Patrón de flores incorrecto

Capítulo 26

"Absolutely not!" Xiao Ye and the other person immediately exclaimed in unison, their faces changing color simultaneously.

"In the end, they will suffer the same fate as that wicked Lu Mingfei... disgraced and abandoned by everyone..." Ye Xiao interjected.

“That way… you’ll never find peace and happiness in this lifetime… just like… the Lord of the Underworld…” Xiao Xun added in a low voice.

Luo Qingcheng's eyes stung... Peace and happiness... would they ever exist? He recalled the tranquil joy he felt embracing Ye Xiao the night before—was that the happiness he had always dreamed of? Did he even deserve such happiness?

"Don't follow his example," Ye Xiao emphasized, nervously gripping Luo Qingcheng's hand.

"I won't let you end up like that." Xiao Xun suddenly spoke, his gaze firm as he looked at Luo Qingcheng.

Luo Qingcheng suddenly felt a warm pang in his heart, and turned his head: "Then you...you'll have to find a way to get me exonerated..."

Ye Xiao sighed and nodded: "It's up to me now..."

Life under house arrest

Ye Xiao's small boat slowly approached the shore, where a person in a flowing robe, with wide sleeves and a tall hat, was already waiting.

"Master Yuan?" Ye Xiao looked at him in surprise.

Yuan Ruxuan sneered: "Miss Ye, are you surprised to see me?"

Ye chuckled: "It's just unexpected that Master Yuan's hair suddenly turned gray..."

Yuan Ruxuan sneered: "If you ever have a daughter like me, who suddenly disappears and her fate is unknown, I'm afraid it won't just be your hair that turns gray... but also all your competitive and boastful thoughts..."

Ye Xiao's smile faded, her expression suddenly hardening as if she had remembered something, and a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes.

Yuan Ruxuan didn't argue with her anymore and went straight to Luo Qingcheng's side: "Have you thought it through? You're not going to run away anymore?" Luo Qingcheng said calmly: "I haven't done anything immoral, why should I run away?"

Yuan Ruxuan sneered: "Hmph! Then why are you in such a hurry to pack your things and leave by boat so early in the morning?"

"Rushing to see the sunrise... Biluo Lake is vast and open, and at sunrise the entire lake surface is a pale pink, like a bright young girl... The scenery is quite beautiful..." Luo Qingcheng said casually, his thoughts suddenly drifting away, a faint smile in his eyes.

Yuan Ruxuan was slightly taken aback, and after carefully examining his eyes, he suddenly said, "Young master, you seem to be in high spirits! I'm afraid it's not that simple! You've come back to retrieve something you've forgotten, haven't you?"

"What is that?" Luo Qingcheng snapped back to reality.

"That girl named Shan'er..." Yuan Ruxuan reminded her, then suddenly felt a little disappointed. They all seemed quite intelligent, so why were they so inconsiderate?

Luo Qingcheng slowly turned his head to look at Ye Xiao, his eyes seemingly holding a deeper meaning. Ye Xiao lowered her head in shame: "I wasn't fully awake this morning, and I didn't think things through. Shan'er was also clamoring to watch the sunrise together... I forgot to bring her, and I'm afraid she'll be angry with me..."

"And that beautiful and charming Miss Shen... seems to have quite a good impression of Young Master Luo! She rushed over early this morning to deliver the news. Although she is the daughter of my good friend, Hero Shen, she is willing to sacrifice herself for Pei'er..." Yuan Ruxuan continued, his voice already carrying a sinister undertone.

Ye Xiao was stunned for a moment: "How could Master Yuan possibly make things difficult for two young ladies?"

Yuan Ruxuan sneered: "What's impossible? Miss Ye, do you know everything? Don't you know I'm a former lone bandit? You're too young to understand the feelings of an anxious father; he's capable of anything..."

Ye Xiao suddenly shut his mouth.

Yuan Ruxuan turned around and took a few steps: "I've had a large garden prepared for the five of you to live in... You can eat or do whatever you want, just tell Steward Tu... But if you want to go out, you must let Steward Tu know, and I will have someone follow and protect you..."

"Does Master Yuan mean we're under house arrest?" Xiao Xun, who caught up with the boat a little later, was taken aback.

