Chapter 35 Why does that living corpse seem to be chasing after Hui Niang?

Fang Yu's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth as if to make a sound, but it was too late.

Chen Hui! Why is Ru Hui Chen Hui?

She never got the answer to this question until her death.

Fang Yu died on a very ordinary day, strangled to death by her husband, whom she had been infatuated with her whole life.

He died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

The room was filled with Yan Liru's panting. Ru Hui stood behind him, looking down at Fang Yu, who had already lost his life, without any sense of satisfaction from revenge.

Twenty years after her entire family was unjustly killed, the culprit finally died before her eyes, and she felt it was all too late.

Her gaze finally fell on Yan Liru's back. Fang Yu was dead, and the next one... would be their son.

"Master, what should we do next?"

Yan Liru loosened the rope that was strangling Fang Yu, stood up and said, "Don't worry, just pull off all the jewelry on her body, use a bit more force."

Ru Hui was taken aback for a moment, then did as he instructed.

She tore off Fang Yu's hair ornaments, her jewelry pendants and necklaces, and the two jade bracelets on her wrists.

Because of excessive force, marks were left on Fang Yu's neck and ears.

As she took the jewelry from Fang Yu, Yan Liru walked around the room, came to the table, found an angle to push the table over, and the vase on it shattered on the floor.

He tore off another side of the bed curtain, pulled the unfolded quilt off the bed, and threw the pillow to the foot of the bed.

With just a few minor alterations, the room looks like someone was having an argument inside.

"Master, it's all better now."

Ru Hui handed the jewelry to Yan Liru, who put it away and said to her, "Let's go. Don't say anything when you leave."

Ru Hui nodded and followed Yan Liru outside.

After they left the room, Yan Liru left the door wide open and continued forward with Ru Hui.

In the courtyard, Fang Yu's young lover stood anxiously, seemingly waiting for them to come out.

Upon seeing Yan Liru, he did not turn and run away, but instead came to greet him.

"Sir, we made a promise..."

Yan Liru interrupted him: "Don't worry, I told you before that I wouldn't pursue this matter. Fang Yu and I still have things to talk about. Go to Laifu Tavern on the street and wait for me."

"Yes, yes, I'll go right away."

"Don't let the maids and coachmen at the door see this," Yan Liru said calmly.

"Absolutely not."

Upon receiving Yan Liru's words, the young man felt as if he had received a royal decree. He breathed a sigh of relief and ran outside without looking back.

Just as Ru Hui had guessed, Yan Liru had indeed known about Fang Yu's affair for a long time, and even Fang Yu's lover might have been chosen by him.

Yan Liru has never disappointed her; he is ruthless to others, but even more ruthless to himself.

Let's go.

Hearing his words, Ru Hui turned back with some worry: "Are you just leaving like that?"

Seeing her anxious expression, Yan Liru gently held her cold hand: "Don't worry, no one will find out."

The two avoided Fang Yu's maid and coachman and left Zuozhi Lane. They walked to the front street and boarded the Yan family's carriage. The carriage did not return to the Yan family's residence, but instead went to a clothing shop located in a street near the Yan family's residence.

The shop wasn't doing well; the shopkeeper was dozing off in front of the counter.

After Yan Liru went inside, he reached out and knocked on the counter. The shopkeeper, startled, exclaimed, "Lord Yan?"

"Summon the Ye brothers to see me."

"Yes, I'll go and call them right away." The shopkeeper quickly agreed, then left the shop and nimbly went to the backyard through the back door.

Soon, a pair of brothers who looked somewhat alike came out. When they saw Ru Hui there, they glanced at her warily, then bowed to Yan Liru: "Lord Yan, is there anything we brothers can do for you?"

Yan Liru said, "There is a carriage parked outside Zuozhi Lane. The coachman and maid in the carriage, as well as a young man named Ning Cong from Laifu Tavern on the street, have taken them into custody."

