The Lotus Cult Leader pointed at Chen Xiaobei and said loudly, "Chen Xiaobei, I asked you to take care of my disciple, and look at what you've done. I'll say this now, if the princess suffers the slightest harm, I'll take your dog life first."
Chen Xiaobei stepped forward and clasped his hands in a salute to the Lotus Cult Leader. "Sister, please listen to me."
"It's not that Bai Han and the others didn't protect her well. That night was New Year's Eve, and the Emperor and the Princess were drinking. They ordered Bai Han and the others to withdraw, which gave the villains an opportunity. Also, there's something else I want to clarify."
Chen Xiaobei pointed to the room next door, then gestured to the helpless Shen Ziyan beside him. He then beckoned Bai Han to join them, and the four entered the adjacent room. Liu Rumei immediately signaled the other guards to move further away from the room to prevent eavesdropping.
Chen Xiaobei got straight to the point. "Eldest Sister, this matter is very strange, but there is one person who is very suspicious. Please don't be angry when I tell you."
"Tell me who it is. If there's even a shred of doubt, I'll go arrest him immediately. I, Tang Lianhua, have over a hundred kinds of torture. I'll make sure he tells the truth."
Chen Xiaobei stared into the Lotus Cult Leader's eyes and said word by word in a deep voice, "The most suspicious person is Jiang Shangpiao."
Upon hearing this, the Lotus Cult Leader, who had been flexing her fists, froze.
After a brief silence, she glared at Chen Xiaobei and said sternly, "Chen Xiaobei, what do you mean?"
"Eldest Sister, that's exactly what I mean. Let me explain it to you slowly."
"Just before the New Year, Brother Jiang secretly found me and said he missed our past affections. He wanted to send someone to see Duobang in prison, and asked me to coordinate. So I agreed."
After speaking, he looked at Bai Han. "Yes, Eldest Sister. Prince Consort Chen found me and asked for my help. I was the one who personally brought Shen You in to see Duobang. Shen You asked Duobang how they entered Wannian City, and Duobang told him all their strongholds along the way."
"Eldest Sister, think about it. Jiang Daxia told me he wanted to wander the martial world with you and let the Emperor of Great Tuh Kingdom believe he was dead. But why would he look for this route?"
"Well, that still doesn't prove it's necessarily related to Jiang Shangpiao," the Lotus Cult Leader shook her head.
Clearly, the Lotus Cult Leader still couldn't believe Chen Xiaobei's words. At this point, Shen Ziyan beside them spoke up. "Eldest Sister, I've been hiding this from you. Chen Xiaobei told me before the New Year to secretly observe Jiang Shangpiao. Think about it, as soon as we entered Wannian City, he said he was visiting an old friend and disappeared again. That day before the New Year, when we visited the Princess, he left us for the same reason."
"According to him, he went to Great Tuh Kingdom after leaving the sect and stayed there for five years. How could he have an old friend in Wannian City with such deep affection that he couldn't wait to see them, abandoning us?"
Hearing this, the Lotus Cult Leader fell silent.
Indeed, as the saying goes, the one in the thick of it is blind, while the bystander sees clearly.
After hearing their words, Tang Lianhua, as the leader of a sect, keenly realized that even if this Jiang Shangpiao wasn't involved in Xiao An's case, he was definitely hiding something from her.
At this thought, she stomped her foot resentfully. "This scoundrel. I poured so much affection into him. I'll go find him now. I must get to the bottom of this."
With that, the Lotus Cult Leader turned and ran. Shen Ziyan quickly followed.
Chen Xiaobei did not follow. He knew his martial arts skills couldn't keep up, and besides, with Shen Ziyan there, there wouldn't be any major problems.
Everything happened as expected. Jiang Shangpiao had already met Shen You.
Upon meeting, Shen You said joyfully, "Master, our mission is complete. Xiao An is dead, and Xiao Jingfeng is in a precarious situation. Your revenge is complete!"
Jiang Shangpiao nodded, his eyes full of joy. "Yes, you did a splendid job. Let me ask you, have you mentioned this to anyone else?"
Shen You shook his head. "No, absolutely not. Master, as you instructed, I never contact others proactively, nor do I speak of such matters. No one knows except me!"
Jiang Shangpiao nodded and handed a silver note from his sleeve.
"Alright, pack up and leave immediately. Go wander the world. From now on, you are not my disciple, and I am not your master."
"Master, this..." Shen You was stunned.
"I want to stay by your side and serve you."
Jiang Shangpiao waved his hand. "Enough, hurry and go. If I change my mind, you won't be able to leave!"
Jiang Shangpiao turned and left. Shen You watched him go, gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, went back to his room to pack two sets of clothes, and hurried out of the city.
After Jiang Shangpiao made arrangements and Shen You left, Shen You was relieved of a burden. He had a cup of tea by the roadside to calm his nerves, and then leisurely headed towards the posthouse.
When he arrived at the posthouse, the Lotus Cult Leader had already returned and was waiting for him in the room.
Seeing him push the door open, the Lotus Cult Leader's expression was normal. She beckoned him to sit, then poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him. "Why did you take so long? Meeting an old friend only requires a few pleasantries. You made me wait here for half the day."
Jiang Shangpiao smiled slightly and drank the tea in one gulp. "It's been a few years. We naturally have more to say when we meet!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Shangpiao suddenly felt dizzy. He held his forehead with his hand. "Why do I suddenly feel so dizzy?"
In a flash, he suddenly understood. He looked up sharply at the Lotus Cult Leader.
"Lianhua, you?"
Before he could finish his sentence, he slumped onto the table with a thud.
Without a word, the Lotus Cult Leader pulled a rope from behind her and tied Jiang Shangpiao tightly. She then added two knots around Jiang Shangpiao's neck, pulled both ends of the rope to the bed, so that if Jiang Shangpiao dared to move, he would be choked and unable to breathe.
After finishing everything, Liu Rumei picked up a ladle of cold water and splashed it on Jiang Shangpiao's face.
Jiang Shangpiao slowly opened his eyes. He shook the water droplets off his face and looked at the Lotus Cult Leader with surprise.
"Lianhua, why are you doing this? I... I, where did I offend you?"
The Lotus Cult Leader's face darkened. With a wave of her hand, a short knife appeared in her palm. She sat at the head of the bed, the short knife pressed against Jiang Shangpiao's throat.
"From now on, whatever I ask you, you'd better tell me the truth."
Jiang Shangpiao's eyes were filled with helplessness. He sighed. "Lianhua, didn't I tell you? When I take you back to my hometown, after meeting my parents, we'll get married. You, you agreed."
"Jiang Shangpiao, stop talking nonsense. I'm asking you, who killed Xiao An? And who injured my disciple, Xiao Jingfeng?"
"This... this, how would I know? I was with you all along."
Although he was defiant with his words, a bad premonition flashed through Jiang Shangpiao's mind. He reviewed the events again. He had just returned from Shen You. In such a short time, it was impossible for Shen You to have made a mistake.