Midnight Bell 5

With the direction now clear, Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen set off for the home of the playboy Liu Jin.

It was a grand residence in Anling. Upon seeing someone visiting, the gatekeeper quickly announced their arrival.

Because the martial arts heroes had already made their assistance in the investigation at the yamen, the Liu family was very cooperative. Master Liu personally got up to greet them: "Young Master Yang and Young Master Jiang have just arrived and were in the front hall reading the articles written by your unfilial son."

Xiao Congzhi nodded: "Your son's work may provide some clues."

"Alas... my wife and I only have this one son. What a terrible tragedy we've created!" Master Liu sighed.

Xie Mowen walked and observed carefully. The interference technique had him tied up, and he didn't have time to act with Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu. He was focusing all his energy on investigating the case.

After leading Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi to the front hall, Master Liu took his leave, saying he needed to accompany his wife to the clinic to get medicine.

After everyone left, Xiao Congzhi seamlessly joined Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu in reading the article, frequently frowning as he read.

"This article..." Xiao Congzhi finally couldn't help but say when he saw the third one, "It's really quite vulgar."

“Yes.” Yang Yanshu put down the paper in his hand and rubbed his eyes. “It’s a waste of both ink and paper.”

"What?" Jiang Xu asked, puzzled. "It's written in plain language, but as long as it flows smoothly, that's fine. If it's the kind of pedantic writing that I'll have a headache."

Xiao Congzhi & Yang Yanshu: ...

Xie Mowen hadn't been reading the article with them since earlier; instead, he was looking around, focusing on the maid who kept coming to refill his tea.

After the maid finished pouring tea and left, Xie Mowen followed her.

"Please wait, young lady," Xie Mowen said gently and politely. "You seem to have something to say. Why don't you speak freely?"

The maid was startled, her hand trembled, and she quickly lowered her head.

Xie Mowen chuckled softly, his voice becoming even gentler: "Don't be afraid, we're here to solve the problem."

The maid shook her head violently.

"But has anyone told you anything? Don't be afraid, we can all help you."

Some word touched the maid, and a tear suddenly fell, soaking the stone floor.

Xie Mowen was genuinely surprised. He hurriedly turned around and looked pleadingly at Xiao Congzhi, who had followed him out. Xiao Congzhi gently shook his head and raised his hand to shush.

Xie Mowen had no choice but to continue using his charm. He lightly touched the maid's shoulder, and the morning sunlight fell on his shoulder. When the maid looked up, she seemed to see a god descending from the heavens, and she burst into tears.

Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu came out at this time. Upon seeing this scene, Jiang Xu almost cried out, but Xiao Congzhi stopped him in time.

Fortunately, the maid was timid and didn't dare to cry for too long, so she quickly stopped making a sound.

Xie Mowen asked again, "Don't be afraid, just say it."

“Young Master…Young Master might really have been killed by a fox spirit.” Once the conversation started, the maid began to tell a complete story.

Basically... Liu Jin is indeed a playboy. A few years ago, he tricked a maid into bed with him when she was just over fifteen. He then used all sorts of sweet words and vows to make the maid believe that she would be taken into the young master's room. But just a few months ago, Liu Jin suddenly became indifferent to the maid, frequently going out and no longer touching her.

“I had come to terms with it, thinking that perhaps the young master had met someone better, but… I’m pregnant.”

At this point, the maid almost cried again, sobbing as she continued, "I knelt in front of his door all night before he finally agreed to let me in. Once inside, he wanted me to take off my clothes and go to the bed. I was scared, so I told him I was pregnant. But he... he changed his expression and kicked me hard in the stomach. I fainted from the pain. When I woke up, I was already in the woodshed, covered in blood. I knew then that I had lost the baby. I cried terribly for days, almost losing my life. It was only thanks to the gatekeeper bringing me hot water several times that I survived. When I recovered and went outside, I learned that the young master... the young master was gone."

Xie Mowen clenched his fists and tried his best to listen to the whole thing without interrupting. You see, when the maid said that Liu Jin was tricked into bed on the fifteenth, he already felt that Liu Jin deserved to die.

But the maid was still confused: "I think it must have been the person outside who aroused the young master's interest who killed him."

