A Shocking Dream

Chapter 167

"I rescued a woman in white that night and am wanted by the government. It's nothing serious. Just pack up and we'll leave tomorrow." Her voice was composed, but the last syllable couldn't help but tremble. Her words landed in the quiet room like a heavy stone, making the air heavy. Kanan had been sitting by the bed sorting herbs. Upon hearing this, her hands trembled violently, and the herbs scattered all over the floor. Her eyes widened in fear and helplessness, her mouth slightly open, and after a long while she stammered, "Sister, how could this happen? Is saving someone wrong?" Tears welled up in her eyes, like a frightened deer, ready to burst out at any moment.

Lin Wunian let out a long sigh, walked over to sit next to Kankan, patted her shoulder gently, and tried to comfort her: "The world is in chaos, those villains are probably colluding with the government, I have ruined their good deeds, so naturally I have become a thorn in their eyes. But don't be afraid, we have been in the world for so long, we have seen all kinds of storms." Having said that, she also knew in her heart that this wanted warrant was no ordinary trouble.

"We've been on the wanted list for so many days, and you still haven't found him?" Late at night, in a room with flickering candlelight, a man in fine clothes slammed his fist on the table, causing the teacup on the table to tremble and spill tea. He was the current Marquis Xie Yuan, his brows raised, and the fury in his eyes threatened to burn through the subordinates kneeling before him.

"Your Majesty, I have sent people to do their best to search." The subordinate lowered his head, his voice trembling, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. "In the past few days, my men have been carefully checking for outsiders in the city."

"Hmph, try your best? What I want is the result, not your useless excuses!" The Marquis's eyes were like knives, slicing fiercely at the kneeling man. "It's bad enough that you can't even find a woman with great martial arts skills, you can't even find a wounded person. If she exposes my affairs to others, how many heads will you have to bear the responsibility for me?"

Marquis Li Chengyi wore a dark purple dragon robe, its gold embroidery gleaming coldly in the candlelight, much like his eyes at that moment, filled with rage and anxiety. He gripped the carved nanmu chair so tightly that the armrests creaked, adding a touch of terror to the oppressive atmosphere.

Chen Wen, a subordinate, knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the ground, his cold sweat soaking the blue bricks, his body shaking like a sieve. "My Lord, please forgive me. I will turn the city upside down to find her."

Speaking of the injured woman, Xie Yuan felt a surge of hatred. A few months ago, he had simply taken a liking to her younger sister. Seeing that the little girl was smart and pretty, he thought of bringing her into his mansion to live a good life for a few days, which seemed like a good thing. Who could have known that this unintentional act would stir up a hornet's nest and sow the seeds of disaster?

That night, the moon vanished behind the clouds, and a deathly silence fell throughout the mansion. In his secret chamber, Xie Yuan, along with his confidants and court officials, frantically plotted to hoard grain and manipulate the salt market. The flickering candlelight illuminated their volatile faces, while the abacus beads clattered, each imagining the glorious future of their own, overflowing with gold and silver, and unbridled power. Account books lay spread out, their numbers crisscrossed with cryptic figures, and piles of letters, filled with veiled secrets, served as crucial evidence, bearing on their lives and immense wealth.

The secret room, hidden deep within the mansion's traps, was supposed to be flawless, heavily guarded and fortified. But who could have imagined that the woman, like a ghost in the night, slipped in silently, dodging every trap. She was clad in black, her face veiled, her eyes gleaming like cold stars, filled with determination and indignation. Perhaps driven by a desire to find her sister, or perhaps driven by a sense of justice, she darted through the shadows, taking advantage of everyone's unpreparedness, quickly snatching the crucial account book and letter, and then bursting through the window.

By the time the guards noticed, shouts echoed throughout the mansion, only to see a dark figure vanish into the night, its trace elusive. Upon learning of this, Xie Yuan was furious, smashing his teacup, the precious porcelain instantly reduced to shattered pieces, a stark reflection of his shattered plans. "A mere woman, how dare you ruin my plans!" He roared, ordering his men to search with all their might, retrieving the victim and the evidence.

From then on, the Marquis's residence was in a state of panic, with spies swarming the streets. Xie Yuan, like a trapped animal, fretted, knowing that if the evidence were lost, it would be his own death warrant. After careful consideration, he sent word out, promising to release the woman's sister, hoping to lure her out and retrieve the crucial account book and letter.

The woman, upon hearing this, was initially skeptical, but, mindful of her innocent sister's imprisonment, she eventually relented. She sent a message to a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city, where she arranged to exchange the evidence. She arrived alone, carrying the evidence. The moonlight was pale, and the temple, strewn with cobwebs and damaged Buddha statues, was filled with a desolate and bleak silence. She tensed, alert to her surroundings, clutching the evidence tightly in her hands, hoping for her sister's safe return.

A long time after the appointed time, several servants appeared, escorting the younger sister. Her clothes were tattered, her face stained with tears, and her cries of "Sister" were heartbreaking. The woman was about to hand over the evidence when Xie Yuan emerged from the shadows, his face filled with a sinister sneer. "Hmph, do you really think I'll let ants like you go so easily?" With a wave of his hand, he sent the servants charging forward to snatch it.

Frightened and enraged, the woman used her Qing Gong skills to evade and fight the Marquis' minions, but she was outnumbered. In the chaos, Xie Yuan, enraged, drew his sword and placed it against his sister's neck, roaring, "Hand over the evidence, or her life will be in danger!" The woman tearfully begged for mercy, about to yield, but Xie Yuan's eyes hardened, and he raised his sword and struck, splattering blood on the spot. Her delicate body fell to the ground, breathless.

"You devil!" The woman was heartbroken and filled with hatred. She could not win and could only flee. Xie Yuan was furious and determined that she was hiding in the village, so he led a large number of people to attack her village overnight.

With the clatter of horses' hooves and torches blazing in the sky, the men from the Marquisate rushed into the peaceful village like wolves. Blades flashed, blood stained the streets, and villagers cried and screamed in terror, sparing no one, young or old. Houses burned, livestock screamed in agony. The once peaceful place was transformed into a savage battlefield, with corpses strewn across the fields and thick smoke billowing. By dawn, the entire village was a deadly ruin. The woman, furious, vowed to avenge Xie Yuan's blood debt even if she became a ghost.

"Idiot! Since she is injured, she will definitely seek medical treatment, buy medicine, and find a place to stay to recuperate. Why don't you know how to start from these points?" Xie Yuan stood up angrily, strode forward, kicked Chen Wen on the shoulder, and knocked him to the ground.

Chen Wen braved the pain and climbed to his feet, quickly responding, "My Lord, you are wise. We will immediately send more people to closely monitor the clinic, the pharmacy, and the hidden inns in the city. We will not let her have another chance."

"Two days. I'll only give you two." The Marquis paced back and forth, his hands behind his back, gritting his teeth. "If this matter were to be exposed, and the Emperor became suspicious and the Censors impeached me, not only you, but I would also be in dire straits. I absolutely cannot let her ruin my plans."

After Chen Wen left, Li Chengyi looked out the window at the dark night, feeling troubled.

Meanwhile, in the dark of the city, the injured woman was hiding in the courtyard of an old friend, applying herbal medicine with a stern look in her eyes, thinking about how to present the evidence of the Marquis's guilt to the emperor, overthrow this powerful man, and restore justice to the world.