Transmigrating into a Turbulent Era as a Soldier, Starting with Marrying a Wife

#119 - Chapter 119 The Distressed Red Lotus Saint

But immediately afterward, the Lady Marquis stroked the Martial Virtue Office waist牌 (waist牌, wàipái: a kind of identity certificate), her eyes slightly narrowed.

She wasn't a fool; this assassination attempt was too strange.

The purpose was also far too obvious.

Bai Jing herself was from a noble family, and she had been influenced by the behavior of these powerful figures since childhood.

The nobles weren't against assassinations; they were extremely cruel to their enemies, especially political opponents.

But they would never be so blatant, almost deliberately displaying that Martial Virtue Office waist牌.

Nobles usually tried to distance themselves from any involvement, never leaving such a huge weakness.

The Dragon骧 (xiāng, soaring, galloping) Marquis held the Martial Virtue Office waist牌 in her hand.

Her face was sometimes furrowed with a frown, and sometimes her eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Those Dragon骧 personal guards and ordinary yamen runners didn't care.

They were just nervously on guard for any other assassins.

But that Xin州 (Xīnzhōu) General Pang Ru-hai, looking at the Dragon骧 Marquis's changing expression, felt uneasy.

As a member of the noble faction, he certainly knew that the Martial Virtue Office was the pawn of the Auxiliary State General.

Since this thing was found on the assassin, wouldn't even a fool know that the assassin was sent by the Martial Virtue Office?

He, the Earl of Chang信 (Chángxìn), was also considered part of the noble faction, and he had personally arranged this banquet. If the Dragon骧 Marquis suspected that he was behind this assassination, it would be terrible.

What this Xin州 General feared most now was that handsome guard beside the Lady Marquis.

Just now, this person had instantly killed those three highly skilled assassins.

If the Dragon骧 Marquis ordered him to be dealt with, then he, the Earl of Chang信, would probably die.

However, what the Xin州 General didn't know was that he was currently far too nervous.

At this moment, the Lady Marquis didn't suspect him.

Because Bai Jing had already figured out that a suspicious waist牌 didn't prove anything.

The assassin's identity and the mastermind behind the scenes still needed to be carefully investigated.

The Lady Marquis put away the waist牌 and turned her head.

But she saw Xin州 General Pang Ru-hai looking very nervous, with an uneasy expression, constantly wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

The Dragon骧 Marquis was initially a little puzzled, but then she thought about it and understood what the Xin州 General was thinking.

He must have seen the Martial Virtue Office waist牌 on the assassin and mistakenly believed that this matter was related to the Auxiliary State General.

He was afraid of being implicated, hence the nervousness.

However, the Lady Marquis didn't expose him.

She simply took the opportunity to get up and said to this Xin州 General in a gentle voice.

"General Pang, thank you for the hospitality."

"Today's events are probably the work of petty thieves; the General doesn't need to take it to heart."

"I'm tired, so I'll go back to the驿站 (yìzhàn, a kind of official hotel) to rest first."

Xin州 General Pang Ru-hai, seeing that the Lady Marquis didn't blame him, also breathed a sigh of relief.

He quickly got up and said apologetically.

"Today's events are all due to this humble official's poor arrangements, disturbing the Marquis."

"Rest assured, Marquis, I will definitely send people to investigate carefully and will never let the mastermind behind the scenes go."

The Lady Marquis only said a few words of comfort regarding the Xin州 General's statement.

Then, she took her Dragon骧 guards and that handsome man down from the Sheng Wei Restaurant and returned to the驿站.

Seeing the Dragon骧 Marquis leave, this General Pang first scolded his yamen runners and officials.

Then, he drove them all out, ordering them to solve the case within a time limit.

Leaving aside the angry Xin州 General.

After the Dragon骧 Marquis's group left the Sheng Wei Restaurant, they proceeded towards the 驿站.

Walking on the street, the other guards looked nervous, looking around.

And Li Yuan's gaze was directed towards a three-story teahouse located several hundred steps to the west.

Not because of anything else, but because in Li Yuan's eyes, there was a faint red light there.

That was the ability of 慧眼识珠 (huìyǎnshìzhū, discerning eye) reminding him that someone on that third floor held hostility towards him and the Dragon骧 Marquis.

Li Yuan frowned. If there were no accidents, that should be where the mastermind who sent the assassins was located.

However, Li Yuan only glanced at it from a distance and didn't go over to investigate.

Compared to catching some mastermind, protecting the safety of the Dragon骧 Marquis was the most important thing.

