Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Midnight.

Tianqing was woken by the sound of crying, drifting near and far by turns.

When she opened her eyes, she thought for a dazed moment that she was still dreaming.

She rubbed her eyes. Seeing that the world outside the window was still swallowed in darkness, she turned over, intending to go back to sleep.

But from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a familiar figure standing by the door.

“Miss Xia?”

She sat up, took out a fire striker, and lit the candle. Then she asked again, “Miss Xia, is something wrong?”

The shadow did not answer. It only raised a hand and knocked on the door.

Though Tianqing found it deeply strange, she still mustered her courage and got out of bed.

Steeling herself, she walked to the door and glanced toward the main room. There was light inside, proving that Xia Ximo was indeed awake.

Tianqing hesitated, then slowly opened the door. A sudden gust of cold, sinister wind rushed into her face, blurring her vision.

Yet when she opened her eyes again, the person who had been standing outside was gone.

All around her, the silence was terrifying. Only a single pot of begonias stood alone before the steps.

Under the light of the bright moon, the vivid red petals began to seep fresh blood.

One drop, then two, until it gradually became a pool…

The blood flowed down the steps and spread across the entire courtyard. Even the moon slowly turned an eerie shade of red.

Tianqing was frozen with terror. She opened her mouth, only to find she could not make a sound, and her feet would not move in the slightest.

All she could do was watch helplessly as that pot of begonias, as though it had grown legs, rushed swiftly toward her.

Closer and closer…

The grotesquely beautiful branches were like ghostly hands, crawling up from her legs and feet…

In another moment, they would coil around her neck.

Just then, a fair, slender hand suddenly reached out and seized the flower branch.

“Go back.”

At Xia Ximo’s low command, Tianqing’s body stumbled backward beyond her control.

The door slammed shut in response.

Looking at the “begonia” in her hand, Xia Ximo narrowed her eyes.

“What are you?”

The flower branch tried to struggle, but it could not break free. It could only let out a strange, piercing shriek.

Xia Ximo quietly gathered her strength and flung the branch into the air.

A formless wisp of Yin Soul was immediately thrown down onto the ground.

“You… what are you, human or ghost?”

Staring at the person before it, the Yin Soul trembled all over in fear.

Xia Ximo said instead, “I was just about to ask you the same thing. What are you?”

The Yin Soul shook uncontrollably, but it also seemed bewildered. It was impossible to tell whether it could not answer, or whether it had already forgotten.

“I…”

Also a formless Yin Soul, Wuyou could not help appearing. The two souls looked at one another, and for a moment, it was difficult to tell them apart.

The Soul-Ferrying Lantern gave a faint tremor, proving that this was the soul of someone who had died unjustly.

But…

Wuyou sniffed and sniffed, yet only grew more confused.

“Aside from a trace of Baleful Qi on it that doesn’t belong to it, there’s also a heavy amount of resentment mixed in.”

“But its own consciousness is weak, and it doesn’t seem like a scattered soul either. It can even possess things…”

“I can’t say what the hell it is…”

Xia Ximo frowned.

She thought to herself that because Ren Fengjue was at the Ren Residence, ordinary ghosts would never dare enter.

Yet this wisp of Yin Soul not only dared to show itself, it even dared to harm someone…

“Where exactly did you come from? And how did you die?”

The Yin Soul shuddered, then slowly transformed into the shape of a woman and sobbed, “I don’t remember. I only know that she died so miserably…”

“She?”

Xia Ximo’s gaze sharpened, and a thoughtful look crossed her face.

–

The mornings at Hongxiu Pavilion were always especially quiet and idle.

They were utterly different from the nighttime scene, when lanterns glowed in a haze and guests came and went in endless streams.

As for the unexpected arrival of this “young nobleman,” Manageress Sister Fu seemed rather at a loss.
Pleasure houses and brothels did most of their business at night. Who came calling first thing in the morning?

He truly had no sense of propriety.

