Chapter 24: Alliance and Encounter

Why did she hate Zhou Xing so much?

In Murong Huan’s mind, a pair of sinister, smiling little eyes flashed once more.

Then came her father’s voice: "Ah Huan, don't be afraid. Just have a good sleep, and when you wake up, everything will be fine."

She knew that when she was young, to help her forget the trauma of witnessing her mother being hunted down, her father had once hypnotized her. Afterward, she forgot many things, including her mother's face.

But ever since she learned the art of hypnotic incense herself, she had begun to search for those blurred memories.

Among these fragmented recollections, a man wearing a hood, radiating an aura of treacherous malice, became particularly clear.

And this man was none other than the Zhou Xing she had seen today!

Murong Huan looked up with a smile, meeting Xiao Muchen's gaze: "As a villain whose hands are stained with blood, does he not deserve to die?"

Xiao Muchen was slightly taken aback, his expression becoming unreadable and intrigued.

"Actually, my request is very simple. I only need you, Magistrate Xiao, to submit a memorial to the Sage impeaching Zhou Xing!"

"Impeaching him for what?"

"There are many charges, but I know that crimes such as persecuting the loyal, slaughtering the innocent, and even condoning his foster son's abuse and murder of young girls are not enough to see him imprisoned. There is only one charge that could send him to jail and ensure he never recovers: treason!"

Xiao Muchen smiled faintly: "Do you realize that if the evidence is insufficient and the impeachment fails, it is very likely that I will be the one ending up in his Ministry of Justice prison?"

"I believe Magistrate Xiao is not the type of person to fear such villains. The Sage has established the petition box system, encouraging even commoners to act as informants. Since Zhou Xing can murder countless court officials and members of the Li clan on charges of treason, why can’t you weave the same charge against him?"

Having said this, Murong Huan added with ironclad resolve: "Rest assured, before you are imprisoned, I will have already sent him to hell. Moreover, I will make him confess to treason with his own lips before he dies. Do you think that is evidence enough?"

Xiao Muchen’s expression finally darkened.

"Are you planning to assassinate him?"

"No, I don't kill people!" Murong Huan replied, shifting the tone of the conversation. "I will make him kill himself!"

At these words, Xiao Muchen’s expression changed completely. After a long silence, he offered a warm and gentle smile.

His smile was unfathomable, yet it felt as refreshing as a spring breeze.

Suddenly, he stood up and reached out a hand to her:

"Very well. From this day forward, I, Xiao Muchen, shall form an alliance with you. From now on, our lives are bound together—we shall live and die as one!"

"Agreed!"

Murong Huan did not shy away, placing her hand directly into his palm, feeling the soft, cool touch of his skin.

With their fingers interlaced, she said, "The alliance is forged. I hope to hear good news from Magistrate Xiao within three days!"

With that, Murong Huan stood up and strode toward the door. Behind her, Xiao Muchen’s voice suddenly called out: "Was it truly not you who killed Zhou Jiulang?"

"It was not!"

"Then why did you break into my private estate last night?"

This question left Murong Huan momentarily stunned, but she immediately laughed in realization.

"The person you saw might not have been me!"

Not her?

This caused Xiao Muchen to harbor some doubt regarding his own memory, which had never failed him before.

He still warned her, "Regardless of whether it was you or not, be careful of Wu Lingyue from now on!"

Wu Lingyue?

So, the injuries on her body were caused by Wu Lingyue, the Deputy Commander of the Internal Security Bureau?

After a moment of contemplation, Murong Huan cupped her hands in a gesture of thanks and quickly left the private room. She hurried out of the teahouse, where Ashu had been waiting for a long time.

Seeing Murong Huan emerge, Su Qing’s expression was complex—it was hard to tell if he was happy or worried.

"Ah Huan, this Magistrate Xiao didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

"No!"

"Meeting in private like this is not a solution. If someone with ill intentions sees you and starts wagging their tongues, it will be very bad for your reputation!"

"What is so bad about it? Is Uncle worried that I might gain a reputation for being 'broken-sleeved,' thus tarnishing the Su family's honor?"

Murong Huan’s remark left Su Qing choked, unable to utter another word.

After chasing after her for a distance, Murong Huan suddenly stopped: "By the way, I have other business. Uncle, please take Su Sanlang back home!"

"What business could you possibly have? You are a..." Su Qing lowered his voice, whispering in her ear, "a young, unmarried lady. What kind of business could you have? Even if you do, it should be about your marriage. Why don't I go and arrange a match for you instead? I’ll sacrifice my old face for now; I can't let you continue to suffer like this!"

"Besides, this Magistrate Xiao is a scion of a noble family. As for his lineage, his ancestors even produced several emperors, and he himself is a rare young talent..."

He rambled on for a long time, only to realize that Murong Huan had already walked far away with Ashu, not listening to him at all.

"This child... why won't she listen to reason?"

Su Qing felt a sense of frustration, but then he reconsidered: if Ah Huan could keep a close relationship with this Magistrate Xiao, it would be excellent for the Su family!

One might not be able to rush a formal title, but... what if there was a child?

Su Sanlang saw his father alternating between beaming with joy and looking despondent, feeling utterly bewildered.

"Father, what are you muttering about?"

