The Blood Crown - Chapter 149

In the dead of night, a carriage stopped in front of a dilapidated mansion. This residence was located in the most remote part of the city, rumored to be cursed with terrible feng shui and haunted by ghosts. Almost no one lived there, and even the night patrols of the Imperial Guards rarely ventured into this area.

After the coachman stopped the carriage, he looked around cautiously before climbing into the carriage. Shortly afterward, he carried out a petite woman, jumped down, and quickly entered the mansion, heading straight for a side room.

Upon opening the door, two figures stood inside, one notably tall and robust.

“Master Yan,” the coachman addressed respectfully.

Yan Sikong nodded.

The coachman placed the woman on a bed, and the faint candlelight revealed her stunning beauty.

“Wake her up,” Yan Sikong instructed.

The coachman took out a piece of wood with a peculiar smell from his pocket and waved it near the woman’s nose. In her sleep, the woman furrowed her brows, sneezed and coughed several times, and gradually woke up.

Yan Sikong gave Ah Li a glance, who then tossed a silver ingot to the coachman. The coachman caught it securely and bowed, saying, “I will wait outside.”

This person was one of She Zhun’s subordinates, efficient in his work, and also one of Ah Li’s most frequent contacts.

The woman struggled to sit up from the bed, her eyes wide with fear. When she saw the two figures in the darkness, her expression changed drastically, and she exclaimed, “Yan Sikong?”

“Miss Ye Li, long time no see.” Yan Sikong looked at the stunning beauty before him with an impassive face. She was the famous courtesan from Smoke Willow Street, the head courtesan of the Tinglan Pavilion—Ye Li.

Ye Li, sharp and intelligent, quickly understood the situation and stopped pretending. She jumped off the bed, took a few steps back, and assumed a defensive posture. Coldly, she said, “Master Yan, are you kidnapping me? What is the meaning of this?”

“I paid a high price to have Miss Ye Li spend the night. How can you call it a ‘kidnapping’?” Yan Sikong sneered, “Thanks to Young Master Zhou, even the usual price is no longer acceptable to the madam. I had to spend a fortune.”

“In that case, Master Yan, don’t waste any more time. Speak your mind.”

“Very well.” Yan Sikong spoke straightforwardly, “You know Xiao Liu, the coachman from Prince Jingyuan’s residence.”

Ye Li’s gaze flickered slightly, but her expression remained unchanged. “How would I know such an insignificant coachman?”

“You know him very well. Not only do you know him, but with your irresistible charms, you made him infatuated, even making a secret vow with him.” Yan Sikong’s eyes narrowed. “He was willing to sell out his master for you.”

Ye Li’s eyes flashed with a dangerous glint. “That’s absurd. He’s just a coachman. In Tinglan Pavilion, he couldn’t even afford a cup of tea. He wouldn’t even see me.”

“Exactly because he has never seen you, he still doesn’t know that you are the famous Ye Li. Xie Zhongren discovered that he was lecherous and spent most of his monthly salary on courtesans, so he sent you to seduce him. You truly made him willing to go through fire and water for you, never realizing he was being used.”

Ye Li’s lips pressed together, her beautiful eyes showing traces of murderous intent.

“Ye Li, or should I call you Yang Chuyun?”

Ye Li’s eyes widened in shock, fear flashing across her face.

“You don’t need to pretend anymore. I know everything about you.” Yan Sikong displayed a chilling smile. “You are from Liangzhou. When you were eight years old, your parents died of famine. You and your brother were taken in by your aunt, who sold you into a brothel when you were fourteen and abandoned your sick brother by the roadside to die. It was Xie Zhongren who saved you and your brother, brought you to the capital, taught you martial arts, and from then on, you became his informant in Smoke Willow Street.” He raised his hand, slowly spreading his fingers, revealing a shiny silver chain in his palm.

“What did you do to him!” Ye Li shouted angrily, ready to charge.

Ah Li stepped forward, his massive body making the small side room feel even more cramped and imposing, creating an invisible pressure.

Ye Li halted, glaring fiercely at Yan Sikong.

Yan Sikong tossed the chain to her. “He is well and sound asleep right now. However, whether he wakes up tomorrow depends on you.”

Ye Li’s legs went weak. She gripped the chain tightly, gritting her teeth, “What do you want me to do?”

“I want to ask you a question first.”

Ye Li’s face was filled with suspicion and rage.

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“Do you know that the famine that caused your parents and tens of thousands of others to die of starvation was due to Xie Zhongren’s subordinates exploiting disaster relief grain? The court allocated 80,000 stones of grain, but by the time it reached the common people, it was less than 10,000 stones, mixed with sand and old grain.”

Ye Li stared blankly at Yan Sikong.

