Chapter 456: Chapter 420: Shifting the Posts While Stealing the Beams
He Buning received the news and rushed to the west of the city with Xiao Liu, by which time Qiu Siming had already dispatched the Imperial Guard to encircle Meng Mansion three layers deep both inside and out.
Each of the Shengjing Jinwu Guards was equipped with firearms, their muzzles pointed at various areas of Meng Mansion, including the surrounding rooftops which were manned by Imperial Guards and Yin Walkers from the Shengjing Exorcism Bureau, ensuring no one—human or ghost—could escape from Meng Mansion.
He Buning and Xiao Liu stood at the window of the highest tavern in the west of the city, focusing intently on Meng Mansion’s direction through a monocular. He Buning watched as Qiu Siming personally led people into Meng Mansion, holding his breath with tension.
Although Xiao Liu couldn’t clearly see the situation over there, he could imagine what might happen, which made him equally tense and caused him to grip his sword tightly.
For Shengjing City and Qiu Siming, even if they temporarily lost track of Sang Que and the others, it wouldn’t be difficult to re-acquire their position.
It seemed Sang Que and the team had certainly infiltrated Meng Lian’s residence, yet now that Meng Mansion was surrounded, even if Meng Lian wanted to protect them for various reasons, disguising them as household members wouldn’t work.
Qiu Siming had ways to identify them, exposure was inevitable.
Besieged by such heavy forces and unable to enter the Hidden Realm from within Shengjing City, escaping was extremely difficult.
Yet, even as the situation seemed dire, He Buning and Xiao Liu still held hope, hoping that Sang Que could find a way to break free.
It wasn’t entirely impossible—after all, the Sixth Level female Yin Walker in the palace had to protect the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty and wouldn’t leave the palace regardless of the situation.
Zuo Jinye was presently not in Shengjing, and the other Sixth Level Yin Walker in Shengjing City, Old General Qiu Wanjun, was injured and could not act. If Sang Que and the team fought desperately, it might not be impossible.
If it truly came to that, He Buning and Xiao Liu would strive to support them.
Time ticked by, and all was quiet at Meng Mansion; the Jinwu Guards’ firearms were inactive, and the Yin Walkers had not thrown their yin objects.
"Something’s not right..." He Buning furrowed his brow, puzzled.
Xiao Liu also noticed the anomaly, "Aren’t they in Meng Mansion?"
He Buning shook his head, "They certainly are, otherwise Qiu Siming wouldn’t have made such a grand show of surrounding Meng Mansion, the Inspection Bureau’s tactics wouldn’t fail."
At this moment, He Buning saw Qiu Siming leading people out from the inner courtyard of Meng Mansion. From his location, he could see the scene in the front courtyard of Meng Mansion.
Qiu Siming’s face looked gloomy as he tossed the mirror in his hand to the nearby guard, then turned to the family members of Meng to speak.
Meng Lian, as the Wuhou Team Captain, stood with a bent back, nodding and bending, looking caught between laughter and tears, talking continuously to Qiu Siming while Qiu Siming ignored him with a look of anger.
Behind Meng Lian was his elderly mother, the Old Madam of Meng Mansion, who was so frightened that her steps faltered, needing support from the nanny beside her.
Meng Lian’s first wife appeared rather composed, silently following beside the Old Madam. He Buning’s keen eyes noticed bloodstains on the hem of Lady Meng’s dress, indicating that there was a killing in the back mansion.
He Buning’s heart tightened abruptly, yet seeing Qiu Siming’s demeanor, it didn’t seem like they had caught anyone; instead, it appeared they found nothing, leading to his frustration.
Qiu Siming glanced at Old Madam Meng; after all, she had been Your Majesty’s wet nurse, and the relationship between the Evil Suppression Bureau and Your Majesty was rather delicate. Without necessity, Qiu Siming didn’t wish to make any further complications, so he scolded Meng Lian softly.
Qiu Siming waved his hand, prompting the Jinwu Guards to swiftly stow their firearms and withdraw. He patted Meng Lian on the shoulder, causing Meng Lian to bend his knees almost to the point of kneeling.