Xie Mowen asked, trying his best to remain calm, "Why didn't you tell the officials about this?"

“I…I…” the maid’s voice was barely audible. “I mentioned it to the madam, and she slapped me, telling me not to ruin the young master’s reputation after his death.”

Having listened to the whole thing from behind, Jiang Xu was about to lose control of his fists. If Xiao Congzhi hadn't stopped him, he would have smashed the wall next to him to pieces.

The fact that the maid and the young master were having an affair must have been known to everyone in the household, yet no one mentioned it.

Xie Mowen comforted the maid with a few kind words, and finally asked, "Do you know where your young master went when he went out?"

Unfortunately, the maid shook her head, indicating that she truly did not know.

After the maid left, Xie Mowen turned around, his face terribly dark. He was breathing heavily, clearly enraged. When he reached Xiao Congzhi's side, Xie Mowen punched the wall even faster than Jiang Xu, who had been released.

Xiao Congzhi was also angry, but did not stop him.

After the four of them had vented their frustrations, Yang Yanshu asked, "Brother Mo, do you have any other ideas for the future?"

"Where did Sect Leader Ji go?"

Jiang Xu replied, "They said they were going to investigate the Chen family in the east of the city."

Xie Mowen had mostly regained his composure, and he simply said, "Let's go there first."

The Chen family in the east of the city was a large family that ran a rice business. Ji did not choose the Chen family as the subject of the investigation because the second son of the Chen family who was murdered had a good reputation. He was said to be handsome and talented, gentle and refined to outsiders, understanding and considerate to his family, filial to his parents, respectful to his elder brother, and living in harmony with his wife. He was a good man who was hard to find in the surrounding area.

Xie Mowen chose to go to the Chen family for two reasons: firstly, to verify a certain hypothesis, and secondly...

"Why are you here?" Ji Buyu was about to leave when he saw Xie Mowen leading a group of people into the Chen family's gate. He frowned and quickly turned around.

Xie Mowen readily agreed: "Let's see what you found out."

Ji Buyu was fairly cooperative: "Young Master Chen was murdered a month ago. There was nothing unusual before his death. He got up early to exercise, then had breakfast with his wife, and then went out to the rice shop to manage the business. He returned home at dusk. He was kind to people and never got into conflicts with anyone. He was also charitable and had helped many people. I really couldn't see anything suspicious about him."

"We've just made a major discovery from Liu Jin." Jiang Xu pulled Yang Yanshu to stand in front of Ji Buyu and said eagerly, "I think we can find something here at the Chen residence as well, but we don't know how. Why don't we hear what Young Master Mo has to say?"

Ji Buyu's brows, which rarely furrowed, furrowed even more deeply. He couldn't imagine what Xie Mowen, this great demon of the Demonic Sect, had done in the past half day to actually deceive the naive Jiang Xu into admiring him.

Xie Mowen was caught off guard by Jiang Xu's reaction. He touched his nose and glanced helplessly at Xiao Congzhi. Xiao Congzhi came to his rescue, saying, "Why don't you, Young Hero Jiang, briefly inform Headmaster Ji about Liu Jin's matter, and Brother Mo and I can take a look around the Chen residence first?"

Jiang Xu waved his hand and said, "Of course."

After bidding farewell to Ji Buyu and the others, Xie Mowen pulled Xiao Congzhi's arm and walked into the mansion. The Chen mansion occupied a vast area, and the style of the inner courtyard was not like that of ordinary Anling families. Instead, it was laid out in accordance with the garden layout of Jiangnan, creating a secluded and winding path.

Once they were alone, Xiao Congzhi tugged at Xie Mowen's sleeve and asked, "Do you think this series of cases might be related to matters between men and women?"

Xie Mowen stopped. They had just reached a rockery. Xie Mowen leaned against the pile of stones and nodded casually: "Yes, before the maid of the Liu family spoke, there was no clue about Liu Jin's death. What about the other victims? However, even so, there are still many suspicious points, such as the method, and... Dong Jing, he is different from all the other victims. He just arrived in Anling and has been under your house arrest without having contact with anyone."

