Chapter 12 Pretending to be a God

Jiang Ling also wanted to see inside, so he tried his best to squeeze forward. Ming Huazhang's martial and civil skills were so solid that no matter how hard Jiang Ling squeezed, he couldn't move. However, Ming Huachang was not able to do that.

She only felt a bump and her body lost its balance. She was about to fall forward, but fortunately a pair of slender hands grabbed her arms in time and pulled her back gently.

Ming Huachang fell into a broad and tall arms, and a cool and refreshing fragrance suddenly surged into her nose. Ming Huachang subconsciously grabbed the clothes of the person in front of her with her fingers, and Ming Huazhang held her shoulders and protected her in front of him in a protective manner.

Ming Huashang was a little confused. For the first time, she realized that Ming Huazhang had grown so tall. Ming Huazhang glanced at Jiang Ling coldly without saying a word, but the warning in his words frightened Jiang Ling so much that he froze instantly.

Ming Huazhang protected Ming Huashang and retreated outside the house. After they stood firm, he let go of her hand without a word and took a step back to distance themselves: "Princess Taiping doesn't like outsiders interfering. We will be fine if we go in, but these maids will definitely be punished. Don't make things difficult for them. Let's go."

Jiang Ling was reluctant to leave, he hesitated, wanting to wait until Ming Huazhang left before going in. Unexpectedly, Ming Huazhang saw through his intention at a glance, and he didn't seem to be trying hard, but grabbed Jiang Ling's collar and dragged him out of the room.

Jiang Ling felt as if he was being lifted up by a great force. He shouted several times in a pretentious manner, but the hand pressing on the back of his neck was as cold and ruthless as an iron clamp. Jiang Ling even felt as if he was being carried down the steps. Ming Huazhang said expressionlessly, "Second Mother, close the door."

Ming Huashang responded crisply, and closed Wei Zi's door neatly, even locking it with the copper lock beside it. Ren Yao looked coldly at the figure who was dragged down like a dead pig, and said, "How shameful."

What was even more embarrassing was that after Ming Huazhang let go, Jiang Ling staggered to his feet, but he still didn't dare to get angry. He straightened his collar and threatened with a fierce look: "Just wait, I will make you pay in the future!"

Ming Huazhang raised his hands and patted his sleeves, still looking aloof and indifferent, not even bothering to look at him.

Jiang Ling snorted in dissatisfaction and said, "I didn't want to see it in the first place. Who would want to see a house where ghosts have lived? Humph, boring. I'm going back to walk the baby."

Jiang Ling walked away in a swagger. Ming Huashang looked at the quail that had walked out of the crab stance in front of him and asked, "Second brother, what should we do now?"

The maid hid in the shadows, her eyes tightly downcast, and she almost said, "You guys should leave quickly." Seeing that they were like this, Ming Huazhang couldn't get anything out of them, so he sighed silently and said, "Let's go first."

Ming Huazhang went out first, followed closely by Ming Huashang. Ren Yao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed.

Ming Huazhang wanted to check the people Wei Zi had met, but everyone in the villa was in danger and no one was willing to open the door to answer. In the blink of an eye, it was already Shen time and the sky was dark, but he still found nothing.

Mangshan looked particularly cold and ruthless under the twilight. Ming Huazhang knew that it would be a waste of time to ask any more questions. He noticed that Ming Huachang was breathing on her hands quietly. He knew that she had not eaten properly since early morning and her body must be unable to bear it, so he said, "We have been to all the places we can go. Let's go back first."

There was a lot of noise in Feihong Garden. Needless to say, it would be safer to live together tonight. After the four of them returned to the guest house, they were all silent.

Ming Huachang once again thanked herself for being a glutton. Before going up the mountain, she did not prepare clothes, jewelry, poems, or songs that looked good but were of no use, but instead prepared food.

Although Feihong Garden had stored enough food, people were in a panic at the moment, and Princess Taiping was preoccupied with herself, so how could she even remember to prepare meals for these guests?

Ming Huachang's food box came in handy once again. Although it wasn't hot food, it was clean, safe and filling, which was more important than anything else at this critical moment.

All four of them came from noble families. Even Ren Yao, who seemed the most casual, had been taught dining etiquette since childhood. The four of them finished their food quietly and quickly. Seeing that everyone was slightly relaxed, Ming Huashang asked Zhaocai to put away the food boxes and asked, "Zhaocai, is the snow I asked you to collect this morning still there?"

“Still.”

"That's perfect. Go get the flower dew and the red clay stove. The freshly fallen snow is clean and crisp, perfect for brewing tea. Remember to get the lily dew."

Zhaocai was already used to Ming Huashang's strange ideas, so he was not surprised. Ming Huashang turned around and said excitedly, "It's not convenient to bring too much baggage up the mountain. I only brought a small clay stove, which can barely make flower tea. My cooking skills are not good, but the snow in Mangshan is fresh. Second brother, Brother Xie and Sister Ren, can you please have a drink?"

