TGCFNM -Chapter 203 It’s the Account Books

Chu Ling walked over and examined the opened stone door. “Let’s go in and take a look.”

Wan Sanjin nodded and followed behind Chu Ling, carrying a fire lighter. Once inside the secret chamber, he fumbled and lit the wall-mounted brazier, instantly illuminating the room.

The chamber wasn’t large, and under the light, everything was clearly visible at a glance.

Chu Ling paused, looking at the neatly stacked books before her, and asked in surprise, “Could it be that Si Qing is secretly well-read and really loves books?”

Wan Sanjin casually flipped through one and laughed. “Master, those aren’t books—they’re account books.”

“Oh,” Chu Ling said. “Account books… account books!”

The two exchanged a glance, each seeing shock, disbelief, and suspicion reflected in the other’s eyes.

“When we were rifling through the wardrobe just now… did we see any women’s clothes?” Chu Ling asked uncertainly.

Wan Sanjin swallowed hard. “Master… it was too dark. I didn’t notice.”

Chu Ling lowered her head to look at the account books on the table and quietly asked, “Master Wan, what do you think—could any of these involve the private salt trade?”

Wan Sanjin looked down at the book in his hands and forced a bitter smile. “It seems this very one does.”

Chu Ling bit her lip, her features all scrunched together. “Did we get lost and end up in the wrong place? Have we found the Si family patriarch’s room?”

Wan Sanjin’s features mirrored hers, frowning as he reluctantly asked, “Master… what should we do?”

Chu Ling gritted her teeth and said decisively, “Pack up all the account books related to the private salt trade and take them with us. Then we leave immediately.”

Wan Sanjin immediately bowed his head and began searching, gathering all the relevant account books into his arms. Looking at Chu Ling with a face set like stone, he said, “Master… now we’re in trouble.”

Their plan to manipulate Qinglong had failed, and yet the three of them had ended up entangled.

Chu Ling glanced at the number of medicine pouches on her person, then at the brazier burning brightly, and asked, “The other account books… they’re all for the Si family’s regular business, right?”

Wan Sanjin nodded. “Don’t worry, Master. I’ve grown up immersed in this; I can tell the books apart.”

Chu Ling gave a short nod, picked up an account book, set it on fire, and tossed it onto the pile of other books. Then she looked at Wan Sanjin:

“Run!”

Wan Sanjin’s eyes widened, and he immediately dashed out.

Su He, standing lookout, was about to ask if they’d found any dowry lists, when he saw the two of them setting fires everywhere. Once the flames were lit, they bolted out, pulling him along.

Soon, the fire spread rapidly, black smoke billowing into the sky, finally alerting the Si family.

Patrolling guards immediately ran over.

Maids and servants panicked, shouting:

“Water! Water!”
“Hurry! Put out the fire!”
“Someone! Help!”

Chu Ling ran, tossing ignited medicine pouches as she moved, her actions swift.

Those who rushed over didn’t even get close to the burning courtyard before the smoke forced them back, struggling to escape.

As she ran, Chu Ling witnessed the chaos she’d created and instinctively shrank her neck, muttering angrily: How did we get lost like this?

“Master, there’s fighting over there!” Su He called out.

Chu Ling looked up and suddenly understood. “No wonder we succeeded so quickly tonight—it turns out Qinglong drew everyone away.”

A faint trace of emotion appeared on Su He’s deathly pale face. “I didn’t expect… he’s actually a good person.”

Chu Ling waved her hand. “Forget him for now—first, we run for our lives!”

Su He tried to make sense of the path, pulling Chu Ling with one hand and Wan Sanjin with the other. Once he confirmed the direction, the three of them dashed forward, following the scent, and finally returned to the Si family’s back gate.

Once they reached the back gate, the three of them leapt over it, then took advantage of the darkness to run toward the government office.

Zhang Dong was stationed at the back gate, his gaze anxious. When he finally saw the three figures, he hurried forward to bring them inside.

Wan Sanjin handed the five account books to Zhang Dong, then leaned on his knees, gasping for breath. “These two didn’t even help me carry the account books.”

Zhang Dong held the books, weighing them in his hands. “Master Wan, didn’t you two go to look for the dowry lists?”

Chu Ling groaned. “We got lost.”

Su He wiped the sweat from his forehead, removed his veil, and panted. “We wasted so much of my medicine. In the end, we didn’t find the dowry lists—but somehow, we found the account books instead.”

After catching his breath, Wan Sanjin leaned against the wall and asked Chu Ling, “Master, I’ve always been curious—were you stealing the dowry lists because you were worried Miss Cheng would shortchange you?”

Chu Ling nodded firmly. “Yes. I was afraid she would cheat me.”

Ghost Scholar’s normally calculating face showed shock. “I thought you were going to trace the flow of money through the dowry lists, since the money had already been spent and couldn’t come back.”

Chu Ling turned to him with her eyes, silently asking: How could it not come back?

Bai Su understood and translated, “She thinks that even if the Si family spends the money, they still have to make it up to her.”

Ghost Scholar could only laugh and cry at the same time.

Ghost General, upon hearing the familiar aristocratic family name and Chu Ling’s plan, tilted his head, a bit stunned.

Meanwhile, Wan Sanjin finally recovered enough to glance at the account books. “I just realized—if we have these account books, can’t we crush the Si family? They’ve been secretly selling salt!”

Chu Ling shook her head. “We can’t use the account books against the Si family just yet. If the Si family were to be attacked jointly by the other three great families, they might actually get picked off instead.”

As far as she was concerned, when facing the Four Great Families, one must be fair and thorough—no one could be left out.

“Keep the account books for now…”

Before Chu Ling could finish, a shadow suddenly leapt in, locking eyes with the four people at the back gate.

“Qinglong?” Chu Ling looked him over in surprise, noticing his arm hanging unnaturally at his side. “You… got hit again?”

Qinglong gritted his teeth, holding back a breath.

Wan Sanjin peeked at him and asked, “Qinglong, are you okay?”

Su He, curious, asked, “We heard some commotion over there before leaving. Were you fighting someone? Did you win?”

Qinglong turned away and took several deep, harsh breaths before facing them again. “I went to the wrong place. The Si family was having a secret meeting, but I didn’t find the account books.”

“Oh, we found them,” Wan Sanjin said, pointing to the books Zhang Dong was holding. “We got them pretty easily—and we even set fire.”

Qinglong ground his teeth. “Because of your fire, they thought I was feinting, and they attacked me like mad.”

Chu Ling cleared her throat and, seeing Qinglong’s face as black as soot, stayed silent.

Qinglong inhaled deeply and spoke carefully, word by word. “I was lucky to escape. But the account books are gone now. The Si family won’t let this go.”

Chu Ling slowly raised her hand. “When I hit Xuanyuan Shou, I secretly took the jade pendant from his waist. Then today, during the fire, I dropped the pendant.”

Qinglong looked at Chu Ling skeptically. “You planned all this so far ahead?”

Chu Ling nodded heavily. “Yes, very far ahead.”

It did hurt a bit, though—she had originally planned to pawn it to the Wan family for some silver.