Fatal to Pretend With a Cheat | Chapter 23 | The Half-Price Scapegoat | Novela.app

This story was both long and tedious. I didn't like it. The bamboo chopsticks in my hand had long since fallen onto the table. The four of us, each harboring our own thoughts, stared at the small rattle they made, yet no one moved to pick them up. Yun Jiangli suddenly remarked that they had delayed for too long and needed to prepare for the road, hurriedly pulling Qin Chenyuan away. Ye Tan sat there without a word, his eyes hidden in the shadows of his fringe. Though the sun shone brightly outside, there wasn't a single glint of light in those autumn-water pools of his. I called to him, "A-Tan." Ye Tan tilted his head slightly, though he didn't meet my eyes. He responded mechanically, "Present." Me: "How come you're always on sale? Hahahahaha!" Ye Tan: "..." I asked again, "How much did the Second Young Master pay for you?" Ye Tan replied, "It hadn't been a full year yet, so the price was still half of the original valuation. Reporting to Master: it was three hundred and twelve taels." If Ye Tan had a title in the martial world, it would surely be: The Discounted Scapegoat. Me: "Hahahahahahaha!" Ye Tan gave a dry cough, his expression gradually turning a bit gloomy. "Is it that funny?" he asked. "Oh, sorry... that’s probably a sore spot for you." I forced myself to forget the punchline, imagining a seventeen-year-old Ye Tan full of joy at earning his title, only to be met with cold neglect because of it... He was clearly the most hardworking and talented one; he must mind this deeply. But I still couldn't hold it back. I said, "A-Tan, it’s a good thing you were on sale. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to pick up such a great bargain." I knew this line of thinking was inappropriate, and I almost felt guilty for my selfish relief. Yet Ye Tan gave a foolishly simple reply: "True." Yun Jiangli’s timing was mysteriously perfect; I strongly suspected he had been watching us for a while. He patted our shoulders to urge us onto the road. As I stood up, I said, "Brother Yun, I should thank you for not exposing the fact that Ye Tan is actually Yesha." "Don't mention it. I'm still counting on you two to see this through to the end," Yun Jiangli said with a smile, glancing at Ye Tan before adding, "Besides, Ye Tan is no longer the Yesha of the past." Ye Tan looked confused for a moment. He looked down at himself, his gaze lingering on his broken short sword for a beat before he nodded in sudden realization. I guessed he must have misinterpreted something. Once back in the carriage, Qin Chenyuan said that the story wasn't quite finished. "Afterward, Qinling received a letter from Zhongli Yuan. The Second Young Master said his investigation found something suspicious. The reason Yesha suddenly went mad that day was entirely because someone had fed him a mind-altering drug." Ye Tan was stunned, murmuring, "Huh?" I understood immediately: *Oh, this part is definitely nonsense.* However, since Ye Tan was only reacting like this now, did that mean everything Qin Chenyuan said before was actually true? My mind whirled with a hundred thoughts, but I kept a face of feigned interest, questioning, "Oh?" "The Second Young Master said: If a shadow guard truly committed the ultimate treason of killing his master, how could Yexing possibly let him live? That is the best evidence," Qin Chenyuan said solemnly. "Wrongfully killing Yesha is a small matter, but failing to find the true culprit for my Seventh Brother—leaving him unable to rest in peace—that is the real tragedy. I have thought it over carefully, and his words make sense." I hurriedly asked, "So, who was the mastermind behind the scenes?" Qin Chenyuan paused, then said, "The Second Young Master said he knows who it is, but the opportunity has passed. Without evidence now, he cannot tell us." ...Isn't that the same as saying nothing? But Qin Chenyuan continued, "The Second Young Master said the culprit's identity is extremely sensitive. If he made an accusation without proof, he would surely be framed for sowing discord and be attacked by both sides—but I know, since he put it that way, it must be someone from *that* family." My heart skipped a beat. "Taihang Jian," Qin Chenyuan said, his voice trembling with blood-soaked grief. "Gu Ciqu." With that one point, everything suddenly became clear to me. Gu Ciqu had gone to great lengths to marry Qin Kezou. However, when Qin Kezou returned from his travels, he intended to break the engagement. Gu Ciqu must have been pushed over the edge, drugging Ye Tan to use him as a borrowed blade for murder. Just as this thought crossed my mind, Ye Tan suddenly spoke up: "Young Master Qin, without evidence, you shouldn't speak recklessly." With his attempt to dissuade him, I felt that this theory was at least ninety percent likely to be true. "Where in this world is there a drug that can make a person precisely assassinate one specific individual?" Ye Tan’s voice was calm and dismissive. "Even if it could confuse someone for a moment, your manor pursued him for half a month; he would have cleared his head long ago." I felt a surge of respect: *This man, even when he's being a scapegoat, is proactive, logical, and convincing.* Qin Chenyuan sighed. "Yes... that point is indeed hard to explain. Because of that, the elders at home don't entirely believe the Second Young Master's words either." I couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Since you are so certain, what became of Gu Ciqu later?" "From the day of the wedding, I never saw her again," Qin Chenyuan said, pressing his brow in sorrow. "Brother Yun Bizhi also vanished without a trace... Seventh Brother met such a disaster; he must have been the most heartbroken of all. I only hope he didn't do something foolish in his grief." I turned the matter over in my mind again. Even if Ye Tan had been drugged and confused, why would he hide it? A flash of inspiration hit me: "A-Tan, let me ask you: among the three titled shadow guards of Yexing—Ye Yin, Ye Jun, and Ye Sha—who is the most skilled with poison?" Ye Tan replied, "Naturally, it is Ye Sha." "...Is there anyone who could poison Ye Sha to his face?" I suddenly had a bad feeling. Ye Tan said proudly, "Absolutely impossible." ...Great, the hypothesis is debunked. After decades of hard work, I'm back to square one. Since Taihang Jian didn't use their daughter's disappearance as a pretext to cause trouble, then Gu Ciqu's marriage couldn't have been a calculated plot. Furthermore, since Ye Sha was of sound mind, why would he kill his master? I was back to being stuck in a muddle. The more I thought about it, the more complex and troublesome it seemed. I really just wanted to use a cheat code and pull up the surveillance footage to see for myself. At this thought, I couldn't help but cast another resentful glance at Ye Tan, remembering that the last time he stole a kiss from me was ages ago. I was struck by another bad feeling: if I couldn't resolve this matter properly, would he... never steal a kiss from me again?! I broke into a cold sweat at the thought. *** | Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 顾此曲 | Gu Ciqu | The daughter of the Taihang Jian sect, originally betrothed to Qin Kezou. | | 太行涧 | Taihang Jian | A martial arts sect/family, rivals to the Qin family. | | 钟离苑 | Zhongli Yuan | Likely referring to the Second Young Master's residence or name (Zhongli is a compound surname). | | 夜隐 | Ye Yin | "Night Hidden"; one of the three top-ranked shadow guards. | | 夜君 | Ye Jun | "Night Lord"; one of the three top-ranked shadow guards. | | 夜刹 | Ye Sha | "Night Rakshasa"; Ye Tan's former title, one of the three top-ranked shadow guards. | | 夜行 | Yexing | "Night Walk"; the organization that trains and manages shadow guards. |