Chapter 138: One Hundred and Forty-Five: Plotting Aloud?

One Hundred and Forty-Five: Plotting Aloud?

At the riverside camp, in a corner beneath the raised platform.

Before a table that drew little attention.

"You certainly worked hard this morning, Immortal Lady."

Facing Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan, who kept shoveling food as if starved and exhausted, Liu Liu Ziwen glanced at him twice, then slowly relaxed his furrowed brow and spoke calmly.

"No problem," Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan waved his hand dismissively.

He lifted his eyelids, his gaze flowing like water across the faces of Liu Liu Ziwen, Liu Liu Zian, and Liu Liu Zilin before pausing, then praising:

"The arrangement this morning was brilliant—left that dog of an official with no way to escape."

Liu Liu Zilin crossed his arms and snorted:

"Hmph, that Magistrate Ouyang fellow should piss on a mirror and look at himself—no one else deserves such elaborate effort from Brother to set a trap. Dying at Brother's hands? He got lucky."

"Exactly, exactly," Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan nodded vigorously, as if fully agreeing.

Yet his hand kept reaching for food, even stretching to grab the wine cup closest to Liu Liu Zilin's side and draining it in one gulp.

Liu Liu Zilin paid no mind, lowering his voice to ask:

"What if Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang still clings to us like glue during the ribbon-cutting? Any plan, Immortal Lady?"

The young county magistrate shook his head.

But halfway through, he froze, asking without expression:

"We're going to act during the ribbon-cutting?"

"Obviously."

Liu Liu Zilin frowned, unable to hold back his temper, lecturing like a bamboo tube spilling beans:

"When else but during the ribbon-cutting, when there are the most people? We must make everyone witness Shen Shen Xisheng's death—his death at your hands."

"Run fast afterward—don't get caught… damn it, after all this talk, we still have to distract that Chen Jun Xie girl."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow and slowly nodded, murmuring in agreement:

"Right, can't get caught—that's a death sentence."

Liu Liu Zilin had wanted to spit out a venomous remark: "Your death doesn't matter, but don't let blood splatter on the Liu family."

But after months of being repeatedly beaten down by life, he'd gained a sliver of emotional intelligence and swallowed it back.

Liu Liu Ziwen suddenly spoke:

"Don't worry—except for Chen Jun Xie's daughter, no one there can catch you. After Shen Shen Xisheng dies, no one will truly pursue you."

"Oh?" Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan asked with keen interest: "So the Wang official and we…"

Liu Liu Ziwen gave a faint smile, not answering, continuing calmly: "As for Chen Jun Xie's daughter… take this."

The young master of the Liu family extended his right hand from his wide sleeve, offering the object he'd been idly turning inside it to the young magistrate before him.

The latter glanced curiously and saw a small white porcelain bottle, covered in blue cloth, resting in Liu Liu Ziwen's palm.

"What is this?"

"Take it. Use the chance of pouring wine to slip it into Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang's drink. The rest is my concern," Liu Liu Ziwen said coolly.

Liu Liu Zian, who had been silent for a long while, glanced at his elder brother.

On the other side, the young magistrate smiled lightly, accepted the blue-clothed porcelain bottle right before the three Liu brothers, and nodded.

Liu Liu Ziwen smiled slightly, lifted the wine jug, and slowly filled the empty cup before him, then rolled up his sleeve and offered the cup to the man across from him.

"Come, let's toast the Immortal Lady once more."

Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan took the farewell cup without hesitation, drained it in one gulp, tucked away the blue-clothed porcelain bottle, and rose to his feet.

Before leaving the table, he reached out, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from Liu Liu Ziwen's plate, and strode off, crunching them in his mouth.

His figure vanished from sight.

The three Liu brothers relaxed, withdrawing their gaze.

Yet what they did not know was:

The figure of "Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan" who had disappeared from their view paused briefly after leaving the open-air banquet grounds.

He glanced toward the large tent where Jiangzhou's superiors were being entertained, then toward the Di Gong Zha inner gate. As he looked left and right, the voice of Deputy County Magistrate Official Diao suddenly rang out from the raised platform behind him.

It was a call to clear the tables and collect dishes, urging the well-fed guests to rise and proceed to the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The young magistrate, no longer hesitating, stepped toward a certain direction…

And an incense stick earlier, inside a large tent at the riverside camp:

A smaller, higher-status lunch was underway simultaneously with the open-air banquet attended by Liu Liu Ziwen, Liu Liu Zian, Liu Liu Zilin, and others.

