CH 105.3

[ The fact that he was timid three years ago is not necessarily true three years later. He was a coward three years ago, but not three years later. He was a coward back then, but he still dared to burn the painting, well knowing that there were people in there. He was committing murder!]

[So it seems that the murder suspect is still the black and white fox, taking revenge for the red fox.]

[That would be the closest answer so far.]

[Although if it was the black and white fox and its children were trapped in the painting, why didn’t it take the painting with it when it left?]

[Hiss! Good question! I totally missed that.]

[Maybe because it couldn’t save itself? It needs someone’s help?]

[But it was Xian Gu who asked Bai Lixin to save the fox cubs…Is there a possibility that Xian Gu and the black and white fox actually joined forces a long time ago? Don’t you think it’s strange? Lord Li was attacked right in front of her and yet she said she didn’t see anything. She is clearly covering up for someone.]

[That’s a good point. Who is that person? That person is the murderer!]

[Roll :)]

——————–

Five minutes later, when Bai Lixin was about to reach Brother Yun’s courtyard, he ran into someone.

The person was dressed in a white Taoist robe, his long hair was tied up, and he had a whisk in his hand.

There was also a red vermilion mole between his eyebrows.

It was the person whose picture he had seen at the Taoist temple, the same Taoist Qing who died tragically.

Taoist Qing had been walking forward under the guidance of his servants and he slowly stopped in his tracks after seeing Bai Lixin and Dijia standing next to him.

As he looked at Bai Lixin up and down, Bai Lixin was also looking at him.

A few seconds later, Taoist Qing withdrew his gaze, but the corner of his eyes seemed to look at the fox cubs at Bai Lixin’s feet.

The fox cubs were already hiding behind Bai Lixin, their bodies were trembling and their tails were tucked in. They didn’t even dare to growl.

Bai Lixin’s wrist started hurting, as if a thousand ants were gnawing at his skin.

Taoist Qing said “not bad” in a meaningful way, then turned around, and continued walking forward.

Only when Taoist Qing far away did Bai Lixin raise his arm and peel back his sleeve.

The beast tattoo had begun to twist on his arm; the smooth, rounded edges had become angular and jagged, and the colour had changed from black to orange.

Bai Lixin squatted down and looked at the four foxes who were trembling with fear. “Are you afraid of him?”

The four fox cubs nodded frantically, “Ow, woo, waa, gah.”

In Bai Lixin’s mind.

––“He’s so scary.”

—“I felt a terrifying oppression.”

—“Wuuu.”

—“He smells so strange.”

Bai Lixin looked in the direction of the departing Taoist Qing thoughtfully.

“Why are you squatting on the ground?”

A voice came, and Bai Lixin looked back to see that it was Brother Yun.

Brother Yun stood there, and had a look of amazement the moment he saw Bai Lixin’s face.

Dijia coughed lightly and said coldly, “The Madam sent us to inform you that the play is about to begin.”

“Oh, oh, yes.” Brother Yun withdrew his gaze in a trance. “It’s an exclusive performance from the Meiyuan House. I have to hurry!”

He originally planned to sneak another look at the boy who looked so good, but the man next to him had such an oppressive aura that he didn’t even dare to look at him again.

Damn it, he stole Lord Li’s wife, not his. What’s the point of using such murderous eyes?!

……

By the time Bai Lixin and Dijia returned, the performance had already started.

Taoist Qing was also sitting at the table, and he was right next to Lord Li.

Bai Lixin looked towards the stage and froze slightly.

On top of the stage, several opera actors in heavy make-up were performing stiffly.

There were four of them in total, and each had what looked like a few invisible silk threads tied to their bodies.

Like a puppet, they were being manipulated by someone and forced to perform on the stage.

Even with the thick makeup on their faces, Bai Lixin could still see the horror and apprehension hidden within.

While moving towards the direction of the Madam, Bai Lixin looked at Dijia: “We finally found the four soldiers.”

Dijia: “Yes.”

Found, yes, but I’m afraid they’ve been scared silly.

Bai Lixin silently returned to the Madam’s side. The people who were being forced to move could only blink helplessly and frantically towards Bai Lixin and Dijia, who had suddenly appeared.

Bai Lixin: “……”

You still know how to blink. You don’t seem to be scared silly.

