247 At the Same Time (2/2)
After deliberating for a while over whether to begin practice or to find an escape route, Gu Shenwei decided on the former. Running away would be futile if the qigong deviation truly could not be resolved any further. He could only rely on himself as there was nobody to trust.
While this was going on, the Supreme King Shangguan Fa was filled with wrath and bewilderment as he observed the corpses of the three killers which had been sent to him.
Slave Huan and Maid Lotus were two names he was not too familiar with. These insignificant youths had actually been hiding in Stone Castle all this time while a large group of killers was turning Jade City upside down in search of them. Golden Roc Fort became something of a laughingstock at once.
Shangguan Fa suspected that there remained incompetent subordinates in the castle. For a simple manhunt like this, it was only on the seventh day that a clue was accidentally found. He had, in recent years, distributed his power to many people, and now realized what a big mistake this was. The people whom he entrusted his power to used their allocation of power to fight with each other instead of augmenting the influence of Golden Roc Fort.
”This policy should end, for there's nobody worthy of trust,” he thought. He could clearly see through the plot by Shen Liang and Lady Meng, and there was still time to salvage everything. There was nothing too regrettable about the fact that his weak and incapable sons had died. The prophecy of ”The King of the Cross” would eventually be realized anyway.
He carefully examined for some time the fatal wounds on the three corpses, and even touched them with his own finger. The swordcraft of the two runaway killers had surpassed his expectations, and even seemed a little similar to that found in the legendary Dajue Book of Swordcraft.
”Within the next two hours, I want to see these two people. Alive.”
After the Supreme King gave his instructions, the panicky crowd of killers and counselors bowed in compliance and exited the hall. They proceeded to direct orders to their subordinates as fast as they could. Many of them had not shaken off the habits developed during the internal strife and thought that this was yet another competition to see who could find the two escaped killers first.
This was a moment which required swift and ruthless action. Shangguan Fa's priority was to deal with a most blatantly guilty person, whereas the powers of Shen Liang and Lady Meng could be sorted out later on.
The novelty which Luo Ningcha had brought had already faded, and the Supreme King was sick of her wilful arrogance, flamboyance, and stupidity. It was she who brought the two killers into Stone Castle, and it was at her place where he was subjected to an assassination attempt. According to Shen Liang's explanation, the assassin was definitely one of the two killers.
Miss Luo was just a woman, and she no longer had the backing of Bighead Kingpin or the concern of Eighth Young Master. The Supreme King decided to personally settle this matter as a means of giving preferential treatment to the beauty.
Meanwhile, with Gu Shenwei to her north and the Supreme King to her south, Luo Ningcha was pacing back and forth anxiously in the court of the Eighth Young Master. She had been cursing ”Ungrateful fools!” for three successive days since the escape of Slave Huan and Maid Lotus. Every servant in the residence was punished for this matter, and was told to slap each other's cheeks until they bled.
When her fury finally subsided, fear took its place.
There were two bad omens. The first was the escape of the dowry servants she had brought in, while the second was the fact that the Supreme King had not visited for seven days already. She had sent people to check on the situation in the Inner Residence, but they could not even get through the entrance. The women who had once turned to her side would, at this delicate moment, rather be flies on the wall than precipitately offer help to the Eighth Young Mistress.
She once again felt that her world was on the verge of collapse, and was extremely terrified. She was terrified of death, terrified of not being anyone's pet, terrified of being despised, and terrified of being neglected by the lowliest of persons. She once had a powerful father and a set of multi-layered veils, and cherished the memory of these like a baby cherished her mother's embrace.
”Things would have been fine if Slave Huan is still around. He would always provide me with good ideas.” Luo Ningcha's thoughts began to drift before she remembered that Slave Huan was the main cause of this disaster.
She forced herself to calm down, and told herself that she had to be self-reliant as there was nobody she could trust.
”Slave Huan would say, ”Miss Luo, you aren't completely done for. The baby in your womb is the child of the Supreme King and will arrive at the right time. Several sons of the Supreme King have already died. Can there be any better present or sign of your loyalty?””
Even Luo Ningcha was annoyed by her own foolishness. It had taken her a full seven days to understand such a simple matter, while the rest of the time had been wasted on anger and fear.
”That's right, I have the Lord's child.” Luo Ningcha became relaxed at once. It was, without a doubt, a son this time. She wanted to report this piece of good news to the Lord. She would protect the child with her own life and ensure that no woman from the Inner Residence ever touch him. Every meal she ate would have to be sampled for safety first. She would double the number of guards protecting the court, and bar everyone except her personal maids and the Lord from entering the backcourt. Even a physician would have to sign a death-as-punishment liability agreement before being allowed to enter.
It was her son who would be the future Supreme King.
While Luo Ningcha was in an euphoria, someone else was distressedly praying to the heavens.
Shangguan Ru had been counting the days. Seven days were sufficient for Slave Huan and Maid Lotus to have escaped from the boundaries of Golden Roc Fort, yet unexpectedly, they remained in the Stone Castle. This was a risky plan but also a clever trick. It was definitely an idea which Slave Huan came up with.
She tightened her clothes and picked up her saber. She was not praying for the two killers to escape safely, but for herself to have the strength to protect them.
When she turned around, she saw her mother standing in the doorway with a sorrowful expression which made her shudder.
”Don't you want your own life anymore?”
”Mother.” Shangguan Ru acknowledged heartfeltly. She walked over to her mother, hoping that her words would be able to convince the latter. ”This is something I must do.”
”We all have things we must do.”
Lady Meng's heartache was no less severe than her daughter's. Many years of painstaking anticipation had evaporated in one day. The twins were supposed to be her aides and shields, but instead, they became burdens and threats. In the end, she had no one she could trust.
Before Shangguan Ru understood her mother's meaning, she felt somebody press a finger below her ribs. The figure of her mother gradually faded into the darkness. The gods had answered her prayers in an unexpected way.
Shangguan Ru collapsed into the arms of an assassin in black, who took away her saber and handed it to Lady Meng.
This was the first time Lady Meng held one of the Stone Castle's standard weapons. It was heavy just like her heart was, and ice cold just like her heart was as well.
This was her ”Tenth Young Master”. Or at least, she used to be but no longer would be.