Цзянху место, где не причинят вреда

Глава 34

Ye Changsheng nodded, indicating that he understood.

The door was tightly shut, so they couldn't see what was inside or whether Master Su was there or not. Su Xiao'e tried pushing the door, but it opened with a "whoosh," and a chilling, rotten wind blew into the room. Su Xiao'e frowned and said, "Father..."

The room was empty and no one answered.

The three entered one after the other, passed through the main hall, and turned into the inner room. They saw a few drops of blood dripping from the threshold, and sensing something was wrong, they strode inside—suddenly, a horrifying scene unfolded before their eyes. Su Du lay dead right there at the door—his body hung high from the rafters, his head bent backward as if cut from a broken string. Black blood streamed from his mouth, over his head, and dripped to the floor. His face was contorted in a grotesque expression, his eyes wide open as if bulging from their sockets, a truly terrifying sight. The corpse had a bluish-gray hue, as if he had been dead for some time.

Su Xiao'e's face suddenly turned pale. She barely managed to stand, and screamed shrilly, "Someone's committing murder—"

What lay before him was a scene of utter carnage, like a living hell. Ye Changsheng recognized that the fabric of the "rope" that was suspending Su Du was exactly the same as the package that the dead Hui Niang had been carrying. Su Du was obese, and his neck was almost broken by his weight. Black blood was constantly gushing from his mouth and eyes, making him look incredibly ferocious and terrifying.

Su Xiao'e quickly regained her composure, walked a few steps to the large carved table, and eagerly searched through something. After a moment, she slowly straightened up, her delicate eyebrows furrowing: "The Gu King is gone..."

"Huh?" Ye Changsheng pointed to the bed. "The treasure you're talking about is the Gu King? Master Su keeps the Gu King on his bed?"

"Father is a very selfish man. Keeping him around is simply to keep us all at bay..." Though her face was still somewhat pale, she remained remarkably calm. She wondered which despicable wretch had killed someone and stolen the Gu King. "Hmph! The Gu King isn't something one can easily use. If it turns against us, we might not even know how we died!"

"Could it be that Master Su moved the Gu King to a different location himself?" Pan Xijin asked.

Upon hearing this, Su Xiao'e pondered for a moment and exclaimed, "Impossible!"

“Ah—” Ye Changsheng suddenly said, “A few days ago, I saw Master Su carrying a large, exquisitely crafted sandalwood box inlaid with gold and silver into a room with a worried expression. After a while, he came out empty-handed.”

Su Xiao'e's expression suddenly changed, and she asked in a raised voice, "Where is that house?"

Ye Changsheng smiled slightly: "Miss Su, please follow me."

Although Su Xiao'e had doubts, she still followed Ye Changsheng out the door without looking back—ignoring Su Du's corpse, leaving it hanging on the high beam.

The three walked for a while and arrived at the small house without windows. Su Xiao'e stared at the house, pondered for a moment, and murmured to herself, "I hadn't even noticed this house..." After a moment, she turned back, frowned, and said, "But I can't open the door..."

"Let me see..." Ye Changsheng stepped forward, her right hand touching the lock. With a "click," the lock opened. She seemed surprised, then smiled slightly: "Look... there wasn't a lock..." Su Xiao'e frowned, stepped forward, and strode inside. Pan Xijin followed, smiling as he leaned down and whispered in Ye Changsheng's ear: "So, Miss Ye is not only skilled in medicine, but also extremely adept in martial arts..."

Ye Changsheng humbly cupped his hands and said, "Why do you say that, Ninth Young Master? It was just a chance encounter..."

Pan Xijin smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

Ye Changsheng followed Pan Xijin into the house. Perhaps because it was secluded all day and no sunlight penetrated, the house had a musty, old smell. Ye Changsheng walked around a few times—the house, which was about ten steps long, was empty and completely devoid of anything.

Why was the empty room locked? And why were all the windows sealed? Ye Changsheng was quite puzzled. Just then, Su Xiao'e came out of the room. She looked around anxiously and said, "There's nothing here."

Ye Changsheng didn't reply. He walked out of the house, circled around to the other side of the wall, and after about three incense sticks' worth of time, he went back. He glanced at the last wall of the house, nodded, walked around to the cloud grass bushes, looked at the several large bundles of cloud grass growing well for a while, exclaimed "Ah...", and left...