Bai Lixin smiled reassuringly towards them and turned his head to look at the audience under the stage.

The crowd didn’t even seem to notice how low the performance on the stage was or how disgraceful the Peking Opera was sung, all had smiles of enjoyment on their faces.

Bai Lixin watched them closely.

The concubines were blissfully ignorant and were watching with great interest.

But the expressions of the Madam and Lord Li in front of them were rather different.

Darkness had long since set in, and the moon hung overhead, spilling the silvery moonlight down.

The stage was brightly lit, and the dappled lamps diagonally shone onto the faces of the crowd under the stage, hiding half their faces in the darkness and half exposing them to the light.

The distinct line cut through the nose.

The smile is in the light, the dread is in the dark.

How content the exposed smile was, how enormous the dread hidden in the darkness.

The Madam’s pupils contracted, she trembled lightly, and her eyes opened wide in a grimace.

Her eyes stared unblinkingly at the theatre stage, her eyes turning red from anger.

Lord Li was no better; he too was pinned to the spot, and had the same smile on his lips and the same fear in his eyes.

Bai Lixin turned his head to look at the stage.

The previous performance had three protagonists, but this one had four.

A lady, an immortal, a scholar, and a servant.

The servant was deliberately painted with a eunuch’s characteristic face, and he walked in a twisted and contrived manner.

The plot was basically the same in the first part of the play.

But later on, the eunuch’s scenes started to appear.

When Xian Gu said she could grant the scholar any wish, the eunuch was eavesdropping from the sidelines.

On the night of the Chinese New Year, the eunuch put drugs in the food.

He had originally just stolen some money, and the portrait with Xian Gu on it.

But that night, a big fire came out.

Everyone died because they were unconscious, so they couldn’t escape.

The fire spread quickly, and as the mansion was swept up in flames, fireworks went up.

With that, the eunuch fled, leaving the mansion burnt to rubble and the ground full of wreckage.

———————–

In the live broadcast room.

[Damn it, this Lord Li is really not a human being. If he hadn’t had evil thoughts about stealing and administered sleeping pills, maybe the fire would have been extinguished when it first started. But it was because of his medicine that everyone had passed out.]

[No wonder, I thought it was a bit strange when I heard Xian Gu talk about what happened back then. I wondered how a fire could kill so many people. Even if a fire suddenly started, they have legs, they should have been able to run away. I finally understood when I saw the drugging.]

[This tragedy was all because of Lord Li’s greed.]

[What the hell kind of scum is this. It was too cheap to rip out his liver and lungs and all that.]

[He not only took the lives of so many beasts, but also so many human lives.]

————–

Throughout the whole process, the four men on the stage kept shooting signals towards their colleagues off stage.

Bai Lixin opened the task bar, and found that more than four hours had passed.

When the last scene was over, the four soldiers, dressed as Peking Opera dolls, were let down, and they stood frozen, unable to move a muscle.

The Madam and Lord Li applauded stiffly, and when Bai Lixin turned to look at Taoist Qing, he saw him sitting quietly in his chair, looking taciturn, and with that same look of unfathomable compassion.

At the sound of the sparse applause, Bai Ban walked out.

The moment she saw Bai Ban’s face, the Madam could no longer control herself. Her eyes rolled back and she passed out.

Lord Li, however, was still forced to open his eyes and watch as Bai Ban waved at the applause.

Bai Ban’s movements seemed so natural and normal, if you excluded the fact that his eyes had been on Lord Li.

Bai Lixin watched the farce quietly, and when the curtain fell, he slowly swept his gaze over the faces of some of the people present.

“The Madam seems to have fainted,” Bai Lixin and Taoist Qing looked at each other for a moment before Taoist Qing spoke up, “Won’t you send her back?”

Bai Lixin withdrew his gaze thoughtfully and nodded, “What the Taoist master says is true, I will send the Madam back to her room to rest.”

“Take my advice,” Taoist Qing said with a smile towards Bai Lixin as he lifted the Madam, “Lock the doors and windows when you get back, so that nothing unclean gets in.”

Bai Lixin looked at Taoist Qing coldly and said, “Thank you for the reminder, Taoist.”

With that, he looked back at the people on the stage and made a gesture towards the two soldiers behind Dijia to come and help him.