Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 404 - 240: Assassin

Actually, he also found it strange. In a wealthy household, whether it’s the main kitchen or the side rooms, there would typically be staff keeping night watch.

With such a large fire, how could the servants not have noticed? At the very least, several rooms would need to burn to cause such a big blaze.

However, that was someone else’s problem.

"Have the main kitchen send over some rice porridge and leave some light meals warming on the stove. When those gentlemen wake up, they will probably need some food."

"The kitchen has prepared everything already; I’ll go and get it now."

Ming Yan said, and then also left the room.

Gu Chengyu looked at the inner room, which contained a hot spring pool. He felt the scent of wine still lingered on him and, after considering, decided to soak for a while.

Arriving at the hot spring pool, Gu Chengyu took off his clothes and placed them on a rack, then entered the water.

"How is the fire?" The man, with his clothes in disarray, hurriedly arrived at the left side room and asked the steward of the villa.

"Your Highness, only these few rooms burned, mainly the main kitchen and the firewood room."

The steward quickly knelt and saluted, trembling all over. He felt somewhat relieved; fortunately, only a few worthless rooms had burned, or else he would undoubtedly be severely punished and could no longer be a steward.

"What’s going on? Was there no night watch in the main kitchen? Are they all dead?"

Your Highness was furious. He had just cozied up to sleep with two lovely ladies when he heard a commotion from the villa about a fire.

The steward, frightened, prostrated on the ground. "Your Highness! When this servant arrived, the night-watching cook had already fainted, lying just outside the main kitchen."

Your Highness felt puzzled after hearing this. Why did she collapse outside the main kitchen? She should have been inside. Suddenly, he felt something was amiss.

He sprang forward and dashed toward the study in the main house, with Xiao Linzi quickly following.

"Summon Captain Jin Canling and bring guards to my study!" he said before leaving.

The steward had thought he would surely receive a beating, but who would have thought Your Highness rushed off in such a manner.

He was dumbfounded for a moment, then quickly scrambled up to call Captain Jin.

Your Highness ran into the inner courtyard, heading straight for the study.

He hadn’t reached the study yet but already saw a glimmer of light there—a candlelight—and the two guards posted outside the study were lying on the ground, unconscious.

Inside the study, a man in black was groping around on the bookshelves, seemingly searching for something.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from outside the study, realizing someone was coming.

He slipped a small booklet he had just found into his coat, glanced at the bookshelf, and extinguished the candle.

With the candle extinguished, the people rushing in knew the person inside had noticed them.

"Quick! Someone has broken into the study, everyone, catch him for me."

Your Highness was furious, although those things he had left out in the open were all fake. He couldn’t be sure there wasn’t an insider in the villa; if the secret chamber’s items were stolen, he would be in deep trouble.

"Your Highness!" Captain Jin arrived with guards in a hurry.

"Quickly, go inside and capture him."

This study had only one exit, and even the windows faced inside the courtyard; once the thief entered the study and the front was guarded, escape would be impossible.

The man in black thrust his sword into the study’s wall, using his feet to kick repeatedly, climbing up to the beam above.

Torches appeared in the courtyard, and with the help of the outside light, the man in black scanned the study and found that the only way to escape was to break through the siege of the front courtyard. He gripped his sword tightly, his eyes fixed on the study door.

Captain Jin kicked open the door, and the room was suddenly illuminated by torches.

In that instant, the man in black jumped down from the beam and charged at the coming guards, wielding his sword.

Before long, the fight moved from inside the study to the courtyard outside.

The man in black squinted and noticed the courtyard was surrounded by many archers. Realizing he couldn’t afford to linger in battle, he grew discontented.

Your Highness hurriedly had people guard the outside while he rushed into the room and closed the door.

He reached behind a bookshelf, where a painting hung, and gently turned it. Suddenly, a square meter section of the inner study’s floor opened up.

Rushing forward, he descended via the stairs into the secret chamber. The chamber was brightly lit with candles, and rows of boxes filled the small chamber.

Casually opening one of the boxes, it revealed a pile of gold ingots. Your Highness picked one up and, after examining it, realized it was indeed gold.

He sighed in relief. Even though he knew the thief was alone, making it impossible to carry away gold and silver, he couldn’t feel at ease without seeing it himself. This batch of gold and silver must not have any errors.

"Something’s wrong!" He suddenly dropped the gold ingot, rushing back up the stairs.

He ran to the study desk, turned the pen holder on the desk, and immediately a small mechanical box popped out beneath the desk. Once he saw it was empty—nothing remained inside.

He quickly restored the study’s mechanical hidden chamber to its original state and rushed outside.

Meanwhile, the fight outside continued; the man in black fought six, already struggling greatly. As he fought, he moved toward the courtyard wall.

The guards had long seen through his intention and instructed the archers to follow closely.

Your Highness emerged from the study and stared at the masked man in black, feeling a surge of cruelty. "Leave one alive for me! We need a strong interrogation after!"

The masked man’s breathing grew more intense, and his movements became fiercer. Despite the long battle, six attackers couldn’t take him down; three had even been injured by him, which made Your Highness increasingly furious.

He drew a sword from a guard beside him, intent on taking action himself.

"Your Highness! Please don’t go forward! That thief is dangerous!" Xiao Linzi saw the intention of his master and exclaimed urgently.

His original high-pitched voice sounded even more jarring right now.

He stepped forward to hold onto his master, insisting he couldn’t let him go, lest his master get hurt; then he truly couldn’t bear the consequences.

Your Highness got pulled by Xiao Linzi and couldn’t break free. He shouted, "Move aside!"

The masked man saw this and deemed it a prime opportunity; if he captured the master, escaping would be easy.

Despite getting stabbed in the chest, he sprinted toward the two entangled people.

"Careful! Protect His Highness!" The guards, terrified, believed the thief was about to kill their master; they shouted in alarm, hurriedly trying to block him.

Your Highness panicked, and just in the nick of time, he threw off Xiao Linzi and swung his sword at the masked man.

The two exchanged blows, and Xiao Linzi spotted two new wounds on Your Highness, fainting in shock.

Meanwhile, Gu Chengyu leisurely soaked in the hot spring. By the time Zhu Pang and the others woke up, he would be done soaking, thus avoiding any awkwardness of meeting while unclothed.

"Master!" Ming Yan entered the room, not seeing his master, but hearing the sound of water from the inner chamber.

"I’m soaking in the hot spring, I’ll eat shortly." Gu Chengyu shouted out, not wanting to get out just yet.

Hearing the response, Ming Yan was reassured and began to tidy up the meals in the room. His master didn’t allow anyone to attend him while bathing, so he didn’t need to enter to serve. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

After soaking for another half an hour, Gu Chengyu finally got out and dressed. After a hot spring bath, his mind was much clearer.