Chapter 504: So Many People Want to Harm Me in Secret
Xiao Changying stared intently at Shen Xihe, who was calmly eating roasted meat with lowered eyes. She seemed unaware of the brutal torture happening less than ten steps away, deaf to the thudding sound of severed heads hitting the ground, and oblivious to the thick scent of blood permeating the air.
Utterly composed, unruffled, and leisurely savoring her meal.
How could she remain so unaffected by the external chaos!
Meanwhile, the man being tormented by Moyu—a full-grown man who had endured hardships and trained in martial arts—was beginning to lose his sanity as the thick liquid gradually drenched his entire face.
Xiao Changying, who had observed the Ministry of Justice since he was fourteen and witnessed the most cruel punishments, with countless methods used to break stubborn prisoners, considered himself somewhat experienced. Yet today, he was truly astounded by Shen Xihe.
"Who sent you?" Moyu's voice was cold and impatient as she repeated the question.
The three conscious men trembled, their teeth chattering. If possible, they would have chosen to end their lives, but their bodies were weak and limp, as if drained of all strength, rendering them incapable of resistance. Yet their minds remained painfully clear.
After a brief pause, Moyu's frosty gaze swept over the blood-stained faces before she leaped into action once more.
"No—" one of them managed to rasp out with great effort.
Ignoring his plea, Moyu’s blade fell without hesitation. History repeated itself—thicker blood dripped down, two familiar heads lay ahead, and the weight of their fallen comrades' corpses pressed upon them, their faces smeared with the blood of brothers who had once fought alongside them.
The relentless pressure and torment finally broke even the most resolute of men. One of them sobbed and confessed, "I'll talk, I'll talk... We were just hired for a job..."
It turned out they belonged to an organization that specialized in taking money to eliminate troubles for others. Someone in their hall had offered a hefty sum. They were reluctant to get involved with government officials, but the old hall master was aging, and the second hall master and young master were locked in a critical struggle for succession. A thousand taels of gold was an irresistible temptation.
The second hall master, seeking to undermine the young master's authority, had taken the risk and accepted the job.
Upon hearing this, Moyu glanced sideways at Shen Xihe.
Shen Xihe finished the last morsel of roasted meat, picked up a soft cloth, poured some water to dampen it, and meticulously wiped her hands clean. She then began carefully cleaning each finger, one by one. "Kill them."
Xiao Changying abruptly turned to Shen Xihe and strode over. "Don't you want to know who hired them to kill you?"
Shen Xihe acted as if she hadn't heard him, continuing to wipe her fingers with her head bowed. Some grease had seeped deep under her nails, and she gently cleaned it out.
"Keep them alive! Take them to confront the mastermind and uncover the truth—that's the only way to solve this!" Receiving no response from Shen Xihe, Xiao Changying pressed on.
After finishing her hands, Shen Xihe poured more water from her flask, applied a bit of fragrant balm, and rinsed them again. Only when she was certain her hands were as pristine as the moon in the night sky did she toss the soiled handkerchief into the fire.
Meanwhile, Moyu had already carried out Shen Xihe's orders. In the blink of an eye, all the men lay dead, their eyes wide with unresolved hatred.
Shen Xihe picked up her fragrant balm and walked away.Xiao Changying, ignored to the point of fury rushing to his head, strode in front of her and blocked her path: "Why are you like this?"
Shen Xihe cast him a faint glance: "If it were Prince Xin, he would never utter such words as Prince Lie does."
The blatant implication that he was foolish and less intelligent than his elder brother left Xiao Changying's face ashen with rage.
Xiao Changying refused to concede, but Shen Xihe had no desire to engage. They had already agreed to act as if they had never seen each other. She took two steps forward, then, recalling Xiao Changying's stubborn nature and wishing to avoid future trouble, spoke with impatience: "Organizations like these recognize only money, not people. Once they receive payment, they won't inquire about the payer's identity—they only care about securing the funds."
Those capable of offering such large sums are not to be offended lightly. Having accepted the task, they must carry it out diligently; hence, the payer has no fear of them deceitfully pocketing the money without fulfilling the deed.
Therefore, these men would not know who wanted her dead. Since they had fallen into her hands and survived by engaging in such vile trades, Shen Xihe saw no reason to spare their lives.
After a sidelong glance at Xiao Changying, Shen Xihe moved to a sheltered spot, leaning against the area Moyu had cleaned and spread with a blanket, intending to rest her eyes.
Xiao Changying frowned, his sword-like brows knitting: "You... you even have knowledge of such organizations!"
Shen Xihe shot him a look that said, "So what?"
Why shouldn't she be aware? The things she understood were beyond not just Xiao Changying, but possibly even Xiao Huayong.
As for how Shen Xihe came to know these matters, it was after her marriage to Xiao Huayong. While he spoke of the outside world, he mentioned it in passing. She pressed with a few questions and thus gained some insight.
Xiao Changying stared intently at Shen Xihe for a long moment before finally averting his gaze dejectedly and stiffly leaving her sight.
He was intensely curious about Shen Xihe, yet he clearly realized he had long lost the right to probe into her.
He could no longer afford to see through her, even if not all aspects of her were kind and amiable. On the contrary, some might be fierce and terrifying. But for some reason, the more he learned about her, the deeper he understood her, the more inextricably drawn he became.
With Xiao Changying gone, Shen Xihe only felt relief. Moyu moved all the corpses away, summoned the Hidden Guards who followed in secret, dug a large pit, tossed them all in, and poured some oil. A single lit match was thrown in, igniting a blazing fire. She ordered the Hidden Guards to keep watch until the flames died out.
Returning, she covered the bloodstains with soil and scattered scented powder to mask the scent—this powder happened to repel wild beasts, serving a dual purpose.
Finally, she wrapped each head in cloth, carried them over to the Hidden Guard watching the fire pit, and said: "Tomorrow morning, find a box to pack them in. Use plenty of gold to hire an escort agency and send these back to whoever dispatched them. Be sure to choose an auspicious day."
These were all Shen Xihe's intentions, though she hadn't given the orders verbally; Moyu could grasp her meaning.
Rather than escorting live captives back to expose the mastermind who paid for Shen Xihe's life, it was better to thoroughly intimidate those who disregarded rules. By selecting a bustling day to ensure the event spread widely, it would deter others from foolishly attempting to earn money by targeting her life in the future.As for who was behind the mischief, Shen Xihe closed her eyes and considered the behavior of the various princes. Her intuition told her it wasn't any of them.
Yet she couldn't immediately figure out who it might be. Shen Xihe could only sigh helplessly: "There are always so many people trying to harm me in secret."
(End of Chapter)
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