Chapter 14

Bai Xiuming did not answer A Chan's question, merely stating, "This official is never interested in other people's family affairs."

"Then when will Master be interested?"

"When there's a need."

A Chan wasn't disappointed, but she did scrutinize her uncle more closely in her heart. She had a feeling that Bai Xiuming's words weren't casual.

However, investigating cases was the Mingjing Division's job. If there were any issues, they would find out. For now, she could only wait for the results.

A Chan quickly shifted her attention back and asked Bai Xiuming, "Does Master have any other questions?"

"No, you've been very thorough."

"May I ask Master a question?" A Chan asked.

"Go ahead."

"Will you be taking Aunt's body away later?"

"As it involves a monster, her body needs to be brought back to the Mingjing Division first to confirm there won't be any mutations."

"Then can I see Aunt?"

Bai Xiuming was somewhat surprised but didn't refuse. He merely warned, "The appearance of the dead isn't very pleasant."

A Chan's attitude was firm: "I want to see her."

"Alright." Bai Xiuming led her further inside. A Chan followed him, trying her best to avoid the large pools of blood on the ground.

Lady Xiao Lin died in her bedroom. There was less blood inside. It seemed she had cut open her own stomach in the outer room and then stumbled back into the inner room.

A Chan walked in and saw Lady Xiao Lin's body laid out neatly on the floor. Someone had apparently examined the body. After the examination, it had been covered with a white cloth, which was covered in red talismans.

She stepped forward and lifted a corner of the white cloth. Lady Xiao Lin's bloodless face appeared in her vision. Her face was contorted in a look of horror, her eyes wide open, as if she had seen something terrifying before she died.

A Chan slowly squatted beside Lady Xiao Lin, the sharp words she had heard upon their first meeting seeming to echo in her ears.

So fragile, people could die so easily.

Bai Xiuming stood not far behind A Chan, watching her squat by the body for a long time. He said, "My condolences."

A Chan only snapped back to reality when she heard his voice, but she didn't turn around.

"How can Master tell I'm sad? I wasn't close to Aunt. She even wanted to dress me up nicely and marry me off as a concubine to a high-ranking family, to gain more benefits for the Zhao family."

Bai Xiuming didn't reply, just listened quietly.

"But... when someone is desperate, if someone offers them a hand, even if that person isn't that kind, she should still be considered a good person, right? It's a pity she died like this."

A Chan covered the lifted corner of the white cloth and slowly stood up.

She turned around and looked up slightly at Bai Xiuming. "Master will find out the truth as soon as possible, won't you?"

Even if the truth might not bring peace to the unjustly deceased.

Bai Xiuming didn't answer her, only said faintly, "Let's go," and walked away first.

A Chan walked a few steps and then stopped, tilting her head to look at Lady Xiao Lin, who lay quietly there. Now she had a human body too. Would she also die like this one day?

Even if she didn't die a violent death, even if she lived out her natural lifespan, a person's life was only a few decades.

She suddenly seemed to understand why people always yearned for immortality. She didn't want to die so soon either.

A Chan lingered behind for a while before walking out.

The Mingjing Division guards' questioning of the Zhao Manor residents wasn't over yet, so she had to wait outside.

After waiting for more than half an hour, A Chan felt like the cold wind had seeped through her entire body. She couldn't help but think that if she could go back early tonight, she should brew some warming medicinal soup. Otherwise, she would definitely have a fever again tomorrow morning.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look enviously at the man standing under the porch, occasionally listening to his subordinates report. His official robe was so thin, yet he didn't seem cold at all.

It was good to have cultivation. It was a pity her body had no connection to cultivation.

About another quarter of an hour passed, and those who had been taken away gradually returned to the courtyard. At a glance, their expressions weren't good. It was probably the first time in their lives they had been taken away for questioning by the Mingjing Division guards, and they were terrified.

The last to be brought back were the Zhao family members. Zhao Ming's expression remained as usual, but his jaw was tight, as if he was suppressing his anger.

Zhao Wenyue looked very displeased with the pushing Mingjing Division guards but didn't dare to say anything. As for Zhao Wensheng, he was brought back by Commander Jiang, who grabbed him by the neck.

He was the most disheveled of them all. After entering the courtyard, Jiang Kai threw him to the ground.

At this moment, Zhao Wensheng was slumped on the ground like a puddle of mud, his face pale, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

"Master, we've found out. Zhao Wensheng admits the fish was bought by him," Jiang Kai stepped forward and saluted.