Yuan Ruxuan turned his head coldly, wanting to make a few sarcastic remarks, when he suddenly saw that Xiao Xun was holding someone in his arms, and it turned out to be a man!

"Who is this person?" he asked, somewhat bewildered.

“A friend. We met while watching the sunrise together. Can your garden accommodate six people?” Luo Qingcheng’s voice remained indifferent, devoid of any emotion.

Yuan Ruxuan carefully examined the man. He was in his early twenties, looking quite young and strong. Unfortunately, his eyes were tightly closed, and his face was sallow. What was going on? They had clearly received a secret report, and the three of them had boarded the ship. How come there was a sickly man on board?

But... who cares! As long as his daughter returns safely to his side, nothing else matters. After taking a few more steps, he suddenly turned back to look at the three of them and said coolly, "The sun shines on Lonely Cloud Fortress. To watch the sunrise, Lonely Cloud Fortress is actually better..."

Dongting Garden covers a large area, located in the western corner of Langjing Village. The garden is filled with fragrant grass and swaying vines, giving it a somewhat desolate feel, yet it also has a wild charm.

A handsome young man in his early twenties was staring intently at the corner of the wall, his voice filled with deep affection: "Xue'er... Xue'er... I love you so much... I love your melodious voice like a nightingale's warbling, I love your slender and fair body... But why have you been avoiding me? What did I do wrong? Why did you have an affair with Fatty... I... Xue'er... I'm coming..." With that, the man leaped towards the corner of the wall.

After a loud bang, a plump white hen flew out from the corner of the wall with a clucking cry, running frantically around the yard, its white feathers flying everywhere. The man cried out sadly as he chased after the white hen.

"Great! Well done!" Ye Xiao cheered loudly, picked up a large piece of fatty meat, and tossed it out with a whoosh. "A big piece of fatty meat as a reward!"

A yellow shadow flashed by, and a yellow dog snatched the piece of fat meat with lightning speed. It turned its head and seemed to nod gratefully to Ye Xiao. Soon, the dogs darted away and disappeared without a trace.

"Boss! Chickens don't eat fatty meat!" Xiao Xun was clearly annoyed that Ye Xiao had interrupted his enjoyment of the show, and he shoveled down a few mouthfuls of rice. "Don't interfere! Let's watch the show!"

Behind them, Shen Wan and Luo Qingcheng sat upright, eating their meal with elegant posture.

"This lovesickness to the point of madness... is too narrow-minded... When one is poisoned, one often becomes obsessed with inanimate objects and beasts..." Shen Wan said in a low voice.

Luo Qingcheng nodded seriously: "The beauty of Tiangong Valley is actually quite cunning... Think about the stinky bomb that Xiaoxiao got... What kind of decent things can you expect her to do?"

“Your two brothers… are so vulgar. They like to watch this kind of stuff all the time. Last time they used a speckled hen, and the time before that… they used a female dog…” Shen Wanfei glared at Luo Qingcheng quickly and with dissatisfaction.

"It's too vulgar..." Luo Qingcheng echoed faintly, heartbroken, then suddenly raised his voice and asked, "Xiaoxiao... who is Da Pang?"

Ye Xiao shouted, "It's that big rooster in the west courtyard..."

"Brother Luo! How could you join them in their corrupt ways!" Shen Wan exclaimed softly, looking at Luo Qingcheng with surprise and displeasure.

Luo Qingcheng gave an "oh," and said with some guilt, "Well... they're pitiful too... confined to this tiny place, unable to go anywhere or do anything. Xiaoxiao was just a child, and the third one... he's clearly been spoiled rotten by his family... They've finally found some fun. Besides, there's no cure for lovesickness; one has to indulge in a full ten days of infatuation... It would be best if they had something to express their feelings... so the effects of the drug can slowly dissipate and they can recover faster... Anyway, it's not a big deal, just a daily chaos..."

On the fifth day... Ye Xiao stared intently at the man's madness, silently counting in her mind.