"And who exactly is the murderer?" Xiao Congzhi continued his analysis. "Liu Jin injured the maid, but the maid doesn't seem like the murderer, much less like someone who knew about it."

"Of course, this is just speculation and needs to be verified."

Xiao Congzhi nodded and then asked, "Do you have any reason for coming to the Chen residence?"

Xie Mowen raised an eyebrow: "You figured it out?"

Xiao Congzhi chuckled and patted Xie Mowen on the back: "If the Chen family weren't special, you would definitely be trying to avoid Ji Buyu right now."

"Why should I avoid him?" Xie Mowen muttered, but he put his arm around Xiao Congzhi, hugged him tightly, and quickly let go, pulling him further inside.

Xiao Congzhi always felt that Xie Mowen was somewhat familiar with this courtyard, not in the way that he knew it like the back of his hand, but more like he had been here before.

Moreover, although the Chen family cooperated with their investigation and said polite things like "please do as you please" and "feel free to move around," Xie Mowen was clearly heading deeper into the inner courtyard, where female relatives usually lived.

Xiao Congzhi couldn't help but tease, "If you get beaten up as a lecher later, I won't save you."

Xie Mowen turned around, smiled, and said nothing more.

The beauty of gardens lies in the fact that one step away you are in the mountains and forests, and the next step you suddenly find yourself surrounded by open spaces, pavilions and courtyards.

As expected, Xie Mowen's destination was the women's residence. Sure enough, when he looked up, he saw a woman who looked young but was dressed in a luxurious manner. At this moment, she was staring at Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi in disbelief.

Just as Xiao Congzhi was about to explain, the woman blurted out in shock, "Master?"

Xiao Congzhi was also taken aback. He opened his mouth slightly and looked at Xie Mowen. Xie Mowen patted Xiao Congzhi's hand reassuringly, then looked up and smiled, "It's been many years, how have you been, Elder Wanyue?"

The woman named Wan Yue was momentarily stunned. She walked down the steps in a daze, stood in front of Xie Mowen, pursed her lips, and looked completely at a loss.

Xie Mowen knew that his arrival was abrupt, so he quickly explained, "I am here today to investigate the murder of Young Master Chen. This is Xiao Congzhi, who knows my identity."

After speaking, Xie Mowen turned to Xiao Congzhi: "Wanyue was once one of the ten elders of my Demonic Sect. You asked before if any members of the Demonic Sect had left the sect, and that is it."

Xiao Congzhi nodded thoughtfully: "So you've been here before?"

"Yes, Elder Wanyue was kind to me. When I was young, she took care of my daily life. Two years ago, not long after I took over the Demon Sect, she proposed to leave the Demon Sect and come to Anling to get married. I broke into this courtyard to try to abduct her."

Xiao Congzhi: ...

Hearing this, Xie Mo was still somewhat unwilling and said resentfully, "I don't know what kind of bewitching potion that man gave Elder Wanyue, that she is willing to marry him! At her age, she still believes in love!"

Wan Yue finally snapped and couldn't hold back any longer. She raised her hand and flicked Xie Mowen on the forehead, yelling, "What are you talking about?!"

Xiao Congzhi couldn't help but retort, "How could you say such a thing about a woman's age?!"

Xie Mowen covered his head, looked at Xiao Congzhi pitifully, and muttered, "She's an elder from my master's master's generation, and she's not exactly old!"

Wan Yue narrowed her eyes, revealing a murderous aura, and threatened, "You'd better state your purpose immediately."

Xie Mowen stopped joking, straightened up, and asked seriously, "What do you know about the death of Young Master Chen?"

Wan Yue paused for a moment, then sighed: "It's not that I don't want to talk about this, it's just that it shouldn't be my turn to say it, and I shouldn't make the decision for her."

Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen exchanged a glance, thinking that there was indeed more to the story!

However, Wan Yue's statement was quite subtle, and Xie Mowen had no way of pressing her for an answer.

Fortunately, Wan Yue did not intend to make things difficult for Xie Mowen, and said, "I will lead you to see Chen Yuan's wife. If she is willing to say something, I can add some things that she does not know. But if she is unwilling to speak, I cannot say anything."

