Chapter 373: Great Benefactor

Chapter 373: Chapter 182: Great Benefactor

Jiang Ran gently shook his head.

“To be honest, today…”

Jiang Ran briefly recounted everything that had happened: how he and Cheng Tianyang’s group had separated upon arriving in Evergreen Mansion, how he had later gone searching for the men from the Celestial Yang Escort Agency, only to find them all dead in the woods on the mountain behind the Zhou family’s estate.

At first, Yan Wushuang seemed to pay it no mind, but as she listened, her expression began to change.

After Jiang Ran finished, Yan Wushuang said,

“I happen to know of the Zhou family you mentioned.”

“When I first came to Evergreen Mansion, I took a fancy to the tranquil location of their estate and planned to buy it to build a summer villa.”

“Unfortunately, their Patriarch refused.”

“Because of that, I looked into the Zhou family’s background. I found nothing special about them; they’re just an ordinary, wealthy family.”

“The Hundred Treasures Association has strict rules. If they had a background in the martial world, it wouldn’t have mattered if I used a few tricks.”

“But since they were just common people, I didn’t dare act rashly. I had to give up on that estate and build this Cyan Mountain Villa here instead.”

“I never expected something like this to happen afterward.”

“Hmm, rest assured, Young Hero Jiang. The Hundred Treasures Association will help investigate this matter. If we find anything, I’ll have Baipi inform you.”

“Alright, then I’ll be troubling you, Vice President Yan.”

Jiang Ran cupped his fists slightly. “I’ll take my leave.”

“Baipi, see our guests out.”

Yan Wushuang spoke softly, and Baipi immediately stepped forward.

“Young Hero Jiang, this way, please.”

Jiang Ran nodded and led Tang Huayi out.

As Jiang Ran’s party gradually disappeared into the distance, the faint smile on Yan Wushuang’s face completely vanished.

Without the smile, her almond-shaped eyes looked sharp and cold.

Her gaze swept over the fragments of the ‘Purple Jade Gourd.’ She slowly picked up a piece, placed it in her palm, and gently rubbed it.

After crushing the fragment into dust, she let out a soft breath, a slight smile playing on her lips.

‘He’s finally taken the bait. For two years… stealing all sorts of treasures from my Hundred Treasures Association, costing my association millions of silver.’

‘Does he really think the Hundred Treasures Association is such an easy target?’

She sat under the pavilion, picked up the wine pot, and poured herself another cup.

Before she could finish the cup, people arrived before her.

There were quite a few of them, all dressed in practical, close-fitting attire.

Among them were four men carrying a sedan chair, with Baipi at the front.

“Vice President.”

With a flicker, Yan Wushuang was already seated in the sedan chair.

She leaned back against the chair, stretched, and then drained the cup of wine in her hand. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the cup spinning through the air to land perfectly upright on the table.

“Let’s go. Come with me to meet this Ximen Feng.”

…

…

“You’re saying that Yan Wushuang knew all along that Ximen Feng was coming to steal from her?”

As the Hundred Treasures Association’s carriage slowly departed from the base of Qifeng Mountain, Tang Huayi looked at Jiang Ran in disbelief at his shocking words.

“Then why did she act so shocked?”

“It’s because she was *too* shocked that I found it strange,”

Jiang Ran said.

“The Hundred Treasures Association is one of the ‘Two Associations.’ For her to have reached the position of Vice President, she must be someone who doesn’t show her emotions.”

“Especially for a businesswoman, wearing your heart on your sleeve is the biggest taboo.”

“What’s more, she already knew about this Ximen Feng.”

“She knows that getting angry is of no use in this situation, especially in front of outsiders like us…”

“For her to act so out of character, isn’t that odd?”

Tang Huayi thought for a moment.

“Then why did she do it?”

“How would I know… But if I had to guess, it was probably an act for an audience.”

“That audience might have been Ximen Feng himself, or one of his lackeys, or it might have even been for you and me.”

“After all, she was so enthusiastic about the deal. If she had acted calmly after the item was stolen, it would have made people doubt whether her previous words were genuine.”

Jiang Ran smiled.

“And think about it, if she was truly so furious that she lost her composure, would she have been in any mood to discuss the details of the tea tasting and zither appreciation event with me afterward?”

“So on the way back, I started thinking. What if seeking the treasure to trade for the Jiaowei was just a pretense?”

“What if what she really wanted was to use this opportunity to lure out the thief?”

“And while she was at it, she could rope me into the business of the tea tasting and zither appreciation event…”

“From what I saw today, the only time she truly lost her composure was when I chose the lowest-tier option.”

“…So, they weren’t interested in the Jiaowei zither from the start?”

Tang Huayi pouted.

“If that’s really the case, then we’ve truly underestimated this Yan Wushuang.”

“A person like her can’t be underestimated.”

Jiang Ran shook his head gently. “She survives multiple assassination attempts every day, so her mind must be meticulous. Her true intentions are surely hidden beneath layers of deception.”

“I never would have thought of these things in the past. I’ve learned a thing or two today.”

“Don’t you go learning any bad habits.”

Tang Huayi shot him a look.

“…Is that something a little demoness from the Demon Sect should be saying?”

“And what if it is?”

Tang Huayi huffed. “The human heart is treacherous, something even Divine Demons can’t guard against. I may be a demoness from the Demon Sect, but we of the Sect pursue the purest state of mind. We’re not like those so-called righteous sects, with all their twists and turns and schemes so tangled they could be tied into a thousand knots.”

Jiang Ran thought for a moment and found he couldn’t refute Tang Huayi’s words.

The Demon Sect might have an ugly reputation, but their so-called “Great Freedom of the Celestial Demon” stemmed from the depths of the heart.

What they wanted was ultimate freedom—to act according to their hearts, to go where their whims took them, unbound by any of the world’s rites, laws, or rules.

Wasn’t that the pursuit of the purest form of one’s true self?

This was also why they were called “demons”… because they only listened to their hearts’ desires, without regard for good or evil, right or wrong.