Chapter 155
Chapter 155
A few hours later, Jin Hui arrived at the Count of Xuanwu's Estate in a hurry. No one in the estate had been able to sleep. It was impossible. The verdict on the Gold Mountain Island dispute was imminent, and the fate of their house hung in the balance. The Countess, however, was not the least bit worried about the torrential rain pouring from the heavens.
It hadn’t rained for a long time, and the reservoir levels had dropped significantly. This downpour would channel the Nujiang River's waters into the reservoir, raising the levels. It was a good thing, and she saw no danger in it.
The Countess, though fierce in temperament, had a kind heart. She couldn't even imagine someone being wicked enough to break a dike and flood the estate's domain. Seeing Jin Hui rush in, she shot to her feet.
"Jin Hui, what's the verdict on the Gold Mountain Island dispute? Did we win?"
"We won."
The Countess was overjoyed.
"The ancestors have blessed us, the ancestors have blessed us! And our Lang is truly remarkable. I must praise him lavishly when he returns home."
Jin Hui didn't tell the Countess the secret about someone planning to break the dikes. Instead, he went straight to find Jin Jianniang. With Jin Hui, Jin Zhong, Jin Shiying, and Jin Zheng all away, Jin Jianniang was the commander of the private soldiers. At that moment, she stood in full military gear, her expression impassive, her posture gallant and imposing. Whenever Shen Lang wasn't around, she always wore a cold demeanor.
In truth, she held a secret she had never told anyone. The day Shen Lang had deliberately collided with a cavalry soldier to enter the estate, that soldier had been none other than Jin Jianniang herself. She had been wearing a helmet and full armor, concealing her identity completely.
"Jianniang, I need you to take command. Lead three hundred private soldiers and patrol the three northern dikes."
At Jin Hui’s words, Jin Jianniang’s fine eyebrows shot up.
"Brother, is someone trying to break the dikes to flood us?"
Jin Hui nodded.
"But we don't have enough warhorses. If we all go on foot, we'll arrive late. If something happens, we won't be able to coordinate and fight back."
"If you encounter the enemy, just watch them closely. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary. Our elite troops are all at the Nujiang Commandery hunting grounds. If you fight with the soldiers we have left, you will suffer losses."
"So you want us to just let them break the dikes? To stand by and watch them destroy our home?"
Jin Hui and Jin Jianniang were war orphans. They had been raised in the Count of Xuanwu's Estate since childhood and considered this place their home, this land their homeland.
"Don't worry. The Young Master has made preparations."
Just hearing the words "Young Master," Jin Jianniang's face instantly flushed, feeling as guilty as a thief caught in the act. Jin Hui wanted to say nothing, but in the end, he couldn't hold back.
"Jianniang, the Young Master is a remarkable man, but still... still...!"
For a moment, Jin Hui didn't know how to describe the Young Master. Should he call him a bad person? He couldn't bring himself to do it, nor did he dare. But to call him a good person? That didn't sit right with him either. No one knew better than Jin Hui what a scoundrel the Young Master could be. He had witnessed too much with his own eyes.
"Brother, if you speak ill of the Young Master, I won't speak to you for three days."
Her neck crimson, Jin Jianniang immediately turned and left to carry out her duties. Jin Hui couldn't help but mutter to himself.
"The Young Master has claimed another soul..."
When Jin Hui found Thirteen (formerly Tian Shisan), he was sitting in a dark corner, spacing out. It had been several months since he had come to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate.
*Wasn't I, Thirteen, a man of talent? When you, Master Shen, brought me to the estate, you didn't say you'd give me a great responsibility, nor did you promise to treat me with honors, but you didn't have to forget about me so completely, did you? Have you really forgotten I exist?*
For months, Thirteen hadn't had to worry about food or clothing, and his parents were living well here. His mother, in particular, had become good friends with Shen Lang's mother, Big Dummy's stepmother, Madam Song. The three of them would embroider and weave silk together every day. He had no idea how those three women had become so close. Meanwhile, Thirteen had been forgotten in a corner of the fortress, staring blankly day and night with nothing to do. His greatest fear was that his mother was looking to find him a wife, and that Big Dummy's stepmother, Madam Song, was looking everywhere for potential brides to act as a matchmaker. In a few days, he might even have to go on a blind date.
*Am I still an assassin of the underworld?*
His broken leg had already healed, but with nothing to do each day, he practiced his swordsmanship with a desperate, endless repetition. When Jin Hui appeared before him, Thirteen was staring blankly at the heavy rain outside.
*You finally came for me. I thought Shen Lang had long forgotten about me.*
How could he forget him? After all, even scrap paper has its use for wiping oneself, and a stick in the latrine has its purpose. Everything is useful for something.
Jin Hui said to him.
"Let's go. There's a mission for you."
Thirteen was thrilled. He shot to his feet, grabbed his sword, and headed outside. After so long without action, his body was itching for a fight. What was the mission? He didn't even think to ask. Anything was better than having nothing to do. If he had to stay idle any longer, he felt he would go mad.
***
Outside the residence where Shen Lang and Mulan were staying, Jin Hui called out.
"Miss Xiao Bing, I've come on the Young Master's orders."
A moment later, lights flickered on in the windows of the house within the courtyard, then most of them went out, leaving only a single bright window. A short while after, Xiao Bing emerged, her eyes hazy as if she had just woken up.
"What is it?"
"The Young Master sent me to retrieve the key to the number three underground secret chamber from you."
Xiao Bing tapped her head.
*Secret chamber number three, secret chamber number three.*
The Young Master was so annoying. He had over a dozen secret chambers in total, and before leaving, he had entrusted all the keys to her.
