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墨書 Inktalez
Ruyi Rouge Pavilion
"I am not!"
Yunxi struggled for a moment and looked into the eyes of Matriarch Luo.
"I never believed in any Vengeful Spirit. If there really were Vengeful Spirits seeking revenge in this world, how could those wicked people go unpunished? How could there be good people who do not pay with their lives while evil endures for a thousand years?"
Having said that, Yunxi bent down to pick up the lantern that had fallen to the ground and quickly rushed out of the dark room. Just as she reached the door, she saw a cold light aimed at her abdomen. Instinctively, she raised the lantern to block it, sweeping it against the person's arm. The flame ignited the lantern, which then caught the person's sleeve on fire.
In the firelight, Yunxi realized that the person was actually the old maid beside Matriarch Luo, and what she held was a dagger. Fortunately, the dagger was not long, and the old maid was not a trained assassin; otherwise, Yunxi would have found it difficult to escape from her sudden attack.
Matriarch Luo heard the commotion and stepped out of the dark room. Upon seeing the old maid's sleeve ablaze with High Heat, she coldly asked, "Why are you here?"
While patting out the flames on her arm, the old maid replied to Matriarch Luo, "As long as this child in her womb does not survive, as long as she dies here, all problems will be solved."
"I won't allow it!" Matriarch Luo fixed her gaze on the old maid and said firmly, "I want her to safely deliver the child in her womb. Also, I do not appreciate others making decisions for me. You are an elder by my side and should know my temperament best. If you feel that the Luo family can no longer accommodate you, feel free to speak up."
The old maid extinguished the flames on her arm and quickly knelt before Matriarch Luo.
"Matriarch, you know that Old Servant did not mean it that way. Everything Old Servant did tonight was for your consideration. Old Servant... Old Servant truly cannot bear to see you make things difficult for yourself or suffer. The young master may not understand your feelings, but Old Servant knows in her heart; Old Servant only feels pity for you."
Matriarch Luo glanced at her but said nothing.
Yunxi pursed her lips and said to Matriarch Luo, "Everything said in the dark room was from a daughter-in-law's sincere heart. If in the future my mother-in-law no longer makes things difficult for me, I will treat tonight's events as if they never happened. I will also fulfill my filial duties alongside my husband."
Matriarch Luo looked at the night outside the ancestral hall and remarked, "It is getting late; you should return!"
The lantern that had been placed in the corner was lit and handed to Yunxi.
By the time Xing Ruyi and the others descended the mountain, three days had already passed. The process of taking medicine and healing was uneventful, but the outcome still needed some time to be observed before it could be confirmed. For now, judging solely from Xing Ruyi's pulse, everything was going even more smoothly than expected. Aside from feeling a bit weak, the chaotic energy within her body had finally been controlled.
In Ruyi Cosmetic Shop, only A Niu was present. Upon seeing Xing Ruyi and the others return, he first inquired about the Fox Demon's condition, then began to ramble on about another matter.
Just three days prior, on the night when the Fox Demon went out for a consultation, Madam Luo hanged herself in her family shrine. The first person to discover Lady Luo's body was a servant responsible for cleaning the shrine. According to this servant, he was supposed to clean the shrine every other day, and on that particular day, he woke up early. When he approached the shrine's entrance, he sensed something was off because one half of the door was ajar.
As he reached the door, he noticed something smeared on the threshold. Following those traces inside, he saw a lit lantern lying on the ground not far away, along with some charred fragments scattered nearby.
Just as he squeezed his body in to get a better look, he accidentally pushed open the other half of the door. Then he saw Lady Luo hanging from a beam.
"Why would Lady Luo hang herself in the shrine when everything seemed fine?"
Having just come down from the mountain, hearing such a bizarre story related to the Luo Family piqued Xing Ruyi's interest. Fortunately, although she felt weak physically, her ability to think remained intact. Leaning against the fox, she furrowed her brows as she looked at A Niu.
"What about Brother Chang? We haven't seen him since we entered; he's definitely not in Xing. Could it be that someone from Yamen called him over to Luo Family? If Brother Chang has been summoned to Luo Family, it suggests that Lady Luo's death is not simple."
"How does Shopkeeper know?" A Niu asked with curiosity.
"It's simple. If it were a suicide by hanging, Lady Luo could have done it in her own room; why would she go to the shrine at night? Was she afraid that after her death, Lord Luo wouldn't place her Tablet inside? Did she rush there beforehand to secure a spot? That clearly doesn't make sense.
However, if there were something hidden in that shrine or if Lady Luo had a particular fondness for it, then it might explain why she chose to hang herself there. The former would imply she wanted to use her death to alert others that something was amiss in the shrine; the latter could stem from some obsession of hers. But still, why would Lady Luo commit suicide when everything seemed fine?"
"Shopkeeper is indeed Shopkeeper; just a few casual remarks hit several key points. No wonder Brother Chang thinks so highly of you; you're quite skilled at solving mysteries."
