"Can you go check on his condition for me? I'm so scared right now, terrified… that he might have fallen to his death? If that happens… would that count as me killing someone?"
Gu Changyuan asked Xie Licheng to go check for two reasons. First, he wanted to see if Xie Licheng would obey him. Thinking of those wolf-like eyes of Xie Licheng's, he always felt that someone like him wouldn't be very obedient.
If the other party refused to obey, then having witnessed something like this today, regardless of whether that person was alive or dead, he would have to find a way to send him far, far away.
Second, he truly didn't dare go over himself. No matter how strong his will was, he was still just a young master.
He was terrified that the man might be dead. Even if he hadn't killed him directly, he had still caused his death indirectly.
It was only natural that he felt afraid and guilty.
Since Xie Licheng happened to be here, he asked Xie Licheng to go check.
If the man was still alive, then of course he should be saved.
Although he understood that saving him would bring plenty of trouble, it was still better than inexplicably bearing the weight of a life on his conscience.
Xie Licheng walked forward while speaking to Gu Changyuan: "He was trying to harm you, young master. Even if you had accidentally killed him, this couldn't be blamed on you. What's more, you didn't actually kill him—you only lightly pricked him with your hairpin to protect yourself. If he carelessly fell to his death, that's just retribution for all the evil he's done. You have absolutely no reason to blame yourself for him."
Even in modern times, this couldn't be blamed on Gu Changyuan.
Let alone now—this wasn't modern times, but an ancient era where class mattered above all else.
The Gu family was considered a prestigious aristocratic clan. A guest who was merely staying with them—if he sought his own death on Gu family grounds, how could that possibly be Gu Changyuan's fault?
He was just scum. Dead was dead.
Gu Changyuan hadn't expected that a lowly horse groom could be so articulate.
After hearing his words, he really did feel less panicked than before.
Gu Changyuan asked quietly, "How is he? Can he still be saved?"
Xie Licheng crouched in front of the man and said coldly, "He's already dead. He landed on the back of his head and lost this much blood—there's no way he survived."
Xie Licheng had lived through the Apocalypse. He had killed many zombies and many people as well.
With this amount of blood loss, plus a hole that big in the back of his head, even if he weren't dead, he might as well be.
With the current medical conditions in this ancient era, there was no way to save him either.
Hearing that the man was dead, Gu Changyuan's body went limp and he nearly collapsed.
Fortunately, Xie Licheng reacted quickly enough and immediately moved to support him, preventing him from actually falling.
Gu Changyuan said, "I really didn't kill him. You have to believe me."
Hearing this, Xie Licheng replied, "I know. He fell and injured himself. It has nothing to do with you, young master."
Gu Changyuan said worriedly, "But will others believe that?"
He was an unmarried young master, appearing here in the dead of night, alone with a dead body.
When others found out about this, their first reaction would definitely be to think he had killed the man.
They would also gossip, suggesting he had some improper relationship with that person.
"Also, I came here with Concubine Xu and my younger sister. Concubine Xu must be in league with this man—I suspect she'll be bringing people here soon."
Hearing this, Xie Licheng's eyelids twitched. He reached out and pushed Gu Changyuan toward the exit.
"Then you truly can't stay here right now, young master. You should leave this place first."
"But… what about here?"
If Concubine Xu discovered her nephew was dead, she would definitely insist that Gu Changyuan had killed him.
Even if the Gu family was extremely wealthy, being entangled in a murder case would make it very difficult to protect Gu Changyuan.
"Leave it to me. Don't worry—I won't let anyone discover him."
"But…"
"No buts. Young master, go now!"
With these words, Xie Licheng gave him another push forward.
Gu Changyuan didn't know how Xie Licheng planned to handle it, but he also knew that staying wouldn't help anything.
He couldn't let Concubine Xu catch him red-handed. As long as he wasn't caught in the act, he would still be the esteemed eldest young master of the Gu family, and he would have enough time and money to deal with this matter.
If that horse groom happened to be caught, he would also do everything in his power to get him out.
With these thoughts, Gu Changyuan planned to return through the small gate. But unexpectedly, he ran into Concubine Xu and her group on the way.
They came searching in full force. With no other choice, Gu Changyuan turned and ran toward the outer courtyard.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xie Licheng had already sent the corpse into the Portable World.
Back in the Apocalypse in his previous life, Xie Licheng had been a lone wolf.
He had only ever stored livestock and such in the Portable World. This was the first time he had stored a person inside—and a person who had died not long ago, at that.
And then, just like that, with that one shove, he actually managed to stuff something out.
But thinking about how urgent the situation was, Xie Licheng didn't have time to pay attention to that little something.
After sending the person inside, he began sweating profusely as he cleaned up the bloodstains on the ground.
This really wasn't easy to clean. Xie Licheng scrubbed for a long time, and yet a heavy smell of blood still lingered in the air.
And just at that moment, a clamor of voices came from outside.
A woman said, "It's right around here. I saw it with my own eyes—that person is definitely a thief. You must search thoroughly and absolutely cannot let them escape."