*I remember now, the key to secret chamber number three is over there.*
Xiao Bing retrieved a key, unlocked her master's room, took out a new key, unlocked the Young Master's secret chamber, took out another new key, unlocked the Young Master's chest, and finally took out the key from the third compartment. The entire process was smooth and familiar. How could it not be? Xiao Bing often snuck in silently at night to feel him up in an attempt to seduce him.
Jin Hui handed her a letter in Shen Lang's own hand. After reading it, Xiao Bing gave him the key. She let out a quiet sigh. She was wearing silk pajamas, and as she extended her arm, her fair, soft forearm was exposed. She quickly pulled her sleeve down to cover it.
"Everyone, close your eyes, don't look at my arm. I am the Young Master's woman."
Jin Hui and Thirteen said nothing. They took the key and left without another word. Jin Hui couldn't help but speak.
"He's sinned again... Thirteen, have you thought about getting married?"
Thirteen considered it, then nodded.
"If you want to take a wife, look outside. As long as the Young Master is here, you won't find a bride within our estate."
Thirteen deeply agreed with Jin Hui's words. Jin Hui went to the number three underground chamber and took out two large boxes, which he wrapped in multiple layers of oilcloth. The Young Master had given strict orders not to open the boxes or ask what was inside. Jin Hui handed one of the large boxes to Thirteen.
"This box must not get wet, and you must not open it. You are to go to the dike of Gushui Lake, find a spot twenty feet high, dig a hole, and push this box inside. Light the fuse and immediately get at least two thousand feet away. Once the dike explodes, creating a large breach and letting the floodwaters pour into Gushui Lake, your mission is complete."
"Understood."
Jin Hui continued.
"If anyone tries to stop you."
Thirteen finished his sentence.
"I will kill them without mercy."
"If you think you're going to lose, run with all your might. If you can't escape, light the fuse and take the enemy down with you. The box in your hands must never fall into enemy hands. Do you understand?"
"Understood."
Then, the two men mounted the fastest horses and went their separate ways, each to carry out his mission. One was to destroy the northern dike of Viscount Nanshan's estate, flooding the Zhu Clan. The other was to head for the eastern Gushui Lake dike, to breach it and divert the floodwaters.
At that very moment, Viscount Zhu Nanting was leading several hundred elite warriors, having stormed out of the Nujiang Commandery hunting grounds and racing toward Xuanwu City. It was crucial to act quickly while the rain fell.
***
The next morning, the heavy rain continued to fall. The weather was truly strange. Today was the day the results of the Gold Mountain Island dispute would be announced. At last, the ownership of the island would be settled upon one house. The magnificent robe Mulan had prepared finally had its chance to be worn. Standing beside Shen Lang, she looked so beautiful that she outshone countless other beauties. Of the several hundred people present, over a hundred were women, all of them young ladies or noblewomen from powerful clans, a veritable sea of beauties.
But Mulan could easily be called the most beautiful woman there. Shen Lang's vanity was immensely satisfied; he was incredibly proud of his wife. Soon, Shen Lang noticed that Viscount Zhu Nanting and Qiu Xiao, the Young Lord of Raging Tide City, were not present. As expected, his enemies had no intention of playing fair. When dealing with such shameless foes, one had to respond in kind, an eye for an eye. What kind of expression would Zhu Nanting wear when his tens of thousands of acres of manors and fields, his hundreds of acres of fortifications, and the centuries-old legacy of his family were all submerged and washed away?
"Silence!"
A single shout quieted the hall, and hundreds of people sat in orderly fashion, waiting. Prince Ning Qi spoke in a resonant voice.
"I hereby declare that the Gold Mountain Island dispute has officially concluded! The process was conducted with impartiality, and the result was determined with fairness. The final victor of the Gold Mountain Island dispute is the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, the Jin Clan. From this day forward, ownership of Gold Mountain Island will forever belong to the Jin Clan."
In the grand hall, Shen Lang and Mulan looked like a match made in heaven. Shen Lang, in particular, had changed his attire again. His robe was made of the most expensive patterned silk, lavishly adorned with gold thread and other precious materials, making him stand out even more. Among them, threads woven from animal sinew were especially eye-catching. Normally, animal sinew was used to make bows, but certain types of sinew reflected light, causing them to constantly shift in color, creating a rare and mystical appearance. Thus, the animal sinew played a significant role in accentuating Shen Lang's good looks. Of course, the price of such sinew was typically more than ten times that of gold, so one could only imagine the extravagance and splendor exuded by Shen Lang, whose robe was adorned with dozens of these threads.
Shen Lang, who loved to show off, had already changed his clothes four times in the less than three days he had been at the Nujiang Commandery hunting grounds. The one he wore today was the most expensive. Even those who didn't know Shen Lang were taken aback by his attire.
*Who is this man dressed so magnificently? The heir to a marquis? A young lord from some ducal estate?*
None of them knew he was the live-in son-in-law of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, a commoner from the countryside. Ah, well! It couldn't be helped. It was said that those of lower status clung more desperately to luxury. Some wealthy men never wore designer clothes or luxury watches in their lives, saying that things like Rolexes or Patek Philippes were only for fools. And people would praise such men, considering them remarkable. This was the reality, the truth. Humility is a precious virtue, but when an ordinary person is humble, it means nothing.
There was, however, one thing that marred the peerless beauty of Shen Lang's handsome face: the bite mark. A day later, far from fading, the bite mark had turned into a dark bruise, making it even more conspicuous. Strangely, upon seeing the bite mark on Shen Lang's face, the beautiful women present had a similar thought.
*Oh, how I envy Jin Mulan! To be able to bite such a handsome man's face. If it were me, I wouldn't have stopped at his face—I would have bitten him all over.*