Chapter 241
Chapter 241
Years ago, the former Marquis Zhenyuan, Su Jian, wrote a secret letter to the Count of Xuanwu at the time, Jin Yu, inviting him to discuss a matter of great importance. The letter was vague, not mentioning any specifics, but it was clear enough that Su Jian intended to pledge his allegiance to Ning Yuanwu. Such matters should have been discussed secretly in person, but Marquis Zhenyuan was on the front lines, at war with the State of Wu. Thus, he sent his son, Su Nan, to deliver the letter. Count Jin Yu, however, refused, vowing never to involve himself in the struggle for the throne.
Just when everyone believed Ning Yuanwu would win the struggle for the throne, a general named Bian Wu defected to the State of Yue, bringing with him an army of one hundred thousand soldiers and territory from the State of Wu spanning three commanderies. This event had a profound impact on the war between the State of Wu and the State of Yue, ultimately leading to a great victory for Yue. Bian Wu, who had earned the greatest merit in that war, then made his stance clear: he supported the Crown Prince, Ning Yuanxian. With that, Crown Prince Ning Yuanxian, who had been at a disadvantage, turned his desperate situation around in an instant and finally ascended to the throne.
From that day forward, Bian Wu became Ning Yuanxian's staunchest political ally. That is why, for the past twenty-odd years, no one has dared to cross Bian Wu, no matter how insolently he behaves. When Ning Yuanxian won the struggle for the throne, the Su Clan was incredibly fortunate. It was a stroke of luck. The Su Clan had nearly pledged their allegiance to Ning Yuanwu, a move that would have brought disaster upon their family. In essence, the Jin Clan had saved the Su Clan. The reason Marquis Su Jian had not declared his political allegiance at the time was that he was waiting for a reply from Count Jin Yu.
Once Ning Yuanxian took the throne, the purges began. The generals and ministers who had sided with Ning Yuanwu during the succession struggle were mostly either executed or stripped of their titles. The Su Clan was absolutely terrified. Ever since, Marquis Su Nan had been exceptionally obedient, supporting the King's every word out of a guilty conscience. Moreover, the Su Clan became even more amicable toward the Jin Clan. They were afraid the Jin Clan might present that secret letter to the King. Eventually, Su Nan, who had since become the Marquis Zhenyuan, arranged a marriage between his son, Su Jianting, and the newborn Jin Mulan.
Seven or eight years ago, as the two were preparing for their formal engagement ceremony, Marquis Su Nan suddenly brought up the secret letter to Count Jin Zhuo. Count Jin Zhuo claimed he had burned the letter in front of his wife, Su Peipei. Marquis Su Nan did not believe him and demanded that Count Jin Zhuo produce the letter. How could he produce a letter that had already been burned? Jin Zhuo swore to the heavens that it no longer existed.
That night, the two families had a bitter argument, and relations soured. However, Count Jin Zhuo's character was unimpeachable, and Su Peipei also swore on her ancestors that the letter had indeed been burned. Thus, the Su Clan came to believe that Jin Zhuo had truly destroyed it.
Then, the political climate in the kingdom shifted. Rumors began to circulate that the King intended to turn the blade of his new reforms against the Jin Clan. The Su Clan promptly distanced themselves from the Jin Clan, and the engagement between Su Jianting and Jin Mulan was completely broken off.
Though relations between the two families had become irrevocably strained, the Su Clan recently received information from a reliable source that Count Jin Zhuo had not, in fact, burned the letter. That was why they had launched this surprise attack on the Count of Xuanwu's Estate.
Su Jianting spoke in a cold tone.
"My Lady, hand it over now. Or I will kill this girl, and then everyone else in this room!"
The Countess, Su Peipei, glared at Su Jianting with cold eyes and spoke in an icy voice.
"Fine. I'll give it to you! I'll hand it over!"
She then left the main hall and went into her husband's study. A short while later, she returned with a wooden box. Looking at Su Jianting, she said.
"Hand over the person as you take the item!"
A chill ran down Su Jianting's spine.
*'Yes, that's the box. So the Jin Clan never burned the letter after all. This is far too dangerous.'*
Had Jin Zhuo truly burned the letter all those years ago? At the time, he had. He had burned the letter right in front of his wife. The letter Su Jianting was now looking at was a forgery, one that Shen Lang had spent several days creating. He had not made just one copy, either. The one in this box was undoubtedly the 'real' one. (Shen Lang had forged several versions of the letter, some with altered contents, but this one was a perfect replica of the original, hence its authenticity.)
Shen Lang had not anticipated Su Jianting's attack on the estate, but he had fabricated a copy of the burned letter as part of a future strategy to ensnare the Su Clan. He never imagined that particular arrangement would be used like this.
Su Peipei said to him.
"Release her!"
"Bring the box."
Su Peipei handed over the box. A master at Su Jianting's side took it and opened it cautiously. Su Jianting, donning silver gloves, opened the box, took out the letter, and read it quickly. In this situation, he had no choice but to be quick. The contents were far too dangerous to be seen by anyone else. He had been just a boy when the original letter was sent and had never seen it himself. Therefore, he had to judge its authenticity based on his grandfather Su Jian's handwriting and seal. The letter was unmistakably in his grandfather's script, and its contents matched those of the original letter. The seal stamped upon it was also genuine.
