The madam wiped her sweat, feeling that she was caught in the middle and it was very difficult. "She, she said that she and the official hit it off right away, and she must have a long talk tonight, and no one else is allowed to disturb..."
How could Tiancheng believe this? He immediately raised his brows and slammed the table. The cups on the table jumped due to the vibration, just like the heart in the old duck's chest that was expanding and contracting at a very fast frequency.
But the fact is, how can a greedy person leave money unearned and come to spread false news?
Tiancheng ignored Lao Ming's scolding of Cuizhu for being ignorant. He just felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
It was not difficult to tell from last night's conversation that he was willing to give all the money he had saved to redeem the maid, a maid with whom he had basically no relationship.
This kind of person doesn't look like someone who is willing to continue doing this business. Wouldn't it be more convenient to communicate if he redeemed himself?
Cuizhu said that she was originally a married woman, but her whole family was killed after she went to the capital, so she ended up here.
Cuizhu said that this body is no longer the same as it used to be, the place of fireworks is like a beast that devours people, and the passing of several years has erased her thoughts.
Cuizhu said that even if there was no Yiren, she would have a smart and cute child like Su Xin.
Cuizhu said...
Tian Cheng suddenly thought of something, took two steps forward, grabbed the chattering old man and asked in a deep voice: "What's so special about the person who picked her?"
The madam hesitated and dared not speak.
Tian Cheng was so angry that he used all his strength to pull the person, causing him to stumble two steps. "Do you know who my young lady is? She is Lord Su's daughter, and she has never been treated coldly in the capital!"
The old money-grubber from the small town was frightened by the previous hints and powerful words, and believed them, and stammered:
"This, this... To be honest, the gentleman who came tonight also came from the capital..."
"He entered my Hibiscus Garden wearing a bamboo hat. I had originally not allowed him in, but I didn't expect him to have the golden waist badge bestowed by the emperor..."
"Yes, it's Yi... It's the official, I, I... How dare I not agree..."
Tiancheng felt his eyes go dark, "You, you mean Cuizhu?!"
"I, I blame her for not knowing how to appreciate my kindness. She is a money-loser. And the official has such a hobby that she is obsessed with him... I beg you to plead for me in front of Miss Su - ah!!"
The old duck was kicked in the knee and knelt on the ground crying for his parents. Tiancheng felt that something was wrong and kicked him again.
"Get up! Now, immediately, bring the person out! If you are not allowed in, break in! If you are not afraid of this place being sealed off, just continue lying on the ground pretending to be lame!"
Seeing that what Tiancheng said didn't sound like a lie, Lao Ya immediately got up, rushed out of the room, found a few thugs, went upstairs and knocked on the door.
Perhaps because they were afraid of disturbing other guests who came to enjoy themselves, the noise was not very loud, but someone in the house should have heard it, but there was still no response.
Now the old duck really started to panic. Seeing the official maid coming upstairs, he hurried forward to ask what to do.
Tiancheng clenched the armrest and said coldly, "...Hit!"
Lao Tung seemed to have found his backbone and signaled to the thugs, and several men started banging on the door.
The sudden noise disturbed countless people. They were either complaining or watching the show, craning their necks to watch. They found it even more interesting when they saw that the person standing next to the old duck was the woman who had just come in "looking for her husband".
Because the door bolt was inserted horizontally, there was no way to lift it up through the gap with something, so one could only hit the door again and again, intending to break the connection points of the wooden door.
The thugs tried their best and took turns trying for several minutes before the wooden door finally fell into the house with a "crack".
What caught the eye was the meal that had been hastily eaten, and the long gown and belt scattered on the ground, pointing all the way to the bed behind the screen.
Tiancheng pursed his lips tightly, praying in his heart that he would not encounter the worst ending. He took a deep breath and walked quickly inside.
Lao Ya was smart enough. After all, it was the officials' business and it would not be good if others saw it, so he ordered his thugs to drive away the onlookers and then followed them into the house.
The clothes on the ground included the official's and Cuizhu's, which seemed to be taken off as she walked. It was as if they were falling in love at first sight and couldn't wait to see each other.
Two more steps and there were short whips, unlit candles, and densely packed needles gleaming with cold light.
It would take several days to recover from such a guest, which was why she specifically asked Cuizhu to receive the guest.
Since she was going to leave anyway, she might as well suffer this for others and make her final contribution, so that it would not be in vain that she had kept the other person for so many years.
The old duck thought smugly, put on a flattering smile and walked around the screen. He was about to explain the whole story to the official he couldn't afford to offend, but he saw the scarlet stains on the bed.