Lotus blossoms are beautiful

When Ye Changsheng returned to the room and faced Su Xiao'e, he suddenly slapped his forehead, claiming he had remembered something extraordinary. He then inexplicably pulled Pan Xijin away. Watching them leave, Su Xiao'e momentarily felt she had been tricked. Although angry, she was helpless. Moreover, Su Du's death and the upheaval in the manor had left her overwhelmed. Where was the Gu King? Who was the murderer? Had he escaped? Or was he still in the Su manor? What was his purpose in killing two people? Even this seemingly ordinary, strange woman, whose actions defied all logic, was truly unfathomable to her.

Many questions flashed through her mind, some about Ye Changsheng, some about Su Du, and some about other people... Su Xiao'e slowly left the house, took a few steps, then came back and locked the long lock on the door again.

After Ye Changsheng and Pan Xijin left, they went to the small garden in the courtyard. Pan Xijin looked at the deep, dark pool of water in front of her, pondered for a moment, and said softly, "I thought all of this was done by the Su family, but now even Su Du is dead. What is the murderer's purpose...? Is it the Su family... or us..."

Ye Changsheng smiled slightly: "The dead are probably not just Hui Niang and Su Du, perhaps... there are also those innocent servants of the Su family who disappeared... These people are of different genders and ages, if there is anything in common, it is that they are all people of the Su family..." Pan Xijin stood up, holding onto the railing, and straightened his long sleeves, pondering: "The murderer has a deep hatred for the Su family, or perhaps has a deep connection with the Su family... or perhaps he himself is a member of the Su family. I guess Hui Niang may have discovered something about him, or some secret about the Su family, and was killed to silence her before she could escape..." Ye Changsheng smiled and nodded in full agreement.

Suddenly—a gurgling sound—there seemed to be some unusual movement in the pool.

The two paused, then followed the sound and stared at the suddenly bubbling pool for a long time—a string of fist-sized bubbles rose from the dark water, gurgling and bubbling, only stopping after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn…

Looking at the dark pool of water, Pan Xijin seemed to have the refined interest to compose poetry and paint, a smile on his face: "The water doesn't reflect my image, it's like a pool of ink... This pool is so murky, so black and bottomless—could it be that the bottom of the pool has long been rotten and filled with miasma—but how could someone leave such a pool of black water in the garden?"

"Ninth Young Master's poem is excellent, and what you say makes perfect sense..." Chang Sheng smiled, pointing to the pool, "Perhaps what lies beneath the surface isn't silt... but a bubbling treasure..."

Ye Changsheng took a few steps, then suddenly climbed onto the railing of the corridor, looked around, and climbed down again. She slowly walked towards the bushes not far away, plucked a clump of lush grass from the edge of the bushes, and then went to the opposite corner of the wall, breaking off a few more clumps of grass from the wall. Pan Xijin watched with increasing curiosity, yet remained patiently smiling as she went back and forth. Ye Changsheng, carrying two handfuls of grass, approached Pan Xijin and said earnestly, "Young Master, please look, this handful of grass grows on the left side of the pool, while this handful grows on the right side..."

Pan Xijin nodded in understanding. Ye Changsheng smiled and continued, "Ninth Young Master, look, are these two clumps of grass different?" Pan Xijin smiled, took Ye Changsheng's hand and examined them closely, then looked up and said, "Comparatively speaking—the one on the left side of the pool is withered, short, and not growing well." Ye Changsheng nodded with great satisfaction, saying repeatedly, "Exactly, exactly. This clump of grass on the left side of the pool is exactly where I found the nameless corpse the other day—it's not growing well even with the corpse as fertilizer, and the black ants and crawling insects that swarmed around it a few days ago—are all gone today..." Pan Xijin paused, his handsome eyes slightly upturned: "You mean—this corpse is highly poisonous—he died of poisoning..."

Ye Changsheng nodded, about to speak, when suddenly her expression hardened. She pulled Pan Xijin up and crouched down in the bushes nearby. Pan Xijin was a little unsteady from being pulled, so Ye Changsheng gently supported him and made a shushing gesture.

On the path outside the courtyard, rustling footsteps approached—a short man in gray appeared by the pool. His face was gloomy and his eyes were fierce; it was none other than Su Xing, whom they hadn't seen for a long time.

He took out the hoe he always carried and began digging in the soil under the bushes. He dug for a long time, more than a foot deep, before stopping. He reached into the hole and felt around for a while, then slowly put something into his pocket. Ye Changsheng, hiding behind him, could only see his back and couldn't see what he was taking out.

