Chapter 81.1: Set Up
For a fleeting moment, he seemed to have heard a familiar voice, and he did not know whether it was because he had drunk too much which was making him hear things.
It was only till Mo Fei Ran called out to him from behind that he returned to his senses.
"It's nothing, go on and leave!"
And at that same moment, in a dense forest about a hundred miles away from the Imperial Capital, a slender bodied shadow in front finally came to a stop, his brows creased up as he stared ahead of him, seemingly rather frustrated.
He was rather familiar with this place but it was exactly because he knew this place well that he knew he must stop and not go any deeper inside.
This stretch of forest had become mystifying boglands and although he was surrounded trees that stretched further than the eye could see, once one reached the center region, it became a place filled with poisonous obstacles and the land below one's feet would suddenly turn to bogs. If one was not careful and came to step into the boglands, then it would be hopeless no matter whether one called out to the Heavens or to Earth.
At the moment that he hesitated, the sound of swishes broke through the air and several black shadows then appeared within the dense forest.
"Mu Chi, we do not have any bad intentions and merely want to ask Young Miss Mu to come out to help us with a favour."
The leader was a tall framed man who stepped forward. He looked to be about twenty seven or twenty eight years of age and was rather stalwart looking, seemingly a candid and straightforward man.
The Carefree Valley's Assassins Alliance could be found in all corners of the Constellation Lands and they were all dressed fully in black, their faces covered with a malevolent demon mask. This was to prevent themselves from being identified and the most famous ones among them all in the Carefree Valley were the mysterious and highly elusive Ten Great Assassins.
The assassins were classified in three levels as Heaven, Mystical, and Yellow. Above the Heaven level, were the Gold Medal Assassins who possessed even more terrifying powers. It was said that to employ a Gold Medal Assassin to carry out a mission, the price would not be lower than ten thousand gold and it could well be imagined just how rare Gold Medal Assassins were.
And the Ten Great Assassins, were ranked even above the Gold Medal assassins.
They were part of the Carefree Valley's might but was also an independent body of people, establishing a Assassination Temple within the valley. It was said that these ten people were the Carefree Valley's trump card and they were so mysterious that no one knew anything about them.
The only thing that was known was that the Ten Great Assassins were an highly unconventional bunch of people in the Carefree Valley as they would never hide their faces or aura. That was because no one had ever survived under their hands.
And before his eyes, the group of about six or seven people were all uniformly clothed in black and a demon mask except for the man leading them who did not cover his face in anyway, which undoubtedly meant that he was one of the Ten Great Assassins.
Mu Chi sighed inwardly at his bad luck today. He had just come out from the Mu Manor when he been marked by this bunch of guys.
Although he possessed rather great skills himself, but with so many people to attack him from all sides and they also had such a legendary grade killer with them, the slightest offense taken with a misplaced word might very well cost him his life here.
He silently considered his current circumstances and then opened his mouth to ask: "If you are looking for my elder sister, shouldn't you go look for her in the Mu Manor? What is the meaning of pursuing me so relentlessly like this?"
[Could that demoness Mu Lai have somehow come to antagonize such a bunch of people in the past? With that tyrannical and aggressive character of hers who considered herself above everyone, she just very well might have come to have offended other people.]
The tall framed man then laughed softly and said: "Though the Carefree Valley and the Limitless Sect could be considered to share rather friendly relations, but since you are close to Young Miss Mu, she would naturally agree to it if you plead with her on our behalf. If we do it ourselves, I fear that if negotiations turn sour we would have to do it the hard way."
The man opened his mouth to explain patiently, his gentle and polite personality one that you would never expect to belong to a cruel and bloodthirsty killer.
Chapter 81.2: Set Up
Mu Chi's brows furrowed together. "What can she help the Carefree Valley with? Besides being a little more skilled in Medicine, there is nothing much else….."
He suddenly seemed to have realized something as his words trailed off, looking a little surprised.
"That's right. It's exactly because she is skilled in Medicine. One of our brothers was afflicted with a strange poison several months ago and he is now in a critical state. And throughout the entire lands, only the Mu Family will be able to save him if you will lend a hand." The man's voice was sincere. "If you are willing to help invite Young Miss Mu to step forward, the Carefree Valley's Assassination Temple will then owe you people a debt of benevolence. No matter what kind of request you might make of us, as long as you say it, it will be accomplished."
"Strange poison?" Mu Chi was taken aback before he said: "Since it's such a strange poison, then it must be rarely seen and hard to cure completely. Although my elder sister is the most proficient in Medicine within the Mu Family, I do not dare make any decisions I am not confident of on her behalf. If it turns out that she is unable to cure that person, wouldn't all of you then turn your anger onto her instead?"
"You can very well rest assured on that. Although we are all killers, but it does not mean we cannot discriminate between right from wrong."
"In that case, I will make a trip back to the Mu Family tomorrow and ask my elder sister's opinion on it." Mu Chi thought that he should at least tentatively agree to their requests first or they would not let the matter rest. Moreover, he might very well gain by having them owe him a favour although all this was just a plan made up out of convenience due to the current circumstances.
Hearing that, the man standing right across from him clasped his hand over his fist and said: "The condition of that brother of ours cannot afford to be delayed any further. Better go ask Young Miss Mu tonight instead!"
"….."
[About that, if he were to interrupt Mu Cai while she was sleeping, she would surely fly into a rage! But he had no other choice but to plunge headlong into it. She couldn't possible disregard the fact that his life was at risk here could she?]
That morning in the Eternal Peace Duke Manor, something big happened.
