Chapter 317: Meng the Second
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Maid Lotus wished to regain the same feeling they once had.
The Slave Huan then had progressed from always being on his guard around her, to conditionally co-operating with her, to eventually trusting her completely, albeit slowly and over a long period of time.
It will be the same this time, she thought.
She even felt that the present Dragon King had trusted her far too early. Not only had she been immediately assigned to protect him covertly, she even had the opportunity to take part in planning each plot of his.
As such, she witnessed wave after wave of people coming from all places to pander themselves to the Dragon King. She also saw Xiao Fengchai and Shopkeeper Lyu bow to his will, as all the others did, albeit with some resistance at first. They were willing to work for him now, and left harboring dreams of building themselves a huge business network.
She even saw a mysterious stranger handing him a note that evening, stating that both Chu Nanping and Tie Linglong were currently imprisoned in Bodhi Garden and that the Dragon King was invited to retrieve both youths.
But there were things which she did not entirely know as well. For example, she had supplied the Dragon King with the tasteless and colorless poison, but she did not know how he had managed to get Meng Mingshi to consume it.
She appeared just as he was seated behind his desk, absorbed in thought and exposed. She felt that she was experiencing deja-vu and it moved her so much so that it felt so surreal.
“It’s a trap, you know.” Her tone was gentle and unhurried, showing that she was neither trying to persuade him nor analyze the situation, but just stating a simple fact.
Gu Shenwei knew what she was talking about, even though he had not shown any excitement when he saw the note. He could never hide his feelings from her.
“The trap is too obvious. The Golden Roc Fort should know that I would never fall for it.” His tone was not as calm as hers. He was trying to find an excuse to risk the trip to Bodhi Garden.
“You are always so suspicious of everything, why are you so convinced this time? There is no lack of people who understand how you think in the Golden Roc Fort. Perhaps, the sender is trying to use the simplest form of trickery to deceive you.”
Gu Shenwei remained silent. Maid Lotus was right. His customary practice was to unearth any signs of a plot from seemingly ordinary matters, but it was not like him to try to disprove a conspiracy.
Maid Lotus was extremely surprised. Even though it had been more than three years since they had last co-operated, she could still accurately sense this man’s every thought. It did not, however, make her feel any better to be left in the dark on his plans. “Those two people are extremely important to you,” she said simply.
Those were the words he had been waiting to hear.”Yes, they’ve passed my test of loyalty,” he replied.
He had not realized that his words would wound her. Maid Lotus’ heart trembled slightly as she heard his reply, but managed to hide her emotions from him; she had done it so many times that it was like second nature to her. In this aspect, she had always been better than him. “Maybe we can avoid their trap and rescue the two of them at the same time,” she replied.
Gu Shenwei lifted his head to look at Maid Lotus. He realized that he had gone against his original intentions and was starting to warm up to her again. He had never experienced the same level of rapport with anyone else; talking to her was almost like speaking to himself. It was a feeling that he had longed for but never experienced these past three years.
“The military counselor would not agree,” said Gu Shenwei. In actual fact, he did not really care about what Fang Wenshi thought, but this time around, it was different. There could be killers from the Golden Roc Fort waiting to ambush him in Bodhi Garden, and his breaking in would give the Supreme King an excuse to call off the temporary ceasefire.
“We have no intention of letting anyone know,” she replied, ending their discussion.
As such, they sneaked into North City. Other than Jiang, no one else noticed their absence. After the decisive battle with Wildhorse had concluded, she had insisted on returning to the residence of the Dragon King from North City. As such, she was the best person to cover the Dragon King’s tracks.
Gu Shenwei did not go to Bodhi Garden directly but took the long route around before arriving at a small house at the edge of East City. After inspecting the surrounding area for a while, he leaped into the house alone, leaving her standing guard outside its walls.
Maid Lotus and the other disciples of the New Moon Hall had been operating in Jade City for a long time, and she was extremely familiar with the goings-on in the city. As such, she knew exactly who the owner of the house was. At the same time, she understood who had poisoned Fifth Young Master Meng.
