Lü Ying knelt on the ground, her green dress slipping off her shoulders, revealing her fair, fragrant skin. Her small face was filled with bitterness. Behind the screen, Lü Yuan trembled in fear. She hadn’t even had a chance to act before a small sword was already hovering in front of her. If she so much as dared to move a step, that sword would pierce her throat.
“No one sent me,” Lü Ying said, her face full of despair. This failed assassination attempt must be Heaven’s will. If that was the case, then she would just accept death. Her family was already gone, and dying now might allow her to reunite with them on the Road to the Underworld.
After speaking, Lü Ying closed her eyes.
At that moment, Lin Ce’s brows furrowed tightly. He studied Lü Ying carefully. Earlier, she had used the Wind Chant Magic Sound technique. In his previous life, when he dragged his broken body back to Bianjing to assassinate the mastermind behind the Old Grain Transport Case, he had encountered a woman who used that same technique. Because of it, his plan failed, and he was hunted down. Even Su Nanqiao had been surrounded by seven top experts, and the two of them were forced to leap off a cliff to their deaths.
Though he had never seen that woman’s face, Lin Ce was now certain that Lü Ying was one of the experts who had pursued him in his past life. However, at this moment, she possessed no cultivation whatsoever, and her use of Wind Chant Magic Sound was clumsy, which was why Lin Ce had been able to react in time.
“If you won’t speak, you’ll die!” Su Nanqiao didn’t hesitate. She raised her sword to kill Lü Ying.
“Wait!” Lin Ce quickly climbed out of the wooden tub.
He was completely bare, only droplets of water running down his body. Su Nanqiao stared at him, her gaze slowly drifting downward.
“Don’t kill her yet!” Lin Ce shouted as he stepped out of the tub.
The three women in the room all turned to look at him, and only then did Lin Ce realize he wasn’t wearing anything. A chill brushed past, and he looked down.
“Damn it, where are my clothes?” he cried, face full of embarrassment. He scrambled to put on his clothes. This was truly awkward. Although Su Nanqiao was his fiancée, they weren’t married yet. And now she had seen everything?
Not to mention, even the Lü sisters had seen it.
“Why are you keeping her alive?” Su Nanqiao’s cheeks were slightly flushed, and Lin Ce’s naked figure kept flashing through her mind. But what annoyed her more was that both Lü Ying and Lü Yuan had seen him too. That alone meant they deserved to die.
Lin Ce, now dressed, slowly walked up to Lü Ying. He crouched in front of her and asked, “What’s your relation to Lü Haoguang?”
The moment Lü Ying and Lü Yuan heard that name, their eyes turned bloodshot. The hatred in their gaze toward Lin Ce deepened.
In the Old Grain Transport Case, 5 million shi of grain and 3 million taels of silver had vanished. The Emperor was furious. As a result, a thorough investigation was launched along the southern canal route, and many heads rolled.
Lü Haoguang, the top official in charge of canal transport in Jiangnan, was held responsible. His household was raided, and he was executed. All 24 members of the Lü family were wiped out—every male executed, and the women exiled to the borderlands. Lin Ce had heard every detail from his grandfather.
Whenever his grandfather spoke of Lü Haoguang, it was always with deep regret. Lü Haoguang had been his most promising student, yet ended up dragged into the case and lost his life, bringing down his entire family.
And now, Lü Ying and Lü Yuan were very likely Lü Haoguang’s daughters.
“Lin Ce, your Lin family deserves death! If not for you, how would the Lü family have suffered such tragedy?” Lü Ying snapped viciously. She was prepared to die. Since her assassination had failed, she might as well go see her family in the afterlife.
Lin Ce fell silent.
He never imagined that one of the seven top experts who had hunted him in his past life was actually Lü Haoguang’s daughter.
Those seven experts had long been on Lin Ce’s must-kill list. Now that he knew the truth, he was unsure how to proceed.
Su Nanqiao’s gaze also flickered with surprise. After her rebirth, she had investigated the backgrounds of the seven top experts. The most mysterious one was the woman who used Wind Chant Magic Sound. She hadn’t expected to meet her today.
And that woman turned out to be Lü Ying.
“Nanqiao, let her go,” Lin Ce said with a bitter smile.
Su Nanqiao frowned, clearly reluctant, but still withdrew her sword. However, she struck the acupoints of the Lü sisters to prevent them from making another move.
“I remember you were exiled to the borderlands. So how did you end up here?” Lin Ce asked curiously. The fate of the Lü sisters should’ve been grim. As daughters of a convicted official, they would have likely been treated as military prostitutes at the frontier—true hell on earth.
“Why should I tell you?” Lü Ying scoffed coldly. “Kill me if you want. Failing to assassinate you today must be Heaven’s will. But even in death, I’ll never forgive you. Your whole Lin family should go kneel before my father in the Underworld and beg for forgiveness!”
Before Lin Ce could reply, Su Nanqiao had already lost her patience.
“Your Lü family was raided and executed. What does that have to do with the Lin family?” she snapped. “It was the Emperor who gave the order. Why don’t you go take revenge on him instead?”
Lü Ying was speechless, but Lü Yuan clenched her fists and said, “If it weren’t for the Lin family sending my father to Jiangnan, none of this would’ve happened. My father was abandoned by the Lin family. The Old Grain Transport Case had nothing to do with us, but Prime Minister Lin still let my father take the fall!”
Hearing this, Lin Ce could only sigh in helplessness. This had never been his grandfather’s intent. Once the imperial machinery was in motion, someone had to take the blame for the Old Grain Transport Case. Even if his grandfather wanted to protect Lü Haoguang, he likely couldn’t.
There were too many tangled threads behind it all, and as a Lin family member, Lin Ce couldn’t even argue back.
“Enough talking. Let’s just kill them,” Su Nanqiao said coldly. Lü Ying had been one of those who had chased her and Lin Ce to their deaths in the past life. Killing her now would remove one more enemy.
“Let them go,” Lin Ce shook his head. “If my grandfather were here, he’d do the same.”
Su Nanqiao frowned even deeper. She hadn’t expected that.
“You’re letting us go?” Lü Ying was stunned. She had just tried to assassinate him.
“Failing to protect your Lü family was the Lin family’s failure. In this turbulent world, our Lin family has been walking a thin line too,” Lin Ce said. “This assassination settles the score. We’re even.”
“If you want trouble, go find my grandfather. The old man’s probably bored anyway,” Lin Ce added with a shrug.
That last line nearly made Su Nanqiao and the Lü sisters burst a rib.
Su Nanqiao’s face went black as she looked at Lin Ce in disbelief.
“I won’t pursue today’s matter. Leave,” Lin Ce said, waving his hand.
Lü Ying and Lü Yuan stared at him in disbelief but quickly stood and left the room.
The door had been kicked crooked earlier. Su Nanqiao walked over, fixed it back into place, closed it, then returned and sat down.
But now, Lin Ce’s mind was filled with questions.
“Why are you here?” he asked.