Chapter 870: Chapter 634: The Transaction
This night was unusually peaceful; by the time Yang Xiao opened his eyes, dawn had broken. He got up and subconsciously glanced at Nalan Shuo’s bed, only to see that Nalan Shuo was also asleep, his body rising and falling steadily with his breath. It was then that his anxious heart gradually calmed down.
Nalan Shuo meant more to him than just a superior - he was a mentor and a friend, a trustworthy companion upon whom to rely.
Just as Yang Xiao was tiptoeing out of bed, Nalan Shuo suddenly opened his eyes, clear and decisive, without a hint of grogginess, "Awake?"
Yang Xiao was somewhat surprised, "You haven’t slept?"
"Not tired," Nalan Shuo sat up, his clothes still on, and put on his shoes to get out of bed, "Can’t compare to you young folks. People of a certain age sleep lighter and less."
"You should have woken me up. How can you manage without sleep all night?" Yang Xiao couldn’t help worrying about Nalan Shuo’s health. The more critical the mission became, the more dangerous the day could turn out to be, ensuring sufficient energy was also one of the important conditions for survival.
"Don’t worry about me. Get ready, and we’ll head out," Nalan Shuo gave Yang Xiao a reassuring smile, then walked out of the bedroom.
After arriving in the hallway, he bent over to splash his face with water from the copper basin on the washstand behind the door. The cool water refreshed him instantly.
After tidying his clothes, Yang Xiao followed out, "Director, about Xiang Fengchen... how do you plan to tell everyone?"
After drying his face with a cloth and hanging it back on the washstand, Nalan Shuo turned around with an unchanged expression, "Tell the truth."
"Understood," Yang Xiao nodded.
Having packed everything and ensured nothing was overlooked, Yang Xiao was the first to push open the door and step out, followed by Nalan Shuo.
"Creak—"
"Creak—"
Yang Xiao had barely taken five steps out of his room when two other doors opened. Jiang Qingluan, Chang Chuchu, Fang Zhou, and Lou Huixiang all came out, clearly having been awake for a while, but no one had taken the initiative to come out first - these crafty fellows didn’t want to be the first to stick their necks out.
Chang Chuchu looked visibly worse off than last night; her eyes were dim, her complexion as pale as death, and she was listless as she walked. Upon noticing Xiang Fengchen’s absence, she immediately looked anxiously toward Yang Xiao’s room and exclaimed, "Where is my master?"
"Dead," Nalan Shuo’s blunt truth was startling.
Hearing that, Chang Chuchu staggered, nearly collapsing. Then, gathering her anger, she rushed towards Yang Xiao’s room, burst through the door, and started searching for someone.
However, it didn’t take long for Chang Chuchu’s heart-wrenching cries to come from inside, leaving the remaining three, Jiang Qingluan included, completely stunned. They had never imagined that Xiang Fengchen, the core member of their team, would be dead when they woke up after one night.
"Mr. Nalan, exactly how did Mr. Xiang die?" Jiang Qingluan’s tone was hostile, tinged with an accusatory edge, "Our mission last night was completed, there’s no reason for Xiang Fengchen to have died."
Yang Xiao caught on - Jiang Qingluan suspected that Xiang Fengchen’s death was at the hands of Nalan Shuo and himself, as everyone had seen the discord between Xiang Fengchen and Nalan Shuo.
"If I said I killed him, would you believe it?" At this moment, explanations were futile. Nalan Shuo lifted his head, his gaze straightforwardly locking with Jiang Qingluan’s.
Seconds later, Jiang Qingluan stepped back, as if she was forced to retreat by that gaze, and at the same time apologized for her earlier rashness. Calming herself, she knew from observing Nalan Shuo, he was surely not the kind of person to lose his wits and do something so foolish.
Taking this chance, Yang Xiao quickly explained the events of the previous night and asked if anyone had heard any noises or noticed anything unusual.
"Nothing, last night... was very quiet," Fang Zhou was the first to speak, still not recovered from the shock of Xiang Fengchen’s death.
Lou Huixiang also shook his head, but unlike the others, he didn’t look quite as upset; in fact, there was a slight sense of schadenfreude.
Feng Shui takes its turns; one shouldn’t be careless with what they eat or say. Last night, Xiang Fengchen had mocked that he probably wouldn’t live till this morning, yet today his words turned out to be prophetic. However, the backlash fell upon himself, and Lou Huixiang felt a mix of emotions.
"Where is the Divine Turtle Shell?" Jiang Qingluan suddenly asked.
Nalan Shuo patted his chest to indicate that the Divine Turtle Shell wasn’t lost, still in their possession, which eased the tension on Jiang Qingluan’s face.
But it was this action that confirmed Nalan Shuo’s previous suspicions. It seemed this young lady was not simple; she might very well utilize this treasure.
"Keep it with me for now. If you need it, come and ask me anytime," Nalan Shuo nodded to her, recalling the high regard that Xiang Fengchen had held for this girl.
"Alright," Jiang Qingluan gave a light nod in return.
"Get her out," Nalan Shuo commanded, turning towards the dazed Fang Zhou and Lou Huixiang, who then proceeded into the room.
"Get out! Get out!!" The next second, Chang Chuchu’s voice echoed with a desperate, fury-tinged scream from the room, "Don’t touch me! Get out!!"
For her, Xiang Fengchen was akin to the last lifeline, and yet, before she could escape the nightmare, Xiang Fengchen had already met his death.
Jiang Qingluan strode into the room, followed by a "slap" sound – Chang Chuchu’s cursing stopped abruptly. Then, like dragging a dead dog, Jiang Qingluan single-handedly dragged the limp Chang Chuchu out and threw her in front of Nalan Shuo.
Yang Xiao clearly saw a handprint on Chang Chuchu’s pale face as Lou Huixiang and Fang Zhou also followed out of the room. At this moment, both men looked at Jiang Qingluan with a newfound respect, clearly not expecting her to be so fierce.