The originally pink bedding seemed to be full of moisture, and the bright blood light spread over a range that could not be explained by a fetish.
Cuizhu, wearing a strange dress, kneeled in the upper position, her posture was stiff, and a layer of glaring white frost formed on the surface of her skin, emitting a faint mist in the midsummer.
A naked, skinny man was lying on his back on the bed, his face covered with a cloth, an exquisite dagger stuck in his chest, blood gushing out, and the handle of the dagger was held down tightly by the green bamboo that had turned into an ice sculpture.
The old duck saw the situation and stepped back in fear, "What, what, what, what...?!
Tiancheng turned around and looked at her, his expression frighteningly cold, "Cuizhu's family was murdered by a stranger, and you pointed her out to a stranger. Now that a murder has occurred... you are also responsible."
"I, I don't know about this, I, I just look at her, look at her..."
"What are you standing there for? Why don't you send the guests away? My young lady's people are gone, and the stranger that His Majesty values is also dead. Do you know the consequences if this gets out?"
The old duck shuddered and fell to the ground, then crawled out of the room. Outside, she heard her voice announcing the closure of the business with forced calmness.
Tiancheng then had time to turn around and look at the dress that Cuizhu was wearing. It was in his hand in the afternoon. Because of the height difference, it looked more like a short skirt.
The stockings were worn incorrectly, causing them to get caught in several places and torn into many holes, revealing the cold and stiff skin underneath.
Tiancheng took two steps forward and lifted the cloth that he had just covered the stranger's face.
He was so thin that he looked unrecognizable, with prominent cheekbones. His grayish skin and the blood made him look very hideous, but his lips were still trembling, which meant he was not dead.
Looking at Cuizhu again, even though she was frozen into an ice sculpture, her lifeless eyes were still staring at the alien under her who was from the same clan as the murderer who killed her entire family.
Tiancheng looked at the dagger stuck in his chest.
After all, he was unfamiliar with the technique and only knew the approximate position, but he forgot to hold the blade horizontally so that it could pass between the ribs and penetrate deeper.
She lowered her eyes and looked at the alien whose mouth was constantly bleeding, and heard his "hocking" sound as he cried for help.
Then she pursed her lips and raised her hand, covering the back of her hand that had long been frozen to the point of stinging her skin, and under the slightly brighter eyes of the stranger, she suppressed it with all her strength.
After a teeth-grinding friction sound, the dagger was completely inserted into the torso.
The wound was blocked to slow down the bleeding, but the alien's eyes widened and there was no possibility of survival.
Tiancheng let go and stood up, wanting to help Cuizhu close her eyes, but accidentally broke a few of her frozen eyelashes, so he had no choice but to give up.
"...I'll help you, and I think...she will too."
Chapter 1186 The Confused Woman
Before coming here, I heard from the Purifier that it was not difficult and the setting was very interesting.
After I came here, I found the situation to be complicated, ancient + fantasy + mystery, even a little bit of ethics, but it is not a sitcom.
Until now, the problem has escalated again. The fragility of life that can be lost at any time has caught Tiancheng off guard.
You have to know that in her and Su Xin's world, injuries account for the majority, and no matter how big the scene is, there will be no deaths.
The situation was even more tragic when the wreckage of the Siren ship sank to the bottom of the sea, crushing a few unlucky fish and shrimps to death.
Therefore, Tiancheng has never experienced death. At most, he has felt the warmth and coldness of human nature, but he has no relevant experience.
She originally planned to redeem Cuizhu and accompany Su Xin together with Taiyang.
Chat, go shopping, or do something meaningless to slow down the impatient pace of the little commander.
During this period, she was able to develop development channels and ask various people for news about [Enterprise] and [Helena].
As for the existence of emperors, imperial masters, and extraordinary people, there is no need to get involved.
They are here to get medical treatment, or at the very least to relax and have a vacation. They are not here to save the common people and relieve their suffering.
After all, the origin of this experimental site is unknown, and it is on the edge of [disturbance], so how long it can last is still a question.
Even if they intervened forcibly to restore order, the experimental site would be cleaned up and dismantled in two years, and the people inside would still not survive.
Rather than describing this as a second life, it would be more realistic to regard it as a holographic game in a novel.
Cuizhu is an NPC, whose role is to add someone to the team, show players what the bad guy looks like, and then drag the villain minions to die together.
A very concise experience, not even worth digging into
No one will issue follow-up tasks, and players don’t even know Cuizhu’s real name, let alone go around the streets to find out the story.