Xie Mowen straightened his clothes with a serious expression.

Wan Yue joked, "The honey trap probably won't work on her."

Xiao Congzhi chuckled secretly, but couldn't hide it and let it out, earning him a glare from Xie Mowen.

Wan Yue sized up Xiao Congzhi, who hadn't said much since earlier, and her expression became more serious. She then lectured Xie Mowen: "Is this the kid you found? Now that you're married, be more mature."

Xie Mowen quickly said, "Don't just blurt things out."

Then she explained to Xiao Congzhi, "She understands me better."

Wan Yue gave Xie Mowen a light snort, but then spoke to Xiao Congzhi: "He grew up right under my nose, there's nothing he can hide from me."

Xiao Congzhi chuckled. He hadn't felt anything amiss at Youheng Mountain, but now he realized that the Demonic Sect must have a very harmonious atmosphere. If the old leader were still alive, Xie Mowen and the others wouldn't have had to shoulder such heavy responsibilities at such a young age.

As they were talking, Wan Yue led Xie Mowen and Xiao Congzhi around the corridor several times. Coincidentally, they bumped into Ji Buyu with Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu. It seemed that Jiang Xu had already told them about Liu Jin, and Ji Buyu had come to discuss it with Xie Mowen.

"Brother Mo..." Ji Buyu called out hesitantly, his gaze falling on the woman walking at the front. He bowed respectfully, "How much trouble have I caused, Madam Chen?"

Wan Yue smiled gracefully and elegantly: "It's alright. I was just about to take these two to see Madam Chen. Would you like to come along?"

"Of course we should go together." Ji Buyu answered for Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu, then walked to Xie Mowen's side and asked in a low voice, "Have you discovered something?"

Xie Mowen nodded slightly without responding. With Wan Yue's internal strength, even if she lowered her voice, it would still be heard, leaving her with an opportunity to make fun of herself.

Ke Ji didn't know, and continued in a low voice, "The Chen family is now in the hands of the eldest son of the Chen family. The eldest son of the Chen family is not as famous as the second son of the Chen family. In his youth, he mingled with all sorts of people and was said to have countless beauties. He only settled down after his parents passed away three years ago. If he was the one who was murdered, it would match Liu Jin's story."

Xie Mowen thought to himself that he understood the intricacies of the situation much better than Ji Buyu!

Back when Elder Wan Yue suddenly resigned, he personally investigated Chen's entire family history, even going so far as to consult with Yun Shaocheng about the possibility of Wan Yue being bewitched. He concluded unequivocally that Wan Yue was jumping into a fire pit. Despite being beaten by Wan Yue, he persisted in trying to take her away, until the day Chen entered from the outer room and witnessed his shameless persistence, at which point he pounced on him without hesitation…

Xie Mowen took the opportunity to beat up Young Master Chen. This man had no martial arts skills, but he held him tightly. Although he didn't let Wan Yue leave, he also didn't let Wan Yue stop him.

Young Master Chen knew everything. He knew that Wan Yue was a member of the Demonic Sect, that Wan Yue was nearly a hundred years old, and that the people who came that day were from the Demonic Sect. He was incredibly clever, but he was still willing to take a beating.

Both of them were jumping into a fire pit.

Xie Mowen finally understood this principle completely after meeting Xiao Congzhi.

Xie Mowen didn't respond, but Xiao Congzhi noticed Wan Yue's moving fingers and quickly interrupted Ji Buyu, pulling at him and saying, "Brother Ji, how do you know so much?"

Ji Buyu glanced at Madam Chen in front of him and rubbed his nose: "I had my servants inquire about it on the way here."

Wan Yue suddenly stopped and turned around, politely saying to the people behind her, "It's just ahead."

After saying that, he deliberately smiled at Ji Buyu.

Feeling guilty, Ji hurriedly looked away and saw a small, independent courtyard, which was much simpler than any of the courtyards he had seen along the way.

Wan Yue didn't say much, and lifted her skirt to walk towards the courtyard.

Since it was the middle of the afternoon and the sun was shining brightly, Madam Xu, the second wife of Chen, was not in her room, but was sitting on a stone chair in the courtyard enjoying tea. When she saw someone coming, she quickly stood up, straightened her skirt, and greeted them: "Sister-in-law."