Few sat at the table, yet the atmosphere remained lively.

"Come, Magistrate Shen, Magistrate Wang, your humble servant toasts you both."

The speaker was Tian, the magistrate of Xingzi County, cheerfully pouring wine for the two Jiangzhou superiors.

Several other magistrates from neighboring counties did the same; the mood was quite lively.

Yet one person seemed an exception.

"Magistrate Magistrate Ouyang, are you unwell? Last time I visited, you were quite the drinker."

Slightly drunk, Magistrate Tian leaned close to the Jade Vial Immortal Lady.

She instinctively leaned back, yet smiled: "There's important business ahead. No drinking today."

"Magistrate Magistrate Ouyang is truly a model among us."

The other magistrates chimed in praise.

Magistrates Shen and Wang also cast approving glances.

The Jade Vial Immortal Lady inwardly sighed.

Fortunately, the inspection envoy Magistrate Shen and Jiangzhou Inspector Wang seemed to have a slight rift—minimal interaction, strictly official demeanor.

The sharp-eyed magistrates like Tian naturally sensed this.

Thus, while the banquet wasn't cold, it wasn't warm or intimate either.

As a result, the Jade Vial Immortal Lady noticed everyone's conversation remained superficial, avoiding anything that might expose her.

Or rather, in this lukewarm atmosphere, her own coolness and brevity felt natural.

Though along the way, she'd sensed Shen Shen Xisheng kept glancing at her—no, at Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan—with unspoken words.

But with Magistrate Wang nearby, there was no chance for "deep conversation."

The Jade Vial Immortal Lady was perfectly content with this.

She'd already endured enough pretending to be refined; now she had to deal with the nuisance of Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang. All she wanted was to get through this welcoming lunch, then plunge the dagger Liu Liu Ziwen gave her into Shen Shen Xisheng's chest and be done.

Yet right now, she faced a small but persistent problem.

As Magistrate Tian moved to toast Magistrate Shen and Magistrate Wang, the Jade Vial Immortal Lady stole a glance at the red-clad male figure behind her.

Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang sat quietly, eyes closed, as if oblivious to the banquet, silently guarding a position within three steps of "Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan." She hadn't touched a single dish since the meal began.

The Jade Vial Immortal Lady felt like thorns pricking her back, frowning inwardly.

This had been the persistent thorn since the moment she arrived.

She'd tried every excuse to shake off Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang—none worked. Even when she claimed she needed to relieve herself, Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang followed silently, insisting on "protecting her safety."

So there was no chance to seek help from Liu Liu Ziwen or others.

This Chen Jun Xie woman was truly like sticky candy—impossible to shake off.

The Jade Vial Immortal Lady cursed inwardly.

But she wasn't without options.

Since Liu Liu Ziwen had made no move after waiting so long, he clearly couldn't help. She'd have to act alone.

Wearing her false face, the Jade Vial Immortal Lady remained expressionless. At some point, a stack of small paper packets had appeared in her sleeve. Two fingers selected one from among them, the rest tucked away.

The packet contained some powder.

She'd once been obsessed with exotic tricks and possessed many strange medicines.

This small packet held "Cicada Silkworm Soft-Bone Powder"—colorless, faintly scented, easily masked by alcohol.

Its toxicity was mild, but it could momentarily impede the flow of spiritual energy through meridians the instant a Qi Refiner activated their cultivation.

Like mud clogging a river.

It produced an effect similar to "limp weakness" in ordinary people.

Cultivators rarely noticed it—unless they suddenly tried to mobilize their spiritual energy, then they'd realize the abnormal sluggishness. Otherwise, spiritual energy naturally flowed slowly, in a turtle-breathing state—how could they detect it?

Of course, all things have two sides. This powder's mild toxicity was easily diluted.

A Qi Refiner simply needed to circulate their spiritual energy a few more times—like a strong current flushing blocked silt—to clear the meridians and neutralize the effect.

Thus, it was mostly used for surprise attacks—but it was somewhat useless, since if you could poison someone unseen, you'd choose a stronger poison. True colorless, odorless poisons were exceedingly rare.

Yet now, the Jade Vial Immortal Lady realized this powder was perfectly suited.

At the table, her back to Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang, she glanced at the small wine cup just refilled by Magistrate Tian.

But for a moment, a look of difficulty crossed her eyes.

