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"The truth of the matter is something we cannot know at this moment," Chang Tai said, his eyes darkening. "The case recorded in the county annals is roughly as follows, but there is no mention of the man's identity. The Government Office did investigate the parents of the fisherwoman afterward, but they claimed that because their daughter was missing and her body was never found, they had repeatedly inquired with the Lu family without any results, which led them to consider hiring someone to kill. However, if we analyze the case carefully, there are still some oversights. First, where is the fisherwoman? Second, the fisherwoman's parents are ordinary commoners; although they are somewhat greedy, they are essentially fishermen. How did they manage to find those two killers?"
"This matter does seem a bit suspicious," Xing Ruyi also fell into thought. "The female killer, who later became Lu Jia's bride, mentioned that Lu Jia was painting in his room, and it was a painting of a woman. Afterward, when Lu Jia was found dead, can we trust what this female killer said? Was that painting really done by Lu Jia? Is the woman in the painting the fisherwoman who captured Lu Jia's heart at first sight? If so, does this have anything to do with the haunting at the Xie family later on?"
"I originally thought this fog would clear up, but it seems to be getting denser," Chang Tai sighed and stood up.
"Peeling back layers like an onion, even a spider's web has a first thread and a last thread; as long as we find them, we can uncover the truth. By the way, for such a large property transaction, there should be records in the office. When the Lu family sold their house to the Xie family, is there any documentation?"
"It seems there isn't anything particularly special—just—"
"Just what?"
"The price was particularly low? However, given the circumstances at that time, it was reasonable for the Lu family to sell at a low price. So on this point, it doesn't seem worth investigating further."
"Whether it is or not, let's keep it in mind for now," Xing Ruyi also got up. "Since all leads trace back to the Lu family, I think we should start our investigation from that house. Also, Brother Chang, that female ghost you encountered is also a clue. It's just that she slipped away from us earlier in the hall; otherwise, if we could catch her again, we might learn something."
Hearing Xing Ruyi mention that female ghost made Chang Tai feel an inexplicable chill down his back; he shook his head and said, "She chose me for a reason. Should I act as bait to lure her out?"
"She's not like Xiuhe; she might not fall for our tricks. Let's just head back to Ruyi Rouge and see what Fox has to say. He’s quite skilled at dealing with demons and ghosts."
Chang Tai initially wanted to ask who Xiuhe was but thought better of it; she must also be some kind of female ghost, and he decided it was best not to inquire further.
Upon returning to Ruyi Rouge and sharing the story from the county annals with Fox, Fox merely frowned slightly and stared at Chang Tai for a while without saying a word.
Due to recent events weighing on their minds, none of them could sleep well through the night. Xing Ruyi tossed and turned in bed for a while before sitting up and noticing Fox sitting on the windowsill with a jug of Peach Blossom Wine in hand, leisurely drinking while gazing at the moon.
Xing Ruyi hugged her knees and turned to look at him. The beautiful scenery combined with a handsome man and fine wine was indeed worth appreciating. Yet for some reason, her heart felt chaotic; it seemed like something was about to happen tonight.
"Fox, do you think that female ghost on Brother Chang's back is the missing fisherwoman? If so, why is she residing within that painting? I feel like something about this situation is off; no matter how I think about it, I can't make sense of it."
"I can't say for sure whether the ghost in the painting is related to the fisherwoman's case. The only thing I'm certain of is that her disappearance must be connected to the Lu family, and there’s definitely some involvement between the Lu family and the Xie family. I've seen that archived residential transaction information in Yamen; not only was it priced much lower than usual, but even the information provided was overly simplistic. Clearly, someone deliberately wrote it that way. Residential transactions need to be filed with the Government Office; whoever wrote this record must be someone from within; unless this person is negligent or has been bribed to write it so simply. Based on handwriting comparisons and previous residential transaction records, it's highly likely it's the latter."
"The registration of residential transactions requires both parties to be present; thus this record must have been agreed upon by both sides intentionally written that way. So Fox, you suspect that the Lu and Xie families were already acquainted."
"Also, that mysterious person, don't you think it's too coincidental for him to appear? A Taoist priest, even if he can predict the descent of the White Tiger and that the Lu family will face disaster, would come up with some reliable ideas. But I've never heard of a method that involves locking up the new Wife for three days."
"So, you think this mysterious person is acquainted with Lu Jia. During those three days, they might have been doing something else, and the White Tiger's descent and disaster resolution is just a cover?" Xing Ruyi felt her head starting to ache: "After hearing you say this, I can't help but feel that the situation is becoming more complicated."
"It's not complicated!" The Fox Demon took a sip of Peach Blossom Wine and squinted at Xing Ruyi: "Some things seem very complex when we don't understand them, but once we do, you'll find it's as simple as child’s play."
