Chapter 590
Chapter 590
Such a grand scheme was clearly the work of the Hidden Yuan Society.
For months, the Hidden Yuan Society had been laying the groundwork, pulling in Imperial Consort Bian, and even Shen Lang.
If Shen Lang’s predictions were correct, the Hidden Yuan Society intended to detonate this shocking scandal at a critical moment.
They would reveal that the esteemed Lotus Pavilion was involved in the sinful business of kidnapping and selling innocent children.
Then, they would implicate both Imperial Consort Bian and Shen Lang, creating a scandal that would stun the world and make it impossible for them to clear their names.
However, Ning Zheng's unexpected Spring Thunder Operation had nearly wiped out the Lotus Pavilion ahead of schedule.
But this raised a question.
The fact that Young Master Lotus, Yan Jin, was the mastermind behind the brothel was a top secret that had even deceived Imperial Consort Bian. How had Ning Zheng found out?
Did the Hidden Yuan Society intentionally leak the information?
On that matter, Madman Lan spoke up.
“No, sir. I was the one who discovered it. As you know, Young Master, I have a photographic memory and spent a long time among the beggars. So I know the dirty deeds of the lowest class like the back of my hand. Furthermore, when I was at the Sunflower Brothel, I saw them kidnap an exceptionally beautiful girl. My brothers and I tried to save her, but we failed. Lan Yi, Lan Liu, and Lan Qi even had their limbs broken back then. That was several years ago.”
Madman Lan and the Ten Lan Brothers, despite living in the mud pit of the beggar community, had never sullied their character.
Madman Lan continued.
“A few days ago, I went to the Gold Mountain Pavilion to buy a gift for Han Nu.”
Shen Lang was taken aback by this.
‘Hey, Madman Lan. Aren't you getting a little too full of yourself? Going to a luxurious place like the Gold Mountain Pavilion that just burns money? Ah, I almost forgot. I'm the one who created it.’
“Continue.”
“At the Gold Mountain Pavilion, I realized that the beautiful girl who greeted me was the same one I had failed to save years ago. After some indirect questioning, I found out she had been sent from the Lotus Pavilion to the Gold Mountain Pavilion to learn the trade. So, I boldly speculated that the Lotus Pavilion might not be a clean establishment, and upon investigation, I discovered it was a place that committed the foulest sins in the world.”
So that was how it happened.
“Young Master, has this incident led to severe consequences?”
Shen Lang nodded at Madman Lan's question.
“But it's fortunate you discovered it early. Otherwise, that kidnapped girl would have made her way into my home, even into my bed, and by then it would have been too late for everything.”
It was truly an unavoidable conspiracy.
The relationship between the Lotus Pavilion and Shen Lang had unknowingly grown so close, and many girls who had studied at the Lotus Academy were already working at the Gold Mountain Pavilion.
Just as Young Master Lotus said, Shen Lang too had become tainted by this affair.
“Young Master, what should we do?”
Madman Lan asked.
If they were to arrest Young Master Lotus, Yan Jin, the scandal of the Lotus Pavilion would erupt, implicating both Imperial Consort Bian and Shen Lang's Gold Mountain Pavilion.
It was a case of trying to sweep everything away only to sweep oneself up, trying to burn it all down only to get burned.
Shen Lang was better off.
He wasn't one to care about reputation or face.
But Imperial Consort Bian had a noble reputation and was almost flawless.
Moreover, she wasn't a hypocrite; she was genuinely without fault.
She was Ning Zheng's greatest backer in the palace.
Confiscating the Lotus Pavilion's assets would be tantamount to tarnishing her reputation.
“Your Highness, what are your thoughts?”
At Shen Lang's question, Ning Zheng remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“The saying that 'justice lies in the hearts of the people' is wrong. Because most people in this world don't care about the truth, nor do they truly seek justice. And yet, that saying is also true. Because justice lies within my own heart!”
Ning Zheng's words were magnificent.
This was precisely why Shen Lang held Ning Zheng in high regard.
