Chapter 1354 – Settling Scores After Autumn
In a way, Jiang Pengji and Nie Xun were like travelers on the same path.
Their excessively rational demeanor made them appear distant and unapproachable.
To outsiders, Gu Zhen seemed to be an exceptionally caring stepmother, writing numerous family letters each year with inquiries about their well-being.
If it were someone else in Jiang Pengji’s position, they might have been moved and warmed by the gesture.
But Jiang Pengji was an exception; she didn’t mind being labeled “heartless” by others. No matter how much Gu Zhen fussed over her over the years, her heart never warmed even a little. Because she understood clearly that her relationship with Gu Zhen was like that of plastic flowers—pretty on the surface but ultimately insincere.
The real cannot be faked, and the fake cannot be real.
Gu Zhen knew very well that Jiang Pengji was not her beloved Liu Xi whom she had raised, so how genuine could her caring inquiries be?
Did she really think Jiang Pengji was a childish kid who had grown up lacking love?
Gu Zhen was neither kin nor foe to her, so how could she sincerely treat others’ kin as her own?
Getting genuinely moved to the point of diving in headfirst? That would be utterly foolish.
If anything, the relationship between her and Gu Zhen was more of an alliance.
She provided Gu Zhen with “great opportunities,” and Gu Zhen helped her conceal her identity—each gained something beneficial, thus a perfect match.
Peeling back this layer of transaction, how much genuine emotion could they possibly have?
Jiang Pengji didn’t show it but was secretly yawning as she listened to the reports from those gathered.
After hearing it all, she said solemnly, “The affairs of last year were busy. I hope you all can stay focused and try to finish your work earlier to rest.”
Qi Guanrang and the other veterans couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of their mouths, wearing expressions of “as expected.”
Yang Si and his crew, being the bold ones, rolled their eyes in response.
Every year, the same old lines were repeated, the routines were stale, and there was zero novelty—this joke was so overplayed, they wanted a change of trickery.
Even Han Yu, a newcomer from just one year, couldn’t suppress a sigh.
He had been fooled once; there was no way he would fall for it again!
Little did they know, Jiang Pengji thought this routine could last until her retirement.
She was prepared to burn the midnight oil daily during her tenure, yet her subordinates expected time off?
Ha! Not happening.
After the meeting, Jiang Pengji planned to take her people out for a tour.
After managing things for so many years, it was crucial to check out the changes and improvements in her domain—otherwise, she’d feel a lack of achievement.
“My Lord—”
As everyone gradually left, only Qi Guanrang remained to deliver some news.
Jiang Pengji turned to him, “Hmm?”
“The maidservant Ta Xue is still locked up, waiting for your verdict,” Qi Guanrang informed. “Would you like to go see her?”
“She is also a pitiful soul. But who said that the pitiful must also have redeemable qualities? At least, since we were once master and servant, I’ll go pay her a visit and fulfill this sentiment.” She stood up, brushed her sleeves, and told Qi Guanrang, “Wenzheng, let’s go check it out together.”
Qi Guanrang warned her, “That Ta Xue is a bit strange; you shouldn’t get too close, My Lord.”
Ta Xue’s looks weren’t the most stunning, but those bewitching eyes of hers were quite eerie; many soldiers had been affected before.
Jiang Pengji replied, “Of course I’m aware she’s strange. Initially, I wanted to give her a break, but who knew she would come back seeking doom?”
At first, she thought Ta Xue was a double agent, only to discover she was a triple agent.
One side was instigated by the main system, another was following Liu Zhi’s commands, and yet another was the former traveler planted by the crossing lady as a spy in the Liu Residence.
Of course, the latter identity was meant to conceal the other two.
It seemed Ta Xue was oblivious to the many powerful figures standing behind her, let alone that she was being used for their agendas.
Jiang Pengji thought this was probably Ta Xue’s limit, but upon deeper reflection, she realized she had overlooked another person.
The reason for missing that identity was primarily due to Jiang Pengji’s excessive arrogance.
Now, contemplating it, there might just be further developments.
“Ta Xue, it’s been years since we last met.”
Ta Xue, having been moved from one small dark room to another with even stricter guards and being deprived of sunlight for so long, appeared ghostly pale. She had lost significant weight, making the faint blue veins beneath her thin skin visible.
Her eye sockets were dark, clearly showing signs of chronic sleep deprivation, and her brows were etched with fatigue.
When the small dark room door opened, sunlight poured in, overwhelming Ta Xue, who had long been starved of it.
She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the brightness, peering at Jiang Pengji stepping in against the light.
“Heh, Young Master.”
Ta Xue had shed her former gentleness, and her gaze now held a murky intensity.
Just recalling the torment she had endured during this time, her resentment towards Jiang Pengji intensified.
Jiang Pengji remarked, “Young Master? I heard from Wenzheng that you didn’t say that before.”
Ta Xue with a sarcastic tone replied, “You’re merely a lost spirit, not the one I used to call upon. Poor Young Master, ousted and taken over.”
“Whether it’s ousting or taking over, that’s still up for debate,” Jiang Pengji crossed her arms with a grin, “But it’s you all who have plotted against me. Did I dig up your ancestral grave in my last life, or did I party on your tombstone? Do you really think I’m easy to bully?”
Even after all these years, Jiang Pengji still remembered the details from when she first crossed over.
There was one question that had always been overlooked but remained a lingering mystery.
How did Liu Xi die?
According to the system, she bumped her head and ultimately succumbed to fear induced by the bandits, leading to high fever and death.
While that explanation held some weight, Jiang Pengji felt something was amiss.
When she woke up in Liu Xi’s body, her temperature was normal.
In other words, her arrival was almost coinciding with Liu Xi’s time of death.
In the future world, the definition of death is spiritual death, where spiritual energy completely dissipates. As someone with extreme brain domain capabilities, Jiang Pengji naturally had a keen sense of spiritual power. Even in her weakened state, she could clearly detect no residual spirit from Liu Xi.
Complete dissipation of spirit takes half an hour—plenty of time for a body to cool down.
These two points contradicted each other.
Unless someone had taken away Liu Xi’s soul before her consciousness awakened.
If that was the case, many clues become clearer, which is also one of the reasons Jiang Pengji suspected Liu Xi was still alive.
Their conversation was unencumbered by Qi Guanrang’s presence.
When Jiang Pengji admitted this, he paused momentarily, but quickly returned to his usual demeanor.
“Ta Xue, if you cooperate and answer a few questions, I might just let you off.”
Ta Xue sneered, “You think you can win people over like that? Even if you kill me, it’ll just escort me to the paradise.”
“I don’t know if there’s a paradise or not, but I do know that those who plotted against me will ultimately end up as my blade’s offering!”
Let it be known, even if she had done nothing wrong, or even if in her previous life, she truly did upset their ancestral graves and danced on their tombstones, her enemies couldn’t expect her to fold easily.
A sinister smile crept across Ta Xue’s lips.
