Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 103 - 89: The Hand Behind the Curtain (Extra for Alliance Hierarch A Little Bit Delicious)_2

Chapter 103: Chapter 89: The Hand Behind the Curtain (Extra for Alliance Hierarch A Little Bit Delicious)_2

Qin Shier repressed the scorn on her face, and with a respectful demeanor, she pushed the door open and entered.

In the boudoir filled with the lingering scent of sandalwood, an elderly man in green with white frost in his hair stood at the window, his hands clasped behind his back.

The elder was tall and wore a mask shaped like a tiger’s head.

Though aged, he stood there as if he were a tiger deep in slumber, ready to erupt with a fierce aura that could make one’s heart tremble once awakened.

"Master."

Qin Shier paid her respects respectfully.

The tiger-faced elder gazed at the glistening lake, his voice not purposefully disguised, hoarse with age, "How did it go?"

Qin Shier forced a smile, "It wasn’t favorable."

The elder seemed surprised, turned around, and with grayish-white eyes, stared at her lithe figure, sneering, "So there are indeed men in this world who don’t wish to bow at your peony-draped feet, how rare."

Facing the elder’s mockery, Qin Shier replied helplessly, "Different strokes for different folks, perhaps I’m not to his taste."

The tiger-faced elder, too lazy to further scoff at the woman he thought could charm all men, turned back to gaze at the distant majestic palace, and spoke indifferently, "I’ve almost searched through the entire bottom of Huailan Lake, I couldn’t find that bottle of Demon Energy. The official treasury, Liushan Division, I’ve searched them all. Only they three remain. Do you think the Demon Energy could be in their hands?"

Qin Shier shook her head, "Hard to say."

The tiger-faced elder spoke indifferently, "Then you must continue to make an effort."

Qin Shier furrowed her beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows and couldn’t help saying, "Master, it’s just a bottle of Demon Energy, why not find another one? Is it worth this—"

The elder suddenly turned his head, his penetrating gaze almost tangible, "Qin Shier, you’re not that foolish. What, tired of being a caged bird?"

The woman turned pale, kneeling down, "Please, Master, calm your anger. I will surely retrieve that bottle of Demon Energy!"

The tiger-faced elder said darkly, "You can choose not to be this caged bird as well. Find someone to take you out, and if he is capable, I naturally won’t stop him."

"I dare not harbor a second heart."

The woman trembled slightly, her back sweat-soaked.

The tiger-faced elder sneered mockingly and spoke no more.

He thought about the bottle of Demon Energy that he had stolen from within the Sky Demon Sect and now lost. Even the cat demon’s soul used for experiments was gone. A deep frustration welled up inside him.

They’re all incompetents perfect for nothing but ruining everything!

After a while, he said softly, "Keep that girl He Lianlan well-hidden, the people from Silver Moon Tower are looking for her too. Now that the bottle of Demon Energy is lost, she must stay alive without any mishaps, you understand?"

"I understand," the woman nodded hurriedly.

"You may leave."

"Yes."

The woman respectfully exited the room.

As she closed the door, she shot a cold glance at the elder’s back.

As if understanding the woman’s nature, the elder murmured to himself, "The hearts of mortals are more perilous than mountains and rivers, and harder to predict than the celestial seasons. Unlike the predictable transitions of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, humans are adept at masking their deep affections."

The elder touched the mask on his face and sighed, "A tiger not exerting its power truly appears as just a sick cat."

Not long after Qin Shier left, a handsome and sinister young man entered the room.

It was Nalan Xie, the Hall Master of the Iron Cloth Hall of Liushan Division.

Nalan Xie picked up an apple from the table and weighed it in his hand, took a bite, and said, "Speak, what good news do you have for me? Are you planning to reward me with Miss Shier for a night, or maybe let the Oiran serve me for one evening?"

"If I were to reward them to you, would you dare to take them?"

The old man with the tiger face sneered.

Nalan Xie curled his lips, thinking of the mastermind behind the Xichu Pavilion, he dared not continue to talk frivolously, "So, what do you want from me?"

