PDLP Chapter 1973 Then Shangguan Wanqing has no choice but to die!
Chapter 1973 Then Shangguan Wanqing has no choice but to die!
The tone of voice behind the screen was resounding, which made Shangguan Wuji very proud.
Clearly, even the gentleman was intimidated by the resources he could mobilize!
Without a doubt, this full moon celebration will be the most lucrative one for Shangguan Wuji ever!
The Shangguan family's century-long scheme will finally come to a perfect end this time, and Shangguan Wuji will finally unravel the mystery of the ledger!
Knowing that the master would immediately inquire about the situation of his ten families, he took the initiative to change the subject, saying, "We don't necessarily have to confront them head-on when we invite people!"
A sinister glint flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly laughed: "Li Dequan is in his seventies or eighties, and Mu Huanying is also old and frail. All we need is a little sedative medicine to put her to sleep! Then... we can take her away quietly!"
A deep breath came from behind the screen, followed by a confident voice: "In that case, your plan is half successful..."
Shangguan Wuji nodded silently, clenching his fist in a low voice.
"What about the ledgers? Are you sure they're in Li Xiangnan's dresser? And the lock on those drawers... are you sure?"
The voice behind the screen returned to calm, as if he had already digested the shock brought by the ten families of Yanjing. He asked very detailed questions, even about the details of the chain locks, which shows that he is usually very meticulous.
I'm 90% confident!
Shangguan Wuji's eyes were sharp and full of confidence: "After several reports from our informants, Li Xiangnan is unusually nervous about that drawer! He even showed a flustered expression when Lan Cuihua approached! This is unusual for Li Xiangnan. When has that kid ever cared about anything before?"
"You seem to know Li Xiangnan quite well!"
Shangguan Wuji chuckled lightly, "As for the lock..."
He pulled out a small, oddly shaped tool with a cold, metallic sheen from his pocket: "The chest of drawers in Li Xiangnan's room has some history. I searched for two weeks in Panjiayuan and Liulichang and finally found a family living in a courtyard house with the same chest of drawers. I hired the best locksmith in the south to make a custom-made universal lock. With the diagram of the chest of drawers' lock cylinder structure that I disassembled, I can open it instantly in five seconds!"
He brandished the tools in his hand, his face regaining its confident air of being in control.
It was as if the ledger, which recorded countless secrets and affected the fates of several parties, was already his.
A very soft, seemingly satisfied nasal voice came from behind the screen, "Since that's the case, proceed as planned! Remember, I want Mu Huanying alive, to see her hand over the last secret she's been hiding, and I want that complete ledger, not a single page missing! If anything goes wrong, you know the consequences!"
Shangguan Wuji's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed: "Yes, I will certainly not fail your expectations, sir!"
The figure behind the screen seemed to move slightly, and the hem of the dark brown monk's robe swayed in the dim light.
Then, the rhythmic sound of the prayer beads suddenly became somewhat sluggish, as if it had been blocked by something.
Shangguan Wuji noticed the subtle change, poured a cup of tea into the empty cup opposite him, and carefully asked, "Sir, the string of prayer beads in your hand seems to have been played with by you ever since you came back, but the frequency seems different from before... Is there something wrong with it?"
There was a moment of silence behind the screen, and then the fleeting sound seemed to be mixed with a very faint and elusive gloom.
"It's alright, it's just that I was careless. Don't follow my example... Some sharp-eyed kid noticed something unusual about it, so it needs to be fixed properly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the study fell silent again, with only the sandalwood incense burning quietly. The swirling smoke blurred the figure behind the screen and also concealed the fleeting surprise and deep thought in Shangguan Wuji's eyes.
Did you notice anything unusual?
Sharp-eyed kid?
who can that be?
Could it be Li Xiangnan?
Is it still that... old monk Yuantong, whom even he found unfathomable?
Shangguan Wuji was filled with doubts, but dared not ask too many questions. He simply said, "Sir, repairs require tools. My servants have all the necessary equipment prepared. I'll call for them for you."