After a while, Su Xing left.

What was he looking for? There was clearly a rotting corpse buried under those bushes—Ye Changsheng remained silent, pulling Pan Xijin along the path Su Xing had taken back through the courtyard. The path was narrow and long, lined with fragrant jasmine trees. After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally saw the end of the path ahead, and the two turned a corner—surprisingly, they were back in that windowless house.

Ye Changsheng stepped forward, pulled the lock off the door without a word, and rushed inside. Pan Xijin, being pulled along, didn't disturb her, but watched with great interest as Ye Changsheng stood in front of the smooth wall opposite, knocking and tapping. Suddenly, she bent down, pulled a dagger from her boot, and plunged it into a hole in the wall. With a loud "boom," a large crack appeared in the wall. For a moment, the two stared at each other, stunned, at the dark entrance. After a while, Ye Changsheng smiled and said, "No wonder this wall is much thicker than the others; it turns out it's the entrance to a secret passage..."

Ye Changsheng peered inside and stepped in, following the secret passage forward. The passage was pitch black, and she couldn't see anything. Although Ye Changsheng's eyesight was poor, her hearing was very sharp. She held Pan Xijin's hand and carefully descended the steps. The sound of dripping water filled her ears, and the uneven stone slabs under her feet made the air in the tunnel cold and damp, with a faint smell of decaying earth.

At first, there were only some puddles on the ground, but after walking a few feet, they found the water was knee-deep. The two walked one after the other when suddenly Ye Changsheng stopped. Pan Xijin stopped as well and asked, "What's wrong?" Ye Changsheng shushed him, closed her eyes to listen, and heard a splashing sound in the water. She frowned, grabbed Pan Xijin, and darted forward through the water. Pan Xijin, having just stopped, turned around and heard a series of churning sounds in the water, but couldn't immediately tell what they were. Ye Changsheng seemed to know what he was thinking, coughed lightly, and seemed somewhat annoyed: "Luckily we were early. It turns out there are snakes in the water..." She then pulled Pan Xijin along and continued walking, muttering to herself, "Ninth Young Master, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot to ask if you wanted to come in before I entered..."

Pan Xijin's brow twitched slightly, and she chuckled softly, her voice incredibly gentle and pleasant: "It's alright, Doctor Ye is highly skilled in martial arts and will surely protect me." Ye Changsheng felt a heavy responsibility on his shoulders and couldn't help but regret his oversight. As the saying goes, once you're in a difficult situation, you can't back down. At this moment, he could only grit his teeth and move forward. The road became narrower and narrower, and the tunnel ceiling became lower and lower. They could only bow their heads to avoid bumping their heads.

Gradually, a faint light appeared ahead, and the two walked quickly, passing through the cave entrance—suddenly, the space opened up before them, and with the sudden light, Ye Changsheng couldn't open her eyes for a moment. Suddenly, a soft hand covered her eyes, and the person behind her exuded a cool, refreshing aura, like mountain spring water. After a while, he released her hand, and Ye Changsheng looked up, meeting his gentle and elegant smile, and nodded gratefully.

This is a cave about ten steps long and eight steps wide. Unlike the dark and damp tunnel outside, this cave entrance is bright and spacious, and the furnishings inside make it look more like a young lady's boudoir.

Inside the room were dressing tables, embroidered couches, powder boxes, and silk handkerchiefs. Several undergarments were even hanging on a clothes rack nearby—it seemed as if someone lived there regularly. Could it be that someone in the Su family lived in such a secluded and hidden basement? Ye Changsheng looked up and saw that the ceiling of the cave was shimmering with light—both of them were shocked. So this secret room was buried under the pool of water? And what separated the pool of water from the cave?

"No wonder that pool of water always bubbled; it turns out it was hollow underneath..." Ye Changsheng muttered to himself after looking at it for a while. He then walked around to the table and discovered that there were many portraits spread out on the table in layers. The brushstrokes of these portraits were very delicate and lifelike. It was clear that the painter had put a lot of effort into them, drawing each stroke carefully. The portraits depicted the women in each painting in various poses, whether they were frowning, smiling, dancing, or lying still. What surprised the two of them the most was that all the paintings depicted the same person—Su Xiao'e.

“These paintings are exquisitely and skillfully executed, demonstrating the artist’s mastery of the craft…and each of these paintings is accompanied by a poem, but none of them have a signature…” Pan Xijin said slowly as he unrolled the scroll.

