Chapter 152: Assassination Uproar
Chapter 152: Assassination Uproar
“Have you heard? Something happened last night at the Marshal’s Mansion. Someone pretended to be a girl from Phoenix Tower and poisoned the banquet. Killed a lot of people instantly.”
“Really? What kind of desperate fool would dare do that? What happened to the Marshal?”
“What do you think? He died right there. It’s still chaos over there. Only reason we’re safe is our steward didn’t drink, otherwise, ugh.”
“That really is good luck. What about the poisoner?”
“Dead. Shot on the spot. Tried to sneak away, see. But this Dingcheng Marshal was just so… eager for pleasure. Didn’t get the chance to slip away. Then the poison kicked in, and bang, got shot dead right there. Steward said the blood splattered everywhere.”
Chen Xiyi sat nearby, listening. It started off passably believable, but then the gossip spiraled completely into the absurd.
What really surprised Chen Xiyi, however, was that the assassination hadn’t occurred at Phoenix Tower, but within the Marshal’s Mansion.
‘It must have been Yue Yu who did it. I never imagined his real goal was actually to infiltrate the Marshal’s Mansion.’
Last night, the Marshal had invited stewards from their Merchant Caravan for a banquet, and requested girls from Phoenix Tower to attend. Yue Yu’s reconnaissance the day before wasn’t for committing murder at Phoenix Tower, but to gain entry into the Marshal’s mansion.
As for him disguising himself as a woman – that was no big deal. Yue Yu possessed the ability to disguise himself. It was simple for him.
Yue Yu was killed on the spot, and the Marshal died too. So, this mess definitely wouldn’t involve Chen Xiyi.
The leadership of Dingcheng had likely been thrown into chaos since last night. There was only one Warlord position, but the Warlord had more than one trusted subordinate.
With their Marshal gone, they were certainly vying to take his place.
As for avenging the Marshal?
Hadn’t that already happened? The assassin was shot dead right there.
Chen Xiyi felt something about the whole thing was oddly off. He couldn’t actually be a cursed bad-luck charm, could he? Wherever he went, misfortune followed.
He recalled his journey – he had caused quite a bit of trouble, directly or indirectly, for quite a few people.
He checked himself over carefully. After confirming he wasn’t a jinx, he finally relaxed.
‘This instance probably wasn’t a coincidence.’
Chen Xiyi suspected maybe the Merchant Caravan itself was the bad-luck charm.
After all, in these recent strokes of misfortune, it wasn’t just Chen Xiyi involved; the entire caravan was caught up too.
“Oh, and did you hear? Last night the steward actually hired another physician for the caravan? And he’s a young guy, too. Old Doctor Bai was so angry his face was like thunder today,” one man suddenly spoke up.
“Seriously? Haven’t seen him. Where did you hear that?”
“This morning. I went to see Doctor Bai. You should have seen his face! Looked like everyone owed him money. Talked to him for ages, and he finally told me. Seems the new guy was hired yesterday, but hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Huh. Doctor Bai’s been with the caravan for years. Maybe the steward’s unhappy with him getting older? Planning to replace him?”
“Who knows what the stewards are thinking? Heard this new doctor is pretty young.”
“Well, let’s hope it’s not some favor/person-through-connection hire. If they push Doctor Bai out and the new guy’s no good, we’re the ones who’ll suffer.”
Hearing this, the expressions of the laborers and cart drivers nearby shifted visibly. This directly affected their well-being.
Traveling with a caravan meant inevitable injuries and illnesses on the road. A competent doctor could literally be their lifeline.
They spent nearly twenty-five days out of every month traveling through wilderness. If trouble struck, their only hope was the caravan’s own doctor.
So, the physician’s skill was directly tied to their own survival.
“Hold on before panicking. Wait till it’s confirmed. If the steward really hired this guy just as a personal favor, we won’t stand for it,” someone else stated firmly.
Chen Xiyi, however, wasn’t worried. He never got sick, and any potential illness would likely be stopped by his Sturdy Enchantment. If things got really dire, Dewdrop could use a drop of heavenly dew on him.
What struck Chen Xiyi as odd was the timing. Didn’t the steward accompany the caravan leaders to the Marshal’s banquet last night? The place was poisoned! How could the steward have found the spare time to interview and hire a new doctor?
Moreover, hiring someone on their very first day in the city? That seemed incredibly suspicious.
“What’s everyone loafing about for?! Get packed! We’re leaving Dingcheng in fifteen minutes!” The steward barged in, barking orders.
Instant silence fell. The heated discussions turned into confused murmurs.
With the Marshal dead, Dingcheng would be chaotic. But they hadn’t even sold their goods or replenished their stocks! They’d only just topped up basic supplies. Leaving now would mean taking a significant loss.
No one dared complain, though. Everyone scrambled to get ready.
For the caravan to willingly take a loss just to leave meant the situation in the city was incredibly dangerous. Otherwise, they absolutely wouldn’t do this.
“Brother Chen, this way please! There’s something I need your help with.” Spotting Chen Xiyi also preparing to leave, the steward called out.
Chen Xiyi was puzzled. What help could he possibly offer?
“Please, steward, speak your mind. If I can assist, I will.” Chen Xiyi definitely wouldn’t pound his chest declaring “anything for you!” He wasn’t the steward’s father; no need for such vows.
“In this entire caravan, Brother Chen, you’re the only one allocated a private wagon. Please don’t misunderstand – I’m not backing out on our agreement. It’s just… I’ve got this distant relative who’s injured. Being stuck with those coarse fellows could lead to… problems. If it’s alright with you, brother, could this relative bunk in with you for a few days?”