Meng Yuzun had killed dozens of innocent slaves, but it never occurred to him that the real murderer was another of his sons.
Meng Mingshu, or Second Young Master Meng, was Xiao Fengchai’s most steady customer. He had practically never dealt with the Dragon King in the past, and Gu Shenwei had only seen him in the famous prostitute’s home once before. It was from her that he came to know Meng Mingshu was a man of ambition.
Even though it was an ambition that the Second Young Master kept well hidden, Gu Shenwei had an acute feeling that it just needed a little spark to be set ablaze.
The Meng family had the backing of the Golden Roc Fort and posed an insurmountable obstacle. If Gu Shenwei wanted to defeat them, he would have to target the cracks in the organization. This type of tactic was second nature to him.
Meng Mingshu was handsome and he exuded an aura that was entirely different from this arrogant fourth brother or his debaucherous fifth brother; he was serious and reserved in nature. As such, when the Dragon King suddenly appeared, he did not panic, and could even guess roughly what the intruder’s intentions were.
That negotiation went smoothly, as neither party disguised his intentions. They spoke openly, and although they did not make any concrete plans to work together, each of them found a source of energy in the other that was lacking in himself. As such, they left with a good impression of each other.
A few days earlier, Gu Shenwei made his second visit to Meng Mingshu. This time around, they discussed their plans in greater detail, each of them proposing their own conditions.
Gu Shenwei wanted Meng Mingshi dead. His reason was that he wanted to teach Meng Yuzun a lesson and strike a firm blow to the close relationship between the Meng family and the Stone Castle at the same time.
Neither the Dragon King nor the Great Snow Mountain could be seen taking part in this plan, as Meng Mingshi, who was about to marry Shangguan Ru, could already be considered a part of the Golden Roc Fort.
The Dragon King needed the help of Second Young Master to execute his plan.
Meng Mingshu wanted his elder brother dead, and his reason was even more simple. He wanted to inherit the immense industries of the Meng family. After his first meeting with the Dragon King, his ambition grew by the day and he had made up his mind to realize it, everything else was damned.
Meng Mingshu and his elder brother Meng Mingkuan were born to the same parents but the former was younger by just a year. He was capable too, but the inheritance he was allocated was less than a tenth of his elder brother’s. This left him lamenting the unfairness of fate.
Similarly, he could not be caught taking part in the murder of his elder brother. His father Meng Yuzun was no fool, and if his elder son were to die from any kind of accident, his first suspect would be Meng Mingshu.
The Meng family did not observe the same rules as the Golden Roc Fort and there was no reward for killing one’s own brother, only punishment.
Thus, he needed the Dragon King’s assistance as well. The Great Snow Mountain was a known opponent of the Meng family, and he would not be a suspect if Meng Mingkuan was killed by the Dragon King.
The only problem was that they could not be seen working together. Meng Mingshu did not tell anyone about their co-operation, even Xiao Fengchai.
Therefore, he was extremely surprised when the Dragon King appeared in front of him for the third time. However, he quickly regained his composure, for there was something he wished to ask anyway, “I heard from Fengchai that you are planning to build a second business network in the Western Region which will be comparable to that of the Meng family.”
“Right.”
“Don’t you forget about our deal,” Meng Mingshi replied. He felt a little anxious; he wanted to inherit the entirety of his family’s industries and not just a family name with no substance.
“The day you take over, you’ll find that you can easily settle these conflicts and your position will be even more secure.”
Meng Mingshu was doubtful. He was beginning to grow wary of the Dragon King’s methods; this man, who was younger than him by more than 10 years, was even more astute than his father. “I hope this day will come soon, and I hope that when the time comes, the industries of the Meng family will still largely be intact.”
“Your wish will come true,” replied Gu Shenwei. He believed that he had firm control over Second Young Master Meng’s lifeline. “I wish to know whether there is a trap waiting for me in Bodhi Garden.”