"What am I muttering about?" Su Qing looked at his son with disdain and sighed. "I’m lamenting that if only Ah Huan were my son! She is worth more than all of you brothers combined. Are your heads made of wood? Honestly! Get home this instant and stop causing trouble for me!"

...

Long after Murong Huan had left, Xiao Muchen remained in the private room. He stood in silence for a long time, watching the figure in green disappear into the bustling crowd on the street.

"My Lord, are you truly going to cooperate with her? This young lady acts as if she were born without fear—unrestrained and lawless. Does she have no concerns at all? For instance, the price of failure?" Xuan Yu asked. "And she is an abandoned daughter with no parents, no soldiers, and no subordinates. Where does she get the confidence?"

"Her confidence is me, and the murder case of Zhou Jiulang!"

Xiao Muchen set down his half-drunk cup of tea and watched the swirling steam, sighing silently with a smile. "Perhaps some things are truly simple, but we think of them too complexly, becoming tied up and unable to achieve anything. Being unrestrained, ignorant, and fearless, on the contrary, might just accomplish great things!"

"Xuan Yu, send some skilled men to assist her!" He added solemnly, "Ensure her safety!"

"Yes, my Lord!"

"Also, send someone to bring Lai Junchen to see me!"

"Lai Junchen? My Lord, why do you want to see him? Isn't he just a villain who climbed his way up by acting as an informant for the Sage?"

"To deal with a villain, what better blade is there than another villain?" Xiao Muchen replied. "Or would you rather have me play the role of the villain?"

Seeing Xiao Muchen’s righteous demeanor, Xuan Yu finally understood.

"Yes, Xuan Yu will bring this blade of a villain to see you, my Lord!"

...

After saying this, Xuan Yu was about to leave when he heard Xiao Muchen add:

"Additionally, spread the word about this case of the corpse found in the well throughout Luoyang as quickly as possible! I have a great use for it!"

...

In the endless flow of the crowd, Ashu chased after Murong Huan until they reached a quiet alleyway and couldn't help but ask:

"Ah Huan, are you really going to help Magistrate Lu investigate this case? And you only gave him three days. What if..."

Ashu wanted to ask, what if the murderer really is you?

"The murderer is not me. Ashu, stop feeling guilty as if you were the thief!"

"Yes!"

"Moreover, it doesn't matter who the murderer is; what matters is that Zhou Xing must be the mastermind." Murong Huan mused for a moment before suddenly saying, "We are going to the Sigong Ward!"

"Ah? Why go to the Sigong Ward again!"

"Because Wang Wuniang has something she wants to tell me."

The story of the puppet play told by Wang Wuniang was not merely to lament the background and ending of the heroine Huo Xiaolian. She was pointing at something else; she had told that story to her for a specific purpose.

...

Ziyu Temple, Ziyu Pavilion—the name was familiar to Murong Huan. It was near the Baihua Pavilion in the Sigong Ward. That night, a hurried glimpse had left a deep impression in her mind.

When Murong Huan brought Ashu to Ziyu Pavilion, she indeed saw a young lady dressed in lotus-pink gauze, wearing pearl hairpins, waiting in the pavilion with a young maid and two guards.

It was none other than Wang Wuniang!

Seeing Murong Huan arrive dressed in men's clothing, Wang Wuniang quickly stood up to greet her: "Li... Master, I hope you have been well!"

"Very well!" Murong Huan said, already reaching out to take Wang Wuniang’s pulse. "Though you, it seems, are not doing so well?"

Wang Wuniang bowed her head slightly, said it was nothing, and then instructed the guards to stand further away and ordered the maid to close the doors and windows.

"Miss, thank you for your life-saving grace!" she said, curtsying with eyes filled with complex gratitude and shame.

"You aborted the child?"

Wang Wuniang looked up in surprise, then bowed her head dejectedly. "Yes. I could not give this child a stable future. Even for myself, living in the Wang family with him would be impossible. The men of our Taiyuan Wang family value their reputation above all else; I cannot become the laughingstock that brings shame to the family, nor can I cause my mother further hardship because of me. So, I was a coward and gave up on bringing him into this world!"

Murong Huan said, "In the journey of life, there are many difficult choices. Compared to a path full of thorns, choosing a relatively smoother road is human nature. You need not feel guilty."

"But why did you use the story of Huo Xiaolian to get my attention?" Murong Huan asked, adding jokingly, "I am not the heartless Master Li! Why did you ask me to come here?"

Wang Wuniang smiled, like a lotus flower beginning to bloom: "Master Su is truly a joker. The Master Li in the story could certainly not be Master Su, and I am not Huo Xiaolian!"

"I know Master Su is investigating the case of Zhou Jiulang. Although I do not know why you are involved in this case, I will always remember your kindness and wish to do my small part to help you."

She paused and explained: "The reason I used the story of Huo Xiaolian to catch your attention was to bring you to see the real Huo Xiaolian. She is also a pitiful person persecuted by Zhou Xing and his son, and she knows a little bit about Zhou Jiulang. I met her at a poetry gathering a year ago; she is a brilliant and talented woman. It is a pity that such a proud daughter of heaven was so unfortunately dragged into the mire."

Also a proud daughter of heaven, dragged into the mire?

A sense of desolation inexplicably rose in Murong Huan’s heart. She pondered for a moment and said, "Very well, then take me to see her!"