As the Dragon骧 Marquis's team left.

Behind the window of that three-story teahouse, a graceful figure also revealed her true face.

This person was naturally that Red Lotus Sect圣女 (shèngnǚ, Holy Maiden) Li Hong-chan, dressed in red.

At this time, she was still confused about the assassination result.

She only saw the Dragon骧 Marquis's group leaving safely.

Their purpose was mainly to frame the Auxiliary State General, and the Lady Marquis's safe departure was also within the plan.

But just now, something made her a little frightened.

In the Dragon骧 Marquis's team, one person suddenly turned his head and looked here. This person's eyes were like lightning, and his gaze almost met Li Hong-chan's.

This fierce gaze startled the red-clothed 圣女.

The Red Lotus 圣女 was so frightened that she hurriedly retracted her body, her heart still pounding.

After a long time, she dared to poke her head out again.

She found that the Dragon骧 Marquis's group had long since disappeared at the intersection.

The red-clothed 圣女 breathed a sigh of relief, but she was still a little unwilling.

I am the Red Lotus 圣女, what big scenes have I not seen?

Why was I just stared at from a distance by that person and I lost my composure and even hid behind the window?

What exactly is wrong with me, why am I so flustered?

She unwillingly gritted her teeth, determined in her heart that if she encountered that guy again next time, she would definitely make him look good.

Just then, the door behind her rang, and the door of the compartment was pushed open.

Several sect members disguised as ordinary civilian merchants walked in furtively.

Li Hong-chan quickly gathered her emotions, managed her expression, and instantly turned back into that cold-tempered Red Lotus 圣女.

The few people first bowed and saluted the red-clothed 圣女, and Li Hong-chan asked in a deep voice.

"What is the result at Sheng Wei Restaurant? Why hasn't Qi Quick-blade returned?"

Qi Quick-blade was actually the black-clothed man who disguised himself as the leader of the Martial Virtue Office.

This person was originally one of the Red Lotus Sect's guardians, nicknamed Cyclone Blade, and his real name was Qi Yi-lang.

However, people familiar with him were used to calling him Qi Quick-blade.

Because in terms of saber techniques, especially the speed of drawing the saber, no one in the Red Lotus Sect could surpass him.

This time, the Red Lotus Sect felt that he was the only one who could carry out this framing.

First, this person had served as a low-level military officer in the Great Liang Dynasty and was familiar with the ways of officialdom.

Disguising himself as a Martial Virtue Office Suspended Blade Guard was easier to fool people.

Second, because with his superb martial arts, after completing the framing mission in front of the Dragon骧 Marquis, he could definitely escape smoothly.

So Li Hong-chan asked several sect members why Qi Quick-blade hadn't returned to report.

In her impression, not to mention whether the framing was successful, Qi Quick-blade should have no problem escaping.

The several sect members who were sent to investigate the situation looked at each other, all with embarrassed expressions.

Li Hong-chan saw that the several sect members hesitated to speak, knowing that something must have happened, so she narrowed her eyes and questioned everyone in a cold voice.

"Speak, what exactly happened?"

Several sect members saw the 圣女 get angry, so naturally they didn't dare to hide anything.

The leading person stepped forward and replied in a low voice.

"Reporting to the 圣女, Qi...Leader Qi and the others were unable to escape."

"They were directly killed on the spot by the Dragon骧 Marquis's men."

"What!"

Li Hong-chan was instantly shocked.

She never expected that Qi Quick-blade, with his extraordinary martial arts, would not be able to escape.

And was killed on the spot.

The red-clothed 圣女's beautiful face gradually darkened.

This time, the Red Lotus Sect's framing operation can be said to have suffered heavy losses.

The few low-level sect members who disguised themselves as waiters were originally abandoned pawns.

Going to assassinate the Dragon骧 Marquis was destined to die.

And the three people who disguised themselves as Martial Virtue Office Suspended Blade Guards were all elites of the sect and must not be abandoned.

Especially Qi Quick-blade. The original plan was to deliberately drop the waist牌 after the assassination and then jump out of the window to escape.

As a result, none of the three escaped and were all killed on the spot.

Losing a sect guardian, Li Hong-chan's mission this time was a failure.

She would inevitably be severely reprimanded by the sect leader when she returned.

But the cause and effect of the mission failure must be investigated clearly, and there must also be an explanation to the sect.

The red-clothed 圣女 could only continue to ask.

"Do you know how they died?"