Chapter 502: Indispensable Conditions

A stifled sob echoed from the room; unable to speak, the weeping grew ever more bone‑chilling, filled with utter sorrow and desolation.

Ling Feng furrowed his brow, leaning against the cold wall, yet Jiu Yue's smile filled his mind.

I miss that girl!

He had originally planned to marry Jiu Yue, but a misunderstanding caused by the Prince and Princess Consort left him and Jiu Yue separated by countless mountains and rivers.

Things have eased now, yet he didn't expect to follow the Prince to Yangzhou while Jiu Yue accompanied another group escorting the young Commandery Princess and Heir Apparent to an overseas island.

The Prince and Princess Consort haven't had a single peaceful day; thinking about it makes one feel uneasy.

Suddenly the partition door was knocked from inside; Ling Feng realized Zheng Yan wanted to see him.

He hurriedly opened the door and entered, only to see Cao Mao Lin's head already back in the box, Zheng Yan holding a brush in her mouth, as if waiting for him.

Ling Feng quickly went over, obediently picked up the paper and brought it before Zheng Yan, then gently tugged at her sleeve.

Zheng Yan understood, lowered her head, brush in mouth, and wrote a few characters on the snow‑white paper before her.

Wuyi Lane, Wang Family Gate, stone…

Having written that far, she suddenly lifted her head and stopped writing.

Ling Feng raised his brow, trying to restrain his temper and not flare up, and said softly: "Miss Zheng, my lord the Prince has already helped you kill your enemy; just tell the Prince where the ledger is."

"Is it proper to act this way now?"

"If Miss Zheng is weary, we can pause for a moment, but toying with the Prince is absolutely unacceptable!"

Zheng Yan's expression showed no change; she merely lifted her head slowly, the meaning already clear, and said nothing more.

Ling Feng was also somewhat angry; this woman truly had no conscience—without the Prince and Princess Consort, she would have been tortured to death, her corpse possibly rotting there.

Now the Prince has rescued her, the Princess Consort personally tended her wounds, and the enemy has been avenged for her—what more could she want?

Ling Feng endured, then carried the wooden box containing the head out, instructing the maids on either side to attend carefully.

He brought the head again to the office of the Yangzhou prefecture; this time Xiao Yin and Gu Jiu Ling had moved out from the Cao household.

The previous midnight visit aimed to catch Cao Mao Lin off guard, and indeed they landed a big fish.

Now that the Duke of Cao has heard the news, how could he not return to Yangzhou? He sent his daughter into the palace, and his conduct has become far more discreet.

Yet the younger generation, relying on the Imperial Concubine Cao in the palace, acted lawlessly, discarding the words of the Cao family patriarch entirely.

The Duke of Cao is not as foolish and arrogant as Cao Mao Lin; he certainly has his ways—Yangzhou City is no longer tenable, they must leave.

Ling Feng had no choice but to return to the Yangzhou headquarters to report; Xiao Yin and Gu Kang were still examining the ledger, while the Princess Consort, perhaps tired, had fallen asleep fully clothed on the partitioned couch, Yun Duo embracing her sword and guarding the door.

Since dispatching Cao Mao Lin, Xiao Yin's side has become far more tightly guarded.

Even when the Princess Consort rests, she must do so under the Prince's watchful eye.

See Ling Feng return, Xiao Yin had Yun Duo wake Gu Jiu Ling.

Any matter concerning the secrets of Qi Sha Gu, Gu Jiu Ling should also have the right to hear.

Gu Jiu Ling, still half‑asleep, was roused; Ling Feng hurried into the side hall and glanced at Gu Kang seated to one side.

Gu Kang rose slowly, clasped fists with Xiao Yin, and said: "Brother‑in‑law, it's late; even if we don't sleep, we won't finish checking these accounts tonight. I'll first rest in the adjoining room and continue tomorrow morning."

Xiao Yin nodded, seeing Gu Kang off.

