Master... Master?
Shen Yao looked at the girl opposite her, mouth slightly open, gaze dull, her expression momentarily frozen.
She stared at Mu Qinglan for a few seconds, shook her head, and replied seriously:
"I'm sorry, I don't have that kind of feeling for Miss Mu."
Mu Qinglan laughed: "Is it because you don't trust me? Or do you have other concerns? Miss Shen, you should know that many people would like to call me that but don't have the chance."
Shen Yao just shook her head.
Seeing her unwillingness, Mu Qinglan had no intention of forcing her.
After all, temporarily bringing the other party under her command was already an unexpected delight. As for loyalty and further advances, she could train her slowly and proceed gradually.
With the intelligence from the game as her foundation, Mu Qinglan wasn't worried about not being able to handle this genius.
She knew very well how deep Shen Yao's obsession with revenge ran—
In the future, she would even give up her high position and generous salary as the Deputy Commander of the Six Bureaus, preferring to be hunted by Great Xia and become a wanted criminal, just to take revenge on the group of generals who had destroyed Yan back then.
This was also the origin of [Ice Calamity].
As long as she demonstrated a genuine ability to help her seek revenge.
Mu Qinglan believed that sooner or later, Shen Yao would willingly call her master.
She had that capability.
The pitter-patter of rain seeped in from outside the window.
Breaking the silence within.
After a long while, Mu Qinglan sighed and returned to the original topic, speaking earnestly:
"Miss Shen, let's talk about the assassination attempt on me. Before tonight, send people to search Secretary Li's mansion in the southern part of the city. Any problems with that?"
Shen Yao pondered briefly, hesitating:
"With my position, I can indeed take action first and report later, sending people to conduct a search, but regardless, I'll have to give an explanation to my superiors afterward."
"You're my person now; naturally, I won't let things become difficult for you."
Mu Qinglan offered reassurance.
Although they were temporarily in a one-sided coerced partnership, in her words, she was already treating the other party as her subordinate.
Shen Yao glanced at her but didn't say much, only saying:
"The people behind Secretary Li will also act when the time comes. If you want to do something, you need to be quick. A quarter of an hour, can you manage it?"
"I can," Shen Yao nodded, "I'll try to stall for you, but mobilizing guards to gather for a home search will also take about half that time. You should note this in advance. If it's delayed any longer, I can't guarantee there won't be unexpected incidents—there are quite a few high officials in the southern part of the city. Besides this, is there anything else you want me to do?"
"Of course, come here."
Mu Qinglan beckoned, whispering a few sentences in her ear that made Shen Yao frown.
She hesitated and asked: "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"..."
Mu Qinglan's plan was very simple, even simple to the point of being outlandish. As she explained her plan, Shen Yao tried to advise her against it to avoid unnecessary trouble, but Mu Qinglan didn't listen.
Their positions were now different.
So Shen Yao could only stand silently to one side, looking out the window.
As she watched the raindrops outside, she wondered if this princess had become arrogant because she knew her secret and could threaten her.
How dare she falsely accuse an imperial official!
Did she really take others for fools?
If the Ministry of Justice discovered this, it would be a capital offense. Even with their status, they would pay a huge price.
"Childish..."
Shen Yao thought to herself.
As a temporary partner, she should have advised Mu Qinglan that this plan had no chance of success, but her nature was cold, and she wasn't one to lecture others.
So she had merely offered token advice.
And her impression of Mu Qinglan rapidly declined.
Childish, bold, lawless, with a bit of cleverness...
Indeed, finding a truly helpful partner wasn't so easy.
After helping this "princess" clean up the mess she had created, they would each go their separate ways, pretending nothing had happened—she had already indulged her once; if she still dared to threaten her with that matter, they would both perish!
Even if it was a matter of life and death—
Shen Yao would never let this secret bind her for life.
Thinking this, Shen Yao glanced at Mu Qinglan, finding the beautiful princess's plan increasingly absurd.
○
In a basement somewhere in Heyang City.
Candlelight flickered.
Li Xin, the Secretary of the Revenue Bureau in the Ministry of Revenue, paced around the room, occasionally wiping sweat, appearing extremely nervous.
After a long while, a flash of anxiety crossed Li Xin's eyes, and he couldn't help but look into the darkness and ask:
"That princess, are you sure you handled it properly?"
"She's as dead as can be," a voice came from the darkness.
Li Xin asked again: "But Prince Qi's mansion has been on high alert since morning with no other movement. Could there be something unexpected?"
"With Mu Qinglan's personality, if she could be assassinated without making it known, would she have such a reputation in the capital?"
The person asked in return.
Li Xin was momentarily speechless, knowing he was overly concerned. But this wasn't his fault; after all, she was the only daughter of a second-rank Martial Saint. If she died, it would surely raise a terrifying storm throughout the Great Xia.
