Chapter 14 Gossip of the Stealth

Chapter 14 Gossip of the Stealth

The air in the study seemed to have frozen into solid ice.

Faced with Pei Yunjing's chilling words, "I'll grant your wish," Tang Li felt as if an invisible knife was already pressed against her neck.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fear in her heart, and quickly knelt down, meeting the man's bloodshot and violent eyes.

"Your Highness misunderstands. I am not trying to plead for them."

Tang Li speaks extremely fast, as if afraid that if she slows down even by a second, she'll be dragged out and beheaded:

"I just feel that Your Highness is so powerful that it would be gratifying to kill him with one blow. But if the real thief is mixed in with the corpses, it would obscure the whereabouts of the defense map and even give his accomplices a chance to move the stolen goods... Wouldn't Your Highness be at a loss then?"

"deficit?"

Pei Yunjing narrowed his eyes, seemingly finding the word somewhat novel.

He didn't lower the knife in his hand, but the mockery in his eyes intensified:

"Then what do you think I should do?"

"Listening to these people's cries is like having a thousand needles pricking my brain."

He pointed to the twelve people kneeling on the ground, his expression pained and cruel, "Only the dead are quiet."

It's really too noisy.

The twelve suspects cried and screamed for their lives, and some even started accusing each other, creating a chaotic scene.

Pei Yunjing's patience had completely run out.

He didn't want to listen to Tang Li's nonsense anymore, and even regretted giving her the chance to speak earlier.

He slowly raised his left hand, making a cutting motion.

That was the signal for execution.

The black-armored guards around them raised their steel swords in unison, their cold gleam reflecting in their desperate eyes.

It’s over!

This madman won't listen to reason!

Tang Li was so anxious that her back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

She only has a few seconds. If she can't find the key to breaking the deadlock, the clues will be completely cut off once these twelve heads are on the ground!

At this critical moment—

"well……"

A very soft, almost imperceptible sigh suddenly drifted down from above Tangli's head.

In this room filled with wailing, this sound seemed out of place, carrying a sense of leisurely detachment and helplessness, as if watching a play.

Tang Li shuddered.

This is not a human voice!

She subconsciously raised her head slightly, her gaze passing over the twelve unfortunate souls who were about to become corpses, and looking at the high beams of the study.

In the dim light, a gray gecko with half its tail missing was perched on a dusty beam.

Its bulging little eyes darted around, looking down at the life-or-death drama below with utter boredom.

The next second, a thought, brimming with the flavor of everyday gossip, clearly pierced through Tang Li's mind:

[Tsk tsk tsk, these two-legged creatures are so pathetic.]

[They're all going to be beheaded, all that blood and gore, they're going to dirty my territory again.]

The gecko flicked its severed tail, its tone laced with mockery:

It was clearly that old man in the blue shirt with the goatee who stole it.

[I saw it! Just now, while everyone was looking at the map, he moved incredibly fast—"whoosh!"—and slipped that parchment into the lining of his left boot!]

[The boots reeked of salted fish; the stench almost made me fall off the beam! Ugh... hiding things in such a stinky place, what a ruthless person.]

[Oh dear, what a pity, that human prince is blind, why didn't anyone check that old man's stinky feet?]

boom--!

It was as if a thunderbolt had exploded in Tang Li's mind.

A woman in blue?

A goatee?

Left boot?

She abruptly lowered her head, her gaze sweeping across the row of people kneeling on the ground with lightning speed.

Soon, her gaze settled on an elderly man kneeling in the front row, the one closest to Pei Yunjing.

The man, dressed in an elegant blue long gown and sporting a meticulously trimmed goatee, was none other than Mr. Liu, one of Pei Yunjing's most trusted advisors.

It is said that this person has followed Pei Yunjing for many years, offering advice and strategies, and is extremely loyal. He is an absolute confidant in the Prince's mansion.

At this moment, Mr. Liu's performance was worthy of an award-winning actor.

His face was filled with grief and indignation, tears streaming down his face. He kowtowed repeatedly to Pei Yunjing, his forehead already bleeding.

"Your Highness! I have followed you for ten years, and now I have been unjustly accused! Since I cannot prove my innocence, I am willing to die to prove my innocence! I will never cause Your Highness any trouble!"

As he spoke, he suddenly stood up and made a move to crash into the red-painted, peeling pillar next to him!

"I will use my blood to wash away this fabricated crime!"

Everyone around was stunned by the scene, even the black-armored guards who were holding up their swords were taken aback.

What a brilliant move – retreating to advance!

What a loyal minister and general who has been wronged and martyred!

If Tang Li hadn't heard the gecko's inner thoughts, she probably would have thought the old man was wronged.

Who would have thought that the defense map, which was capable of causing immense suffering, was now lying quietly in his boot that smelled of salted fish?

[Yo yo yo! They're acting! They're acting!]

The gecko on the roof beam excitedly crawled two steps: "It's a shame this old man isn't an opera singer! Go ahead and crash! Go ahead and crash! I see he's taking such small steps, he clearly doesn't want to die!"

Tang Li's heart began to pound violently.

knew!

The truth is right before our eyes!

But... how should I put it?

She couldn't just point at Mr. Liu and say, "The picture is in his boot."

Pei Yunjing is inherently suspicious. If she acts as if she has foresight, she will be the first person he kills.

This means that she not only knew the inside story, but might even be part of the group.

You absolutely cannot say, "The gecko on the roof beam told me that."

They would be considered spreading heresies and burned alive.

Just as Mr. Liu was about to "crash" into the pillar, the other black-armored guards were already preparing to attack the remaining people.

I need to find an excuse!

A pretext that can convince Pei Yunjing and make a legitimate body search possible!

Tang Li's gaze swept wildly around the study, finally landing on the white fur ball that was fast asleep on the doormat, completely unaware of the murderous aura inside.

Baymax!

"Your Highness, please wait!!!"

Tang Li spoke up again, this time raising her voice several octaves, with a resolute determination as if she were making a desperate gamble.

Pei Yunjing paused slightly in his longsword, turned his head, and his eyes were already filled with killing intent:

"You had better give me a reason not to kill you."

Tang Li took a deep breath, pointed at the sleeping tiger, and said loudly:

"Your Highness! Big White...it just told me it smelled it!"

Pei Yunjing frowned: "What do you smell?"

Tang Li stared intently at Mr. Liu, who was about to "ram his head against the pillar" but was stopped and whose body stiffened for a moment, and said, word by word:

"It said it smelled something... that didn't belong to the original scent of this study, a very peculiar smell—a thief's smell!"