Chapter 1711

"Who did you defect to?"

Chen Guanlou couldn't be bothered to listen to Dawang's sophistry and asked directly.

Dawang shook his head.

Chen Guanlou's expression sank instantly.

"Brother Lou, you misunderstood me. It's not that I don't want to say, but I myself don't know what the other party's identity is."

Dawang explained hurriedly.

He was afraid that if he were half a beat slow, Brother Lou would slaughter him with a knife.

He did not doubt for a moment that the other party had murderous intent toward him.

Brother Lou was definitely not a kind person. Someone who could mix in a place like the Heavenly Prison like a fish in water was not a good person; he could even be called someone who killed like hemp. He didn't dare gamble Chen Guanlou's kindness on their past friendship.

Several years in the military camp had taught him a truth: turning one's face is faster than turning a book. Today they were brothers back-to-back; tomorrow they could draw knives and hack each other to death!

If they hadn't hacked each other before, it was because the interests weren't enough.

With enough interests, let alone brothers, even parents and children could be abandoned.

Human nature is darkest!

Without Chen Guanlou urging him, Dawang took the initiative to confess, "The other party approached me voluntarily, gave me benefits, arranged easy work for me, and transferred me away from the Northwest Camp to the border front, far from the sight of the Chen family. When the time was right, they even helped me restore my status as a commoner. My coming to the capital is legal; I didn't sneak into the capital. I'm not afraid of being investigated!"

"You're quite proud?"

Chen Guanlou smiled without smiling, his tone neither cold nor hot. Dawang, however, subconsciously shivered.

"I, I didn't mean that. Brother Lou, I mean to say that I didn't cause you any trouble, and I will absolutely never betray the Marquis's Mansion, let alone betray you."

"Does the person behind you know your true identity?"

"They should know." Dawang lowered his head guiltily, not daring to look directly at the other party's gaze. His heart was filled with terror, and his eyeballs rolled around, thinking of a way to escape.

"Why did you come to the Prince Shuncheng Mansion, and what are you doing?" Chen Guanlou asked directly.

"Brother Lou, I'll tell you the truth; don't make things difficult for me, okay?"

"Speak!" Chen Guanlou's patience was about to run out. At this point, Dawang was still thinking of plotting; he truly didn't know what was good for him.

"I'll say, I'll say! I followed instructions to come to the Prince Shuncheng Mansion to scout the location and take something. As for what it is specifically, I actually don't know."

"How many times have you come, and how many times have you taken things?"

"The third time. The first time was to scout; the second time I took a wooden box; I don't know what was inside. When I arrived, the wooden box was already placed in the designated position; my task was to take it away and complete the mission."

"What are you taking this time? Where are you taking it from?"

"The back garden of the Prince's Mansion, the residence of the Princess. As for what exactly it is, I'll only know after seeing it."

"Who do you give it to after taking it?"

"I leave it at the inn and go to sleep. When I wake up, the thing is gone. I'm not lying to you. I have never met the person I'm supposed to contact; it's all through notes they left behind. I don't even know who helped me and let me escape the sea of bitterness."

Chen Guanlou frowned, "Why you? Why is it specifically you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he drifted away and slipped into the Princess's residence in the back garden; there was nothing there, it was empty. Even the furniture had been moved out; where would there be any objects?

He returned to the courtyard; Dawang was still standing in the same spot, looking at a loss, in a conflicted state of wanting to run but not daring to.

Chen Guanlou told the other party bluntly, "I went to the Princess's residence to look; there is nothing there."

"Brother Lou, I didn't lie!" Upon hearing this, Dawang became anxious. He thought the other party suspected him of lying, "The task given from above was to let me come to the Prince Shuncheng Mansion at this time to take the object; I really didn't lie. Brother Lou, you must believe me!"

He was about to cry.

Chen Guanlou remained unmoved, "You still haven't answered my question: why you? You yourself said you are trash, unable to lift with your hands or carry with your shoulders, unable to win a fight or run; why send you to the capital? Why let you sneak into the Prince Shuncheng Mansion to take an object? You aren't even a warrior! What exactly is your use?"

"I don't know!"

Dawang was completely bewildered.

Calling himself trash was called self-deprecation; it was an excuse he found for himself to survive.

Being insulted as trash to his face was called humiliation! It was a slap in the face! It was a reminder to him that he was indeed just trash.

Dawang was very confused; was he truly just trash?

If he were trash, why would those above arrange for him to come to the capital, and why let him sneak into the Prince's Mansion to take an object?

"Brother Lou, what am I?" He looked on eagerly, his eyes filled with longing and the anticipation of wanting to know the answer.

"You are bait!" Chen Guanlou said with resonance, "I don't know who exactly is using you, but you are clearly bait. Used to lure whom, hehe... it's already not important. Death is at hand; what else do you have to say?"

"You want me to die? On what grounds do you want me to die! What did I do wrong that I have to die?"

Dawang suddenly became extremely angry, even overriding the fear in his heart.

He roared at Chen Guanlou, "Back then, it was you who saved me; you let me live well. All these years, I have never forgotten, trying every possible way to live, to live well. I did as you instructed; where exactly did I go wrong, why do you want to kill me? Does my living get in your way?"

He tore at his hair, angry, confused, unwilling, anxious, and with a little bit of fear.

After all, the friendship from childhood gave him a bit more confidence and made him harbor a sense of luck.

"You can't kill me! If you kill me, how will you answer to my mother? My mother is of advanced age; she cannot have the white-haired send off the black-haired. Brother Lou, let me go; I will return to the Northwest now and never return to the capital again. I won't do anything in the future; I will just honestly stay in the Northwest until I die of old age. This life of mine is not worth you taking action!"

After his anger, Dawang began to play the emotional card.

He had been tempered in the marketplace for many years; his vocabulary was set after set, and his methods were also set after set, using both soft and hard tactics, just to live.

How firm was Chen Guanlou's willpower; how could he change his decision because of a few words from the other party?

However, he was still tolerant, letting the other party die with understanding.

"Saving you was my wish! Killing you is also my wish! It won't be that because I saved you, I won't kill you. All these years, I have saved many people; those I saved and then killed are not just you. You should have kept every word I said in mind; I once told you, never return to the capital in this life. If one day you can return, it should be returning uprightly. You only remembered clinging to life but forgot my instructions. Therefore, your life is cleared here with me! Did you understand?"

"I don't understand!"

Dawang was terrified, his heartbeat like a beating drum.

He was afraid!

Afraid to death!

But he would not give up; he had to struggle.

"Brother Lou, I have followed behind you since I was small, taking you as my role model. When I was trapped in prison, it was you who gave me the chance to live. You are my rebirth parent! Brother Lou, I beg you, give me one more chance. This time I will definitely not mess it up; I will definitely be honest and law-abiding, I will definitely..."

Before he could finish speaking, his body collapsed softly. His eyes widened, still retaining disbelief.

Chen Guanlou picked up Dawang's corpse and headed straight for the funeral parlor.

He dropped the corpse, along with ten taels of silver, and told the funeral workers to transport the corpse outside the city for burial early tomorrow morning.