sovbooks Chapter 121 Mo Shen's Plan: He Wants to Kill Qin Mu Directly!
Chapter 121 Mo Shen's Plan: He Wants to Kill Qin Mu Directly!
Chen Feng and his wife?!
The owners of Tingxuelou?!
Qin Mu is going to take her to meet them?!
Do not!
Absolutely not!
Chen Feng and his wife were arranged by Xu Longxiang; they were the key figures in their fabrication of her past!
If she goes to see them, if they let it slip in front of Qin Mu, if...
Countless terrible consequences flashed wildly through Jiang Qingxue's mind, almost suffocating her.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Her voice trembled slightly with extreme fear:
"This...so fast? Your Majesty...Your Majesty isn't ready yet..."
"What are you preparing?"
Qin Mu raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes:
"Do I need to prepare to meet the person who raised me?"
"No... what I mean is..."
Jiang Qingxue forced herself to calm down, her brain racing as she searched for a suitable excuse:
"Manager Chen and the others have just arrived in the capital and are exhausted from their journey; they need rest. Moreover, I am feeling emotionally unstable today, and if I see them, I fear I will lose control and cause them worry..."
She spoke with heartfelt sincerity, her face filled with worry and unease.
"My beloved concubine is so considerate."
Qin Mu's voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable power: "But we still have to go; it's only proper etiquette."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingxue couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.
You've already married someone else's wife, what's the point of talking about manners?
Sometimes Jiang Qingxue really admired Qin Mu's shamelessness.
It's really too thick.
Of course, she dared not show the slightest hint of complaint on her face.
"Your Majesty, I understand. Manager Chen and his wife have raised me, and it is only right and proper for me to visit them."
Jiang Qingxue's voice was very soft, with a slight tremor that she could hardly hide, "It's just... it's just that I've been feeling uneasy these past few days, and I'm afraid that if I see them, I won't be able to control my emotions and will only make them worry."
Qin Mu looked at her quietly, his deep eyes seeming to see through all pretense.
He lifted her chin, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze.
"My beloved consort," Qin Mu's voice was gentle, yet each word was clear, "I know you are anxious, but some things cannot be avoided."
Jiang Qingxue's heart sank.
She knew she could no longer refuse.
Although Qin Mu's tone was gentle, his calm and unwavering eyes revealed an undeniable determination.
"Your Majesty..." Jiang Qingxue lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting trembling shadows beneath them. "I understand. Then... when shall we meet?"
"Let's do it now." Qin Mu released his hand, turned around and walked towards the palace gate. "I have prepared the carriage and am waiting outside the palace."
Right now?
Jiang Qingxue froze.
So fast?!
She had originally thought she had at least a few days to prepare, to find a way to send a message, to... to do something.
But now, Qin Mu isn't giving her any chance to breathe.
"Your Majesty..." she tried one last time, "I haven't even dressed up yet. It would be too impolite of me to go see my benefactor like this..."
Qin Mu stopped at the palace entrance, turning slightly to the side. Moonlight streamed in from behind, gilding his figure with a silvery edge. A playful smile curved his lips.
"It's alright. My beloved concubine is beautiful just like this, like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally beautiful without any artifice. If Manager Chen and his wife could see that you are doing well now, it would be their greatest comfort."
As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped out of the palace gate.
Jiang Qingxue knelt on the spot, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.
She knew she had no way out.
......
Meanwhile, in the western market of the imperial city, on Zhuque Street.
This is a relatively quiet street, with mostly houses with blue bricks and gray tiles on both sides, and a few shops, all of which are inconspicuous small businesses.
At the end of the street stood a three-courtyard house with white walls and black tiles, and a plaque above the gate bearing the words "Chen Mansion"—this was the residence in the imperial city bestowed upon Chen Feng and his wife by Qin Mu.
As dusk fell, the setting sun, like blood, bathed the entire street in an eerie golden-red hue.
Diagonally opposite the house is an abandoned two-story teahouse.
Mo Shen stood quietly behind the dilapidated window frame, his figure almost blending into the shadows.
He was dressed in a gray cloth, his face covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of emotionless eyes.
Those eyes were exceptionally clear, yet also exceptionally empty, like two bottomless pools of stagnant water, reflecting no light whatsoever.
He has been observing here for three whole days.
Over the past three days, he has figured out the layout of the mansion, the guard changing times, and the daily routines of Chen Feng and his wife.
I get up at Chenshi (7-9 AM), have breakfast at Sishi (9-11 AM), take a nap at Wushi (11 PM-1 PM), water the flowers in the backyard at Shenshi (3-5 PM), have dinner at Youshi (5-7 PM), and turn off the lights and go to bed at Xushi (7-9 PM).
They were as regular as two wind-up puppets.
Mo Shen's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
He likes routine.
Patterns mean predictability, and predictability means ease of action.
As Xu Longxiang's most mysterious advisor, Mo Shen is not only skilled in divination and hidden weapons, but also in a nearly lost secret art.
It can completely "dissolve" a person, leaving not even a trace.
He learned this technique from a Miao Gu master when he was young and traveling the world. Later, he combined it with the strange poisons of the Western Regions and his own exquisite understanding of the control of true qi, and improved it into a unique skill.
He gave this move a name: Mirage Annihilation.