At that moment, Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang, still with eyes closed, suddenly spoke:

"Brother, why aren't you eating?"

The Jade Vial Immortal Lady shook her head: "Not hungry. Appetite's off today."

Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang looked at her elder brother's back: "Even these spicy dishes from Yuanming Tower's chef? You don't like them?"

The Jade Vial Immortal Lady opened her mouth to reply, but a thought struck her—she shook her head and explained:

"Of course not—I love spicy food, you know that. I just ate too much this morning; a few bites already filled me. Besides, you haven't eaten either—don't you have an appetite?" She turned back with a wry smile.

Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang glanced at him, nodded lightly, and did not press further.

The Lady Yuzhi Immortaless maintained a calm expression, but internally sighed with relief—she had nearly been exposed.

Fortunately, she had not rushed in blindly today, but came prepared.

Before today's visit, the Liu family had gathered much information on Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan's habits and preferences, including diet and daily routines—among them, a fondness for spicy food, apparently because the Liu family had discovered that Mei Lu Yuan had once hired a chef skilled in spicy dishes at high pay from the Yunshui Pavilion in the county… All of this had been memorized by the Lady Yuzhi Immortaless.

Yet, ever suspicious and cautious by nature, the Lady Yuzhi Immortaless only felt a brief surge of relief and dread before her heartstrings trembled unexpectedly.

She couldn't help but steal a glance at Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang behind her, and doubt slowly surfaced in her eyes… Wait, could it already be…

But at that moment, Shen, who had been quietly picking at his food, suddenly turned his head toward her. Seeing this, the Lady Yuzhi Immortaless immediately smiled, though inwardly she frowned, impatient at the prospect of having to engage in small talk.

Yet as Shen Shen Xisheng spoke, the Lady Yuzhi Immortaless's expression betrayed surprise.

Shen Shen Xisheng did not address her—he smiled warmly at Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang behind her and began chatting amicably with her.

The Lady Yuzhi Immortaless listened closely and learned that this Inspector of the Jiang Nan Circuit seemed to know Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang's father, and had some acquaintance with him.

Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang was also taken aback—she had clearly not known of this before.

Yet this did not hinder the warm exchange between Shen Shen Xisheng and Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang.

The Lady Yuzhi Immortaless listened in silence for a while.

Soon, both of them paused, as if their pleasantries had come to an end.

The Lady Yuzhi Immortaless suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

With sudden intuition, she reached out and lifted her wine cup; as she did, her wide sleeve subtly brushed the rim—no change in the wine's color. She rose, turned back, and smiled as she offered the cup to Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang:

"Little sister, since he is an elder family friend, and we've met so rarely, we must offer him a toast—it's only proper to show our respect."

Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang's expression froze slightly.

Shen Shen Xisheng laughed heartily and waved his hand. "Too formal, too formal."

The Lady Yuzhi Immortaless shook her head, not withdrawing her hand. "It's only right—Little Sister is from the Chen Jun Xie Clan of Chen Commandery, where family tradition demands respect for elders and hierarchy. A toast is necessary."

Facing the cup extended before her, Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang, as if in a daze, did not immediately take it.

She looked up at her senior brother's familiar, earnest face, then down at the clear wine.

After a pause, she nodded lightly: "Ru Shixiong is right."

Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang rose, took the cup, and raised it in salute to Shen Shen Xisheng. She lifted her sleeve to cover her mouth, tilted her head as if drinking the wine entirely, then set the cup down.

Seeing Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang's empty cup, the Lady Yuzhi Immortaless felt a surge of joy—the earlier doubts vanished.

She immediately raised her own cup and turned to smile. "Inspector Shen, this humble official toasts you as well."

Chen Jun Xie Xie Lingjiang did not look at the "Ru Shixiong" now toasting Shen Shen Xisheng heartily.

She quietly turned her head and gazed northward, beyond the tent.

Soon, the clinking of cups ceased, and the noon banquet ended.

The shadow of the Assistant County Magistrate appeared at the tent's entrance, smiling as he reported:

"Your Honors, the guests outside are all ready, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony is fully prepared—waiting only for your Honors to proceed. Do you have any further instructions?"

Those inside the tent naturally had no objections; they rose cheerfully and filed out, following the Assistant County Magistrate.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony officially began.

Recommend a great friend's book: *Hogwarts: Harry Returns from the Witcher*, an excellent Harry Potter fanfic~

(End of Chapter)