Chapter 24: Prince Rong An, why is he here! ...

The sky gradually darkened. The twinkling lights of the capital on the other side of the river were reflected on the surface of the river, rippling the water and letting in a gentle breeze. Two men and a horse galloped along the mountain path, trees passing before them, and there was nothing but the sound of the wind in their ears.

Of course, it's more than just rumors.

Luo Qingling forced herself to ignore the shallow breathing of the young man behind her. She pinched her palms and forced herself to focus on finding the corpse demon.

She went out without wearing a veil today. Fortunately, no one would come to this dark riverside forest at night. Otherwise, she would not be able to explain why she would ride a horse with Prince Rong An at night even if she had ten mouths!

"Where did the corpse demon come ashore?" Qin Yanheng spoke suddenly, his voice was light and there was no doubt in his tone, as if he had known about her and the female corpse for a long time.

Luo Qingling was stunned for a moment before realizing he was asking her. Recalling the scene in her dream when the female corpse had begged for help, she said, "It should be in the woods, huh? How did the young prince know..."

"I guessed," Qin Yanheng replied with a low laugh. He raised his hand to tighten the reins, slowing the horse's pace. As if noticing Luo Qingling's puzzled expression, he continued, "Now that the Golden Dragon Sword is in your hands, and you don't know any Taoist magic, you're a hot commodity in the eyes of those monsters. Who else would they turn to if the woman who died suddenly didn't turn to you?"

Could this Golden Dragon Sword actually attract monsters? Luo Qingling was startled, feeling the hilt of the sword in his sleeve getting hot. This was truly a hot potato!

The sound of horse hooves behind them gradually approached, and Abbot Dewang caught up, with his horse's head closely following the two of them, but he did not dare to get too close to Qin Yanheng, for fear that he would accidentally displease the young prince and leave him alone by the river filled with evil spirits.

The three of them sped through the woods. It was pitch black, the river calm, the shadows of the trees swaying, and the opposite bank, decorated with lanterns and streamers, was faintly audible. Soon, figures emerged from the front: four Taoists, chattering and arguing under a tree. The chubby Bai Ruxue stood by the roadside, hands on his hips, arguing fiercely with Hei Rutie.

"The tracking talisman released by the young prince fell here. Doesn't that just mean that the corpse demon came ashore here? Why do we have to continue looking forward?" Bai Ruxue was now anxious to find the corpse demon to save her face.

"You only saw the tracking talisman, but didn't see any other traces. What if the corpse demon has boundless magic power and destroyed the tracking talisman and threw it here? Then wouldn't we have been fooled by the corpse demon." Hei Rutie didn't quite believe in the tracking talisman of the young prince. He only wanted to find traces of the corpse demon's appearance so that he could accurately determine where the corpse demon was.

"Old Black and Old White, stop arguing--" Chi Ruxue interrupted and shouted. Just as he was about to say something, he heard the sound of horse hooves coming from another place. The silver crown on the little prince's head shone brightly in the moonlight, and was particularly eye-catching. It was obviously a fine item at first glance.

If the matter of the corpse demon is resolved, can I ask the young prince for a silver crown? He also wants to be as high-spirited and handsome as the young prince, and be the most handsome man in the capital! Chi Ruxue thought so, but he didn't realize that his eyes were too naked, and he didn't even notice that the young prince was standing in front of him with a dark face.

"The corpse demon is not above me." Qin Yanheng glanced at Chi Ruxue, feeling somewhat puzzled. He didn't know why, but he felt like someone was watching him lately, especially Luo Qingling. A few days ago, she had even been staring at his chest in a daze. It scared him so much that he didn't even dare to wear the mutton-fat jade that held his collar, fearing she would find an excuse to take it away one day. It was his favorite piece of jade.

"Your Highness, Madam Luo, please take a look at this tracking talisman—" Bai Rushue pushed aside Hei Rutie, came in front of the two of them, and pointed at the yellow talisman that was broken into pieces on the ground.

