novelapdf Chapter 150, 2rd update
Chapter 150, 2rd update
The news of Jiang Mu's death spread throughout Yancheng in a very short time.
Everyone who knows or is familiar with Jiang Mu reacted in unison.
My first reaction was, "This is impossible!"
How could that tough guy just die like that?
Xu Fu and Yan Fenghuo, in particular, treated it as a joke.
However, as more and more details came in, and as a city-wide manhunt was issued, people finally believed it.
Yan Fenghuo exploded.
He went mad and led his men to search everywhere, determined to find that beast Wenhe.
Xu Fu then led his men to rush into the third hall.
Those who used to be Wenhe's cronies were pinned to the ground and beaten mercilessly by Xu Fu. If it weren't for other colleagues who rushed over upon hearing the news and desperately stopped them, it might have resulted in a death.
however.
Wenhe seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Despite the Demon Slayer Division turning Yan City upside down, they still couldn't find a trace of him.
Just as the turmoil surrounding Jiang Mu's death had not yet subsided, and the entire city of Yan was still in shock and chaos, another murder case exploded like cold water thrown into boiling oil.
Another hall master in Tanzhou City, Yang Tianci, was found dead in the house where he was stationed.
The manner of their death was extremely gruesome.
Not only was his life force drained, but his heart was also ripped out.
This caused an uproar in Yancheng.
Jiang Mu's death was certainly shocking and regrettable, but in the end, no matter how talented he was, he was just a "grassroots" genius without a powerful background. His death was more of a loss for the Demon Slayer Division.
That's all.
But Yang Tianci is different!
His father was the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, a close advisor to the emperor, and wielded immense power.
His son unexpectedly died in Yancheng.
And he died so mysteriously and tragically.
As her direct superior, Shui Miaozheng bears the brunt of the blame and will inevitably face severe accountability from the Yang family and even the imperial court.
Other related individuals will likely also be implicated to some extent.
In an instant, Yancheng became increasingly turbulent.
In a secluded and dark alley in Yancheng.
The female guard, who had rushed from Huzhou City, burdened with the important task of protecting Bai Xiang, was completely stunned upon learning of Jiang Mu's death. Her master had just given her orders to find out Jiang Mu's whereabouts and even to protect her.
As a result, she died as soon as she arrived in Yancheng, before she could even have a sip of hot water.
What kind of situation is this?
The female guard was speechless.
After confirming Jiang Muzhen's death, she secretly slipped out of Yancheng before it was completely sealed off.
They arrived at a deserted wilderness outside the city.
She summoned a mechanical eagle to deliver the news to Bai Xiang in Huzhou City.
As night deepened, a sense of unease and desolation permeated the streets and alleys of Yancheng.
The Demon Slayer Division's manhunt has caused widespread panic.
However, amidst this atmosphere of fear and unease, Yurenfang remained a completely different place.
Inside the building, the sounds of string and wind instruments continued unabated, and a warm fragrance filled the air, creating an atmosphere of decadent luxury.
Even though the deaths of Jiang Mu and Yang Tianci cast a shadow over the city, for the patrons of this den of iniquity, it was nothing more than a few more topics of conversation at the dinner table.
Those who need to learn should learn, and those who need to exchange ideas should exchange ideas.
There will never be a shortage of souls living a life of debauchery here.
Especially the courtesan Aci.
As the most beautiful courtesan, Aci's value has skyrocketed ever since the incident where Jiang Mu and Xue Bayuan, the two leaders of the Demon Slayer Division, were "fighting over" her.
The madam of Yurenfang was a master of marketing and seized the opportunity to create a huge buzz.
She was packaged as an unparalleled beauty who could drive even the most powerful figures in the Demon Slayer Division mad.
Previously, it only cost ten taels of silver to catch a glimpse of her beauty.
Now the threshold has increased tenfold, and a hundred taels of silver is just the starting price.
Want to become a guest of honor?
Those must be people who spend lavishly; if it's less than a thousand taels of silver, they can't even step into the boudoir.
This woman has become a gilded signboard.
At this moment, Aci had just finished playing a piece for a wealthy guest in a private room, had drunk a few cups of Shaoxing wine with him, and had dealt with half a day of salted pig's trotters before she was able to escape back to her boudoir on the third floor.
He pushed the door open and entered, then bolted it shut behind him.
The woman leaned against the door and let out a long sigh. She picked up a round fan from the table and fanned herself gently, trying to relieve her boredom.
Suddenly, a dark shadow darted in through the window like an eagle swooping down on a rabbit.
Aci was so frightened that her face turned pale. Just as she was about to cry out, she was knocked to the ground by a tremendous force.
A rough, large hand gripped her slender neck tightly, silencing all her screams.
The attacker had disheveled hair and was dressed in disarray.
By the dim candlelight, it turned out to be Wen He, who was wanted throughout the city!
"Did you do this?! Tell me!!"
At this moment, Wenhe was in a terrible state, his eyes glowing a terrifying blood red in the candlelight, like a starving wolf with nowhere to run.
He stared at the terrified woman beneath him, his voice hoarse.
Aci's eyes filled with tears.