Xie Licheng rolled his eyes hard at those words. He didn't continue foolishly scrubbing the bloodstains on the ground, but instead extinguished the candle inside the rockery and slipped out into the darkness.
He could have left silently, but in order to keep them from continuing to search the rockery, he deliberately made a bit of noise.
The people who had been drawn over by Concubine Xu immediately chased after the sound.
Seeing this, Concubine Xu hastily called out, "Hey, it should be around the rockery area—where are you all going?"
One of the guards shouted, "There really is a thief! He ran off in that direction—everyone, follow me in pursuit!"
Hearing this, Concubine Xu felt something was off.
Wasn't it agreed? She would draw people over to catch them in the act, and then blow the whole thing out of proportion?
Why did that fool run off?
Could it be… the one who ran was Gu Changyuan?
The moment she thought it might be Gu Changyuan who had fled, Concubine Xu also hurried after them.
Gu Changyuan, who had been hiding nearby and hadn't run far, saw this and slipped back into the inner residence through that small door from before.
He felt that the corpse would be difficult to deal with, and figured that horse slave must have deliberately lured those people away to help cover up his secret.
He had to find a few trustworthy people to go handle it before Concubine Xu and the others could react.
Gu Changyuan ran all the way back. He was much more familiar with the inner courtyard than the outer one.
Everyone in the main branch's quarters was his people too, so he didn't worry about running into danger later on.
He quickly made it back to his own courtyard and immediately called for his wet nurse and Xuancui.
Gu Changyuan kept it brief and told them everything that had happened before.
With someone to consult, he wasn't as scared as before, and gradually his trembling hands stopped shaking.
"Xuancui, take some people to help Concubine Xu's group catch the thief. Best if you can catch him before they do. If you're not confident about catching him, then at least don't let them catch him either."
Upon hearing this, Xuancui immediately accepted the order. She didn't dare delay at all and quickly headed outside.
Because she was in such a hurry, she nearly collided with Gu Yangxue, who had come looking for Gu Changyuan.
Seeing how urgent Xuancui seemed, Gu Yangxue asked with a bewildered look, "Xuancui, where are you off to?"
Xuancui didn't answer her question. She felt that today's near-disaster for the young master was all because of Gu Yangxue.
If it weren't for that concubine of hers causing so much trouble all the time, their young master wouldn't have to suffer such grievances.
Seeing that Xuancui wouldn't acknowledge her, Gu Yangxue felt a bit wronged herself.
Today her concubine mother had been very strange, taking her for a stroll around the outer garden.
After returning, she felt very uneasy inside, so after thinking it over, she decided to come find her brother.
She and her brother had a very close relationship. From a young age, she would occasionally stay at her brother's courtyard, and even though they didn't share the same mother, her brother doted on her dearly.
Whenever she encountered any trouble, she would instinctively come to find her brother.
Gu Yangxue stopped worrying about Xuancui's attitude toward her and continued walking into the courtyard.
In the past, whenever she wanted to see her brother, she could see him anytime.
But today she had come at an inconvenient time—when she arrived, her brother was bathing, and the young attendant by his side stopped her.
The young attendant Yanqiao smiled and said to Gu Yangxue, "Miss Xue has come at an unfortunate time. Our young master is currently bathing and will probably need another quarter of an hour. Why don't this servant take you to the side hall first, and then bring you to see the young master afterward?"
Gu Yangxue couldn't very well say no, so she could only follow Yanqiao into the side hall.
While she was being led to the side hall, Gu Changyuan's wet nurse found two martial maidservants, and without carrying any lanterns, they rushed toward the outer courtyard in the dark.
They walked quickly and urgently, each wearing a grave expression.
They had expected to find a hideous corpse when they reached the spot.
But when they actually arrived, all they found on the ground were some bloodstains—not a single trace of a person.
Seeing this, the wet nurse didn't have time to think it over and immediately ordered them to clean up quickly.
No matter where that corpse had gone, they needed to clear this place first.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xie Licheng was relying on his Golden Finger to lead the pursuers on a merry chase.
His original plan had been simple: lure the people away first.
Make them think a thief had really broken in, and draw them to the outer courtyard's side rooms or somewhere else.
Then he would find a way to go back and deal with the bloodstains. But unexpectedly, while leading them around, he ran into Xuancui.
He recognized Xuancui—she was the head maidservant by the eldest young master's side, deeply trusted and favored by him.
Her appearance here clearly meant that Gu Changyuan was already safe.
As long as Concubine Xu and the others hadn't personally witnessed Gu Changyuan together with that dead man, even if they later discovered the bloodstains, there would be no way to pin this matter on Gu Changyuan.
So at this moment, Xie Licheng wanted to directly hide inside the Portable World. As long as he hid himself and later found a way to return to the stable, this matter would have nothing to do with him either.
Even if Concubine Xu later discovered her nephew was missing and found that pool of bloodstains in the rockery, at most it would be connected to… the thief she spoke of.
But before he could hide himself, Xuancui waved at him, clearly signaling for him to follow her.
Xie Licheng looked at the bloodstains on his own hands, hesitated for a moment, and still followed her.