But seeing that the visitor was well dressed and carried himself with an extraordinary bearing, Sister Fu forced down her impatience and invited him to sit, then had tea served.

“This Young Master looks unfamiliar. Is this your first visit?”

Sister Fu’s face was all smiles. Though she was no longer young, she still retained a certain lingering charm.

After the “noble young master,” Ren Fengjue, took his seat, he glanced around the room and went straight to the point. “I’m here for Miss Ruyan.”

“Ruyan?”

At the name, Sister Fu’s expression shifted slightly. “I’m afraid your timing is unfortunate. Miss Ruyan fell ill a few days ago and is still recovering in her room.”

Suspicion stirred in Ren Fengjue’s heart. “What illness?”

Sister Fu knew that distinguished guests who came here tended to be particular. Since he had asked for Ruyan by name, he probably would not be easily persuaded to see some other Flower Maiden.

But in Ruyan’s current state, she truly was not fit to receive anyone.

With a troubled look, Sister Fu sighed. “We don’t know what illness it is. We’ve already invited several physicians to examine her, and she’s taken plenty of medicine, but nothing has helped.”

“Strange, really. She was perfectly fine, and then overnight she suddenly collapsed. There hadn’t been any warning signs before that.”

As if afraid Ren Fengjue might misunderstand, Sister Fu added, “But please rest assured, Young Master. It isn’t any filthy disease. Her constitution is simply too weak. With a little more nursing, she’ll recover.”

Hearing this, the doubts in Ren Fengjue’s heart only deepened. He agreed mildly, “What a pity.”

“Still, I’ve long wished to meet Miss Ruyan. Today, I ask only for a glimpse of her beauty.”

As he spoke, he took out a gold leaf and silently placed it on the table.

Sister Fu was truly startled by how lavishly he spent.

She hesitated, but in this line of business, who could afford to turn away money?

“As long as Young Master doesn’t mind the unpleasant smell in a sick person’s room, I can make arrangements…”

Ren Fengjue nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you to arrange it.”

Sister Fu took the gold leaf in passing and gave him a graceful bow. “In that case, please wait here a moment, Young Master.”

About half an incense stick later, she personally led Ren Fengjue up to the second floor and stopped before a room.

First, Sister Fu knocked on the door and said, “Miss, the honored guest is coming in.”

With that, without waiting to see whether the person inside agreed, she pushed the door open and entered.

The instant the door opened, a thick stench rushed out.

Ren Fengjue had investigated cases for many years. In an instant, he recognized that something was wrong with the smell.

If he was not mistaken, it was very likely the stench of a corpse…

How could a living person’s room give off the smell of death?

Sister Fu had no idea how the odor had become so overwhelming. It had clearly been fine just before she came…

Covering her nose and forcing down her nausea, she looked back at the honored guest’s expression and ventured, “Young Master, perhaps we should leave it for today?”

“Miss has needed rest these past few days, and we haven’t had anyone tidy her room…”

The reputation of Hongxiu Pavilion was worth far more than this single gold leaf.

If a foul stench spread from a Flower Maiden’s room, no one might dare come again in the future.

“It’s fine.”

Ren Fengjue did not retreat. Instead, he took a few steps farther inside, his gaze sweeping the room. He saw a woman in white seated before the dressing mirror, combing her hair in slow, listless strokes…

Even though people had entered the room, she did not turn her head to look.

Seeing this, Sister Fu could only open the windows first to let in some air. Then she said displeasedly to the woman before the mirror, “My dear girl, the honored guest has already come in. How can you not even stand up to greet him?”

Ruyan still did not answer. She continued combing her hair dully.

Sister Fu thought she was still sulking, so she had no choice but to walk forward and reach out to touch Ruyan’s shoulder.

But in the next second, Ruyan, who had been sitting before the mirror, toppled stiffly to the floor, revealing a half-rotted face that looked as though she had been dead for many days.