Chapter 727
The Thief Cries "Stop Thief!"
In the dimly lit boudoir, a charcoal stove burned in the corner even in the height of summer, yet it could not dispel the faint chill. The source of the chill was Qin Ruyu, who lay sickly on the embroidered bed.
As everyone knows, Qin Ruyu, the granddaughter of the Prime Minister of Qin, has suffered from a strange illness for many years. She is weak and cold, dislikes sunlight, and rarely goes out. Therefore, her boudoir is also decorated with dim lighting, unlike the bright and clean rooms of a normal woman.
Muttering to herself, Qin Ruyu, her voice weak, asked again to confirm, "That person really went out?"
Her voice was so weak, as if she couldn't catch her next breath. She was already incredibly beautiful and was at the most beautiful age for a woman. It was truly heartbreaking and made people sigh at how unfair fate had been to her.
In the shadows of the corner of the room, a man in black robes knelt on one knee, motionless like a statue. His voice, devoid of any emotion, replied, "Reporting to my lord, our spies stationed around his residence witnessed him leave early this morning. Where he went is unknown; after all, with his cultivation level, no one could possibly follow him undetected."
Upon hearing this, Qin Ruyu nodded slightly as if he had expected it. He thought to himself, where else could he go but to throw out Liu Yuyuan as bait? It was his first time in Yucheng, yet he had two encounters with Liu Yuyuan, whom he had no connection with. Although he didn't know what the connection was between them, he would most likely go to check on Liu Yuyuan if he got into trouble. He was confident that he could guess it without needing to confirm anything else.
Qin Ruyu didn't care whether the spies he had placed around the other party's residence were discovered. With that person's cultivation level, how could they not have noticed? He didn't bother with them unless they took any drastic action. Besides, given their status, countless people were watching their every move. He couldn't possibly kill all of his spies who were mixed in with them. They were just wandering around normally and didn't disturb him. Given that person's personality, he naturally wouldn't care. This is what is meant by "a gentleman can be deceived by his own methods."
However, what left Qin Ruyu speechless was that the man almost never stepped out of the door except when he accompanied his wife out. She didn't know whether to say that the couple were loving and inseparable or that they were too lazy to move. Where was the behavior of a young person?
With a slight smile playing on her lips, Qin Ruyu thought to herself that since that person had already taken the bait, she should seize the opportunity to get her hands on the prey she had been eyeing for so long. Such an opportunity was rare, and once it was missed, it would be hard to get a second chance to make him wary. Unless she was absolutely certain that she could easily suppress him, but what difference would that be from robbery? If she had that kind of strength, why would she need to go through all that trouble?
With a flicker of thought, Qin Ruyu said softly, "At the latest tonight, I want to see what I desire!"
"Yes, sir," the man in black robes said in a deep voice.
Qin Ruyu didn't say what would happen if he or his partner failed to complete the mission. He had already created favorable conditions, and if they couldn't even handle this small matter, they wouldn't need to come back.
However, the man in black robes who received the order did not leave. He remained kneeling on one knee and said, "My lord, the entrance has been exposed, and the news has spread. Meddling martial artists and the imperial court have sent large numbers of people to gather there. May I ask what Your lord's decision is?"
Unmoved, Qin Ruyu said calmly, "Just focus on your own business. That's not your concern. I hope there won't be another time for such nonsense."
The man in the black robe felt a chill run down his spine and bowed his head, saying, "Yes."
The exposure of that entrance was intentional on Qin Ruyu's part. Otherwise, would Liu Yuyuan really have thought that his cultivation technique was so extraordinary that he could escape by chance? Otherwise, how could he have lured Chen Xuan away, and how could he have attracted people's attention?
As long as she could keep Chen Xuan occupied and prevent him from getting his prey, she believed that holding him off for half a day would be fine, the longer the better. Even if he managed to find out something, it wouldn't matter. She could just abandon it anyway, since it was dispensable. There was more than one flower field, and the fertilizer was just waste material; it wasn't originally intended for growing flowers.
As the man in black robes was about to leave after receiving the order, Qin Ruyu said again, "Send some more people to that entrance. Don't underestimate the people of the world. Those who came before probably won't hold out for long. Use the advantage of the formation to kill anyone who dares to step in. Try to delay as much as possible to attract people's attention. This will make it easier for you to carry out your plan and obtain your prey smoothly. Besides, this is too simplistic. I need more than just them as prey. So, while people's attention is drawn to that entrance, let's take action against the list we've already decided on. This will also confuse the situation. The main ones are still the first few. If we're going to play, let's play big. That's what makes it interesting, isn't it?"
"Understood, subordinate." The man in the black robe felt a chill run down his spine and vanished as if he had never been in the room.
Lying on the bed, Qin Ruyu's beautiful, lifeless eyes flickered uncertainly, and no one knew what she was thinking.
Shortly after, footsteps sounded outside the door, and a maid's voice announced, "Miss, Miss Sun has come to visit you."
"Sister's here! Please come in quickly," Qin Ruyu said happily, though her voice was still incredibly weak. The two were like sisters. Sun Qingzhu often came here and often stayed here, just like at home, so she was very casual and pushed the door open to enter.