The groom was killed, made to appear as if he had been ambushed and killed, and his body was thrown back into the second house on the left side of Zuozhi Lane. Two days later, at the end of the afternoon, the couple was made to drive out of the city, and the jewelry was placed in their luggage.

He handed the jewelry he had received from Ru Hui to the two brothers: "Did you understand?"

One of them took the jewelry and replied without hesitation, "Understood, my brother and I will go right away."

The two figures quickly disappeared. Yan Liru led Ru Hui back to the carriage, which this time headed towards the Yan residence.

The two of them left the mansion without disturbing anyone, and no one dared to point fingers at the master of the house.

By the time it was late afternoon, the maids in Fangyu Courtyard began to worry. Their mistress had never been out so late before; had something happened to her?

They waited until dusk, past curfew, but the lady still hadn't returned.

Feng Xia, the head maid who had been serving Fang Yu, finally couldn't withstand the pressure and hurriedly went to Yan Liru's courtyard.

"Master, Madam went out during the day and has not returned home yet." Feng Xia knelt on the ground anxiously, not daring to look up at Yan Liru's expression.

She was Fang Yu's personal maid. Even though she didn't know what the madam did every time she went out at first, over time she would always find some ambiguous traces on the other party that shouldn't exist.

If it weren't for the fact that the lady hadn't returned home during the curfew, she wouldn't have dared to disturb the master.

Do you know where the lady has gone?

"This servant does not know, but Madam took Fengchun with her when she left."

After Feng Xia finished speaking, she waited for a long time but did not receive a response from her master. She secretly raised her head and saw Yan Liru with a sullen face, seemingly thinking about something.

After a long pause, he finally spoke: "This matter must not be told to anyone, especially the maids in the madam's courtyard. If they dare to go out and spread rumors, I will not let them off the hook."

"Yes, this servant will definitely not let them talk nonsense."

"Go back. If anyone asks, just say that Madam went to Ling'an Temple in the suburbs for a few days."

"This servant understands."

On the way back, before Feng Xia even entered the courtyard, she was stopped by an old man.

"Young lady, where is your wife?" Old Wu asked.

Feng Xia calmly repeated the words Yan Liru had taught her to the old man: "Madam went to Ling'an Temple in the suburbs and said she would stay for a few days."

Old Wu frowned slightly: "How come I've never heard of this before? None of you maids went with us?"

"It was a last-minute decision by the madam; she only told our master."

"Oh." Upon hearing that Yan Liru knew about this, Old Wu stopped asking questions and walked away with his hands behind his back.

On the second day after Fang Yu disappeared, nothing unusual happened in the mansion. Apart from Ru Hui and Fang Yu's maids, everyone thought she had just gone out for a while.

However, early in the morning, the Prefect of the Capital personally came to the Ministry of Justice.

Upon meeting Yan Liru, the Prefect of the Capital looked troubled and hesitated for a long time before finally revealing the purpose of his visit: "Lord Yan, I received a report from the residents of Zuozhi Lane that a house was left unlocked at night and a thief broke in. Soon after entering, the thief shouted that he had killed someone and fled through the door."

Yan Liru seemed somewhat surprised: "Could the deceased be related to the recent zombie cases?"

The Prefect of the Capital felt a bitter taste in his mouth, but he forced himself to say, "The deceased seems to be your wife."

"What?" Yan Liru was taken aback. "What did you say?"

The Prefect of the Capital kept his head down, not daring to look at his expression, and quickly repeated, "The deceased was your wife."

Yan Liru remained silent for a long time before asking, "How did she die?"

"It seems that your wife had an argument with someone and was strangled to death with a rope. All her gold and silver jewelry has disappeared. The thief who broke into the house did not find any of your wife's jewelry on him, and he also denied taking anything."

Who owns that house?

"...The owner of the house was a man named Ning Cong. The house was originally transferred to him by your wife. After your wife died, Ning Cong disappeared."

The Prefect of the Capital broke out in a cold sweat. This wasn't his first time handling a case; after investigating to this extent, what was there that he didn't understand?