A Niu extended a thumb towards Xing Ruyi.
"Stop flattering me. Just look at what I said earlier; which parts actually made sense?"
Xing Ruyi rubbed her head, her eyes pitifully scanning Deer Lady.
"Deer Lady, could you please make me something to eat first? I don't know how others manage to meditate in seclusion, but I haven't eaten a single grain of rice. If I don't eat something soon, I'll become another unsolved case in this Yun family gathering. I've even thought of a catchy headline for others to spread: 'Golden Age of the Tang Dynasty: Ruyi Rouge's shopkeeper starves herself to death!'"
"Bang!" The fox tapped Xing Ruyi on the forehead. "No nonsense, and definitely don't casually mention that word."
Xing Ruyi stuck out her tongue, and Deer Lady shook her head as she went to the kitchen. Old Beggar naturally followed her.
As for Yin Yuan, she didn't neglect herself and had somehow pulled out a bag of dried fruits, looking ready to continue listening to the story.
Xing Ruyi reached out towards Yin Yuan, but Yin Yuan smiled and shook her head. "Mother has just recovered from a serious illness; it's better not to eat too many dried fruits."
Xing Ruyi weakly leaned against the fox's embrace, her eyes flickering. "A Niu, please continue your story? Otherwise, your shopkeeper here will only feel increasingly empty and lonely inside."
A Niu wanted to laugh, but under Xing Ruyi's pitiful gaze, she could only stifle her amusement.
"The shopkeeper just mentioned that if the Matriarch of the Luo family wanted to hang herself, she could do so in her own bedroom or even in her own yard; there was no need to choose the ancestral hall. The reason she chose the ancestral hall is because it hides something or has something that the Luo Matriarch particularly cherishes.
A Niu had privately inquired and found that this Luo Matriarch didn't seem to have many other hobbies but had a particular fondness for this ancestral hall. Even when it wasn't a time for worship, she often spent most of her time there with her personal maid."
"I hadn't thought of that yet. When I spoke with Luo Fu and Yun Xi before, they seemed to mention it as well. In the Luo family, if someone was reprimanded by the Luo Matriarch, it usually took place in this ancestral hall. I originally thought it was just a matter of strict rules in wealthy families. The ancestral hall is not only eerie but also quite solemn, suitable for setting rules for future generations. Now, thinking back on what you just said, I really do find the Luo Matriarch's preferences rather unique."
"Do you want to know why the Luo Matriarch's preferences are unique?"
“Why?” Xing Ruyi glanced at A Niu. “You, A Niu, have only been through one year, yet you've learned to keep secrets like the Shopkeeper. Hurry up, when your Shopkeeper is hungry, he usually has no patience, but his temper is quite big.”
“Madam Luo particularly likes that ancestral hall because there is something hidden in it—a secret chamber.”
“A secret chamber? For a wealthy family, having a few secret rooms or compartments seems quite normal. Especially for those engaged in business, not only do they have many valuable items at home, but they also keep a lot of cash and silver notes to prevent theft. It's quite normal to hide them. After all, not everyone in business can be as carefree as I am, leaving silver notes casually on the table.”
“Mother, that's not being carefree; it's just being forgetful.”
Yin Yuan showed no regard for maternal feelings and bluntly pointed this out.
Xing Ruyi snorted lightly and urged A Niu, “Hurry up, what’s hidden in the secret chamber of the Luo Family Ancestral Hall? Gold and silver treasures, or is it filled with silver notes?”
“The Shopkeeper is really money-minded!” A Niu gestured in the air. Although Xing Ruyi watched intently, she couldn't figure out what he was indicating. Just as she was about to ask, A Niu continued, “If the Luo Family Ancestral Hall were hiding gold and silver treasures and a lot of silver notes, there would be no need for our family’s master to step in. In the secret chamber of the Luo Family Ancestral Hall lies a woman—one who has been dead for over ten years. According to those who returned from watching the commotion, the coroner at the Yamen confirmed on the spot that this woman was pregnant when she died. Some black dirt was found in a teacup in the secret chamber, which is suspected to be some kind of poison. Although the woman has been dead for a while, her body has not decayed, and the coroner did not find any fatal wounds on her. It is speculated that she was likely poisoned.”
“Do we know who the deceased is?”
“No need to investigate at all.” A Niu waved his hand. “When the coroner came out of the secret chamber and announced that it was a pregnant woman who had died, Master Luo was instantly stunned and swayed unsteadily. If Young Master Luo and Young Lady hadn’t been there to support him, he would have fallen to the ground. Before anyone at the Yamen could ask questions, Lord Luo stumbled into the secret chamber and upon seeing her cried out a name—Xi Er! Shopkeeper, can you guess who this Xi Er is?”
“Someone whose name can make Lord Luo cry must either be his relative or his beloved. This person died pregnant in a secret chamber, and since Madam Luo particularly cherishes this ancestral hall, we can deduce that this deceased must be Lord Luo's favored concubine!”
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