He understood the crux of any matter, saw through everything, yet still held fast to a pure heart.
His wise mind allowed him to see through deceptions and perceive the truth.
His stubbornly resolute nature ensured he never abandoned his path midway or blindly followed the crowd.
“I want to do it!”
“Very well. Then let's do it!”
Shen Lang was exceptionally clever, always finding solutions from outside the box to resolve crises, handling matters smoothly as he pleased.
But some things were not so black and white, and could not be handled so smoothly.
* * *
Young Master Lotus, Yan Jin, was pouring himself a drink when his wife, Bian Xin, spoke.
“Husband, we have everything. Why must we engage in such a filthy business?”
“How could we possibly have everything? If not for that business, where would the gold and treasures come from each year? How could we enjoy our power and status? Without that money, how could we have managed the Lotus Pavilion and the Lotus Academy? How could we have gained this sacred reputation, and how could we have risen to the pinnacle of high society? To be blunt, if I didn't have that reputation two years ago, would you have even married me? Without that reputation, could I have passed the civil and military examinations? Could I have befriended the crown prince? I am thirty-two this year, but I am merely the scion of a fallen house.”
Thirty-two? Wasn't Yan Jin twenty-three?
Yan Jin said with a laugh.
“Without power, I couldn't even change my name and age. This world is like a gambling den; only those with guts and a black heart can play and win.”
“Shen Lang is a madman. He wouldn't dare do anything to me, but I'm worried he'll arrest you, husband, or even kill you!”
“Hahahaha... So what if Shen Lang is formidable? Hasn't he been playing right into my hands? Arrest and kill me? In his dreams! I am already a renowned great talent in the capital. And how noble are the Lotus Pavilion and the Lotus Academy! The moment they arrest me, the scandal will explode. Shen Lang's involvement is a small matter, but Imperial Consort Bian and the Bian Clan will be implicated as well! The Bian Clan is Ning Zheng's greatest backer. Would he dare? He wouldn't!
Four or five of the attendants serving guests in Shen Lang's Gold Mountain Pavilion are all kidnapped girls. They alone are enough to prove the Gold Mountain Pavilion's guilt. Shen Lang also takes money from us every month. How can he claim innocence? Isn't the new plaque at the Lotus Academy written by Imperial Consort Bian herself? Shen Lang may seem impressive, but he's just a cunning man who pursues profit and avoids harm.
What a pity. This matter was exposed too soon. Otherwise, I would have placed that kidnapped girl right into Shen Lang's bed. Then, even if he jumped into the sea, he would never be able to wash away the stain on his name. Shen Lang and Ning Zheng are both laughable fools. Their so-called Spring Thunder Operation will end with a whimper, not a bang. Those two idiots have set themselves on fire. Right now, they must be hating me to the bone, yet be completely at a loss. Hahahaha!”
Just then, the sound of dense footsteps echoed from outside, and several warriors burst into the room.
“Young Master, Madam. It's terrible! Shen Lang has sent men to attack!”
He was one of Yan Jin's warriors.
“Young Lady, my goodness, it's terrible! The enemy is here!”
This one was a warrior from the Bian Clan.
Upon hearing their words, Yan Jin and Bian Xin were stunned, unable to believe it.
‘Have Shen Lang and Ning Zheng gone mad?’
“My lady, your status is noble, and you are Imperial Consort Bian's own niece. You must stop them.”
At Yan Jin's words, Bian Xin rushed outside without a second thought, while Yan Jin opened a secret passage and fled.
* * *
Gou Duhuan, leading a thousand soldiers of the Nirvana Army, had surrounded Yan Jin's massive estate.
Furthermore, all the Nirvana Army soldiers were clad not in their usual armor, but in black.
At a glance, they looked less like the army of the Marquis of Changping's Estate and more like the band of mounted bandits Gou Duhuan once led.
Bian Xin pointed at Gou Duhuan and raged.
“How dare you! I am the niece of Her Highness, Imperial Consort Bian! Do you dare show me such disrespect? Get out of here at once!”