While Yan Su and the Duchess were having their breakfast, a servant maid suddenly came running in from outside, her clothes in a highly disheveled state. She fell heavily to her knees on the ground limply as she raised her tear streaked face up. "Your Highness, Duchess, please help your servant address her grievance!"
Mo Han Yan's expression suddenly stiffened and she then said in a highly displeased tone. "Impudent lowly servant! Who let you come in to disturb His Highness' meal! ?"
The servant girl was startled and scared as she went on to say in a sobbing voice. "Duchess, please forgive my impudence. You servant really has no other choice….."
Yan Su looked at her torn and broken clothes, the bare skin that was exposed filled with green and blue bruises. It could immediately be seen what had happened to her with just one look and Yan Su paused a moment before he put down his chopsticks. "What actually happened! ?"
"Your servant….. brought the medicinal brew that was prepared for the Second Young Master over last night, and the Second Young Master suddenly wrapped his arms around your servant tightly, like he has lost his mind….. pulling and tearing at your servant's clothes. Your servant struggled with all her might and begged for mercy, but Second Master he….. had not only ignored my words..."
The servant lass wept as she spoke, even sobbing spasmodically at the end before she then said pausing at every word. "He went on to violate your servant's body, tormenting your servant for the whole night….. It was until just now that your servant was finally able to escape after seeing that he has fallen asleep….."
Hearing the little lass relate a whole series of events, Yan Su and Mo Han Yan looked completely shocked, like they would never have thought that such a thing could possibly happen.
Mo Han Yan was the one who came to react first, her eyes growing wide and round with rage. "That little beast! He's just too much! To think that he has committed such a heinous scandal!"
I beg for the Duchess to seek redress for me….." Seeing the way Mo Han Yan looked, the young servant cried even more sadly.
Yan Su however looked at Mo Han Yan and said: "Before the matter is looked into clearly, do not make any hasty judgement."
He would never believe it no matter what. He had heard from the old Elder Qin Fang several times in the past few days that the child Qing Bei possessed astounding gift and in days to come he will not lose out to Little Ning. He had been thinking that if the child could stand up before the deadline was up, just how great would that be.
Chapter 81.3: Set Up
At such a critical juncture, how could something like this happen?
He was such a clean looking youth with pure and honest eyes. It was not possible that he could possibly be tainted by such an abhorable incident in the slightest.
With that thought in mind, Yan Su's face darkened further. "You have to think it through clearly before you speak, just how big a crime it is to besmirch your Young Master's name. A lowly servant girl like you will not be able to shoulder the consequences. Tell me truthfully. What really happened?"
"Your servant does not dare to lie. Second Young Master has really violated your servant's body….." The young servant girl was gasping in between sobs, looking highly aggrieved and pitiful.
"Is your Highness trying to cover up for him?" Han Mo Yan said with a laugh when she saw that. "Although he is your Highness' son, but he had come to do something so despicable. The servant girl would have been seen by quite a number of people on her way here and it will not do the Eternal Peace Duke Manor's reputation any good if news of this leak out."
"This Duke will naturally know that." Yan Su said coldly. "Guards! Go to the Tranquil Abode and bring the Second Young Master to me!"
"Yes, your Highness." A young guard outside the door acknowledged, before he disappeared from his spot in an instant.
And it was at a time that Qing Yu did not come home for the entire night.
Because Qing Fang had been telling them for the past few days that he was making arrangements to send them out for training in order to enhance their survival skills. As after they are admitted into the sect, they would not face a lack of such similar missions, often needing them to sleep and eat in the wild, requiring them to be able to live for a period out in the wilderness, such an experience would be something they need.
After ascertaining the location, in order to prevent any unexpected mishaps, Qing Yu had gone to survey the terrain, and also to spend one night there. Besides encountering snakes, bugs, and wild beasts, she did not find anything out of the ordinary.
But upon her return to the Tranquil Abode, she came to discover two servant girls pacing nervously in front of the door, occasionally poking their heads out to look around outside. She immediately felt that something was not right and she immediately took a few steps to go inside. "What is going on?"
"Sixth Young Miss! You've finally come back! Second Young Master is in trouble!" An adorable round faced little servant girl said with red rimmed eyes: "Qian Qian came running out from the Second Young Master's room this morning with her clothes all disheveled and awhile after that, Second Young Master was taken away by his Highness' men."
Among the servant girls that Yan Su sent over to serve, Qian Qian was the prettiest looking one.
"Damn it!"
[She had been to careless! That woman had been so peaceful for such a long time and she had to come up with such a lousy scheme just when Little Bei's talents were starting to show!]
[Ha! Does that woman really think that I am just a soft persimmon to be kneaded and manipulated as she liked?]
[She had not wanted to waste her time and energy with such an undesirable character before but she had now crossed the line. This time, even if that woman does not die, she'll at least scrape off a few layers of her skin!]
Seated within the main hall at that moment, were Yan Su, Mo Han Yan, and Yan Xi Cheng who had been summoned. There were also the whole group of the other women, who filled up the hall.
The young servant girl in broken and shredded clothes was on the floor, and the depressed looking youth was seated in his wheelchair, his eyes seemingly rather dazed.
"With Qing Bei so weak and frail, how could he possibly be capable of doing such a thing?" Yan Xi Cheng said as he looked at the youth on the wheelchair, his brows furrowed up in doubt.
Mo Han Yan glared at him. "Cheng Er, would the servant girl really have the audacity to slander her Young Master?"
"But Qing Bei is someone who is physically handicapped. How could he possibly be able to inflict such brutal violence on a servant girl who has perfect use of all her limbs?" Yan Xi Cheng knew that his mother had never liked the people in the Tranquil Abode how could a matter like this be pushed onto a youth who had not even reached marriageable age?