The whole family was brutally murdered? The ruthless heiress's eldest daughter went berserk aft

Chapter 215 Lure the snake out of its hole

After comforting Murong Xuewei, Gu Ye went to the study and picked up the hidden arrow.

Gu Ye frowned. That mark awakened memories long buried in his mind, memories of that rainy night when a cold glint almost took his young life.

Because Gu Ye was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't notice Murong Xuewei entering the study.

Murong Xuewei picked up a jacket and draped it over Gu Ye's shoulders.

"Do you also know this assassin?" Murong Xuewei asked softly.

Gu Ye lowered the hidden arrow, turned around and grasped Murong Xuewei's hand, his voice low and deep: "Why did you get up? You should rest more."

"You looked preoccupied when you left your room, so I was a little worried and wanted to check on you."

Gu Ye lowered his head, his eyes dark and unfathomable.

Seeing that Gu Ye was unwilling to speak, Murong Xuewei released her grip. "If the general still doesn't want to tell me about that outsider who is holding me, I won't force him."

After saying that, Murong Xuewei turned to leave, but Gu Ye reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her into his arms.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, I'm just thinking about how to say it."

The flickering candlelight carried Gu Ye's thoughts back to fifteen years ago.

"That was fifteen years ago. I was just a four or five-year-old child then, and I survived by begging and performing for money with Uncle Lin every day..."

Rain pattered against the windowpane, and Gu Ye's memory returned to that bloody night. He was only five years old then, living with Uncle Lin. It was only by chance that he revealed the birthmark that belonged to the former royal family, and a man in black came to the dilapidated house where he and Uncle Lin lived in the middle of the night.

He used this kind of specially made hidden blade. If he hadn't been naturally alert and dodged it in time, that poisoned hidden blade would have already killed him.

"Although I dodged the fatal blow, I was still grazed by the arrow's tail." Gu Ye lifted his sleeve, revealing a faint scar on his arm. "That assassin was extremely skilled. If the dilapidated temple hadn't suddenly collapsed, Uncle Lin and I would probably have died there."

Murong Xuewei looked up at Gu Ye as he walked to his side: "So, why did that assassin want to kill a child like you?"

"Well, maybe he just had a sudden urge to play a prank and wanted to slaughter innocent civilians," Gu Ye said, his eyes darting around. "After all, assassins make a living by killing, and their personalities are hard to define."

“Then we need to be even more careful.” Murong Xuewei stroked her slightly protruding belly, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes. “Since the other party dared to show themselves at this time, they must be acting under someone’s orders.”

Gu Ye pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "Unless... we strike first."

"What are your plans?" Murong Xuewei keenly sensed Gu Ye's thoughts.

“Spread false information to lure the enemy out.” Gu Ye sat down at his desk and took out a piece of paper. “I have a spy named Wang Ce under my command. He’s always very alert. Let him ‘accidentally’ reveal his whereabouts, and then say that he has the real list.”

Murong Xuewei picked up where he left off: "I can arrange for a few reliable merchants to cooperate and spread the word that the stolen list is fake, and the real one has already been hidden somewhere else."

"It's settled then." Gu Ye picked up his pen and wrote a few words. "I'll have Uncle Lin set up ambushes at several key points in the south of the city. As long as they make a move, they won't be able to escape."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside. Liuli hurried in: "Madam, Doctor Zhang sent someone with a packet of medicinal powder, saying it might be helpful."

Murong Xuewei took the exquisite brocade pouch, opened it, and found it contained a pale blue powder. Zhang Jing had written in his letter that this powder, when sprinkled on the ground, would react with footprints, allowing the traces to be found no matter how far the person had gone.

“With this, we’re even more confident.” Gu Ye looked at the instructions in the letter. “Although Zhang Jing is an eccentric person, his products are indeed reliable.”

Over the next few days, Gu Ye and Murong Xuewei began to act according to plan. Wang Ce started appearing frequently in several restaurants in the city, often acting mysteriously.

Meanwhile, the merchants that Murong Xuewei had invited began to gossip in the market, secretly revealing that General Gu had been prepared all along and that the truly important list was not in the secret room at all.

The news spread quickly, and the entire capital was abuzz with discussion. Gu Ye, meanwhile, instructed Uncle Lin to deploy troops at several key locations in the south of the city, waiting for the enemy to take the bait.

However, things took an unexpected turn.

That evening, Wang Ce was dining at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion as usual. Suddenly, a man who looked like a beggar approached his table: "Your Highness, could you spare a meal?"

Wang Ce was about to wave him away when he noticed a strange glint in the man's eyes. His heart tightened, and he immediately understood. This was their pre-arranged signal, indicating that they had discovered traces of a suspicious person.

"You just wait." Wang Ce pretended to be generous and took out a few copper coins, taking the opportunity to lean close to the man's ear.

"There's a suspicious person in the abandoned house in the west of the city," the beggar whispered, then took the copper coin and hurried away.

Wang Ce continued eating without showing any emotion, but alarm bells were ringing in his mind. The abandoned houses in the west of the city were a dead end, and if the other side chose to make their move there, it would indeed be a good place.

After finishing his meal, he pretended to be drunk and staggered westward towards the city. Along the way, he noticed several suspicious-looking figures following him.

At the same time, Gu Ye and Murong Xuewei also received the news.

"The west side of the city?" Murong Xuewei frowned. "Something's not right. Logically, they should have made their move in the south, where the terrain is more complex and it would be easier to escape. Why would they choose a dead end like the west side?"

Gu Ye also sensed something was wrong: "Unless..."

"This is a trap!" the two exclaimed in unison.

“They must have discovered our plan,” Murong Xuewei thought quickly. “They’re trying to turn the tables on us and lure us in.”

Gu Ye immediately summoned Uncle Lin: "Immediately issue the order to change the deployment. Have the troops ambushed in the south of the city move towards the west, but do so discreetly."

“Also,” Murong Xuewei added, “have someone scatter the powder Zhang Jing gave us on the main streets around the abandoned house. Even if it's a trap, we need to see who's behind it.”

As night deepened, the western part of the city grew increasingly quiet. Wang Ce pretended to stagger as he walked step by step toward the abandoned mansion. The dark figure behind him drew closer, and he could clearly feel the murderous intent in the other's eyes.

Just as he was about to step into the mansion gate, a cold light suddenly flashed!

"Watch out!" Gu Ye's voice came from the shadows. Wang Ce immediately dodged to the side, and the hidden arrow grazed his sleeve before embedding itself in the door frame.

"Hahaha..." A chilling laugh echoed in the courtyard. "General Gu, how have you been?"