Not only did Lord Yan's wife cuckold him, but she was also murdered by her lover.

If this gets out, Lord Yan will probably lose all face.

"Thank you, Lord Song, for informing me of this matter. This case..."

The Prefect of the Capital hurriedly said, "This case will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice. Lord Yan, rest assured, I have not told anyone the details of this case."

Yan Liru nodded slightly.

After the Ministry of Justice took over the case, Yan Liru handed it over to his trusted confidants.

The next day, the man tracked down the murderer's trail and shot the two men dead after they drove out of the city.

The official from the Ministry of Justice that the man was with found the jewelry belonging to Madam Yan in the carriage, confirming that the man in the carriage was the murderer who killed Madam Yan.

They then learned that the woman in the carriage was Madam Yan's personal maid, and the cause of the murder was found.

Madam Yan's lover and her personal maid fell in love and decided to elope. However, they were short of money, so they killed Madam Yan while she was having an affair with her lover, took her expensive jewelry, and fled together.

The murderer and his accomplice were shot dead on the spot for resisting arrest. There were no doubts in the case, and it could be closed.

It wasn't until three days after Fang Yu left the mansion, when officials from the Ministry of Justice came to transport her body back to the Yan residence, that the Yan family learned that their mistress hadn't gone to any temple, but had been murdered.

Yan Cheng, who was finally released from the ancestral hall, was almost dumbfounded when he heard the news that his mother had been killed. She was perfectly fine just a few days ago, how could she suddenly be dead?

With red eyes, he grabbed the arm of the clerk from the Ministry of Justice and roared at him, "How exactly did my mother die?"

The clerk hesitated and refused to speak.

Yan Cheng believed there was some unspeakable secret involved, and grabbed the man by the collar: "Tell me or not, believe me or not, I'll take your life right now!"

The clerk finally couldn't help but shout, "Madam Yan was murdered by her lover and her personal maid."

The cries and screams vanished in an instant.

Old Wu, who had rushed over upon receiving the news, also stopped in his tracks, his expression quite interesting.

Although he was sent by the Marquis to protect Fang Yu, he would not be able to protect her every moment.

Sometimes Fang Yu doesn't need him, so he won't follow her.

He never imagined that Fang Yu was going to meet her lover when she didn't need him around.

Old Wu did not believe the one-sided story of the Ministry of Justice official, and stepped forward to lift the white cloth covering Fang Yu to examine him.

He discovered a bruise on the back of Fang Yu's head, but it wasn't from that that she died; she was strangled.

He easily deduced the events leading up to Fang Yu's death: she was pushed down and hit the back of her head, and then the murderer strangled her with a rope.

The marks on her earlobes and neck were left from her jewelry being pulled away; the murderer stole her jewelry after killing her.

Old Wu stood up and looked at Yan Liru, who was the last to enter the mansion, his tone questioning: "Lord Yan, why didn't you tell me about the terrible thing that happened to our young lady?"

Yan Liru's expression was even more unpleasant than his: "You follow the madam around all day, why don't you tell me where she goes when she leaves the mansion?"

Old Wu immediately became weak: "I know nothing about this."

"Should I be the one to know?" Yan Liru took a deep breath. "She didn't come home last night, and I made up an excuse for her to protect her reputation. And what was the result? Do you know what I was thinking when the Prefect of the Capital came to my door yesterday?"

Old Wu remained silent.

"She has utterly disgraced me," Yan Liru said, his face dark, enunciating each word clearly.

At this moment, even the usually arrogant Yan Cheng dared not utter another word.

After a long while, Yan Liru gradually calmed down and said, "The two suspects in this case were executed on the spot for resisting arrest. The case is now closed."

After saying that, he turned to the side and said, "Butler."

"master."

“Arrange the funeral for the lady.”

"yes."

Yan Liru then looked at Old Man Wu: "Do you have any further questions?"

Old Wu initially wanted to question Yan Liru's decision to have his men kill the two suspects, but then he thought about it again and realized he could understand what Yan was doing.