Gou Duhuan remained silent and simply gestured with his hand.
‘Kill them!’
Shwick, shwick, shwick, shwick.
A rain of arrows poured down, aiming to kill everyone in sight, regardless of whether they were Bian Xin's warriors or Yan Jin's.
“Kill them!”
At the command, the Nirvana Army drew their greatswords and cut them down in a single stroke, cleanly slaughtering hundreds of the Yan Jin family's warriors in an instant.
The city guards rushed into Young Master Lotus's massive estate, arresting all dozens of members of the Yan Jin household, including Imperial Consort Bian's niece, Bian Xin.
* * *
Yan Jin escaped the estate through the secret passage and sprinted madly in a certain direction.
He was heading for the Silver Emperor Pavilion, the Yue branch of the Hidden Yuan Society—a seven-story-tall building.
He was not originally from the Hidden Yuan Society, but Shu Baidu and Shu Tingyu had recognized his talent and recruited him.
Originally, Young Master Lotus, Yan Jin, had only intended to make money and build his own reputation; he had no thought of dragging Shen Lang into it. But the Hidden Yuan Society had given the order, and he could not refuse.
In fact, the Hidden Yuan Society was largely responsible for his ability to expand his business to such a scale and for his rising fame.
The Society held all his secrets and his very life in their hands, so when Shu Tingyu ordered him to ensnare Shen Lang and Imperial Consort Bian, he had no choice but to obey.
Timing-wise, this happened just after Su Nan was eliminated.
It was only after their defeat in the battle where they manipulated the State of Wu to attack Raging Tide City that the Hidden Yuan Society devised a plan to deal with Shen Lang and Imperial Consort Bian.
This was because Imperial Consort Bian had adopted Ning Zheng at that time.
However, this was merely a preliminary move by the Hidden Yuan Society, a plot they intended to unleash in two or three years.
This alone showed just how terrifying and powerful an organization the Hidden Yuan Society was.
Young Master Lotus knew that if he could just reach the Hidden Yuan Society, he would be safe.
There was no one in the State of Yue whom the Hidden Yuan Society could not protect.
The Society could easily hide him or smuggle him to another country.
Confident that he was safe, Young Master Lotus, Yan Jin, glanced back in the direction of his estate.
It was an estate spanning dozens of acres, even larger than that of an ordinary viscount.
It was a pity that such a grand mansion was ruined in an instant.
“Shen Lang, I will never let you go. I will watch you like a viper, and when the opportunity arises, I will strike you dead with a single bite and slaughter your entire family!”
Gritting his teeth, Young Master Lotus, Yan Jin, made his vow and was about to dash madly into the Silver Emperor Pavilion, the Hidden Yuan Society's branch.
But just then, someone suddenly blocked his path. Yan Jin was startled, but then pleased.
‘Just one person? Then there's nothing for me to fear. I, Yan Jin, am a master who passed the military examination.’
Yan Jin immediately drew a sword from his sleeve and lunged at the person.
Swish!
A single strike. His opponent swung their sword just once and severed both of Yan Jin's tendons.
The person was a woman.
The wife of the Sword King Li Qianqiu, Lady Qiu!
She tucked Yan Jin under her arm and shot off like an arrow toward the Marquis of Changping's Estate.
* * *
Imperial Consort Bian's niece, Bian Xin, said coldly.
“Lackey, go and bring Shen Lang here. I don't speak with dogs.”
Gou Duhuan said nothing and put on a twisted mask.
“I am the niece of Her Highness, Imperial Consort Bian, and the niece of Duke Bian Wu. Who dares to touch me or my family?”
Gou Duhuan gestured.
Swish, swish, swish, swish.
His band of mounted bandits began their slaughter, and in the blink of an eye, they had killed every member of Yan Jin's family.
Bian Xin was completely stunned. Soon, she was bound, gagged with a cloth, and thrown into a box.
“The one who killed the Yan Jin family is the master bandit, Gou Duhuan!”
Gou Duhuan even wrote large characters on the wall in bright red blood.