Seeing Qin Ruyu struggling to get up, looking so weak that she seemed about to collapse at any moment, Sun Qingzhu felt incredibly sorry for her. Given their relationship and thinking about the years of suffering she had endured from illness, she wished she could take her place. She quickly stepped forward to help her lie down, saying in a reproachful tone, "Little sister, lie down quickly. Did I disturb your rest?"
"No, sister, you know my situation. I'm mostly bedridden and can't do anything. Even falling asleep peacefully is a luxury. Please don't mind that I couldn't personally greet you," Qin Ruyu said with a weak and bitter smile, looking pitiful.
Sun Qingzhu felt even more sorry for her, tucked her in, and sighed, "Sister, why do we have to say such things?"
Smiling, Qin Ruyu didn't dwell on it too much. Instead, she looked at her curiously and asked, "Sister, we've known each other for so many years. You're usually quite composed, but you seemed to be in a hurry just now. Did something happen?"
"It's alright, little sister, just focus on recuperating..." Sun Qingzhu shook her head calmly. Seeing Qin Ruyu's curious little face, her heart softened. There was nothing she couldn't say, so she said softly, "Actually, it's nothing much. I just came to check on you and see if you're feeling better. After you fall asleep, I plan to go out of the city. It's not far, it shouldn't take long."
Hearing this, Qin Ruyu nodded gently, still curious, and asked, "Then, sister, could you tell me why you're going out? You know, I stay at home all day and can't go anywhere. I can only hear about what's happening outside from other people. I also want to be as free as you, sister, and go wherever I want."
Sun Qingzhu genuinely didn't want her younger sister to worry about her strange illness, but she couldn't bring herself to lie to her. She opened her mouth, then tried to sound nonchalant, saying, "It's just that earlier, I heard there were clues circulating about the missing women cases in recent years. Almost everyone knows about it now, and many people are rushing to the scene. This is a matter that has shocked the court and the public for years, and they've been unable to solve it. So, I also plan to go and see for myself. We'll only know the specifics when the time comes."
Hearing this, Qin Ruyu bit her lip lightly, her lifeless eyes flashing with indignation and helplessness. She pondered, "So there's a lead? As a woman myself, it's hateful that I'm powerless to personally eliminate those heinous criminals. I really don't want you to take the risk, sister. If you insist on going, include me in the list. Remember to be extremely careful, and don't be reckless if things are beyond your control. If you need any help, just let me know. Everyone in the manor will cooperate with you. If all else fails, I'll send someone to inform Grandpa right away..."
Qin Ruyu, already extremely weak, was sweating profusely and struggling to breathe after saying all this. This made Sun Qingzhu feel incredibly guilty; she shouldn't have told her all this. She quickly shook her head to stop her, saying, "Don't worry, sister. Don't you know my abilities? Just rest well, you'll be fine. Wait for me to come back."
"Well, sister, maybe you shouldn't go? Over the years, the court and the public have been helpless against those despicable people. It's too dangerous," Qin Ruyu said worriedly.
Seeing her so emotionally unstable and having said so much, looking like she was about to faint, Sun Qingzhu, feeling extremely guilty, tried her best to calm down and said, "Alright, little sister, don't think so much. Rest. I'm not going right away. There are many people going with me, including experts from the martial arts world and those sent by the imperial court. I'm not someone who doesn't know the importance of things and rushes ahead recklessly. Just wait for my good news."
"That's good, phew... I'll take a nap first, sister, you stay with me," Qin Ruyu finally breathed a sigh of relief and put away her worried expression.
Sun Qingzhu nodded and smiled as if coaxing a child, "Sleep now, little sister. I promised I'd always stay with you."
With a sweet smile on her face, the weak Qin Ruyu almost fell asleep with her eyes closed, but her breathing was weak and erratic, and her brows were unconsciously furrowed slightly. Even in her sleep, she was suffering from the strange illness, which was heartbreaking to see.
After she fell asleep, Sun Qingzhu quietly got up and left, instructing the maid to take good care of her. Then she quickly headed towards the illusion, where countless people had already flocked before her.
When the boudoir was empty and the door closed, plunging it back into darkness, Qin Ruyu slightly opened her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. She murmured to herself, "Sister, you were also drawn here? Good, let's go all the way. Let's make it even bigger. We promised to be together forever, and that will soon be a reality. I'm so looking forward to it, never to be apart again. Sister, you'll be so happy then..."
As the secondary capital, Yucheng was the focus of the world's attention. As the news spread rapidly, the whole city was in an uproar, and discussions were everywhere. People were spreading the word about whether the clues about the missing woman were true or false, while some people who thought they had the ability went directly to the destination to find out for themselves.
Chen Xuan had no idea what happened next. He had already traversed the illusion, following the scent of flowers and delving deeper into the maze. He was so engrossed in the twists and turns that he almost lost his temper and threw himself onto the ground. He didn't even notice how far he had gone until he passed through a waterfall curtain, and suddenly the view ahead opened up... (End of this chapter)