CH 10

Zhèng Wén Yàn died in his own study.

The night’s curtain had completely descended. When Huò Wēi Lóu brought Bó Ruò Yōu to the study, the lamps within the study were brightly lit.

The Third Furen Liu-shi brought Zhèng Wén Yàn’s son, Zhèng Hào, with her to the ground, weeping, and little Zhèng Hào had a pale face as he leaned into Third Furen’s embrace, crying and trembling at the same time, as if he had suffered from a fright.

The embroidered emissary watching over this place said: “After Lao Furen’s religious ceremony ended in you shi (5-7PM), this subordinate was following Zheng san’ye (3rd) the entire time. Afterwards, Zheng san’ye personally escorted the various shifu who conducted the religious ceremony out of the Marquis Residence, before returning to his own courtyard. This subordinate was standing guard at the courtyard entrance, and not even an hour after Zheng san’ye returned to his courtyard, he suddenly left with a heavy expression, directly heading for this place.

“This subordinate does not know what happened to Zheng san’ye, and only witnessed him entering the study without coming out again, so he stood guard at the courtyard door. Approximately one hour later, the Zheng family’s er gongzi (his son Zhèng Hào) came looking for Zheng san’ye, and he entered the courtyard alone. This subordinate first heard the door being knocked, and er gongzi knocked on the door for a long time but no one responded. Just as this subordinate felt that something was amiss, he heard er gongzi screaming inside.

“This subordinate quickly entered the courtyard, and promptly saw er gongzi falling to a sitting position underneath the edge of the window with a snow-white complexion, yelling the two words ‘Zumu’ from his mouth. This subordinate realised that er gongzi had pierced through the window paper, so he quickly looked inside through that hole, and immediately realised that Zheng san’ye lying on the writing desk, and could smell the blood. This subordinate was cognizant that this was bad, so he used his personal dagger to break open the door latch. But after going through the door, Zheng san’ye had already stopped breathing.”

After saying all these, that embroidered emissary knelt on the ground and asked for his punishment. “This subordinate has been ineffectual in his overwatch, may Hou’ye mete out the punishment.”

Huò Wēi Lóu had ordered this embroidered emissary to follow Zhèng Wén Yàn at dawn. For the entire day, he did indeed follow him closely, and it was only much later that he stood guard in the courtyard that Zhèng Wén Yàn was situated in. In the summary of his whole account, there was no dereliction of his duty.

Two cases of homicide had already occurred in the Marquis Residence, who could have predicted that a third person would die?

Precisely because of this, Huò Wēi Lóu gave that subordinate a sweeping glance, still wearing a strict expression, “Go and receive your punishment.”

Though the embroidered emissary’s complexion was slightly pale, he seemed to sigh in relief as he complied and withdrew.

Third Furen and Zhèng Hào had arrived the fastest, and they were currently being supported by two slave-servants as they cried until they were struggling to breathe. Huò Wēi Lóu was internally aware that he would not be able to gain any answers from them, so he brought Bó Ruò Yōu into the study.

The Marquis Residence was expansive, and the few masters had their own independent small courtyard to act as their study. Upon entering the extant courtyard, there was a small wing-room on the left and right, with central room being especially large since it was three rooms joined into one, only partitioned off with numerous asymmetrical and layered shelves. A tall and large bookshelf was placed on the right side, containing a great number of books until the shelves were basically packed to the brim, and on the left was the area where Zhèng Wén Yàn entertained his guests and advanced his learning. 

Zhèng Wén Yàn was lying on the writing desk, an exquisitely shaped demon-capitulating pestle impaled into his heart from the back. Blood was flowing down his spine, thus soaking the entire desk, seat, and the floor under, into a puddle of scarlet.

The assailing smell of blood could make scalps numb. Huò Wēi Lóu was clearly standing in the spot where the lights were flourishing the most, but his entire body was so saturated with darkness and cold harshness that even the lights could not shine through. Bó Ruò Yōu knew, Huò Wēi Lóu was infuriated.

In a place where he was keeping watch, the murderer actually dared to kill someone.

The cold perspiration on Hè Chéng’s forehead dripped out, and he could not stop himself from constantly wiping his sweat with the handkerchief he was holding. Fu gonggong looked at Zhèng Wén Yàn’s corpse, revealing indignation on his face, “He was still a living person in the day, and now…”

“Examine the corpse.” Huò Wēi Lóu suddenly issued the order.

