Chapter 191: Alive, No Person Seen; Dead, No Body Found

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin looked at the flying eagle before her, her eyes cold and piercing with threads of killing intent.

"Order the guards: at midnight tonight, deliberately leave a flaw in the eastern courtyard wall; make it look natural, do not let anyone notice."

The flying eagle received the order and departed; Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's lips curled into a sinister smile. Jun Jun Zhihao, you set fire to burn me; today I will return a fire to you.

The night was like ink, thickly wrapping the Jun residence; moonlight was blocked by heavy clouds, and silence reigned everywhere.

Just past midnight, Jun Jun Zhihao, agile in form, slipped to the outside of the Jun residence under the cover of night, staring tightly at the guards outside the gate.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin stood by the window, her expression stern, yet her twin eyes pierced through with sharpness that saw all.

A flash before her eyes, and the flying eagle appeared:

"Master, the fish has taken the hook."

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin raised her hand and gave a slight wave, whispering instructions to the flying eagle beside her:

"Act according to plan; leave a flaw during the shift change; let him in."

The flying eagle received the order and silently vanished into the darkness to execute the mission.

Finally, Jun Jun Zhihao waited for his chance.

He crouched low, crept quietly toward the eastern courtyard wall, leaped upward, and easily vaulted onto the wall top.

Seeing this "heaven-sent opportunity," he laughed with inner triumph, believing heaven aided him in taking revenge on Seeing Jun Jun Zijin. Without hesitation, he leaped down from the courtyard wall.

However, what awaited him was not solid ground, but a large vat filled with oil.

With a dull "plop," Jun Jun Zhihao plunged entirely into the oil vat, splashing up vast sheets of oil.

At almost the same moment, the flying eagle flicked a fire starter over.

Jun Jun Zhihao cried "Not good," yet the words had not left his mouth.

Only the sound of a "boom" was heard; flames instantly surged upward, illuminating the entire courtyard.

Jun Jun Zhihao was instantly swallowed by the great fire; he rolled desperately in the sea of flames, trying to extinguish the fire on his body, but all was in vain.

Once ignited, oil-soaked clothes burned like a wild horse unbridled, wrapping him tightly; skin crackled under the high heat, emitting a pungent smell of burning.

In but a moment, Jun Jun Zhihao was burned until not even dregs remained.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin stood quietly aside, her eyes cold, watching all this, with not the slightest movement on her face.

She had never actively harmed anyone; yet someone pressed step by step, again and again seeking her life.

The surrounding guards were also calm in expression; one reaps what one sows.

At the Jun residence, Jun Jun Zhidie had not seen Jun Jun Zhihao return; she waited left and right, and the longer she waited, the less at ease her heart became. A night passed, yet she still did not wait for Jun Jun Zhihao to return.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng and his wife also could not find their son early in the morning; they searched everywhere but found nothing.

Jun Jun Zhihao suddenly vanished without a trace; Xiang Xiang Junzheng and his wife asked everyone, yet all said they did not know.

The Jun residence was in chaos like a boiling pot; Jun Jun Zhihao was neither alive nor dead, neither seen nor found.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng's brows knitted into a "chuan" character; the wrinkles on his forehead became even more obvious. He had only this one son; if anything untoward happened... he dared not imagine.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng paced back and forth; the "rustle" of shoe soles rubbing against the ground was especially grating in the silent room.

Li Shi was even more covered in tear tracks, her eyes swollen red like ripe peaches; her voice carried a sobbing tone as she continuously ordered the Retainers to search more carefully.

Suddenly, a maid said she remembered seeing the Young Lady and the Young Master talking together last night, and had not seen the Young Master since.

Li Shi grabbed the maid beside her and asked:

"Is what you say true? Quickly call Jun Zhidie to me!"

In a short while, Jun Jun Zhidie, who had been hiding in the room in constant dread, was brought to the main hall.

As soon as she entered, she felt the oppressive atmosphere in the room; her legs trembled slightly of their own accord.

Li Shi rushed forward in a few strides, her hands tightly gripping Jun Jun Zhidie's arms, her fingernails nearly digging into the flesh:

"Jun Zhidie, where is your brother? Someone saw you meet your brother last night; where was the last place you saw him?"

Jun Jun Zhidie, terrified by this sudden questioning, turned deathly pale; her lips trembled slightly.

If her father and mother learned that Jun Jun Zhihao had been urged by her to trouble Seeing Jun Jun Zijin, yet never returned.

Her parents would likely flay her skin; no, she absolutely could not say.

But a person with guilt in their heart could never remain calm and composed.

She merely feigned composure on her face, yet her eyes darted away, daring not to meet Li Shi's gaze, and stammered:

"Mo... Mother, I... I do not know either; after I parted with my brother, I never saw him again."

Xiang Xiang Junzheng scanned her face twice, snorted coldly, stepped forward, his gaze blazing like torches, staring tightly at Jun Jun Zhidie:

"Do you know something? You had better speak the truth; do not play games with me here!"

Jun Jun Zhidie's heart beat rapidly; she could hear her own "thump-thump" heartbeat, and fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.

She instinctively lowered her head, her hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes:

"Tr... truly, I really do not know; last night we merely chatted casually, then each went our separate ways."

Li Shi, seeing her like this, grew even more suspicious; she flung Jun Jun Zhidie's arm away, stepped back, and sized her up from head to toe:

"You girl, usually quite sharp; why do you speak so haltingly today, and your eyes still dart away? Are you hiding something from us? What exactly happened to Jun Zhihao? If you dare lie, just see how I deal with you!"

Jun Jun Zhidie bit her lip, made up her mind, and said:

"Mother, your daughter truly does not know where my brother went. Last night I only heard my brother seem to say he would go find Seeing Jun Jun Zijin; afterward, your daughter did not know."

"What did you say?" Li Shi let out a loud "ao" cry.

"Who else could Jun Zhihao look for, but go find her for what?"

That girl is evil; if her son truly went to find her, what good fruit could he expect to eat?

Xiang Xiang Junzheng and Li Shi, leading a group of Retainers, charged fiercely to the front of the Jun residence; Li Shi shouted at the top of her voice:

"Seeing Jun Jun Zijin, come out to me! Hand over my son!"

Li Shi's voice was sharp, piercing the originally quiet morning.

The mansion gate slowly opened, and Seeing Jun Jun Zijin, clad in a plain silk skirt, walked out unhurriedly, a perfectly measured look of puzzlement on her face:

"So it is Lady Li of the Jun residence. What is the matter? Coming to my Jun mansion gate to make a scene so early in the morning—what propriety is this?"

Li Shi planted her hands on her hips and cursed loudly:

"Stop pretending! Jun Zhidie said Jun Zhihao went to find you last night. Where is he now? Did you harm him?"

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin narrowed her eyes slightly, showing no trace of emotion on her face:

"This Princess has no friendship with your son and no time to see him. Lady Li, you have no proof; please speak cautiously."

Li Shi's eyes turned red; she still wanted to say something. She stepped forward a few paces and thrust her finger toward Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's face.

Guazi stepped forward and shoved her hard.

"Who doesn't know what kind of creature your son is? I heard he even did that beastly thing with his own sister. Lady Li, by speaking thus, do you intend to ruin my mistress's reputation?"