Bai Xiuming walked over slowly. Zhao Wensheng trembled and tried to retreat, but his body wouldn't obey. He kept muttering, "I didn't know, I didn't know Mother would die. He said no one would die, really."

Bai Xiuming stopped a few steps away from him, looking down at Zhao Wensheng, and asked, "Who is he?"

Zhao Wensheng seemed to be in a trance and didn't answer.

Bai Xiuming glanced at Commander Jiang.

Commander Jiang stepped forward and stomped on Zhao Wensheng's hand. The intense pain made him cry out, and he instantly became clear-headed.

Jiang Kai didn't care that Zhao Wensheng's father was also present. He bent down, grabbed the man by his collar, and said with a ferocious expression, "When our Master asks questions, you answer honestly. If you dare to lie, I'll chop off one of your hands. Understand?"

"Understood, understood," Zhao Wensheng nodded frantically.

"Then hurry up and answer!" Jiang Kai roared.

"It was people from the gambling den. I, I met a gambler at the gambling den, and he said their village had live fish. Eating it... eating it..."

"Eating it what?"

"Eating it, the fetus would turn into a monster."

A Chan hadn't expected this. Zhao Wensheng had given Lady Xiao Lin the Yifu Fish because he didn't want her to give birth to that child.

"You didn't want your mother to give birth to the child, why? Your younger brother shouldn't be a hindrance to you."

Hearing the term "younger brother," Zhao Wensheng seemed provoked. His voice suddenly rose: "It's just an unborn fetus, what kind of brother is that? Ever since she got pregnant with that little bastard, she's been dissatisfied with me in a thousand ways. I only gambled a few times, and she cut off my money. I was even ridiculed by classmates when I went out to eat. She also told Father I wasn't diligent and wanted to send me back to my hometown, not allowing me back to the capital unless I passed the provincial graduate exam. Heh, doesn't she just think I'm useless because I can't achieve fame, so she wants to give birth to someone else to replace me?" Zhao Wensheng roared as if venting, but no one present pitied him. Even his own younger sister, Zhao Wenyue, looked at him with disbelief. Zhao Ming was so angry he looked like he would rush forward and beat his own son to death at any moment. Blaming all his mistakes on an unborn infant. It really would have been better to send him back to his hometown and never let him return.

"So you wanted her to miscarry?"

"Yes. I thought about giving her medicine, but it was too easy to discover. Later, I snuck into an underground casino and met that person. He told me someone in their village mistakenly ate that strange fish, and all the offspring were monsters. So I borrowed ten taels of silver from him and had him deliver fish to me every day."

"How did you make your mother want to eat fish?" Bai Xiuming asked again.

"Grind the fish bones into powder and give it to people to drink, and they'll really want to eat fish. I heard this method from that person too."

"And then, what else did you do?"

Zhao Wensheng looked a bit lost: "N-nothing else. I just delivered the fish to my mother's kitchen every day. I didn't do anything else."

"Then why did she cut open her own stomach?"

"I don't know." As he spoke, Zhao Wensheng knelt on the ground, repeatedly kowtowing to Bai Xiuming. "Sir, believe me, I really didn't intend to kill my mother. I confirmed with that person again and again. Eating that fish wouldn't kill anyone. I just didn't want that fetus to be born. How could I kill my mother?"

Before Bai Xiuming could speak, Zhao Ming had already roared and stepped forward, kicking the kowtowing Zhao Wensheng over. "Nonsense! Even now, you dare to lie!"

"I didn't, Father, I really didn't. I didn't kill Mother." Zhao Wensheng clung to Zhao Ming's leg, refuting and crying. As an observer, A Chan watched the absurd scene, unsure of what to say for a moment. Perhaps Zhao Wensheng was indeed as he claimed, not intending to kill Lady Xiao Lin, but only wanting the child not to be born. However, to unhesitatingly feed his own mother a monstrous fish just to abort his own younger brother, even if he had any humanity, it wasn't much. Seeing the father and son in a chaotic mess, Bai Xiuming raised his chin and ordered, "Separate them." His subordinates immediately stepped forward, restraining Zhao Ming and lifting up Zhao Wensheng, who had been beaten black and blue by his father. Zhao Wensheng seemed unwilling to get up, wanting to continue kowtowing to Bai Xiuming. Bai Xiuming looked at him and said lightly, "This official believes you didn't want your mother to die. Then why did she die? Did you say anything you shouldn't have to her?"