Even the body of the green bamboo will eventually be handed over to the government, so there is no way the fallen leaves can return to their roots.
As a player, you should focus on other things, such as taking the side quest to find the little octopus, or taking the main quest to ask [Enterprise] how to cure the disease.
Tiancheng rarely plays video games, but after listening to Changdao, Weidu and the others talking about it many times, he understood the general process.
Her reason told her to adjust her mindset and leave, but her emotions prevented her from doing so, so she began to make excuses for herself.
"This guy isn't dead yet. Saving him might make it easier for me to find someone else."
"...No, he's dead. Cuizhu killed him."
"The madam is a coward. She doesn't have the guts to keep this a secret, nor is she obliged to do so. She will report this to the police soon."
"Cuizhu is the murderer. The clothes she wore were bought from me, so I will be called in for questioning as well."
"Once we enter the government, our fake identity will be exposed. Even if the incident has nothing to do with us, the pawnshop owner will sue us for fraud."
“So we must leave here as soon as possible to avoid any complications.
"Because of the special status of Yiren, if we flee with Cuizhu's former colleagues, we will most likely be tracked down and wanted."
"This means that the development of confrontation with the alien group is inevitable."
"They will become a stumbling block in the process of finding people and treatment, and I have to find a way to eliminate them."
"Then in the end, he will inevitably face the Imperial Master, and the Imperial Master will surely die."
"Not for the insignificant people, but for us."
"...Not an insignificant person."
Tiancheng clenched his fists, then unclenched them, thinking of countless situations in a short period of time, and finally turned around to look at the old man who stumbled back after evacuating the crowd.
"Girl...what should we do now?"
His round face was covered with sweat, which smudged his thick makeup. He looked like a clown in a circus who didn't know how to make people laugh, not knowing that he was funny enough.
"The murder happened here, you can't escape responsibility."
Tiancheng cleared himself from the beginning, "You have to know that Cuizhu is yours, and it was you who appointed her to serve this master."
The madam was so frightened that she cried out loudly, but she was afraid that others would watch, so she just groaned, like an animal in a pen waiting to be slaughtered.
"But the responsibility is not entirely yours." Tiancheng looked down at her coldly, "After all, you were completely unaware of this matter. It was Cuizhu's own idea, right?"
"Oh, yes, yes! It was Cuizhu! She, she was possessed by a demon, and actually dared to attack adults. I can't do anything about it, I am also a victim!"
"Yes, you lost your property for no reason, but the facts are clear and straightforward. The government can only conduct an investigation and then hastily close the case."
The madam stared with joy, "Yes, yes! There is nothing to investigate, it's all Cuizhu's fault! The real murderer has been killed by the master himself!"
Tian Cheng nodded, "We'll just go through the motions. If the official drums are sounded at night, the yamen runners will have to be summoned to inspect the scene, and the prefect will have to get up from his bed again. I'm sure he'll be in a bad mood."
"Th-that is...?"
"Don't you understand? The one who died is a great man from the capital. The prefect should protect himself. The lower the profile of the case, the better. If you sound the drum at night..."
The old duck grabbed the handkerchief and tightened his face, "What will happen?"
"He will blame you for making a big fuss without permission and disrupting his plans. When more people know about it, he will have to take it seriously and give an explanation to his superiors."
"But the murderer is already dead. If the higher-ups are still unhappy and still want an explanation to appease their anger...
Tiancheng said casually: "Guess who will be the next person to confess?"
The old duck turned her brain, which was like a paste, and stirred it for a while, then suddenly began to shiver, and her fat rippled like water waves.
"I, I, I... it's me?!"
Tiancheng concealed the disgust in his eyes, squatted down and kindly pointed out: "Do you understand? So the most appropriate time to report to the police is when it will not attract too much attention."
The madam crawled over trembling and grabbed the skirt of the "maid" whom she had previously looked down upon.
"Please, please teach me, young lady! Please, please teach me, young lady!"
Tiancheng chuckled, "It's an hour in the afternoon, the sun is at its hottest, there are the fewest people on the street, and Hibiscus Garden is not open yet."
"Even if a government official passes by, no one will care, let alone know that you are going to Furong Garden. You can still do business well in the future. Do you understand what I mean?"
The old duck was overjoyed, and nodded with tears in his eyes, explaining that he understood.
Tiancheng asked her to move the screen, took down the green bamboo and hid it, covered the dead stranger with a quilt, and pretended that nothing had happened and she was sleeping peacefully.
Then, with the old duck's grateful thanks, they left Furong Garden in the night.
