Life needs a touch of drama and angst.
"Madam Cen, quickly tell your maid to stop! What is the meaning of this?"
Magistrate Li's voice came from over there, and he ran over, lifting the hem of his robe.
"I wonder what my wife has done to offend you, Madam?"
Madam Li struggled incessantly, her eyes bloodshot and her gaze frantic, roaring for her to be released.
"May I ask, Lord Li, are you aware of the crimes your wife has committed?"
Magistrate Li looked bewildered and glanced at Madam Li, but she turned her head away from him.
She stopped struggling and lowered her eyes.
"Last night, a red wooden box was carried into Madam Li's room, inside which was the bloody, headless body of a boy."
After Xu Lanxin finished speaking, she looked at Madam Li and asked, "What is Madam Li's explanation?"
But she didn't see that the magistrate Li, standing to the side, slightly curled the corner of his mouth, his eyes suddenly turning cold and revealing his murderous intent.
"Men, kill them both."
The leaves and grass rustled, and several black-clad warriors flew out, each with superb lightness skills, walking on water.
Several white sword shadows flew past, and a blue figure flashed in front of her.
Several swords clashed with a deafening clang, sending sparks flying.
The bluefish was pressed down, and she and the bluefish staggered back several steps.
A mocking smile spread across Magistrate Li's lips as he stroked his mustache before leading his wife away from the battle.
"Is Magistrate Li going to break the law? Aren't you afraid that Lord Cen will convict you?"
As Lan Xin dodged, she peeked out from under Qingyu's armpit and looked at Magistrate Li across from her.
A silver sword light shot straight towards her, its blade as sharp as a mirror, reflecting the fear in her eyes.
Xu Lanxin instinctively closed her eyes.
A sharp clang rang out, a flash of silver light grazed her cheek, and a strand of hair near her ear snapped off.
She opened her eyes and saw a white figure already in front of her. Her waist tightened, and she was already in his arms.
The black-clad warrior flew out like a falling leaf and fell into the lake.
After regaining her senses, Xu Lanxin hugged Cen Yan tightly, like a piece of driftwood on water.
Just as the fighting was in full swing, a group of soldiers burst in.
"Stop! Surrender!"
The middle-aged man in official robes, who was leading the way, shouted in a strong voice.
Qingyun flew over faster than him and joined the battle.
Soon, Magistrate Li's men were subdued.
"This humble official greets Lord Cen."
The official leading the group bowed to Cen Yan, his eyes showing some nervousness.
"Lord Yang, you could go a little slower."
The man pretended to wipe the sweat from his forehead and bowed carefully.
"This humble official dares not. I received your secret order and rushed here immediately."
"Come on."
The group arrived at Madam Li's courtyard in a grand procession, and Cen Yan ordered a group of people to begin searching outside the house.
He then led a small group of people inside.
After searching for a long time, the group finally found the secret passage under the dressing table.
The secret passage was eerie, with a faint, lingering smell of blood.
At the end of the path was a stone door, and on the ground behind the door was a rune that looked like a sacrificial inscription. Its color was a dark, almost blackish red, and it looked like dried blood.
The mentally challenged son of Magistrate Li lay in the middle of the runes, with seven lotus lamps beside him.
He looks like he's asleep.
Qingyun stepped forward to check his breath, then looked at them and nodded.
He's still alive.
The officers and soldiers who followed them in began searching and turning the pages, but found nothing.
Where exactly did Madam Li hide her head?
After everyone came out, the leading officer reported that they had also not found it.
Governor Yang looked over, but Cen Yan didn't even glance at him.
"Bring everyone back to the yamen for questioning."
After giving his instructions, Lord Yang asked cautiously.
"Lord Cen, what do you think?"
“I will go back to the yamen with you, and my wife will come with me. She can examine the body.”
Upon hearing this, Prefect Yang was immediately stunned and paused for a moment: "Your Majesty, your wife is truly a heroine among women."
Xu Lanxin had only been in the yamen for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea when a yamen runner came to report that the servants of the Li family had confessed.
The child's head was in an abandoned well some distance away in the backyard.
The moment the constables brought in the head, everyone was stunned and furious.
There were seven heads in total. Some were badly decomposed, but they all had a large hole on the top of their heads.
"Zi, Zijin," Lanxin grabbed Cen Yan's hand, seeking comfort. Although she had seen many cases in her job, this case involved children, which made her angry and somewhat traumatized.
“Zijin, I once saw a case where the perpetrator believed in the folk remedy of eating certain foods to replenish their bodies, and cruelly murdered several people, then opened their skulls and ate their brains to treat their headaches.”
Cen Yan looked over, saw what she was thinking, and said, "You mean to say that this case is similar."
Lanxin nodded and took his hand.
“This Madam Li’s son is a bit mentally challenged. Look at her going to see that Taoist priest. Is it possible that the Taoist priest told her a folk remedy, that eating certain things will help you recover from them? There are also sacrificial patterns in that secret room, and lotus lamps.”
Cen Yan gently patted his hand, which was enveloped in a cool breeze.
Ultimately, Magistrate Li and his wife were brought to justice and sentenced to immediate execution, while the others were sentenced to exile.
Unexpectedly, Magistrate Li, though seemingly cunning, was also a loving father and wife. However, the couple used the wrong methods and embarked on a path of no return.
After the case was resolved, Lanxin and her husband began their journey home.
Why? It was because Cen Yan's wedding leave was used up after being delayed for more than ten days in Liuzhou County.
Passing through a small town, the group stopped to rest and replenish their supplies.
Instead of returning the same way to Kyoto, Lanxin, driven by curiosity, began to wander around the town.
The town wasn't crowded, but it was lively enough.