"I don't know if it's child’s play or not; all I know is that this case is still quite complicated. A hundred years have passed, and even if there were people involved back then, we can't even find their bones. How easy do you think it is to uncover the details and understand the truth?"
"Fox Demon, you're mistaken!" The Fox Demon said, raising its eyes to scan outside the courtyard: "In fact, the clues have long since appeared, and the person who can give us the answers has already shown up."
"Where?"
"Shh!" The Fox Demon made a gesture for silence and then signaled Xing Ruyi to look outside the courtyard.
Xing Ruyi immediately understood what the Fox Demon meant. She gently lifted the quilt, got out of bed quietly, put on a coat, and walked over to the Fox Demon.
Tonight was a bit chilly. It was also dark; apart from the moon hanging in mid-air, not a single star could be seen. The lantern under the eaves was lit; it was unclear whether it was left on intentionally by the Fox Demon or forgotten before sleeping. In any case, the lantern inscribed with the character "Xing" swayed slowly as if being pushed gently by an invisible hand.
Following the light of the lantern upwards was Ruyi Rouge's tiled roof, which shimmered strangely in the moonlight. Upon closer inspection, she noticed someone lying on that roof; the strange glow was emanating from that person's hand.
Xing Ruyi patted her forehead and looked into the Fox Demon's eyes: "Yin Yuan may not be an ordinary child, but is it really okay for you to let him gnaw on a chicken leg at this hour? And don't you think that chicken leg is too greasy? It shines even under the moonlight."
The Fox Demon raised an eyebrow and simply said five words: "He's eating fried chicken!"
Xing Ruyi felt overwhelmed and took a deep breath, wanting to call Yin Yuan back. The Fox Demon reached out and covered her mouth. Xing Ruyi opened her mouth and deliberately nibbled at the Fox Demon's palm. Just as she was about to scold both Yin Yuan and the Fox Demon together, she suddenly noticed something floating outside.
She pointed towards the courtyard wall, but the Fox Demon gestured for her to be quiet. Xing Ruyi nodded, pried open the Fox Demon's hand slightly, lowered her body a bit, and remained still while focusing on that object. The Fox Demon reached out and drew an arc in mid-air; it too became invisible.
Finally, that object revealed itself—it was a painting. A finely crafted image of a woman swayed gently in mid-air. Under the silvery moonlight, Xing Ruyi could almost see clearly the decorations on the woman in the painting; she resembled very much the ghost who had been lying on Chang Tai's back that day. Looking at her face again confirmed what Niu Family had described—fuzzy and indistinct.
At first, she thought it was an issue with her eyesight, but after rubbing her eyes several times, she confirmed that it was indeed a problem with the painting itself.
Xing Ruyi knew that the fox was right beside her, so she asked, "Did you have Yin Yuan ambush on the roof?"
The fox did not respond, but Xing Ruyi clearly felt a warmth on her back, followed by a tightening in her chest, a sensation that only comes from being embraced.
Habitually leaning back, Xing Ruyi continued speaking, "I recognize that outfit; it’s the same one worn by the female ghost I saw on Brother Chang. I originally intended to capture her, but all I managed to catch was a piece of damp rice paper. It seems this is also the ghost's method of escape."
The painting swayed outside, still somewhat wary of the courtyard before them. Yin Yuan bit into a chicken leg, his eyes fixed intently on the woman in the painting. As the Demonic Soul of the Ghostly Fetus, he had a keen sensitivity to Evil Spirits. With his experience from days of cultivation and capturing Monsters, he knew that the woman in the painting was a rare delicacy. Thus, his eyes gleamed with the hunger of a wolf eyeing its prey.
The fox knew that when hunting, one must be adept at concealing their presence because Evil Spirits are also highly sensitive to their surroundings. Therefore, it lay low, blending seamlessly with the surrounding tiles except for its dark eyes.
The painting floated in mid-air, seemingly probing and searching; so focused was it on the courtyard that it completely failed to notice Yin Yuan's predatory gaze.
The current situation resembled two armies facing off on a battlefield, testing each other's patience and attentiveness. Just as Xing Ruyi grew anxious and could no longer suppress her urge to take action, the painting floated in without regard.
"She moved!" Xing Ruyi pointed at the female ghost in the painting.
"Because she has found what she was looking for," the fox revealed itself behind Xing Ruyi and gestured toward Chang Tai's temporary room. Following the fox's indication, Xing Ruyi first heard a faint rustling noise and then saw the light in Chang Tai's room turn on.
The orange light streamed through the window and fell upon the floating painting. The woman in the painting joyfully turned her eyes and then flew over. At that moment, the door to the side room opened, and Chang Tai stepped out, wearing an outer garment and looking puzzled.
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