They've been under house arrest here for five days, and the case hasn't yielded a single clue. Yuan Ruxuan sent his trusted steward, Tu, to guard them, and he himself came to check on the case's progress. The man they pulled out of Biluo Lake looks like the leader, but since returning, he's been infatuated with a girl and hasn't provided any useful information.

Back at Langjing Manor, Ye Xiao finally got a clear picture of what had happened. There were a total of eight people who had come with Miss Yuan to catch them in the act of adultery that night. Fortunately, Yuan Peixin's personal maid, Chunshun, knew the details of the whole affair, and with her help, the identities of these people were all confirmed.

Among them were three young masters from prominent families and five servants from Langjing Manor. Young Master An and Young Master Zhang had already been killed, their throats slit instantly. Fortunately, the sword aimed at Young Master Xie of Huizhou missed its mark, veering an inch off course and severing his throat instead of a major vein. This allowed Young Master Xie to survive temporarily. However, his injuries were extremely severe. After being brought back by Yuan Ruxuan, he was placed under strict protection, with only a few trusted confidants allowed to contact him. Sadly, he remained teetering on the brink of death, breathing rapidly, delirious, and unable to provide any clues.

As for the servants, they were luckier; only two died. The remaining three had already been carefully guarded by Yuan Ruxuan's men. According to Master Yuan, after several people died in succession, he sensed that something was wrong and ordered his men to strengthen their vigilance, so that the murderer might not be able to strike again.

Several people died in secluded spots within the estate, including one servant who died in the Yuan family's inner garden. Luo Qingcheng had previously threatened some of them and even shaved their heads in a humiliating manner. The condition of the corpses confirms this.

"The three young masters are all quite skilled, yet they were stabbed in vital areas with almost no resistance. They probably knew the murderer and were caught off guard," Ye Xiao analyzed.

Yuan Ruxuan sneered: "That's not entirely true. If the murderer's martial arts were as superb as Luo Qingcheng's, not to mention the three young masters, even this old man would be killed with a single sword strike without any resistance!"

Ye Xiao looked at Yuan Ruxuan with a frustrated expression: "Do you really think Qingcheng is the murderer?"

Yuan Ruxuan shook his head slightly: "I was a bit out of my mind the night Pei'er disappeared. Thinking about it carefully, it doesn't seem like Luo Qingcheng's behavior. I don't think he's such a reckless man. Pei'er's marriage hasn't been finalized yet, and it's not like he has no hope at all. There's no need for him to be in such a hurry to take action. Even if he really wanted revenge, based on my observation of him, he shouldn't have done it so ostentatiously."

Ye Xiao was even more frustrated: "If that's the case, why did you go to so much trouble to imprison us?"

Yuan Ruxuan sneered: "But we both know the killer's purpose. It's aimed at Luo Qingcheng. Although I don't know why he took Pei'er away, or even if Pei'er is still alive, I can only look for clues from Luo Qingcheng now... I only care about my daughter's life or death. As for the murder case, do you think I'm really interested in solving it? If Pei'er's life or death wasn't currently unknown, I wouldn't care about this case at all! ... As long as Pei'er comes back alive, I will let you leave. I will never go back on my word."

Ye Xiao sighed. The most crucial witness, Young Master Xie, remained unconscious, making it impossible to obtain evidence. The three servants, named Chunfu, Chunzhi, and Chunwang, had all been summoned to their residence for questioning. They had all reportedly accompanied the young lady out to catch her in adultery in the evening, finally managing to obtain evidence around midnight. The next day, they discovered that several of those who had joined them in the previous night's adultery hunt had died. Thus, under the master's layers of protection, they lived in constant fear, rarely venturing beyond their quarters.

There were almost no clues. The group was confined to Dongting Garden to watch over the overgrown weeds. Luo Qingcheng and Shen Wan were relatively calm and didn't find it too boring, but Ye Xiao and Xiao Xun were almost going crazy from boredom! Their only amusement was watching the man they had captured and swooning over him.

That evening, after dinner, the group was sitting in the hall, drinking tea and reading. Butler Tu rushed in, panting, shouting, "Quickly!... The Master wants to see you all... He has important matters to discuss... Thank goodness! Young Master Xie has woken up..."

