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

Chapter 2163 Where the Horses Went

Qian Wu's breathing suddenly stopped.

The person behind the mask was not the expected savior, but Yan Ruyu.

The moonlight slanted in from outside the courtyard wall, falling on her face, revealing a hint of aloofness and coldness in her eyes and brows.

Qian Wu's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. His lips moved repeatedly, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a few incoherent syllables from his throat. His voice was so dry it sounded like it had been rubbed with sandpaper: "It's...it's you? How could it be you?"

He just couldn't understand how that iconic black cloak could reveal Yan Ruyu when the mask was removed.

Yan Ruyu looked down at him, her fingers still holding the silver mask: "Who are you waiting for? Are you waiting for Mr. Mo himself, or an envoy he sent?"

When she uttered the words "Mr. Mo," Qian Wu felt as if he had been struck hard on the head with a club, and he swayed.

He looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock. The pain from his wounds seemed to intensify, but he was oblivious to it, only anxiously asking, "How do you know Mr. Mo? Who exactly are you?"

Yan Ruyu interrupted him, her tone still indifferent but leaving no room for argument: "Now, it's my turn to ask you."

Qian Wu opened his mouth, but in the end he gritted his teeth and swallowed the rest of his words, stiffening his neck and turning his head away, refusing to speak again.

He still held onto a sliver of hope. As long as he didn't say anything, the other side wouldn't be able to find any fault with him. If he could just hold on a little longer, maybe the real reinforcements would arrive.

Seeing his appearance, Yan Ruyu chuckled softly. The laughter was light, but it was like a fine needle that gently pierced Qian Wuqiang's feigned composure.

"You think I won't know anything just because you don't tell me?" Her tone was laced with knowing mockery. "You've put on quite a show these past few days."

Why would he rather confess to being an imposter, a fake governor, and take full responsibility for the murder of Lord Ding and his numerous servants?

She paused, looking at Qian Wu's jawline tighten instantly, and slowly revealed the secret he had kept hidden for so long: "It was all to cover up your true identity as 'Wu Ping'an,' and also to wait for Mr. Mo to come and save your life, right?"

The last trace of color drained from Qian Wu's face.

Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, his body trembled uncontrollably a few times, his lips quivered but he couldn't utter a single word, and the panic in his eyes could no longer be concealed.

Yan Ruyu took in his reaction, her smile deepening, but it lacked warmth: "What a pity, you won't be able to wait for him."

She straightened up, stood with her hands behind her back, and spoke in a calm tone that filled Qian Wu with despair: "To Mr. Yu Mo, you are nothing but a useless pawn."

"The Liu family has been wiped out, Dragon Roar Island and the Water Village have been completely exposed, and that beast you relied on on the island is long dead. And what you know best—that horse farm—is now entirely in our hands."

With each word she spoke, Qian Wu's body slumped down a little more, until finally he was almost paralyzed on the stone ground, his eyes unfocused and filled with confusion.

Seeing his dejected appearance, Yan Ruyu continued to add insult to injury: "You have nothing now. You have neither leverage to control us nor value to serve Mr. Mo. Do you think he would risk his life to save you for a useless pawn?"

These words completely shattered Qian Wu's last psychological defenses.

He seemed to have all his strength drained away, letting out a muffled sob. After a moment, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with desperate plea for survival: "I'm willing to talk! I'm willing to tell you anything! As long as you spare my life, I'll tell you everything I know!"

Yan Ruyu raised an eyebrow, her expression still nonchalant: "That depends on what you're talking about."

What I want to hear are things I don't know; irrelevant nonsense need not be mentioned.

Qian Wu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his eyes darted around quickly, he licked his dry lips, lowered his voice, and spoke cautiously, "I know where Mr. Mo's horses are going."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyu's nonchalant expression faded slightly, but she didn't immediately press for answers. Instead, she looked down at him, waiting for him to continue.

Huo Changhe, who had been standing silently in the shadows, turned his head slightly upon hearing this, his gaze falling on Qian Wu.

Qian Wu shrank back to the ground, lowering his voice even further: "Those horses aren't going to be sent to the border region, they're going to Zhongji."

"Zhongji?" Huo Changhe finally couldn't help but speak, his tone filled with obvious surprise.

He frowned slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across his eyes. The Central Plains had always been the place under the strictest control by the imperial court. Where did Mr. Mo send this batch of horses?

The situation was far more serious than they had anticipated.

Qian Wu, as if grasping at a lifeline, hurriedly added, "I've already secretly sent away a batch; the ones remaining at the horse farm are just those that haven't had time to be transported yet."

Those horses were carefully selected and trained; they were spirited and had excellent stamina—definitely not ordinary transport horses…

Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe exchanged a glance, both seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

A batch of specially trained military horses was quietly sent into the heart of the Central Plains. The forces and conspiracies behind it had exceeded their expectations.

Yan Ruyu withdrew her gaze and looked at Qian Wu again, her tone turning colder: "What else do you know about Mr. Mo?"

Qian Wu shook his head vigorously, a bitter look on his face: "I really don't know much."

I saw him twice when I was in Shanghai, but both times it was through a screen, and I didn't even get a clear look at his face.

After arriving in Rongzhou, I never saw him again, and we only communicated through tokens.

Before he left, he only said that if I encountered any life-threatening danger, he would send someone to rescue me, which is why I thought... I thought you were someone he sent.

As he finished speaking, his voice grew softer and softer, filled with regret and despair.

After listening, Yan Ruyu exchanged a glance with Huo Changhe. They both felt that what Qian Wu said was probably true. In Mr. Mo's plan, he was ultimately just an executor and could not get close to the core.

"Guards!" Yan Ruyu ordered, her tone returning to its usual coldness. "Lock him in the death row, keep him under strict guard, and forbid anyone from approaching him."

Two people immediately entered the courtyard and stepped forward to grab Qian Wu.

Qian Wu struggled violently, his face filled with terror. He shouted at Yan Ruyu, his voice cracking, "You can't do this! You just promised me! You said you'd spare my life if I told the truth! You can't go back on your word!"

Yan Ruyu turned around, her back to him, the moonlight outlining her straight back, her tone carrying an undisguised sneer: "When did I ever promise you that? I never said I would spare your life."

She paused, turned her head, and glanced at Qian Wu with a chilling look: "You killed Lord Ding, impersonated him for many years, treated human life like dirt in Rongzhou, and have the blood of countless innocent people on your hands."

Which of these sins isn't enough to warrant a hundred or a thousand deaths? You still dare to dream of living? How will you face those you've killed?

Qian Wu's face turned deathly pale. He opened his mouth, but could not utter a single word. In the end, he could only be dragged away, staggering, towards the courtyard.

Huo Changhe walked to Yan Ruyu's side and said in a deep voice, "We must send a message back to Zhongji as soon as possible. We must not take this matter of horses lightly."