TGCFNM -Chapter 497 He Didn’t Die

Wan Residence.

The carriage gradually came to a stop. Wan Sanjin and Chu Ling got out one after the other.

Lu Chong smiled, “I’ll head back to pick up Lord Lu.”

Chu Ling and Wan Sanjin thanked him and waved, and Lu Chong drove the carriage away.

No sooner had Lu Chong left than Steward Liu came out to greet them. Seeing their tired expressions, his face filled with concern. “Masters, the hot water is ready. Do you want to see your guest first, or wash up first?”

“Guest?” Chu Ling asked in surprise. “Who?”

Steward Liu said, “In the front hall. They said they’re friends of yours and Master Wan, though I don’t think so. That young man looks serious and carries a sword on his back.”

Chu Ling froze, muttering to herself, No way… Then she and Wan Sanjin went to the front hall and saw the guest: Yuan Luo.

Yuan Luo stood and cupped his fists in greeting. “Lord Chu, Master Wan.”

Wan Sanjin was a bit dumbfounded. “This is just about a medicinal herbs business. You, the senior disciple, had to come to the capital in person?”

Yuan Luo shook his head. “No. I didn’t come for business this time. I came because of Gui Wushuang.”

“Gui Wushuang is dead, isn’t he? And he committed suicide. You’re not here to get revenge, are you?” Wan Sanjin stepped back.

“He didn’t die,” Yuan Luo said suddenly. “But it’s almost the same as if he did.”

Chu Ling was stunned for a moment.

Su He handed Chu Ling a cup of warm tea. Chu Ling took it stiffly and drank it all in one gulp, feeling her spirit slowly return.

“You’re saying Gui Wushuang didn’t die? How is that possible? That place collapsed!” Chu Ling was shocked. This can’t be…

Wan Sanjin looked equally incredulous. At the moment of the avalanche, the shrine was buried. No one could have survived.

Yuan Luo let out a bitter smile. After letting them sit down, he slowly began, “The day you left, you probably saw the people from Yun Palace demanding an explanation, right?”

Chu Ling nodded. They had just passed by Yun Palace’s people at that time.

Yuan Luo sneered, “They came looking for an excuse. It wasn’t to demand an explanation—it was to get to the shrine.”

Then Yuan Luo recounted the events from before, and it was completely different from what Chu Ling and the others had witnessed.

It turned out the head of Yun Palace kept Gui Wushuang, seemingly doting on him, but in reality exploiting him. Sending Gui Wushuang to the shrine was actually meant to lure out Bai Zhuoxing and take him away.

Unexpectedly, Bai Zhuoxing was killed by Gui Wushuang, who then desperately sought death—but failed to die.

“At that time, the Yun Palace leader was aggressive, insisting on leading people up the snowy mountain. Eventually, it reached a stalemate. My master let them go, but the people from Tianjian Sect would never help,” Yuan Luo frowned. “My master thought the man was probably just putting on a show to attack Tianjian Sect, but unexpectedly, they took Gui Wushuang and Bai Zhuoxing’s corpses away.”

Chu Ling suddenly raised her hand to interrupt. “So Bai Zhuoxing really is dead. There’s no chance he came back to life, right?”

Yuan Luo nodded. “Gui Wushuang was decisive. Bai Zhuoxing really is dead.”

Chu Ling exhaled in relief. Good—this person is dead.

Yuan Luo looked up at the beams of the house with a hint of sorrow. “I don’t know what happened after Gui Wushuang was taken back, but later, when I learned he hadn’t died, it was from a woman from Yun Palace who escaped for her life. She said Gui Wushuang remained calm and killed hundreds within Yun Palace.”

Chu Ling froze, speechless for a long while.

Yuan Luo gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile. “Foolish me—I thought that woman was trying to deceive us, to lure Tianjian Sect to Yun Palace. I even risked going up the snowy mountain to confirm that Gui Wushuang was already dead—but I was wrong. Yun Palace was truly slaughtered.”

Wan Sanjin swallowed hard. “So, when the women from Yun Palace went to deliver a message to you, Gui Wushuang had already killed someone and fled. Could it even be that he had already arrived in the capital?”

Yuan Luo nodded.

“So the capital’s Beauty Gu is related to him?” Chu Ling asked.

Yuan Luo shook his head. “I’m not sure, but according to what my master found, the secret faction of Bai Zhuoxing seems to have been inherited by him.”

Chu Ling and Wan Sanjin exchanged a glance, then both looked toward Su He.

Su He spoke in a low voice, “If our guess is correct, the Flower House case was forced to halt, and no one mentions the Beauty Gu anymore—it should be related to him. He might have taken Bai Zhuoxing’s place and begun working for the Empress Dowager.”

“Why?” Chu Ling asked instinctively. She had seen Gui Wushuang, despite his hatred for her background, choose to die. He wanted to end it all completely.

So why had he suddenly changed?

Yuan Luo shook his head; he didn’t know what had happened either. But from Gui Wushuang’s actions, it was clear he was no longer the same person.

“I came here partly to deliver this message, and partly to kill him,” Yuan Luo said, his eyes firm.

Chu Ling nodded. “I understand. I’ll do everything I can to help.”

Wan Sanjin looked at Yuan Luo. “Then stay here for now. I’ll have Steward Liu arrange your accommodations. But as for Gui Wushuang, I suggest leaving it to the Wan family for the time being. Don’t go out and risk alerting him.”

Yuan Luo clasped his fists in thanks.

Chu Ling pinched the bridge of her nose. “It just so happens the emperor ordered me to investigate the Gu insects. I might as well look into Gui Wushuang at the same time.”

Su He looked at Chu Ling. “But what if Gui Wushuang is hiding inside the palace, right next to the Empress Dowager? How would we act then?”

Chu Ling’s headache deepened.

There was a powerful evil spirit near the Empress Dowager. Unless absolutely necessary, she really didn’t want to confront it. But at this point, it seemed she had no choice.

“Take it step by step. We’ll find a way,” Chu Ling said.

Those in the front hall nodded slightly. For now, that was all they could do.

So Yuan Luo was arranged to stay, and as for Gui Wushuang, Wan Sanjin entrusted someone from Tianxia Zhi to investigate.

Chu Ling’s side publicly claimed she was ill. Even Lord Lu personally came to visit, confirming the story.

So Chu Ling took the opportunity to rest properly for two days, shutting all posts and visitors out—refusing to go out.

Two days later, she packed up, took Wan Sanjin, and went out to investigate the Gu insects.

But as soon as they stepped out, someone stopped them.

Chu Ling looked at the child, no more than six or seven years old, and took the letter he handed over.

Wan Sanjin pulled out ten copper coins and offered them. As the child reached for them, Wan Sanjin closed his hand, smiling, and asked, “Who told you to deliver this message?”

“It was Elder Liu, he sells dumplings on Little Long Street,” the child said, staring eagerly at the coins in Wan Sanjin’s hand.

Wan Sanjin laughed, patted the child’s head, gave him the coins, and whispered, “If anyone asks if you said anything else, you say no. Got it?”

“Got it! And I’m going back home to my parents soon!” the child said happily, then ran off.

Wan Sanjin returned to the Wan residence and had someone keep an eye on the child. Once they confirmed the child had indeed left the capital, they could return.