Jiangshan Fengwuzhi

Chapter 328 Hand Slash
Gu Jingnian readily agreed to Wei Chan's suggestion.

"Alright, I'll tell you. This wooden sign can be used to go to a certain place."

"What's there?" Wei Chan asked.

Gu Jingnian could see the source of her longing from her eyes, and after a slight pause, he gave an answer.

"The secret of alchemy."

"Really?" Wei Chan asked without hesitation.

This one sentence completely exposed her purpose.

She chased after Gu Jingnian not to help the Kaiping Division with its tasks, but to obtain the alchemy techniques.

Once Gu Jingnian learned of her thoughts, he knew how to manipulate her.

He didn't answer her question, but just smiled dismissively and said, "You'll know when you get the wooden plaque."

"Oh?" Wei Chan asked, "You'll take me to that place?"

"can."

"Okay, I will come to you with the wooden sign."

After Wei Chan finished speaking, Gu Jingnian nodded and quickly disappeared, appearing quite arrogant.

"Ha, what's so great about it?"

Wei Chan snorted coldly.

Because she felt that the situation just now made it seem as if she was begging Gu Jingnian for a favor, she said something to get back at him.

Upon seeing a bronze mirror in the room, she immediately went over to look at herself and determine if she looked good or not.

When her beautiful face was reflected in the bronze mirror, she nodded in satisfaction, but when she turned back to look at A-Wan, her expression turned cold.

"You reckless brat, daring to steal your master's things to see Gu Jingnian, aren't you afraid of being devoured alive by her?"

"Princess, forgive me!"

A-Wan was startled and immediately knelt down, saying, "He said that you were being held hostage, and I was worried about your safety, so I..."

"All right."

Wei Chan, too lazy to listen to any of this, picked up the wooden plaque from the ground and asked, "Did you make a fake of this?"

“No,” A-Wan said. “I saw that the girl had made a fake wooden sign, so I stole it.”

"Well, you're quite clever."

Wei Chan casually praised her, too lazy to argue with A-Wan any further, and asked, "So you also know how to find the real wooden plaque?"

Ah-Wan was stunned, unsure how to answer.

Wei Chan pinched her chin and said, "Instead of trusting Gu Jingnian, you should trust me. Only I have a way to help your girl."

"This servant does not know where the young lady has kept the wooden plaque, but I can look for it."

"Alright, I'll keep an eye on what Gu Jingnian is doing with that wooden plaque for your daughter."

--------

The carriage stopped at a scenic spot at the foot of Frosty Maple Mountain.

Liang Caixing dismounted, walked to the front of the carriage, lifted the curtain, and said, "Miss Shen, let's get out and walk around."

Shen Lingshu, holding a dagger, glanced outside and asked, "Where is he?"

"Who?"

"You brought me here, not to see Gu Jingnian?"

Liang Caixing asked, "Miss Shen hates Gu Jingnian so much because he had an affair with the Marquis's concubine?"

Shen Lingshu frowned slightly and said, "Of course not."

Liang Caixing then asked, "Is it because Miss Shen is being controlled and monitored by the Kaiping Division that she is so focused on finding Gu Jingnian?"

"No."

Shen Lingshu didn't expect him to think that way, and immediately denied it, already feeling a little impatient.

With an attitude of getting to the bottom of things, Liang Caixing asked, "Why is that?"

Since Shen Lingshu couldn't tell him that it was because Gu Jingnian killed her father, she simply said, "It's none of your business."

"As expected, you're being monitored by the Kaiping Division," Liang Caixing said in a low voice. "Don't worry, there's no one else here. Tell me, and I'll definitely find a way to protect you."

"You're so annoying."

Shen Lingshu grew increasingly impatient and said, "If there's nothing important, then take me back."

"Shu'er, why don't you believe me?"

"What did you call me? Take me back!"

Shen Lingshu said something with a frosty expression, then suddenly thought of something.

Knowing that Liang Caixing wasn't very bright, she asked, "Who told you that I was being held hostage by the Kaiping Division?"

"This……"

"If you don't tell me, I'll never talk to you again."

These words struck a nerve with Liang Caixing, who immediately hesitated and stammered, unsure of what to say.

Just then, someone said something.

“I told him.”

Shen Lingshu turned her head and looked, and her gaze froze on that spot in just one glance.

Gu Jingnian was walking out of the woods ahead.

His appearance hadn't changed much; he was more mature than when they first met, but his demeanor had become much sharper.

Hatred flashed in Shen Lingshu's eyes. She gripped the dagger in her hand and stepped forward.

"Gu Jingnian, what you're looking for is in my hands. Do you want it?" Upon hearing this, Gu Jingnian stretched out his hand.