Qin Yanheng half-knelt down, staring at the damp earth. He rested his left elbow on his knee, his chin resting on his hand, deep in thought. While the tracking talisman he had just released had indeed landed there, as Hei Rutie had said, the corpse demon might have destroyed it and then fled to hide somewhere.

"Your Highness, is the woman who died suddenly still conscious after turning into a corpse demon?" Luo Qingling asked.

"Yes," Qin Yanheng said firmly. He had read about it in ancient books. "So-called corpse demons are actually people who died suddenly and are unwilling to leave the world. The resentment lingers on the corpse. If it happens to encounter demonic energy, the two combine and become a corpse demon."

"Mrs. Luo, do you have any ideas?" Qin Yanheng turned to look at Luo Qingling and said with a smile. He didn't think she would ask such a question out of nowhere.

Hearing this, Luo Qingling slowly shook his head: "I don't really have a clue. I just think that this woman who died suddenly has turned into a corpse demon. Maybe she wants to use this opportunity to find the real murderer and clear her name."

"That's possible. Since the woman died in such a tragic way, she must be filled with resentment. The first thing she did after becoming a corpse demon was..."

Before Qin Yanheng finished speaking, Luo Qingling spoke hurriedly, and their voices overlapped: "Find the real murderer!"

*

At night, Qi County.

The Guanjiang Inn, which used to only have a few individual guests staying there, was now packed with people tonight. The waiters were busy walking up and down with plates in their hands, but they didn't dare to slack off at all - after all, the person living in the upper room was the Prince Rong An, who was famous in the capital.

"Your Highness," Xuanying walked in quickly across the threshold, cupping his fists and saying to Qin Yanheng, "I have blocked the roads along the river in the suburbs of Beijing according to your instructions. We should be able to set up the formation now."

Because everyone was not sure whether the corpse monster had come ashore, Qin Yanheng ordered the official road along the river to be blocked. Coincidentally, this area was in Qi County, so everyone could only stay in Qi County tonight and could only pass after finding the corpse monster. As for how to find the corpse monster, Luo Qingling proposed a solution: catch the turtle in the jar.

"Will this trick really work?" Bai Rushue and Hei Rutie were reconciled as before, whispering to each other with their arms around each other's shoulders.

"Your Highness is in charge, and we just need to obey. Besides, the formation has been set up now, so we are just waiting..." Hei Rutie replied in a low voice.

Luo Qingling, sitting nearby, coughed and signaled the two to keep their voices down. Qin Yanheng had a terrible temper. If anyone heard him, he'd probably pack up the four Taoists and throw them into the river.

Just when everyone was wondering whether to wait or attack, they heard a commotion outside, and they didn't know who was making it.

"Why won't you let me pass?"

The man's voice wasn't rough, it was even a little shrill, its pitch high yet revealing a hint of weakness. After shouting a few random words, he continued, "This city is sealed off for you people, what does it have to do with me?"

"If you don't let me go, I'll send a letter to my father to teach you a lesson! Don't kneel down and beg for mercy when the time comes," the man kicked away the officers and soldiers blocking his way, his face arrogant, "Get out of the way!"

"Mr. Sun, the city has been sealed off, so please don't make things difficult for me." The officers and soldiers felt hopeless, but they happened to encounter someone who was causing trouble.

"Will you please move aside... Ugh!"

The noise stopped abruptly. Sun Zhenbao, known as Young Master Sun, turned his head to look at the young man who suddenly appeared, and his lips trembled.

"Prince Rong... Prince Rong An?"

Sun Zhenbao was about to lead his men through the checkpoint, but before he stretched out his hand, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm. He covered the painful area with one hand and looked at the young man in gorgeous clothes in front of him. His ferocious face suddenly turned pale.

Prince Rong An, why is he here!

"You just said, who will teach me a lesson?" Qin Yanheng curled the corners of his mouth, sneered, and walked forward gracefully.