With a crash, Ye Xiao jumped up happily from the table, knocking over his full cup of tea, which spilled onto the book Shen Wan was reading. Shen Wan cried out in pain and hurriedly picked up the book, which absorbed the water quickly and was soon soaked through.

Shen Wan didn't have time to wipe herself clean before she saw the three of them use their lightness skills to fly out the door, so she quickly followed.

Young Master Xie did indeed wake up, but because of the sword wound in his chest, he couldn't speak; even moving his mouth was difficult, rendering him almost useless. Yuan Ruxuan was sweating profusely, frantically grabbing him and asking, "Where's Pei'er? Do you know where my daughter is?"

Luo Qingcheng, with his superior lightness skill, was the first to arrive and immediately stopped Xie's flustered and futile efforts, making him sit down to the side. He calmly looked at Young Master Xie: "Young Master Xie, we have some questions for you. I know you can't speak, so I'll only ask you yes or no. If yes, you can indicate it by closing your eyes. Is that alright?"

Young Master Xie gasped for breath and finally managed to close his eyes briefly.

Luo Qingcheng nodded in satisfaction, glanced at the group that had arrived shortly afterward, and asked, "You've seen the murderer? Have you?"

Young Master Xie closed his eyes.

"You know him?"

Close your eyes again.

Luo Qingcheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart and blurted out, "Is it that villain Huang Tingfeng?"

Young Master Xie strained his eyes wide open.

Ye Xiao, standing to the side, asked, "Are they from the Martial Arts Alliance?"

Young Master Xie didn't move, he just gasped for breath.

Luo Qingcheng was greatly disappointed. He had assumed that the martial arts alliance was trying to frame him, but it turned out not to be the case.

Ye Xiao pondered for a moment before asking, "Are they from Langjing Manor?"

Young Master Xie closed his eyes.

"Who is it? Who is so vicious?" Yuan Ruxuan roared again as he charged forward, impatient. It was someone from the manor! The thief had been lurking right beside him; how could he have been so oblivious…

Ye Xiao's mind raced, something flashed through his head and vanished in an instant, impossible to grasp.

Young Master Xie gasped for breath, struggling to open his mouth several times, but no sound came out, not even a lip movement. He suddenly turned his head and stared intently at something, blinking repeatedly.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then they looked over. He was staring intently at the wet, dripping book in Shen Wan's hand.

"Is the murderer related to this book?" Ye Xiao's mind raced.

Young Master Xie blinked with difficulty, then blinked again, until he was exhausted and fainted once more.

Luo Qingcheng walked over and picked up the book from Shen Wan's hand; it was a copy of the Spring and Autumn Annals.

Master of the Mind-Controlling Sect

With a crackling sound, a small candle flame appeared on the table.

"I never expected the murderer to be this person." Luo Qingcheng's eyes turned cold.

"He must have concealed it very well; you really couldn't tell he possessed such profound martial arts skills under normal circumstances," Yuan Ruxuan said in a low voice.

"What is the motive? What is the evidence? Otherwise, people will think that Langjing Manor just randomly put forward a murderer. How will we appease and explain to the families of the two deceased young masters?" Ye Xiao asked quickly, as did countless thoughts swirling in her mind.

Yuan Ruxuan sighed: "Yes, this motive... it would be easier if the murderer were an outsider, but now they're from Langjing Manor... They came here so politely to propose marriage, who knew... I can't explain this to their family..."

Xiao Xun was stunned for a moment, "What...what kind of riddle are you playing? Who is the murderer?"

Shen Wan sighed gently, "The pages of the Spring and Autumn Annals are wet. The wet pages of Spring and Autumn mean that Young Master Xie is pointing to Chun Shun as the murderer. Shun is the side of the river, and the river is water..."

Xiao Xun paused again, feeling quite hurt: "...You all knew? Am I the only fool..."

Shen Wan said softly, "It's not that... your mind isn't on this... Master Yuan likes riddles... Brother Luo and Miss Ye both like to rack their brains to tease people all day long... so naturally their minds are a bit quick..."

Xiao Xun sighed: "You're trying to comfort me. The eldest brother was born intelligent, and the second brother is quiet but actually very perceptive... I don't compare myself to them, but now even you know... so it's a very simple problem..."