If the suspect doesn't die, and is imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice, and a confession is obtained, the fact that the daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei was murdered for having an affair may no longer be able to be kept secret.

At that time, not only will Yan Liru lose face, but their Marquis will also lose face.

Finally, all he could say was, "No."

The funeral at the Yan family's residence was held in a very low-key manner. The surrounding people did not know what had happened, only that Yan Qingtian's wife had recently met with misfortune and had been murdered by villains.

On the day of Fang Yu's funeral, many people set up roadside memorials out of respect for Yan Qingtian, creating a solemn and sorrowful atmosphere.

The day after Madam Yan's funeral, while listening to Yan Qingtian's stories of solving cases in a teahouse, Achan overheard someone at the next table asking the storyteller, "Old Liu, I heard that Yan Qingtian's wife was murdered a few days ago. Is that true?"

The storyteller stroked his gray beard: "It is indeed true."

The surroundings immediately became noisy, and someone shouted, "Could it be that Yan Qingtian offended powerful people by seeking justice for the common people, and those people secretly murdered Madam Yan?"

"I don't know about that, but everyone need not worry. The murderer was brought to justice not long after Madam Yan was killed. Yan Qingtian will not let any evildoer go unpunished."

Ah Chan paused slightly as she held the peanuts in her hand, the words "good people don't get rewarded" still echoing in her ears.

She carefully pressed open the peanut shells, picked out three red-skinned peanuts, rubbed off the peanut skins, and put them into her mouth one by one, chewing them slowly.

The roasted peanuts were very fragrant, and they tasted even better with the stories I heard today.

Before the storyteller finished the second half of the story, Achan paid the bill and left the teahouse.

A few days ago, Feng Yang delivered a door key and a stack of land deeds and house deeds, all of which were part of Ji Chan's mother's dowry.

She has been busy organizing her dowry these days. Except for the estate in the suburbs, she has visited all the other shops and houses and has also renegotiated the lease agreements with the shop owners.

She finally had some free time today and ended up watching a good show.

It seems that Hui Niang's life in the Yan family is relatively peaceful. I wonder when she will leave the Yan family and how she will get away.

Such a thought only flashed through Achan's mind for a moment, and before she could delve into it, she saw a somewhat familiar figure standing outside her shop.

It wasn't until she got closer to Achan that she called out the other person's name with some surprise: "Zhao Wenyue, what are you doing here?"

Zhao Wenyue turned around and saw Achan approaching gracefully, a hint of jealousy flashing in her eyes.

She herself had been tormented by that old woman at the Xue family and hadn't been able to get any rest, making her look much more haggard, while Ji Chan looked even more radiant and beautiful than before.

If it weren't for the misfortune that befell her family, she should have been living a better life than Ji Chan.

Achan didn't miss the emotion in her eyes, but didn't take it to heart. She simply went to the door and asked, "Cousin, why did you come to see me today? Is something the matter?"

She asked the question while unlocking the door with her key.

The door opened, and a faint scent of mugwort wafted out of the room, carrying a hint of coolness. It was the talisman that Ah Chan had specially prepared for the Dragon Boat Festival.

It contains herbs such as mint, mugwort, and calamus, and the blend gives it a better scent than the traditional herb-filled sachets used for exorcising evil spirits.

The incense pills for exorcising evil spirits sold extremely well a few days before the Dragon Boat Festival. Although they were sold cheaply and we didn't make much money, they made the shop famous.

Zhao Wenyue seemed to like the smell as well, and couldn't help but ask, "What's this smell?"

“These are the sachets I made.” Achan casually took a sachet from the counter and handed it to Zhao Wenyue.

Zhao Wenyue glanced at the sachet in her hand with some disdain, then leaned closer to smell it: "Did you make these sachets yourself?"

"Yes," Achan asked again, "Does my cousin have something to do today?"

"Can't I come to see you if there's nothing wrong?" Zhao Wenyue's tone was quite impolite, then she coughed lightly, "Actually, it's nothing, I just wanted to see how you're doing."