Ye Changsheng's gaze shifted to a very inconspicuous box on the table. The box was completely black, without any patterns. She picked it up, weighed it in her hand, and held it to her ear. She felt something spinning around inside. Ye Changsheng found a handkerchief and tied the box tightly. She turned to Pan Xijin and smiled, "Ninth Young Master, let's go out. It wouldn't be good if the master found out."

Pan Xijin nodded, picked up a painting before leaving, smiled, and followed Ye Changsheng out.

The two walked briskly out of the tunnel. Before leaving the dark room, they didn't lock the door. According to Ye Changsheng, they had gone down into the tunnel and taken someone else's things; even a fool would notice that someone had been there, so there was no need to restore the dark room to its original state... As evening approached, the two smiled at each other and agreed that it was time for dinner...

This was the day Su Du died, and the fourth day after Hui Niang died—when Pan Xijin and Ye Changsheng discovered the tunnel in the dark room leading to the bottom of the pool.

The moon was bright and the stars were few; the air was slightly cool.

After having dinner prepared by Mudan at Pan Xijin's place, Ye Changsheng went to Su Du's room alone. Before long, darkness had fallen, and in the flickering candlelight, she entered the room filled with the stench of decay, arriving at the scene where the body had been discovered. Naturally, Su Du's body had already been removed, but the bloodstains remained, casting mottled shadows everywhere in the dim candlelight.

Ye Changsheng sighed, placed the candlestick on the table, and sat down in the chair. What was the connection between Hui Niang's death, Su Du's death, the corpse in the courtyard, the fragrant herbs filling the courtyard, and the secret chamber beneath the Blackwater Pool? Su Xiao'e, witnessing her father's tragic death, did not think about finding the murderer or putting away the body—but was solely focused on finding the Gu King. And where was Su Xing?

“Ah…” Ye Changsheng stared at the roof beam above his head for a long time, sighed, and shook his head. The people in the Su family could not be judged by ordinary standards. The sister who forced him to marry, the brother who looked like a demon, the father who died tragically—it seemed that there was no ordinary affection between them, but rather a mixture of many inexplicable things…

Looking at the bloodstains on the ground, Ye Changsheng couldn't help but sigh. Even though she had seen many corpses, she felt that Su Du's death was truly unfortunate. Poisoning? Indeed, the blood was black—but since there was a Medicine King in the Su family, the Su family members must be extraordinary. How could an ordinary person have done such a thing? If the murderer was from within the family, then who was it? If the murderer was from outside the family, then who was it?

Ye Changsheng took out the black box he had just found in the secret room from his pocket, extended a finger and tapped it. There was still a rustling sound inside, as if something was moving around—what was this?

She stood up and wandered aimlessly around the room. Seeing that the candle on the table was about to burn out, she paused for a moment and then decided to go out.

She walked along the path and unknowingly arrived at Helan Ronghua's residence. She stood at the door for a while, then decided it was best to tell her about what had happened that day, and also ask her master about the contents of the box. Just then, she went up and knocked on the door.

After a long while, there was no response from inside. Ye Changsheng politely asked, "Is Master asleep?" After a moment, she said, "Ah..." and then, "Then this disciple will take her leave..." Just as she finished speaking and was about to leave, the door creaked open. Ye Changsheng turned around and looked in the direction of the door, but it was still completely dark, without a single ray of light. Slightly puzzled, Ye Changsheng stepped inside. It was pitch black all around. She reached out and felt around, but after taking a few steps, she still saw no one.

"Nobody here?" Ye Changsheng asked softly.

Suddenly, her waist tightened, and she felt someone embrace her from behind. Ye Changsheng stood still, and the person behind her gradually tightened their arms, their breath sinking in, burying their head in her neck. Ye Changsheng's heart skipped a beat, and after a long while, she tentatively asked, "Master?"

The person behind him didn't speak, but suddenly picked him up and strode into the inner room. Ye Changsheng's eyesight was poor, and he could only see a blurry mess in the room. Even with the faint light from the window, he couldn't make out the expression of the person in front of him.

Ye Changsheng felt herself being thrown onto the bed with a thud. The man's hand slowly brushed through her hair, her cheek, and her lips... He suddenly leaned down, burying his head in Ye Changsheng's neck, quietly holding her as they lay on the bed, still silent, without saying a word...

