Chapter 18

Chapter 18

In the garden, as Ren Fengjue’s figure receded into the distance, a sudden gust of yin wind rose from the ground, sweeping away the talismans from the skeletal remains.

The seal was silently broken.

Immediately after, a faint, ethereal laugh brushed past everyone’s ears.

Ren Shuo felt a chill run down his spine. When he jerked his head around, he saw the white bones on the ground standing behind the crowd as if they had come back to life.

Ear-piercing screams instantly erupted from all sides.

***

When Yu Lang was summoned to the Clothing Manor, he thought a horrific murder had occurred within its walls.

However, upon arriving and seeing the scene, he felt a massive headache coming on.

To be precise, it wasn’t a major case, but two people were dead, and the cause of death for each was peculiar.

One was a set of skeletal remains dug up from the ground. The person had been dead for at least a year and was identified as a painter from the manor; the cause of death was still unknown.

The other deceased was the young master, Ren Dongxing. Upon examination, it was determined that he had been literally scared to death.

Whether there was a connection between the two was impossible to say for the moment.

What caused the most headache was that everyone in the manor insisted it was a haunting. They claimed the Old Master, Ren Shuo, had fainted on the spot after being terrified by this “vengeful ghost.”

The scene was a chaotic mess.

Yu Lang busied himself for nearly four hours. Dawn was approaching, yet he still hadn’t managed to find a lead.

He had no choice but to temporarily seal off the Clothing Manor and detain the relevant suspects before heading off to report the situation to Ren Fengjue.

On the other side, after the summoned Household Physician finished diagnosing Xia Ximo, his expression became quite grave.

“Young Marquis, may we speak in private?”

He was an old physician Ren Cong had brought directly from the Renxuan Marquis Manor. He had served the household for many years, and in terms of medical skill, he was well-renowned within the capital.

This was the first time Ren Fengjue had seen a look of such “difficulty” on his face.

“Physician Zhang, please speak plainly.”

Physician Zhang was a discerning man. He had already guessed that this woman shared a deep connection with the Young Marquis. After weighing his words carefully, he said, “Judging by this young lady’s pulse, I fear… the outlook is grim.”

Hearing this, Ren Fengjue was also taken aback.

Although he had seen Ren Shuo thrust a knife toward Xia Ximo with his own eyes, he was certain the blade had not harmed her in the slightest.

There wasn’t even a single external wound on her body.

“What is the cause?”

Physician Zhang looked ashamed but forced himself to reply, “The lady’s pulse is extremely chaotic. As it stands, she is only hanging on by a thread.”

“As for the cause… this humble one’s skills are lacking; I truly dare not speak recklessly.”

Upon hearing this, Ren Fengjue understood the situation in his heart, though it was difficult to accept.

He had only known Xia Ximo for a few days, but there were too many unsolved mysteries surrounding her. If she truly died in such a muddled way and the clues were cut off, it would be truly unsettling.

After a moment of silence, Ren Fengjue had no answers himself. He could only instruct, “No matter what method you use, treat her to the best of your ability. When dawn breaks, I will go to the Imperial Medical Office to see if there are any other options.”

Physician Zhang could not refuse. After a brief thought, he said reluctantly, “This humble one can only perform the ‘Nine Needles of Yang Revival’ to temporarily extend her breath. As for how long she can hold on, that will depend on the young lady’s own fate.”

Ren Fengjue stepped out of the room and immediately saw Vice Minister Yu, who looked equally gloomy.

Yu Lang had been leaning against the railing with drooping eyes and constant yawns, but the moment he saw Lord Ren, he instantly regained his energy.

“Lord Ren, you’re finally out. This Brocade Garment Manor is truly sinister…”

Listening to Yu Lang’s rapid-fire explanation, Ren Fengjue’s brow furrowed deeply.

In his view, these were likely just excuses Ren Shuo had made up to evade responsibility for his crimes.

Thus, he cut to the chase and asked, “Have you identified the skeletal remains?”
Yu Lang nodded. “She was an artist at the Clothing Manor named Zhuyan. She supposedly died a year ago.”