Bó Ruò Yōu responded in the affirmative, lifting her feet to walk towards Zhèng Wén Yàn’s side.

The corpse’s temperature had yet to fully recede, nor had his wound scabbed over. After supporting him slightly, she discovered that Zhèng Wén Yàn’s body was particularly slack and soft, his mouth was slightly parted, and his eyes not fully lidded. Since he was lying on the writing desk, the traces of pressure could be clearly perceived, and then she checked the arms that had landed on the writing desk, the soles of his feet which were flush with the ground and more. Not once did she discover the manifestation of livor mortis.

All of this proved that Zhèng Wén Yàn’s time of death was within an hour.

As Bó Ruò Yōu was inspecting the corpse, Huò Wēi Lóu was scrutinising the room. The hall was wide, the hexagonal windows in all four directions would have allowed for ideal day lighting, but all of the windows in this whole room were locked shut.

The windows were locked from inside, and the doors were latched, so how did the murderer kill him?

What was even stranger was that the murder weapon was the demon-capitulating pestle stabbing into Zhèng Wén Yàn’s heart from the back.

The room was so quiet a pin drop could be heard. At this moment, however, the whiz of approaching footsteps that later stopped travelled over from outside the courtyard. The voices of Zhèng Wén Ān and the rest rang out, with Zhèng Wén Ān consoling Third Furen first before he dashed towards the study entrance.

Once he saw Zhèng Wén Yàn lying on the writing desk, and the eye-piercing colour of blood beneath his feet, Zhèng Wén Ān exclaimed with overwhelming grief, “Third Brother—”

Huò Wēi Lóu commanded Zhèng Wén Ān to step through the door before pointing at the demon-capitulating pestle in Zhèng Wén Yàn’s back. “Do [you] recognise this object?”

Zhèng Wén Ān looked at that demon-capitulating pestle, expression distorting, “This… This was a ceremonial tool that was used during the religious ceremony today for Mother. The shifu were originally planning to bring it away, but Third Brother asked for it to be left behind, stating that it could be placed in the mourning hall to ward off evil.”

Huò Wēi Lóu scowled, “And this object was placed in the mourning hall?”

Zhèng Wén Ān shook his head, “Not yet. It was kept with the offerings and the other ceremonial tools before this, since we were going to re-decorate Mother’s mourning hall tomorrow, lest it appeared horrendous. Third Brother also said that the case hasn’t been solved anyway, and since we were planning to allow Mother to rest temporarily in a coffin for seven-sevens forty-nine days, it will be buried altogether after seventh seven has passed and all the religious ceremonies have been completed.”

After Zhèng Wén Ān finished speaking, his nose soured, “He was fine this afternoon, why did…”

As he was saying that, human voices rang out in the courtyard again, and very quickly, a delicate and dignified figure appeared at the entrance!

Zhèng Yún Ní stood at the entrance, her visage pale and shell-shocked. Her pretty eyes fluttered a few times, and the tears were already welling at the corner of her eyes, “Third Uncle…”

Within a month, three people had unexpectedly died in the Marquis Residence, and all of them were closely related. Zhèng Yún Ní’s body swayed, and she only managed to stand stably by holding onto the door frame. Zhèng Wén Yàn caught sight of Zhèng Yún Ní once he turned his head, and spoke with concern: “Yún Ní, don’t look, go and accompany your Third Aunt.”

Zhèng Yún Ní choked out an affirmative reply, staying rigid for a brief moment before retreating outside.

Upon seeing Zhèng Yún Ní, Third Furen’s wails became even louder. Zhèng Yún Ní comforted her in a small voice, and it was only after half a minute that Third Furen finally quietened down by a little. Huò Wēi Lóu was currently ordering the embroidered emissaries and government hirelings to search the courtyard, before he strode over after noticing the change.

Third Furen’s eyes were completely red from crying, and when she saw Huò Wēi Lóu walking over, she still had some fears. She mumbled: “Hou’ye… Husband died unjustly, please ȳou must find the murderer that hurt him, and redress the injustice for Husband ah…”

She started crying again as she spoke. Huò Wēi Lóu asked in a stern voice: “Zhèng Wén Yàn originally went back to his courtyard, why did he suddenly go to the study?”

