TGCFNM -Chapter 210 The House Halfway Up the Mountain

September 9th.

The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight.

In the rear courtyard of the government office, Chu Ling was lying in a lounge chair under the shade of a tree, legs crossed, staring blankly.

“Nangong Yuankang hasn’t been around for several days… I wonder if the matter with Yuling San has been properly handled. Maybe I should just capture him and ask,” Chu Ling murmured to herself.

Ghost Scholar sat upright on a stone bench, eyes tracing the mottled shadows on the table, his gaze deep. “It’s possible he was persuaded to step back.”

Chu Ling blinked in surprise. “Persuaded?”

Ghost Scholar nodded. “It’s a very lucrative opportunity. Some people are still willing to take risks. And if the Nangong family finds out… they might want a slice of the pie too.”

Chu Ling scoffed. “If the Nangong family really plans that, do you think they’d let me live? They’d find a chance to deal with me quickly. Otherwise, if I send a secret report to the capital, they’d all be finished.”

Bai Su asked with amusement, “How do you know the Nangong family isn’t already planning to deal with you? Maybe they’re already preparing.”

Chu Ling smiled, completely unfazed. “Aunt Su, don’t scare me.”

Bai Su shook her head. “I’m not trying to scare you… it’s just that there’s nothing the great families wouldn’t do.”

Chu Ling slowly sat up, propping her chin with her hand, and looked at Bai Su. “If the Nangong family really tries to get involved for a share, then the most at risk would be me. If I’m in danger, I won’t let anyone else off easy either.”

“What do you plan to do?” Ghost Scholar asked with a smile.

Chu Ling raised a hand. “Of course, I’ll go after the Sun family, make sure their business collapses… though I hope Nangong Yuankang doesn’t disappoint me. He’d better have persuaded the Sun family, otherwise the Sun family will be the ones to suffer.”

Just then, Wan Sanjin returned from outside. Without hesitation, he poured a full cup of herbal tea, downed it in one gulp, and then looked at Chu Ling. “Master, what were you just muttering to yourself?”

“Just muttering, seeing if the Nangong family is planning to move against me,” Chu Ling replied, switching hands to support her chin, then turned to ask Wan Sanjin, “Is everything taken care of?”

Wan Sanjin exhaled deeply, a triumphant expression on his face. “All done. The Xuanyuan family is nearly losing their minds trying to get the antidote, so as soon as they knew Qinglong had the secret formula, they rushed over immediately.”

Chu Ling lifted the teacup before her and took a sip. “If the Xuanyuan family realizes the antidote only covers three people, I wonder if there’ll be internal conflicts first.”

“That’s a given,” Wan Sanjin said excitedly.

Chu Ling laughed. “Serves them right!”

“Oh, Master,” Wan Sanjin glanced around, “has Qingyu not returned yet?”

Chu Ling nodded. “Wasn’t it said that today they’d climb the heights? Supposedly for a good omen.”

Wan Sanjin pinched his chin. “Could it be that Qingyu really plans to take part in next year’s spring imperial exams?”

Chu Ling sighed. “If he does, then he’ll definitely be the top scholar—no other candidate stands a chance. I wonder how the other students will feel about that.”

Wan Sanjin laughed heartily. “Of course they’d be affected! After all, Qingyu is the first young master—who could compete with him?”

Chu Ling cast a sidelong glance at Wan Sanjin. “You’re quite confident, aren’t you?”

At that moment, a blue-clad figure came rushing in, hurrying to Chu Ling’s side, gasping and trembling. “M-Master… th-there’s… a corpse!”

Chu Ling immediately rose from the lounge chair. “A corpse? Where?”

Wan Sanjin also supported Qingtong and asked, “What corpse?”

Qingtong swallowed hard and said, “At Feiyun Mountain, halfway up, there’s… there’s a large courtyard. Some students went in to explore and discovered a charred corpse inside.”

Chu Ling’s expression shifted slightly, and she immediately looked at Wan Sanjin. “Go get Su He. We’re going to Feiyun Mountain.”

“Yes, Lord.” Wan Sanjin released Qingtong and hurried off to find Su He.

Qingtong felt as if his throat was on fire. He quickly poured himself a cup of tea and drank it in one gulp, then said, “Lord, our young master is already there, and the students haven’t left either.”

Chu Ling acknowledged him with a nod. After quickly tidying herself, she stepped out of the government office.

Qingtong hurried to follow.

Feiyun Mountain, halfway up.

Fu Qingyu looked at the blackened corpse before him, frowning tightly. He had already guessed the identity of the person: it was his mentor, Master Qi.

Master Qi was already over seventy years old and had celebrated his seventieth birthday just yesterday. To be discovered dead in such a tragic state today was almost impossible to accept.

The other students also recognized him. After all, Master Qi was a retired scholar who had taught nearly all the students here, so no one could accept his death and they refused to leave.

At that moment, someone muttered, “Why hasn’t Lord Chu arrived yet? So slow—don’t they care about our urgency?”

Shangguan Cheng immediately pointed at the student and shouted, “If you have the courage, wait for Lord Chu and complain to him face-to-face.”

The student immediately fell silent.

Chu Ling had not been in Dongle City long, but anyone she could provoke, she did. Anyone she shouldn’t, she also provoked—even raiding a prefect’s household. No one dared to cross her.

At this moment, Xuanyuan Qi of the Xuanyuan family spoke slowly, “Last time, some elders in my family invited a few doctors but didn’t send them back promptly. He surrounded the Xuanyuan Mansion and even threatened to set it on fire… I believe he’s capable of such things, so everyone, don’t worry. Let’s wait patiently.”

“Isn’t that a bit overboard?”

“Yeah, how could he threaten to burn a house?”

“Is that really the behavior of a magistrate? Like a bandit.”

“It was just a few doctors. How did that provoke him so?”

Nangong Yuankang glared at Xuanyuan Qi and said coldly, “Because your Xuanyuan family took away all the doctors in the city, my grandmother couldn’t be treated and died. That’s why I went directly to report it. If you don’t agree, we can go to the office and confront him openly, and make it clear right there.”

Xuanyuan Qi looked regretful and cupped his hands in apology, “Brother Nangong, I was only explaining the situation in my family. I truly didn’t know about your grandmother. It was my elders’ fault, and I apologize to you here.”

Nangong Yuankang snorted coldly, swung his sleeve, and turned away.

Shangguan Shi looked at Xuanyuan Qi. “Your family took all the doctors in the city? Why? Was someone seriously ill?”

Xuanyuan Qi sighed softly. “It was a minor ailment, really.”

“A minor ailment doesn’t justify taking all the doctors. Are your family’s lives more valuable?” Shangguan Shi mocked.

Xuanyuan Qi frowned and explained, “It’s just that our elders are filial and acted in panic.”

Shangguan Cheng crossed his arms and looked at him, speaking with a sarcastic tone, “Next time, don’t panic like that. Otherwise, Lord Chu will really set a fire. After all, in his eyes, your Xuanyuan family isn’t anything special.”

Xuanyuan Qi’s eyes narrowed and his expression darkened.

Shangguan Cheng turned his head indifferently. It was only a branch family—what was there to be arrogant about?