Inside the government office, before Meng Hechuan could even warm his seat, the butler from the Liao Manor arrived.
"Your Honor, last night a concubine in our manor was murdered. Her head is missing, and four servants are also dead. My master sent me to report the crime and begs you to send someone to investigate immediately."
Meng Hechuan's expression drastically changed. Assassinating a woman in the inner chambers of a court official's home was simply unheard of.
He personally led his men to the Liao Manor to investigate.
The yamen runners turned Concubine Su's courtyard upside down and finally found a black wooden token by the corner of the wall. The three characters for 'Soul-Reaping Sect' were clearly visible on the back.
Meng Hechuan had been an official for many years and had seen countless cases, big and small. He also had some understanding of the martial arts world's gangs.
Among them, the Soul-Reaping Sect had the worst reputation and was the one he least wanted to encounter.
"Lord Liao, has Concubine Su offended anyone from the martial arts world recently?"
Liao Wangshu shook his head. "My cousin is but a weak woman; she absolutely would not have any ties with people from the martial arts world."
Meng Hechuan lightly stroked his beard and murmured, "The Soul-Reaping Sect is an organization that kills for money. If Concubine Su has no ties with the martial arts world, then someone must have paid for her life."
He raised his eyes and asked, "Does she have any enemies? Has she had any disputes with anyone recently?"
Liao Wangshu pondered, "My cousin rarely leaves the manor and has never even interacted with male guests. It's impossible for her to have disputes with anyone, let alone have enemies."
Meng Hechuan didn't believe it. "Without enemies, why would they take her head after killing her? You spend all day working at the government office; there might be things you are unaware of."
Liao Wangshu's gaze steadied, thinking that what the prefect said was not impossible.
He looked at the butler standing behind him. "Has Concubine Su had any conflicts with anyone recently?"
The butler bowed and reported, "To answer the master, the concubine rarely goes out. If there's anything to be done, she orders the servants in her courtyard to do it, but those four people are all dead now."
Meng Hechuan's fingers unconsciously tapped the token. Thinking of something, he looked up and asked Liao Wangshu, "How many concubines are there in your manor?"
Liao Wangshu raised his eyebrows, not understanding why Meng Hechuan would ask this.
"To answer Your Honor, I only have one wife and one concubine in my manor."
Meng Hechuan continued asking, "How do the two get along? Have there ever been any quarrels?"
As soon as these words came out, Liao Wangshu immediately understood his meaning.
He hurriedly explained, "Your Honor, my wife is weak and bedridden all year round. My cousin often serves her tea and water by her side. The two have a harmonious relationship, like sisters, and have never had any disputes."
Meng Hechuan frowned deeply. With no enemies inside or outside, who would want to kill her?
The sickly Liao Tingjun was helped inside. With red, swollen eyes and a pale face, he looked like a soulless husk.
He knelt before Meng Hechuan, his knees hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
"Your Honor, since it has been confirmed that the concubine was killed by an assassin from the Soul-Reaping Sect, I beg you to immediately send men to the sect to arrest the killer. Torture them to reveal the identity of the person who hired them, and avenge my concubine."
Seeing his son kneeling and begging, Liao Wangshu gritted his teeth, unable to bear it.
He turned and bowed to Meng Hechuan, "Under the whole heaven, every spot is the sovereign's ground. Even people in the martial arts world should be governed by the imperial court. They absolutely cannot kill the innocent indiscriminately. I beg Your Honor to arrest the murderer to bring peace to her wronged soul."
Meng Hechuan clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and let out a heavy sigh.
"In past cases, although there were suspicions, evidence was lacking. Now, with this token, the evidence is conclusive. We can make a move."
Since he decided to act, he couldn't just catch one person. He might as well take this opportunity to completely eradicate the Soul-Reaping Sect.
Relying solely on yamen runners, the combat power was far from enough. He had to write to the governor to dispatch troops for support.
Phantom galloped along the official road with Concubine Su's head, riding day and night without sleeping.