As Xu Lanxin came out of the snack shop, she saw a lively place in the distance, surrounded by people.
A fierce-looking man was forcibly dragging a beautiful, weeping woman along; it was quite pitiful.
A wooden plank lay on the ground nearby; she had sold herself into servitude to bury her father.
It really did look like a person was wrapped up inside the straw mat.
"Brother, let's talk this out. It's not a nice sight to be pulling and tugging in the street!"
As a woman myself, I certainly couldn't stand to see this. I believe that upholding justice is a basic quality of a good citizen.
"Get out of my way. My business is none of your concern. This young woman is selling herself to bury her father. I'll give her enough money, and she has to come with me."
The woman in white seized the opportunity to break free and immediately knelt down in front of her, tears streaming down her face.
"Please, madam, save me! I haven't received the money and I don't want to go with him. He forced me into this situation."
After finishing his accusations, he even kowtowed to her.
Seeing Qingyun coldly step forward with his sword, the thug, who had been about to take the woman's hand again, froze to the side.
"In other words, since you want to help her, then you should help her bury her father."
After stammering out his words, the thug turned and ran away.
Lanxin gave Qingyun a wink, and Qingyun handed the money pouch to the woman.
"Thank you, benefactor."
The woman accepted the gift, thanked the man, and stood up.
The white-clad figure passed Lan Xin, her face flushed with shyness, and walked up to Cen Yan.
She tucked her hair behind her ear with a delicate, orchid-like gesture, turned her head shyly, lowered her eyes, and bowed.
"This humble woman, Bai Ling'er, thanks my benefactor."
Miss, if you have poor eyesight, you should get it checked. Which eye saw him save you?
"roll."
Cen Yan spoke coldly and ruthlessly, using only one word: Absolutely.
As expected of her brother, he remained unmoved even with such beauty before him.
Lan Xin then stood in front of Cen Yan, looking at her with a half-smile.
"Miss Nightingale, are you sleepwalking?"
Lan Xin raised her hand and pointed to Qingyun, then continued:
"Please look back. Do you see that young man in black holding a sword? Your benefactor is there."
The woman wasn't annoyed and greeted her with a smile: "Madam, what are you saying? Since you are all together, you are all Ling'er's saviors. Ling'er is willing to repay you as a servant."
"No way, I have plenty of maids. If you want to become a maid in my household, you have to take a number. The number plate costs one hundred taels."
Lan Xin stretched out her hand, as if she really wanted the money.
The woman immediately burst into tears, as if the floodwaters were overflowing.
"Madam, why are you making things so difficult for me? I only want to repay a debt of gratitude."
Her crying was so pitiful that it drew passersby to stop and watch.
Lan Xin didn't want to become the main character in the gossip, so she pulled Cen Yan away.
The woman quickly followed, well done, she didn't even care about her father's corpse.
They boarded the carriage and headed back, and she jogged after them.
Finally, when we stopped to rest at a teahouse, she miraculously followed us and sat on a rock not far away, looking in our direction.
"This young lady is really persistent with you, chasing you all the way here."
Lan Xin took a sip of tea; it was truly bitter.
"Why don't you take her back, sir? Look at her, so pitiful. Don't you feel any pity for her?"
These sarcastic remarks amused Cen Yan, who then gave her a sharp rebuke.
"Qingyun, go and send her away."
The woman spoke a few words to Qingyun, then immediately fainted.
Good trick.
"Qingyun, don't tire yourself out. Take her with you. Our household is just short of someone to empty the chamber pots, isn't it?"
Lan Xin placed her hand on Cen Yan's back, signaling him not to speak.
The woman's face suddenly turned extremely ugly, and her eyes darted around under her eyelids.
Let's see how long you can hold out, you little white flower.
On the way back, Lanxin and her husband did not get off the carriage, and Bai Ling could only worry anxiously, unable to find a place to display her talent for being a troublemaker.
Just as they entered the mansion, a distant relative from the third branch of the family swayed over.
She wore a long yellow gauze dress and had fresh flowers pinned to her high bun, making her look charming and lovely.
Her fixed gaze suggested she wanted nothing more than to take advantage of Cen Yan.
"Greetings, cousin. You must be tired from your long journey. I've made some soup for you in the small kitchen."
She stopped speaking and looked at the beautiful Bai Ling behind her.
"Cousin, what's this?"
"This is my newly recruited night soil collector. What, you want to join me?"
Lanxin retorted without hesitation.
What cousins? This is just a melodramatic soap opera.
"We are not related by blood, so there is no need to call me cousin."
Cen Yan showed no mercy, coldly finished speaking, and pulled Xu Lanxin back to Qingzhu Garden.
"Brother, you're not giving her any chance at all. She's still my cousin, after all."
Are you jealous?
"Yes, it's Shanxi aged vinegar again. Do you want some? I'll get you some tonight."
Cen Yan sometimes couldn't understand what she was saying, so he could only shake his head helplessly, pick her up around the waist, and carry her all the way back to Qingzhu Garden.
At 9 PM, the moon set behind dark clouds, the light and shadows dissipated, and a person dressed in black arrived at a luxurious courtyard with a few leaps.
The courtyard gates were wide open, filled with drunken revelry and singing, while dancers performed in the center of the hall.
Xiao Muhan, disheveled and barefoot, slumped on Meiji's body.
The woman in black stepped forward, knelt down, and bowed with her hands clasped.
"master."
She looked up at Xiao Muhan, and there was no one else but the pitiful Bai Ling'er.
"What's that smell? Get lost!"
Bai Ling'er sniffed herself and felt disgusted with herself.
"I have successfully entered the Cen residence."
"Alright, get some useful information and get lost, you stink."
Xiao Muhan waved his hand, his face full of disgust.
"yes."
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