The Twenty-Second Chapter

This night, the Zhao Manor was as peaceful as usual.

It wasn't until after the fifth watch that the steward, seeing that his master had not left his room, couldn't help but knock on the study door. There was no response from inside.

He pushed the door, and it actually opened.

"Master, Madam?" the steward stood at the doorway for a while, calling inside.

The study was silent.

He called out a few more times, still with no response. He hesitated and walked into the study, then around to the inner chamber.

As soon as he stepped inside, he smelled a strong, foul odor. The steward's heart leaped. He quickened his steps and found a large pool of blood on the ground, along with bloody footprints. The footprints were very small, seemingly left by a child of a few years old.

He stepped forward and lifted the heavily draped bed curtain, seeing three people lying side by side on the bed.

The Master and Madam, with young master Wenqi in the middle.

However, among these three, only young master Wenqi's complexion was normal, and he was breathing evenly. The other two had lost all color in their faces, and from their necks down, exposed from the quilt, only bones remained.

The steward took one look and then screamed, running out. Before he could get out the door, he stumbled and fell, his face covered in blood.

"The Master is dead, quickly report it to the authorities—"

When the Jingzhao Prefecture heard that the deceased was the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, they directly instructed someone to report it to the Ministry of Justice.

Soon, the Ministry of Justice sent people to the Zhao Manor. The official leading the team was Xue Mingtang.

When Xue Mingtang heard the report from the Jingzhao Prefecture, he was only told that Zhao Ming and his adopted concubine had died. It wasn't until he arrived that he learned Zhao Ming's parents had also died.

Now, the only person in the entire manor who could make decisions was the unmarried second young lady, Zhao Wenyue.

Zhao Wenyue woke up to hear that her grandparents and father had all died overnight. She was stunned. When she saw Xue Mingtang, the usual joy was gone from her face.

"Lord Xue... Lord Xue, what exactly happened to my father?" Zhao Wenyue asked anxiously, seeming to see Xue Mingtang as a lifeline.

"This official is about to take the coroner to examine the bodies. Please wait a moment, Second Young Lady Zhao."

Xue Mingtang did not waste time with Zhao Wenyue. He had someone summon the Zhao Manor's steward, who was the only one still somewhat useful, and had him lead them to Zhao Ming's study. He also dispatched a team to examine the bodies of Zhao Ming's parents.

The steward couldn't help but recall the scene from earlier just by approaching the study and dared not go in. Xue Mingtang did not force him. He had two subordinates guard the door and entered with the coroner and several others.

When the steward ran out, he only remembered that his masters were dead and had completely forgotten that Zhao Wenqi was still inside.

Xue Mingtang saw the sleeping boy lying next to two corpses. The boy had a deep knife wound on his face, but it was no longer bleeding. He couldn't help but frown and tilted his head to instruct, "Wake that child up."

A clerk from the Ministry of Justice stepped forward and patted Zhao Wenqi's face. Zhao Wenqi groggily rubbed his eyes and sat up.

He hadn't figured out why he had woken up in his father's study. He turned and saw his parents lying on the bed, and called out, "Father, Mother."

Just as he was about to reach out and push his unresponsive father and mother, the clerk from the Ministry of Justice quickly grabbed him.

Zhao Wenqi was startled and struggled on the ground. His foot happened to hook the quilt, and the quilt was pulled open.

Beneath the quilt lay two bodies, stripped down to their bones, side by side. Their internal organs remained in their original positions, but the flesh was gone.

It hadn't disappeared, but had been neatly stacked beneath them.

Such a horrifying scene, even the coroner from the Ministry of Justice, who had seen his fair share of death, covered his mouth, let alone the few-year-old Zhao Wenqi.

He let out a short scream, then his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

"My lord, this child?" the clerk asked Xue Mingtang.

Xue Mingtang looked at the child-sized shoes that had been taken off beside the couch, then at Zhao Wenqi's feet, and said, "Compare them with the footprints in the room."

The comparison results came out quickly. Those bloody footprints were left by Zhao Wenqi.

"Take him out and keep a close eye on him. We'll decide after the autopsy results are out."

"Yes." The clerk from the Ministry of Justice took the order and carried Zhao Wenqi out.

Xue Mingtang's gaze swept over the two bodies stripped to their skeletons, his brow furrowed.

He left the coroner to examine the bodies and had his subordinates search the inner chamber for further evidence. He himself went to the study outside.

Xue Mingtang walked to the door and instructed the subordinates guarding it not to let anyone in, then closed the study door.

When he first met Zhao Ming, he had left his personal jade pendant with him as a token. He needed to find it quickly now, and given Zhao Ming's caution, there might be other preparations.

