msmithbooks Chapter 70 Interrogation
Chapter 70 Interrogation
"We acted so nervously, as if facing a formidable enemy, that the main target was taken down before the operation even began."
Even someone as image-conscious as Ouyang Xue couldn't help but facepalm and shake her head repeatedly.
They were on high alert, rushing on their way and making preparations.
All of it turned out to be a waste of effort.
"One should not make hasty judgments."
Sheng Wansong denied it, saying, "The emperor once wiped out the entire Lin family because of a single decree, so why would he spare Zhu Wu's life now?"
He looked at Han Lingsha, who was sweating profusely and fidgeting because she had leaked the secret.
Noticing the scrutinizing gazes of the two, Han Lingsha shook her head repeatedly.
"I have no idea!"
"I really don't know!"
She added, "However, the emperor's extermination of the Lin family was not just a decree; the Astronomical Bureau also observed that the imperial star had fallen and the royal family's fortune was waning."
Seeing that her expression was genuine, Sheng Wansong figured it wasn't a lie, so he moved on to the next topic.
"What is this Dragon Transformation Powder? Is it effective for everyone with dragon energy?"
With her biggest secret already exposed, Han Lingsha no longer tried to hide it.
"It was made fresh using the recipe given by the Imperial Advisor, made from the bones of Emperor Taizu of Liang ground into powder."
"It only applies to the descendants of the Zhu family."
Even without using torture instruments, they obtained all the secrets from Han Lingsha.
This girl was the Grand Preceptor's spy from the very beginning, and her trip to Suzhou was only to find an opportunity to be discovered by Zhu Wu.
Although being captured by Sheng Wansong and sent out of the Six Doors was an accident, being discovered by Zhu Wu was a lucky coincidence.
Everything that followed was exactly as the Grand Preceptor had predicted.
They ventured deep into the imperial tombs and found the orphaned son of the founding emperor.
"I'm not bragging, but without me, they would have died eight hundred times over in their graves."
Zhu Wu absorbed the dragon energy nurtured within the feng shui tomb, while Han Lingsha secretly took a piece of her little finger bone.
She had already taken charge of the team's daily meals.
Zhu Wu, who had transformed into a dragon, was full of vigor and ambition. He was completely unprepared for Han Lingsha's presence and ate the old bone's secret recipe, which greatly reduced his power.
Han Lingsha had already given the signal, and the guards swarmed forward and captured Zhu Wu and Tie Shou.
This is a past event that Han Lingsha doesn't want to recall; it has become a scar in her heart.
Although Han Lingsha was a thief, she gave all the stolen goods to the poor and had never betrayed anyone before.
Han Lingsha has been seeing the look in Tie Shou's eyes when he was betrayed in her dreams every day recently.
Although that man was stern and didn't like his background as a thief, he was not a man who smiled much.
But as time went by, his attitude towards her gradually softened.
The moment he was betrayed, Tie Shou looked at her as if she were a bug on the ground, wishing he could crush her to death.
Han Lingsha lowered her head, feeling dejected.
"And what is your purpose in doing all this?"
The final question came from Han Lingsha, whose voice was hoarse.
"I want to...live."
Only then did Ouyang Xue truly acknowledge this thief, this traitor.
Han Lingsha's situation is actually very similar to hers.
Shangguan Hong once said that the ancestors of the Han family had robbed the tombs of the Three Sovereigns, and since then, their descendants have rarely lived past the age of twenty or thirty and have died young.
If Ouyang Xue hadn't met Sheng Wansong, she, who was helpless against Gu poison, would have had a hard time living past thirty.
If it were her, would she become a traitor for a sliver of hope?
no way!
This is Ouyang Xue's answer to herself.
Although she firmly believed that she would not make the same choice, Ouyang Xue still felt a sense of sympathy for Han Lingsha and found her more agreeable.
"The Imperial Advisor said he has a way to change my fate and free me from the Han family's curse."
She sat there with her head down, the backs of her feet hooked together and rubbing against each other.
Awaiting the death sentence.
Sheng Wansong's gaze passed over Han Lingsha and fell upon the group of martial arts men who had come to sit down after them.
They appeared to be listening to a storyteller recounting tales of the Three Kingdoms, but in reality, they were eavesdropping on the entire conversation.
However, Sheng Wansong used his internal energy to block out the sound, so they couldn't hear clearly and became increasingly anxious.
Sheng Wansong understood. This girl knew too much. Even if her tomb raiding skills came in handy and she wasn't silenced, the Grand Preceptor wouldn't let her run around. It was inevitable that someone would be following and monitoring her.
"This matter is strange and complicated, but as long as it doesn't involve ordinary people, then the secrets of the imperial palace have little to do with us martial arts practitioners."
Sheng Wansong waved his hand and withdrew his internal force.
"Miss Han, you have just committed theft. If we let you run around and someone who knows about it sees you, they will think we are bending the law to protect you."
"Please accompany us for the next few days."
Sheng Wansong and his companion led Han Lingsha out of the teahouse, followed closely by the spies dressed as江湖人士 (jianghu figures).
When Katsumansong occasionally looked back, they all lowered their straw hats and pretended to be shopping at a roadside stall.
When they returned to the inn, Shangguan Hong was already waiting in the lobby.
She saw Han Lingsha behind the two of them, and also noticed a few people lurking suspiciously behind them.
Shangguan Hong smiled calmly and teased, "I didn't expect that our young master Sheng would pick up another beautiful woman after just one trip out."
"Master Mingyuan was right when he said you were destined to be a womanizer."
Sheng Wansong had never heard of this claim before, and asked in return, "Did he really say that?"
"While not exactly like that, they're not far off."
The old Taoist priest's original words were, "Which emperor doesn't have three thousand beauties in his harem? Shangguan girl, if you seize the initiative, you might be able to win the title of founding empress, and in the future, you will rule the world and be remembered in history."
Shangguan Hong scoffed at his statement.
Her ambition lay not in the palace, but in the martial world.
If Sheng Wansong and she are of the same mind, then their being together has nothing to do with what the old Taoist said.
People are always like this; they think they won't be tempted by fame and fortune, but in reality, they've already subconsciously kept those thoughts in mind.
Shangguan Hong was indeed uninterested in the old Taoist's words, but subconsciously she had already incorporated them into her criteria for choosing a partner, which greatly increased her basic score.
If it succeeds in the future, it can be justified as following one's heart.
"Let's go inside and talk."
The group entered the inn, went upstairs to Sheng Wansong's room, and exchanged information.
"I never expected it to end like this."
Shangguan Hong was also deeply saddened by this information.
The dignified leader of the six major sects, who had just shed his skin and transformed into a dragon, was captured before he could accomplish anything.
"Life is unpredictable."
Compared to the somber faces of the others, Sheng Wansong alone appeared carefree.
"Since the rebellion is no longer going to happen, I'm happy to be free of all trouble."
He laughed and said, "Since we're already here, why not take a stroll around?"
"Experience the splendor of the capital of Liang."
Sheng Wansong's gaze passed through the window, across the bustling capital, and reached the outskirts of the city.
"As for the news of Shenhou and Tieshou's capture, perhaps it can be passed on to the Divine Arrest Bureau, giving the other three great detectives a headache."
The next few days were uneventful.
Until a tragedy reached the capital.
Xungu Pass has fallen.