Chapter 299 - Guidance

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“I believe you when you say that Cai Yun had the intention to climb into Father’s bed, but why did she die? She probably accidentally heard the unspeakable secret between you and Father and was silenced. That’s the truth.”

“Because you didn’t know that I had the intention to chase her out of the residence. You were afraid that if she suddenly disappeared, I would send someone to look for her.”

“In order to avoid trouble, you simply made it seem like Cai Yun hanged herself. However, you did not expect someone to see your servants leave Cai Yun’s room, did you?”

“If you had known earlier, you would have thrown her corpse out and told me that she left the residence overnight.”

“You’re still lying to me now. Do you want me to live forever in the illusion you created for me?”

A loud slap echoed in the room. “How can you think that? Who do you think your father and I are doing this for?”

Song Jingchen had just put down his book, turned off the lights, and was about to take off his clothes to rest when a black shadow slipped in from the window. Before he could see clearly, the black shadow had already clung on him.

“Hubby.”

Shen Yijia’s muffled voice came from the darkness.

Song Jingchen thought that Shen Yijia missed him. He hugged her helplessly and asked softly, “What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”

His wife was too clingy. What could he do? They had only been separated for a night, but she climbed in through the window in the middle of the night.

“If you knew that your friend’s family had done something bad and that the person you care about the most was investigating this matter, would you say it?” Shen Yijia felt a little uncomfortable. In the past, she would naturally have said it without hesitation, but she seemed to have felt Liu Piaopiao’s despair when she was outside just now.

The longer she lived in this world, the more she understood that not everything could be done as one wished. It could not be resolved with fists. Everyone had too many considerations.

The people and things around you might influence your choices and affect your emotions.

Song Jingchen’s eyes darkened. He was helpless and his heart ached. This silly girl’s question was so obvious. Was she afraid that he wouldn’t be able to guess?

However, he did not expose her. Instead, he asked, “Is it a very bad thing?”

Shen Yijia said, “Yes, very bad.”

“Will it hurt anyone?”

“Yes.”

Song Jingchen put her down and reached out to hold Shen Yijia’s face so that she could look into his eyes. He said seriously, “You think that her family will be punished after you say it, so you can’t bear to see her suffer.”

He paused before continuing, “But have you ever thought about how many people were hurt because of them? How sad would those people’s families be?”

Shen Yijia pursed her lips, but Song Jingchen didn’t rush her.

After about ten minutes, Shen Yijia’s voice sounded again. It was no longer as dull as before, but firm. “Earlier, I went to look for Piaopiao.”

Actually, Song Jingchen could investigate on his own. This way, even if something really happened, Shen Yijia wouldn’t blame herself.

However, Song Jingchen didn’t want her to have that wrong perception. This piece of white paper shouldn’t be tainted with bad colors.

After Shen Yijia finished explaining everything she had heard, Song Jingchen lowered his head and kissed her forehead. He comforted her softly, “Rest here. Leave the rest to me.”

“I’ll go with you.” Shen Yijia rejected his suggestion without thinking. She had already said it and the outcome was actually destined, so there was no need to hesitate.

Song Jingchen sized up Shen Yijia’s expression. Seeing that she wasn’t forcing herself, he nodded.

After summoning Mo Yuan and the other two, Song Jingchen gave them some instructions.

Mo Yuan returned to the living quarters where the female devotees were staying to watch over the Liu family’s mother and daughter. Thirty Thousand stayed here to keep an eye on Liu Deyi.

South Wind went down the mountain overnight and rushed back to Xunyang City.

Song Jingchen and Shen Yijia needed to find the place where those women were imprisoned first.

Jing’an Temple was poor. At night, the oil lamps everywhere were extinguished, and the surroundings were dark.

If not for the fact that martial arts practitioners’ five senses were much sharper, the two of them would have been blinded.

They searched every room in the temple. Even though the temple was not big, it took the two of them nearly two hours.

However, apart from a few rooms that were occupied, they only took a rough look to avoid alerting the enemy.

They had carefully checked the other houses, even the ground and walls. They didn’t find anything.

“Hubby, could it be that it’s not here?” Shen Yijia asked softly.

Song Jingchen pursed his lips and noticed that Shen Yijia’s face was red from the cold. He held her hand. “Perhaps. It’s too late today. Let’s go back and rest first. It won’t be too late to look for them at dawn.”

Shen Yijia was about to nod when she thought of something. Her eyes lit up and she grabbed Song Jingchen’s hand. She said excitedly, “I know. Piaopiao once told me that her family’s kiln is nearby. Could they have hidden them there?”

Song Jingchen’s gaze froze. He had been looking at the temple and had indeed overlooked this point.

The two of them flashed out of the temple. Song Jingchen had previously brought people to the deep mountains to find food, so he was very familiar with the mountains.

The earthen kiln was indeed not far from here. To be precise, it was on the back of the mountain, back to back with this temple.

A white light suddenly flashed across the dark sky. Shangguan Han, who had followed South Wind to the foot of the Jing’an Temple, looked in the direction of the white light and frowned. “Meng Jiang, bring some people to surround the foot of the mountain. The rest of you, follow me up.”

“I understand.”

The conversation between the mother and daughter also reached an impasse because of that slap.

The door was suddenly pushed open and Nanny Cai entered in a panic. “Madam, something bad has happened.”

Madam Zeng was heartbroken by Liu Piaopiao’s words and blamed herself for hitting her on the spur of the moment.

Just as she was at a loss, Nanny Cai’s words pulled her back to reality. She wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and frowned. “Why are you so flustered? You have no manners at all.”

“Madam, something happened over there.” Nanny Cai knelt down with a thud. Her voice was trembling, and she was clearly terrified.

Madam Zeng tightened her grip on her handkerchief, no longer as dignified as before. She took a few steps forward and asked sternly, “What’s going on? Didn’t I say not to act rashly tonight?”

After knowing that Young Master Shenzhi and his wife were going up the mountain, they instructed the operation today to be canceled.

“I only heard the bell in the upper room ring when I put it down. Could it be that the couple went to look for them?”

The bell was connected to the secret passage. Once someone touched the mechanism inside the secret passage, the people here would know.

Apart from them, there were only two people left on the mountain.

Without waiting for Madam Zeng to react, Liu Piaopiao suddenly stood up and asked, “Who’s that couple? Young Master Shenzhi and Jiajia are here?”

She did not know why her parents had captured those women, nor did she know where those women would end up.

However, Liu Piaopiao knew that once her parents’ deeds were exposed, they could forget about living.

Nanny Cai glanced at her with a complicated expression and said in a low voice, “Yes, they arrived in the afternoon.”

Liu Piaopiao felt her head buzz and she fell to the ground.

The reason why Jiajia came was because of her.