Ren Yao frowned. She seldom interacted with girls, but nowadays, ladies in Chang'an and Luoyang had to bring their own clay stoves when they went out? Xie Jichuan asked curiously, "Second sister, can you foresee the future? Why did you bring so many things?"

Ming Huashang complained expressionlessly: "If I had known about this, I would not have gone up the mountain two days ago."

Xie Jichuan nodded, and said, "Yes, I regret it now. Why didn't I refuse the invitation when I received it?"

Ren Yao could no longer bear it and asked, "People are dying outside one after another, aren't you afraid?"

"What if you are afraid? What if you are not afraid? People still have to eat and drink." Ming Huashang waved her hand, signaling Zhaocai to put the tea set here, and fiddled with the utensils skillfully. "It's a day whether you are happy or not. Why don't you relax a little? Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

Ren Yao was stunned when he heard this. In her world, being idle was undoubtedly a sin. Whether it was practicing martial arts or studying, she must not be idle.

But Ming Huashang was completely different from her. Even in such a tense haunted manor, she could still afford a clay stove and go to great lengths just to boil water.

She seemed to be particularly happy easily.

Xie Jichuan supported his head with one hand, quietly watching Ming Huashang put the tea set. He always had a smile on his face, but at this moment he rarely smiled and said seriously: "The enemy is approaching, and there is no time for leisure and conversation. I think my second sister has more of the Xie family's legacy than me."

This was too harsh, Ming Huashang quickly declined: "Brother Xie, you are too kind to me. I am just an ordinary girl, I dare not insult the elegance of the Xie family. Zhaocai, you watch the fire, Ruyi, go get the snow."

Ruyi agreed straightforwardly. Xie Jichuan heard this, turned around and looked at Ruyi, and joked: "Her name is Zhaocai, I thought your name was Jinbao."

Ruyi answered seriously: "Indeed there is Jinbao, but she didn't come this time."

Xie Jichuan meant it as a joke, but he didn't expect it to be true. He covered his eyes and laughed so hard that he fell backwards: "Second sister, you are really a wonderful person."

Ming Huazhang sighed slightly and said to Ming Huachang, "If you could just shift a little more of your attention from eating and drinking to studying, then your father wouldn't be so worried."

Ming Huashang shook her head pitifully and said, "It's different. I am very happy when I eat and drink, but I am not happy at all when I learn music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Besides, don't we still have our second brother?"

Ming Huashang was good at this, but Ming Huazhang was stunned when he felt her look, which seemed to be either coquettish or complaining.

Xie Jichuan glanced at Ming Huazhang with a half-smile and said, "Second sister, the water is boiling."

Ming Huashang quickly looked down and saw that the water was boiling. She expertly ground the tea leaves, boiled them, and added the floral water, as if she had done this countless times before.

Lilies have a sweet and bitter taste, which can soothe the mind and calm the nerves. They are the most suitable for today's occasion. She skimmed off the foam, poured out the first cup of tea, and first handed it to Ming Huazhang: "The first cup is for you, my second brother. I am uneducated and have accomplished nothing. In the future, I hope you will bear with me."

Ren Yao had no brothers or sisters, so he hated this kind of disgusting scene. She hissed, feeling a little annoyed: "Is this how you brothers and sisters talk to each other at home?"

Ming Huashang still kept smiling and looked at Ming Huazhang expectantly. Ming Huazhang slowly raised his hand and took the teacup. Ming Huashang filled another bowl and handed it to Ren Yao: "Sister Ren has helped me a lot in the past two days. This cup is for Sister Ren."

Ming Huashang did not answer Ren Yao's words. If they were siblings, they would not need to be so polite, but she was not. She only hoped to build a good relationship with Ming Huazhang so that when the real daughter returned home in the future, he would at least let her go.

Ren Yao had just been taunting someone else, and now it was her turn. She felt embarrassed. She shrank her fingers, took the teacup nonchalantly, and said, "Alright, alright, it's just a simple gesture, no need to say such cheesy words."

Finally, Ming Huashang filled a bowl with great respect and handed it to Xie Jichuan under his teasing gaze: "This is a cup of tea for you, brother."

Xie Jichuan deliberately asked: "Am I the last?"

"Good tea is never too late, and a small gift is worth a lot of thought." Ming Huashang knew that Xie Jichuan was teasing her, but she still said seriously, "I have heard of Brother Xie's reputation for many years, and now I finally get to meet him in person. He is indeed a beautiful and elegant person. It was my loss that I didn't meet Brother Xie before. I hope Brother Xie will not hold it against me for my heavy loss."

Ming Huashang had said this, and it would be unkind of Xie Jichuan to refuse. He sighed, took the tea from Ming Huashang, and said, "Second sister is really good at talking. I am beginning to be jealous of your future husband."

Ming Huazhang took a sip of tea and immediately glared at him when he heard the words. The lingering mist hovered in front of his eyebrows, making his eyes look even more icy and golden.

