Chapter 678: Assassination
Editor: Atlas Studios
Liao Wu and Jing Xin knew that it was impossible to completely absolve White Cloud Temple and Cleansing Water Nunnery of blame in this matter. All they could ask for was to define the nature of the matter as merely having personal dealings with a neighboring country. This was a much lighter crime than them assassinating Prince’s family members and plotting a rebellion.
The former would only result in those in the know being held responsible. As for the latter, it might result in the deaths of nearly 1,000 monks and nuns in the temple and nunnery.
Mu Yangling asked, “Where’s Miss Wang?”
Jing Xin hurriedly bowed and said, “She’s still in the east courtyard. She’s unconscious because she’s running a high fever.”
Mu Yangling nodded slightly. “If what you say is true and everything is a misunderstanding, I will allow the Wang family to not go extinct completely.” Mu Yangling sneered. “If you had told me the details earlier, would we have harmed a weak woman? Many things wouldn’t have happened.”
Liao Wu and the others lowered their heads in shame. “Your Highness is right. We’ve judged a gentleman’s character with our own narrow-mindedness.”
“Abbess Jing Xin, please ask Miss Wang’s secret guards to put down their weapons. I brought along a doctor with me on this trip, and I also brought some ordinary herbs. Send Miss Wang over for treatment. It’d be bad if she died under the pain of illness after escaping death by sword.”
These words were very straightforward, but for Miss Wang’s sake, Liao Wu and Jing Xin did not dare to agree. They did not know if Mu Yangling was telling the truth. What if she was lying to them and killed Miss Wang after tricking her out?
Liao Wu and Jing Xin hesitated for a moment, then looked at each other and said, “Your Highness, why don’t we leave Miss Wang in the nunnery to recuperate for the time being? I’ll bring the doctor to take a look at her now.”
Mu Yangling smiled and said, “Abbess Jing Xin, I personally believe that what you’re saying is true, but all of this has yet to be investigated. Do you think I’ll let a general’s daughter of such a dangerous neighboring country stay in the nunnery hall? I know what you’re worried about. Don’t worry, I won’t kill her. At least, I won’t kill her before her identity is investigated. After I find out the truth, if it’s really as you said, I’ll personally help her settle down in Qiannan and protect the Wang family’s bloodline.”
With no other choice, Jing Xin could only reply with her heart beating wildly, “I can only give it a try.”
“I will only give you 30 minutes. If they don’t lay down their weapons and submit obediently, the guards of the Prince’s estate will charge in. Should things come to that state, anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!” Mu Yangling said coldly with a murderous tone.
Mu Yangling asked Qi San to bring Jing Xin to the east courtyard before asking someone to invite Jie Kong, Jie Mo, and Yuan Fang over. She asked Jie Kong in front of Liao Wu, “Master Jie Kong, who is staying in the east courtyard?”
Jie Kong looked straight ahead and said, “Your Highness, the person living there is the daughter of Dali’s Right Guard General, Wang Ping.”
Mu Yangling knew that since they had not colluded before coming, the identity of the person from the east courtyard was as they had said.
Mu Yangling nodded slightly and invited them to sit down without asking any more questions.
The few of them did not expect Mu Yangling to ask only one question and were immediately a little nervous. The room fell silent for a moment, terrifyingly silent.
Liao Wu and Liao Ji closed their eyes and slid the prayer beads in their hands. Meanwhile, Mu Yangling drank her tea calmly. On the other hand, when Yuan Fang saw that Jing Xin wasn’t in the room, she secretly became anxious. She kept staring at Jie Kong, and the latter could not help but ask, “Your Highness, where’s Abbess Jing Xin?”
“She went to invite Miss Wang over.”
Immediately, Jie Kong and Yuan Fang’s expressions changed slightly.
“By the way, is the monk who sent Miss Wang here still around?” Mu Yangling was about to drink tea when she suddenly thought of this person.
Liao Wu turned slightly and said respectfully, “Your Highness, that person was severely injured. He died shortly after escorting her to the temple.”
Mu Yangling nodded slightly. She didn’t say that she believed him, nor did she say that she didn’t.
However, Jie Kong and Yuan Fang couldn’t help but become anxious. How could they hand Miss Wang over to the Prince’s estate? Wouldn’t the price they paid to protect her thus far be in vain?