“An artist?”

Ren Fengjue suddenly made a connection. His gaze shifted as he commanded, “Bring Shopkeeper Liu of the Clothing Manor to see me.”

Shopkeeper Liu had already been questioned once by Yu Lang and had thought his previous explanation was enough to distance himself from the matter. Upon hearing that Ren Fengjue had summoned him, he was instantly gripped by panic once more.

It was the fifth watch of the night. The bright moon still hung over the entire Brocade Garment Manor, its clear light spilling down like frost.

At that moment, Ren Fengjue sat in the reception hall, holding a cup of hot tea. While lightly scraping the tea leaves with the lid, he asked nonchalantly, “Miss Xia came to the Clothing Manor alone last night. Did you attend to her personally, Shopkeeper Liu?”

Hearing this, the already restless Shopkeeper Liu felt even more like he was sitting on a bed of needles. He discreetly raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow and replied, “Reporting to the Young Marquis, it was indeed this humble one who attended to Miss Xia. However-”

Yu Lang, standing nearby, immediately cut him off. “Answer only what Lord Ren asks. Do not speak of irrelevant matters.”

“Yes.”

Ren Fengjue set down his teacup and gave a faint smile. He continued his questioning. “Miss Xia’s visit to the Clothing Manor was likely for that artist named Zhuyan, wasn’t it?”

Shopkeeper Liu’s face froze. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to answer or stay silent.

Yu Lang urged him again, “Answer quickly.”

“…Yes.”

Shopkeeper Liu answered, cold sweat dripping down his face. “Because… while Miss Xia was having her clothes tailored, she saw Zhuyan’s drawings, so she asked a few casual questions.”

“Was it truly just a casual inquiry?”

Ren Fengjue’s tone sharpened with suspicion. “I clearly remember that she also asked you, ‘Is the artist dead?’ You should remember that.”

Since the conversation had reached this point, Shopkeeper Liu did not dare to hide anything further. He simply prostrated himself on the ground. “Young Marquis, please forgive me!”

“It is this humble one’s poor memory. I almost forgot. Only after your reminder did I realize she indeed said that…”

Ren Fengjue gave a cold snort. He stood up and slowly walked over to him, continuing to apply pressure. “How did Zhuyan die? Surely you are clear on that as well?”

“…”

Shopkeeper Liu began to tremble uncontrollably, his mind racing as he weighed his options. He thought of how Ren Dongxing was already dead and Zhuyan’s remains had been dug up. Even if he didn’t speak, the truth behind the matter would eventually be uncovered.

It would be better to…

“Zhuyan threw herself into the pond in the back garden and drowned.”

Yu Lang immediately seized on the key point, pressing further, “Did she jump in herself, or was she pushed by someone else?”

Shopkeeper Liu gritted his teeth and decided to reveal the entirety of the Clothing Manor’s scandalous secret from a year ago.

Zhuyan had originally been born into a prestigious family, but after their fortunes declined, she was sold to the Brocade Garment Manor to work as an artist. Her paintings were exquisite, and her beauty was refined and ethereal. From the first day she entered the manor, she had caught the eye of the young master, Ren Dongxing.

At first, Ren Dongxing would put on a refined front, using the pretext of painting to take subtle liberties with her. Once Zhuyan saw through him, he stopped pretending. He would often barge in while drunk to subject her to endless humiliation.

As he was the young master of the Clothing Manor, no one dared to stand up for Zhuyan even after word of the abuse spread within the estate.

This continued until one morning when a maid discovered Zhuyan’s body in the back garden pond.

“Her death was suspicious, and we should have reported it to the authorities. However, the Old Master suddenly stepped in and ordered us to suppress the matter…”

Shopkeeper Liu’s face was filled with guilt as he spoke. “The master gave the order; how could we servants dare to disobey? We could only dispose of the body in secret.”

As he spoke, his tone shifted, sounding as if he were still haunted by the memory. “What I didn’t expect was that not long after, the manor began to be haunted.”