It means that, like a mirage, something appears real but is actually illusory, and eventually disappears without a trace.
At this moment, Mo Shen had three things hidden in his sleeve: a small packet of "Bone-Melting Powder", a drop of "Soul-Eating Liquid", and a specially made "Qi Explosion Talisman".
"Bone-dissolving powder" can turn a corpse into pus within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, which then seeps into the ground.
"Soul-Corroding Liquid" can corrode the soul, denying the deceased even the chance to be reincarnated.
The "gas explosion talisman" can generate tremendous impact and high temperature at the moment of detonation, completely burning away any remaining clothing, hair, and other traces.
With these three measures combined, Chen Feng and his wife would be completely wiped out of this world, leaving not even a trace of their souls behind.
Mo Shen calculated the time.
It is now 3:45 PM, and Chen Feng and his wife should be having their dinner. In half an hour, it will be completely dark, and the guards will perform their first changing of the guard.
That was the perfect time for him to make his move.
He slowly closed his eyes, began to adjust his breathing, and suppressed his aura to the extreme.
As a top-notch assassin, he knew the importance of patience.
Sometimes, waiting requires more composure than taking action.
Time passes little by little.
As the sun gradually set, fewer and fewer people walked on the streets, until only the occasional watchman and patrolling soldiers remained.
The ink mirage remained motionless.
His body seemed to blend into the shadows, and even his heartbeat slowed to the point of almost stopping.
This is his unique Turtle Breathing Technique, which allows him to lie dormant like a stone. Even if a Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert passes by, they may not be able to detect his presence.
At the beginning of the Xu hour, the sky became completely dark.
One by one, the lights in the courtyard were extinguished, until only the back room of the house still had a faint candlelight.
That was the bedroom of Chen Feng and his wife.
The guards began their changing of the guard.
Four plainclothes guards, but with steady steps and sharp eyes, emerged from the side door and handed over the duties to the four guards stationed in the front courtyard.
They exchanged a few words in hushed tones, then took their places and cautiously scanned their surroundings.
Mo Shen's eyes slowly opened.
The time has come.
He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips pinching the packet of "bone-dissolving powder".
The powder is grayish-white and almost invisible in the dark; only when you get close can you smell a very faint, rusty, fishy odor.
He was about to take action—
"Da, da, da..."
A crisp, rhythmic sound of horses' hooves came from the end of the street.
Mo Shen's movements suddenly froze!
He turned slightly to the side and looked out through the crack in the window.
At the end of the street, a small convoy of cars was slowly approaching.
Leading the procession was a dark black carriage with a simple body, except for palace lanterns hanging at the four corners, each painted with a dragon pattern.
Four imperial guards, clad in silver armor and with long swords at their waists, stood guard at the front and back of the carriage, their steps precise and their eyes sharp as eagles.
On either side of the carriage stood eight guards dressed in black and wearing silver-patterned masks—the Dragon Shadow Guards.
Mo Shen's pupils suddenly contracted!
Qin Mu?!
Why is he here?!
And at this time?!
Mo Shen's brain was working at lightning speed.
At this time,
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Qin Mu stepped out first.
He was still wearing that moon-white, wide-sleeved robe, the cloud patterns embroidered with silver thread shimmering faintly under the palace lanterns.
Her long hair was not crowned, but loosely tied up with an ebony hairpin, with a few strands falling in front of her forehead, her posture lazy and casual.
Immediately afterwards, a slender, fair hand rested on Qin Mu's outstretched palm.
Then, a figure in moon-white slowly stepped out of the carriage.
Mo Shen's gaze fell on that figure, and his heart trembled violently!
Jiang Qingxue!
What is she doing here?!
And with Qin Mu too?!
Countless thoughts flashed through Mo Shen's mind in an instant.
He stared intently at the scene below.
Qin Mu, holding Jiang Qingxue's hand, slowly walked to the gate of the Chen residence. The Imperial Guards on guard immediately knelt down to pay their respects, but Qin Mu casually waved his hand and led Jiang Qingxue through the door.
Four members of the Dragon Shadow Guard followed them inside, while the other four remained outside, standing guard alongside the original Embroidered Uniform Guards.
Soon, the sound of a door opening, footsteps, and greetings from Chen Feng and his wife, filled with surprise and trepidation, could be heard from inside the courtyard.
Mo Shen's heart sank little by little.
Plans were disrupted.
Everything was completely disrupted.
Let alone assassinating Chen Feng and his wife, even getting slightly close to the residence could be detected by the Dragon Shadow Guards.
But should we just retreat like this?
A hint of resentment flashed in Mo Shen's eyes.
The crown prince's order to him was, "Make them completely disappear within three days." Today is the last day.
If he fails to complete the mission, given Xu Longxiang's current near-mad state, he will definitely not have a good ending when he returns.
Mo Shen slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with a cold, resolute look.
He can't retreat.
At the very least... we can't leave empty-handed.
Since we can't kill Chen Feng and his wife, then... let's create some chaos, or... see if we can take the opportunity to do something.
What if he could just kill Qin Mu?
After all, Qin Mu didn't seem to have brought any guards, and this was the imperial city, so he might be careless because of that?
Thinking of this, a ruthless glint flashed in Mo Shen's eyes.