As Xue Mingtang thought, his gaze began to scan the study.

Ever since he learned of Zhao Ming's murder, he had been uneasy.

The Mingjing Division was watching closely. He didn't want to prematurely dispose of Lady Xiao Lin, but Zhao Ming was impatient and demanded he fulfill their agreement to help him get rid of Lady Xiao Lin.

Furthermore, on the day of the Flower Festival, Lady Xiao Lin had spoken disrespectfully to his older sister. He had then used the Snow Needle Snake and cleaned up all the loose ends, ensuring the Mingjing Division found no clues.

Lady Xiao Lin had been dead for some time, and indeed, no one had noticed anything unusual. He had thought everything was over, but unexpectedly, things had taken a turn.

Soon, Xue Mingtang found two hidden compartments in the study. One was hidden behind a hanging painting, and the other was behind a bookshelf, blocked by a pile of books.

The first compartment contained a box with a stack of silver notes, a few gold ingots, and several land deeds pressed underneath.

The other compartment held a wooden box containing a stack of letters.

Xue Mingtang took out the stack of letters and indeed felt something inside one of the letters in the middle.

The envelope contained the jade pendant he had given to Zhao Ming.

He took out the jade pendant and put it away, then couldn't help but wonder if Zhao Ming would write down any evidence unfavorable to him and put it in these envelopes.

Just as he was considering how to deal with these letters, the clerk guarding the door suddenly shouted, "Halt!"

Xue Mingtang's expression changed. The next moment, the tightly shut study door shattered, and a wooden box flew out towards the door.

The two people inside and outside exchanged a blow across the air, the wooden box exploded, and the letters inside shattered into countless pieces, flying around in the air.

Xue Mingtang put his slightly trembling hands behind his back and walked out with a calm expression.

Outside the study, Feng Yang, who had just fought him, stood at the front, with a team of Mingjing Division guards behind him.

"Commander Feng, what is the meaning of this?" Xue Mingtang asked, his tone questioning.

"The Zhao family's case has been taken over by our Mingjing Division."

Xue Mingtang's face sank, and he said firmly, "There is no such rule. The case has already been handed over by the Jingzhao Prefecture to the Ministry of Justice. If you don't want this official to interfere in this case, you need an order from the Ministry of Justice."

"Is it not enough if this official orders it?"

As Xue Mingtang and Feng Yang were at a stalemate, a deep voice came. The Mingjing Division guards quickly formed two lines, clearing a path.

Bai Xiuming, dressed in a dark purple wide-sleeved, straight-hemmed robe with faint dark dragon patterns visible that appeared and disappeared as he walked.

He was not at his post today but had rushed over from the Ming King Manor upon hearing about the incident at the Zhao family's residence.

"Greetings, Lord Bai." Xue Mingtang bowed his head deeply. "Since Lord Bai wishes to investigate this case, this official will immediately lead his men away."

"Leave?" Bai Xiuming looked at the paper scraps all over the ground. "Before Lord Xue can explain clearly what you intended by destroying the letters at the crime scene, I'm afraid you cannot leave."

Xue Mingtang immediately explained, "This official thought it was an intruder and casually threw the wooden box in the study as a weapon. This is this official's fault, and this official is willing to accept punishment."

"So, it was Feng Yang who startled Lord Xue?"

Cold sweat broke out on Xue Mingtang's forehead. He dared to confront Feng Yang, but he did not dare to disrespect this Commander. It wasn't because of Bai Xiuming's status or position, but because the latter's cultivation was enough to crush him.

"It is this official's mistake."

"Since you made a mistake, Lord Xue, you will stay here for the time being to reflect."

After Bai Xiuming finished speaking, he walked towards the study.

At this time, the coroner from the Ministry of Justice had finished the autopsy. Seeing that it was people from the Mingjing Division who had entered, he couldn't help but look surprised.

Feng Yang stepped forward and asked, "What did you find?"

The coroner immediately reported the examination results: "Reporting to you, sir, these two people died from the punishment of flaying. Strangely, the angle and force of each cut by the perpetrator were identical, something even the most skilled executioner could not achieve."

"Sir?" Feng Yang turned to look at Bai Xiuming.

Bai Xiuming asked, "Who was the woman who died?"

"She was Zhao Ming's concubine. The son Zhao Ming recently adopted was his illegitimate son with this concubine."

"How many people knew about this?"

"There should also be Zhao Ming's parents. They are also dead."

Bai Xiuming pondered for a moment, "Send someone to find Lady Lin's grave, dig it up, open the coffin... and retrieve the soul."

"Yes." Feng Yang immediately sent someone out.

"Also... keep an eye on Ji Chan. After the case is concluded, this official wants to see her."