Chapter 28: Murderous Intent
Luzhu was a maid purchased from outside—an orphan sold into the hands of traffickers by her relatives. Having traveled extensively, she was sharp-witted and had seen much of the world. After just a short time together, Zisu and Lianqiao had already grown quite close to her.
Since Jiang Ruan and the other women were present, Qian Wanli, eager to curry favor with Imperial Censor Wang, specially arranged for Li Mi and another constable to escort Jiang Ruan back to the capital. The journey passed without incident. Luzhu, lively and spirited, recounted the strange sights she had encountered during her travels with the traffickers. Perhaps due to her innate optimism, her stories were filled with charm and humor, showing no trace of melancholy—though the bitterness behind them was likely known only to herself. Zisu and Lianqiao naturally understood this. One was gentle, the other outgoing, and the three of them chattered away merrily, while Jiang Ruan leaned against the carriage with a book in hand, finding her own quiet enjoyment.
More than half of the two-day journey had passed. After resting tonight, they would likely reach the capital by noon the next day.
Li Mi and the other constable, Xiao Ma, followed Imperial Censor Wang in another carriage. As the sky darkened, Li Mi learned that there was a temple ahead. Seeing nothing but wilderness around them and finding an inn difficult, he consulted Jiang Ruan and decided they would stay the night there.
The temple was fairly large but not particularly prosperous, likely due to its remote location deep in the mountains. Few worshippers came, and even the monks were scarce.
Zisu and Lianqiao hadn’t visited a temple in a long time. When Zhao Mei was still alive, she often took Jiang Ruan to Putuo Temple to pray for blessings. After Zhao Mei’s death, Jiang Ruan was sent to the manor, where life grew increasingly harsh. There was neither time nor money to spare—even offerings to the Buddha required payment, and seeking divine protection came at a cost.
Luzhu, however, was no stranger to temples. While Zisu and Lianqiao tidied their quarters, she had already circled the entire temple as instructed by Jiang Ruan and even brought back some vegetarian dishes. Urging Jiang Ruan to eat while the food was still warm, she also described the temple’s layout in detail.
Night had fallen. As men, Imperial Censor Wang, Li Mi, and the others were lodged on the opposite side of the temple. Li Mi hesitated slightly, but considering the importance of the young lady’s reputation—and the fact that the temple was spacious enough for quick action if needed—he ultimately agreed.
Lianqiao trimmed the overlong wick of the oil lamp, brightening the light. Jiang Ruan set down her book and rubbed her temples.
"Miss, it’s late. Shouldn’t you rest?" Zisu asked. Normally, Jiang Ruan would have retired by this hour, but tonight she seemed unusually alert, showing no intention of going to bed.
"No rush. There’s still a good show to come tonight," Jiang Ruan replied with a faint smile. She recalled her earlier conversation with Li Mi in the carriage:
"Sir, is this temple the only route back to the capital?"
"Yes," Li Mi had answered. "And for dozens of miles around, this is the only temple."
Returning to the present, she heard Lianqiao ask curiously, "What good show?"
"Luzhu," Jiang Ruan called.
Luzhu pushed the door open and entered, grinning. "All done, Miss."
In the depths of winter, the night was thick as fog, and the temple lay in deathly silence, broken only by the mournful howl of the wind.
All lights had been extinguished, leaving only the pale glow of a waning moon upon the snow. In an instant, dark clouds rolled in, blotting out even that faint sliver of light. Heaven and earth were plunged into utter darkness.In the heavy darkness, several shadowy figures suddenly appeared in the courtyard. After confirming their targets among the rooms, they filed into one of them.
The courtyard was eerily silent, save for the faint jingling of bells that occasionally pierced the quiet.
A young girl in the darkness opened her eyes, a cold glint flashing through them as she smiled slightly and whispered, "Lianqiao, Zisu."
Both maids nodded in unison, rising to push open the door and step outside.
