Chapter 22: Arson

Could it be Huo Feng, the sixth young master of Prince Jing’s Mansion?

And Xiangyun—the name sounded incredibly familiar. Wasn't she the most favored concubine of Huo Feng in her previous life? So, they had been entangled with each other this early on? Lin Pianran recalled that in her past life, it had taken more than another year before Li Xiangyun entered Prince Jing’s Mansion. She never expected that they had already been carrying on an illicit affair and conceived a child so prematurely. It was truly shocking!

In her previous life, Huo Feng’s legal wife was Li Xiangting, the daughter of the General’s household. It was said that after their marriage, the couple had always been affectionate and deeply devoted. Although Huo Feng was as philandering as his father, he shared a profound bond with Li Xiangting. A year later, her younger half-sister, Li Xiangyun, had entered the mansion as a high-ranking concubine. The sisters served the same husband, and their relationship had always seemed harmonious. Now it appeared that rumors were not necessarily true; they were likely nothing more than a joke. The twists and turns of their story were quite intriguing, but Lin Pianran had no interest in them. She only wanted to confirm whether the man inside was indeed Huo Feng—the scum she hated to her bones.

She remained to eavesdrop. "My little enchantress, I have missed you so much! You know that you are the only one in my heart..."

"Do you truly miss me? But aren't you and my sister about to be married?"

"Shouldn't you be thinking of her instead, my lord? She is your proper wife..."

"Yet we can only meet in secret, without name or status, disregarding my reputation. I count the days and gaze at the stars, longing for our meetings. My lord, you must not fail my heart!"

After speaking, Li Xiangyun covered her face and sobbed softly. Under the lamplight, the beauty’s tears were pitiful and heart-wrenching.

"Nonsense! I only dote on you. You satisfy me in bed, and I am very happy... Once your sister enters the house, I will immediately find a way to bring you in as well, so we can be together every day."

"My little darling, rest assured! You are the only one I truly care for..."

The two clung to each other, whispering endearments while biting at one another. It was lewd enough to make one gasp. Indeed, it was that pair of scoundrels. In her previous life, they were the ones who bullied her and her maid most viciously. It was Huo Feng who had cruelly ravaged Tianzhu to death. When she died, there wasn't a single patch of intact flesh on her body.

Reflecting on the grudges of her past life, Lin Pianran’s eyes deepened. Unexpectedly, through a twist of fate, he had fallen right into her hands. It was truly a case of "finding what one was looking for without even trying." Even the heavens were aiding her. How wonderful! She had not found the stronghold of Prince Jing’s Mansion, but capturing this scum, Huo Feng, was an unexpected delight.

Lin Pianran sprayed some sleeping incense into the room. Soon, there was no movement inside. She crept in and collected all the valuables. Then, she took a small bucket of gasoline from her spatial storage, splashed it around the room, jumped out the window, set it ablaze, and slipped away quietly. All of this was done without a soul noticing.

After walking a distance, Lin Pianran turned back to see the fire spreading and growing more intense. She hadn't completely intended to kill them this time. If the fire claimed their lives, it was their misfortune. If they were lucky enough to escape, she would ensure they spent the rest of their lives in a living hell, suffering in agony. This was merely the beginning. Furthermore, even if they survived, they would be horribly disfigured. Being discovered in such a compromising, half-naked state would expose their scandal. She would add fuel to the fire to ensure their reputations were utterly destroyed. From now on, they would be as notorious as rats crossing the street, despised by all. Without a name and with ruined faces, they would be plunged into a mire of struggle and misery, just as she had been in her previous life.

Following the path she had taken, Lin Pianran carefully made her way back. It was over an hour later when she returned to her quarters. Her two maids were already back, waiting for her in the courtyard, anxious.

"Miss, that guard was sent by the eldest miss, and she was the one who ordered someone to catch the snakes," Huanxue complained indignantly.

Lin Pianran comforted the two little maids briefly. Seeing that her room had been cleaned up, she tucked herself into bed and fell fast asleep. After a long day of work, she was exhausted.

The next morning, there was a commotion outside, with shouting and the sound of hurried footsteps. Lin Pianran turned over and covered her head, continuing her dream. The sky wouldn't fall, after all. However, less than a quarter of an hour later, the shouts of government officials could be heard vaguely from outside.

Realizing she could no longer sleep, she rose and called out, "Huanxue, Tianzhu, I am up."

Huanxue hurried in to help her wash and dress. As she combed her hair, she began to share the news from outside, her face full of excitement. "Miss, someone was bitten by venomous snakes last night! Two people were bitten: the second mistress, Wang Yanwan, and the eldest miss, Lin Chuyao."

"Oh..." Lin Pianran replied with profound meaning. Only two targets hit? The success rate was too low; she wasn't very satisfied with the result.

Huanxue continued, "I heard that the eldest miss, Lin Chuyao, was the most severely bitten. She screamed in the middle of the night, which alerted the maids and saved her life. They reported it to the madam and summoned the imperial physician. Even after treatment, she isn't fully recovered and is still lying in bed, half-dead."

"The madam and the third miss, upon learning of the eldest miss's plight, woke up and found snakes in their own rooms. They had them cleared away, so they escaped unscathed. However, they were furious to find their rooms ransacked and reported it to the authorities early this morning."

"By the time the first branch thought to warn the second branch about the snakes, the second mistress had already been bitten. Fortunately, the snake that bit her wasn't venomous; she only suffered some pain and had her wounds bandaged."

"Also, last night, when the snakes were discovered, the servants didn't dare disturb the old madam, fearing it would ruin her sleep. This morning, when they went to report it, the nanny called out several times, but there was no response. When they pushed the door open, they found that the old madam had long since died; her body was already stiff. Her room had also been ransacked, leaving only her bloodied corpse on the bed. It looked very eerie!"

Lin Pianran listened patiently, a faint smile on her face, appearing to be in quite a good mood.

"Miss, who do you think was bold enough to harm the old madam?"