"Master, what's wrong?" Ye Changsheng's voice was very calm, so calm that there was not a ripple in it.

Helan Ronghua didn't speak, he just held her quietly. Even through the clothes, Ye Changsheng could feel his body getting slightly hot...

After a long silence, he slowly spoke, his voice hoarse and strained: "I don't have time..."

Ye Changsheng remained silent—in fact, she was stunned for a moment. Just as she was stunned, Helan Ronghua sat up, touched her cheek, and leaned down to kiss her. Accompanied by the faint scent of sandalwood, something slid inside. Ye Changsheng trembled all over and tried to push him away, but he held her close to his side. Ye Changsheng's eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, and in the dim moonlight, Helan Ronghua's eyes were filled with undisguised desire.

His kisses moved lower, and Ye Changsheng stiffened for a moment. Then, as his hands removed her outer garment, Ye Changsheng suddenly raised her knee, ready to kick him in the stomach. Unexpectedly, Helan Ronghua blocked with his right hand and grabbed her ankle. For the first time, Ye Changsheng felt a pang of panic. His voice whispered in her ear, "Sheng'er, don't be afraid..." His left hand caressed the back of Ye Changsheng's neck, his eyes filled with tenderness...

With a soft rustling of sleeves, a dark red figure sat by the window in the dim moonlight, chuckling softly, "Sect Leader Ye, you look quite disheveled these past few days..."

Ye Changsheng turned his head and, upon seeing the newcomer, felt a surge of joy. He called out, "Li Huangyin!"

Fallen leaves gather and scatter, crows perch and are startled again.

Helan Ronghua's eyes gradually cleared. He slowly sat up, pulled his outer robe over Ye Changsheng, and glanced coldly at the windowsill: "What are you doing here?" Li Huangyin chuckled, jumped down from the windowsill, leaned against the wall, and said mockingly with her arms crossed: "Something extraordinary has happened, such as someone carrying the Gu King with them, someone throwing a tantrum after discovering the Gu King is missing, and someone inexplicably ending up in someone else's bed..."

Helan Ronghua said calmly, "I didn't know you were also in Gutuo Town..."

Li Huangyin's lips curved slightly as he smiled and said, "Sect Leader Ye and I came together. I was away on business for a while, and now it's time to return..." He slowly walked forward, glanced at the door, and pondered, "Someone will probably be here soon. Would you like to—watch the show first?" Helan Ronghua lowered her eyes, looking at Ye Changsheng beneath her—she didn't speak, only letting him hold her, quietly watching him. After a moment, she sighed softly and said, "Su Du is dead, murdered. The Gu King is also missing..."

"Dead?" A hint of surprise flashed across Helan Ronghua's calm face. After a moment, she frowned. Su Du's death had nothing to do with her. If the Gu King was missing, wouldn't Changsheng be beyond saving?

He turned to look at Li Huangyin, and said solemnly, "You just said...who carried the Gu King on their person..." Li Huangyin's lips curved into a smile, but she didn't answer. After a long while, she said in a seductive voice, "That's a question for Sect Leader Ye..."

"What does Master Li mean... ah..." Ye Changsheng paused slightly, then nodded as if suddenly realizing something. "That box? That's the Gu King? How did you know..." Li Huangyin flicked her long sleeves dismissively. "Don't forget I still have Luoyang Tower. There's no place Luoyang Tower can't go, and there's nothing Luoyang Tower can't find out..."

Ye Changsheng blinked to indicate that he understood, then suddenly rolled off the bed, staggered a few steps, turned around and bowed to Helan Ronghua, saying, "Disciple has important matters to attend to, I shall take my leave for now." After saying that, he darted out of the window. Li Huangyin turned back and gave Helan Ronghua a strange smile, then followed him out.

In the dead of night, the starry sky shone brightly.

The moonlight flickered, and Helan Ronghua leaned against the bed curtains, gazing in the direction the two had left. A self-deprecating smile played on his lips as he slowly closed his eyes and remained there, motionless for a long time.

In the courtyard

Li Huangyin followed Ye Changsheng, whose long hair was disheveled and who was only concerned with getting on the road, with a smile on her face. Whether she noticed or not, she had been wandering around this small courtyard for a full half hour.

Li Huangyin shook her head, stepped forward and grabbed her sleeve, asking with an elegant air, "Doesn't Sect Leader Ye have anything to say to me?" Ye Changsheng sighed... turned around and gave a refined bow: "Lord Li is a peerless figure of this world, appearing and disappearing without a trace. As the saying goes, those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. What Lord Li wants to do is his business, what does it have to do with me?"

