On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2084 Shocking Change at the Shipyard

Liu Balang's heart sank, and the hope that had just emerged was extinguished.

He knew things were chaotic in the manor, but he never expected Sun Qing to say such a thing.

"The manor is in complete chaos now," Sun Qing said with a hint of nonchalant sarcasm. "Your men, Zhang San, have long since tried to run away with your money, Li Si has taken all the silk from the storeroom, and the accountant has even taken your land deeds. Who cares whether you're dead or alive?"

"These heartless, ungrateful lackeys!" Liu Balang cursed inwardly, a tightness gripping his chest. "I've always treated them well, giving them bonuses during holidays, and this is how they treat me! Sun Qing, you're different, you have to save me!"

He was still hoping that Sun Qing would remember their past friendship.

But Sun Qing's words poured cold water on him: "I don't want to get involved in your affairs either, but I have to watch the Liu family fall into ruin."

Liu Balang was startled, even his breathing paused.

He didn't understand why Sun Qing would say that. Did Sun Qing also want him to die?

Sun Qing seemed to see through his thoughts, and sneered, his laughter full of disdain: "You really think I'm here to serve you? What kind of dog are you? You don't deserve it!"

“I have a master,” Sun Qing’s voice turned cold. “How could I possibly follow you? Even if I didn’t have a master, I would never follow a beast like you.”

Liu Balang's face burned. He wanted to say something angry, but he couldn't even open his mouth. He could only let Sun Qing's words pierce his heart.

“Liu Jiulang went to the sacrificial ceremony in your place today,” Sun Qing said, his tone tinged with schadenfreude. “He’s been arrested now, and you’re practically a living dead. Even if the authorities don’t come after you, you can forget about ever getting back on your feet.”

Liu Balang was both anxious and angry; his heart felt like it was on fire, burning him with discomfort.

Sun Qing ignored his reaction and continued, "You don't know yet, do you? Scarface and his gang from the water village have already been captured. A few days ago, they robbed your grain store and even fought with Liu Jiulang in the street, thinking they could gain some advantage. But what happened? As soon as they stepped out of the grain store, they were surrounded by the city guards, and none of them escaped."

"Grain store..." Liu Balang's heart tightened. Scarface must think he stole the grain and came to rob him on purpose.

“Let me tell you something else,” Sun Qing leaned down and whispered in Liu Balang’s ear, his voice low but clear, “the grain in the water village was all transported away by our people.”

Scarface thought you stole the grain, but you were just a target. The grain had already been taken away by us. You and him are just fighting like dogs.

Liu Balang's mind went blank, as if it had exploded.

So all of this was arranged by Sun Qing?

Who is he?

“And your injuries,” Sun Qing straightened up, his tone returning to calm, as if he were talking about something insignificant, “the people who hurt you are also our people.”

That injury wouldn't kill you at all. Do you know why you haven't woken up? Because I poisoned you.

Liu Balang felt as if his heart was being squeezed by a hand, the pain making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He finally understood that from the very beginning, Sun Qing had come to harm him.

He wanted to hate, to curse, to struggle, but he could only lie there, feeling despair slowly engulf him.

Sun Qing watched as his chest heaved rapidly, a slight smile playing on his lips. He turned and walked to the window, opening it a crack.

The shouts of the defending soldiers and the whispers of the servants could be heard from outside. The downfall of the Liu family was slowly becoming a reality.

Liu Jiulang walked very lightly along the blue brick wall of the private residence. He had bought this house three years ago, originally intending to hide away in peace during a time of infighting within the Liu family. He never expected to use it to avoid this deadly disaster.

The moonlight stretched his shadow long, casting it onto the bluestone path.

"Stop! Who is it?"

Suddenly, a patrolman's shout came from the alley entrance. Liu Jiulang stopped abruptly and quickly shrank into the shadows at the base of the wall.

"Lord Su said that the focus tonight is on checking the outer perimeter, so don't waste your time here."

Another soldier's voice was impatient: "If Liu Jiulang really dared to come out, he would have been caught by the people at the city gate long ago. Why would we need to stand here in the cold wind?"

Only when the footsteps faded into the distance did Liu Jiulang dare to exhale.

Su Zhenhai gripped the bundle strap so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palm.

How dare you betray him!

This isn't over yet. We'll settle the score when he makes a comeback.

When he got near the shipyard, he deliberately went around to the side gate.

He took out the brass key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, turned it twice, and the door creaked open.

Liu Jiulang had just stepped inside when he stopped—at this hour on ordinary days, there would be two old craftsmen on night watch at the shipyard, but now there wasn't a single light, only the whistling sound of the wind blowing through the piles of timber.

He frowned as he walked inside, his foot kicking a piece of firewood with a soft "click".

The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet shipyard, and he instinctively stopped and listened intently.

There was no sound.

But he didn't feel any relief; he felt something was wrong.

He looked up and suddenly realized something was wrong.

The shipyard used to be packed with ships, timber, and shipbuilding tools, leaving only a narrow passageway.

But now!

Empty, there is nothing.

He had almost forgotten how big the shipyard originally was. It seemed cramped because of all the stuff, but now that it was empty, he realized how big it actually was.

The sound of the wind passing by in the air seemed to grow three times louder.

Liu Jiulang's throat bobbed slightly, and his eyes widened.

What... what happened? Where are the things?

Where's the boat?

What about people?

Liu Jiulang's heart pounded, filled with an unprecedented panic; the scene before him was far too bizarre.

He even doubted he was dreaming, so he pinched himself hard a few times, and it hurt terribly.

Not a dream.

But who can move all this stuff away at once?

He suddenly realized, could it be that... the shipyard manager had come to see him that day for this very reason?

Liu Jiulang felt a pang of regret, regretting that he hadn't listened to the shopkeeper immediately.

He stood blankly in the courtyard, not knowing what to do.

"You arrived earlier than I expected."

A voice came from the shadows. Liu Jiulang's heart sank. He slowly turned around and quietly placed his hand on the short knife inside the bundle.

The moonlight shone down and fell on the speaker's face.

It was Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu.

Liu Jiulang vaguely remembered that Huo Changhe was by Su Chenghai's side.

"Did Su Zhenhai send you?" Liu Jiulang's voice was steady, but his lips were taut.

"Isn't he afraid that my Liu family will come back and settle accounts with him?"

"The Liu family?" Huo Changhe raised an eyebrow. "The Liu family is being raided. Right now, Lord Su is the one who calls the shots in the entire Rongzhou."

Liu Jiulang's heart clenched suddenly, and the bundle slipped off his shoulder and fell to the ground, spilling out several silver notes.