Jiang Ruan stood in the room. She had already prepared everything in the adjacent chamber—she hadn't slept there at all. Instead, she had hidden in this neighboring room for so long, waiting to catch the prey in her trap.
In her past life, when she had returned to the Jiang residence, she had also stayed in a temple like this. The memory was hazy, but she recalled how the monks and the abbot, whether intentionally or not, had subjected her to extremely harsh conditions—both in terms of vegetarian meals and sleeping arrangements. Back then, she hadn’t understood why. Now, she realized it must have been the doing of Xia Yan and her daughter. At the time, they still needed her as a pawn for entering the palace, so they had merely inconvenienced her before letting her go. But now, she had returned to the Jiang residence with great fanfare as the legitimate daughter of noble virtue. Xia Yan and Jiang Susu were surely seething with resentment.
On this final day, they were bound to place obstacles in her path back home. Only this time, what they wanted was her life!
The temple, its incense long extinguished, had accepted Xia Yan’s silver and acted on her behalf. Under the guise of "consideration," they had left only a "small number" of monks behind and "thoughtfully" separated the men and women to protect Jiang Ruan’s reputation. If anything were to happen, she would have no one to turn to for help—left to suffer alone!
But now, she was a vengeful spirit returned from hell. It was her turn to claim lives!
A faint jingling of bells came from the adjacent room—the signal. Perfect. She had filled the room with heavy doses of knockout smoke, and Luzhu had taken the antidote in advance. Once Xia Yan’s men entered, they would be at her mercy. By dawn, she would throw their corpses before the temple’s Buddha statue. Li Mi, being a constable, would have to investigate. As for how the abbot would explain it—let them weave their own lies.
Jiang Ruan straightened her skirt and prepared to push open the door to inspect the neighboring room. But just as she reached the threshold, the door was suddenly flung open from the outside, and a figure slipped in. Startled, Jiang Ruan hastily retreated several steps. The intruder, equally surprised to find someone inside, froze momentarily. In that brief instant, Jiang Ruan stepped back too quickly, accidentally catching the hem of her overly long skirt. She stumbled backward, nearly falling.
The man reacted swiftly. Seeing her about to fall, he instinctively reached out to catch her by the waist. In that fleeting moment, their bodies pressed close together. Jiang Ruan’s face brushed against the cold, silver-embroidered black fabric of his robe. She stiffened as, in the next instant, the clouds parted, and moonlight spilled through the latticed window. Jiang Ruan lifted her gaze and found herself staring into a pair of strikingly beautiful eyes—cool as ink.
Even with a heart as unyielding as stone, Jiang Ruan couldn’t help but falter for a split second upon seeing the man before her.
He appeared to be in his early twenties, with exceptionally handsome features—sharp brows, star-like eyes, snow-pale skin, and thin lips. Yet there was nothing effeminate about him; his angular jawline exuded a commanding, masculine aura. As he looked down at Jiang Ruan, his beautiful eyes were filled with nothing but indifference and frost.
They stood too close. The touch at her waist was cold, his breath was cold—what should have been an intimate moment held no warmth. One heart was icy, the other wary. Neither felt the slightest stirring of emotion.The posture was subtly suggestive, as if she had been taken advantage of. Jiang Ruan instantly snapped out of her daze, inwardly annoyed, feeling that beauty could indeed be misleading. In the blink of an eye, she retreated two steps, putting distance between herself and the young man.
Suddenly, she faintly heard the clashing of swords outside. Jiang Ruan froze, then abruptly realized—the young man was watching her indifferently, saying nothing.
The temple had originally been empty. Xia Yan wouldn't have sent two separate groups to kill her. If they weren't here for her, then these people must have been drawn by the young man. Just as she had resolved one crisis, she found herself in another predicament. She didn't know whether this man would silence her as a witness, after all, her appearance here was entirely unexpected.
(End of Chapter)
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