“You think that Xie Zhongren saved you and your brother, and even though you know what a great villain he is, you still recognized him as your father. Little did you know, he is the one who caused your family to fall apart and you to become a courtesan.”

Ye Li shook her head, panic written all over her face. “No…”

“If you don’t believe it, you can investigate. Tinglan Pavilion has many clients who must know the truth. If not, Zhou Mixing should know.”

Ye Li stumbled back a step, her face drained of color.

“All these years, you’ve been Xie Zhongren’s spy and lackey. You know better than anyone the extent of his evil deeds. Yet, out of gratitude for saving you, and fearing for the safety of you and your brother, you’ve numbly aided him…”

“Stop talking!” Ye Li shouted hoarsely, “What difference does it make to know? My brother and I are like weeds, barely surviving each day. Who can save us? Who can rescue us?”

Yan Sikong said calmly, “I’ve read your poems and know you still have good intentions. Being an accomplice was forced upon you. If you help me, I will ensure you and your brother leave the capital safely with ample money to start a new life.”

Ye Li gazed deeply at Yan Sikong, hesitating.

Yan Sikong’s expression changed. “I am not as ruthless as Xie Zhongren, but I am not soft-hearted either. You can either submit to me, and I will ensure your departure from this land of turmoil, or… even if I don’t kill you, if Xie Zhongren finds out your identity has been exposed, will he spare you?”

Ye Li bit her lip, her eyes filled with tears, her expression sorrowful and pitiable. Despite her apparent vulnerability, Yan Sikong’s heart remained unmoved. She clutched the silver chain tightly to her chest and nodded gently.

“Very well. Tell me, what did Xiao Liu say to you? Did he mention anything about me and Feng Ye?”

Ye Li shook her head. “I asked, but he was unwilling to say much.”

Yan Sikong sighed in relief. “How much does Xie Zhongren know about me?”

“Not more than I do. He sees you as someone he can use.”

“How did Xie Zhongren instruct Xiao Liu to steal the military token?”

Ye Li shook her head again. “I don’t know.”

Yan Sikong could see from her expression that she was not lying. Her task had been to seduce Xiao Liu, making him willing to take risks for her. What happened afterward was likely planned by someone else.

Yan Sikong asked more about Xie Zhongren, learning that the eunuch was indeed the behind-the-scenes owner of Tinglan Pavilion. Using the pavilion as a hub for intelligence in Smoke Willow Street, he had extensive and precise information, controlling many secrets of officials. Any significant news in the capital reached him first. His intelligence network was likely comparable to She Zhun’s.

However, he was not as skilled as She Zhun. Tinglan Pavilion had already been infiltrated by She Zhun’s people; otherwise, Ah Li would not have quickly discovered that the woman Xiao Liu was trying to protect was Ye Li.

They talked late into the night before Yan Sikong let Ye Li leave. She took the carriage arranged for her and was driven back to Tinglan Pavilion.

After sending Ye Li off, Yan Sikong planned to visit his parents and adoptive father’s graves. As he approached the old, dilapidated house, he suddenly sensed something unusual in the darkness.

He keenly detected a presence and whispered, “Who’s there?”

Before he finished speaking, he and Ah Li rushed towards the corner of the eaves.

A shadow flashed like a ghost, quickly darting towards the wall corner. With agile movements, it climbed over the wall and fled.

The two of them followed, leaping over the wall in pursuit.

The shadow moved with impressive lightness and speed. After more than a hundred paces, it had left Yan Sikong behind, and Ah Li was far behind as well.

Yan Sikong knew he couldn’t catch up. He performed a roll and swiftly drew the dagger hidden in his boot, throwing it towards the shadow.

A muffled grunt came from ahead. The dagger sliced a chunk of flesh from the person’s thigh, but the person only slightly faltered before vanishing into the darkness.

Yan Sikong walked over, picked up the dagger, and examined the bloodstains on it, deep in thought.

Ah Li caught up, frantically gesturing.

Yan Sikong instructed, “Remove all the furnishings inside. The house is no longer safe. Burn it down.”

He pondered the identity of the unexpected visitor. When had they started tracking them? How long had they been in the courtyard? What had they heard? What was their purpose?

A series of questions flooded his mind. The sudden appearance of this person made Yan Sikong uneasy. Already overwhelmed by the situation with the Feng family, he hoped not to face more trouble. If it was Xie Zhongren’s person, it would be problematic…

But the intruder’s lightness of movement was so impressive that only Feng Ye or She Zhun could compare. If Xie Zhongren had such a skilled assassin, could Yan Zilian still be alive?

Who exactly was this person? It must be found out!

Yan Sikong gripped the dagger tightly, narrowing his eyes deeply. 

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