Chapter 213
Chapter 213
They gathered in a bedroom in the South Courtyard.
Zhong Dingyan recounted his bizarre experience to Ren Fengjue and the others.
He said that after meeting his father, Zhong Ming, in Liuhua Alley, his soul had floated through an endless “sea.”
He did not know how much time passed. Then a woman in red appeared and rescued him from the sea.
Connecting this account with everything else, Ren Fengjue could more or less guess who had saved him…
From the moment the Young Marquis entered the room, Yan Zhengchu sensed that something was wrong.
Now, seeing him frown in thought, Yan Zhengchu’s heart inexplicably lurched as well.
There was something wrong with the Young Marquis’s expression.
Could he… have learned something?
Ren Fengjue was distracted for only a moment before giving Zhong Dingyan a general account of everything that had happened.
This included the events from thirty years earlier.
Young Master Zhong had never understood the actions of his father, Zhong Ming. Only after hearing the entire story did he learn how utterly absurd the truth was.
Too stunned to speak, he remained silent for a long while.
Ren Fengjue patted his shoulder gently and comforted him. “This is indeed complicated, but now that it is over, there is no need to let it weigh on you.”
Yan Zhengchu added, “Zhong Yi may have occupied Zhong Ming’s body and lived in this world all these years, but the blood flowing through your body is Zhong Ming’s. He was a good and honorable man.”
Zhong Dingyan naturally understood the meaning behind those words. After a speechless moment, he said, “I understand. It was not easy for me to recover this life. I will cherish it…”
Then he asked Yan Zhengchu, “What about… Zhong… Zhong Yi’s soul?”
Yan Zhengchu replied, “Its whereabouts are currently unknown, but you need not worry. Leave the matter to me.”
Zhong Dingyan hurriedly rose and bowed.
“Then I must trouble you, Daoist Master, as well as the Young Marquis and Vice Minister Yu.”
For the moment, the affair at the Zhong residence was settled.
That evening, Ren Fengjue wrote a letter to the capital, giving the Ministry of Justice and the palace a general report on the situation in Beiding County.
To avoid causing panic, however, he did not mention the Ghost God.
Since Yan Zhengchu had not yet traced Bai Qingshuang, everyone discussed the matter and decided to remain in Beiding County for another two days.
That night, they were in the study of the Zhong residence.
Yu Lang had been searching beside the bookshelves with a candlestick for a long time.
He pounded his aching waist and back, then looked toward Ren Fengjue nearby, daring only to mutter quietly.
“If we keep searching like this, will we truly find even the slightest clue?”
Ren Fengjue believed that apart from Zhong Yi, someone else at court had to be secretly colluding with the Ghost God.
Thus, after dinner, he had dragged Yu Lang directly into Zhong Yi’s study to search for clues.
Yet after nearly four hours of searching, they had found nothing.
The moon was high. Vice Minister Yu’s eyes were blurry, his body exhausted, and his spirits drained.
Lord Ren, however, was completely absorbed. He had searched in silence for so long without making a sound.
“My lord…”
After another few minutes, Yu Lang could no longer bear it. He closed the book in his hands and complained pitifully, “It is late. I am hungry…”
Only then did Ren Fengjue look up at him. “It is still early. Search a while longer.”
Yu Lang glanced at the water clock and complained, “It is almost ten at night.”
“Mm.”
Ren Fengjue gave an indifferent acknowledgment, then walked to Zhong Yi’s desk and continued searching.
Seeing no sign that Lord Ren intended to stop, Yu Lang simply sat down on a small stool beside the desk.
Yu Lang suddenly remembered that Xia Ximo had barely appeared over the past two days.
Ren Fengjue had left the guest courtyard early each morning and returned to his room only late at night. An indescribable distance seemed to have opened between him and Xia Ximo.
The more Yu Lang thought about it, the more curious he became about what had happened that morning.
Unable to resist, he asked, “My lord, is there… some misunderstanding between you and Miss Xia?”
At the sound of “Xia,” Ren Fengjue’s hand clearly paused.
But after hearing the full question, his expression remained indifferent. “What misunderstanding could there be between us?”
Yu Lang said, “The morning before last, when you came out of Miss Xia’s room…
“Your face was darker than a storm cloud.”
“…”
Ren Fengjue lowered his sleeve and shot him a quick glance. “Do not make wild guesses.”
Yu Lang moved his stool closer, propped one elbow on the desk, and rested half his face in his hand. “There is something I am not sure I should say.”
Without waiting for Lord Ren to answer, he immediately continued, “If I do not say it, keeping it inside will make me miserable.”
“…”
“You and Miss Xia may have broken your engagement, but… anyone with eyes can see that you still care deeply for her.”
Ren Fengjue lowered his eyes. His fingertips brushed the pages, producing a crisp rustle.
At the same time, it felt as though a new wound had opened in his heart.
His gaze moved line by line across the page, but he could not make out a single word.
After hesitating, he asked, “Is it truly that obvious?”
Yu Lang nodded vigorously. “Whatever anyone else might say, I have known you for years. I have seen how you treat other women and how you treat Miss Xia. How could I fail to notice the difference?”
Ren Fengjue continued turning the pages, smiling absently.
“Then what exactly is Vice Minister Yu trying to say?”
“Naturally, I want to see the two of you together and happy. If there is a misunderstanding, resolve it as soon as possible.”
Yu Lang continued with great solemnity, “Besides, Daoist Yan read your fortunes a few days ago. He said the red thread of fate between you remains intact. Even without an engagement, you are still destined for each other.”
“In my humble opinion, if you truly like Miss Xia, you should confess your feelings as soon as possible. Do not wait until she leaves and then spend your days pining for her.”
Ren Fengjue stood stunned for a long time after hearing this.
In the end, however, he said nothing and lowered his head to continue searching for clues.
Knowing he had said all he could, Yu Lang tactfully fell silent when Ren Fengjue did not respond.
But as he rose, he accidentally struck the candlestick on the desk.
Just as it was about to fall to the floor, Ren Fengjue reacted swiftly, bent down, and caught it.
At that moment, he discovered a hidden compartment beneath the desk.
He immediately crouched and used the candlelight to inspect it.
“Did you find something?”
Yu Lang leaned closer as well, delight appearing on his face. “I have seen this kind of hidden compartment before. It is easy to open.”
With that, he braced his right palm against the compartment and pushed gently upward. A box made of black iron immediately dropped out.
Seeing how carefully the box had been concealed, Ren Fengjue assumed it contained something Zhong Yi did not want anyone to discover.
The problem was that a rotating compass mechanism was built into the lid.
It appeared the box could be opened only after the mechanism was solved.
Yu Lang exchanged a glance with Ren Fengjue. “Come. Let us take it to Daoist Yan.”