The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Chapter 190 Chen Zigui's Closing Plan

Chen Zigui rubbed his temples, his fingertips throbbing with pain, as if someone were beating a heavy gong inside his head. Although Cen Jiexiao had successfully controlled Mo Lei, for Chen Zigui, this was merely the calm before the storm. He knew that the assassin lurking in Linkang Prefecture was like an invisible web, its threads made up of countless unseen dangers, enveloping him, the emperor, Cen Jiexiao, and even the entire Linkang Prefecture. The web was quietly tightening, and he had to race against time to find a breakthrough, to tear open a crack that would allow everyone to escape.

Mo Lei's lips were sealed. She refused to reveal a single word about the other assassins, like an impenetrable iceberg. No matter how Chen Zigui interrogated her, she couldn't melt even a sliver. Chen Zigui didn't expect to pry any valuable information from her; he had other plans. He set his sights on Lü Menzhong, Ji Zhao, and the others. They were like blinded beasts, trapped and running wild under Mo Lei's control. Now, with the rope that held them captive broken, they became ready-made pawns, ready for his manipulation.

At night, darkness surged like a tide, engulfing the entire Linkang Prefecture. Chen Zigui donned a black nightgown, seeming to blend seamlessly into the boundless night, his breathing barely audible. Like a nimble night cat, he silently crept into the hiding place of Lü Menzhong and the others, disturbing no one, not even a mouse.

As soon as he landed, he heard a low, intermittent conversation coming from the room, as if several people were whispering and conspiring. Chen Zigui stepped lightly, as if stepping on cotton, making no sound at all. He quietly walked to the window. Through the crack in the window, in the dim candlelight, he saw Lu Menzhong, Ji Zhao, and several other unfamiliar assassin leaders sitting around a mottled wooden table. Each of their faces was as solemn as the night, their brows furrowed, as if they had encountered some difficult problem.

"Why hasn't there been any news from Mr. Mo these past few days? Did something happen?" A short and fat assassin whispered, with a hint of barely perceptible uneasiness in his tone. He subconsciously lowered his voice, as if afraid of being heard by someone.

"It shouldn't be. Mr. Mo has always been cautious and careful in doing things. Maybe something has delayed him. Let's wait a little longer." Ji Zhao shook his head slowly, trying to comfort his companion, but his frown could not hide the worry. Obviously, Mo Lei's disappearance also made him feel uneasy.

"It's already this late, and you still have the energy to talk nonsense here!" Lu Menzhong, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly slammed the table with a loud "bang", interrupting their conversation. He said angrily, "Now that the plan has been leaked, we are like a group of rats exposed to the sun, and we may be caught by the government at any time! We must act quickly, otherwise once the government comes to our door, it will be all over! When that happens, we will all become the souls under the knife, no one can escape!"

"But, if we act on our own without Mr. Mo's order, will we..." Another assassin looked embarrassed, with a hint of hesitation in his tone. Obviously, he was full of awe for Mo Lei, the mysterious leader, and did not dare to disobey her orders easily.

"What are you afraid of?" Lu Menzhong interrupted him rudely, his tone filled with ruthlessness. "In this situation, how can we care about so many things? We are like people trapped in a sea of fire. Saving our lives is the most important thing! As long as we have the green mountains, we will not be afraid of running out of firewood. As long as we survive, there will be plenty of opportunities to make a comeback later!"

Chen Zigui, hiding outside the window, took in all of this. Hearing Lu Menzhong's words, he couldn't help but sneer in his heart. Lu Menzhong was really impatient, taking the bait so quickly. He gently pushed open the door, strode in, and said in a deep voice, "Are you still waiting for Mo Lei?"

"Master Chen!" Seeing Chen Zigui suddenly appear, the people in the room were startled and jumped up from their seats like a group of frightened rabbits, their faces full of horror.

Chen Zigui ignored their reactions and walked straight to the table. The atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze, and you could hear a pin drop. Several pairs of eyes stared at him closely, full of vigilance and uneasiness. He casually pulled over a chair, and when he sat down, it made a soft "creak" sound, breaking the suffocating silence in the room. He adjusted his sitting posture leisurely, as if he were at home. Then, he raised his head, looked around at everyone, and a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He slowly said, "I'm here to bring you a piece of news."

He paused deliberately, observing everyone's reactions. Lü Menzhong and the others looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion and vigilance. They didn't know what Chen Zigui was up to, and they didn't dare to act rashly.

Chen Zigui was in no hurry. He slowly poured himself a cup of tea. The aroma of the tea lingered in the air, but it couldn't dispel the tense atmosphere in the room. He gently lifted the cup, brought it to his nose, and took a deep breath, as if savoring the tea's aroma, or brewing something.

After a moment, he put down his teacup, took a sip, and let out a contented sigh. Then he spoke slowly, his tone calm, yet it resonated like thunder in everyone's ears: "Mo Lei, he's been arrested."

"What?!" Lu Menzhong exclaimed, stood up suddenly, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "bang", shattering into pieces and splashing tea everywhere.

"Impossible!" Ji Zhao shook his head in disbelief, his face pale and his lips trembling slightly.

"You're talking nonsense!" Another assassin slammed the table and stood up, his eyes wide open, full of suspicion and anger.

Chen Zigui's words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, which immediately stirred up a thousand waves. The people in the room immediately exploded and started shouting, with questions and curses coming one after another.

"Quiet!" Chen Zigui's furious shout was like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone's heads. The room instantly fell silent, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing echoing in the air. Everyone looked at each other, unable to conceal the panic on their faces. Fear spread among them like a plague.

Seeing this, Chen Zigui felt even more elated. He knew his plan had succeeded. He pulled a bloodstained letter from his pocket and casually tossed it onto the table. With a hint of contempt, he said calmly, "This is from Mo Lei herself. She told me to tell everyone to complete this mission and avenge her!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Menzhong and the others quickly picked up the blood-letter and examined it carefully. On the still-bloodstained letter paper was Mo Lei's familiar handwriting, each line revealing a sense of determination and tragedy, as if it were her last words written in her final moments.

"This... this is indeed Mr. Mo's handwriting..." Ji Zhao said in a trembling voice, tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't believe that Mr. Mo, who had always been so capable of planning and winning battles from afar, had fallen into such a predicament.

Lu Menzhong clutched the blood-stained letter tightly, his knuckles white, veins bulging, his teeth chattering, his eyes blazing with hatred. He suddenly raised his head, looked at Chen Zigui, and said in a deep voice, "Master Chen, you saved us brothers once before. This time, please help us again. We brothers will follow your lead."

Chen Zigui smiled slightly and said, "That's not necessary. It's my duty to save you. After all, we have the same goal. But now that Mo Lei has been captured, I guess there's no one else who can lead you out except me. Do you want to escape?"

"I do! Of course I do!" Lu Menzhong and others shouted in unison, their voices filled with anger and hatred. They longed for revenge and wanted to escape from this cage.

"Very good." Chen Zigui nodded, a gleam in his eyes. "In that case, let's plan carefully."

"Okay!" Lu Menzhong and others agreed without hesitation. They had already regarded Chen Zigui as one of their own and were here to help them escape unscathed.

Chen Zigui's mouth curled up into a cold smile. The fish finally took the bait...