Chapter 35: Chen Miaomiao’s Background?

“Something’s not quite right.”

“Master!”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Su Ruan asked directly, a bit surprised.

Lu Chuan shook his head, smiling as he replied, “Nothing.”

“How has Dieyi been these past few days?” Lu Chuan asked.

Su Ruan nodded. “She’s been pretty well-behaved, but she seems to have something on her mind. She doesn’t talk much and isn’t willing to speak with others.”

“Aside from the things she needs to do every day, she spends most of her time in her room.”

Lu Chuan nodded as well, not dwelling too much on it.

However, how to handle Chen Miaomiao was a bigger problem.

This woman was likely trouble. The fact that Zhou Zheng was going through so much to find her meant that both she and Chen Qingqing had complicated identities.

At that moment, Lu Chuan suddenly thought of something!

The strange map he had found in the cave, and it was only a part of it.

The map!

Chen Qingqing!

Zhou Zheng!

Lu Chuan pondered for a moment in his mind.

Could there be some connection between these three?

After considering this, Lu Chuan thought about Widow Wang again!

Or rather, that man.

Lu Chuan was sure that Widow Wang was definitely not a man now.

She was someone who had been castrated.

Her body was too clean, and there was a faint, unpleasant smell. This kind of odor wasn’t something an ordinary person could detect, and it didn’t appear on regular people either!

Whether a man or a woman, after castration, there would always be an unmistakable scent. Some say it’s because it’s difficult to clean the area, which leads to the growth of mold.

Lu Chuan remembered when he was a mercenary!

Some people who had been castrated gave off this scent.

And a man, not only dressing as a woman but also having his most intimate part removed…

Even when trouble came, the thought was of his own death, trying to protect Chen Qingqing!

If that’s the case, then Chen Qingqing’s identity was something terrifying.

“Su Ruan!”

Lu Chuan called out.

“What’s wrong, Master?” Su Ruan asked, confused.

Lu Chuan smiled and then continued, “Do you think the official from a few days ago, who came looking for someone in the village, was looking for who? Do you have any guesses?”

“Well, it’s really hard to say!” Su Ruan shook her head.

She smiled bitterly. “The world has been in turmoil for years.”

“Even the most powerful people can fall in an instant, and in the end, they end up with nothing—lost wives and children!”

“Even our family and the Bai family, if we choose the wrong side, could suffer such a disaster. Not to mention other people.”

Su Ruan’s voice carried a hint of helplessness, and after a sigh, she continued, “Do you think this Dieyi might be connected to the person they’re looking for?”

Su Ruan was very clever.

She almost immediately got to the heart of the matter.

Lu Chuan helplessly spread his hands.

“I’m not sure about that. I just want to know, why is Zhou Zheng making such a big deal of coming to the village? What is he trying to find?”

“Is there any way we can gain something from this situation?”

Lu Chuan’s voice was very light.

Su Ruan snapped back to reality. “You’re right. Zhou Zheng has been so cautious and has spent so much time probing. He must be after something—or someone—important!”

“However, this is something I can’t really explain clearly,” Su Ruan said thoughtfully.

“Eleven years ago, in the year of Daxia 333,” she continued.

“At that time, I was too young, only about 6 years old, so I don’t remember much.”

“By the way!” Su Ruan spoke again. “In 333, the King of Bingzhou went north and destroyed the Khitan!”

“Because of this, the King of Bingzhou gained the emperor’s favor, and all the lands that originally belonged to the Khitan were granted to him. Afterward, some corruption cases seemed to have appeared within Bingzhou!”

“I think there was an official with the surname Chen who was killed!”

“However, these are all old matters, and not many people remember them!”

“I only remember some gossip from outside the government when I was bored as a child.”

“Had it not been for the importance of the year 333 when the Khitan were destroyed, I probably wouldn’t remember any of this!” Su Ruan said helplessly.

Bai Siyu nodded. “I do remember the official with the surname Chen!”

“His crime wasn’t corruption, but rather consorting with foreign enemies. In the end, his entire family was executed, not one of them left alive. I even heard they didn’t leave a single egg yolk behind!”

Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan couldn’t help but laugh.

He had heard of exterminating a whole family before, but this was the first time he had heard of the egg yolks being shaken out.

“Of course, there must be some exaggeration involved,” Bai Siyu said with a slightly embarrassed expression, sticking out her tongue. “Aside from that, I don’t think anything particularly strange happened that year!”

“Mm.”

Chen family!

Chen Qingqing!

Chen Miaomiao!

It seems to fit, but could an official really raise such a loyal and courageous person who would risk their life for their master?

Lu Chuan remained skeptical.

A death soldier was possible, but they probably wouldn’t engage in unnecessary actions.

It seemed like there was only one possible explanation left.

“It’s fine,” Lu Chuan smiled and said. “I was just casually asking, I’m more interested in the events from back then!”

In his heart, he marked this special time.

The year 333, when the original owner of this body was still very young.

Besides, such matters wouldn’t be widely discussed in the village.

In those days, travel was slow, and news was scarce. Sometimes, the emperor had been changed for years, and people in the countryside were still unaware.

“I actually feel,” Bai Siyu said thoughtfully, after a moment of consideration, “that the identity of Dieyi really deserves some suspicion!”

However, just then, the sound of footsteps was heard.

Dieyi, holding a tray of food, stood quietly at the door, seemingly hesitating, unsure if she should come in.

Lu Chuan waved at Chen Miaomiao, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he said, “Alright, stop overthinking it. Come in!”

“I’m just a little curious about you!”

“You don’t need to be so guarded!”

“Even if you are from the Chen family, it’s been so many years, and I wouldn’t let anyone cause trouble for you!” Lu Chuan said with a smile.

Chen Miaomiao’s face remained cold.

She walked in, holding the tray, and skillfully placed it on the table.

“Time to eat!” she said stiffly, her voice a bit strained.