"There’s a person named Jiang Mo at the Liushan Division, are you familiar with him?"

The old man with the tiger face asked.

Nalan Xie raised his eyebrows slightly, "I can’t say I’m very familiar. The guy is rather clever. I wanted to recruit him to the Iron Cloth Hall, but unfortunately, Li Nanshuang that old woman blocked me, quite a pity."

The old man with the tiger face said, "This person is indeed very clever. He solved the case of the Rabbit Demon, and what’s even more rare is that he knew when to stop and realized that further investigation would be troublesome, so he closed the case directly. I quite like such people."

Nalan Xie stared strangely at the old man, "You want to pull him under your command? I’m telling you, tiger, you might want to drop that idea. This guy knows the right timing but he has his principles, not as bad as me, you better be careful or it could backfire on you."

"I’m not interested in recruiting more people."

The old man with the tiger face closed the window, lit a thick sandalwood incense, and spoke lightly, "I want to use him to search for the Netherworld Demon Qi. After all, he solved the Rabbit Demon case, he couldn’t be more suitable."

Nalan Xie threw the half-eaten fruit onto the table, annoyed, "Do you think the Liushan Division is run by your family, assigning tasks to people as you please? Even if you are capable, it’s another matter entirely whether he will be willing. You might as well try using a beauty trap, lure him to be your dog."

The old man with the tiger face said, "I sent Qin Shier to test him, but unfortunately, this man is not lecherous."

"What!?"

Nalan Xie, as if hearing a great joke, was utterly astonished, "Is there really a man in the world who isn’t lecherous? He might as well be a eunuch."

"Perhaps he is lecherous, just that Qin Shier is not to his taste."

"That’s even funnier."

Nalan Xie sat on the chair, hands behind his head, laughing, "How many women in the Capital have beauty like Qin Shier, how many display such charm? How many beauties has Jiang Mo seen? There’s only his superior that’s a bit pretty; if he doesn’t fancy her, could it be his wife is Ms. Shier from the Ran Family, the foremost beauty of the Capital?

I think, that guy is simply playing hard to get, and in this regard, I am an ancient master. Don’t believe me, let Qin Shier go to him tonight, I’ll want to see how long he can keep this up."

The old man with the tiger face waved his hand through the lingering smoke, his gaze mysterious and chilling, "I will send Qin Shier to continue testing him, and I will stick to the decision just made, having Jiang Mo investigate the demon energy. Moreover, I’ll arrange for you to work with him on the investigation."

Nalan Xie’s brows tightened.

This was the real reason the other side sought him out.

What surprised Nalan Xie was, he thought he had fully understood the depths of this old man, yet his words suggested he could easily arrange case investigations at the Liushan Division, indicating a profound background.

Remembering his father’s advice, Nalan Xie put away his contempt, "Alright, I will cooperate with him. Of course, I will monitor his every move to prevent any inappropriate conduct during the investigation."

Nalan Xie was clear.

The reason he was asked to work with Jiang Mo was indeed for surveillance.

The old man with the tiger face nodded slightly, then suddenly asked, "And Shi Yi? Why isn’t he with you?"

Nalan Xie shook his head reluctantly, "He’s probably dead by now. After Jiang Mo killed my koi, I sent Shi Yi to teach him a lesson, but he never came back. Either Jiang Mo has someone powerful backing him, or he’s unlucky, just like me, running into some crazy woman."

"Crazy woman?"

The old man with the tiger face looked at Nalan Xie.

Nalan Xie didn’t hide it and explained what happened that night, including a rough description of the mysterious masked woman who had severely wounded him.

"Her name is Yeying, you should avoid provoking her in the future," the old man with the tiger face spoke softly.

Nalan Xie was stunned, "You know her, huh."

Seeing the old man unwilling to divulge more, Nalan Xie waved it off, "Fine, don’t talk about it then. I’ll just go home and get some good sleep, waiting to collaborate with that brother Jiang to trace the demon energy. I’ve been looking forward to it for too long, really looking forward to it."