She originally wanted to talk to Achan. Life in the Xue family was completely different from what she had imagined. Xue Lang had always treated her very well, but Old Madam Xue was very difficult. Not only did she make things difficult for her at every turn, she even tried to take away her dowry.

Zhao Wenyue spent all her time arguing with that old lady. Xue Lang was very busy lately and had no mood to listen to her complaints. He just kept telling her to be patient. She felt depressed but didn't know who to confide in.

Her mother was gone, and her former friends cut off all contact with her after learning that she had become someone's concubine. After much thought, Ji Chan was the only one left.

Achan smiled, not taking her attitude to heart: "Cousin, please sit down."

She gestured for Zhao Wenyue to sit down and then asked, "Cousin, have you encountered any troubles lately?"

Zhao Wenyue's eyes lit up.

"Is it related to Lord Xue?"

Zhao Wenyue nodded repeatedly, first telling Achan about Old Madam Xue's ugly face, and then talking about Xue Mingtang.

"My husband has been very irritable lately and hasn't been able to sleep well at night. The maid says he hasn't had a good night's sleep for quite some time."

"Is it that serious? My cousin is Lord Xue's confidante, do you know why?" Achan asked with a curious expression.

Achan's words pleased Zhao Wenyue, so she told him everything she knew.

"You should know about the case of the living corpse, right? My husband has been in charge of that case. Who knew that the living corpse was so cunning? It was originally in Changping Ward, but now it has hidden in Changle Ward, and it still hasn't been caught."

Achan was somewhat surprised. Wasn't Changlefang the market town where the Yan family was located?

When the zombie first appeared in Changpingfang, Achan didn't take it seriously, thinking it was just an accident. But now it seems like it's chasing after Huiniang.

Is there anything special about Hui Niang?

It killed Hui Niang and devoured her flesh and blood...

Achan raised her beautiful eyebrows slightly. Hui Niang's flesh and blood were infused with dragon bone powder. Could that zombie be after the dragon bone powder?

But if that's the case, shouldn't it be aimed at itself?

Perhaps... what it wants is dragon bone powder mixed with flesh and blood. It hasn't been able to harm Hui Niang yet, maybe because her scent is masked, too faint, making it impossible for it to pinpoint its target.

Achan suddenly smiled; this guess gave her some new ideas.

"What are you laughing at?" Zhao Wenyue asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing." Achan changed the subject. "I suppose Lord Xue is under too much pressure these days, which is why he can't sleep all night. That's not difficult to fix."

"Do you have a solution?" Zhao Wenyue immediately pressed.

"I can prepare some calming incense powder for my cousin. She can light it for Lord Xue every night, and it should help her sleep."

"You're being so kind? I remember you and the Xue family have never gotten along, have you?" Zhao Wenyue was unusually shrewd for once.

Ah Chan said calmly, "I do not get along with the Xue family, but I want money more. The special incense powder is not cheap. I will make a deposit of five taels and pay ten taels later. If it is ineffective, I will refund the money. You can have anyone test the incense powder. How about it?"

Zhao Wenyue only hesitated for a moment before agreeing; fifteen taels of silver was just a small amount of money for her.

"Okay, when can I come to pick up the face powder?"

"The day after tomorrow will be fine."

Today, Achan is going to the hunting shop to buy two special spices. Tomorrow she should be able to make the perfume powder she specially prepared for Xue Mingtang.

Zhao Wenyue tossed a small silver ingot to Achan: "Alright, I'll come find you again the day after tomorrow."

Seeing that Zhao Wenyue was about to leave, Achan stopped her and gave her two incense pills: "Cousin, you look much more haggard. Are you also having trouble sleeping? You can hang these two incense pills by your bedside and you'll be able to sleep well."

Zhao Wenyue took the incense pills and left.

Achan stood at the door watching them leave. Those two incense pills were very effective calming incense. After using them, she should have more confidence in her perfumery skills.