Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

"Useless thing! What can you do besides cry? Go back to your room! Don't get in my way!" Her voice was shrill and piercing, with a desperate madness.

Sheng Changfeng was terrified by the ferocity his mother had never seen before. He scrambled back to his room, slammed the door shut, and dared not come out again.

"It was the younger sister's fault to begin with, how could..."

Sheng Changfeng hid by the door, leaning against it, muttering to himself.

The empty room was filled only with Lin Qinshuang's heavy breathing and Zhou Xueniang's frightened whispers: "Young lady... Young lady, please take care of yourself..."

"Take care of yourself?"

Lin Qinshuang suddenly grabbed Zhou Xueniang's arm with such force that it hurt Zhou Xueniang.

"Xue Niang! We're finished! Hong Lang... Hong Lang will never forgive me! The old lady will never let Mo Lan off the hook! Sheng Changquan... that little wretch Sheng Changquan! As long as he lives, Mo'er and I will never have a chance to get ahead!"

She spoke very quickly, in a very low voice, but with a chilling hiss like a viper flicking its tongue.

She suddenly stood up and paced anxiously in the cramped space like a trapped beast. The wind stirred by her skirt made the candlelight flicker wildly, casting ghostly shadows on her distorted face.

"No! We can't just sit here and wait to die! We have to be quick! We have to be quick, before he recovers! Before he takes the imperial examination!" She stopped abruptly in front of Zhou Xueniang, her bloodshot eyes fixed on her, burning with a flame that could destroy everything: "Xueniang! Go again! Go now! Find 'Over the Mountain Wind'! Tell him I'll add money! Add 30%! No! Add 50%!"

Zhou Xueniang was terrified by her mistress's madness: "Auntie! This...this risk is too great! What if..."

"There's no 'what if'!" Lin Qinshuang interrupted her abruptly, her facial muscles twitching with extreme fear and resentment. "Now is not the time to be afraid of risks! Now is the time to fight to the death!"

“Tell that viper, I don’t care what method he uses! Three days! Three days at most! I want to see results! Even if… even if I can’t kill that little brat on the spot!” She gritted her teeth, every word dripping with venom, “I must completely cripple his hand! Sever his tendons! Make sure he can never lift a pen again! Never write again! Make him a complete cripple!”

"Let him lose the chance to pass the imperial examination forever! Let him become the laughingstock of the Sheng family and the entire Bianjing! Let's see how the Lord and the Old Madam will still cherish him!"

She was breathing heavily, her chest heaving violently, as if she had just used all her strength to roar out the most vicious curse.

She rushed to the dressing table, roughly pulled open a hidden compartment, grabbed a thick stack of silver notes and gold ingots, and shoved them into Zhou Xueniang's hand with a desperate, frenzied gesture: "Give him all of this! If it's not enough, I'll pawn it for jewelry!"

"Tell him this is a deposit! I'll reward you handsomely after it's done!"

"Double it! Double it for him! If he can do it! Hurry! Go now! Don't waste a moment!"

Looking at the heavy gold and silver in her hand, which could almost break her wrist, and then at Lin Qinshuang's crazed appearance as if she wanted to devour anyone, Zhou Xueniang knew that her master had been completely driven to the brink of despair and had lost the last bit of reason.

She dared not say another word, but nodded emphatically, quickly hiding the gold and silver in the most secret compartment of her bosom, and whispered, "Don't worry, Aunt, I'll go right away! I'll definitely deliver the message!"

After saying that, she flashed out like a ghost and quickly disappeared into the thick night outside Linxi Pavilion.

Lin Qinshuang stood alone in the flickering candlelight, her body trembling slightly with excitement and fear.

Looking at her pale, distorted face in the mirror, resembling that of a madwoman, she suddenly let out a manic laugh, hoarse and unpleasant, filled with despair and a destructive pleasure: "Cripple him... He must be crippled... Only when he's crippled will Honglang remember Feng'er... Only then will Mo'er have a chance... Only then will we have a way to live... Hahaha..."

Laughter echoed in the empty room, sounding incredibly sinister and terrifying. She had completely fallen into the abyss of madness, willing to drag everyone, including herself, into a bloody hell of no return for the sake of her daughter and her own "sustainability."

……

late at night.

"Squeak-"

With a barely audible sound, a hidden door leading from the inner room to the study slid open silently.

A young man of ordinary build, dressed in the lowest-ranking servant's clothes, with a face so plain that he would be forgotten in a crowd, walked in silently like a shadow.

It was Xu Changqing, Sheng Changquan's most trusted confidant.