Third Furen froze before wiping her tears and saying, “Min’fu does not know either. Husband was exhausted from Mother’s religious ceremony, and he was supposed to go back and rest, but for some unknown reason, just as he changed out of his clothes, his expression changed drastically, and he walked out of the courtyard doors in a hurry. Min’fu called out to him, but he didn’t even turn his head back. At that time, min’fu was about to prepare the meals, so he was left to his own devices. When the food was fully prepared, but he had yet to return, min’fu told Hào’er to go and look for his father. It was minutes after Hào’er left that min’fu learned that something had gone wrong.”

Third Furen peered inside the room door, her sobs rising again, “Husband is no more than thirty, Hào’er is just seven-years-old, how are we, an orphaned child and widowed mother, supposed to live in the future ah…”

As Zhèng Yún Ní listened to her, tears clung to her eyelashes, and she consoled Third Furen while coaxing Zhèng Hào.

Zhèng Hào had his head buried in Third Furen’s arms and his body was still trembling. Huò Wēi Lóu stared at Zhèng Hào, “What did you see just now?”

If you were attentive enough, you would realise that Huò Wēi Lóu’s tone of voice was much gentler, but for Zhèng Hào, Huò Wēi Lóu was frightening enough on his own, regardless of what tone he used.

In a moment’s work, Zhèng Hào became more terrified. Third Furen sobbed out, “Hou’ye, Hào’er said that he saw Mother… he said he saw Mother’s departed spirit.” Third Furen revealed a fearful expression on his face, “The doors and windows were locked, if it wasn’t a ghost, how did they manage to go inside and kill someone? But why would Mother kill Husband, Husband has never done anything to harm Mother ah… Second Brother died on Mother’s first seventh, today is Mother’s second seventh…”

Third Furen muttered to herself, the dread on her expression becoming more intense the more she talked. She only hugged Zhèng Hào tighter, like she was genuinely afraid that a ghost would harm them. Zhèng Yún Ní shook Third Furen, “Third Aunt, don’t speak of such nonsense, there are no ghosts or gods!”

In spite of how the entire courtyard and everywhere else was being submerged in the fear of a ghost killing humans, Zhèng Yún Ní appeared extremely calm by comparison. Huò Wēi Lóu gave her a fleeting look before questioning Third Furen again, “What was Zhèng Wén Yàn doing before he left? Did he meet anyone, or hear anything?”

Third Furen’s expression was vacant as she tried to remember, the knit of her brows becoming tighter and tighter the longer she was immersed in her thoughts. It was evident that she could not think of anything useful, and it was at this moment where Bó Ruò Yōu’s voice resounded from inside the room, “Hou’ye, please come inside—”

Huò Wēi Lóu turned around without any hesitation, entering the study with quick strides, only to see Bó Ruò Yōu standing under the hexagonal window that was left of the writing desk, holding out an object as indication, “Hou’ye, the reason for Zheng san’ye’s abrupt departure has been found.”

Her tone of voice was somewhat heavy, and it was also at this moment where Huò Wēi Lóu had a good look of what she was holding in her hands. It was a piece of paper that had been burnt into half.

A gold dusted paper.

Huò Wēi Lóu stalked over, hardly surprised when he saw the four words “On my second seventh” on top.

On my first seventh, thus death is due.

Yin Year Yin Hour, for I pay with life.

On the other gold dusted paper he saw moments ago, the same expression was written, except “first seventh” had turned into “second seventh”. Huò Wēi Lóu and Bó Ruò Yōu’s eyes met, a hint of sternness seeping into the depths of their eyes.

The murderer was using Lao Furen’s seventh days of death as a time marker, killing under the disguise of a ghost. Based on these words, during the next seventh day, perhaps another person would perish. Moreover, why was the murderer going to such great lengths? Was it just for the sake of killing them, or were they conspiring for something else?

Almost simultaneously, a premonition rose within Huò Wēi Lóu and Bó Ruò Yōu. Underneath this strange Marquis Residence of feudal aristocrats which was pervaded with strangeness everywhere, there was a secret which had been hidden for many years that was about to emerge above the water surface.