Li Huangyin narrowed her eyes slightly, unconsciously increasing the pressure on her hand: "Ye Sheng! You doubt me?" Ye Changsheng smiled slightly: "There has never been trust, so how can there be doubt? Whatever Li Louzhu's purpose is, I believe it is irrelevant to me. Having said that, Changsheng will take his leave..."

Just as Ye Changsheng was about to turn and leave, a sudden gust of wind came straight at her. Before she could make a move, Li Huangyin pulled her behind her and took the blow for her. The person was thrown back a few steps, but still stared at them fiercely, his eyes burning as if he wanted to devour them alive.

"Su Xing..." The man before him was breathing rapidly, covered in blood, his hands gripping the black iron horse spur tightly—it was none other than the eldest young master of the Su family. Ye Changsheng peeked out from behind Li Huangyin and asked, "Young Master Su, are you injured? I have absolutely not done anything to wrong you, so why did you suddenly injure someone?"

Su Xing seemed to be losing control; he trembled violently, pus constantly dripping from the corners of his eyes, and he kept muttering something. Ye Changsheng pricked up his ears, and what he heard seemed to be nothing but "good words" like "death" and "killing"...

Before she could ask again, Su Xing suddenly roared like a wild beast, saying each word clearly, "You went in there...you, you took the Gu King, give me back the Gu King! I want you all to die without a burial place..." Upon hearing this, Ye Changsheng's brows twitched, and he quickly reached into his robes and rummaged around for a while before holding up the small, dark wooden box and pointing at it, asking, "Is this what you're looking for?"

Su Xing's cloudy eyes suddenly flashed with extreme joy. He nodded hurriedly and stepped forward to snatch it away, but hesitated for a moment, wary of Li Huangyin beside Ye Changsheng. Ye Changsheng exclaimed "Ah!" and muttered to himself, "So this is the Gu King. Luckily, I didn't open it..." Li Huangyin turned her head and said softly, "I already said... you just don't remember..."

Ye Changsheng waved the box at Li Huangyin and smiled, "With your inner strength, Master Li, you should be able to shatter the contents of this box in a moment..." Li Huangyin glanced at her with a half-smile, "Of course." — Hearing their conversation, Su Xing suddenly became agitated and shouted, "Don't even think about messing with the Gu King, or none of you will leave here!" Ye Changsheng smiled slightly and comforted her, "Young Master Su, don't worry. I certainly wouldn't bear to destroy such a rare object as the Gu King. But could you tell me—how did you obtain the Gu King? What happened to the corpse in the garden? How did Hui Niang die? And why did you—kill Master Su..."

“You…” Su Du suddenly clenched his hands, the rotting flesh on his face seemed to come alive, slowly writhing. “You, you’re talking nonsense… I didn’t kill anyone, it wasn’t me, it has nothing to do with me…” Ye Changsheng looked at him quietly and stated, “The secret room at the bottom of the pool is yours—those portraits, you painted them.”

“You’re talking nonsense… No, no…” Su Xing held his head, as if in great pain. Ye Changsheng sighed softly: “That room was like a woman’s boudoir, complete with all the cosmetics and rouge, but it was missing one of the most common things that aroused my suspicion.”

"Oh? What is such an extraordinary thing?" Li Huangyin chuckled, responding with great interest. Her incomparably handsome face seemed to be worlds apart from the person opposite her, like a god or a demon.

“It’s a bronze mirror…” Ye Changsheng smiled slightly, clearly very satisfied with his cooperation. “How could a woman’s boudoir not have a bronze mirror? If it wasn’t the owner’s oversight, then there must be some reason why he doesn’t want to see a mirror, or even hates seeing one—for example, uh…” Ye Changsheng said apologetically, “…his appearance is ugly…” Li Huangyin glanced at Su Xing, understanding dawning on her. Ye Changsheng continued, “But why would he go to such lengths to build such a secret chamber at the bottom of the pool? Yet, apart from being filled with portraits of Su Xiao’e, there’s nothing wrong with that chamber. Then I remembered the corpse pit by the pool—the two are probably connected, perhaps Young Master Su has some unspeakable… love for his sister…”

A few leaves twirled and fell from the sky. The moonlight was dim, the night wind was silent, and the atmosphere seemed to freeze...