He looked behind Wan Yue with a puzzled expression, and hesitated, "This..."

Wan Yue said succinctly, "These gentlemen have come to investigate the Second Young Master's death. I won't stay any longer; please make yourselves at home."

After Wan Yue left, Madam Xu became even more reserved, her eyes filled with wariness as she looked at Xie Mowen and the others, making it difficult for anyone to start a conversation.

Ji Buyu could tell from Xu Shi's eyes that Chen Yuan's matter was not simple, and Yang Yanshu and Jiang Xu's expressions were also not good.

It was Xiao Congzhi who broke the deadlock. He put on a light smile and walked over to Madam Xu: "Sit down."

At this moment, Xiao Congzhi exuded a bit of the air of a superior, which made Xu Shi inexplicably dare not resist and sit back down on the original stone chair.

Xiao Congzhi casually exchanged pleasantries: "The Chen family is a large and powerful family, yet the Second Young Master Chen's residence is simply furnished."

Xu did not respond.

"On my way here, I heard that Young Master Chen was a scoundrel in his younger days. How come this family business ended up in his hands three years ago, instead of Second Young Master Chen?"

The topic had drifted a bit off-topic, and apart from Xie Mowen, the others were somewhat puzzled by the intention. However, after Xiao Congzhi finished asking his question, Madam Xu relaxed considerably. Although she still kept her lips tightly pressed together and remained silent, she was no longer as wary as before.

Undeterred, Xiao Congzhi sat down opposite Madam Xu and continued, "Madam's surname is Xu. Although I am not familiar with Anling, there are no prominent families with the surname Xu in Anling. Are you from out of town, Madam?"

Finally, Xu replied softly, "Jiangnan."

Xiao Congzhi nodded knowingly, then suddenly turned around and called out to Xie Mowen, "Brother Mo, why don't you take Brother Ji to look around somewhere else first? I'd like to have a private chat with Madam Xu."

Before Ji Buyu could say anything, Xie Mowen put on an act: "Isn't this inappropriate? A man and a woman alone together, aren't you afraid of what others will say?"

Xiao Congzhi replied frankly, "Since Young Master Chen is dead, if bad rumors spread, I will simply marry Miss Xu."

The address immediately changed from Madam Xu to Miss Xu, leaving Yang Yanshu dumbfounded, completely unaware of what Mo and Xiao were up to.

But Xie Mowen grabbed Ji Buyu and left, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Congzhi turned to look at Madam Xu. The woman deep inside the house had never seen such a scene before. Her face turned red with embarrassment. Seeing that everyone had really left, she stared at Xiao Congzhi in a flustered manner: "Young...Young hero, you...I..."

“I was just joking with him,” Xiao Congzhi said frankly. “That’s my husband.”

"Huh?" Madam Xu was completely stunned, and mechanically uttered, "Who is it?"

"The one with the best looks." Now Xiao Congzhi looked at Xu Shi with reproach, as if complaining that he couldn't see it.

Madam Xu lowered her head in embarrassment. She had only heard about homosexuality from the servants' gossip, and seeing it in person caught her off guard, she was flustered and didn't know what to do.

Xiao Congzhi showed no remorse and said calmly, "There are too many people and you don't want to speak."

Xu suddenly looked up at Xiao Congzhi, her face showing tension.

“The Second Young Master Chen has a good reputation. It is understandable that he humbly relinquished the leadership of the family to his elder brother three years ago. However, the Eldest Young Master Chen was out and about at the time. For the sake of the Chen family, the Second Young Master Chen should have tried to take the lead.”

"Father and Mother..." Madam Xu hesitated before speaking, "Although they died unexpectedly, they had already arranged for a successor before they passed away, so my late husband had no chance."

Xiao Congzhi smirked mischievously: "There is no custom of passing down the throne to the eldest son in Anling or even in this dynasty. The two sons are worlds apart, so why was Young Master Chen chosen?"

Mrs. Xu was momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say...