As Shen Lingshu walked, she rolled up her sleeves.

The ancient wooden token hung on her hand, tied to her fair and slender wrist.

"Come and get it."

She looked at Gu Jingnian defiantly and walked closer and closer.

Gu Jingnian suddenly stepped forward and reached out to grab him.

His hand failed to grasp the ancient wooden token; instead, it passed through the wooden plaque and landed directly in Shen Lingshu's hand.

The two looked down and one confirmed that the other was holding a real wooden plaque, while the other knew that the other had come to spread rumors.

"You rude scoundrel!" Liang Caixing shouted from behind, "Let go of Miss Shen!"

Gu Jingnian stepped forward, and with a shattering sound coming from afar, his figure materialized.

He let go, grabbed the wooden sign again, and used his other hand to untie it from the rope.

The movements were clean and efficient, with a touch of savagery.

Shen Lingshu was almost pulled into his arms, and her arm hurt from being pulled, but she didn't utter a sound.

"puff."

The dagger pierced Gu Jingnian's body.

At the same time, the rope wrapped around Shen Lingshu's wrist became even tighter, giving Gu Jingnian no chance to untie it.

As the tingling sensation spread through his skin, Gu Jingnian immediately grabbed the dagger.

The small wound on the back of his hand, where Xue Juju had stabbed him, was still there, still red, and had not healed even though he was a healer.

One type of toxin in the body had not yet been eliminated when another one was introduced.

"You killed my father."

Shen Lingshu finally succeeded, her eyes blazing with hatred. Gritting her teeth, she said, word by word, "Pay with your life."

"I didn't. Shen Jichi is still alive."

"You're trying to lie to me."

"I'm not lying to you, you can ask Xue Juju."

Shen Lingshu didn't believe it and tried to continue stabbing the dagger into Gu Jingnian's body, but she was no match for his strength.

She looked up and saw his deep eyes.

A scene suddenly flashed into her mind: he had stood in front of her, shielding her from a fatal blow with his body, and he had turned to look at her, his gaze as profound as it was today.

"Take it!"

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out, and many men in black appeared in various parts of the woods, wielding Immortal-Capturing Ropes and nets, and surrounded Gu Jingnian.

Gu Jingnian tried again to snatch the wooden plaque from Shen Lingshu's hand, but the rope on her wrist was clearly also some kind of rare treasure.

The situation no longer allows for lingering any longer.

He looked up, facing the sunlight filtering through the trees, casting a shadow in the distance.

"Don't let him escape, stab him again!"

Wei Zhuang's voice rang out, urging Shen Lingshu on.

Shen Lingshu could clearly feel that Gu Jingnian's strength in his hand was weakening. If she pushed hard, she could stab the dagger into his body.

But she hesitated.

In that split second of hesitation, Gu Jingnian took a step back and disappeared from sight.

Only a pool of dark blood remained on the grass.

"Southwest direction, pursue!"

Wei Zhuang held a compass, staring intently at it, and continuously issued orders.

One by one, the hooks of the Kaiping Division swept past Shen Lingshu without looking at her again.

"Are you alright?" Liang Caixing stepped forward, wanting to help Shen Lingshu up, but hesitated, and could only ask with concern.

The dagger fell to the ground. Shen Lingshu picked it up and looked at her hands covered in blood. She smiled with relief.

But that smile only lasted a short while before fading away.

She was put into a carriage and taken back to the Liang family's villa. Her maidservant came forward to take her to wash up, but she refused.

She didn't eat anything, just waited for the Kaiping Division's report on whether they had captured Gu Jingnian.

Wei Zhuang did not return for a long time.

Instead, Wei Chan returned first with A-Wan, and they were both shocked to see Shen Lingshu's hands covered in blood.

"What happened?" Wei Chan asked.

Shen Lingshu was still in a daze and did not answer immediately.

Liang Caixing then replied, "Miss Shen killed Gu Jingnian with her own hands."

After listening to his detailed account of what had happened, Wei Chan's expression turned serious.

For her, if the Kaiping Division were to capture Gu Jingnian, then many secrets about alchemy would be lost forever, and she would never be able to uncover them again.

"Ling Shu, come here, I have something to say to you."

Wei Chan, who was always a clean freak, disregarded the dirt this time and pulled Shen Lingshu's hand to walk towards her carriage.

Upon entering, one sees a uniquely textured fabric shimmering with gold on the carriage walls.

She doesn't have to worry about being overheard when she speaks here.

Wei Chan glanced at the wooden plaque on Shen Lingshu's wrist and slowly said, "I'm worried that you've been used by the Kaiping Division..."

(End of this chapter)