Her face, flushed red from suffocation, was filled with fear; she looked terrified and vulnerable.
Don't pretend with me!
"I know you're a member of the Red Umbrella Cult!"
Wenhe remained unmoved, instead increasing the pressure on his hands and growling through gritted teeth.
"In Huzhou City, you learned that I had a rift with Jiang Mu, so you repeatedly tried to secretly contact me in an attempt to win me over."
I didn't agree, but I've been secretly investigating you all.
I discovered that you're trying to win over Xue Bayuan of the Yuancheng Demon Slayer Division here because he's hiding a secret that you can use against him. And in the entire Yancheng, the only one who can have close contact with Xue Bayuan without arousing suspicion is you!
Am I right?!
"You killed Jiang Mu and then deliberately framed me, trying to force me into a dead end, didn't you?!"
Faced with Wenhe's hysterical questioning, the fear on Aci's face gradually faded.
Instead, a lazy and mocking sneer appeared.
Tears still clung to the corners of my eyes, but they were no longer warm.
next moment
"Bang!"
Wenhe was struck as if by a heavy hammer, flying backward and crashing heavily into the wall behind him.
"cough……"
Wenhe tried to struggle, but found that his limbs were as if they were bound by invisible threads, or as if they were glued to the wall.
No matter how hard he tried to activate his star power, he couldn't move an inch.
It could only awkwardly stick to the wall like a gecko.
Aci slowly stood up, straightened her disheveled clothes, picked up her fan again, gently covered her red lips, and said reproachfully, "Master Wen is really rude. He doesn't know how to cherish a weak woman like me. He comes in shouting for violence right away. It's really heartbreaking."
"You really are a member of the Red Umbrella Cult!"
Wenhe pressed himself against the wall, staring coldly at her, his eyes blazing with anger.
Aci smiled, walked to the chair and sat down, crossing her legs. Her skirt slipped down, revealing a section of her snow-white calves.
"I knew it was a waste of Master Wen's talents to stay in Huzhou City."
Actually, you're much smarter than that reckless Jiang Mu. It's a pity that old bastard Ran Qingshan is blind; he didn't use such a gem like you and insisted on promoting that short-lived wretch.
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Wen He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his neck. "Just who are you in the Red Umbrella Cult? State your name!"
Aci stretched out her slender hand and gently peeled it off behind her ear.
An exquisite human skin mask slipped off, revealing an even more charming and beautiful face.
"You can call me... Nan Zhi."
The woman's eyes were smiling, and her gaze was alluring.
That's right, this woman is none other than Nan Zhi, who once tried to win over Jiang Mu in Huzhou City!
"So, you're the ones who killed Jiang Muzhen?"
Wenhe's eyes blazed with fury as he said hatefully,
"You've been secretly following me, and when you saw me clash with Jiang Mu, you seized the opportunity to kill him and frame me, hoping to leave me with no choice but to rely on you, right?"
Upon hearing this, Nan Zhi was first slightly taken aback, then seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world.
First, she covered her mouth and chuckled softly, then burst into laughter, doubled over, her chest heaving, and tears welling in her eyes. "What are you laughing at?"
Wenhe was enraged by her laughter, yet inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine, and demanded an explanation in a stern voice.
Nan Zhi finally managed to stop laughing, wiping away the tears that had welled up in her eyes. Instead of denying it, she tilted her head and asked with great interest, "Since Master Wen has already guessed that I am a member of the Red Umbrella Sect, why don't you come and arrest me? Why... don't you hurry up and report it to your superior, Elder Tian or Manager Yan?"
Ok?
Is it possible that... you, Master Wen, have actually been hesitating all along?
You also want to use our Red Umbrella Sect to get rid of Jiang Mu, that thorn in your side?
Or perhaps you intend to orchestrate a scheme during the demon army's siege, when the situation is chaotic, to lure Jiang Mu into my trap, while you stand by and reap the benefits?
"You're talking nonsense!!"
Wen He spat, "I just don't have solid evidence! I'm not as despicable as you think!"
Nan Zhi stood up, took light steps, walked to Wen He, extended her slender fingers to lift his chin, and looked at him with a playful expression.
Her voice was soft and seductive:
"Master Wen, since you didn't have such bad intentions, and since you didn't kill Jiang Mu... then why are you running away?"
If you are upright and have nothing to fear, why don't you stay and explain yourself?
Why hide like a stray dog?
"Because you deliberately framed me!"
Wenhe roared angrily.
"frame?"
Nan Zhi laughed, "Are all the people in your Demon Slayer Division idiots? You think we can just frame you and drive the head of a department into a corner?"
Wenhe was speechless for a moment, his face turning pale and then flushed.
In fact, he didn't know why he had a sudden impulse to run away.
He was stunned the moment he saw Jiang Mu die in front of him.
When Ming Cuicui and others pointed their fingers at him and called him the murderer, he tried to defend himself.
But when he saw the doubt and fear in the eyes of the people around him, even his own confidants, he suddenly realized that he couldn't clear his name in this mess, especially since Jiang Mu was now a hot commodity in Huzhou City.
Ran Qingshan valued him.