Xiao Congzhi straightened his expression: "Madam Xu, I understand that you are reluctant to talk about this, but firstly, I have already discovered the problem and cannot let it go easily; secondly, Chen Yuan is dead, and you really don't need to care about his reputation after his death."

Ms. Xu looked away.

“If you really don’t want to talk about it, I won’t force you with moral principles. But if you have concerns that prevent you from speaking, I, Xiao, can guarantee to resolve all your concerns.”

Xu looked at Xiao Congzhi with a sudden glance, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed, as if she didn't believe it but also wanted to grasp at a glimmer of hope.

Xiao Congzhi took something out of his sleeve and showed it to Madam Xu. He knew Madam Xu from Jiangnan; his daughter was sure to be knowledgeable.

As expected, when Xu saw this object, her pupils dilated slightly, a mixture of surprise and fear, and she remained in shock for a long time. Xiao Congzhi waited patiently.

"The reason why the eldest brother was chosen as the head of the Chen family is because..." Madam Xu finally spoke, her head lowered and her voice very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something, "Chen Yuan is a castrated man."

Xiao Congzhi raised an eyebrow, realizing that the secret buried deep within the Chen family might be far more complex than it seemed…

Madam Xu let out a long sigh of relief, rolled up her sleeves, and said through tears, "Men who can't have sex have plenty of ways to torment and vent their frustrations."

Xiao Congzhi stared at Xu's arm, clenched his teeth, and slowed his breathing.

The skin was covered with a crisscrossing network of scars; according to Xiao Congzhi's keen eye, there were at least whip marks, knife wounds, and burns...

Xu chuckled self-deprecatingly: "I met him by chance at a teahouse in Jiangnan. He deceived me with his sweet words and, against my parents' wishes, married me in Anling, a thousand miles away. On our wedding night, he tormented me for the first time."

Xu raised her hand, her eyes filled with sorrow and pain, and continued, "He placed my hand on the candlelight and inserted fine needles one by one into my fingernails. I fainted from the pain, and when I woke up I realized that he had taken a liking to me because Jiangnan and Anling were thousands of miles apart, and I had no family to support me, so I could be manipulated by him."

Xiao Congzhi clenched his fists tightly, his breathing was suppressed, and the anger on his face could not be hidden. He had guessed that Chen Yuan had a similar story to Liu Jin, such as a mistress or a maid... but he did not expect it to be so cruel and unbearable.

After Xu finished speaking, she laughed heartily twice, tears welling up in her upturned eyes.

But being able to reveal the secret that had been weighing on her heart took away the melancholy between her brows. Xu looked at Xiao Congzhi, not caring about the noble and unattainable status of the man in front of her, and only pleaded, "If I am criticized by others and have no face to see anyone, I hope that you will keep your promise, young hero."

Xiao Congzhi stood up abruptly, suppressed his anger, took a deep breath, and then placed his hand on Xu's shoulder, pressing down lightly so that she could feel the weight. He said solemnly, "If you decide to go to Yidu, I can prepare a room for you even in the palace and ensure your lifelong well-being. But there is no reason for a victim to be forced to hide from rumors and gossip. If there is, it is my fault."

After she finished speaking, Madam Xu remained silent for a long time. Xiao Congzhi's status was too high, and the guarantee was too weighty. Her mind was in turmoil, and she couldn't see the light ahead for the moment.

Seeing Xu's expression, Xiao Congzhi forced himself to calm down and said in a gentle tone, "Wan... Madam Chen once said that if you are willing to speak, she can fill in some details. You can stay here and rest for a while, and we will go and talk to her in detail."

Madam Xu shook her head, stood up, and said seriously, "I'll talk to her. There's no reason for my sister-in-law to do this for me."

Xiao Congzhi pursed his lips and finally agreed, only asking, "Is there anyone else in the manor who knows about this?"

"Only my sister-in-law knew that Chen Yuan was extremely good at disguising himself, and no one else could see through his disguise. My sister-in-law... only found out after she saw my old wounds after Chen Yuan's death and questioned me carefully."

Xiao Congzhi nodded with a sullen face. If Chen Yuan's matter were made public, the first person to know would be Chen Yu, the eldest son of Chen. He wondered what Elder Wanyue was planning.