He finally caught up with Song Jinzhao and the others at an inn the night before they arrived in Anyang Prefecture.
"I've brought the head. Can you cure my poison now?" He opened the lid, revealing the bloody head.
Song Gaoli, standing to the side, had his pupils shrink and was so frightened that he crashed into Song Qiming's arms, constantly crying for help.
Phantom glanced at him with disdain. How could a man be so worthless?
Song Jinzhao bent down to meet Concubine Su's dilated pupils, which were covered with a thin layer of ice. It seemed she died with a grievance.
"Sit down and stretch out your hand." Song Jinzhao placed her hand on Phantom's wrist.
His blood vessels were contracted, his pulse weak, and his qi and blood were tense and unsmooth. On the surface, he seemed fine, but internally he was hollow, constantly consuming his qi and blood.
Song Jinzhao placed an empty teacup in front of Phantom. "Drop some blood into it."
Thick blood fell from his fingers into the bowl. Seeing the squirming nematodes clustered together, even Song Qiming closed his eyes, not wanting to look anymore.
Only Song Shixue stood behind Song Jinzhao without leaving.
Her tender, pretty eyebrows frowned into an inverted V shape, and she squinted at the nematodes in the bowl without taking a step back.
"The Gu poison has lived in your body for too long. You look fine on the outside, but your qi and blood have long been depleted. You can't handle strong medicine. We have to go from light to heavy, combining treatment with nourishment."
Phantom's face was as calm as water, but his pale fingertips trembled slightly. "Just tell me how long it will take to completely cure the poison?"
"Half a month." Song Jinzhao turned her head and told Song Shixue to get a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
A moment later, a detailed detoxification process and prescription were pushed in front of Phantom.
"As long as you strictly follow the treatment course I wrote, the Gu poison will definitely be cured in half a month."
After reading it, Phantom folded the paper and tucked it into his clothes. "I hope what you say is true. If the Gu poison isn't cured in half a month, I will come find you again."
With that, he turned to leave. Just as his fingers touched the doorframe, a gust of wind struck from behind.
He quickly turned around and caught the wooden box thrown by Song Jinzhao.
Song Jinzhao said, "Dispose of it."
Thinking that the Gu poison hadn't been cured yet, Phantom took a deep breath and took the wooden box containing the head with him.
The grayish-white sky was gradually replaced by the dark night.
Under the eaves, Fushun craned his neck to look at the intersection, muttering constantly, "Why aren't they back yet?"
They had been waiting since the afternoon. Two hours had passed, and there was still no sign of them.
Qingshuang looked at the empty street, her heart also feeling empty.
"They were probably delayed by something on the road. I'll go set up the stove first so the Eldest Miss and the others can eat as soon as they get back."
The clopping sound of horse hooves came from afar. Lanxi excitedly turned her head and called out to stop Qingshuang, who was walking inside, "I see the carriage! They're back!"
Qingshuang abruptly turned and ran back. The four of them ran down the steps and stood on the road waiting.
Two carriages, one in front and one behind, stopped. Lanxi and Fushun quickly ran over to lead the horses.
"Eldest Miss, Eldest Young Master, Second Miss, Young Master."
Not long after they sat down, the servants brought all the food up.
The mutton in the iron pot bubbled, and a table full of fresh vegetables stunned Song Gaoli.
He picked up a vibrant green shepherd's purse and put it in his mouth. After chewing twice, a fresh fragrance filled his entire mouth.
"Shepherd's purse shouldn't have grown out at this time of year. Where did this come from?"
As a country kid, Song Gaoli knew better than anyone what vegetables grew in what season.
It was freezing cold outside, without a single blade of grass in sight. How could there possibly be fresh vegetables?
Song Qiming answered between bites, "They were grown at home. My sister built a greenhouse on the estate, so we can grow vegetables even in the dead of winter."
Song Gaoli was so overwhelmed with shock that his mind went completely blank.
What on earth was a greenhouse? How come he had never heard of such a thing?