Afterward, he stationed two guards at the door; the side hall now held only Xiao Yin, Gu Jiu Ling, and Ling Feng standing before them.

Ling Feng placed the box containing Cao Mao Lin's head before Xiao Yin, then produced the few characters Zheng Yan had written earlier and handed them to him: "Prince, Miss Zheng wrote a few characters; she wrote nothing else."

"But these characters are unfinished; clearly she is toying with the Prince."

Xiao Yin's face instantly darkened; he took the paper Ling Feng handed over, stared at it intently, and his expression shifted at once.

He passed the paper to Gu Jiu Ling beside him, who read it aloud in a low voice.

"Ha, what a fine fellow—stone lion or stone statue? You've got a great sense of timing!"

Xiao Yin's countenance grew gradually chilly; he suddenly rose, and Gu Jiu Ling seized his hand: "Prince, where are you going?"

Xiao Yin said coldly: "How dare you toy with me? I helped her avenge her grudge; a great grudge deserves repayment, yet she thanks me like this?"

"Wasn't it agreed? I help her kill Cao Mao Lin, and she hands over the ledger and its secrets—why the change of heart?"

"A worthless trifle; I'd like to see how she endures my private punishment."

"Ling Feng! Prepare the centipedes! Tonight I'll feed her a nest of them!"

"Wait, wait!" Gu Jiu Ling restrained the furious Xiao Yin.

Xiao Yin was also seething; he wanted to feed Zheng Yan centipedes, never expecting Gu Jiu Ling's tactic to be learned by him so quickly.

"Prince, Zheng Yan is no ordinary person; she can endure such torture and still not die—what can centipedes do to her?"

"If we use private punishment to kill her, the clue will truly be severed."

Xiao Yin halted his steps, his visage grim: "What exactly does she want?"

Gu Jiu Ling's brow furrowed slightly as he said slowly: "Originally Zheng Yan wrote that she wanted two people killed. The first was Cao Mao Lin; in fact, another person's head must also be delivered to her."

Xiao Yin turned his face toward Gu Jiu Ling: "You mean… Gu Nanxiang?"

Xiao Yin inhaled sharply, suddenly recalling that he had indeed promised Zheng Yan to help her take revenge.

But the target was not one person, but two: Cao Mao Lin and Gu Nanxiang.

Although Zheng Yan did not write the details, Gu Jiu Ling could also infer them.

Given Gu Nanxiang's disposition, to torment Zheng Yan into a neither‑human‑nor‑ghost state this time must bear his heavy hand; otherwise how could he, in such a short span, seize love by force? To bewilder Cao Mao Lin, overturn his soul, favor a concubine and discard his wife?

Xiao Yin said coldly: "Ling Feng! Investigate! I didn't expect Gu Nanxiang to still be able to flee."

Ling Feng promptly answered, about to leave, but Gu Jiu Ling called out to stop his path.

"Ling Feng, wait a moment."

She turned to face Xiao Yin: "Prince, I know Gu Nanxiang better than anyone."

"If she kills Lord Wang this time and escapes, she must have long prepared; now I don't know where she is hiding."

"First seal all the gates of Yangzhou City; no suspicious person may be let out."

Ling Feng on the side furrowed his brows: "Prince, Princess Consort, the whole population of Yangzhou is large; even if we guard the city gates, a woman mixing into such a crowd cannot be caught in a short time."

Besides, we have already killed Cao Mao Lin; we must hurry to leave Yangzhou and return to Shang Jing.

Otherwise, this disaster may bring more misfortune than fortune; the longer we stay here, the more likely trouble will arise, after all the Cao clan has been operating in Yangzhou city for over twenty years.

Xiao Yin understood Ling Feng's meaning; if we wait for the Duke of Cao to return from outside, that would be a tough battle.

This is a life-and-death struggle; killing intent lurks in every rapidly changing moment.