Chapter 155: with translation of chapter title

The clouds and mist swallowed Xie Yan.

Not even a dull thud of his fall remained, as if he had never existed.

Dead silence clung to the cliffside.

Only Pei Zhi stood there, his white robes stained with blood, his solitary back as unyielding as a dead tree.

Yan Zhen finally snapped out of his shock, lunging to the cliff's edge, staring into the bottomless abyss with a face full of disbelief.

"You, you just killed him!!"

Xie Yan's worth alive was absolutely greater than dead. But now not only is he dead, his corpse is gone!

Yan Zhen was practically driven mad with anger.

He felt like a damned fool! He'd been busy all day for nothing!!

Damn it, he really wanted to kick Pei Zhi off the cliff!

But recalling how ruthlessly decisive Pei Zhi had been just then, Yan Zhen ultimately dared not act against him.

"Pei Shaozhi, how are we to explain this?!" Yan Zhen demanded, his tone devoid of any respect, only dissatisfaction.

Only then did Pei Zhi turn his head and say: "Xie Yan colluded with rebels, slaughtered innocents, turning the manor into a river of blood—evidence is solid. Today he resisted arrest and fell to his death from the cliff; what is there not to explain?"

"Besides, isn't there still a living witness?"

Daobao was trussed up by the soldiers and brought before Yan Zhen, baring his teeth like a little beast.

Yan Zhen looked at the "living witness" Pei Zhi had spoken of, not knowing what to say, but even a mosquito is meat, so he waved a hand impatiently and ordered: "Take him away, keep watch!"

In his struggle, Daobao dropped a pink sachet, which Pei Zhi picked up.

He walked toward Shen Shuangning.

She was leaning against a tree, obviously exhausted, merely holding herself up without collapsing.

Pei Zhi stepped before her, handed her the sachet, and spoke softly: "Xie Yan is already dead."

Shen Shuangning took the sachet from his hand and slowly nodded.

She had also witnessed that scene; she hadn't expected Pei Zhi to kill Xie Yan outright, let alone push him off the cliff.

After all, by procedure, a grave offender like Xie Yan should, if possible, be kept alive, escorted to the capital for interrogation, and then executed after autumn.

Shen Shuangning didn't understand why Pei Zhi had done that, but she also lacked the energy to investigate further.

After the manor's slaughter, Chen Jia's death, and a brush with death, her body leaning against the tree trunk swayed slightly, and she finally fainted.

"Fourth Miss!"

Qingyun's expression changed; he was about to step forward when Pei Zhi beat him to it, reaching out to steady her in his arms and lifting her horizontally.

Qingyun's face instantly darkened, warning: "Pei Shaozhi."

Pei Zhi glanced at him, ignored him, and walked straight on.

Qingyun's injury was already severe, but even uninjured he would never dare overstep with Shen Shuangning; he could only hold his breath and follow closely behind Pei Zhi, monitoring him.

As he walked, Pei Zhi lowered his head to look at the woman in his arms, seeing her brow still furrowed, he whispered: "There will be no Xie Yan in this world."

The troops Pei Zhi brought had cleared the manor at top speed, yet even so, the air still floated with an lingering stench of blood.

After properly settling Shen Shuangning and the members of the Duke's household, Pei Zhi, under the pretense of searching Jiang Ting County for rebel remnants, immediately ordered the blockade of news, forbidding even those present from leaving.

Soon, all the roadways into Jiang Ting County were tightly controlled by soldiers, and even the courier station's letters were intercepted.

Thus, when Xiao Jingyuan learned of the incident in Jiang Ting County, it was already three days later.

At that time, Xiao Jingyuan was in his study processing piles of documents, as well as intelligence reports concerning Prince Rui.

Prince Rui was about to return to the capital, and movements in the southern forces hinted at a looming bloodbath.

He had gone three days without sleep, feeling uneasy, yet he never imagined it was Shen Shuangning who had met trouble, with Pei Zhi right by her side.

Xiao Jingyuan first asked if Shen Shuangning was alright; Qingfeng replied: "The Fourth Miss is fine, she's with the Duke's household."

Next, Qingfeng's face darkened as he said: "The Liu family of Jiang Ting was attacked—this was actually Xie Yan's doing, and that 'Chen Yuan' is none other than Xie Yan!"

Xiao Jingyuan's expression shifted slightly; he immediately recalled that the Ministry of Justice had just reported that a man sharing the same name and surname, "Chen Yuan," had been arrested recently at a gambling house.

This fellow was a weakling, confessed without torture, admitting he was a member of the Heavenly Sect.

And the one who had explicitly ordered the capture of Chen Yuan was Pei Zhi.

That was quite strange.

It seemed as if Pei Zhi had long known Chen Yuan's identity, and his men's arrest was merely to confirm one thing—the Chen Yuan of Jiang Ting County was a fake.

Xiao Jingyuan had already begun to suspect Pei Zhi's identity.

The night was deepening.

Without a hint of hesitation, Xiao Jingyuan set aside his paperwork, grabbed his cloak and headed out, asking when Pei Zhi had gone to Jiang Ting County.

Qingfeng followed close behind, answering: "It was the day the Liu family held their wedding banquet; however, it's said that Pei Shaozhi had his men seize the real Chen Yuan the day before, and he even kept it under wraps, not letting anyone know. I just don't understand why he would do that."

Xiao Jingyuan mounted his horse and said: "Perhaps he wanted to keep it from me."

Pei Zhi appears approachable on the surface, but in truth his mind is unfathomably deep, and he blatantly harbors designs on Shen Shuangning.

First he covertly seized the genuine Chen Yuan, then sneakily brought men to Jiang Ting County, and immediately afterward deliberately blocked news from there—wasn't it just to prevent me from finding out quickly?

A flicker of coldness passed through Xiao Jingyuan's eyes.

Qingfeng was even more bewildered: "It's a matter of great importance; why would he hide it from you?"

Xiao Jingyuan gripped the horse's belly with his legs, held the reins in one hand, gave no reply, and ordered in a low voice: "Take the men and head for Jiang Ting County at once!"

"As you command!"

A night of swift riding.

When the sky's edge began to whiten with fish-belly dawn and the first ray of sunlight pierced the clouds, Xiao Jingyuan's figure finally appeared outside the manor of Jiang Ting County.

Upon seeing Xiao Jingyuan, Qingyun fell to his knees with a thud, saying: "I failed to protect my lord, allowing the Fourth Miss to fall into danger; I beg the Prince's reprimand!"

Had he been a bit more perceptive, detecting the assassins hidden in the manor earlier, perhaps he would not have let Xie Yan succeed!

After all, he was too careless, too incompetent!

Qing Yun felt very guilty.

Xiao Jingyuan did not blame him, reached out to help him up, and said, "Get up and speak—how is she?"

Over the past three days, Qing Yun didn't dare claim he never left her side, yet he had constantly guarded Shen Shuangning's residence; during this period, aside from the physicians and the duke's own retinue, no outsider dared to approach Shen Shuangning.

Especially Pei Zhi, whom Qing Yun regarded as a key target to watch.

And Pei Zhi seemed to be busy with his own affairs, and had not come.

"The Fourth Miss suffered a fright; the physician came to treat her, saying there was no serious problem, but she just hasn't woken up," Qing Yun said anxiously.

Shen Shuangning slept for a full three days, and she actually saw Xie Yan in her dream.

She dreamed of the days in her past life when the two of them depended on each other for survival in the mountains.

It was precisely when she hated Xie Yan the most that it caused her to recall that segment of memory she had forgotten...