurriedly came forward. "Our shop has the finest Longjing and Biluochun teas, as well as a variety of pastries. We guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
Zheng Yi nodded and walked into the teahouse.
The teahouse was doing fairly well, with about 70-80% of the seats occupied. Most of the customers were sitting in small groups, chatting quietly.
Zheng Yi sat down by the window and ordered a pot of Longjing tea and several plates of snacks.
The waiter quickly brought out the tea and snacks.
"Enjoy your meal, sir," the waiter said with a smile.
"Wait a minute, waiter," Zheng Yi called out to him.
"Is there anything else you need, sir?"
Zheng Yi took out a piece of silver from his pocket and handed it to the shop assistant.
"I'm from out of town and I'd like to ask about some things," he said in a low voice. "Could you tell me what major events have happened in this city recently?"
The waiter took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and smiled knowingly.
"You've come to the right person, sir," he said, leaning closer to Zheng Yi. "The city's been quite lively lately. The patriarch of the Guo family has died, and the three young masters are vying for the position of family head, causing quite a stir."
"Oh?" Zheng Yi feigned surprise. "How did Master Guo die?"
"It's said he was poisoned," the waiter said. "And supposedly, the one who poisoned him was the eldest son of the Guo family!"
"Young Master? Why would he poison his own father?"
"It's all about vying for the position of family head," the shopkeeper sighed, shaking his head. "How could we common folk possibly understand the affairs of wealthy families? Anyway, everyone in town is saying that the eldest young master poisoned his own father to death in order to become the family head sooner. The third young master even said that he found traces of poison in the eldest young master's room."
"Where is the eldest young master now?"
"He ran away," the waiter said. "The day the Third Young Master started his troubles, the Eldest Young Master disappeared. Now the whole city is looking for him, and they say whoever catches him will receive a reward of a thousand taels of gold."
Zheng Yi nodded, then asked, "What about the second young master? What's his attitude?"
“Second Young Master…” The waiter’s expression became somewhat complicated. “The Second Young Master is standing with the Third Young Master now. He says the Eldest Young Master committed patricide and regicide, a heinous crime, and should be expelled from the Guo family.”
"I heard that the second young master and the eldest young master have always been at odds, and now that the third young master has made trouble, the second young master will naturally side with him."
“You seem to know quite a bit about the Guo family,” Zheng Yi said with a smile.
"You flatter me, sir," the waiter chuckled. "This Hongyun City is Guo family territory, and everyone in town is talking about the Guo family. I listen to the customers' conversations in the teahouse every day, so naturally I know a thing or two."
"So what do you think is the truth of this matter?" Zheng Yi asked.
The waiter hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "Sir, I don't know the truth either. But I feel there's something strange about this whole thing."
"What's so strange?"
"The eldest young master has always had a good reputation in the city; he's kind and generous and never bullies the servants. The third young master says the eldest young master killed his father, but I always feel something's not quite right."
"Furthermore, the Third Young Master is always secretive and cunning. He claims to have found poison residue in the Eldest Young Master's room—who knows if that's true or not? What if he's framing him?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi's lips curled up slightly.
It seems that Guo Tianyou has a good reputation in the city; even this young shop assistant doesn't think he's the kind of person who would kill his father.
"Waiter, do you know where the Third Young Master usually lives?" he asked.
“The Third Young Master…” the waiter thought for a moment, “The Third Young Master has his own courtyard in the City Lord’s Mansion, but he rarely stays there. He has a separate residence in Willow Lane in the west of the city, and it’s said he often goes there alone.”
"Liuxiang?" Zheng Yi pressed, "Which exact location is that?"
"I'm not too sure about that," the waiter shook his head. "The Willow Lane area is rather remote; I rarely go there."
"Okay, thank you." Zheng Yi nodded, indicating that the waiter could leave.
The waiter smiled, bowed, and turned to greet the other guests.
Zheng Yi picked up his teacup and slowly sipped his tea, while keeping an eye on the conversations around him.
The guests at the next table were talking in hushed tones.
"Have you heard? When the young master ran away, he was seen heading south."
"The Third Young Master has already sent men to chase after them; they should be caught in a few days."
"I think the position of head of the Guo family will most likely belong to the third young master."
The guests at the other table were discussing something else.
"Recently, a lot of people from other places have come to the city, and I heard they're all here because of the Guo family."
"What outsiders?" "What else could they be? They're all just trying to take advantage of the situation. The Guo family is in turmoil right now; those who covet the Guo family's assets certainly won't let this opportunity pass."
As Zheng Yi listened to these discussions, some ideas gradually formed in his mind.
He finished his tea, paid the bill, and left the teahouse.
He spent the rest of the day wandering around the city, gathering information.
He went to the Chamber of Commerce in the east of the city and saw that many of the Second Young Master Guo Tianci's men were stationed there. He then went to the vicinity of the City Lord's Mansion and found that the City Lord's Mansion had been completely controlled by the Third Young Master Guo Tianen's men.
He also went to Liuxiang and observed Guo Tianen's villa from a distance.
It was a small house with high walls and two guards standing at the entrance. From the outside, the house was quiet and there was nothing unusual about it.
However, Zheng Yi's senses were very sharp. He could sense that there were several powerful figures hidden in the mansion.
"There are more guards than I expected," he thought to himself. "It seems Guo Tianen is hiding quite a few secrets here."
As evening fell, Zheng Yi returned to the residence where Guo Tianyou was hiding.
"Sir, you're back!" Guo Tianyou hurriedly greeted him. "Did you find out any news?"
