novelraw Chapter 209
Chapter 209
Lady Cao was awakened by a pungent stench.
Pitch darkness filled her vision, making her feel as though she had gone blind.
Trembling with fear, she called out, "Is anyone there? Where is this? Hel—"
Before she could finish the word, a cold sensation pressed against her neck, accompanied by a sharp sting of pain.
Guessing it was a sharp weapon like a sword or knife, Lady Cao was so terrified that she instantly fell silent.
Ye Chutang asked in a hoarse, masculine voice, "Where is the wealth the Cao family has accumulated over the years hidden?"
Lady Cao's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately denied it.
"The Cao family's estate has already been confiscated. All our property was taken by the prefectural governor's office."
A sinister laugh fell upon her ears.
"Those who do not tell the truth will go to hell."
As the words faded, Ye Chutang struck a fire folder.
The disheveled and filthy Sun Chu suddenly appeared in Lady Cao's line of sight, frightening her so much that her eyes rolled back and she fainted.
Ye Chutang jabbed one of her pain acupoints.
The intense pain jolted Lady Cao awake instantly.
Seeing the horrifying sight again, her eyelids began to flutter upward once more.
Before she could pass out, Ye Chutang threatened, "If you don't tell the truth, I'll take your life!"
The dagger in her hand pressed deeper into the skin, causing blood to gush out.
Lady Cao's clothes were soaked with warm blood, feeling sticky and uncomfortable.
Terrified of dying, she quickly confessed, "At the Jixiang Fabric Shop in the east of the city, and the Wanfu Restaurant in the west."
On the surface, these two places were not properties of the Cao family.
So even with the Cao family confiscated, they could still retain most of their fortune.
She had originally planned to leave half of this wealth to her grandson and use the other half to live comfortably herself.
But now, everything was gone!
Therefore, without Ye Chutang needing to do anything, she suffered a heart attack from the shock and fainted again.
Ye Chutang took Lady Cao back to the dungeon, dumped her near the entrance, and made some noise.
Whether any guards came to save her would depend on her own luck.
Leaving the dungeon, she headed to the two locations Lady Cao had mentioned.
Both places had hidden rooms filled with valuable items like gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, and calligraphy.
Ye Chutang not only looted the hidden rooms completely but also took everything from the fabric shop and the restaurant.
If she hadn't been pressed for time, she would have emptied out every single shop under the Cao family's name!
After finishing her work, she returned to the hidden room in the dungeon, grabbed Sun Chu, and left.
Merit points increased by 239,751.
Ye Chutang was startled by this massive number and looked at Sun Chu in her hand in disbelief.
"Just who exactly are you? How could you have so many merit points?"
Even a great philanthropist who saved the world wouldn't have this many.
Therefore, this enormous amount of merit points must be what Sun Chu was destined to accumulate in the future!
Thinking of Sun Chu's identity, two words popped into Ye Chutang's mind: A great general!
With this thought, she carried Sun Chu back to the side room and woke up Qi Yanzhou.
A pungent stench assaulted Qi Yanzhou's nose, causing him to frown in discomfort.
The side room was unlit.
However, two lanterns hung at the door of the main house, allowing a faint light to seep in, making it barely possible to see.
He saw a dark mass lying on the floor and Ye Chutang standing next to it.
Realizing that he hadn't even noticed Ye Chutang getting out of bed, Qi Yanzhou's expression changed slightly.
"A'Tang, what happened?"
Before his words even faded, he was already by Ye Chutang's side, shielding her behind him in a protective stance.
Ye Chutang pulled Qi Yanzhou to sit down on the edge of the bed.
"The person on the floor is named Sun Chu. He was discovered by the 'Ghost Thief', locked inside a hidden room in the prefectural governor's dungeon..."
She revealed Sun Chu's identity to Qi Yanzhou.
"His martial arts are highly formidable, and he is well-versed in military strategy. He is currently under my control. If utilized well, he will become a fierce general for you."
Qi Yanzhou didn't care whether Sun Chu could be of use to him or not.
What he cared about was the relationship between the 'Ghost Thief' and Ye Chutang.
"A'Tang, you..."
Guessing what Qi Yanzhou was about to ask, Ye Chutang interrupted him.
"A'Zhou, I won't say a word about the 'Ghost Thief', and you shouldn't ask."
Qi Yanzhou grasped Ye Chutang's shoulders and looked at her earnestly.
"A'Tang, I only have one question for you. Will the 'Ghost Thief' harm you?"
"No!"
Hearing Ye Chutang's resolute answer, Qi Yanzhou felt relieved.
"As long as that's the case, then this Sun Chu will be of great use."
Ye Chutang asked curiously, "Why do you say that?"
Looking at Sun Chu on the floor, Qi Yanzhou briefly explained the origins of the Wuji Sect.
The Wuji Sect was a highly mysterious martial arts sect.
It only appeared during times of chaos and war.
Its most outstanding disciples would choose a capable general to serve, assisting them wholeheartedly to facilitate a change in dynasties.
Once the great cause was accomplished, the disciples would vanish without a trace.
Back in the day, when the Qi family assisted the Zhao family in seizing the empire, they had received help from the Wuji Sect.
After hearing this, Ye Chutang grew even more curious.
"What a fascinating martial arts sect. Having no desires or demands, they only wish for the unification of the world."
Qi Yanzhou voiced his own speculation.
"I believe the Wuji Sect has an incomprehensible obsession with military strategy. That's why they appear during times of chaos, choose a good general to serve, apply military strategies, and improve upon them."
Ye Chutang nodded in agreement.
As descendants of Sun Wu, it wasn't surprising that they were obsessed with military strategy.
"Then let's keep Sun Chu and place him in the Protectorate Army, what do you think?"
What she valued in Sun Chu wasn't his military strategy, but his ability and channels to make money.
Qi Yanzhou had no objections. "A'Tang, you rest first. I'll take him to find Han Chong."
Ye Chutang reminded him, "Sun Chu is heavily injured. His dead flesh needs to be removed before he is bandaged. After we set off tomorrow morning, I need to make a trip to the pharmacy to get medicine for your brother-in-law and Sun Chu. Let Han Chong know."
"Alright. It's very late, you should go to sleep."
Meanwhile, a quarter of an hour ago, in the capital.
Xie Yi of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau, who was resting, sensed that something major was happening and immediately woke up.
He quickly went outside to observe the night sky.
Suddenly, a new star lit up in the north, shining brightly enough to rival the crescent moon.
It flashed and then vanished.
"The General Star has appeared in the world, governing the Seven Kills, wielding the power of life and death."
After speaking, Xie Yi looked toward the direction of the Qin family, a faint smile hidden in his eyes.
"My disciple, now that you have left the capital, did you see it?"
He returned to his room to write a memorial, then called a disciple to present it to the Emperor immediately.
He kept the matter of the Emperor Star a secret.
The General Star did not harm the overall situation, so naturally, it had to be reported to the Emperor.
The memorial soon fell into the hands of Eunuch De.
When Eunuch De saw the words "The General Star has appeared, in the north," his sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"Why did it have to be the north?"
The northwest was also considered north, and he certainly didn't want Qi Yanzhou to be the General Star!
Thinking of this, he called over Shuangxi, his personal attendant eunuch, and handed the memorial to him.
"Go investigate this General Star."
Just as he finished speaking, another of Eunuch De's trusted eunuchs, Xiaozhuzi, rushed into the brightly lit sleeping quarters.
"Head Eunuch, an eight-hundred-mile urgent memorial sent from Liangzhou City has been personally presented to His Majesty by the Dragon Guards."