Xie Jichuan felt wronged by the stare and cried out, "My second sister will get married eventually, I'm just telling the truth, don't you like hearing this?"

Ming Huashang saw that something was wrong and quickly said, "Okay, okay, I'm still young and have never thought about marriage. Second brother, do you really think that it was the snake ghost that killed people these days?"

It was now dark and it was not convenient to go out, but it was too early to go to bed, so Ming Huashang prepared some soothing tea and exchanged information while making the tea.

Ren Yao was about to finish her cup of tea when she suddenly heard a ghost and her movements became stiff. She looked at Ming Huazhang with a tense face, not sure whether she wanted to hear a positive or negative answer from him.

Ming Huazhang pondered for a moment and said, "When a person dies, it's like a light going out. If ghosts can kill people, why are there so many unjust cases in the world? I think some people have evil intentions and use the talk of ghosts and gods to manipulate people's hearts."

Ren Yao hesitated: "But everyone saw it this morning. Wei Zi's blood words do not belong to the black thorns in the capital. If it is not a ghost, how can these things appear?"

"This is exactly the reason why the scapegoat was found." Ming Huazhang said, "If it is true that the ghost of Chi Lan killed Wei Zi, then how could Chi Lan, a maid who had never left Luoyang, recognize the black thorn and use it to kidnap someone?"

Ren Yao seemed to understand something: "You mean... the other party did it on purpose?"

"Obviously." Ming Huazhang snorted coldly. The young man had a slender neck, a graceful figure, and was proud as it should be. "There are so many rumors about ghosts and monsters among the people. Only one person died. Instead of a mountain ghost or a snow ghost, they made up a snake ghost thousands of miles away. If it wasn't for someone's guidance, how could it spread throughout the villa overnight? Although blackthorn is a specialty of Jiangnan West Road, Jiangnan West Road is so big, why did the rumor directly target Fangzhou?"

It seemed as if someone was eager to make the people in the villa believe that there was a ghost in Fangzhou.

What is so special about Fangzhou that it is worth sacrificing two lives and going through so much trouble?

Xie Jichuan stared at the tea for a long time without saying anything. Ming Huashang was not very familiar with the territory of the Great Zhou, and she did not know the difference between blackthorn and ordinary thorn. She was only interested in what she saw during the day: "According to the witnesses who saw the maid and Wei Zi in the same courtyard, Wei Zi died between the fourth watch and the second quarter of the morning. I remember when I saw Wei Zi yesterday, she was wearing a blue half-sleeve with a turquoise long skirt. Today, I went to see her room, and the colors inside were mostly cold. Then why was she wearing a bright red dress when she died?"

Ren Yao didn't understand what this meant: "It's just clothes. Maybe the murderer changed them for her. What's the big deal?"

Ming Huashang bit her lip and said nothing. She seemed to have fallen into a mysterious world. Here, she was not Ming Huashang, but a murderer with a blurred face and unknown gender.

What was she thinking when she changed Wei Zi's clothes?

Ren Yao didn't care about these small details and said with regret: "It's a pity that after the incident last night, Princess Taiping had people wash away the handwriting and bloodstains at the scene of Chi Lan's death. Otherwise, we could have found some clues by directly comparing the handwriting."

Ming Huazhang raised his eyebrows when he heard this and looked at Xie Jichuan. Xie Jichuan pretended not to understand, but he couldn't stand Ming Huazhang's burning gaze. It was useless for him to pretend to be dead. He could only sigh helplessly: "It's too unlucky. Can anything good happen when you think of me?"

Ming Huazhang was unmoved and said, "He has been known as a child prodigy since he was young. He has a photographic memory and can imitate other people's handwriting with just one look. Shuli, bring paper and pen."

Ren Yao was shocked. He never thought that someone could achieve such a talent that only existed in books. "Really?"

Xie Jichuan frowned in disdain, hoping that this was fake. Ming Huazhang always carried pens and ink with him, just like Ming Huachang always carried food with him. Shuli quickly brought the rice paper. Xie Jichuan knew that he could not escape, so he resigned himself to his fate and moistened his pen: "I made friends carelessly, I really made friends carelessly."

As soon as Xie Jichuan put down his pen, there was a faint sound of something falling outside the courtyard. The sound was very light, but Ming Huazhang's ears moved and his eyes suddenly became sharp: "Who?"

Ming Huashang was awakened from that strange state. Before she understood what had happened, she only felt a gust of wind brushing across her nose, and then a sudden rush of wind and snow came from behind. Ming Huazhang's figure had already rushed into the snow curtain.

Ren Yao also stood up with gritted teeth, picked up his gun and ran out: "Who is this scoundrel who is playing tricks here and scaring me so much that I couldn't sleep well all night. You bastard, give me your life!"

Ren Yao also rushed out in a hurry. Ming Huashang stood there in a daze, asking blankly, "What happened?"

Xie Jichuan stood up and said, "Maybe we have caught a ghost. Let's go out and take a look."