“I’ve gathered some information.” Zheng Yi sat down in a chair. “Your third brother’s villa is heavily guarded; there are at least five or six experts inside. It won’t be easy to sneak in tonight.”
"What should we do then?" Guo Tianyou asked, looking somewhat nervous.
“No rush,” Zheng Yi said. “I’ve also found out a few other things.”
"What is it?"
"Your third brother has been getting very close to some powerful figures in the city lately," Zheng Yi said. "Several members of small and medium-sized aristocratic families have been frequently visiting the city lord's mansion these past few days, meeting secretly with your third brother."
"Small and medium-sized aristocratic families?" Guo Tianyou frowned. "Which aristocratic families?"
“I haven’t found out exactly which ones,” Zheng Yi said, “but I suspect your third brother is negotiating with them. He wants to use external forces to solidify his position while also promising those powerful families some benefits.”
“If that’s the case, then we’re in trouble,” Guo Tianyou said. “My third brother already controls the city lord’s mansion, and now he has external support. I have even less chance of winning.”
"Not necessarily," Zheng Yi said. "External support is a double-edged sword. Those powerful families are definitely helping your third brother on conditions. Once he becomes the head of the family, he will have to fulfill his promise and share a portion of the Guo family's profits with those powerful families."
"Would the rest of the Guo family agree to this? Would the elders, the loyal subordinates, just stand by and watch outsiders divide up the Guo family's interests?"
Upon hearing this, Guo Tianyou's eyes gradually brightened.
“Sir, you are right!” he said. “The elders of the Guo family are all very loyal to the Guo family. If they knew that Third Brother was going to betray the Guo family's interests, they certainly wouldn't agree.”
"Therefore, our breakthrough isn't just about finding evidence to prove your innocence," Zheng Yi said, "but also about exposing your third brother's conspiracy to collude with outsiders and betray the Guo family's interests. Once the Guo family knows the truth, your third brother's position will crumble."
"Sir, your insight is brilliant!" Guo Tianyou exclaimed excitedly. "So, what should we do next?"
“Tonight, I’ll go check out your third brother’s villa,” Zheng Yi said. “Even if I can’t sneak in, I’ll at least scout out the area.”
"Tomorrow, we'll try to reach out to the elders of the Guo family again. If we can gain their support, the situation will be very different."
Night fell, and the moonlight was as clear as water.
Zheng Yi changed into a black night outfit and went out alone.
Hongyun City was much quieter at night than during the day. There were hardly any pedestrians on the streets, with only patrolling soldiers occasionally passing by in the distance.
Zheng Yi used his lightness skill to fly across the rooftops and quickly arrived at Willow Lane.
Willow Lane is a narrow alley lined with many willow trees. When the night breeze blows, the willow branches sway gently, making a rustling sound.
Zheng Yi hid among the dense foliage of a large willow tree, quietly observing Guo Tianen's villa.
The gate to the villa was tightly shut, and the two guards at the entrance stood ramrod straight. The walls were very high, making it impossible to see inside from the outside.
Zheng Yi focused his senses and discovered that the auras in the courtyard were all concentrated near the main house, and there seemed to be no one in the backyard.
"Start with the backyard," he decided.
He went around to the back of the courtyard, found a blind spot where the guards couldn't see him, and leaped down, landing lightly on the courtyard wall.
The courtyard wall was wide enough for a person to stand on. Zheng Yi squatted on the top of the wall, carefully observing the situation inside the courtyard.
The backyard is a small garden with some flowers, trees, and shrubs. Moonlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
At the end of the garden was a small house with its doors and windows tightly shut, and a faint light emanating from inside.
"There's someone in that little house," Zheng Yi thought to himself.
He lightly leaped down the courtyard wall, landed behind a clump of bushes, and quietly made his way towards the hut.
As he approached, he found that the windows of the hut were covered with black cloth, so he couldn't see inside. But he could hear some faint sounds coming from inside, like someone moving around.
Zheng Yi listened intently.
"When will that person wake up?" a gloomy voice asked.
"Young master, he is deeply poisoned and will not wake up for at least three more days," another voice replied.
“Three days? That’s too long,” the somber voice said. “I need him to talk as soon as possible and reveal where our elder brother is hiding.”
"Young Master, there's only one antidote for this poison: let it dissipate naturally. Forcing an antidote could kill him."
"He's dead, so be it. He's not of much use anymore anyway," the somber voice said coldly. "As long as he reveals our brother's whereabouts, it doesn't matter whether he lives or dies."
"Yes, young master."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yi's heart stirred.
Who is "that person"? Could it be the missing servant Li Fu?
He continued listening.
"By the way, how's things going over there?" the gloomy voice asked.
"Young Master, the Sun and Qian families have agreed to our terms. They promised to support you in times of crisis, and in exchange, we will cede several commercial streets in the east of the city to them."
"Hmph, a bunch of greedy bastards," the gloomy voice sneered. "But it's fine to agree to their demands for now. Once I've secured my position as head of the family, I'll settle accounts with them later."
"Young Master is wise."
"What about Second Brother?"
"The second young master is still hesitant. Although he stands with the young master, he seems somewhat dissatisfied with some of the young master's actions."
"Dissatisfied? What right does he have to be dissatisfied?" The gloomy voice turned sharp. "If I hadn't gotten rid of the old man, he would still be there eagerly waiting for my elder brother to inherit the family business. Now that my elder brother has become a rat everyone hates, what else could he possibly be dissatisfied about?" (End of Chapter)