Perhaps many things would have to be reshuffled.
Thinking this, his eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of excitement.
The future great era that those demons spoke of was exactly the opportunity for ambitious people like him.
For this, he was willing to secretly support the Crown Prince, collude with demon, and even risk himself by providing lodging for demon spies and assassins, all in hopes of climbing higher.
And last night, that demon assassin, after lying in wait for half a year, finally committed a shocking crime.
—Assassinating the princess.
"I'm not questioning your ability," Li Xin explained, "but after all, that's a second-rank, a nation-protecting existence of which Great Xia only has a few... his daughter might have some precious life-saving item."
"Life-saving?"
A sneer came from the darkness.
In the flickering firelight, it illuminated her delicate figure gradually emerging from the shadows.
She was a young woman of about twenty, with black hair and gray eyes. Though not tall, her every movement carried a captivating and dangerous wildness.
"A useless person who doesn't even have a rank, how could treasures protect her? Besides, a second-rank Martial Saint's strength lies in combat power; they know nothing of arrays or alchemy. How could his daughter resist the blood essence specially refined for her by our clan's second-rank Demon Saint?"
In her view, once the Demon Saint's blood essence was used, Mu Qinglan would certainly die.
So she no longer kept it secret.
"The Demon Saint's blood essence is normally a great supplement, but Mu Qinglan was born weak, with a cold constitution. This supplement would be a great poison for her. And this blood essence has been refined, evaporating extremely quickly and not triggering detoxification treasures. I only needed to sprinkle that drop of blood essence in the courtyard, and within at most half a quarter-hour, she would die suddenly.
It's just a pity to waste that great one's heart blood.That's a treasure hard to come by even with a thousand gold."
Li Xin breathed a sigh of relief.
In the shadows, the woman shook her head regretfully, her expression relaxed, her eyes full of self-satisfaction.
Although the heart blood was precious, regardless, this difficult task was finally completed.
She was certain she had left no evidence.
Presumably, after some time, even the Demon Saint far in the west would receive this good news. By then, perhaps her name would also be remembered by the important figures in the clan.
Then, a breakthrough would be possible.
Thinking of the fourth-rank barrier that had troubled her for so long, the woman couldn't help but get excited.
Would she finally have the chance to access the most top-tier powers in the world?!
The two people in the dark room were secretly excited.
It seemed everything was within their grasp.
And at this moment, the panicked voice of a servant sounded outside the secret room:
"Master, it's bad! The Six Bureaus have broken in!"
Hearing this, Li Xin was stunned, showing an expression of disbelief. After glancing at the darkness, he quickly left the secret room, made sure it was properly closed, and then opened the door to the back room.
Before he could question anything, the constables pounced on him like wolves and tigers, restraining him.
"What are you doing?! I am a fifth-rank secretary of the imperial court, who dares to touch me! Call your chief constable over!"
Li Xin shouted in anger and shock.
Before he could finish, a large man kicked him in the knee, and with a thud, he was pressed to the ground.
"Don't you know what you've done?!" the large man mocked.
The immaculate official robe was pressed into the dust.
Water pooled around.
Feeling the disgusting, wet, sticky sensation on his cheek, seeing the constables walking back and forth, and the water splashing onto his face, Li Xin grew increasingly angry.
This anger was directed not only at the Six Bureaus but also at the assassin.
She had said there absolutely wouldn't be any problems!
Hadn't this just given others a handle to find them?!
He was usually pampered and had never been treated like this.
But no matter how angry he was, he hadn't lost his rationality. No matter what, he would never admit to harboring a fifth-rank demon assassin in his home—
That was a crime punishable by the extermination of his entire family.
The only thing he couldn't understand now was why the constables of the Six Bureaus were able to find his place so precisely.
It shouldn't be possible!!
Was that assassin really so useless?
"Do you know who I am? This is torture!"
Li Xin continued to shout vigorously.
And at this moment, he heard the sound of a wheelchair rolling over the stone pavement.
Someone in the Six Bureaus used a wheelchair?
Li Xin was curious and couldn't help but look up. But when he saw the face of the white-haired girl in the wheelchair, his expression instantly changed, his heart went numb, and an indescribable terror appeared on his face.
Isn't this the one the assassin targeted last night?!
Wasn't she dead?!!!
Damn it, that demon deceived me!!
Not far away, from atop the wheelchair, Mu Qinglan fully observed the changes in his expression—from curiosity to shock, then to disbelief.
As if he never imagined she could appear here today.
Yes, why indeed?
Is it because...
You thought I was already dead?
Mu Qinglan coldly watched his spectacular performance, the corner of her mouth slightly curling upward, a hint of unsurprised laughter in her blood-red eyes, as if...
Everything was within her grasp.