Tian Wenjing regarded it as the future hope of Huzhou City.
Thinking about all this, he felt a little panicked.
Fear directly overwhelmed reason.
So, in a moment of confusion, I ran away.
He was eager to come to Yurenfang to expose the Red Umbrella Cult and prove his innocence. He believed that the Red Umbrella Cult was behind all of this.
But halfway there, he suddenly realized what was happening and was filled with regret.
He realized he shouldn't run away; he should stay.
Even being imprisoned and investigated is better than being in this desperate situation where one has no way to defend oneself.
But this hesitation and indecision led to the issuance of an arrest warrant by the Demon Slayer Division.
He was completely out of options now.
They had no choice but to take the risk and sneak into the Jade Beauty Pavilion, hoping to find out who this witch from the Red Umbrella Sect was.
If we can capture it or force it to reveal its true nature, we might be able to clear our name.
As for why Nan Zhi's identity wasn't reported at the beginning...
Just as Nan Zhi said, he did indeed have selfish motives.
He had always suspected that Jiang Mu was connected with the demons who attacked Huzhou City and suspected that he was a mole. So when he found out that "Aci" was a member of the Red Umbrella Cult, he chose to remain silent.
He was waiting for an opportunity to catch the criminal red-handed.
For example, the moment when Jiang Mu and the Red Umbrella Sect colluded from within and without during the demon army's attack on the city.
He wanted to expose Jiang Mu's true colors himself and watch that arrogant genius be ruined.
This completely plunged Jiang Mu into the abyss.
But to everyone's surprise, he was the one who ended up falling into the trap.
"Master Wen, regardless of whether you killed Jiang Mu or not, in everyone's eyes, you are the murderer now."
Nan Zhi suppressed her smile and said calmly,
"And I have more good news for you. Our people have already placed a token of our Red Umbrella Cult in your room."
Otherwise, why do you think the Demon Slayer Division issued the arrest warrant so quickly?
Upon hearing this, Wenhe was struck dumb.
"You really did kill Jiang Mu!"
He gritted his teeth in hatred, his eyes almost bleeding. "This was all a setup! A setup you all planned long ago!"
Nan Zhi pursed her lips, inwardly cursing, "Idiot."
Actually, she was completely dumbfounded when she learned of Jiang Mu's death.
Although the Red Umbrella Cult did attempt to win over Wenhe, this was merely an old tradition within the cult.
Cast a wide net and catch many fish; try it on everyone.
In comparison, she actually admired Jiang Mu more, appreciating his arrogant and ruthless nature.
Even though the other party humiliated her and rejected her back then,
She was willing to give him another chance.
As for Wenhe...
Upon learning that this guy was foolish enough to flee to escape punishment, the higher-ups of the Red Umbrella Cult reacted swiftly, having their mole, who had infiltrated the Demon Slayer Division, plant a token in his room. The aim was to completely cut off Wen He's escape route, forcing him to join the Red Umbrella Cult.
This can be considered a way to make use of waste.
It's just a pity about that kid Jiang Mu.
In order to entice him, she deliberately remained chaste in this brothel, intending to present it as a special "gift for joining the cult."
Who knew that kid would be so unlucky, gone just like that.
It was all for nothing.
All I can say is that the kid was unlucky.
"Master Wen, you are a smart man."
Nan Zhi said calmly,
"If you go back now, the Demon Slayer Division won't believe you anymore. Besides, you should know how much Tian Wenjing and the others value Jiang Mu. That Yan Fenghuo is currently leading his men searching for you like mad dogs. If he catches you, guess what will happen to you?" Wen He's face was pale and uncertain, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
Nan Zhi reached out and gently stroked Wen He's chapped lips, her voice soft and gentle:
"Let me tell you another secret."
Yancheng... cannot be defended.
Even your high and mighty garrison commander might not be able to protect you.
"What do you mean by that?" Wenhe was startled.
Nan Zhi didn't explain, she just waved her hand.
The invisible force binding Wenhe vanished instantly.
"Join us, or go back to your death. The choice is yours. I won't force you."
Nan Zhi sat back down in her chair, picked up her teacup, and took a small sip.
"After all, it's a path one chooses oneself. I just hope that Master Wen won't regret it."
Wenhe collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
He struggled to his feet, staggered to the window, and tried to push it open to leave.
However, when his hand touched the window frame and he saw through the crack the rows of menacing guards from the Demon Slayer Bureau searching house to house on the street outside...
His movements froze.
Seeing this, Nan Zhi leaned against the table, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, revealing a mocking and indifferent arc.
In fact, if Tian Wenjing and the others calmed down and carefully reviewed the situation, they would have discovered the flaws in the case that Wenhe was wrongly accused.
But by then, it was too late.
After all, this fool jumped into this abyss himself.
That's just human nature.
"People are often suspicious; they see a shadow and think it's a ghost, hear a rumor and think it's a wave. Once they become suspicious, even the purest white becomes frost in their eyes, trying to cover up the truth."
Nan Zhi walked over and gently patted Wen He's shoulder with her jade-like hand.
"Master Wen, welcome to the Red Umbrella Cult."