Married by Paper, Loved by Fate 48

48: Murder to Silence

Shen Tang stared blankly at the bold font on the last line of the ingredient list.

Mermaid’s Tears? What kind of nonsense is this?

Fortunately, there was an explanation below the ingredient.

[Mermaid’s Tears: Tears shed by deep-sea mermaids during extreme emotional fluctuations. They condense into pearls upon contact with air, are as clear as crystal, and possess magical properties.]

Shen Tang’s forehead was covered in black lines. She did have a pure-blooded mermaid by her side, and a noble royal at that.

But that mermaid was cold and disdainful towards her, not even wanting to see her. They hadn’t met more than a few times since returning.

Let alone obtaining his tears.

She wondered if such a rare item could be bought on the black market.

Shen Tang planned to go out and look for the raw materials mentioned in the handbook. They definitely couldn’t be bought in regular markets, so she could only try her luck at the underground black market.

As they walked, the beastmen they encountered cast strange looks at Shen Tang, whispering and gossiping.

“Huh, who was that female who just walked by? Doesn’t she look a bit like that fatty Shen Tang?”

“What? You say that’s Shen Tang? I thought she was a new female at the shelter and was about to go say hello and introduce myself.”

“It really is Shen Tang! I’ve seen her wear that outfit before, it’s definitely her!”

“Oh my god, am I seeing things? Doesn’t this fatty look prettier? Her skin is so fair, and she’s lost quite a bit of weight. Her figure actually looks a bit sexy now.”

A beastman next to him laughed and cursed, “You must be starving to be so desperate that you’d even look at that fatty!”

“But she really is different from before, such a big change. I almost forgot what she used to look like… By the way, was she really that ugly before? I can’t quite remember, maybe we were judging her with tinted glasses?”

Shen Tang didn’t pay attention to the discussions around her. She had been going out as little as possible these days, and when she did, she chose times with fewer people, precisely to avoid attracting attention with her drastic changes.

Time would lessen people’s impression of the original host; even if they had doubts, they wouldn’t think too deeply about it.

Not far away, Shi Yin was shopping for clothes with her beast husbands. Hearing the faint commotion outside disrupted her good mood. When she saw Shen Tang, her expression turned even more unpleasant.

One of her beast husbands, You Yi, stroked his chin, a glint of interest flashing in his eyes. “Hmm, how did this fatty become so good-looking? Her face looks much more delicate now. Her nose and mouth are a bit ugly, but her eyes are so bright and beautiful…”

“Are you blind? How dare you say that ugly monster is good-looking! Or do you think I’m not as good as that ugly monster?” Shi Yin’s face darkened, and she slapped him in extreme anger.

A red handprint instantly appeared on You Yi’s handsome and delicate face. He grinned, daring not to speak out of anger, and coaxed her obsequiously, “Yes, yes, yes, I’m blind. That ugly monster isn’t even worth one of your fingers! I deserve this beating!”

Shi Yin finally felt a bit better, but when she looked at Shen Tang not far away, her expression became vicious and distorted again. That mole beastman was really incompetent, letting this ugly monster return alive! And she had become so much prettier.

Her eyes were indescribably bright and charming, making Shi Yin so jealous that she wanted to dig out the ugly monster’s eyes!

Shen Tang suddenly sensed a vicious gaze on the road, as if someone wanted to tear her to pieces.

She frowned slightly, turned her head, and saw Shi Yin and the beastmen behind her not far away. Remembering that this female had sent people to harm her that night, Shen Tang’s face grew cold. She indifferently averted her gaze, pretended not to see them, and strode forward.

Shi Yin’s backer was the City Lord, and as long as she remained in the shelter, she was under the City Lord’s authority. It was still too early for revenge.

Seeing that this ugly monster dared to ignore her, Shi Yin became even more enraged. However, this time she didn’t dare to step forward and provoke her rashly, feeling a bit guilty and fearful.

She wasn’t sure if the ugly monster knew that she was the one who had sent people that night.

What if this ugly monster found out? Wouldn’t that give her leverage?

Although Shi Yin had a City Lord father, the City Lord wasn’t omnipotent. If her scheme to frame a female was exposed, she would be punished, and her reputation would be severely damaged.

If only this fatty could die quietly!

A vicious gleam flashed in Shi Yin’s eyes, and she turned to head to the City Lord’s mansion.

The City Lord, who was handling official business in his study, saw Shi Yin approaching, and his face darkened. He said with disappointment, “You useless thing, what trouble have you stirred up now, looking for your daddy to clean up your mess!”

His daughter only knew how to indulge in revelry with her beast husbands or search for handsome and powerful beastmen. She never thought about anything serious. She wouldn’t normally come to him; every time she did, it meant she had caused trouble and needed him to bail her out!

Shi Yin’s face looked a little upset after being scolded by her father, but she suppressed her anger and put on a pitiful look, saying with distress, “Daddy, help me one more time. That ugly monster Shen Tang is back. Can you send someone to get rid of her secretly!”

City Lord Shi Lun’s rough eyebrows furrowed deeply. He naturally knew that his wayward daughter was responsible for what happened that night, which was why he hadn’t investigated the matter thoroughly, hastily framing An Ya, who was suspected, as a scapegoat.

He had initially believed that the useless female would never return alive, and that the matter was closed. It wasn’t a big deal.

But to his surprise, she returned with the missing team just a day later.

City Lord Shi Lun found it extremely baffling.

Shi Yin said resentfully, “A wicked person lives a thousand years! Why can’t that ugly monster be killed no matter what? Daddy, you must help me get rid of her this time!”

City Lord Shi Lun said angrily, “Do you know what you’re doing? You should have at least told me before you acted that night! It’s not a big deal if a female dies, but don’t forget her identity. She’s an exiled Imperial Princess. A starving camel is still bigger than a horse. What if the Empire sends someone to investigate! If we’re discovered, even I can’t protect you!”

Hearing this, Shi Yin’s face also turned a little pale. She pursed her lips and shook her head, “Impossible. The Empire gave up on her long ago, otherwise, they wouldn’t have exiled that ugly monster to this wretched place and abandoned her. Perhaps the people in the Empire are just waiting for her to die on her own.”

City Lord Shi Lun remained noncommittal. Logically, an exiled princess who had committed a crime would definitely have people trying to curry favor.

But as Shi Yin said, the Empire truly wanted this princess to fend for herself. Even he had to admit they were heartless.

“Daddy, to avoid further complications, it’s best to get rid of her as soon as possible. You’re the City Lord; it’s simple to make someone disappear in the city secretly,” Shi Yin urged.

City Lord Shi Lun narrowed his eyes deeply, tapping his fingers slowly on the table, his expression fierce.

Lu Xiao is definitely hiding something, and Shen Tang, being his female, must know something.

He suspected that they had successfully obtained the Energy Core!

It would be good to secretly capture that fatty and interrogate her, and then murder her to silence…

Dylan