Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 24: Kill!

Chapter 24 Kill!

Thinking this, Qiu Tu closed the booklet, gently patting it while silently analyzing:

If the accusations recorded in the booklet were true, even if the Qin family remained unscathed, Qin Zhengguang would be finished.

At that time, the Qin family would lose one of its two legs in politics, and they certainly wouldn't spare him.

As for the unrealistic idea of using these crimes to bring down the entire Qin family, Qiu Tu didn't even consider it.

This information was collected by the fourth branch of the Qin family, so how could they set their own house on fire and destroy the family?

If Qiu Tu was correct, the accusations in the booklet were a mix of truth and lies. Even the true parts would have been prepared for by Fourth Master Qin long ago, ensuring the fire wouldn't reach the Qin family.

So, he was being used as a tool in their internal struggle? But what good would it do for Fourth Master Qin if Qin Zhengguang was brought down? Could this be a trap?

While deeply contemplating this, Qiu Tu's peripheral vision caught a suspicious figure outside the window. He paused, put away his thoughts, and shouted, "Who's there!"

It was Cuilan. She turned around awkwardly, bowing slightly, "Agent Qiu."

Seeing Qin Shuman's black, chubby maid again, Qiu Tu frowned deeply, "It's you again? Why aren't you attending to Miss Qin? What are you doing outside my door?"

Cuilan, head bowed, guiltily replied, "Just passing by."

Qiu Tu's face darkened further, "Passing by? Miss Qin stays in the main house, at least a minute's walk from here. Your excuse is too far-fetched."

Cuilan defended herself, "It's my first time in the Qin family. I got lost and wandered here."

Qiu Tu, finding her stubbornness infuriating, bluntly asked, "How long have you been here? What did you hear or see?"

This question seemed to boost Cuilan's confidence. She raised her head slightly, a gloating smile on her lips, "About ten minutes. As for what I heard or saw, I dare not say. But I saw you chatting happily with Fourth Master Qin, so I stayed outside, not daring to interrupt."

Qiu Tu's gaze grew darker, a deep blackness within.

Ten minutes, just passing by?

He looked intently at Cuilan, just as he was about to speak.

Cuilan preemptively said, "Agent Qiu, don't always focus on me. Though I’m part of the entourage, I'm not a bodyguard. I serve the Director directly and sometimes carry out other tasks for him. So, as long as you're loyal to the Director, what’s there to fear?"

She looked at Qiu Tu provocatively.

Qiu Tu stared at her, then suddenly burst out laughing, "I understand, Cuilan. You’re close to the Director and have special tasks. Understood."

He extended his hand to gesture her out, "I won't disturb you then. Go ahead."

Seeing Qiu Tu back down, Cuilan proudly lifted her head, nodded curtly, and turned to leave.

However, as she took her first step, she felt a large hand cover her mouth and pull her into a cold embrace. The next second, she felt a sharp pain in her back as a cold, sharp object stabbed her.

As excruciating pain spread through her body, Cuilan's mind screamed, "Is Qiu Tu crazy? How dare he!"

She was Yan Chen's maid, sent by him to monitor Qiu Tu. Didn’t he fear Yan Chen’s wrath?

Desperately, she tried to turn to see Qiu Tu’s face, but the hand covering her mouth pressed her head down, immobilizing her. She struggled, but her movements only intensified the pain, achieving nothing else.

Sensing her resistance, Qiu Tu's low, hoarse voice whispered in her ear, "Breathe deeply. It's okay, it will be over soon."

His words were accompanied by the slow, steady twisting of the knife, deepening her agony.

Feeling her strength wane and life slipping away, tears welled in Cuilan's eyes. She shook her head, silently crying, but nothing could stop her life from ticking away.

In her final moments, memories flashed before her eyes: her animated recounting of Qiu Tu and Qin Shuman’s interactions to Yan Chen at noon; her smug expression guiding Qiu Tu the previous night; her sneaky eavesdropping on Qiu Tu and Qin Shuman that morning; and Yan Chen rewarding her with a silver coin for spying on Qiu Tu.

If she had known this would be the outcome, she would never have meddled in such powerful affairs.

Gradually, her consciousness faded away.

Feeling Cuilan’s struggles cease, Qiu Tu coldly released her. He dragged her lifeless body inside, wiped up the blood, and changed his clothes before making a call.

Soon, Eagle and Ah Kun arrived. Seeing Cuilan's body, they silently placed it in a sack, cleaned up any remaining evidence, nodded at Qiu Tu, and left with the body.

Watching them depart, Qiu Tu's eyes darkened further.

After a moment, he softly muttered, "First one."

Late at night, the door of a side room in the Qin family’s secondary residence was knocked on.

A moment later, a middle-aged woman's voice asked, "Who is it?"

The visitor softly replied, "Madam, it's A Fu. I have urgent news for the master."

After a while, the sound of rustling clothes came from within.

Shortly, Qin Heng, the head of the Qin family, stepped out wearing a robe. His resemblance to Fourth Master Qin was striking, but he was thin and pale, looking sickly.

As he exited the room, the cold night air made him cough. He looked at Ah Fu, asking coldly, "What happened?"

Author's Note