Because of the previous surveillance, Xu Changqing had dressed up and was no longer the same as he had been at Zeyutang. "Young Master," Xu Changqing's voice was low and steady, without any inflection, as if he were stating the most ordinary thing, "Zhou Xueniang disguised herself and left the mansion today, wandering through the streets and finally entering the backyard of the 'Tingyuxuan' teahouse in the west of the city."

Sheng Changquan nodded slightly, signaling him to continue, his eyes focused.

Xu Changqing's expression turned slightly grave: "According to reports from our spies and analysis of the traces, the 'Listening to the Rain Pavilion' appears ordinary on the surface, but in reality, it is an important stronghold secretly set up by the Prince of Yong in the capital to connect with and control some of the Jianghu forces."

"Because it involves a prince, our people dare not get too close, lest we alert him. But we can confirm that the people Zhou Xueniang came into contact with inside have a physique and gait that are extremely similar to 'Over the Mountain Wind' under the command of the Black Hawk of Lüliang Mountain."

"'Crossing Mountain Wind'?" Sheng Changquan raised an eyebrow, a strange amusement flashing across his face. "Is it that persistent 'Crossing Mountain Snake' again?"

"Hehe, that's right!" Xu Changqing rarely revealed a cold smile. "Young Master and him really have a deep connection."

This "fate" naturally refers to a secret story from several years ago when Sheng Changquan traveled around the world.

At that time, he infiltrated the Lüliang Mountains under an assumed name to investigate a major case of smuggled salt involving collusion between officials and businessmen and the suffering of the people. By chance, he became involved in the bloody power struggle between the old and new forces within the Lüliang Mountains.

At the time, "Guoshanfeng" was just a minor leader. He was ordered by Heiyaozi to lead a group to hunt down Lu Hongti, who was ambushed and seriously injured for trying to reorganize the mountain stronghold and offending the interests of the old faction!
Seeing injustice, Sheng Changquan bravely intervened, not only saving Lu Hongti but also severely injuring "Guoshanfeng" and his men with swift and decisive action, almost killing them!

If it weren't for Lu Hongti's consideration for their past relationship, and Sheng Changquan's reluctance to reveal his identity too early, "Guoshanfeng" would have long since turned to dust.

This feud was thus formed.

Unexpectedly, after several years, they "reunited" in Bianjing in this way.

“Very well,” Sheng Changquan’s eyes flashed with a cold light, and a chilling, murderous smile curled at the corner of his mouth. “He’s choosing the path to hell when there’s a way to heaven! This time, we don’t have to go looking for him.”

"It's the perfect time to shut the door and beat the dog, crushing this cancerous growth along with the black hawk behind it all in Bianjing!"

"And for the sake of Red Grape, let's completely eradicate this major threat!" He silently repeated this to himself.

"Young Master, how shall we proceed?" Xu Changqing asked solemnly.

"First, contact the Tiger Might Escort Agency in the west of the city." Sheng Changquan thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Wang Feng is the boss's absolute confidant, and he is at odds with the 'Over the Mountain Wind' and Black Hawk factions. Hand over the token, reveal your identity, and see how they plan to cooperate with us in this 'catching a turtle in a jar' drama."

"Yes!" Xu Changqing replied in a deep voice.

Sheng Changquan nodded slightly, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the smooth edge of the bed, producing a soft and rhythmic tapping sound, as if he were silently playing a blood-red symphony about to begin.

"I suppose Hongti should already be in Bianjing right now. Also!" Sheng Changquan thought to himself.

"correct!"

Sheng Changquan changed the subject and said, "Keep a close eye on Linxi Pavilion!"

"Especially if Lin Qinshuang and her daughter make any move, even if it's just a slight over-breathing, you must report it immediately! And also..."

He looked sharply at Xu Changqing, his tone emphasizing without room for argument, "Make sure that everything goes perfectly with the Sixth Miss! Place several clever and reliable spies around her, and absolutely do not allow any accidents to get close to her! Remember, it must be done flawlessly, and she must not notice anything at all!"

"Understood!" Xu Changqing bowed, and like a ghost disappearing into the shadows, silently retreated into the secret door and vanished without a trace.

The study returned to silence.

Sheng Changquan leaned back against the soft pillows, slowly closed his eyes, and seemed to fall into a deep sleep.

However, he was already clearly rehearsing the plans that followed in his mind.

Lu Hongti, "Guoshanfeng", Lin Qinshuang...

"Let's see who's more skilled!" Sheng Changquan murmured to himself. (End of Chapter)