Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 338 - 196 The Mastermind Behind the Anhe Village Massacre

Chapter 338: Chapter 196 The Mastermind Behind the Anhe Village Massacre

"What do you need Yan’er for?" Li Nanshuang asked.

The young girl, who had just finished practicing with her saber, had a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead, glistening like pearls. A few soft strands of hair clung to her cheeks, adding a touch of charm to her delicate beauty.

Jiang Shouzhong said, "Ran Qingchen and I came to investigate the murder case of the former Magistrate. Currently, only Yan’er and that former Magistrate, He Benquan, were on close terms. Besides, in the Mengyao Pavilion massacre, this girl named Yan’er was not playing a good role; your uncle was deceived by her."

Li Nanshuang raised an eyebrow, "This woman really has issues, I knew something was off."

As for what Jiang Shouzhong said, Mr. Li trusted him unconditionally.

She immediately turned around and went inside the house.

Ready to chop that woman to pieces with a big saber.

However, the girl was astonished to find that Yan’er, who had been serving her uncle just before, had now disappeared without a trace.

"Uncle, where’s Yan’er?"

Li Nanshuang kicked the man’s leg that dangled off the bed.

Wen Er, who had just taken his medicine, appeared somewhat drowsy and was resting with his eyes half-closed. Hearing his niece’s question, he replied lazily, "I don’t know, maybe she went to buy groceries."

"Uncle Wen."

Ran Qingchen entered and greeted.

Wen Er started, then opened his eyes wide upon seeing Ran Qingchen in the room. He sized her up while jokingly saying,

"They say women change significantly as they grow up. Little Qingchen is getting prettier and prettier. Unlike this tomboy in our family, always scaring people with that big saber. I wonder if she’ll ever get married in this lifetime, it’s worrying to death."

Despite the mutual dislike between her and Li Nanshuang, Ran Qingchen held some fondness for the free-spirited Wen Family’s Wen Er... She remembered when she was little, he used to bring little Nanshuang over often, giving her many small gifts.

Ran Qingchen said with a laugh, "With sister Li being so beautiful, if she’s willing, there won’t be a shortage of people wanting to marry her, right?"

Li Nanshuang replied irritably, "Enough, let’s talk business. Besides, I’m not younger than you, I’m your elder sister."

Ran Qingchen gestured at their heights, "But you are indeed shorter."

Then she glanced at the other’s chest... And smaller than mine.

Seeing that the two women were about to argue again, Jiang Shouzhong hurriedly stepped in and asked Wen Er, "Uncle Wen, we have some important matters to talk to you about."

"And who are you?"

Wen Er looked over the young man with a delicate appearance.

Li Nanshuang replied irritably, "Mian noodles, my subordinate."

"Oh... Little Jiang, right?"

Wen Er remembered and his eyes suddenly lit up with curiosity as he looked at Jiang Shouzhong.

He looked as if he was sizing up a prospective son-in-law.

Jiang Shouzhong explained, "Uncle Wen, we’re here to investigate Miss Yan’er in connection with a case. In the Mengyao Pavilion massacre, Miss Yan’er was an accomplice in the abuse of those sisters. Initially, Jin Ao, the protector from the Sky Demon Sect, was going to kill her, but you saved her. That woman has been deceiving you all along."

"Oh, what next?"

"Next?" Jiang Shouzhong looked at him, frowning with a puzzled expression, "Uncle Wen, aren’t you surprised at all?"

"Why should I be surprised; I know she’s been deceiving me."

"??"

All three people in the room were stunned.

Li Nanshuang widened her beautiful eyes, "You knew she was deceiving you?"

Wen Er nodded, "Yeah, but what of it? Isn’t love all about deceiving each other? What’s it to you if I’m happy being deceived? Young man, I advise you not to meddle in others’ business."

Wen Er warned Jiang Shouzhong.

Jiang Shouzhong didn’t know what to say in response.

Smack!

Wen Er’s forehead received a slap.

Li Nanshuang glared with her almond-shaped eyes, "Are you hard of hearing or is something wrong with your brain? That woman’s deceiving you and harbouring ill intentions!"

"Where’s the evidence?"

"Mian noodles said so."

"Mian noodles, Little Jiang, where’s the evidence?"

"Smack!"

Wen Er’s head was slapped again.

Daring to question Mian noodles... Li Nanshuang said with rage, "If Mian noodles says there’s a problem with that woman, then there is a problem! I’m telling you, Wen Er, no one in this house is smarter than Mian noodles—not you, not me, nor this dumb Mugua."

Who’s the dumb Mugua?

Jiang Shouzhong was a bit confused.

