Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The attendant brought the sobering soup, and Ren Dongxing downed it in one gulp without a second thought.

The liquid was actually scalding, but he only realized it after the fact, when the tip of his tongue suddenly became numb and blunt.

The sensation was like being bitten hard-skin broken, blood drawn-leaving him unable to taste anything for the next two or three months.

Recalling that memory, Ren Dongxing couldn’t help but shudder. He felt as though a pair of eyes were hidden in the shadows, staring at him coldly with resentment.

“Ahem.”

Shopkeeper Liu’s light cough pulled him out of his scattered thoughts.

He could only force himself to stay calm and try to distance himself from the matter first.

“What… did you just say? This young master doesn’t quite understand.”

Shopkeeper Liu quickly chimed in. “I believe there must be some misunderstanding, Miss. Our Clothing Manor is open for business; how could we be involved in some unjust case?”

He smiled again and continued, “Besides, the Young Marquis is currently in charge of the Ministry of Justice and is known for his unwavering integrity. How could he allow his own family to be involved in such a thing?”

These words were meant to serve as a subtle warning.

In other words: although you are a guest of the Young Marquis, our Brocade Garment Manor also has a deep relationship with him. You should weigh your own importance before speaking.

To his surprise, Xia Ximo’s expression remained unchanged, as if she hadn’t understood the implication at all. She said coldly, “I only know that a life must be paid for with a life. What I want is for the deceased to rest in peace.”

Ren Dongxing’s face darkened further. His guilty conscience made him lose his patience, and he snapped, “Shopkeeper Liu, I think this woman is talking nonsense and just amusing herself at my expense. Even if she is a guest of the Young Marquis’s manor, she is being far too arrogant.”

Shopkeeper Liu immediately agreed. “Miss, I believe the misunderstandings here cannot be cleared up in just a few words…”

“It’s getting late. Why don’t we talk tomorrow?”

“I’ll prepare a carriage right away to take you back to rest.”

Facing the duo’s coordinated performance, Xia Ximo didn’t move an inch, remaining completely indifferent.

Seeing this, Shopkeeper Liu’s smile gradually faded, and his tone grew firmer.

“Miss, there’s a limit to everything. To put it bluntly, we are only showing you courtesy out of respect for the Young Marquis. Otherwise…”

Before he could finish his warning, he met a pair of deep, dark eyes, and the hair on his neck stood on end.

Those eyes were clear and sharp, yet so cold they lacked any trace of humanity. The intense pressure actually forced the words back down his throat.

Shopkeeper Liu was horrified. He felt as if an invisible, mysterious power was constricting his entire body, leaving his limbs frozen.

Xia Ximo withdrew her gaze and took a few steps toward Ren Dongxing.

The distance between them closed, making her beautiful features even clearer to the eye.

However, facing such a face, Ren Dongxing didn’t dare harbor any improper thoughts.

All he could feel was a bone-chilling cold, even more frigid than the accumulated snow in the garden.

This woman was so eerie she didn’t even seem like a living person!

“You killed Zhuyan and used sorcery to shatter her soul.”

“Of the three souls, one scattered soul is attached to the painting, and another is in the pond.”

“There is still the Primary Soul. Where have you hidden her?”

The cold interrogation was as piercing as an ice pick.

Ren Dongxing looked as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes filled with utter disbelief. He stumbled back several steps until his lower back hit the edge of a table, leaving him nowhere else to retreat.

She… she actually knew about this?

The suspicion in his heart sent him into a total panic. Driven by terror, he could only choke out a question in response.
“Who… who exactly are you?”

Xia Ximo repeated herself, her voice steady. “I only want the dead to rest in peace.”

The air seemed to freeze instantly, and the silence in the room became terrifying.

However, at that moment, an announcement from outside the door broke the stalemate.

“Shopkeeper, Young Master, someone has arrived from the Young Marquis’s manor.”

Shopkeeper Liu snapped back to his senses as if grabbing a life-saving straw. He hurriedly shouted, “Quick… invite them in!”

The shop assistant looked up at Xia Ximo cautiously, hesitating. “Steward Ren said he was ordered to pick up Miss Xia, so he won’t come in to disturb us.”

This took Xia Ximo by surprise. What did her visit to the Brocade Garment Manor have to do with anyone else?

Beside her, the Lantern Spirit Wuyou, who was floating in mid-air watching the drama unfold, couldn’t help but tease her after hearing her thoughts. “You are a guest at his manor. He’s probably afraid you’ll cause trouble out here and ruin his reputation.”

Xia Ximo shot it a quick glance and frowned slightly. She then addressed the shop assistant outside the door. “Tell him there is no need to wait. I will return on my own.”

The shop assistant was stunned, doubting his own ears.

What did she mean? Wasn’t this the same as flatly rejecting the Young Marquis?

This girl certainly put on grand airs!

Shopkeeper Liu was shocked at first, but then a wave of secret anxiety washed over him. He thought to himself, *I’ve really hit a steel wall this time.*

No wonder this woman acted so fearlessly; this matter… might even be connected to the Young Marquis!

At this thought, his heart pounded even harder. After weighing his options, he had no choice but to force another smile at Xia Ximo.

“Miss, words alone are not proof. However, we are under the feet of the Emperor, where the law reigns.”

“If there truly is some injustice at the Brocade Garment Manor, the authorities will naturally make a decision. Don’t you agree?”

He could only go so far with his words. After all, the situation was bizarre. If it really involved the Young Marquis, it would be even more troublesome and far beyond his ability to settle.

But Xia Ximo wasn’t buying it. She said coldly, “The person has been dead for over a year. If the authorities were going to step in, why wait until now?”

Shopkeeper Liu was instantly choked for words. Just as he was about to say something, Ren Dongxing suddenly became irritable and roared, “Some lowly Unknown Painter-if he’s dead, he’s dead! Even if the authorities come, so what? Am I, this Young Master, supposed to be afraid?”

Shopkeeper Liu almost fainted upon hearing these reckless words.

Unfortunately, Ren Dongxing’s suppressed emotions were boiling over, and he lost all restraint. He continued to provoke Xia Ximo, “I’d like to ask, who do you think you are? Since when is it your place to judge me?”

“Young Master!”

Shopkeeper Liu couldn’t listen anymore. He desperately wanted to reach out and cover Ren Dongxing’s mouth. He forcibly pulled the young man back, saying helplessly, “My dear Young Master, what does this have to do with you? Please, stop talking nonsense.”

If this blew up and the Old Master blamed them, there would be hell to pay.

Right now, he had to find a way to send this ‘Great Buddha’ away!

Shopkeeper Liu was nursing a headache, trying to think of how to salvage the situation, when he saw Xia Ximo bypass him and walk up to Ren Dongxing again.

“Since the living cannot judge you, then let the dead do it.”

Her words were brief, and her voice remained icy. Despite her thin and frail frame, she carried an aura of inviolable authority.

Staring into those cold eyes, Ren Dongxing’s arrogance vanished instantly. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t refute a single word.

At that moment, a gust of ghostly wind brushed past. In those eyes, which were as deep as an ancient well, he saw a shadow.