"It's alright!" The person behind the screen hesitated for a moment, seemingly surprised, before immediately declining.
Shangguan Wuji frowned, wondering if there was some special meaning behind these prayer beads.
He had never looked into it before, thinking that almost every monk had his own rosary, whether made of bodhi or sandalwood, which was just an accompaniment when chanting sutras.
He knew Mr. Ke's personality. For him to be so concerned about such a small matter as the rosary beads, it was enough to show that the person who noticed the unusual nature of the object had discovered something of great importance.
What could it be?
Shangguan Wuji then tentatively asked, "Sir, are you missing some beads? Would you like me to help you find some substitutes at Panjiayuan?"
Hey!
The sound of prayer beads behind the screen suddenly stopped, and the room fell into a deathly silence.
Shangguan Wuji swallowed hard, feeling goosebumps rise all over his body from the sudden change in pressure in the room!
The prayer beads were definitely faulty!
Before he could investigate further, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from the study.
The butler returned, this time without even knocking. He rushed in, his face even paler than when he left, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He slammed his head against the door with a thud, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Master, Miss... there's no one in her room! The bedding is cold, and the window is bolted from the inside... but there are... fresh footprints in the snow under the back window... I've led people to search the entire front and back yards of the farm, but we haven't found... her anywhere..."
boom!
Shangguan Wuji felt a buzzing in his head, and a surge of anger rushed to his head!
He suddenly stood up, and the armchair behind him was overturned with a loud crash.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the butler, who was leaning against the wall and trembling like a leaf. His facial muscles were contorted, making him look ferocious and terrifying.
"Didn't find her? She really wasn't in the room! Can a grown person just fly away? Useless, you're all useless!"
He roared, his voice so loud that dust fell from the roof beams, and he grabbed a white jade paperweight from the table, ready to throw it at the butler.
"Wuji!"
A voice rang out from behind the screen at just the right moment, not loud, but instantly drowning out Shangguan Wuji's fury: "Now is not the time to punish the servants!"
Shangguan Wuji's hand, holding the paperweight, froze in mid-air, his chest heaving violently. In the end, he angrily slammed the paperweight to the ground with a loud thud, sending shards of jade flying everywhere.
He gritted his teeth, forcing out his anger: "Get out of here! Go look for him again! Turn the farm upside down, find him! If you can't find him here, go look in the city!"
"Yes, yes!" The butler, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, scrambled out of the study.
The study fell silent again, with only Shangguan Wuji's heavy breathing and the jarring sound of prayer beads behind the screen.
After a long while, the voice from behind the screen rang out again, but this time it was filled with undisguised sarcasm and coldness.
"It seems the Shangguan family has done a good job raising their son; your daughter really can't cause any trouble! But I'm afraid the trouble has already spilled into the Li family's courtyard."
Shangguan Wuji's face flushed red and then turned pale, filled with shame and indignation, yet he was speechless and unable to refute her.
"No... I told you... Wanqing doesn't know about us... She's just not in her room, maybe she's out playing. It's snowing lately, and she likes snow..."
He seemed unwilling to believe, or rather, unwilling to admit, the complete failure of his discipline and control.
"Whether she'll betray us... we'll find out when she returns!" The voice behind the screen turned icy. "Of course, I hope she comes back! And I hope the 'message' she brings won't disrupt our entire plan! Otherwise..."
The rest of the sentence was left unsaid, but a chilling aura permeated the entire study.
Shangguan Wuji felt a chill run through his body; he understood what his master meant.
If Shangguan Wanqing's tip-off caused the entire plan to fail, the price to be paid would not be limited to Shangguan Wanqing alone.
Suppressing his raging anger, Shangguan Wuji walked to the door and said, "Sir, I know what to do!"
He strode towards the farm gate.
There, a bicycle without lights stumbled through the darkness, its figure dazed and disheveled – it was Shangguan Wanqing…