How could Su Jian's handwriting and seal be real? Because they were. They were all real. Shen Lang had painstakingly cut out individual characters from Su Jian's own writings, assembled them to form the letter's text, and then commissioned a renowned mounting master to turn it into a seamless document. This was the same technique Wang Lian had used to frame Shen Lang for plagiarism.
Su Jianting laughed out loud.
"Haha, what a treacherous heart! You claimed to have burned the letter, but you never did. The Count of Xuanwu is nothing but a petty villain!"
Then, Su Jianting set the 'secret letter' ablaze. Now, the potential threat was completely eliminated. Su Peipei then said to him.
"You have what you came for. Now leave. The Jin Clan will never welcome you."
Su Jianting's eyes grew cold.
"By now, the Count of Xuanwu must be dead, Shen Lang is dead, and Jin Mulan is as good as a living corpse. That leaves you as the only one who knows the truth. Therefore, Su Peipei, you must also die! Kill her!"
At Su Jianting's command, a dozen masters rushed forward to kill Su Peipei.
"Protect the Countess!"
At An Zaishi's command, everyone in the hall, armed or not, charged forward.
*Swish, swish, swish.*
The masters Su Jianting had brought were too skilled; in the blink of an eye, more than a dozen people in the hall lay dead or wounded. An Zaishi's martial arts were formidable, but he could handle two opponents at most. Su Peipei was filled with an indescribable rage.
*'Is this my family? Is this my nephew? Just you wait! When Lang'er returns, I'll have him slaughter your entire Su Clan! Every last one of you!'*
Su Peipei drew her sword with a flourish.
"Su Peipei, what good will drawing a weapon do now? Do you even remember how to use a sword?"
Despite Su Jianting's taunt, she said nothing and lunged at him with her sword. After only three strokes, the familiar feeling returned. Just how skilled was Su Peipei in martial arts? Years ago, she had claimed she would become a grandmaster, and she had not been boasting. Had she not neglected her training after her marriage, she truly would have become a grandmaster. Despite years of neglecting her training, her martial skill was still superior to Mulan's.
In the blink of an eye, Su Peipei and Su Jianting had exchanged dozens of blows. She was a bit rusty at first, but as her old instincts returned, she fought him to a standstill. Just then, Su Peipei noticed that Xiao Bing hadn't fled and was still standing nearby. Su Peipei shouted at her.
"Bing'er, run!"
Xiao Bing, seeing her chance, moved forward to get a clear shot, took out her Storm of Pear Blossoms device again, and pressed the trigger.
*Whizz, whizz, whizz, whizz.*
Another volley of countless poison needles shot out. In an instant, three of Su Jianting's masters fell dead, struck by Shen Lang's poison needles.
"Kill that wretched girl."
At Su Jianting's command, a master from the Su Clan darted toward Xiao Bing like a bolt of lightning, his sharp blade aimed for her neck.
"No, no!"
Su Peipei let out a desperate cry. Ignoring Su Jianting, she lunged toward Xiao Bing. She loved that girl as if she were her own daughter.
*Schlick!*
Su Peipei felt a searing pain in her back. Su Jianting's vicious sword had seized the opening and struck her. She had dodged quickly, but a deep gash still opened on her back, blood spurting from the wound. The Su master's blade swung down, and Xiao Bing was moments from death. But in the next instant, his sword sliced through empty air as his neck and face were riddled with poison needles. He was killed instantly. The momentum of his swing carried the blade down near Xiao Bing's head, slicing off a lock of her hair. This time, Xiao Bing was so terrified she wet herself. The Su master had died a miserable death.
*'Damn that venomous little witch. Just how many needles does that thing hold?'*
Seeing this, Su Jianting roared in fury.
"Kill them! Kill them all! Everyone in this hall, man, woman, or child—kill every last one of them!"
As his masters began to kill with renewed frenzy, a figure suddenly appeared before Su Jianting.
"Su Jianting, I... I know you. It's wrong to kill the elderly and children!"
Martial Fanatic Tang Yan strode into the hall and drew his sword. Damn it! It was a familiar scene. With every swing of his sword, a man fell. It wasn't even a proper technique. In a flash, four or five of Su Jianting's masters were dead. Su Jianting's blood ran cold. To be frank, in terms of pure internal energy, Tang Yan was his inferior, and Su Jianting did not fear him. But this martial fanatic possessed an astonishing, innate talent for the sword. Even without his Heavenly Meteor Sword Style, he could still kill with terrifying ease. With the martial fanatic's arrival, the tide of battle turned instantly. Su Jianting knew he could no longer kill Su Peipei.
"Retreat! Let's go!"
Su Jianting gave the order to withdraw without hesitation. He had already burned the item he came for, anyway. After three more of the Su Clan's masters fell, Su Jianting took the five remaining survivors and vanished into the darkness. When the fierce battle was over, Su Peipei looked at the bodies on the floor. There were more than twenty-nine in total. They were her most loyal servants. When she was in danger, they had thrown themselves into the fray to save her, unafraid of death.
"Su Jianting! Su Nan! Estate of the Marquis Zhenyuan, just you wait! When Lang'er returns, you will be his next target. I will have him slaughter your entire family! I'll kill every last one of you!"