When Xie Lang spoke, there was still a smile on his face, but his eyes were so cold that the attendant beside him broke out in a cold sweat. The attendant quickly replied, "Your Excellency, we caught two in total. One of them blamed the servant for being useless and committed suicide on the way back. The other one is now in the room and being interrogated." Xie Lang lifted his foot and walked towards the room. Just as the attendant was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he turned his head and said calmly, "Follow the old rules."
As he spoke, Xie Lang pushed open the door and smelled a faint scent of blood. After pushing the table aside, the door to the secret passage was revealed.
Before going down, Xie Lang said to the attendant outside, "Keep watch. Come and call me when it's about time."
The attendant was secretly surprised but quickly frowned and replied respectfully, "Yes."
He had to go back early. What could he bring back for Shen Mingzhu to eat today? By then, she would be soft - hearted and surely wouldn't drive him away.
As Xie Lang thought about it, the corner of his mouth involuntarily curled up, forming a faint arc. The subordinate standing in front holding a long whip felt a chill run down his spine. He dropped the whip and said, "Your Excellency! The man is here. He's very stubborn and still refuses to talk."
As he spoke, the blood - covered man tied to the wooden stake spat out a mouthful of saliva and shouted shrilly, "Even if you beat me to death, I won't say a word!"
"Scoundrel!"
Xie Lang wore a mask, only showing his slightly upturned lips and a pair of jet - black eyes. When he heard the man speak, he let out a soft sneer.
"Your Excellency, please calm down!" Xie Lang's subordinate was dressed in gray, and his sleeves were now covered in bloodstains. He looked at Xie Lang a bit panicked and exclaimed, "This servant will continue the interrogation now!"
Hearing this, the man raised his head even more. His blood - smeared face was full of hatred. "It's all your fault, you lackeys of the royal family! You all deserve to die!"
Xie Lang saw the hatred in his eyes and said calmly to him, "Is this the purpose of your sneaking into the Xie Mansion? And hooking up with the maid beside Her Highness. Were you trying to assassinate her?"
The man glared at Xie Lang fiercely. "She deserves to die a thousand times! All the royal family members deserve to die! You lackey!"
The gray - clothed subordinate beside him was already kneeling on the ground with cold sweat on his face, not daring to say a word. Hearing the man still being stubborn, he only hated himself for not acting first and killing him earlier.
"He's really stubborn." Xie Lang smiled faintly, but his gaze on the man was as cold as a blade. His tone was calm. "The royal family?"
He looked at the man carefully for a few moments, and there was a hint of thought in his eyes.
When did Shen Mingzhu provoke these desperadoes? This man didn't seem to be a dead - man nurtured by a noble family but rather a reckless man who came out of nowhere. Strange. Who was behind him?
Xie Lang looked at him and continued, "From Jiangzhou?"
After saying that, Xie Lang looked at him and continued, "You don't need to argue. If I can't tell these things, then I've wasted all these years."
The man paused for a moment and then looked up at Xie Lang. His eyes were full of hatred as he said, "So what if I am?"
Xie Lang fell into deep thought. His intuition told him that if he followed the clues behind this man, he might be able to find something interesting.
But the hatred in this man's words was too intense. If he really wanted this man to talk, it would definitely take a lot of effort. Maybe he could find out the truth earlier if he investigated according to his original idea.
What a hassle...
He looked at the man, and a hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes. The attendant beside him saw the expression on Xie Lang's face and was already ready to get up and pick up the knife, but unexpectedly, Xie Lang hesitated for a moment.
"If you have the guts, kill me!" The man's breath was a bit weak, but he still stared at Xie Lang fiercely, with a fierce look on his face.
"Why do you hate Her Highness so much?"
Xie Lang's expression was calm. His eyes hidden behind the mask were deep. He took a step forward, getting closer to the man, and then continued, "Could it be for money?"
As he spoke, the man suddenly became violent and rushed forward. As a result, the ropes binding his limbs tightened severely, making his face contort in pain. "You... You! You're a lackey of the powerful. What kind of thing are you! Do you think everyone is as greedy for money and women as you beasts!"
Women?
Xie Lang's expression paused slightly.
This was quite interesting. None of their previous conversations had mentioned this word, but this man suddenly brought it up.
Greedy for women? All these beasts were greedy for women? Who were these people?
Xie Lang frowned, and an idea gradually formed in his mind. Maybe a female relative in this man's family was forcibly taken away by some powerful and wealthy person, and then he was guided by someone with ulterior motives, so he took action against Shen Mingzhu.
"Greedy for women?" Xie Lang raised his eyebrows and deliberately said in a frivolous tone, "You're right about this, but this is not being greedy for women. This is cherishing the fairer sex."
The man couldn't stand the provocation. Hearing Xie Lang's words, his eyes turned red, filled with hatred. He struggled desperately and let out a roar, shouting fiercely at Xie Lang, "I knew it. I knew you were all beasts and would come to no good end!"
"God is blind! God is silent! The former Crown Prince forcibly took my younger sister. She was only sixteen, in the prime of her life!"
Xie Lang lowered his eyes.
No, this definitely wasn't done by Shen Mingjia. Who was hiding behind this man? This man had a Jiangzhou accent. Xie Lang wasn't so stupid as not to be able to tell. Although he seemed to be trying his best to cover it up, he still showed a few flaws in his anger.
Jiangzhou. The Crown Prince also died here.
"No! God has eyes! It served him right to die there!"
The man's expression was crazy. Blood flowed down his clothes and gradually formed a small pool, flowing towards Xie Lang.
"No." Xie Lang spoke, his expression calm. Looking at the man in front of him, he said, "How can you be sure that this was done by the Crown Prince?"
"Naturally—"
"Are you sure?" Xie Lang looked at him and continued, "Your sister might have become someone's pawn. She might have died without even knowing the reason. In the end, even her own brother was used as a pawn."
"If your sister knew in the underworld that you were avenging her, but instead were used by her enemies and finally died at someone else's hands without even finding the enemy, how desperate would she be and how could she rest in peace?"
When Xie Lang spoke, his voice was calm but with a hint of certainty. His gaze on the man couldn't help but show a bit of pity. "Tell me, didn't your sister die in vain?"
The man gritted his teeth and said, "I don't believe it!"
"Believe it or not." Xie Lang said, smiling faintly at him. "For the sake of your sister, I'll spare your life and let you go out to find the truth on your own."
After saying that, in the man's suspicious expression, Xie Lang said to the gray - clothed subordinate beside him, "Untie him and let him go."
"You!"
The man didn't believe it. His eyes were full of doubt as he looked at Xie Lang. After hesitating for a moment, he still gritted his teeth and got up, preparing to leave.
"By the way." There was a hint of gloom in Xie Lang's eyes. "I won't kill you, but whether you'll be silenced after you walk out is none of my business."