There is a god in the sky

Chapter 300 Killing

"Stop the carriage!" Zhao Xuan shouted from inside.

The driver ignored him and continued on his way until Zhao Xuan threatened to jump out of the carriage.

“Oh…Young lady, the master has repeatedly instructed that you must be sent back to your ancestral home in Xingyang as soon as possible.”

"I'm not going back! Why should I leave? Would the Xiao family dare to kill me?"

The driver was unaware of these matters and could not comment on them.

He shook the rain off his hands and advised, "Young lady, the rain is getting heavier. There's an abandoned teahouse up ahead; let's go there to take shelter from the rain."

Before Zhao Xuan could agree, the driver resumed his journey, and the guards behind him remained silent.

When they arrived at the teahouse, they found a person sitting inside, a young woman wearing a raincoat and a bamboo hat, who had obviously also been trapped there by the heavy rain.

They didn't try to drive them away; they just found a spot where the rain wouldn't leak and sat down.

Zhao Xuan didn't bring any maids or servants with her this time, and she didn't even bring any luggage, which shows how hurriedly she left, as if she were fleeing a disaster.

"I'm hungry!" she cried.

The guards brought over some dry rations, which she swept onto the ground by her henchmen.

"Is this all you're feeding me?"

"Miss, we're in the middle of nowhere, please bear with us. We'll be fine once we get back to our ancestral home."

When the time comes, the Zhao family will naturally elevate her to the heavens, and she won't need them to serve her anymore.

Shen Lan was also eating a pancake. It was dry and a bit hard to swallow, but there was a wheaty aftertaste after swallowing, so it wasn't inedible.

A clap of thunder streaked across the sky, and Zhao Xuan screamed in fright.

"I don't want to stay here! Let's go! I want to stay at an inn!"

The driver went to fetch a bucket of water and returned, kindly advising, "Miss, there are no inns within fifty miles ahead."

"Then let's keep going and stop when we find an inn!"

In such heavy rain, Zhao Xuan was naturally not afraid of getting wet while sitting in the carriage, but the coachman and guards were also human, and humans can get sick.

"The rain is too heavy and the road is difficult to travel. Please bear with it, Miss."

There was a stove in the tea stall, and even some firewood.

They lit a fire and boiled water, preparing to drink hot water to ward off the cold.

Given the rudimentary conditions, Zhao Xuan didn't really want to drink, but she was so thirsty that she reluctantly ate some food with the hot water.

Half an hour later, the guards stopped breathing in their sleep, their faces still smiling as if they were having a beautiful dream.

Shen Lan stood up and walked towards Zhao Xuan step by step.

Zhao Xuan clutched her throat, trying to call out but unable to make a sound.

Seeing the person standing next to her, she raised her hand and grabbed her sleeve, making a "ho ho..." sound.

Shen Lan took off her straw hat, just as a bolt of lightning struck, illuminating her face.

Zhao Xuan froze, her hand fell, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

She wanted to escape, but her body wouldn't move, and she couldn't even stand up in pain.

She didn't know why her guards were all motionless and wouldn't wake up when she called them.

She tried to slap Shen Lan with both hands, but Shen Lan grabbed her.

"Do you know why you're the only one still alive?" Shen Lan looked down at her, her expression largely unchanged.

Zhao Xuan felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, and black blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. The pain made her vision go black.

"Don't you really like using poison? You even came up with such bizarre methods, turning a hunting dog into a mad dog with deadly venom, and even smearing snake-attracting medicine on it."

How can you be so smart?

Shen Lan opened a paper packet and shook the powder inside onto her.

Zhao Xuan was very familiar with the smell and was so frightened that she frantically patted herself to try to shake off the powder.

"A person only has one life. When you disregard the lives of others, you should think about the consequences."

Shen Lan put on a straw hat and turned to walk into the rain.

She untied the horse from the tree, patted its rump, and said, "Go on, it's still a life."

The next day, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

Before leaving, Xiao Ji had someone call Shen Lan, only to learn that she had not returned home all night.

He rushed to the courtyard where Shen Lan lived and saw her sitting there, drying her wet hair in the sunlight.

She was wearing a white nightgown and looked like she had just gotten up.

Xiao Ji hurriedly turned around and asked, "I heard from the servants that you didn't come back last night."

"Ah."

Shen Lan was clearly in low spirits; she answered each of Xiao Ji's questions with a single sentence.

"Then you should rest well. I'm going to the yamen now." Xiao Ji waved his hand behind him and left the courtyard.

He quickened his pace, and as he exited the gate, he pulled Sui Feng aside and whispered something in his ear.

Nothing much is happening at the government office today.

Although the outside world was unaware of Xiao Ji's annulment of the engagement, those who were close to him had heard about it.

"Lord Xiao, would you be free to go out for a drink after the court session ends today?" Magistrate Xu extended an invitation.

Xiao Ji declined, saying, "I'm sorry, I have to go to the Pingyang Marquis's residence this afternoon. Let's meet another day."

After hesitating for a moment, and seeing that no one was around, Magistrate Xu said in a low voice, "Actually, someone asked me to invite Lord Xiao out for a meeting, as they want to introduce you to a marriage proposal."

Xiao Ji was both amused and exasperated.

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I don't need it at the moment."

"Don't rush to refuse. This marriage is indeed a good one. You've already broken off the engagement, so you can't stay single forever. I'm sure your elders are getting anxious, right?"

Xiao Ji is getting old; the Xiao family can't possibly not be anxious.

"Yes, but I am not in the mood to discuss marriage at the moment. Thank you for your concern, Lord Xu, but please decline."

"Don't you want to know which company it is?"

"You don't need to know."

He wouldn't agree to it, no matter which company it was.

Magistrate Xu couldn't stand his calm and composed demeanor.

Xiao Ji is indeed capable. He just announced the annulment of the engagement, and suddenly he became a hot commodity, with more than one family coming to inquire about him.

They didn't care whether Xiao Ji was rejected or not; who wouldn't want such a good catch?

"She is the second daughter of the Duke of Wen's mansion. Don't blame me for not reminding you, this is an even better marriage. You won't find another like it."

Xiao Ji was somewhat irritated and asked with a stern face, "When did Lord Xu get involved with the Duke of Wen's mansion? Could it be that facilitating this marriage would be beneficial to you?"

Magistrate Xu was furious: "Xiao Ji, what do you mean by this?"

Xiao Ji got up and walked outside, saying, "It means I'm unwilling."

"Fine! Very well! You're so arrogant! I thought I was helping you, but I didn't expect you to be so ungrateful! Don't regret it later!"

Magistrate Xu turned and left.

I bumped into Sui Feng as soon as I reached the door.

He scolded, "What kind of behavior is this, so reckless and impudent? Like master, like servant!"

Sui Feng was completely bewildered by the scolding, but he was preoccupied with important matters and didn't pay any attention to the man surnamed Xu.

Seeing that he ran away without admitting his mistake, Magistrate Xu became even angrier, muttering to himself as he walked out.

An official ran out shouting, "It's terrible! Something horrible has happened! Ten bodies have been found outside the city—nine men and one woman—all poisoned!"

Xiao Ji clenched his fists and asked seriously, "Have you found out? Is it really her?"

"Yes, I have confirmed it. She, the driver, and the guards are all dead."

"Understood. Don't spread this around. Just pretend we don't know anything about it."

Sui Feng pointed outside and said, "Don't worry, the whole government office knows by now."