Wan Zhenshan secretly broke out in a cold sweat. This little martial uncle was not much older than Gui'er, yet his experience in the martial world was astonishingly rich. Fortunately, he had long prepared his explanation. "The three of us martial brothers attended the banquet with our master that day. Sadly, our martial arts were too weak to save him. After Ling Tuis murdered our master, he believed we might know the secret of the Liancheng Jue, so he kept us alive. He also spread rumors throughout the martial world, claiming that the three of us had killed our master and stolen the Liancheng Jue, causing martial artists everywhere to keep troubling us while he hid behind the scenes, waiting to reap the benefits."
Seeing that his words were reasonable, and because disciples murdering their master was too horrifying a notion for anyone in the martial world, Wu Liuqi instinctively believed seven or eight parts of it. He snorted coldly. "Do not let word of today's matter leak out. Whether what you said is true or false, I will investigate it at the prefectural office myself." With that, he rose and left directly.
Watching his retreating figure, Wan Zhenshan revealed a faint sneer. "Jingzhou City has a hundred thousand armored troops. As the prefect, Ling Tuis's residence is hardly so easy to enter. I fear that once he gets in, he will not be getting out."
"Was that the great hero Wu Liuqi Uncle mentioned before?" Madam Hu asked curiously.
"Mm." Song Qingshu silently began calculating. Wu Liuqi had clearly been fooled by that old fox Wan Zhenshan, but exposing him now would bring Song Qingshu no benefit. He would probably need Wu Liuqi's strength to deal with Ling Tuis.
Early the next morning, at a roadside food stall, Madam Hu suddenly said to Song Qingshu, "Uncle, we kept thinking about breaking into the prison to rescue someone, so we could not come up with any plan. But now I have an idea. Since force will not work, could we try a softer approach?"
"How do we go soft?" Song Qingshu felt a flash of inspiration, but he could not grasp the specific idea.
"According to Uncle, there is a prisoner in the jail who knows the Divine Illumination Skill. We only need to get in contact with him. Why do we need to rescue him?" Madam Hu smiled faintly.
Song Qingshu was instantly enlightened and almost wanted to pull the beauty before him into his arms and kiss her. "Sister-in-law truly is a Zhuge Liang among women." Right—just because he could not get out did not mean Song Qingshu could not get in.
The more they thought about it, the more excited they became. The two went somewhere secluded and continuously refined their plan.
At noon that day, a handsome young gentleman arrived before the prefectural office and presented a calling card, requesting an audience with Ling Tuis. Seeing that he was dignified in appearance, and encouraged by silver, the gatekeeper turned and went inside to report his arrival.
Before long, Song Qingshu was ushered in.
"What does Young Master Song seek from this official?" Ling Tuis gave Song Qingshu an irritated glance. He could not help being irritated. The battle situation on the Xiangyang front was unfavorable, and as the local official responsible for the rear, he was under immense pressure. On top of that, the man in prison still refused to reveal the secret of the Liancheng Jue...
"I have come to resolve one of the worries in your lordship's heart." Song Qingshu smiled inscrutably.
These scholars always loved this sort of act. Ling Tuis immediately took a dislike to him. Had he not nearly finished dealing with today's official documents, he would have thrown this man out already. Hearing Song Qingshu's words, he merely gave a noncommittal "Oh."
"Your lordship must be thinking that a poor scholar like me could have no ability to solve your troubles," Song Qingshu said with a faint smile. "Indeed, if it concerns matters of state, there is nothing I can do. But if it is merely your lordship's private affair..." He abruptly fell silent.
Ling Tuis's heart skipped a beat. He scrutinized Song Qingshu carefully. "What matter does Young Master refer to?"
Song Qingshu smiled faintly. "I have no particular talents, but I am best at prying open the mouths of stubborn prisoners..."
A greenish cast immediately flashed across Ling Tuis's face. He asked viciously, "Just how much do you know about the Liancheng Jue?"
Song Qingshu's heart jumped, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Not too much, not too little. I have a way to make the man in prison speak, but afterward, we split what is gained fifty-fifty."
"Young man, you have quite the appetite." Ling Tuis snorted with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "I only fear you will eat yourself sick." Yet inwardly, he was full of doubt. How did this man know so much?
"I am young, so I have a healthy appetite." Song Qingshu chuckled. "After all these years, does Lord Ling truly believe you can pry open that man's mouth?"
Ling Tuis thought to himself that years of torture had yielded nothing. Ding Dian would likely refuse to speak even until death, yet Ling Tuis could not truly kill him. Recently, he had become increasingly impatient. In the dead of night, he had even conceived an exceptionally vicious plan, but he was uncertain whether it would work. If it failed, the clue represented by Ding Dian would be cut off, so he had continued to hesitate.
"Can you really make him reveal the secret of the Liancheng Jue?" Ling Tuis eyed him suspiciously.
"Let me try. Your lordship has nothing to lose. If I fail, I will submit to whatever punishment your lordship chooses." Song Qingshu spoke with complete confidence.
"Good." Ling Tuis was delighted. "If you truly make him reveal the secret, then after we find the treasure, I take seventy percent and you take thirty. Young man, do not be too greedy." But inwardly, he thought, Once the treasure is found, would I still let you live? I am merely saying this to lower his guard, so he believes I sincerely intend to share the spoils with him.
Song Qingshu showed a conflicted expression. At last, he let out a long breath. "Very well. Thirty percent will suffice. But I must have full authority over this operation, and it may take some time—half a month at the shortest, one month at the longest. Otherwise, if that man notices any flaw, all our plans will come to nothing."
"Agreed!" Ling Tuis hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I will not interfere with how you question him, and I can have the relevant people cooperate with you as best they can. But if you get him to talk and then try to keep everything for yourself, heh heh..."
Song Qingshu bowed and said with a bitter smile, "I do not wish to end up like that man, being tortured by your lordship in prison for years."
Ling Tuis had his men secretly watch Song Qingshu. Although he could move freely within the residence during this time, leaving it was absolutely out of the question.
Song Qingshu did not mind. He went straight to the cell where Ding Dian was held, moved over a stool, and sat far away. He said nothing, merely watching the two pitiful people in the cell in silence.
Di Yun had long been beaten into submission by Ding Dian. At this moment, he quietly hid in a corner without making a sound. Seeing an unfamiliar face sitting opposite him and staring wordlessly, Ding Dian snapped, "What the hell are you looking at? Keep looking!"
"I am looking at two pitiful fools." Song Qingshu was unangered and merely smiled faintly.
Ding Dian did not care much, but Song Qingshu's words stirred up Di Yun's grief, and he burst into loud sobs. "What are you crying for?" Ding Dian went over and gave him a savage beating. Di Yun had learned from experience that the more miserably he cried, the harder Ding Dian hit him, so he could only grit his teeth and endure it.
"Stop hitting him. He is not a spy." Song Qingshu watched the two men, who would later become close brothers, with amusement.
"If you say he is not, then he definitely is. I will beat him to death." Ding Dian's fists struck even harder.
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