How many people had died from Dali all the way to Qiannan?
Jie Kong and Yuan Fang’s eyes gradually reddened and they looked at each other quietly.
Jie Kong quickly looked around the room. Seeing that there were only two guards in the room and one of them was just standing in front of the inner room door, he couldn’t help but feel tempted. He gave Yuan Fang a look…
“Jie Kong!”
“Evil creature, stop!”
Liao Wu and Liao Ji bellowed, wanting to stop Jie Kong and Yuan Fang. However, he and Liao Ji sat on Mu Yangling’s left while Jie Kong and Yuan Fang sat on Mu Yangling’s right. As they were equally far from Mu Yangling, they could not stop the duo in time since they were one step ahead of them.
The moment Jie Kong and Yuan Fang moved, Mu Yangling straightened her body. As soon as Yuan Fang rushed up, she kicked her in the chest and abdomen, sending her flying out. When everyone heard a few cracking sounds, they knew that the ribs in her chest must have broken. But Jie Kong was stopped by the guard behind her. The two of them instantly fought.
Jie Mo’s round eyes widened as he shouted, “Senior Presiding Brother, stop!”
At first glance, Mu Yangling looked at the guard guarding the door of the inner room. Seeing that he did not move from his position and took out his sword to block the door warily, she was slightly relieved. Seeing that Jie Kong’s movements were becoming more and more aggressive, the furious Mu Yangling picked up the teacup on the table and only watched his movements for a moment before throwing it out, coincidentally blocking his next move. In response, Jie Kong paused slightly and dodged to the side. However, the guard’s saber had already stabbed out before him and struck his waist. As the guard kicked him down, Jie Kong cried out in pain and fell beside Yuan Fang.
The guard placed his sword horizontally against his neck, suppressing him so much that he could not even raise his head.
Mu Yangling turned to look at the pale-faced Liao Wu and said with a smile, “Master Liao Wu, with your actions, how can I believe that the person from the east courtyard is just a general’s orphan?”
Liao Wu knelt in front of Mu Yangling and said, “Your Highness, that’s indeed Wang Ping’s daughter. I’m not lying.”
Liao Ji and Jie Mo hurriedly knelt on the ground.
Instead of commenting, Mu Yangling snorted and looked at Jie Kong. “You want to use me as a hostage to save the person in the east courtyard? Jie Kong, aren’t you the abbot of the White Cloud Temple? You’re actually willing to sacrifice the lives of more than 700 people in the temple for a woman. Seems like you’re quite generous. Men, take these two people away and lock them up separately.”
Mu Yangling did not look at the three people kneeling on the ground. She stood up and said, “I wonder who chose Jie Kong to be an abbot. How stupid.”
Jie Kong’s face turned green and white. When he moved, a bloody mark appeared on his neck. He glared at Mu Yangling with vehement hatred.
Liao Wu and company, likewise had ugly expressions. They had clearly saved White Cloud Temple and Cleansing Water Nunnery from being implicated. At the very least, they would not implicate the innocent monks and nuns. Alas, Jie Kong and Yuan Fang had destroyed everything.
Liao Wu felt sad. If he had known earlier, he would not have allowed Jie Kong to be so close to Dali back then. Apparently, Jie Kong was now more attached to Dali than his fellow monks here.
Mu Yangling waved her hand and got someone to bring Liao Wu and the other two to the side house next door to keep an eye on them.
Looking as though he had aged ten years in an instant, Liao Wu looked at Jie Mo and said, “Jie Mo, if you can make it out of here alive, you will take over White Cloud Temple.”
“Uncle-Master!”
Liao Wu waved his hand and said, “Since your Senior Brother Jie Kong tried to assassinate Her Highness, the only fate that awaits him is death. You have to remember that you’re the abbot of Qiannan’s White Cloud Temple, not the South Stream White Cloud Temple!”
Jie Mo knelt on the ground and cried bitterly. “I understand.”
Liao Wu sighed. “Don’t make the same mistake as your senior brother. In the future, stay away from the South Stream White Cloud Temple. After 200 years, one country has become two countries. Even if it was once the main temple, the two temples broke off their relationship when Dali turned from a county to a country.”
Chapter end
