Chapter 193
Chapter 193
The corpse hidden inside the wardrobe belonged to a young man.
His unfocused eyes stared straight into Yu Lang’s outside the wardrobe.
But the piercing scream came from Concubine Qiu behind him.
“Yue’er…”
“My Yue’er!”
Before Yu Lang could react, the woman forcefully shoved him aside.
She threw herself before the corpse and wailed, “My Yue’er! How could you leave your mother like this? What heartless monster killed you?!”
The corpse’s identity was obvious.
It was Zhong Junyue, the concubine-born son of the Zhong Family.
Zhong Dingyan also went pale at the scene.
No matter how hard he racked his mind, he could never have imagined that Zhong Junyue’s corpse would appear inside their father’s bedchamber!
And by all appearances, he had been murdered.
What exactly had happened here?
Zhong Dingyan’s head buzzed. He was about to speak when Concubine Qiu lunged at him again and seized the front of his robe.
“You must have killed Yue’er!”
“You were afraid he would compete with you for the family property one day, so you took advantage of the chaos and killed him, didn’t you?”
“You hypocritical fraud! You and that smiling tiger of a mother are the same. Both rotten to the core while pretending to be good!”
She ground out every insult through clenched teeth.
Zhong Dingyan had pitied her for the fresh pain of losing her son and had not wanted to argue.
But when she slandered his mother, he could not help rebuking her loudly. “Mind your words, Concubine!”
Concubine Qiu was overcome with emotion. How could she possibly calm down?
She turned and shouted at Ren Fengjue, “Aren’t you an official from the Capital? Why haven’t you arrested him?!”
Ren Fengjue paid no attention to her shrewish behavior and replied calmly, “An arrest requires evidence. How can a murderer be named on empty words alone?”
“I will investigate this case thoroughly. I also ask that you cooperate with the authorities and refrain from causing a disturbance.”
Though Concubine Qiu feared him somewhat, the thought that her son was already dead made her throw caution to the wind.
She continued screaming, “Fine! I understand now. Zhong Dingyan hired you to help him. You are all in league together!”
“My son is dead, and I don’t want to live either! I will hang myself from the gate of the Zhong Family this instant and let the world judge who is right!”
Still cursing, Concubine Qiu turned to seek death.
Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw someone approach her son’s body, apparently intending to do something…
Her fury erupted again, and she instantly found a new target. “What are you doing to my son, woman?!”
Concubine Qiu charged back to the wardrobe with a great commotion, looking ready to start a fight…
Xia Ximo frowned at the grating noise and was about to deal with the woman when Ren Fengjue stepped in front of her.
“Get out!”
He was clearly angry as well. Not only was his presence oppressive, but a cold flame in his eyes was equally intimidating. “Say another word, and I will have you charged with obstructing official business, dragged outside, and given twenty strokes of the rod.”
Even Zhong Dingyan was startled.
From what he knew of Vice Minister Ren, the man always appeared calm and rarely showed anger.
Clearly, he was protecting that woman…
Anyone Vice Minister Ren would protect could not be ordinary.
Concubine Qiu was, after all, only a woman of the inner household. She had assumed she could behave as unreasonably as usual and leave everyone present helpless to stop her.
But after the distinguished visitor from the Capital issued his warning, she no longer dared cause trouble. Even her sobs grew much quieter.
With peace finally restored to her ears, Xia Ximo quietly relaxed the fingers hidden inside her sleeve. She turned to look at Ren Fengjue and said only one thing.
“It does not look like a human act.”
The moment the corpse was found, Yan Zhengchu began searching the area for traces of its soul.
But even after searching everywhere, he found nothing.
He strongly agreed with Xia Ximo. “For seven days after an ordinary person’s death, their soul flame remains unsettled, so they cannot travel far.”
“Unless the soul was forcibly extracted…”
“The manner of his death truly resembles Prefect Zheng’s that day.”
Ren Fengjue frowned and thought for a moment without answering.
Zhong Dingyan, standing nearby, looked terrified. “Lord… Lord Ren, what does this Daoist Master mean?”
If he had heard correctly, this matter… actually involved ghosts?
Afraid of frightening him, Yan Zhengchu hurriedly corrected himself. “Do not be alarmed, Young Master Zhong. It is only a theory.”
Yu Lang blurted out, “But wasn’t the Vengeful Ghost that devoured souls already…”
Before he could finish, Lord Ren swept him a look, and he realized he had misspoken.
Zhong Dingyan was an intelligent man. By this point, how could he fail to understand?
Though his expression was grim and fear filled his heart, he forced himself to remain calm, cupped his hands, and said, “Please speak plainly. Even if… this involves a Ghost God, there is no need to conceal it from me.”
Hearing that, Yan Zhengchu exchanged a glance with Ren Fengjue before continuing with relief. “If this truly involves a ghost, we can only begin with the Second Young Master if we wish to learn the sequence of events…”
Zhong Dingyan hurriedly asked, “Do you have a way, Daoist Master?”
“There is… one method.”
Yan Zhengchu scratched his head lightly. “But it will require a small sacrifice from you, Young Master Zhong…”
Zhong Dingyan immediately said, “If we can find Father and catch Second Brother’s killer, what does a small sacrifice matter?”
“It may shorten your life…”
“…” Zhong Dingyan’s expression stiffened. Then he gritted his teeth. “As long as it does not shorten it too much, I can accept it…”
Yan Zhengchu hurriedly reassured him, “It will not be much. One or two years at most.”
“Only one or two years? That is nothing.”
Zhong Dingyan relaxed. “Please perform the ritual without concern, Daoist Master. I will cooperate fully.”
Yan Zhengchu nodded. “First, we must move the Second Young Master’s body out of the wardrobe.”
Zhong Dingyan intended to call the guards and servants to help. Only when he turned did he discover they had already retreated outside.
Judging by the way they trembled, they were unlikely to be of any use.
He stepped forward himself, paused briefly, then said to Yu Lang, “Vice Minister Yu, may I trouble you to lend a hand?”
Yu Lang: “…”
Despite a hundred objections in his heart, Vice Minister Yu rolled up his sleeves and forced himself forward to carry the corpse.
After they moved it out, Concubine Qiu’s wails came from outside again. This time, however, she restrained herself and did not dare cry too loudly.
Yan Zhengchu instructed them to place the corpse beside the arhat couch, then told Zhong Dingyan to lie down upon it.
He explained, “You share the same blood. I will use your bloodline as a guide and the Soul-Transfer Art to temporarily attach your Living Soul to the Second Young Master’s body.”
“Your Living Soul will then briefly enter his memories from before his death. Whether you can find any clues will depend on you.”
Zhong Dingyan immediately nodded. “I understand what to do…”
Yan Zhengchu added, “But remember, you have only the time it takes one incense stick to burn. Once that time expires, your Living Soul will immediately be expelled.”