“No worries, brother. As soon as we reach the next city, I’ll move them out. Just letting you know in advance, might be a bit of a squeeze temporarily.”
As he spoke, the steward pulled two Silver Dollars from his pocket and offered them to Chen Xiyi. Clearly meant as a partial refund, trying to sweeten the deal.
This made Chen Xiyi narrow his eyes. He promptly used his Appraisal on the steward’s recent experiences.
[May: Assisted the assassin, Yue Yu, with the assassination and helped him fake his death to escape. Preparing to smuggle assassin Yue Yu out of Dingcheng.]
Line one on the experience list laid out a massive secret. Good grief! So you and Yue Yu are in it together?!
Suddenly, the whole situation became a murky, tangled web.
“That’s a minor issue, steward. You can keep the refund. However,” Chen Xiyi pushed the Silver Dollars back, “I do have one condition. What do you think?”
“Go ahead, brother. I’ll guarantee my relative will be utterly meek and silent,” the steward swore immediately.
“Silence on the road. No disturbances affecting me. Fair enough?”
Hearing this request, the steward readily agreed: “Rest assured, brother. He definitely won’t disturb you.”
“Excellent. I value my peace and quiet,” Chen Xiyi replied with a slight smile.
“Understood, brother. Running short on time now. Please hurry to pack; we leave shortly. I’ve got to handle other things.” With that, the steward hurried off.
Chen Xiyi said nothing more and returned to his quarters to gather his things.
No need for clever guesses – this so-called “distant relative” was definitely Yue Yu.
‘Interesting. Hah.’
He figured it wasn’t just the steward involved. Likely that newly hired doctor was in on it too, deliberately leaking that rumor to provide cover for Yue Yu.
If questioned later, the steward would claim he was family, the Doctor would vouch he was the newly hired physician… manufacturing a solid identity for Yue Yu – a doctor hired through family connections by the steward.
Anyone checking would get corroboration from the whole caravan. Why put Yue Yu in Chen Xiyi’s wagon? Partly because Chen Xiyi was alone in a wagon. But chiefly, to rope Chen Xiyi in as another character witness, further cementing Yue Yu’s fabricated story.
He didn’t have much packing; anything possible went into his Inventory. Items that couldn’t fit went into the Pixiu Pouch. Stuff truly too bulky ended up momentarily loaded on the wagon before being zapped away into inventory via a handy bug.
He did pack a satchel – holding a few clothes and some random bits – as cover. Tanning empty-handed would raise eyebrows.
Arriving at his supply wagon, he found Yue Yu already waiting.
Yue Yu sat inside, his upper body wrapped in thick bandages, stains of dried blood already seeping through.
Clearly, this time, there was no disguise.
The scoundrel expelled from Phoenix Tower? That had been a calculated disguise.
“First time meeting properly. I’m Yue Yu. Sorry to be intruding on you these next few days, brother,” Yue Yu offered a warm, friendly smile the moment Chen Xiyi boarded. He radiated an amiable, trustworthy vibe.
His acting and disguise skills truly were top notch. Without that unmistakable tag “Yue Yu the Assassin” floating above his head, Chen Xiyi wouldn’t have recognized him.
“No trouble at all. Glad I could help,” Chen Xiyi replied politely. Basic courtesy.
Yue Yu was a white name – no hostility towards him.
However, Chen Xiyi was positive Yue Yu recognized him. The man just wasn’t letting on.
“Want some? Local Dingcheng snacks.” Yue Yu pulled out some nibbles, offering them.
Chen Xiyi waved a decline. Instead, he steered the topic towards Yue Yu’s injury: “That wound looks fierce. Surviving it… speaks volumes about the doctor who treated you.”
“Sure does! Everyone says it was a miracle I pulled through,” Yue Yu joked easily about his injury. He neither disclosed how it happened nor seemed evasive. Playful acceptance.
Neutral answer: polite, unlikely to stir doubt.
Chen Xiyi pressed no further. He knew the wound was staged, purely for misdirection.
Judging by the way the wound was dressed, it perfectly mimicked an injury suffered days prior. Meaning Yue Yu could convincingly claim he’d been immobilized, even unconscious, during the chaotic times – further clearing him of any suspicion.
‘Looks like Yue Yu has quite a background. Otherwise, why would the caravan risk everyone’s necks to save him?’ Chen Xiyi didn’t see this as inviting disaster himself.
Placing Yue Yu in any other wagon would truly be risky for Chen Xiyi. Since the caravan chose this path, open refusal was unwise; it bred suspicion. Hard to refuse the caravan, suspicion guaranteed.
Having Yue Yu in his wagon… if trouble flared, Chen Xiyi could easily provide cover, limiting problems.
White name, not red. Helping him might just flip him to a beneficial green-named friend. Someone with Yue Yu’s personality? Possibly a counterpart to Li Zhao. Maybe another branch for his Social Network.
If Yue Yu truly were an irredeemable villain, the caravan wouldn’t stake everything: assisting the assassination, rigging his death, smuggling him out.
This implied virtues – a person skilled at forging connections.
Chen Xiyi valued people like that. They represented solid growth potential: high potential returns.
His investment in Li Zhao proved the Friend System offered immense yields on minimal input.
The thought lifted Chen Xiyi’s spirits. His next goal became clear: build Favorability and add Yue Yu as a Friend.
“Seems you’re in fine fettle, brother. Something particularly amusing occur to you?” Yue Yu, sharply observant, caught Chen Xiyi’s improved mood.
“Not really. Just remembered a joke,” Chen Xiyi dismissed with ease. Getting caught feeling good didn’t bother him; he brushed it off casually.