Chapter 184: Chapter 76: Covering the Sky
"In other words, what can you offer?"
"I’m willing to offer a great sum of money..."
"I have no need for silver coins!"
"This..."
Mrs. Chang glanced around. The carriage blocked the view, making the spot secluded. Steeling herself, she threw herself into his arms and clung to him.
She had already planned to get on Fang Rui’s good side, use this connection to get rid of Elder Wang. This was just moving her plan forward.
"Madam, please have some self-respect!"
But Fang Rui’s figure blurred and he dodged away.
’Really, what kind of person does she take me for? Am I that sort of man?’
Fang Rui thought for a moment. A great household like the Chang Family, even in decline, should still have some hidden treasures. He asked, "Do you have any Cultivation Technique inheritances, or perhaps secret chronicles and travelogues?"
"Well... Young Master, my family’s inheritances were lost or became incomplete after the Taiping Army ransacked our home. As for secret chronicles and travelogues..."
Mrs. Chang suddenly asked, "Young Master, have you ever heard of Spirit Masters?"
"Hm?"
Fang Rui’s eyes narrowed. "Spirit Masters?! I take it they’re a different kind of extraordinary inheritance, distinct from Martial Artists?"
"Do you have a Spirit Master inheritance?" he asked directly.
"No,"
Mrs. Chang shook her head. She didn’t dare deceive Fang Rui. After all, this was a ruthless man who had killed five large wolves with a wave of his hand. If he could cure Chang Qing, he could certainly revert him to his current state.
"It’s just that an ancestor’s travelogue mentioned them in passing. However, it does record the Chang family ancestor’s travels and experiences all over the world..." After speaking, she stared nervously at Fang Rui.
"That’s not enough."
Fang Rui shook his head, thoughtfully considering his "customer’s" situation. "How about a different request? Madam, you must know that Young Master Chang’s condition is not a natural disaster, but a man-made one. And you must be well aware of who is responsible."
"Don’t you hate that person, Madam? I can eliminate him for you!"
The truth was, even for him, treating Chang Qing would be a troublesome and time-consuming affair. It was far less straightforward than simply killing someone.
It wasn’t that Fang Rui held human life in contempt, but...
’That Elder Wang has been watching my family several times today. There was malice hidden in his gaze. He concealed it well, but not well enough to fool a veteran actor like me! The reason? He probably found out that I tipped off Chang Qing and ruined his little scheme.’
’Wait for the enemy to make a move and then react passively? That’s not my style. I prefer to nip threats in the bud!’
In any case, that Elder Wang was no good man. Fang Rui had no psychological hang-ups about it.
’If I can kill Elder Wang and kill two birds with one stone by getting that travelogue, all the better!’ he thought, looking at Mrs. Chang with anticipation.
"This..."
Mrs. Chang hesitated.
It was true that Elder Wang was a vicious wolf. But if this wolf died, without his deterrence, could she and Chang Qing really survive in this world?
Just as she was hesitating—
"Madam, something’s wrong! The Young Master, he..."
A sudden shout came from the Chang Family’s donkey cart behind them.
Mrs. Chang hurried over.
Since the deal wasn’t sealed yet, Fang Rui thought for a moment and followed to have a look.
There, he saw:
Chang Qing was clutching a dagger plunged into his own chest. He made a guttural, gasping sound, glanced at Mrs. Chang, then at Elder Wang, and shook his head slightly before his breath faded.
’So he figured it out? That his own mother was being coerced because of him, and he’d rather commit suicide?’
’A shame. He was too naive. With him dead, could Mrs. Chang possibly live on? To Elder Wang, he and his mother were essentially holding each other in check.’
’Now that he’s dead, how could Elder Wang possibly let Mrs. Chang go? If he really left her alive, he probably wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. If that man is ruthless enough...’
Fang Rui glanced at the grieving, weeping Mrs. Chang. She was clearly in no mood to discuss business with him anymore. He shook his head and left.
He returned to his own party.
Fang Rui told them what had happened with the Chang Family, and both Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady sighed in sorrow.
But it was, after all, another family’s affair. After sighing, life went on as before.
...
「In the afternoon, the journey continued.」
...
「At dusk.」
Just as Fang Rui expected, Mrs. Chang, overcome with grief, "died of illness."
"My condolences."
Steward Chen came over. He probably sensed something was amiss, but in the end, he didn’t say much. He only offered his condolences to Elder Wang and left.
He clearly didn’t want to get involved in others’ business.
’Damn, the deal wasn’t even finalized and my client gets "died of illness"!’
’Still, the client didn’t refuse my offer. So, I’ll just assume she agreed. The person may be dead, but the deal is still on! I’m a man who honors his commitments, after all.’
Fang Rui glanced at Elder Wang, a playful look in his eyes. ’I’ll have this man die suddenly tonight. Speaking of which, a sudden death also counts as dying of illness, right?’
...
「As night fell.」
Fang Rui stepped out of his carriage, preparing to make his move, but unexpectedly, that Elder Wang was also on the move.
A brief thought was all it took for him to understand. ’This afternoon, Mrs. Chang came to find me. He doesn’t know what agreement we reached, so he’s uneasy and has decided to strike first?’
’Well, well, we had the same idea.’
’But in the end, this kind of thing comes down to who has the bigger fist. And as it happens, in this caravan at least, I can do whatever I want!’
...
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