"No, I didn't say anything. I've been at the gambling den during this time. The fish were delivered directly to the kitchen, and I never saw my mother."

Bai Xiuming looked at Jiang Kai.

Jiang Kai stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Sir, your subordinate sent people to investigate the underground casino he mentioned. They've all been brought back, and the person who sold him the fish has also been apprehended."

"Mm." Bai Xiuming raised his hand, and Zhao Wensheng was dragged aside. Then Bai Xiuming looked at Zhao Wenyue, who was comforting Zhao Ming.

"Zhao Wenyue."

The moment her name was called, Zhao Wenyue shivered as if a basin of ice water had been poured over her head. "S-Sir." Zhao Wenyue turned around fearfully, her head lowered, not daring to meet Bai Xiuming's gaze. Seemingly sensing his daughter's fear, Zhao Ming held her hand, offering her considerable comfort.

"I heard you bought a jade hairpin for your mother in Yong Mountain?"

Zhao Wenyue instinctively denied it: "I didn't." Seeing Jiang Kai walking towards her, Zhao Wenyue immediately reacted, almost screaming, "No, no, it wasn't like that. I gave the hairpin to my mother, and after that, I don't know. It was just an ordinary hairpin bought from a street stall!"

"Just an ordinary hairpin? What did the person who sold you the hairpin say to you?"

"He didn't say anything."

"Is that so? But someone saw you talking a lot with the stall owner."

"I didn't." Seeing her stubbornness, Bai Xiuming didn't press further. He just ordered, "Jiang Kai, I want to see the person who sold the hairpin tomorrow."

"Sir, rest assured. Before dawn, we will capture the person." As Jiang Kai finished speaking, Zhao Wenyue's face instantly turned pale. She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but her hand was tightly squeezed. She glanced at her biological father beside her and finally closed her mouth, saying nothing. The father and daughter's movements were not obvious, but anyone watching them would have noticed those small actions.

Bai Xiuming saw it, and A Chan saw it too.

Zhao Wenyue's demeanor was practically telling everyone that the jade hairpin she gave Lady Xiao Lin indeed had a problem, and she knew it clearly.

"Lord Zhao," Bai Xiuming said coldly, "if you dare to obstruct this official from questioning again, this official will have no choice but to send you to the Town Prison for a few days."

Zhao Ming's expression changed, and he hurriedly said, "Lord Bai, please forgive me. This official was merely anxious for his beloved daughter."

"Escort Lord Zhao out and attend to him properly."

"Yes."

Zhao Ming wanted to say more, but he was gagged by two Mingjing Division guards and directly taken away, leaving behind a terrified Zhao Wenyue. This time, she had no one left to rely on.

Bai Xiuming paced forward a few steps. "Zhao Wenyue, this official is giving you only one chance. Speak now, or wait until the person is caught and die with them. You choose."

Zhao Wenyue had never experienced such a scene. Seeing her own father being dragged away, and then being threatened with death, she no longer dared to conceal anything.

She stammered, "That person said the hairpin was carved from medicinal jade collected north of the Northern Wasteland. Once worn, a person's personality would slowly change. I just wanted my mother to agree to my marriage with Young Master Xue!"

"Is that all?" Bai Xiuming seemed displeased.

"Also, he said that after wearing the hairpin, one might initially experience hallucinations or headaches, but they wouldn't be very serious. It would be fine as long as it was taken off."

"Did she take it off?"

Zhao Wenyue fell silent.

Her mother really liked the jade hairpin she gave her. She had been wearing it on her head these past few days and had never taken it off.

But, but her mother seemed completely normal, with no unusual signs at all. She thought the shopkeeper was just trying to scare her.

With the investigation reaching this point, the truth seemed to be on the verge of revelation.

Lady Xiao Lin ate the Yifu Fish her son gave her, and then wore the jade hairpin her daughter gave her. One day, perhaps experiencing terrifying hallucinations or undergoing some unknown change, she horrifyingly and hysterically cut open her own abdomen and died.

A Chan no longer saw the Zhao siblings as innocent victims. If Lady Xiao Lin's body wasn't still in the main room, she would have almost believed this was a farce.

In this world, how could such a ridiculous thing happen?

Her own children, each acting against their mother. How much did they hate her?