Meng Mingshu smiled sardonically. He was not mocking the Dragon King, but rather, his father. “Father knew you would come to Bodhi Garden sooner or later. Therefore, he spent a lot of effort setting up a trap for you, mobilizing hundreds of people. I’m not sure of the details, but he has offered a bounty of one million taels of silver for anyone who manages to captures the Dragon King alive and 500 thousand taels of silver for the person who manages to kill you.”
“I’m going to Bodhi Garden tonight.”
Meng Mingshu had felt that the Dragon King would not fall for his father’s trap even without his warning. As such, he did not know how to react for a moment after hearing the statement. This was not the image he had of the Dragon King, who was full of cunning. “What are you going to Bodhi Garden for, Dragon King?”, he asked.
The Second Young Master could not help but think of all the gossip that he had brushed off in the past. If the Dragon King paid this much attention to women, he would have to reconsider their deal; he wished to rely on somebody who was ruthless and decisive, not someone immature and willing to forsake personal interests for women.
“Two of my important helpers are imprisoned in Bodhi Garden.”
His calmness helped to dispel some of Meng Mingshu’s concern. “It’s a little risky, but you can try,” replied Meng. He did not know the details about the trap and could only describe the situation in Bodhi Garden in general.
Gu Shenwei left after listening to Meng Mingshu. He met up with Maid Lotus outside the house and both of them arrived at Bodhi Garden before midnight.
She did not have any questions for him on their way to the garden.
A lady wearing a black cape was waiting anxiously for the Dragon King at a rock garden to the north-east of Bodhi Garden. It was she who had passed the note to Gu Shenwei that evening, requesting to meet him at this very spot.
“Is it you?”, she asked softly, seeing the silhouette of someone carrying two weapons approach.
Gu Shenwei nodded, appearing alone. Maid Lotus, meanwhile, was hiding nearby.
“Ah, Miss said you would come. She received news that there’s a labyrinth in the garden, and that there are two people are imprisoned inside. After much effort, she managed to get hold of…”
Gu Shenwei abruptly drew his Five Peaks Saber and placed it against her neck.
“Dragon King…” the woman’s eyes were filled with fear.
“You shouldn’t have called her ‘Miss’,” said Gu Shenwei coldly. He believed that even after more than three years of dressing up as a woman, Shangguan Ru would still dislike being called ‘Miss’, and her gracing the entrance of the Four Truths Temple was proof of that.
“I…” The woman’s voice started to tremble.
“Where is she staying?”
The woman seemed reluctant to answer the question until the Dragon King increased the pressure of the Five Peaks Saber on her neck. She pointed to the south-west, replying, “Lotus Yard. I’m not lying, Dragon King…”
Gu Shenwei sheathed his saber upon getting his answer. The women crumpled to the ground, a small wound on her neck.
Meng Mingshu did not know the exact location of Shangguan Ru, but from what he had gathered, Meng Yuzun had set up his trap far from where she was staying at. He did not dare to let her get wind of his plans; he knew that she was his daughter-in-law purely in name and that she was rebellious.
Just as they had thought, Meng Yuzun had hoped to draw the Dragon King to the underground chamber at the Center Lake, but Shangguan Ru’s quarters at the Lotus Yard was situated at the south-west corner of Bodhi Garden.
Gu Shenwei and Maid Lotus retreated from the garden and took a long way round till they were outside Lotus Yard. They lay in wait on a roof, peering into the interior of the yard over the wall.
It was extremely dark and the courtyard was silent and still.
All of a sudden, Gu Shenwei did not know why he had come here. If the news of the Chu Nanping and Tie Linglong being imprisoned in Bodhi Garden was just meant to lure him into a trap, he should, in fact, leave as quickly as he could.
Maid Lotus managed to guess what he was thinking again. She urged him on softly, “After all, you killed her husband. You should at least give her an explanation in person.”