The Jinwu Guards and the Day Traveling Envoys from the Evil Suppression Bureau around Meng Mansion withdrew within less than a quarter of an hour. On the surface, the siege on Meng Mansion was lifted, but He Buning quickly checked several directions and found three Yin Walkers still hidden on high points outside Meng Mansion monitoring it closely.
He Buning contemplated briefly, then laid down the binoculars and rapidly left with Xiao Liu. Although he didn’t know what method Sang Que and the others used to elude Qiu Siming’s pursuit, He Buning believed Sang Que surely had her ways.
Sang Que came to Shengjing City likely for the Yin Child’s heart, and as long as he helped Sang Que acquire the heart, Sang Que would undoubtedly come to him.
...
Meng Mansion.
Meng Lian, accompanied by his personal servant, wore a grin to bid farewell to Qiu Siming and the others, watching them disappear at the end of the street before turning around, holding his barely erect waist.
The servant Meng Quan promptly reached out to support him, and the two men strolled slowly back to the front courtyard of Meng Mansion.
Old Madam Meng glared at Meng Lian and coldly snorted before slowly making her way to the back courtyard with support from Nanny Wang, leaning heavily on her dragon-headed cane.
Madam Meng, too, bent her knees slightly and returned to the back mansion to manage the earlier chaos herself.
Meng Lian sighed heavily, "Calamity without cause!"
Meng Quan led Meng Lian into the main hall and seated him, hurriedly serving tea and chasing away irrelevant people, behaving obsequiously.
Once Meng Mansion’s staff had all dispersed, a quick expression of fatigue crept across Meng Quan’s face; he turned to look back at Meng Lian seated at the head of the main hall, holding his head in apparent worry.
Meng Lian also lifted his eyes to steal a glance at Meng Quan, a tacit communication passing between them, as they continued their act as master and servant.
No one knew the current Meng Lian was Ghost Vendor and the servant Meng Quan was Cheng Ge, the Gu Master from Yunzhou.
Meanwhile, Madam Meng heading to the back mansion had transformed into Hua Qianmian, Old Madam Meng into Yao Zhen, and Nanny Wang beside her had been impersonated by Sang Que.
Everyone now celebrated, thankful for Sang Que’s decisive and swift action, which didn’t wait until nightfall.
They genuinely hadn’t known there was an Inspection Bureau in the Shengjing Exorcism Bureau capable of accurately pinpointing their positions as outsiders.
’Meng Lian’s’ post-fear wasn’t purely an act; Ghost Vendor truly feared, now realizing he had been stalked by the Exorcism Bureau from the moment he slipped into the city, bait for catching bigger fish.
In the back courtyard, Madam Meng and Old Madam parted ways at a fork, and Madam Meng curtsied and hinted to Yao Zhen and Sang Que that she would handle matters within Meng Mansion without worry.
Rising, Hua Qianmian resumed her appearance as Madam Meng.
Returning to the back yard, Hua Qianmian confined all the girls Meng Lian kept in her rear mansion each to their own courtyard, instructing the servants to move those killed by the Jinwu Guards to the firewood room to be cremated and buried after reporting.
Among them, one concubine wasn’t killed by the Jinwu Guards. While Hua Qianmian and the others stealthily slipped into the back courtyard of Meng Mansion with Sang Que’s help, the Madam being impersonated by Hua Qianmian was imposing rules on six concubines.
The one who died was the fallen Second Aunt, beaten to death before the other concubines on Madam Meng’s orders as a demonstration of authority.
Old Madam Meng learned of the deed impartially, even sending Nanny Wang from her side to praise Lady Meng’s matriarchal demeanor.
"A nest of scoundrels!"
Hua Qianmian cursed viciously in her heart, seeing their wicked behavior. She felt utterly guiltless when manipulating the Painted Skin Ghost to peel off their skin, only satisfaction!
However, Hua Qianmian hadn’t anticipated her art of painted skin could evade even the Evil Suppression Bureau’s mirror.
"Sigh, the price of ten thousand gold seems still low, yet I’ll consider it a friendly price for Sang Mulan!"
Hua Qianmian’s heart swelled with pride as she quickly immersed herself in Madam Meng’s role, ensuring the Meng Mansion’s normal operations while guarding against the Yin Walkers spying from the shadows.