It's bad! He had just forgotten to ask who ordered the city to be sealed, and he had actually offended this person... Sun Zhenbao pursed his lips and held his breath, not daring to speak. He stared straight at Prince Rong An who was getting closer and closer. The black and red round-necked robe walked towards him like the King of Hell in the night.

"I... I didn't know Prince Rong'an was here. I'm sorry for being rude." Sun Zhenbao took two steps back and bowed to Qin Yanheng despite the severe pain in his arm. He hoped that Qin Yanheng would not take his previous behavior seriously - after all, the person in front of him was not someone he could afford to offend.

Seeing this, Qin Yanheng was even more disinclined to pay any attention. He had seen too many people who bullied the weak and fawned over their superiors. Talking to them would be like sullying his mouth. Qin Yanheng glanced at Sun Zhenbao coldly, his chin tilted back, and said, "Go back."

"Okay, grandpa." Sun Zhenbao agreed quickly.

Sun Zhenbao is not stupid. He has to find the right opportunity to bully others. When he meets the young prince in front of him, he should stay as far away as possible to avoid getting into trouble.

Under the moonlight, the Sun Mansion's carriage rushed quickly back the way it came, and disappeared from everyone's sight after a moment.

Sun Mansion, by the river outside Beijing.

"I'm so pissed! Why is he the only one who can order people around? I'm going to tell my dad! No, no, my dad can't do anything about him either... I'm so pissed off."

The floor under the table was a mess. Sun Zhenbao was sitting at the table, furious. He flicked his sleeve and threw all the tea and snacks brought by the servants to the ground. The sound of tinkling and clanging filled the whole room.

Across the table, Li Qingqing watched Sun Zhenbao's rage with an expressionless face, as if she was already accustomed to it. She slowly raised her hand and wiped her cheek, which had been splashed with tea. Then, she looked up at the furious Sun Zhenbao, her eyes full of mockery.

"Where's Susu?" Sun Zhenbao suddenly stood up, put his hands on the table and moved closer to Li Qingqing, staring at her fiercely. "I didn't redeem you so you can laugh at me. Why can't you comfort me like Susu did?"

Li Qingqing did not respond to Sun Zhenbao, but instead looked at the crazy person in front of her with a mocking expression.

"I'm asking you, where did Susu go?" Sun Zhenbao turned his head to look at the servants kneeling on the ground. No one dared to speak at this moment. Sun Zhenbao was so angry that he slapped Li Qingqing again. "Speak up, I'm asking you where she is. Don't you understand what I'm saying?"

Seeing this, Li Qingqing maintained the posture of having her face slapped crooked, and sneered, "How can I know if my master asks me? I'm just a dog of your Sun family..."

“Pah.”

Another crisp slap.

"I didn't redeem you from Hua Man Lou to disobey me," Sun Zhenbao put one foot on the chair, put his face close to Li Qingqing, pinched her chin with two fingers, and forcibly turned her face towards him, "Tell me, where is Susu?"

"I don't know." Li Qingqing had blood at the corner of her mouth. She looked at Sun Zhenbao's crazy appearance and slowly smiled.

After saying this, Sun Zhenbao kicked Susu to the ground, then turned around and sat on a chair, ordering the servants to bring Li Qingqing's pipa. He looked down at Li Qingqing and said word by word: "Play a song for me."

Li Qingqing smiled resignedly, got up from the ground skillfully, and sat behind Sun Zhenbao's favorite screen to play music - because Sun Zhenbao didn't want to see her face.

There was a sharp pain in her fingertips. Even without lowering her head, Li Qingqing could guess that it must be the strings that cut her fingers. The smell of blood immediately came out.

The music suddenly disappeared, and silence fell in my ears. The candlelight in the room flickered for a moment and then went out.

"Why did you stop suddenly?"

Sun Zhenbao stood up and walked around the screen to see what Li Qingqing was doing, but he saw him pull open the curtain and a face without eyeballs appeared in front of him.

"There's a ghost—"