He subconsciously glanced at Ran Qingchen... the Mugua below her neck... he pursed his lips, saying nothing.

Wen Er spoke with a sense of grievance, "Nan Shuang, your second uncle is getting on in years. It’s not easy to find someone willing to deceive me with their true feelings. Why can’t you just let her deceive me? In the end, your second uncle... alright, alright, stop hitting me. I don’t know where she is either, you all go look for her as you please."

Wen Er hugged his head, scared of his niece.

Li Nanshuang snorted coldly and said to Jiang Shouzhong, "Either she really went to buy groceries, or she ran away after hearing the wind. I’ll go look around nearby first. You guys wait here. If she comes back, just grab her."

Mr. Li, with his impulsive nature, said it and then ran off without a trace.

Jiang Shouzhong wanted to follow, but hesitated for a moment and decided to ask Wen Er for some clues instead.

"Wen Er, did Miss Yan’er ever mention anything to you about the former Magistrate, He Benquan?"

"No, I’m not interested in her past."

Wen Er, touching his aching head from being hit, said with deep affection, "I only care about our future. She doesn’t mind my age or my looks, and I don’t mind that she’s been married before. That’s love."

Jiang Shouzhong felt helpless about this love-smitten attitude.

"Have you ever thought about why she approached you in the first place? After all, you’re so old and—according to your own words—ugly..."

"..."

Wen Er felt as if his heart had been pricked.

Jiang Shouzhong said, "There’s a high chance that Miss Yan’er’s target is actually Li Nanshuang. It’s fine for you to pursue your love, but you should consider the safety of your niece."

Wen Er furrowed his brow and remained silent.

After a long while, he sat up and said earnestly to Jiang Shouzhong, "You’re right, Jiang. I should have eloped with Yan’er, to a place where only the two of us could live. That way, we wouldn’t hurt anyone else, only each other, and our love for each other would be deep..."

Jiang Shouzhong massaged his temples and was too lazy to ask any further.

Ran Qingchen couldn’t help but be deeply moved.

Love was indeed a terrifying thing, having turned an intelligent man into an idiot. Thankfully, he recovered his senses quickly.

The woman looked at Jiang Shouzhong, who was immersed in his troubles, thoughtfully.

She wondered who Jiang Mo’s beloved woman really was. After attaining the "Love-void" state, she genuinely hoped that he could find true love. She realized that she had been too meddlesome before, almost ruining his chance.

If Xia He and the others were willing to be close next time, she would let them be.

"Speaking of which, I met a friend at Mengyao Pavilion," Wen Er suddenly remembered something and said to Jiang Shouzhong, "He was an aide to the former Magistrate. One night, when we were drinking, he told me that the former lord had been the Magistrate of Luanzhou."

Jiang Shouzhong’s eyelids twitched.

Anhe Village was under the jurisdiction of Luanzhou.

"And then?" Jiang Shouzhong asked.

After thinking for a long time, Wen Er slapped his head and said:

"I had too much to drink at the time, but it seemed like he was saying that there was a case of a beast demon attack there, and the Magistrate at the time prevented the soldiers from rescuing the villagers, just watching the beast demon attack the village. Afterwards, he even purposefully caused a flash flood..."

Jiang Shouzhong clenched his fists subconsciously.

Beast demons, flash floods... it must have been the Anhe Village incident that he was speaking of.

If what Wen Er said was true, then that Magistrate deserved to die.

...

On the bustling market streets, after searching for quite some time, Li Nanshuang did not spot Yan’er and realized that the woman must have run away.

This frustrated the young woman.

If only she had trusted her instincts to capture that woman first; this was all her second uncle’s fault, that fool.

Nevermind, she thought, and decided to head back.

Li Nanshuang headed towards the residential courtyard.

After the young woman’s figure had completely vanished, a woman at the corner of an alley quietly watched in the direction Li Nanshuang had disappeared, breathing a sigh of relief.

The woman was none other than Miss Yan’er herself.

Just then, a large hand suddenly covered her mouth and dragged her into the darkness of the alley.

Yan’er was shocked and struggled desperately, but to no avail.

Thump!

Dragged into a dimly lit abandoned house, the rough hand gripped her throat and pinned her against the wall.

The woman’s head hit the wall, her thoughts jumbled.

But when Yan’er saw the man’s face, her expression turned to one of stunned disbelief.

"My... my lord?"

The man sneered, "Did you think that Qu Hongling had killed me? And now, I have a new identity... call me Chu Qi."

The man was none other than Chu Qi, who had been on the same boat as Jiang Shouzhong.

The former Magistrate, He Benquan!